JPH09243119A - Water supply device, humidification device and humidity conditioning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To supply water to a water supplied area from a water supply unit without using any special power source by providing a capillary tube whose one end is connected to the water supply unit and whose other end is connected to the water supplied area respectively and supplying water to the water supplied area to the capillary tube by using a capillary tube pressure and an osmotic pressure. SOLUTION: The water sucked up from a water tank 1 with a capillary tube pressure is transferred to the outside of a capillary tube 2a with an osmotic pressure. As a result, the concentration of a moisture absorption agent in a first moisture absorption agent housing area 2 is lowered. Even in a space between the first moisture absorption agent housing area 2b and a second moisture absorption agent housing area 2d, the moisture in the first moisture absorption housing area 2b is transferred to the second moisture absorption housing area 2d where the concentration of the moisture absorption agent in the first moisture absorption housing area 2b is raised while the concentration of the moisture absorption agent in the second moisture absorption housing area 2d is lowered. The moisture transferred to the second moisture absorption agent housing area 2d is discharged outside by way of a through hole 2c by means of a water discharge unit, thereby raising the concentration of the moisture absorption agent in the second moisture absorption agent housing area 2d.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water supply device, a humidifying device, and a humidity control device, and more specifically, a novel water supply device capable of supplying water to a predetermined position without providing a special power source, The present invention relates to a humidifier and a humidity controller using this water supply device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a humidifying device has been widely used in order to prevent a room or the like from being too dry. Then, as a general configuration of the humidifier, a water tank for storing water used for humidification, a heater for gradually evaporating the water in the water tank, or a very fine water tank A configuration is adopted that includes an ultrasonic vibration device that changes the particles into fine particles and a fan that discharges water that has been evaporated or formed into extremely fine particles into the atmosphere.

With the humidifying device having such a structure, if water is present in the water tank, it is possible to constantly humidify the room or the like.

[0004]

When the humidifying device having the above-mentioned structure is installed in a relatively low place such as indoors, the replenishment of water to the water tank can be easily achieved. When the device is installed on the upper part of the wall, the ceiling, etc., it becomes difficult to supply water to the water tank.

In order to eliminate such inconvenience, it is conceivable to provide a pipe for supplying water to a water tank of a humidifier installed on the upper part of the wall, the ceiling or the like, but the piping work becomes large. At the same time, a power source such as a pump is required in the middle of this pipe or at the end of this pipe, resulting in a significant increase in cost. Moreover, since electric power is required to drive the pump, running costs are incurred. Furthermore, the existence of the power source causes a failure.

[0006] Further, the water in the water tank may contain bacteria, and white turbidity due to calcium occurs with long-term use, and if these are released into the atmosphere along with water, This causes air pollution in the room. In the above, only the case of supplying water to the humidifying device has been described, but the same inconvenience may occur with respect to supplying water to other devices that need water supply and draining water from other devices that require water discharge. There is.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and does not require a special power source and can supply water only by eliminating bacteria and cloudiness. It is an object of the present invention to provide a humidifying device and a humidity control device using this water supply device.

[0008]

A water supply device according to claim 1 is
A water supply device for supplying water from a water supply unit to a supplied unit, wherein the water supply unit has a capillary part having one end connected to the supplied part and the other end connected to the water supply unit. Also, the one that uses the osmotic pressure to supply water to the supply target part is adopted.

In the water supply device according to the second aspect, the capillary tube portion is
A plurality of capillaries having an osmotic membrane as an outer shell membrane, a first hygroscopic agent containing portion that encloses the capillaries and contains a hygroscopic agent for sucking out water in the capillaries by osmotic pressure, and a first hygroscopic agent by osmotic pressure. A second hygroscopic agent accommodating section for accommodating a hygroscopic agent for sucking out water in the agent accommodating section and a water discharging section for discharging water from the second hygroscopic agent accommodating section are adopted.
The concentration of the hygroscopic agent stored in the hygroscopic agent storage section is set higher than the concentration of the hygroscopic agent stored in the first hygroscopic agent storage section.

In the water supply device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the capillary portion is
A plurality of capillaries containing the hygroscopic agent for sucking out the water in the water supply section by the osmotic pressure, using the osmotic membrane as the outer shell membrane,
The one that includes a second hygroscopic agent accommodating portion that accommodates a hygroscopic agent for sucking out water in the capillary by osmotic pressure and a water discharge portion that discharges water from the second hygroscopic agent accommodating portion is accommodated in the capillary tube. The concentration of the hygroscopic agent is set to be lower than the concentration of the hygroscopic agent stored in the second hygroscopic agent storage section and higher than the concentration of the hygroscopic agent stored in the water supply section.

In the water supply device according to the fourth aspect, as two capillary tubes, one capillary tube is formed in a folded shape at an intermediate portion. The humidifying device according to claim 5 is different from the water supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in that it further includes a humidifier that receives the water discharged from the water discharger and discharges the water into the atmosphere. It is a waste.

The humidity control apparatus of claim 6 is different from the humidification apparatus of claim 5 in that it further includes humidity control means for controlling the amount of water released into the atmosphere. The humidity control device according to claim 7 further includes a dehumidifier that collects moisture in the atmosphere, in addition to the humidity control device according to claim 6, and the humidity control means regulates the amount of water released to the atmosphere. The amount of water collected by the dehumidifier is adjusted.

The water supply apparatus of claim 8 is different from the water supply apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4 in that the water supply apparatus further includes a dehumidifier that collects moisture in the atmosphere. It also serves as a water supply unit.

[0014]

According to the present invention, there is provided a water supply device for supplying water from a water supply unit to a supply target unit, wherein one end is connected to the water supply unit and the other end is connected to the supply target unit. Since it has a capillary section that supplies water to the supplied section using capillary pressure and osmotic pressure as the capillary section, it does not require a special power source. Thus, water can be supplied from the water supply unit to the supply target unit. In addition, even if the water contained in the water supply unit contains bacteria, cloudiness, etc., when water migrates due to osmotic pressure, it is possible to reliably prevent migration of bacteria, cloudiness, etc. It is possible to supply uncontaminated water to the supply target portion.

In the water supply device according to the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of capillaries having an osmotic membrane as an outer shell membrane and a hygroscopic agent for sucking water in the capillaries by osmotic pressure while surrounding the capillaries as a capillary portion. A first hygroscopic agent accommodating portion, a second hygroscopic agent accommodating portion accommodating a hygroscopic agent for sucking out water in the first hygroscopic agent accommodating portion by osmotic pressure, and releasing water from the second hygroscopic agent accommodating portion. Since the one including the water discharger is adopted and the concentration of the hygroscopic agent stored in the second hygroscopic agent storage section is set higher than the concentration of the hygroscopic agent stored in the first hygroscopic agent storage section. Therefore, water rises in the capillaries from the water supply unit due to the capillarity phenomenon. Then, the water in the capillary tube migrates to the first hygroscopic agent storage section through the osmotic membrane due to the difference in the concentration of the hygroscopic agent inside the capillary tube and the first hygroscopic agent storage section. The moisture in the first hygroscopic agent storage section moves to the second hygroscopic agent storage section through the osmotic pressure resulting from the difference in the concentration of the hygroscopic agent between the first hygroscopic agent storage section and the second hygroscopic agent storage section. Then, the water in the second hygroscopic agent storage section is released by the water release section and moves to the supply target section. Further, this series of operations is continuously performed as long as water is present in the water supply unit, and water can be supplied to the supply target unit. Here, since the water supply unit and the supply target unit can be arranged with a sufficiently large distance, the supply of water to the water supply unit can be easily achieved.

Therefore, it is possible to supply water from the water supply unit to the supply target unit without using a special power source. Further, since the water is transferred by the osmotic pressure from the water supply unit to the supply target unit, even if the water contained in the water supply unit contains bacteria, cloudiness, etc.,
It is possible to reliably prevent the transfer of bacteria, cloudiness, and the like in this portion, and to supply uncontaminated water to the supply target portion.

According to another aspect of the water supply device of the present invention, a plurality of capillaries are used as the capillaries, the osmotic membrane is an outer shell membrane, and a plurality of capillaries containing a hygroscopic agent for sucking out water in the water supply unit by osmotic pressure; By adopting the one including a second hygroscopic agent storage section for storing a hygroscopic agent for sucking out water in the capillary tube and a water discharge section for discharging water from the second hygroscopic agent storage section, it is accommodated in the capillary tube. Since the concentration of the hygroscopic agent is set to be lower than the concentration of the hygroscopic agent stored in the second hygroscopic agent storage section and higher than the concentration of the hygroscopic agent stored in the water supply section, Due to the difference in the concentration of the agent, the water is transferred from the water supply unit to the capillary tube, and the capillary phenomenon causes the water to blow up in the capillary tube. Then, the water in the capillary moves to the second hygroscopic agent storage section through the osmotic membrane due to the difference in the concentration of the hygroscopic agent inside the capillary tube and the second hygroscopic agent storage section.
Then, the water in the second hygroscopic agent storage section is released by the water release section and moves to the supply target section. Further, this series of operations is continuously performed as long as water is present in the water supply unit, and water can be supplied to the supply target unit. Here, since the water supply unit and the supply target unit can be arranged with a sufficiently large distance, the supply of water to the water supply unit can be easily achieved.

Therefore, water can be supplied from the water supply unit to the supply target unit without using a special power source. Further, since the water is transferred by the osmotic pressure from the water supply unit to the supply target unit, even if the water contained in the water supply unit contains bacteria, cloudiness, etc.,
It is possible to reliably prevent the transfer of bacteria, cloudiness, and the like in this portion, and to supply uncontaminated water to the supply target portion.

In the water supply device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the capillary tube
As a book, one capillary tube is formed in a folded shape in the middle, so that it is possible to easily obtain the initial state in which water is filled inside the capillary tube.
It is possible to achieve the same effect as that of claim 2 or claim 3. According to the humidifying device of claim 5, the humidifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided with a humidifier that receives the water discharged from the water discharging part and discharges the water into the atmosphere. Since it further includes, the water supply unit and the humidifier can be arranged with a sufficiently large distance without using a special power source, and water supply to the water supply unit can be easily achieved. . Further, even if bacteria and cloudiness are present in the water supply unit, the moisture released from the humidifier does not contain bacteria and cloudiness at all, and it is possible to achieve humidification without environmental pollution. .

According to the humidity control apparatus of claim 6, in addition to the humidity control apparatus of claim 5, the humidity control apparatus further includes humidity control means for controlling the amount of water discharged into the atmosphere. Can be adjusted, and the same effect as in claim 5 can be achieved. The humidity control device according to claim 7, which is different from the humidity control device according to claim 6, further including a dehumidifier that collects moisture in the atmosphere, and the amount of water released into the atmosphere as the humidity control means. And the amount of moisture collected by the dehumidifier are adopted, so that it is possible to achieve the same effect as that of claim 6.

According to the water supply device of claim 8, in addition to the water supply device of any one of claims 1 to 4, the water supply device further comprises a dehumidifier for collecting moisture in the atmosphere. Since it also serves as the water supply unit, it is possible to supply the moisture collected by the dehumidifier to the supply target unit arranged with a sufficiently large distance without using a special power source. It is possible to easily discharge the water accumulated in the supplied portion.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an embodiment of a water supply device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view. This water supply device has a water tank 1 as a water supply section, a capillary section 2, and a supply target section (not shown).

The capillary section 2 includes a large number of capillaries 2a made of permeable membrane hollow fibers, and a first hygroscopic agent accommodating section 2b surrounding the capillaries 2a and accommodating a hygroscopic agent therein. The moisture permeable membrane (for example, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene co-polymer) is brought into contact with the first hygroscopic agent storage portion 2b through the osmotic membrane and faces a predetermined direction (for example, a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the capillary tube 2a). A porous film made of a united material, having a through hole 2c formed with a pore size of 60 nm or less), and a second hygroscopic agent accommodating portion 2d that accommodates a hygroscopic agent inside; 2 Hygroscopic agent storage section 2d
From the water through the through hole 2c to the water discharge portion (for example, a fan for forcibly circulating air in the through hole 2c, the inside of the second hygroscopic agent accommodating portion 2d up to a temperature suitable for water discharge). It has a heater (not shown) for raising the temperature.

The concentration of the hygroscopic agent in the first hygroscopic agent containing portion 2b and the concentration of the hygroscopic agent in the second hygroscopic agent containing portion 2d are
The latter is set to be larger. If the cohesive force of water is ignored, the length of the capillary section 2 is the sum of the capillary pressure and the osmotic pressure, which is the force for raising water, and the gravity acting as a resistance when raising water. It should be set in consideration. Further, as the hygroscopic agent, lithium chloride which can relatively easily release water can be exemplified, but hygroscopic agents other than lithium chloride can also be adopted.
Furthermore, examples of the permeable membrane include permeable membranes typified by cellulose acetate.

The operation of the water supply device having the above configuration is as follows. As shown in FIG. 3, the first hygroscopic agent storage portion 2b is
Since it has a large number of capillaries 2a inside and the capillaries 2a are made of osmotic membrane hollow fibers, the water sucked from the water tank 1 by the capillary pressure moves to the outside of the capillaries 2a by the osmotic pressure. To do. As a result, the concentration of the hygroscopic agent in the first hygroscopic agent storage portion 2b decreases. In addition, since the osmotic pressure due to the difference in the concentration of the hygroscopic agent exists between the first hygroscopic agent storage section 2b and the second hygroscopic agent storage section 2d, the water content in the first hygroscopic agent storage section 2b is The concentration of the hygroscopic agent in the first hygroscopic agent storage section 2b rises and the concentration of the hygroscopic agent in the second hygroscopic agent storage section 2d lowers while shifting to the second hygroscopic agent storage section 2d. Then, the water that has moved to the second hygroscopic agent storage portion 2d is passed through the through hole 2c by the water discharge portion.
And is released to the outside through the through, and the concentration of the hygroscopic agent in the second hygroscopic agent storage portion 2d rises.

It should be noted that this series of operations is performed as long as water is present in the water tank 1. Therefore, it is possible to supply water from the water tank 1 to the supply target portion without providing a special power source. Further, since the distance between the water tank 1 and the supplied portion can be made sufficiently large, even if the supplied portion is located on the upper part of the wall, the ceiling, etc. It can be installed on a floor or the like, and water supply to the water tank 1 can be easily achieved.

Further, since the osmotic membrane exists in the middle of the water transfer route, even if bacteria, cloudiness, etc. exist in the water tank 1, only water can be transferred to the supply target part. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent contamination due to bacteria, cloudiness, etc. of the supply target portion. Furthermore, before performing the series of operations described above, it is necessary to fill the inside of the capillary tube 2a with water, which allows water to reach the upper end of the capillary tube 2a due to the capillary pressure. Can be raised. Here, in order to easily perform the process of filling the inside of the capillary tube 2a with water, it is preferable that one hollow fiber is folded to form two capillary tubes 2a. Since both ends of the hollow fiber are located at the lower end of the capillary section 2, water can be easily filled by supplying water from one end.

In the above embodiment, the moisture is finally discharged to the outside through the moisture permeable film of the second hygroscopic agent containing portion 2d and the through hole 2c. Therefore, by using this portion also as the humidifier, It is possible to obtain a humidifying device which does not require a special power source, can install a water tank at a sufficiently distant position, and can prevent environmental pollution in advance.
Of course, it is also possible to collect the moisture released from the second hygroscopic agent storage portion 2d and supply it to the water tank of the humidifier (not shown). In these cases, for example, it is possible to provide a humidity control device by controlling the water discharge part based on the humidity of the air-conditioned environment, and also by combining with a device having a dehumidifying function, such as an air conditioning device. A humidity control device can be provided.

Further, the water tank 1 in the above embodiment
As a water tank for a dehumidifier (not shown),
Similarly, a dehumidifying device can be obtained. In this case, the installation position of the dehumidifier can be freely set, and the supplied portion where the water to be discharged is finally stored can be installed on the lower part of the wall, the floor or the like. FIG. 4 is an exploded front view showing another embodiment of the water supply apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a front view showing an assembled state.

This embodiment is different from the above-mentioned embodiment in that the first hygroscopic agent accommodating portion 2b surrounding the capillary tube 2a is omitted, and both ends of each capillary tube 2a are closed and the hygroscopic agent is accommodated inside. Capillary tube 2a
The only difference is that the concentration of the hygroscopic agent inside is set higher than the concentration of the hygroscopic agent inside the water tank 1 and lower than the concentration of the hygroscopic agent inside the second hygroscopic agent storage portion 2d. In this embodiment, a coating is applied to a portion of each of the capillaries 2a located between the water tank 1 and the second hygroscopic agent containing portion 2d,
It is preferable to prevent the release of water from this portion.

When this embodiment is adopted, the water in the water tank 1 is transferred into the capillaries 2a by the osmotic pressure at the lower part of each capillaries 2a. Then, the transferred water is blown up in the capillary tube 2a by the capillary phenomenon. By this blowing up of water, the concentration of the hygroscopic agent in the lower part of the capillary tube 2a becomes high, and it is possible to continuously transfer and blow up the water. The water that has blown up inside the capillary tube 2a moves to the second hygroscopic agent storage portion 2d due to the osmotic pressure, and in combination with the cohesive force of the water, it is possible to blow up the water inside the capillary tube 2a. And the second
The water that has moved to the hygroscopic agent containing section 2d is released to the outside through the through hole 2c by the water releasing section, and the concentration of the hygroscopic agent in the second hygroscopic agent containing section 2d rises.

Therefore, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment, and to apply the same. However, in this embodiment, the first hygroscopic agent storage portion 2
Since b is unnecessary, the configuration can be simplified as compared with the above embodiment. Further, since both ends of the capillary tube 2a are closed and the hygroscopic agent is stored in advance, the capillary tube 2a is installed at the installation site as compared with the capillary tube 2a of the above embodiment.
It is no longer necessary to fill the entire range of a with water,
The operation can be simplified.

Furthermore, in any of the above-mentioned embodiments, the humidity can be controlled by controlling the temperature of the hygroscopic agent. In this case, it is preferable to use lithium chloride as the hygroscopic agent, which facilitates the humidity control by temperature control.

[0034]

According to the invention of claim 1, water can be supplied from the water supply unit to the supply target unit by the capillary pressure and the osmotic pressure without using a special power source. Even if the stored water contains bacteria, cloudiness, etc., when the water is transferred by osmotic pressure, it is possible to reliably prevent the transfer of bacteria, cloudiness, etc. It has the unique effect of being able to supply uncontaminated water.

According to the second aspect of the invention, water can be supplied from the water supply unit to the supply target unit without using a special power source, and between the water supply unit and the supply target unit, Water migrates due to osmotic pressure, so even if the water contained in the water supply unit contains bacteria and cloudiness, be sure to prevent the migration of bacteria and cloudiness in this part. Therefore, it is possible to supply uncontaminated water to the supply target portion.

According to the invention of claim 3, water can be supplied from the water supply unit to the supply target unit without using a special power source, and between the water supply unit and the supply target unit, Water migrates due to osmotic pressure, so even if the water contained in the water supply unit contains bacteria and cloudiness, be sure to prevent the migration of bacteria and cloudiness in this part. Therefore, it is possible to supply uncontaminated water to the supply target portion.

The invention according to claim 4 can easily obtain the initial state in which the inside of the capillary tube is filled with water, and has the same effect as that of claim 2 or claim 3. According to the invention of claim 5, by arranging the water supply unit and the humidifier with a sufficiently large distance without using a special power source,
Replenishment of water to the water supply unit can be easily achieved, and even if bacteria and cloudiness are present in the water supply unit, the moisture released from the humidifier may contain bacteria and cloudiness. There is no peculiar effect that humidification without environmental pollution can be achieved.

The invention of claim 6 can adjust the humidity in an air-conditioned environment, and can achieve the same effect as that of claim 5. The invention of claim 7 can achieve the same operation as that of claim 6. According to the invention of claim 8, the moisture collected by the dehumidifier can be supplied to the supply target portion arranged with a sufficiently large distance without using a special power source, and the supply target portion can be supplied. It has the unique effect of being able to easily discharge the accumulated water.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an embodiment of a water supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the same.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing a configuration of a first hygroscopic agent storage portion.

FIG. 4 is an exploded front view schematically showing another embodiment of the water supply system of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an assembled state of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Water Tank 2 Capillary Portion 2a Capillary Tube 2b First Moisture Absorber Storage Unit 2d Second Moisture Absorbent Storage Unit

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A water supply device for supplying water from a water supply unit (1) to a supply target unit, wherein one end is connected to the water supply unit (1) and the other end is connected to the supply target unit. A water supply device having a part (2), wherein the capillary part (2) supplies water to the supplied part by using a capillary pressure and an osmotic pressure. 2. A capillary section (2) surrounds a plurality of capillaries (2a) having an osmotic membrane as an outer shell membrane and these capillaries (2a), and sucks water in the capillaries (2a) by osmotic pressure. First hygroscopic agent accommodating portion (2b) for accommodating a hygroscopic agent for storage, and first hygroscopic agent accommodating portion (2b) by osmotic pressure
A second hygroscopic agent accommodating portion (2d) for accommodating a hygroscopic agent for sucking out the water therein, and a water discharging portion for discharging water from the second hygroscopic agent accommodating portion (2d), (2d)
The concentration of the moisture absorbent stored in the first moisture absorbent storage portion (2
The water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the concentration is set higher than the concentration of the hygroscopic agent contained in b). 3. A plurality of capillaries (2a), wherein the capillary section (2) uses an osmotic membrane as an outer shell membrane, and contains a hygroscopic agent for sucking out water in the water supply section (1) by osmotic pressure, A second hygroscopic agent storage section (2d) for storing a hygroscopic agent for sucking out water in the capillary tube (2a) by osmotic pressure, and a water discharge section for discharging water from the second hygroscopic agent storage section (2d) The concentration of the hygroscopic agent contained in the capillary tube (2a) is lower than the concentration of the hygroscopic agent contained in the second hygroscopic agent containing section (2d), and the moisture absorbent contained in the water supply section (1). The water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the concentration is set higher than the concentration of the agent. 4. The water supply device according to claim 2, wherein the two capillary tubes (2a) are formed by folding one capillary tube (2a) in the middle thereof. 5. The water supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a humidifier that receives water discharged from a water discharge portion and discharges the water into the atmosphere. Humidifier. 6. The humidity control apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a humidity control means for controlling the amount of water discharged into the atmosphere. 7. The humidity control apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a dehumidifier that collects moisture in the atmosphere, wherein the humidity control means
A humidity control device for controlling the amount of water released to the atmosphere and the amount of water collected by a dehumidifier. 8. The water supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a dehumidifier that collects moisture in the atmosphere, wherein the water storage section of the dehumidifier is the water supply section (1). A water supply device that also functions as a water supply device.