JPH08261495A - Air cleaning and conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To prevent or reduce the generation of bacteria and mold in an air cleaning and conditioning apparatus by providing a zinc oxide film on the outer surface of a heat exchanging member by an electrolytic method. CONSTITUTION: A zinc oxide film is provided on the outer surface of a heat exchanging member (heat exchange fin, a spiral tube, a cornice tube, or a multi- branch tube) by an electrolytic method. The material of the member is, for example, aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper alloy, or stainless steel. The reason why the film is obtained by the electrolytic method is because the adhesive properties of the film are excellent and the steps are simple. Thus, anti-bacterial operation can be provided without considerable influence to the heat exchanging performance on the outer surface of the member, and the generation of the bacteria or mold can be prevented or reduced in an air cleaning and conditioning apparatus (heat exchange fin, a trap, a water storage tank, or an evaporator).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air cleaning / conditioning apparatus, and more particularly, to an air cleaning / air conditioning apparatus in which a zinc oxide film antibacterial body is provided on the outer surface of a heat exchange member or the condensed water collecting part or the inner surface of a water tank Regarding the harmony device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Room air conditioners, car air conditioners, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, fan heaters, air conditioners such as air purifiers, and air purifiers are operated for the purpose of making the living environment in a sealed indoor space comfortable. It is something. The air sucked into the air conditioner and the air purifier is cooled, heated, dehumidified, humidified, deodorized, dust-removed, etc., and then blown out into the room again.

Since these air conditioners and air purifiers circulate a large amount of air, they also inhale dust, dust, bacteria, mold, etc. floating in the room. Therefore, a dust collecting filter is installed to prevent the dust, dust, bacteria, mold, etc. from being blown out again into the room. However, since bacteria, mold, etc. have a size of 10 μm or less, it is difficult to remove them with a dust collecting filter. Even if bacteria, mold, etc. can be removed by the dust collecting filter, they propagate on the surface of or inside the dust collecting filter, and as a result, cause the air blown out to be contaminated with bacteria, mold, etc.

In air conditioners and dehumidifiers, the refrigerant cools the air via the heat exchange member, and the water in the cooled air is condensed and condensed on the surface of the heat exchange member. In general, condensed water is stored in a water tank via a heat exchange member such as a heat exchange fin, a trap, or a drain, or is discharged outdoors.

[0005]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention In an air conditioner and an air purifier, bacteria and mold grow a lot in a humid container such as a dew condensation part, a water passage part, and a water storage part.
Bacteria and molds are abundant in the heat exchange members of room air conditioners and dehumidifiers, evaporators of car air conditioners, and water tanks of humidifiers, so it is necessary to prevent them.

If the outer surface of the heat exchange member made of a metal having a high thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper can have an antibacterial action, it is most effective in preventing the growth of bacteria and mold. However, it is difficult to continuously carry the organic antibacterial agent on the outer surfaces of those heat exchange members. A method of fusing an inorganic antibacterial agent (for example, antibacterial ion-supporting zeolite) to the outer surfaces of those heat exchange members is conceivable, but in that case, the heat exchange efficiency is deteriorated, which is not practical.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air cleaning / conditioning apparatus in which the outer surface of the heat exchange member has a continuous antibacterial action without significantly affecting the heat exchange capacity. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air cleaning / conditioning apparatus in which the inner surface of the condensed water collecting component or the water storage tank has a continuous antibacterial action.

[0008]

On the outer surface of the heat exchange member,
From the viewpoint of adhesion, thermal conductivity, etc., it was found that by applying a zinc oxide film having an antibacterial effect, a durable antibacterial composite can be produced with almost no loss of thermal conductivity, and the present invention was completed. Let

That is, the air cleaning / conditioning apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that a zinc oxide film is provided on the outer surface of the heat exchange member by an electrolytic method. In the air cleaning / conditioning apparatus of the present invention, the heat exchanging member may have any shape used as a heat exchanging member in a conventional air conditioner or air purifier, for example, a heat exchanging fin, a spiral pipe, a spiral pipe. , A manifold or the like.

Further, in the air cleaning / conditioning apparatus of the present invention, the material used for manufacturing the heat exchange member may be any material used for manufacturing the heat exchange member in the conventional air conditioner or air purifier, For example, it can be aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, copper alloy, stainless steel, or the like.

In the air cleaning / conditioning apparatus of the present invention, the reason why the zinc oxide film is limited to that obtained by the electrolytic method is that the film has good adhesion and the process is simple. As a method of forming a zinc oxide film on the outer surface of aluminum, copper or the like by an electrolytic method, for example, a method of performing a electrolytic operation using a metal such as aluminum or copper in an aqueous solution of zinc nitrate as a cathode to deposit a zinc oxide film. Can be mentioned. The adhesion of this zinc oxide film varies depending on the shape of the metal surface and the degree of cleaning, but it is practically sufficient. Further, the antibacterial activity of zinc oxide is known, and the antibacterial activity of the air purifying / conditioning apparatus of the present invention is sufficiently exhibited.

The present invention has been described above with respect to the air cleaning / conditioning apparatus in which the zinc oxide film is provided on the outer surface of the heat exchange member by the electrolysis method. The electrolytic cleaning is performed on the inner surface of the condensed water collecting component or the water storage tank. An air purifying / conditioning apparatus provided with a zinc oxide film by the method can be similarly configured, and the same effect can be achieved.

[0013]

【Example】

Example 1 An aqueous zinc nitrate solution having a concentration of 0.1 mol / liter was used as an electrolytic solution, an aluminum fin-shaped aluminum plate (thickness: 0.5 mm) of an air conditioner was used as a cathode, and DSE was used as an anode. The distance was set to 10 cm and a DC voltage of 5 V was applied for 10 minutes for electrolysis. The bath temperature at this time was 60 ° C. The film obtained is white,
As a result of X-ray analysis, it was confirmed to be zinc oxide. This zinc oxide coated aluminum plate was attached as one of a plurality of aluminum fins of an air conditioner and continuously operated. 1
As a result of collecting and culturing the bacteria attached to the aluminum fin surface after a period of months, a large number of bacterial groups were confirmed for the aluminum fin without the zinc oxide film, but almost no bacterial attachment was found for the aluminum fin with the zinc oxide film. There was none or none. This example demonstrates the antibacterial effect of the cooling fin with the zinc oxide coating.

Example 2 An electrolytic treatment was carried out under the conditions shown in Example 1 except that a condensate tray (drain van) -shaped copper plate container of a dehumidifier was used as the cathode, and a zinc oxide film was formed on the inner surface of the container. A container having a zinc oxide film on its inner surface was used as a condensate water tray of a dehumidifier, and this dehumidifier was continuously operated for 8 hours a day in high humidity.

When the dehumidifier was operated for 2 weeks, the dehumidifier was stopped, the surface of the zinc oxide film of the copper plate container was transferred by a food stamp for fungi, and then cultured for 2 days. However, no mold reproduction was observed. This example demonstrates the antibacterial effect of the zinc oxide film-condensed water tray that collects the water condensed in the dehumidifier.

[0016]

In the air cleaning / conditioning apparatus of the present invention, a zinc oxide film having excellent antibacterial activity is provided on the outer surface of the heat exchange member or the inner surface of the condensed water collecting component or the water storage tank. -It is possible to prevent or reduce the generation of bacteria and mold in the conditioner, specifically, heat exchange members such as heat exchange fins, traps, water storage tanks, and evaporators.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An air purifying / conditioning apparatus, characterized in that a zinc oxide film is provided on the outer surface of the heat exchange member by an electrolytic method. 2. The air cleaning / conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchange member is a heat exchange fin, a spiral pipe, a flexible pipe or a manifold. 3. The air cleaning / conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchange member is made of aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, copper alloy or stainless steel. 4. An air purifying / conditioning apparatus, wherein a zinc oxide film is provided on the inner surface of a condensed water collecting component or a water storage tank by an electrolytic method.