JPH11314048A - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the discharge of bacteria and to obtain good deodorization by installing a humidifier housing chamber between an air suction port and a dust collecting filter in an apparatus main body having the dust collecting filter and fitting corona discharge electrodes, a gas treatment functional material, and others on the air discharge opening side from the filter. SOLUTION: A humidifier housing chamber 10 is formed between an air suction port 6 and a dust collecting filter 9 in an apparatus main body 1, and a rotary water disk filter 12 the surface of which is wetted always by water in a water tank 2 is installed in the chamber 10. Air sucked from the port 6 by driving a fan 4 is humidified by the evaporation of water from the filter 12. The humidified air, after being dedusted during the passage through the filter 9, is exposed to plasma, radicals, and ozone produced by corona discharge generated at corona discharge electrodes 13 in order that odor components in the air are decomposed/deodorized. Or, part of the air is adsorbed on the surface of a gas treatment functional material 14 and discharged outside the apparatus main body 1 after deodorization.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air purifier provided with a vaporizing humidifier.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of a conventional humidifier provided with a vaporizing humidifier disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-149720. In the figure, 1 is a box-shaped apparatus main body, 2 is a water tank provided at the lower part in the apparatus main body 1, 3 is a rotary water filter whose lower part is immersed in the water tank 2, and 4 is an upper part inside the apparatus main body 1. Blower fan 5 and device body 1
, An intake port provided above the back surface of the apparatus main body 1, an electrostatic filter provided at the intake port 6, and an activated carbon provided along with the electrostatic filter 7 A deodorizing filter.

Next, the operation of the conventional humidifier will be described. First, when air introduced into the apparatus main body 1 by the blower fan 4 passes through the electrostatic filter 7 through the intake port 6, dust, cigarette smoke, and the like are removed. Next, when passing through the deodorizing filter 8, the odor component is adsorbed on the activated carbon and deodorized. Further, the rotary water filter-3 is rotated by a driving device (not shown) so that the water in the water tank 2 is contained on the surface, and the air is humidified by passing through the rotary water filter-3, so that the blower fan 4 After that, it is discharged from the exhaust port 5 to the outside of the apparatus main body 1.

[0004]

In the conventional humidifier configured as described above, the dust collecting filter 7 has a dust collecting efficiency enough to remove almost all bacteria, so that the rotating It is unlikely that bacteria will adhere to the filter-3. However, since there is only the blower fan 4 between the water tank 2 and the exhaust port 5, bacteria enter from the exhaust port 5 side while the equipment is stopped, or enter the water tank 2 when water is supplied to the water tank 2. In some cases, bacteria may enter and adhere to the surface of the rotary water filter-3. In this case, bacteria may propagate on the surface of the rotary water filter-3. Then, when the air purifier is operated in a state where bacteria have propagated on the surface of the rotary water filter 3, the propagated bacteria get on the air passing through the rotary water filter 3 and are carried out of the apparatus main body 1. However, there is a problem that a person who inhales this may be adversely affected.

In order to solve such a problem, the dust collecting filter 7 and the deodorizing filter 8 are replaced with a rotary water filter-3.
Although it is conceivable to arrange the wake on the downstream side, there is no danger of releasing bacteria outside the device main body 1,
Activated carbon that constitutes the deodorizing filter 8 has a characteristic that when it absorbs moisture, the deodorizing power is reduced.
This was not preferable because a new problem that the deodorizing power of Sample No. 8 was reduced occurred. Furthermore, a deodorizing filter
It is conceivable that the dust collection filter 7 may be disposed upstream of the rotary water filter 3 and the dust collection filter 7 alone may be disposed downstream of the rotary water filter 3. However, there is no possibility that bacteria will be discharged to the outside of the air purifier. Since the unreacted air passes through the deodorizing filter 8, a new problem that the life of the deodorizing filter 8 is remarkably shortened due to the clogging of the tobacco tar and the like in the deodorizing filter 8 still occurs. It was not good.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air purifier which does not discharge bacteria outside the apparatus body and has a good deodorizing power. Aim.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air purifier having an apparatus main body having an intake port and an exhaust port, a dust collection filter provided in the apparatus main body, and an air purifier provided in the apparatus main body. A humidifier storage chamber located between the intake port and the dust collection filter, a vaporizing humidifier provided in the humidifier storage chamber, and an odor provided in the apparatus body on the exhaust port side of the dust collection filter. A corona discharge electrode for deodorizing components, a gas treatment functional material provided on the exhaust port side of the corona discharge electrode in the device body to deodorize odor components and decompose ozone, and a gas treatment functional material in the device body And a blower fan provided on the exhaust port side.

[0008] An air purifier according to a second aspect of the present invention is one in which a corona discharge electrode is installed in the humidifier storage chamber.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the air purifier, the dust collecting filter is a glass fiber filter.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an air purifier according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same functional parts as in the conventional example. Reference numeral 9 denotes a dust filter made of glass fiber provided substantially in the center of the apparatus main body 1, and 10 denotes a humidifier storage chamber provided in the apparatus main body 1 and located between the intake port 6 and the dust filter 9. Reference numeral 11 denotes an evaporative humidifier provided in the humidifier storage chamber 10, which comprises a water tank 2 and a rotary water disk filter 12 partially immersed in the water tank 2.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a first corona discharge electrode provided on the exhaust port 5 side of the dust collecting filter 9 in the apparatus main body 1 to deodorize odor components, and includes a discharge line 13a and a first counter electrode 13b.
Consists of Reference numeral 14 denotes a corona discharge electrode 13 in the apparatus main body 1.
It is provided on the exhaust port 5 side, and is a gas processing functional material that once holds an odor component to deodorize and decompose ozone, and is made of a porous member such as a porous ceramic. The blower fan 4 is provided on the exhaust port 5 side of the gas processing functional material 14 in the apparatus main body 1. 15 is a humidifier storage room 10
A second corona discharge electrode provided in the discharge needle 1
5a and a second counter electrode 15b.

Next, the operation of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described. Rotating water disk filter 1
Numeral 2 is rotated by a driving device (not shown), and its surface is always wet with water in the water tank 2. Therefore,
When the blower fan 4 is driven, air is introduced into the humidifier storage chamber 10 through the intake port 6 and is humidified by evaporation of water from the rotary water disk filter 12. The air then passes through a dust filter 8 to be removed. First corona discharge electrode 13
Is applied between the discharge line 13a and the counter electrode 13b, a DC, AC or pulsed high voltage of about 1 to 10 KV is generated to generate corona discharge to generate plasma, radicals and ozone. It should be noted that a high voltage in the form of a pulse wave generates more plasma and radicals than a high voltage of DC or AC.

The odor components in the air decompose with the plasma, radicals and ozone in the air to be deodorized, and a part of the odor components is adsorbed on the surface of the gas treatment functional material 10, where the plasma, radicals and ozone are also decomposed Deodorized under the action. By the way, because ozone is harmful to the human body,
It is not preferable to be discharged out of the apparatus main body 1. Therefore, the generated ozone is decomposed by the gas processing functional material 14 and discharged out of the apparatus main body 1. The humidified, dust-removed, and deodorized air is discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body 1 from the exhaust port 5 through the blower fan 4 as described above.

When humidified air is introduced into the first corona discharge electrode 9, the amount of harmful ozone produced is reduced and more hydroxyl radicals having strong deodorizing power are produced as compared with the case of dry air. There is an advantage. Further, the gas adsorption capacity of the gas treatment functional material 14 is reduced by high humidity, but the adsorbed gas is further decomposed by hydroxyl radicals and the gas adsorption capacity is more refreshed. There is no problem even if humidified air is introduced into the discharge electrode 9.

As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the humidification by the vaporizing humidifier 11 and the first corona discharge electrode 1
By combining with a deodorizing system using plasma, radicals, and ozone according to No. 3, a stronger deodorizing power can be obtained than a single device of an ordinary air cleaner. Further, from the upstream side of the wind flow, the vaporizing humidifier 11, the dust collecting filter 9, the first corona discharge electrode 1
3, the gas processing functional material 14 and the blower fan 4 are arranged in this order, so that even if bacteria grow in the vaporizing humidifier 11 in the humidifier storage chamber 10, the downstream dust collection filter 9 was not able to pass through, and bacteria did not flow out of the apparatus main body 1.

Further, a high voltage is also applied between the discharge needle 15a of the second corona discharge electrode 15 and the second counter electrode 15b to generate corona discharge, thereby generating plasma, radicals and ozone. However, the amount of these products here is the first
Although it is set to a very small amount as compared with the amount generated by the corona discharge electrode 13, its function will be described later. The inside of the high-humidity vaporization type humidifier storage room 10 is a suitable condition for the propagation of bacteria, and the bacteria that propagated when the dust filter 9 is replaced or when the water is supplied to the water tank 2 may have an adverse effect on humans. ,
On the other hand, radicals and ozone have a bactericidal effect.
The corona discharge electrode 15 is intended to sterilize the vaporizing humidifier 11 and the dust collecting filter 9 with its sterilizing power.

That is, even after the air cleaning operation is stopped and the blower fan 4 is stopped, a high voltage is applied to the second corona discharge electrode 15 for a predetermined time. When the blower fan 4 is driven, the radical and ozone concentrations in the humidifier storage chamber 10 are extremely low, but after the blower fan 4 is stopped, there are enough radicals and ozone to exhibit sterilizing power. Since the concentration is obtained, the rotary water disc filter 1 of the vaporizing humidifier 11
Bacteria on the surface of the water tank 2, the water tank 2, and the dust collecting filter 9 are sufficiently sterilized.

Generally, dust collection filters used in this type of air cleaner include an electrostatic filter in which synthetic resin fibers are charged and a glass fiber filter. The synthetic resin fibers in the electrostatic filter are oxidized by radicals and ozone. Although deteriorated by the decomposition action, the glass fiber filter is extremely insensitive to radicals and ozone. In the first embodiment of the present invention, since a glass fiber filter is employed for the dust collecting filter 9, the dust collecting filter 9 is extremely resistant to the effects of radicals and ozone, and can be used for a long time.
In addition, when the electrostatic filter is placed in high humidity, the amount of charge decreases slightly, but the dust collection efficiency tends to decrease,
Since the dust collection efficiency of the glass fiber filter is not affected by humidity, the glass fiber filter is also suitable in this regard.

[0019]

As described above, in the air purifier according to the first aspect of the present invention, the vaporizer humidifier, the dust filter, and the corona discharge for deodorizing odor components are provided in the apparatus main body from the upstream side of the wind flow. Since the electrodes, the gas treatment functional material that deodorizes odor components and decomposes ozone, and the blower fan are arranged in this order, even if bacteria grow in the evaporative humidifier in the humidifier storage room, downstream It cannot pass through the dust collection filter on the side, bacteria will not flow out of the device main body, and the humidification by the vaporization type humidification device and the deodorization system using plasma, radicals and ozone by the corona discharge electrode. By combining these, a more powerful deodorizing power can be obtained than a single unit of an ordinary air purifier, and the gas treatment functional material decomposes the ozone that is harmful to the human body to the outside of the main unit. There is an effect that ozone is safe without being discharged.

In the air purifier according to a second aspect of the present invention, since a corona discharge electrode is provided in the humidifier storage chamber,
After the operation is stopped, a high voltage is applied to the corona discharge electrode for a predetermined time to generate radicals and ozone at a concentration sufficient to express the bactericidal power, thereby removing bacteria on the surface of the vaporizing humidifier and the dust collecting filter. Sterilization can be performed, and there is an effect that the risk of human being being exposed to bacteria is reduced even when the dust collection filter is replaced or water is supplied to the vaporizing humidifier.

[0021] In the air purifier according to claim 3 of the present invention, the dust collection filter is a glass fiber filter.
Even if sterilization operation of the dust collecting filter is performed, there is an effect that the dust collecting filter does not deteriorate due to oxidative decomposition and can be used for a long time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an air cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional humidifier.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Apparatus main body, 4 Blower fan, 5 Exhaust port, 6 Inlet, 9 Dust collection filter, 10 Humidifier storage room, 11
Vaporizing humidifier, 13 first corona discharge electrode, 14
Gas processing functional material.

Claims (3)

[Claims] An apparatus main body having an intake port and an exhaust port, a dust collecting filter provided in the apparatus main body, and a humidifying apparatus housing provided in the apparatus main body and located between the intake port and the dust collecting filter. And a vaporizing humidifier provided in the humidifier storage chamber, and provided on the exhaust port side of the dust collection filter in the main body of the device.
A corona discharge electrode for deodorizing odor components, and an exhaust port side provided in the apparatus body from the corona discharge electrode,
An air purifier comprising: a gas treatment functional material that deodorizes odor components and decomposes ozone; and a blower fan that is provided on the exhaust port side of the gas treatment functional material in the apparatus body. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein a corona discharge electrode is provided in the humidifier storage chamber. 3. The air purifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dust filter is a glass fiber filter.