KR20090006016A - Air cleaner having function of humidifying and operating methods of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An air cleaner having a function of humidification is provided to have purification function of the indoor air, to broaden vaporized steam, to prevent reproduction of bacteria and generation of bad smell and to show a little amount of electricity compared with a heating method. An air cleaner(100) having a function of humidification comprises an air cleaning part and a humidification part. The air cleaning part cleanses inhaled air using an air filter and ejects the inhaled air using fan. The humidification part circulates and evaporates water between a lower part water tank(41) and an upper pumped water reservoir(42). The humidification part increases humidity of indoor. A part passes through the humidification part in wind ejected from the air cleaning part and promotes evaporation of the water.

Description

Air cleaner having function of humidifying and its operation method {air cleaner having function of humidifying and operating methods of the same}

The present invention relates to an air purifier having a humidification function and a method of operating the same, and more specifically, to increase the evaporation amount of water by using the wind discharged from the fan of the air cleaner, and to remove the formaldehyde contained in the air. The present invention relates to an air purifier and a method of operating the same.

In general, an air cleaner is a device that sucks contaminated air in a room, removes dust contained in the air by using a filter, and then discharges it by using a fan. A humidifier artificially evaporates water or sprays water particles. It is a device to control indoor humidity. Types of humidifiers include ultrasonic methods, heating methods, and natural evaporation methods.

Recently, a device having both an air cleaning function and a humidification function has been developed. The structure is disclosed in the Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 2005-32673 and the like. The apparatus includes a filter for filtering the air sucked from the outside, a fan for discharging the filtered air to the outside, and a vibrator for converting the water into fine particles by ultrasonic vibration.

That is, the device not only purifies the air using a filter and a fan, but also controls the indoor humidity by spraying water particles using a vibrator.

However, the ultrasonic vibration humidification method has a problem in that the water particles do not go far and sink around because the water particles are large. In addition, the ultrasonic vibration humidification method has a problem that bacteria can propagate in a bucket or a vibrator. When bacteria propagate, odor can occur during humidification and bacteria can be contained in the sprayed water particles, which can pollute the air and harm the human body.

As an alternative to the ultrasonic vibration humidification method, there is a heating method that generates steam by heating water, but the heating method consumes more electricity than the amount of water to be evaporated and there is a risk of a safety accident such as a burn.

In addition, in the case of the natural evaporation method is small enough to maintain the desired indoor humidity because the evaporation amount is small. For example, if the temperature is 23 degrees and the relative humidity is 30%, the natural evaporation amount is about 30 ml / hr, which is insufficient to maintain sufficient humidity.

On the other hand, since the closed indoor space is not well ventilated, proper ventilation is required and at the same time, it is necessary to remove pollutants generated inside. The pollutants include benzene, toluene, chloroform, acetone, and formaldehyde, which are generated from building materials. These pollutants may cause sick house syndrome.

Among the contaminants, formaldehyde not only causes symptoms such as headache, allergies, fatigue, drowsiness, emotional anxiety, memory loss, but also causes cancer. Formaldehyde is abundant in wood, and the recent use of timber in housing construction has made it more important to remove formaldehyde effectively.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has an air purifying function of the indoor air, and to solve the problems of the conventional ultrasonic method, heating method, spontaneous evaporation humidifier and its operation to provide a method There is this.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an air cleaner and a method of operating the same, which can increase the amount of evaporation of water using the wind discharged from the fan of the air cleaner and at the same time remove formaldehyde contained in the air.

In order to achieve the above object, the air purifier according to the present invention comprises: an air cleaner for purifying inhaled air by using an air filter and then using a fan; And a humidifying unit for evaporating water while circulating water between the lower reservoir and the upper reservoir to increase the humidity in the room, wherein at least a part of the wind discharged from the air cleaner passes through the humidifying unit to promote evaporation of the water.

Preferably, a guider is installed between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir to guide the water flowing out of the upper reservoir into the lower reservoir.

Here, at least a portion of the wind discharged from the air cleaner is moved to or close to the water surface of the upper reservoir to promote evaporation of the water contained in the upper reservoir and contaminants contained in the wind dissolve in the water. Can be.

Preferably, a blocking member is installed above the water supply hole formed in the bottom of the upper reservoir to prevent the water supplied from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir by the pump installed in the pipe.

Preferably, at least one of a lower reservoir, an upper reservoir, and a pipe connecting the lower reservoir and the upper reservoir is provided with a filter for removing impurities to remove impurities contained in the water.

Preferably, the lighting member is installed on the upper, lower or rear of the guider.

More preferably, at least one of a lower reservoir, an upper reservoir, and a pipe connecting the lower reservoir and the upper reservoir is provided with a heater for heating water.

More preferably, at least one of a lower reservoir, an upper reservoir, and a pipe connecting the lower reservoir and the upper reservoir is provided with a sterilizing member for sterilizing bacteria contained in the water.

Here, the lower reservoir is slidably installed in the frame, one side of the lower reservoir is formed with a drain pipe, the drain pipe is provided with a first valve for opening and closing the drain pipe, a portion corresponding to the drain pipe is provided with a connection pipe, The connection pipe is connected to the pump or the pipe, the connection pipe is provided with a second valve for opening and closing the connection pipe, the first valve, the first cover member for selectively sealing the inlet of the drain pipe; A first stopper member fixed to the drain pipe; A first rod member slidably installed through the first stopper member and having one end connected to the first cover member and having a first protrusion formed at the other end thereof; And a first elastic member installed on the first bar member and providing an elastic force so that the first cover member covers the inlet of the drain pipe. The second valve includes a second cover member for selectively sealing the connection pipe. ; A second stopper member fixed to the connecting pipe; A second rod member slidably installed through the second stopper member and having one end connected to the second cover member and having a second protrusion formed at the other end thereof; And a second elastic member installed on the second rod member to provide an elastic force so that the second cover member covers the connection pipe, and the connection pipe is inserted into the drain pipe or the drain pipe is connected to the connection pipe as the lower reservoir slides. When the first and second protrusions contact each other by the insertion, the first cover member opens the drain pipe while overcoming the elastic force of the first elastic member, and the second cover member connects while overcoming the elastic force of the second elastic member. It is desirable to open the tube.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of operating an air cleaner includes: purifying inhaled air using an air filter and then discharging the air using a fan; Evaporating while circulating water between the lower reservoir and the upper reservoir to increase humidity in the room; And allowing at least some of the air discharged from the fan to move closer to the water so that formaldehyde contained in the air is dissolved in the water.

Preferably, a guider is installed between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir, and formaldehyde contained in the air is dissolved in water while the water in the upper reservoir flows down through the guider.

Herein, the water is preferably water purified by reverse osmosis.

Air purifier having a humidification function according to the present invention and its operation method has the following effects.

First, it has the function of purifying indoor air, and the evaporated water vapor can spread far, prevent germ propagation and odor, and consume less power than the heating method, and provide sufficient evaporation rate compared to the natural evaporation method. do.

Second, the amount of water evaporated can be increased by using the wind from the fans of the air cleaner.

Third, formaldehyde contained in the air can be removed.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, terms or words used in the specification and claims should not be construed as having a conventional or dictionary meaning, and the inventors should properly explain the concept of terms in order to best explain their own invention. Based on the principle that can be defined, it should be interpreted as meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification and the drawings shown in the drawings are only embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of the present invention, various equivalents that may be substituted for them at the time of the present application It should be understood that there may be variations and variations.

1 is a front view showing an air cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a side view showing the air cleaner, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the air cleaner.

Referring to the drawings, the air cleaner 100 includes an air cleaner for purifying indoor air, and a humidifying unit for increasing indoor humidity by evaporating water.

The air purifier includes an air filter 21 for filtering the air sucked through the inlet 11 and a fan 23 for discharging the air passing through the air filter 21 to the outside.

The air filter 21 is installed at the rear of the guider 50 to filter the air sucked through the inlet 11. The air filter 21 is a filter commonly used in an air cleaner, for example, a filter in which a prefilter, an antibacterial medium filter, a HEPA filter, and a deodorizing filter are combined. The air passing through the air filter 21 is moved toward the fan 23 through the air inlet 12.

The fan 23 is rotated by the drive motor 24 to discharge the air introduced through the air inlet 12 to the outside.

Some of the air discharged from the fan 23, that is, the wind, is discharged to the outside after passing through the upper portion of the upper reservoir 42, and the other is discharged to the outside through the discharge port 16. Arrow S in FIG. 3 represents a movement path of air (wind).

Since the wind discharged from the fan 23 moves at a relatively high speed, when the wind discharged from the fan 23 passes through the upper portion of the upper reservoir 42, the evaporation of water contained in the upper reservoir 42 is promoted. In addition, since the wind discharged from the fan 23 moves in contact with the water surface of the upper reservoir 42 or moves close to the water surface of the upper reservoir 42, water-soluble substances, for example, form Aldehydes can be effectively removed. In addition to formaldehyde, acetone, diethylamine, acetaldehyde, acetic acid and the like can be effectively removed.

Meanwhile, in the above description, only a part of the wind discharged from the fan 23 passes through the upper portion of the upper reservoir 42, but all the wind discharged from the fan 23 by closing the discharge port 16 is all the upper reservoir 42. You can also pass through the top of).

The humidification section includes a lower reservoir 41, an upper reservoir 42, and a pump 44 for moving water from the lower reservoir 41 to the upper reservoir 42.

The lower reservoir 41 is installed at the lower portion of the frame 10 and stores water flowing down through the guider 50. The water flowing down the guider 50 flows into the lower reservoir 41 through the inlet 41b.

The water stored in the lower reservoir 41 passes sequentially through the drain pipe 61, the connection pipe 71, the pump 44, the pipe 43, the upper reservoir 42, and the guider 50. Arrow W in FIG. 3 represents a path through which water moves.

Preferably, the lower reservoir 41 is installed to be slidable to the frame 10. That is, the lower reservoir 41 is slid into the frame 10 and slid out of the frame 10. Thus, the lower reservoir 41 has the advantage of easy cleaning and water replenishment.

When the lower reservoir 41 is slid and inserted into the frame 10, the protrusions 13 of the frame 10 are inserted into the grooves 41a formed in the lower portion of the lower reservoir 41 so that the lower reservoir 41 is moved into the frame 10. It is fixed to). When the lower reservoir 41 is slightly lifted up and the lower reservoir 41 is pulled back, the protrusion 13 and the groove 41a are separated, so that the lower reservoir 41 may be separated from the frame 10.

The lower reservoir 41 may be provided with an impurity removal filter (not shown) for removing impurities contained in the water. As the filter for removing impurities, a high turbidity filter, an MF filter, an activated carbon filter, or the like may be used. Meanwhile, the impurity removal filter may be installed in the upper reservoir 42 or the pipe 43 as well as the lower reservoir 41. That is, the impurity removal filter may be installed in at least one of the lower reservoir 41, the upper reservoir 42, and the pipe 43.

Preferably, a drain pipe 61 is formed on one side of the lower reservoir 41, and a first valve 60 for opening and closing the drain pipe 61 is installed on the drain pipe 61, and a portion corresponding to the drain pipe 61 is provided. The connection pipe 71 is provided, and the connection pipe 71 is provided with a second valve 60 for opening and closing the connection pipe 71.

4 to 6, as the lower reservoir 41 is slid, the connecting pipe 71 is inserted into the drain pipe 61. The first valve 60 selectively opens and closes the drain pipe 61, and the second valve 70 selectively opens and closes the connecting pipe 71.

Preferably, the first valve 60 includes a first cover member 63 for selectively sealing the inlet of the drain pipe 61, a first stopper member 64 fixed to the drain pipe 61, and a first stopper member. A first rod member 66 and a first rod member 66 which are installed to be slidable through the 64 and have one end connected to the first cover member 63 and the other end formed with a first protrusion 65. And a first elastic member 67 installed in the first cover member 63 to provide an elastic force to cover the inlet of the drain pipe 61.

Preferably, the second valve 70 includes a second cover member 73 for selectively sealing the connecting tube 71, a second stopper member 74 fixed to the connecting tube 71, and a second stopper. A second rod member 76 and a second rod member, which are installed to be slidable through the member 74, one end thereof is connected to the second cover member 73, and the second end portion 75 is formed at the other end thereof. And a second elastic member 77 installed at the 76 to provide an elastic force so that the second cover member 73 covers the connection pipe 71.

The drain pipe 61 is formed at one side of the lower reservoir 41 and discharges the water of the lower reservoir 41 to the connection pipe 71. The connecting pipe 71 is inserted into the drain pipe 61, and an O-ring 78 is installed around the connecting pipe 71 to prevent water from flowing out between the connecting pipe 71 and the drain pipe 61.

 The first cover member 63 is installed at one end of the first bar member 66, and the second cover member 73 is installed at one end of the second bar member 76. The first rod member 66 is slidably installed on the first stopper member 64, and the second rod member 76 is slidably installed on the second stopper member 74. A first protrusion 65 is formed at the other end of the first rod member 66 and a second protrusion 75 is formed at the other end of the second rod member 76. When the connecting pipe 71 is inserted into the drain pipe 61, the first and second protrusions 65 and 75 contact each other.

The first stopper member 64 is installed to be fixed to the drain pipe 61, and a first through hole 64a is formed in the first stopper member 64. The second stopper member 74 is provided in the connecting pipe 71, and a second through hole 74a is formed in the second stopper member 74.

The first elastic member 67 is installed around the first bar member 66 between the first stopper member 64 and the first protrusion 65, and the second elastic member 77 is the second stopper member. It is provided around the second rod member 76 between the 74 and the second protrusion 75.

When the connecting pipe 71 is inserted into the drain pipe 61, that is, when the lower reservoir 41 is mounted on the frame 10, the first and second protrusions 65 and 75 abut the first and second protrusions. Since the rod members 66 and 76 slide in opposite directions while overcoming the elastic forces of the first and second elastic members 67 and 77, the first cover member 63 is separated from the inlet of the drain pipe 61. The drain pipe 61 is opened and the second cover member 73 is separated from the outlet of the connecting pipe 71 to open the connecting pipe 71.

When the drain pipe 61 is separated from the connecting pipe 71, that is, when the lower reservoir 41 is separated from the frame 10, the first cover member 63 is removed by the restoring force of the first elastic member 67. Since the inlet of the drain pipe 61 is closed because it is in close contact with the inlet of the drain pipe 61, the second cover member 73 is in close contact with the inlet of the connecting pipe 77 by the restoring force of the second elastic member 77. The inlet of the connecting pipe 77 is sealed.

As such, when the lower reservoir 41 is mounted on the frame 10, the air cleaner 100 may open the drainage pipe 61 and the connection tube 71 so that the water in the lower reservoir 41 may be supplied to the pump 44. Can be. In addition, when the lower reservoir 41 is separated from the frame 10 during cleaning and refilling, the drain pipe 61 and the connection tube 71 are sealed, so that the water of the lower reservoir 41 leaks or the water of the pipe 43 This backflow can be prevented.

On the other hand, in the above described the case where the connecting pipe 71 is inserted into the drain pipe 61, the drain pipe may be inserted into the connecting pipe. In the case where the drain pipe is inserted into the connecting pipe, the configuration in which the drain pipe and the connecting pipe are opened and closed by the first and second valves will be fully understood by those skilled in the art from the configuration in which the connecting pipe 71 is inserted into the drain pipe 61. It will be omitted.

The pump 44 is installed between the connecting pipe 71 and the pipe 43 to move the water in the lower reservoir 41 to the upper reservoir 42.

Preferably, the pipe 43 is provided with a heater 45 for heating the water. The heater 45 heats the water to increase the amount of water evaporated. It is preferable that the temperature of water is 27 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less. If the temperature of the water is lower than 27 degrees, the water does not evaporate effectively, and if the temperature is higher than 45 degrees, the electrical energy for heating the water is consumed, which is not effective.

On the other hand, the heater 45 may be installed in the upper reservoir 42 or the lower reservoir 41 as well as the pipe 43. In other words, the heater 45 may be installed in at least one of the pipe 43, the upper reservoir 42, and the lower reservoir 41.

More preferably, the heater 45 is installed to be attached to the pipe 43 along the pipe 43 and repeats ON and OFF at regular intervals. For example, the heater 45 is turned off for 2 seconds after being operated for 1 second to heat the water, or turned off for 8 seconds after being operated for 2 seconds to heat the water. The heater 45 is a heater widely used in the instant water heater of the coffee maker.

The upper reservoir 42 temporarily stores the water supplied through the pipe 43 and then discharges it to the guider 50. Preferably, the upper reservoir 42 has a blocking member 49 to prevent the water supplied through the pipe 43 to rise upward. Blocking member 49 is installed on the upper side of the water supply hole 48 formed on the bottom of the upper reservoir 42, it is preferable to be installed at a height lower than the full water level of the upper reservoir 42.

As described above, when a part of the wind discharged from the fan 23 passes near the surface of the upper reservoir 42 or at a high speed while contacting the surface, the evaporation of the water stored in the upper reservoir 42 is promoted. Therefore, sufficient moisture can be supplied, and at the same time, pollutants contained in the wind (air), for example, formaldehyde and the like, are dissolved in water.

The upper reservoir 42 may be provided with a sterilizing member 46 for sterilizing bacteria contained in the water. On the other hand, the sterilization member 46 may be installed in the pipe 43 and the lower reservoir 41 as well as the upper reservoir 42. That is, the sterilizing member 46 may be installed in at least one of the pipe 43, the upper reservoir 42, and the lower reservoir 41.

The sterilizing member 46 is an ultraviolet lamp which irradiates ultraviolet rays, an electrode sterilizer which electrolyzes water to convert chlorine in the water into residual chlorine with bactericidal power, and attaches silver to activated carbon to elute the silver to sterilize it. A silver activated carbon device or the like which achieves the effect can be used. In addition, a disinfectant or an antimicrobial agent may be applied in addition to the disinfectant member, which is dissolved in circulated water to prevent the growth of bacteria. Fungicides or antimicrobials are supplied by adding them separately during initial water supply. Typically, fungicides are sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), antibacterial solutions containing silver (Ag), and commonly known fungicides or antimicrobials can be used. Do.

Water stored in the upper reservoir 42 is moved to the guider 50 through the outlet 42a.

The guider 50 is installed to connect the upper reservoir 42 and the lower reservoir 41. Accordingly, the water overflowing the upper reservoir 42 flows down the guider 50 and moves to the lower reservoir 41.

Preferably, a lighting member (not shown) is installed on the upper side G1, the lower side G2, or the rear side G3 of the guider 50, so that it may show a beautiful appearance at night. When the lighting member is installed at the rear of the guider 50, the guider 50 is made of a material through which light can pass.

More preferably, the circulating water may include a dye or fluorescent material that is harmless to the human body, and may receive beautiful light from the lighting member. The lighting member may be any one of LED, fluorescent lamp, UV lamp.

As described above, the air cleaner according to the present invention may promote the evaporation of water by allowing some of the wind discharged from the fan 23 to pass through the upper portion of the upper reservoir 42 and to heat the water using the heater 45.

When the air temperature is 23 degrees and the relative humidity is 30%, the natural evaporation amount is about 30 ml / hr, whereas when only the fan 23 is operated without the heater 45 being operated, the evaporation amount is 150 ml / hr, and the heater 45 When the water was heated to 40 degrees and the fan 23 was operated, the evaporation amount was found to be 300 ml / hr.

On the other hand, the air cleaner 100 is controlled by the operation unit 80 and the control unit 89. The operation unit 80 displays an air purifier on / off button, a humidification unit on / off button, a flow rate setting button, a fan operation timer button, a pump operation timer button, a heater operation button, a sterilization member operation button, and the like and the operation results. And a display unit 82. The air volume setting button sets the R.P.M. of the fan 23. The controller 89 controls the air cleaner 100 according to the signal input through the operation unit 80. Signal input through the operation unit 80 and the control of the air cleaner 100 according to the input signal is commonly employed in electronics, etc., so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

7 is a perspective view illustrating an air cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the air cleaner.

Referring to the drawings, the air cleaner 100 'includes an air cleaner for purifying indoor air, and a humidifying part for increasing indoor humidity by evaporating water.

The air purifier includes an air filter 21 'for filtering the air sucked through the inlet 11', and a fan 23 'for discharging air passing through the air filter 21' to the outside.

The air filter 21 'filters the air sucked in through the inlet port 11'. The air filter 21 'is a filter commonly used in an air cleaner, for example, a filter in which a prefilter, an antibacterial filter, a HEPA filter, and a deodorizing filter are combined. Air passing through the air filter 21 'is moved toward the fan 23' through the air inlet 12 '.

The fan 23 'is rotated by the drive motor 24' and discharges the air introduced through the air inlet 12 'to the outside.

The air discharged from the fan 23 ', ie, the wind, is partially discharged to the outside by the branch member 14' through the upper portion of the upper reservoir 42 'and the outside is discharged through the discharge port 16'. To be discharged. The branch member 14 ′ is installed near the discharge port 16 ′ to move a portion of the wind discharged from the fan 23 ′ to the upper portion of the upper reservoir 42 ′. Arrow S in FIG. 8 represents a movement path of the wind.

Since the wind discharged from the fan 23 'moves at a relatively high speed near or in contact with the surface of the upper reservoir 42', evaporation of water contained in the upper reservoir 42 'is promoted.

Meanwhile, in the above description, only a part of the wind discharged from the fan 23 'passes through the upper portion of the upper reservoir 42', but all of the wind discharged from the fan 23 'is closed by closing the discharge port 16'. It may be allowed to pass through the top of the upper reservoir 42 '.

The humidification section includes a lower reservoir 41 ', an upper reservoir 42', and a pump 44 'for moving water from the lower reservoir 41' to the upper reservoir 42 '.

The lower reservoir 41 'is installed at the lower portion of the frame 10' and stores water flowing out of the upper reservoir 42 '. The water stored in the lower reservoir 41 'is moved through the drain pipe 61, the connection pipe 71, the pump 44', and the pipe 43 '. Preferably, the lower reservoir 41 'is slidably mounted to the frame 10'. When the lower reservoir 41 'is slid and inserted into the frame 10', the connection pipe 71 'is inserted into the drain pipe 61' so that the first and second valves 60 and 70 are opened, and the lower reservoir ( When the 41 'slides away from the frame 10', the first and second valves 60 and 70 are closed. The drain pipe 61, the connecting pipe 71, the first and second valves 60 and 70 are the drain pipe 61, the connecting pipe 71 and the first and second valves 60 and 70 of the first embodiment. Since and each have the same structure and the same role, a detailed description will be omitted here.

Preferably, the lower reservoir 41 'is provided with an impurity removal filter (not shown) for removing impurities contained in the water. The pump 44 ′ is installed between the connecting pipe 71 and the pipe 43 ′ to move the water in the lower reservoir 41 to the upper reservoir 42. The pipe 43 'is provided with a heater 45' for heating the water. The heater 45 'heats the water to increase the amount of water evaporated.

The impurity removal filter, the pump 44 ', and the heater 45' have the same structure as the impurity removal filter, the pump 44 ', and the heater 45' of the first embodiment, respectively.

The pipe 43 'may be provided with a sterilizing member 46' for sterilizing bacteria contained in the water. Meanwhile, the sterilizing member 46 'may be installed in the upper reservoir 42' and the lower reservoir 41 'as well as the pipe 43'. That is, the sterilizing member 46 'may be installed in at least one of the pipe 43', the upper reservoir 42 ', and the lower reservoir 41'. The sterilizing member 46 'has the same configuration as the sterilizing member 46 of the first embodiment.

The upper reservoir 42 'temporarily stores the water supplied through the pipe 43' and then discharges it to the guider 50 '. The upper reservoir 42 'may have a blocking member 49', which has the same structure as the blocking member 49 of the first embodiment.

When the water stored in the upper reservoir 42 'overflows, it is moved to the guider 50'. The guider 50 'is installed to connect the upper reservoir 42' and the lower reservoir 41 '. Therefore, the water overflowing the upper reservoir 42 'flows down the guider 50' and moves to the lower reservoir 41 '.

Preferably, a lighting member (not shown) is installed at the upper side G1 ′, lower side G2 ′, or rear side G3 ′ of the guider 50 ′, thereby showing a beautiful appearance at night. When the lighting member is installed at the rear G3 'of the guider 50', the guider 50 'is made of a transparent material through which light can pass.

More preferably, the circulating water may include a dye or fluorescent material that is harmless to the human body, and may receive beautiful light from the lighting member. The lighting member may be any one of LED, fluorescent lamp, UV lamp.

On the other hand, the operation of the air cleaner 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

After filling the lower reservoir 41 with water it is mounted on the frame 10 by sliding. When the lower reservoir 41 is pushed and slides toward the connecting pipe 71, the protrusion 13 is inserted into the groove 41a of the lower reservoir 41, and at the same time, the first and second valves 60 and 70 are opened to lower the lower reservoir 41. Water in the reservoir 41 is moved towards the pump 44.

Subsequently, a signal is input through the operation unit 80. That is, a signal is input through an air cleaner on / off button, humidifier on / off button, air flow rate setting button, fan operation timer button, pump operation timer button, heater operation button, sterilization member operation button, and the like. The signal input through the operation unit 80 is displayed on the display unit 82. In response to the signal, the controller 89 controls the air cleaner 100.

Turning on the air cleaner on / off button turns on the fan 23 and turning on the humidifier on / off button turns on the pump 44.

When the pump 44 is operated, the water in the lower reservoir 41 is stored in the upper reservoir 42 via the drain pipe 61, the connection tube 71, the pump 44, and the pipe 43 sequentially. The water stored in the upper reservoir 42 flows down to the guider 50. Since the guider 50 has a much larger area than the outlet 42a of the upper reservoir 42, the water discharged through the outlet 42a is spread out by the wider area of the guider 50. Thus, while water flows down through the guider 50, the evaporation of water is further promoted and the water-soluble contaminants in the air can be more effectively removed. Water flowing down through the guider 50 is stored in the lower reservoir 41 through the inlet 41b.

When the fan 23 is operated, external air is sequentially moved to the intake port 11, the air filter 21, the air inlet 12, and the fan 23. Some of the air discharged from the fan 23, that is, the wind, is discharged to the outside after passing through the upper portion of the upper reservoir 42, and the other is discharged to the outside through the discharge port 16.

Since the wind discharged from the fan 23 moves at a relatively high speed in contact with or close to the water surface of the upper reservoir 42, the evaporation of water contained in the upper reservoir 42 is promoted. In addition, since the wind discharged from the fan 23 moves while contacting the surface of the upper reservoir 42 or moves close to the surface of the upper reservoir 42, water-soluble contaminants contained in the air, for example, formaldehyde, etc. This can be effectively removed.

For reference, the fan 23 may be operated in four steps as shown in Table 1 below.

Then, the formaldehyde removal of the air cleaner 100 will be described. As described above, since formaldehyde is widely used in building materials and the like, it not only causes indoor air pollution but is also known as a carcinogen, and has physical properties that are well soluble in water.

1. of water TDS ( total dissolved solids Formaldehyde Removal Test According to Concentration

(1) The following experiment was conducted to determine the amount of formaldehyde removal according to the TDS concentration of water.

As a result of the experiment under the test conditions as shown in Table 2, the removal of formaldehyde according to the type of water is shown in Table 3 below, and these are shown in graphs in FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 shows the removal efficiency of formaldehyde (%) with TDS concentration and time, and FIG. 12 shows the maximum removal efficiency of formaldehyde with TDS concentration. The formaldehyde removal rate and the maximum formaldehyde removal efficiency are determined by measuring the formaldehyde concentration in the chamber after the operation of the air cleaner 100. The formaldehyde concentration may be measured using a measuring instrument called Z300XP.

As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, it can be seen that formaldehyde removal efficiency is initially increased rapidly and gradually increases with time.

The maximum removal efficiency of formaldehyde is 61.61% for TDS 0, 52.37% for TDS 92 and 31.96% for TDS 300. As more substances are dissolved in water, formaldehyde removal efficiency decreases drastically, and as the TDS concentration increases, formaldehyde removal efficiency decreases linearly. That is, it can be seen that the water used for the air cleaner 100 is RO water (Reverse Osmosis water) is appropriate.

(2) Calculation of Formaldehyde Removal by Air Cleaner

Formaldehyde added to the chamber in the above (1) is 0.08ml, since the concentration is 35%, the actual amount of formaldehyde is 0.028ml, which is 30.24mg by weight. On the other hand, the concentration of formaldehyde in the chamber after the operation of the air cleaner 100 is 0.6 ppm. In terms of weight, 0.8mg / ㎥ (0.6ppm × 30g / mol ÷ 22.4 (liter / mol) = 0.8mg / ㎥, 30g / mol: molecular weight of formaldehyde, 22.4 (liter / mol): ideal gas under standard condition Volume of 1 mole), taking into account the volume of the chamber is 6.4 mg. Therefore, the amount of formaldehyde removed by the air cleaner 100, that is, the amount of formaldehyde dissolved in the water of the air cleaner 100 is 23.84 mg (30.24 mg-6.4 mg = 23.84 mg).

(3) Application area prediction

According to a study on the analysis of formaldehyde concentration characteristics of multi-family houses (Korea Institute of Construction Technology, 2003), the formaldehyde concentration of new houses is 0.15 ppm, which is 0.2mg / m3 (0.15ppm × 30 / 22.4 = 0.2 mg / m 3, 30 g / mol: molecular weight of formaldehyde, 22.4 (liter / mol): volume of 1 mole of ideal gas under standard conditions).

Since the amount of formaldehyde dissolved and removed in the air cleaner 100 is 23.84 mg, the volume in which the air cleaner 100 can be used is 119.2m 3 (the amount of formaldehyde removed from the air cleaner (23.84 mg) / new house formaldehyde concentration (0.15). ppm)), and assuming that the ceiling height is 2.4 m, the area is 49.67 m 2 (15 pyeong) (119.2 / 2.4).

2. Formaldehyde Release Experiment 1

(1) In order to determine the characteristics of formaldehyde dissolved and removed in the water of the air cleaner 100 to be released back into the air, the experiment as shown in Table 4 below was performed.

When the air purifier 100 is operated, formaldehyde contained in the reverse osmosis purified water is discharged into the air. Table 5 and FIG. 13 are summarized below.

As shown in Table 5 and Figure 13, formaldehyde is rapidly released to the atmosphere initially, it can be seen that maintains a constant concentration (0.56ppm) over time. That is, it can be seen that a certain amount of formaldehyde remains in the water.

(2) water (reverse osmosis) Water treatment Amount of formaldehyde released from Underwater  Residual amount calculation

The amount of formaldehyde added to the reverse osmosis purified water is 0.1 ml, but the concentration is 35%, so the actual formaldehyde amount is 0.035 ml. This is 37.8mg in weight.

On the other hand, the concentration of formaldehyde in the air is 0.56ppm, and in terms of weight, 0.75mg / m 3 (0.56ppm × 30g / 22.4 (liter / mol) = 0.75mg / m 3, 30g: molecular weight of formaldehyde, 22.4 (liter / mol): the volume of one mole of ideal gas at standard condition), and the volume of the chamber is 8 m ^3, so the formaldehyde contained in the air of the chamber is 6.0 mg.

The amount of formaldehyde remaining in the water is 31.8 mg because of the difference between the input amount (37.8 mg) and the amount of formaldehyde contained in the air (6.0 mg).

23.84 mg was dissolved in water and removed, according to the removal of formaldehyde in air, and 31.8 mg remained in the water according to the release of formaldehyde in water. The difference in the amount of formaldehyde remaining in water (23.84 mg and 31.8 mg) means that the amount of formaldehyde dissolved in water by natural convection is smaller than the amount of formaldehyde that can actually be dissolved in water. That is, 31.8 mg of formaldehyde may remain in the water of the air cleaner 100, but it may be determined that up to 23.84 mg may be dissolved under actual use conditions.

3. Formaldehyde Release Experiment 2

In order to determine the characteristics of formaldehyde dissolved and removed in the water of the air cleaner 100 is released to the air again was performed as shown in Table 6 below.

When the air cleaner 100 is operated, formaldehyde contained in the reverse osmosis purified water is discharged into the air, and FIG. 14 shows the amount of formaldehyde discharged into the air, and shows the amount of formaldehyde remaining in the aqueous solution. 15.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, it can be seen that the amount of formaldehyde volatilized into the chamber after the air cleaner 100 is operated continuously increases and is kept constant as time passes.

Using the above experimental results, the equation for calculating the amount of formaldehyde volatilized into the atmosphere was derived. Table 7 below shows the equation.

On the other hand, Figure 16 shows the correlation between the initial formaldehyde concentration in water and the remaining formaldehyde concentration in water. As shown in FIG. 16, the initial formaldehyde concentration (x) in water and the remaining formaldehyde concentration (y) in water show a correlation between the straight lines. That is, the higher the initial formaldehyde concentration (x) in water, the higher the residual formaldehyde concentration (y) in water.

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

2 is a side view showing the air cleaner of FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view showing the air cleaner of FIG.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the drip tray and the first and second valves provided in the air cleaner of Figure 1;

5 and 6 are cross-sectional views showing that the first and second valves are opened and closed as the drip tray of FIG. 4 slides.

7 is a perspective view showing an air cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a cross-sectional view showing the air cleaner of FIG.

9 is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG. 7.

10 is a rear view of the air cleaner of FIG.

11 is a graph showing the removal rate of formaldehyde in air over time.

12 is a graph showing the maximum removal rate of formaldehyde according to the concentration of TDS.

13 is a graph showing the concentration of formaldehyde in air over time.

14 is a graph showing the concentration of formaldehyde in air over time.

15 is a graph showing the amount of formaldehyde in water over time.

FIG. 16 is a graph showing the amount of formaldehyde remaining according to the initial formaldehyde concentration in water.

<Description of main reference numerals in the drawings>

10 frame 21 filter

23 fan 41 lower reservoir

42: upper reservoir 43: piping

50: guider

100: air purifier with humidification function

Claims (12)

An air cleaner for purifying the sucked air by using an air filter and then discharging the air by using a fan; And And a humidification unit configured to increase humidity of the room by evaporating while circulating water between the lower reservoir and the upper reservoir. An air purifier having a humidification function, characterized in that at least a portion of the wind discharged from the air cleaner passes through the humidifier to promote evaporation of water. The method of claim 1, An air purifier having a humidifying function between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir, the guider for guiding the water flowing out of the upper reservoir into the lower reservoir. The method according to claim 1 or 2, At least a portion of the wind discharged from the air cleaner moves to or close to the surface of the upper reservoir to promote evaporation of the water contained in the upper reservoir, and contaminants contained in the wind dissolve in the water. Air purifier with a humidification function. The method of claim 1, The air purifier having a humidifying function, characterized in that the blocking member is installed on the upper side of the water supply hole formed in the bottom of the upper reservoir to prevent the water supplied from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir by the pump installed in the pipe. The method of claim 3, At least one of the lower reservoir, the upper reservoir, and the pipe connecting the lower reservoir and the upper reservoir, an air purifier having a humidification function, characterized in that the impurity removal filter for removing impurities contained in the water is installed. The method of claim 2, An air purifier having a humidifying function, characterized in that the lighting member is installed on the upper or lower or rear of the guider. The method of claim 3, At least one of the lower reservoir, the upper reservoir, and the pipe connecting the lower reservoir and the upper reservoir, the air purifier having a humidification function, characterized in that a heater for heating the water is installed. The method of claim 3, At least one of the lower reservoir, the upper reservoir, and the pipe connecting the lower reservoir and the upper reservoir, a sterilizing member for sterilizing bacteria contained in the water, characterized in that the air purifier having a humidification function. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The lower reservoir is slidably installed in the frame, one side of the lower reservoir is formed with a drain pipe, the drain pipe is provided with a first valve for opening and closing the drain pipe, A portion corresponding to the drain pipe is provided with a connection pipe, the connection pipe is connected to the pump or pipe, the connection pipe is provided with a second valve for opening and closing the connection pipe, The first valve is A first cover member for selectively sealing an inlet of the drain pipe; A first stopper member fixed to the drain pipe; A first rod member slidably installed through the first stopper member and having one end connected to the first cover member and having a first protrusion formed at the other end thereof; And And a first elastic member installed on the first bar member and providing an elastic force so that the first cover member covers the inlet of the drain pipe. The second valve, A second cover member for selectively sealing the connecting pipe; A second stopper member fixed to the connecting pipe; A second rod member slidably installed through the second stopper member and having one end connected to the second cover member and having a second protrusion formed at the other end thereof; And And a second elastic member installed on the second bar member and providing an elastic force so that the second cover member covers the connection pipe. As the lower reservoir slides, the connecting pipe is inserted into the drain pipe or the drain pipe is inserted into the connecting pipe. When the first and second protrusions contact each other by the insertion, the first cover member overcomes the elastic force of the first elastic member and the drain pipe And a second cover member to open the connection pipe while overcoming the elastic force of the second elastic member. Purifying the sucked air using an air filter and then discharging the air using a fan; Evaporating while circulating water between the lower reservoir and the upper reservoir to increase humidity in the room; And At least a portion of the air discharged from the fan is moved closer to the water so that formaldehyde contained in the air is dissolved in the water; operating method of the air cleaner comprising a. The method of claim 10, A guider is installed between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir, and the formaldehyde contained in the air is dissolved in water as water in the upper reservoir flows down through the guider. How it works. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein The water is a method of operating an air cleaner, characterized in that the purified water by reverse osmosis.

Images