KR100937287B1 - Gas enrichment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

It is a highly reliable gas incubator which minimizes the damage of the gas incubation means by sand and dust mixed with the airflow sucked by the blowing fan.

The gas enrichment means is provided in the ventilation flow path formed by the blowing means, and has an inflow portion into which the separated gas flows, and at least a partition portion is disposed in the ventilation flow passage facing an inflow portion located upstream of the ventilation flow path.

Description

Gas incubator and air conditioner {GAS ENRICHMENT APPARATUS}

1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner equipped with a gas incubator in a first embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a top view showing the configuration of the air conditioner (outdoor unit) shown in FIG. 1;

3 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion A in FIG. 2;

4 is a perspective view showing a fixing structure of an oxygen enrichment membrane according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the fixing structure of the oxygen enrichment film showing the second embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

2: compressor 3: heat exchanger

4: blowing fan 7: oxygen enrichment membrane

8: decompression pump 9: tube

10 discharge port 11 compressor chamber

12 blower circuit 13 partition plate

14 mounting member 15 partition                 

16: sand and dust 20: indoor unit

30: outdoor unit 21: blowing fan

The present invention relates to a gas incubator having a function of increasing the concentration of a predetermined gas component and an air conditioner having the same.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Conventionally, invention about the air conditioner using the gas incubator which performs oxygen enrichment is disclosed by Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 1990-136631. As a conventional air conditioner for performing such oxygen enrichment, an oxygen enrichment membrane which is a gas enrichment means and a pressure reducing pump for generating a differential pressure in the oxygen enrichment membrane are arranged in an outdoor unit as a configuration for performing oxygen enrichment. The oxygen enrichment film is provided in the blowing circuit of the outdoor unit.

Then, when the depressurization pump is operated, the air sucked into the oxygen enrichment membrane through the blowing circuit is separated and enriched with oxygen, guided from the depressurization pump to the indoor unit side, and mixed with the air flowing by the indoor blowing fan.

By the way, fresh air is supplied to the oxygen enrichment membrane so that the air containing a large amount of nitrogen separated by the oxygen enrichment membrane does not stay, so that the blowing fan of the outdoor unit is operated at least during the oxygen enrichment operation. Of course, when the air conditioner is operating, the blower fan is operated for heat dissipation or heat absorption in the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit.

When the blowing fan is operated, when sand and dust move around the atmosphere around the outdoor unit, air containing sand and dust may flow into the blowing circuit through the heat exchanger. In particular, when the wind speed is large or when the outdoor unit is installed in a place where there is much sand and dust, inhalation of sand and dust to the outdoor unit may increase.

As described above, with the operation of the blowing fan, the atmosphere including sand and dust is also introduced directly into the oxygen enrichment membrane provided in the blowing circuit of the blowing fan and may pass through the oxygen enrichment membrane surface. As a result, the oxygen enrichment membrane may be damaged during the passage of sand and dust, and in some cases, the oxygen enrichment membrane may need to be replaced.

MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM This invention solves the said conventional subject, The gas incubator which can prevent the deterioration of the gas enrichment means by the passage of sand, dust, etc. as much as possible, and can suppress the performance deterioration of a gas enrichment means, and the air conditioner provided with the same. The purpose is to provide a group.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the gas incubator of the present invention includes at least a gas enrichment means, a differential pressure generating means for generating a differential pressure in the gas enrichment means, and a blowing means for flowing the separated gas flowing into the gas enrichment means. And the gas enrichment means is installed in a ventilation flow path formed by the blowing means, and has an inflow portion through which the separated gas flows, and at least facing the inflow portion located upstream of the ventilation flow passage. The partition part is arrange | positioned at the ventilation flow path.

By such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the inhalation of sand, dust and the like by the gas enrichment means, and to prevent the performance deterioration and the reliability of the gas enrichment means.

The gas enrichment apparatus of the present invention has at least gas enrichment means, a differential pressure generating means for generating a differential pressure in the gas enrichment means, and a blowing means for flowing the separated gas flowing into the gas enrichment means.

In addition, the gas incubator of the present invention has a gas inlet means installed in the air flow passage formed by the blowing means and at the same time has an inflow portion into which the separated gas flows, and at least opposes the inflow portion located upstream of the air flow passage. The partition part is arrange | positioned at the ventilation flow path. The partition may be configured to cover the upstream inflow portion of the gas to be separated of the gas enrichment means as a whole. Thus, a substance which may damage gas incubation means such as sand or dust having high inertia with respect to the separated gas is hardly introduced into the gas incubation means, and the possibility of damage to the gas incubation means can be reduced.

Moreover, it is also suitable when oil or fat is mixed in the gas to be separated. If a large amount of oil or fat adheres to the surface of the gas enrichment means, there is a possibility of causing a decrease in gas separation performance, but it can be suppressed also.

In addition, due to structural design, air containing sand and dust may be removed from the upstream inlet of the gas incubator by structural design, such as by deforming the structure that fixes the gas incubator to the gas incubator. The same effect can be achieved even if it is configured not to flow at high speed.

The partition may be configured to open in a direction away from the fixing surface side of the device housing to which the gas enrichment means is fixed. This is because when the opening is made toward the fixed surface side, the possibility of inhaling sand, dust and the like contained in the blowing air along the fixed surface increases.

Further, the gas incubator means is fixed to the apparatus housing via the mounting means, while the compartment is inserted and fixed between the opposing portion facing the ventilation upstream side of the separated gas to the gas incubator and between the gas incubator and the mounting means. It has a fixed part. Thus, the partition is made of a metal plate or the like that is hardly eroded by sand, dust, etc., and can be easily attached to the gas incubating means.

Similarly, in the case of the shielding part which shields the inflow part of a gas enrichment means, it is inserted and fixed between the shielding piece part which shields the inflow part into which the to-be-detected gas into a gas enrichment means flows in, and between a gas enrichment means and a mounting means. If it is configured to have a fixed portion is the same as above.

In addition, the partition portion and the shielding portion may be integrally formed with the gas incubation means, or may be formed as a separate component and installed. It can also be extended and modified.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiment of this invention is described, referring drawings. In addition, although the separate type | mold air conditioner which performs oxygen enrichment is taken here as an example, the application of this invention does not remain in this and it can also be applied to the case where it is used for a vehicle oxygen incubator, a vehicle air conditioner, or an integrated air conditioner, for example. By applying the present invention to such a device, the same effect can be expected. In particular, when used for a vehicle, the vehicle itself travels at high speeds with little or no dust, and since the vehicle moves at a high speed, sand and dust may fly around at a higher speed compared to a home air conditioner. The effect according to the application of the present invention can be expected even further.

(First embodiment)

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner equipped with a gas incubator in a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a top view of an outdoor unit in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged portion A in Fig. 2. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of fixing the oxygen enrichment film.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner which performs oxygen enrichment is connected with the indoor unit 20 and the outdoor unit 30 by refrigerant piping (not shown), and comprises the refrigeration cycle. The outdoor unit 30 is provided with a heat exchanger 3, a blower fan 4 for circulating air to the heat exchanger 3, and a compressor 2 as elements constituting the refrigeration cycle. The blower circuit 12 which is an air flow path through which air flows by 4) and the compressor chamber 11 in which the compressor 2 is arrange | positioned are blocked by the partition plate 13.

On the other hand, as an arrangement for performing oxygen enrichment, the outdoor unit 30 includes an oxygen enrichment membrane 7 which is a gas enrichment means and a pressure reduction pump 8 which is a differential pressure generating means for generating a differential pressure in the oxygen enrichment membrane 7. The oxygen enrichment membrane 7 is disposed in the blower circuit 12, and the decompression pump 8 is disposed to be fixed to the fixing table above the compressor 2 of the compressor chamber 11.

Then, when the depressurization pump 8 is operated, air, which is a separated gas flowing through the blower circuit 12, is sucked into the oxygen enrichment membrane 7, and nitrogen and oxygen are separated so that the oxygen enriched air is decompressed. And discharged from the discharge port 10 so as to be mixed with the indoor air flowing through the tube 9 (gas transfer flow path) to the indoor unit 20 and flowed by the indoor blower fan 21.

By the way, the blowing fan 4 which is a blowing means is operated at least during an oxygen enrichment operation so that fresh air may be supplied to the primary side into which air which is to be separated gas flows into the oxygen enrichment membrane 7. In addition, the blower fan 4 also functions to stir so as not to retain nitrogen-enriched air generated due to oxygen enrichment. The blower fan 4 also serves as a blower fan for heat exchange, and of course, the blower fan 4 is operated for heat dissipation or heat absorption of the heat exchanger 3 when the air conditioner is operating.

As shown in FIG. 2, the oxygen enrichment membrane 7 flows into the blower fan 4, and is disposed in the blower circuit 12 that passes through the heat exchanger 3 and is sucked to the front of the outdoor unit 30. have. In addition, the oxygen enrichment film 7 is fixed to the blowing circuit 12 and the partition plate 13 of the compressor chamber 11 via a mounting member 14 serving as a mounting means, and further includes a partition 15.

The structure of the oxygen enrichment film 7 is demonstrated using FIG. 3 and FIG. The oxygen enrichment film 7 is formed by applying a material forming the oxygen enrichment function film 7e such as silicon to the surface of the plate-shaped frame 7g, and the plurality of frame bodies 7g are functional films ( 7e) It is laminated | stacked with the clearance gap 7f of predetermined space so that it may be vented to the surface, and this clearance gap 7f becomes an opening for ventilation. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the oxygen enrichment film 7 has a substantially rectangular laminated structure, and has four inflow portions of the gaps 7f on its four sides, and three transition inflow portions 7a, in FIG. 7b and 7c are formed, and the other one edge | offset part 7d is formed.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, the mounting member 14 has a fixed surface portion 40, is fixed to the partition plate 13, and is enriched with oxygen by a fixing hook 14a provided on the mounting member 14. The membrane 7 is fixed detachably. 3 and 4, the partition 15 is provided opposite to the inflow portion 7a located on the upstream side of the blower circuit 12 serving as the air flow passage. The partition part 15 is comprised from the opposing part 15a and the fixing part 15b, and opposes the inflow part 7a so that the opposing part 15a may cover the inflow part 7a side facing a blowing direction. The fixing part 15b is inserted and fixed between the oxygen enrichment film 7 and the mounting member 14. Moreover, the opposing part 15a of the partition part 15 is comprised so that the opening part 15c may become large in the direction away from the fixed surface part 40 to which the oxygen enrichment film 7 is fixed.

When the blowing fan 4 is driven, the sand and dust 16 contained in the blowing flows in the blowing direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3 and proceeds directly toward the oxygen enrichment film 7, but the By the opposing portion 15a, the straight component is disturbed in its course. In addition, since the sand and dust 16 included in the blown air that has been disturbed by the partition 15 is blown into the inlet 7a of the oxygen enrichment membrane 7, the inertia with respect to the air flow is large. The likelihood of induction into the oxygen enrichment film, like this air stream, becomes low. Of course, sand, dust, and the like having a small particle diameter are included in the blowing and pass through the functional film surface of the oxygen enrichment film 7, but are unlikely to be damaged. The airflow passing through the gap 7f of the oxygen enrichment film 7 flows out of the outlet portion 7d on the downstream side of the blowing air, is sucked into the blowing fan 4, and sucked out of the outdoor unit.

In addition, although the airflow flows into the oxygen enrichment membrane 7 from the inflow portions 7b and 7c of the oxygen enrichment membrane 7, the mainstream of the flow direction of blowing air flows out from the inflow portion 7a in this embodiment. Since it is in the direction of (7d), the possibility of infiltration of sand and dust is low. However, if there is a possibility that sand and dust may enter due to the surrounding structure of the housing and the parts, the partition 15 may be applied to the inlets 7b and 7c similarly to the inlets 7a. proper. At this time, the wing piece (not shown) which deflects the airflow extended up and down from the opposing part 15a provided opposite the inflow part 7a in the direction away from the inflow parts 7b and 7c can also be comprised. .

(Second embodiment)

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the fixing structure of the oxygen enrichment film in the second embodiment of the present invention. As in the first embodiment, the oxygen enrichment film 7 is fixed to the partition plate 13 via the mounting member 14.

The difference from the first embodiment is that a shielding portion 17 for shielding the inflow portion 7a is provided instead of the partition portion 15. In this way, the inflow of the air blower is prevented from the inflow portion 7a in the main air blowing direction, so that the intrusion of sand and dust can be prevented more reliably.

In this case, however, the airflow may be stagnant on the surface of the functional film 7e of the central portion of the inflow portion 7a, and the air in the nitrogen-enriched state may remain. It is good to comprise and arrange | position so that a direction may become a long direction. That is, if the same functional film area is used, the lengths of the sides of the inflow portions 7b and 7c are made longer and the lengths of the sides of the inflow portions 7a and 7d are shortened in FIG. 5.

According to the gas incubator of the present invention, even when the gas is enriched in the outside air and used in an air conditioner, for example, long-term reliability of the oxygen enrichment membrane serving as the gas enrichment unit can be ensured and stable operation can be realized.

Claims (10)

A gas enrichment means, a differential pressure generating means for generating a differential pressure in said gas enrichment means, and a blowing means for flowing the separated gas flowing into said gas enrichment means, The gas enrichment means has an inlet portion which is provided in the ventilation flow path formed by the blowing means and at which the separated gas flows in, and is partitioned in the ventilation flow path opposite to the inflow portion located upstream of the ventilation flow path. Characterized in that Gas incubator. A gas enrichment means, a differential pressure generating means for generating a differential pressure in said gas enrichment means, and a blowing means for flowing the separated gas flowing into said gas enrichment means, The gas enrichment means is disposed in the air flow passage formed by the blowing means, and has an inflow portion into which the separated gas flows, and a shielding portion for shielding the inflow portion located upstream of the air flow passage is disposed. doing Gas incubator. The method of claim 2, The shielding portion is a shielding portion shielding a part of the inflow portion Gas incubator. The method of claim 1, The gas enrichment means has a fixed surface portion fixed to the apparatus housing, and the partition portion provided opposite the inflow portion is opened toward the side away from the fixed surface portion. Gas incubator. The method of claim 1, The gas incubating means is fixed to the device housing via a mounting means, and the compartment is inserted between an opposing portion facing the inlet portion into which the separated gas of the gas incubating means flows, and between the gas incubating means and the mounting means. Characterized in that it is constituted by a fixed part that is fixed Gas incubator. The method of claim 2, The gas enrichment means is fixed to the apparatus housing via a mounting means, and the shielding portion is mounted with a shielding piece for shielding an inflow portion into which the separated gas into the gas enrichment means flows, and the gas enrichment means. Characterized in that it is constituted by a fixing portion inserted and fixed between the means. Gas incubator. The method of claim 2, The gas incubating means has a substantially rectangular shape, and the main inlet through which the separated gas is introduced is a side that intersects the side where the shield is provided. Gas incubator. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The gas enrichment means has a substantially rectangular shape, and is disposed so as to have a long side that intersects the side of the inflow portion located on an upstream side of the vent flow path. Gas incubator. In an air conditioner having a heat exchanger and a blowing fan for ventilating the atmosphere to the heat exchanger, The gas incubation apparatus of Claim 1 or 2 which has a gas enrichment means, the differential pressure generation means which generate | occur | produces a differential pressure in the said gas enrichment means, and the blowing means which flows the to-be-separated gas which flows into the said gas enrichment means. and, The gas enrichment means is disposed in a blowing circuit through which the air flows by the blowing fan through the heat exchanger, and the blowing fan also serves as the blowing means. Air conditioner. In the air conditioner which has a compressor, a heat exchanger, and the blowing fan which blows air | atmosphere to the said heat exchanger, The gas incubation apparatus of Claim 1 or 2 which has a gas enrichment means, the differential pressure generation means which generate | occur | produces a differential pressure in the said gas enrichment means, and the blowing means which flows the to-be-separated gas which flows into the said gas enrichment means. and, A partition plate for partitioning a blower circuit through which the air flows by the blower fan through the heat exchanger and a space in which the compressor is disposed, The gas enrichment means is fixed to the partition plate via mounting means and arranged in the blower circuit. Air conditioner.

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