JPH07299382A - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an air cleaner which indicates the amount (numeral) of dust captured by suction and demonstrates its operating effects to the user. CONSTITUTION:An electric current detection circuit 6 detects an amperage to a dust collection electrode 4 when an electrically charged dust is captured by the effect of the dust collection electrode 4. A counting circuit 7 counts the amount (numeral) of dust captured by attraction to the dust collection electrode 4 based on an output signal from the electric current detection circuit 4, and a display circuit 8 displays the value counted by the circuit 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air cleaner for removing dust such as dust and pollen existing in the air, and more specifically, the number of dust adsorbed and captured by the dust collecting electrode. Regarding the air purifier to notify.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of air cleaner, for example, there is one shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, inside the air purifier 50, a rectifier circuit 51 that converts an input voltage of AC 100 V into a DC voltage, a high voltage generation circuit 52 that generates a high voltage by power supply from the rectifier circuit 51, dust and the like. Attached so as to cover the dust collecting electrode 54, and a linear ionizing electrode 53 that diffuses ions for ionizing dust such as pollen, a plate-shaped dust collecting electrode 54 for adsorbing ionized dust Dust collecting paper 55, which is housed in a case 56. Further, a large number of openings 56a through which air passes are formed on the front surface of the case 56.

The ionizing electrode 53 and the dust collecting electrode 54
An ion generating section is configured by connecting the high voltage generating circuit 52 to the
A negative voltage is applied to 3 and a positive voltage is applied to the dust collecting electrode 54.

Next, the operation of the conventional air cleaner will be described.

When the power of the air purifier is turned on by the user, voltages of respective polarities are applied from the high voltage generating circuit 52 to the ionizing electrode 53 and the dust collecting electrode 54. As a result, a corona discharge is generated between the two electrodes, and this discharge causes the ionization electrode 53 to the dust collecting electrode 54.
A large amount of electrons fly out at an extremely high speed toward (dust collecting paper 55), and the electrons are dissipated in the air. As a result, the molecule in the air becomes a state in which it has an extra electron, that is, a negative ion. In addition, dust floating in the air, such as bacteria, viruses, house mite feces, mold spores, and pollen, receives electrons from negative ions and bears negative static electricity. The negatively charged dust adheres to the positively charged dust collecting electrode 54 (dust collecting paper 55) due to the Coulomb force,
The air is cleaned by being removed from the air.

When an air cleaner of this type is used for cleaning air, when corona discharge occurs between the ionizing electrode 53 and the dust collecting electrode 54, a part of oxygen molecules in the air is exposed to the corona discharge. It is well known that the corona discharge energy causes a chemical change to generate ozone (O ₃ ). Ozone thus produced has a unique odor, has a very strong oxidizing power, and oxidizes and decomposes malodorous components, and further has a disinfecting effect. This is convenient for sterilizing bacteria in the air, but ozone is a very harmful substance because ozone has a strong toxic effect and therefore a substance having a high concentration may damage the respiratory organs. In addition, even a thin object may present with bronchitis or the like if exposed for a long time.
Therefore, the amount of ozone generated is limited so that the concentration of ozone discharged outside the device is kept below 0.02 ppm.

[0007]

However, no matter how much the air purifier cleans the air, dust such as bacteria, viruses, house mite feces, mold spores, pollen, etc. gets charged with electrons from negative ions. The state of being sucked and captured by the dust collecting electrode 54 (dust collecting paper 55) by the Coulomb force cannot be directly seen. Therefore, there is a problem that the user cannot realize the effect. Therefore, there is a possibility that the user may have doubts or anxiety about the effect of the air purifier, and the reliability of the device may be impaired.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to make the user realize the effect of the device (air purifier).

[0009]

In order to achieve this object, an air cleaner of the present invention applies a high voltage between a pair of electrodes in which an ionizing electrode and a dust collecting electrode are opposed to each other, and the air is flowing in the air. Dust or pollen dust present in the is charged by the discharge of the ionization electrode, the charged dust is adsorbed and captured in the dust collecting electrode, further, when the dust is adsorbed and captured in the dust collecting electrode A current detecting means for detecting the amount of current flowing through the dust collecting electrode; and a counting means for receiving the output signal from the current detecting means and counting the number of the dust particles adsorbed and captured by the dust collecting electrode; And a notification unit for making a notification according to the number of dust particles counted by the counting unit.

The counting means counts the number of dust particles adsorbed and captured per unit time, and the notifying means gives a notification according to the counted number per unit time. It may be.

The notifying means may be display means for making a notification according to the counted quantity. Further, the display means may digitally display the value counted by the counting means.

The notifying means may be a voice means for emitting a voice sound according to the counted quantity.

[0013]

In the air cleaner of the present invention having the above structure, the current detecting means detects the amount of current flowing through the dust collecting electrode when the dust charged on the dust collecting electrode is adsorbed and captured. Then, the counting means counts the amount (number) of the dust adsorbed and captured by the dust collecting electrode from the output signal from the current detecting means, and the notifying means responds to the user according to the number of the dust. Notify me.

Therefore, the user who has received the notification can actually feel the operation of the air purifier.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the air cleaner of this embodiment. Inside the air purifier 11, a rectifier circuit 1 for converting an input voltage of AC100V into a DC voltage, a high voltage generation circuit 2 for generating a high voltage by power supply from the rectifier circuit 1, ions for ionizing particles such as dust. A linear ionizing electrode 3 that diffuses the dust, a plate-shaped dust collecting electrode 4 for adsorbing particles such as ionized dust, and dust collecting paper 5 are attached so as to cover the dust collecting electrode 4.

A current detecting circuit 6 for detecting a current flowing through the dust collecting electrode 4 is connected between the high voltage generating circuit 2 and the dust collecting electrode 4, and the current detecting circuit 6 includes:
A count circuit 7 for counting the amount (number) of dust that has been suctioned and captured by the dust collection electrode is connected by the output signal (current value) of the current detection circuit 6.

The counting circuit 7 includes a counting circuit 7
A display circuit 8 for digitally displaying the count value of 1 and a reset circuit 9 for clearing the count value of the counter circuit 7 are connected.

Each of the rectifying circuit 1, the high voltage generating circuit 2, the ionizing electrode 3, the dust collecting electrode 4, the dust collecting paper 5, the current control circuit 6, the counting circuit 7, and the reset circuit 9 is housed inside a case 10. The display circuit 8 is arranged on the front surface of the case 10. A large number of openings 10a through which air passes are formed on the front surface of the case 10.

The high voltage generating circuit 2 is connected to the ionizing electrode 3 and the dust collecting electrode 4 to form an ion generating portion. The current detection circuit 6 constitutes the current detection means of the present invention, the counting circuit 7 constitutes the counting means of the present invention, and the display circuit 8 constitutes the display means as the notification means of the present invention.

Next, the counting and display of the amount (number) of dust in the air cleaner of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The basic operation is the same as in the conventional example. When a high voltage is applied between the ionization electrode 3 and the dust collection electrode 4, corona discharge occurs during this period, and this discharge causes the ionization electrode 3 to discharge. A large amount of electrons fly out at high speed toward the dust collecting electrode 4 (dust collecting paper 5) and are diffused into the air. As a result, the air molecule becomes a state of having an extra electron, that is, a negative ion. In addition, dust such as bacteria, viruses, house mite feces, mold spores, and pollen floating in the air receives electrons from negative ions and bears negative static electricity. The negatively charged dust adheres to the positively charged dust collecting electrode 4 (dust collecting paper 5) by the Coulomb force, and the air is cleaned.

At the same time that the dust charged with negative static electricity is sucked and captured by the dust collecting electrode 4 (dust collecting paper 5), electrons are collected from the dust charged with negative static electricity by the dust collecting electrode 4 (dust collecting paper 5). Move to. The electrons separated from the dust charged with the negative static electricity flow as a current in the high voltage generation circuit 2. The current flowing through the high voltage generation circuit 2 is detected by the current detection circuit 6, and the output signal (current waveform signal) from the current detection circuit 6 is as shown in FIG. 2A, and dust with negative static electricity is generated. A pulse-like waveform appears every time the dust collecting electrode 4 (dust collecting paper 5) is sucked and captured one by one.

The current waveform signal A detected by the current detection circuit 6 is a comparison value B which is a predetermined current value.
The number of times when the number becomes larger than that, that is, the number of negative electrostatically-charged dust that is sucked and captured by the dust collecting electrode 4 (dust collecting paper 5) is sequentially integrated by the counter circuit 7 (b: FIG. 2).
On the other hand, the reset circuit 9 clears the count value of the count circuit 7 at a certain fixed time (for example, every one minute) (c: FIG. 2). When receiving the signal (c: FIG. 2) from the reset circuit 9, the count circuit 7 first transmits the current count value to the display circuit 8. After that, the count value is cleared to zero and counting is started again. The display circuit 8 to which the count value has been transmitted displays the count value, that is, the value of the amount (number) of dust suctioned and captured by the dust collecting electrode 4 per fixed time. By doing so, the dust collection ability and action can be visually appealed to the user and the effect can be realized.

In the present embodiment, the amount (number) of dust suctioned and captured by the dust collecting electrode is displayed per fixed time.
The present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to continuously display the amount (number) of dust that has been suctioned and captured by the dust collecting electrode, and the amount of dust that has been accumulated and accumulated since the power was turned on, etc. The amount (number) of dust may be displayed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the value display of the amount (number) of dust sucked and captured by the dust collecting electrode 4 in the display circuit 8 is as follows.
Although it has been described that the number of dust particles that are actually sucked and captured by the dust collecting electrode 4 is displayed as a digital value, the present invention is not limited to this, and a stepwise display such as "minimum" or "small amount" ”,“ Medium amount ”,“ Large amount ”, etc., large or small display, analog display, and graphical display such as marks and graphs, light source blinking speed, intensity, display The color may be indicated by a change in color, and the display method is not limited.

Although the display circuit 8 is used as the notification means in the present embodiment, a voice circuit that emits a song, a warning sound, a voice or the like may be used instead of the display circuit 8. This audio circuit corresponds to the audio means as the notification means of the present invention. For example, this voice circuit plays a song and the counting circuit 7
Different songs may be played according to the magnitude of the count value output by. Alternatively, more simply, the voice circuit may change the pitch of the sound to be emitted or the tempo of the sound according to the magnitude of the count value. or,
The amount (number) of dust that has been suctioned and captured by the dust collecting electrode may be directly stated by voice or a different message may be issued depending on the count value.

By providing the audio means, the dust collecting ability and action of the air cleaner 11 can be audibly appealed to the user, and the effect can be realized.

[0029]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the air cleaner of the present invention, the dust collecting electrode is informed to the user according to the amount (number) of the dust that has been suctioned and captured. The effect of the device can be appealed and the effect can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an air cleaner of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a current waveform diagram and a timing chart diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional air cleaner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 High voltage generation circuit 3 Ionization electrode 4 Dust collection electrode 5 Dust collection paper 6 Current detection circuit 7 Count circuit 8 Display circuit 9 Reset circuit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A high voltage is applied between a pair of electrodes in which an ionization electrode and a dust collection electrode are opposed to each other, and dust such as dust or pollen present in the inflowing air is charged by discharge of the ionization electrode, In an air cleaner that adsorbs and captures the charged dust at a dust collection electrode, a current detection unit that detects the amount of current flowing through the dust collection electrode when the dust is adsorbed and captured by the dust collection electrode; and the current detection. In response to the output signal from the means, a counting means for counting the number of the dust adsorbed and captured by the dust collecting electrode, and a notifying means for notifying according to the number of the dust counted by the counting means. An air purifier characterized by being equipped. 2. The counting means counts the number of dust particles adsorbed and captured per unit time, and the notifying means gives notification according to the counted number per unit time. The air cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the air cleaner is provided. 3. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the notification means is a display means for making a notification according to the counted quantity. 4. The air cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the display means digitally displays the value counted by the counting means. 5. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the notifying unit is a voice unit that emits a voice, a song, or the like according to the counted quantity.