KR20160143050A

KR20160143050A - Apparatus for removing condensed water

Info

Publication number: KR20160143050A
Application number: KR1020150079105A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 이찬봉
Original assignee: 주식회사 나노렉스
Priority date: 2015-06-04
Filing date: 2015-06-04
Publication date: 2016-12-14
Also published as: KR101719327B1

Abstract

There is disclosed a condensate water treatment apparatus capable of eliminating the need to periodically empty a water tank containing condensed water by evaporating the condensed water. A condensate water reservoir for receiving and storing condensate water supplied from the outside, and a condenser for condensing the condensed water, which is disposed in the condensate water reservoir and disposed at a blower provided in the air conditioner, To the condensing water treatment device. According to the present invention, since the blower provided in the air conditioner or the like is used to remove the condensed water accommodated in the vessel, the management cost for removing the condensed water is not separately generated.

Description

[0001] APPARATUS FOR REMOVING CONDENSED WATER [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a condensate processing apparatus that can be used in an apparatus for generating condensed water such as an air conditioner, and is a condensate processing apparatus capable of eliminating the need to periodically emptied a condensed water- .

Generally, an air conditioner is to provide a more comfortable indoor environment by cooling / heating a room, and there are two types, one-body type and separate type.

The integral type and the separate type are functionally the same, but in the case of the integral type, the function of the cooling heat radiation is unified and holes are formed in the wall of the house or the device is installed directly on the window. In the separate type, a cooling device is installed on the indoor side, And a heat dissipating and compressing device is installed on the side of the heat exchanger, and the two devices separated from each other are connected by a refrigerant pipe.

The separate type of the air conditioner includes an indoor unit having a built-in indoor heat exchanger to perform a cooling function, an outdoor unit having an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, and an inflator for performing heat and compression functions, And a refrigerant pipe connected thereto.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to the related art, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the indoor unit shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an air conditioner according to the related art includes an indoor unit 10 installed in a room to supply cool air to a room, an outdoor unit installed outside the room, (40, 40 ') for discharging and processing the condensed water formed in the indoor unit (10) and a refrigerant pipe (30) connecting the indoor unit (10) and the outdoor unit (20) Water bottles 50 and 50 'are separately provided.

The schematic configuration of the indoor unit 10 and the process of forming condensed water in the indoor unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The indoor unit 10 is roughly divided into a housing 11 in which the respective components are mounted, a heat exchanger 14 through which the refrigerant circulates, a drain pan 18 provided below the heat exchanger 14, , And a blowing fan (16). The air blowing fan 16 introduces air into the housing 11 through the air inlet 12 formed in the housing 11 and cools the introduced air through the heat exchanger 14, And the air is discharged through the air outlet 19 formed in the housing 11 to cool the room.

At this time, in the course of cooling the inflow air through the heat exchanger 14, moisture in the air is condensed on the surface of the heat exchanger 14, and the condensed moisture rides on the surface of the heat exchanger 14 Flows into the drain pan (18) and forms a condensed water. The condensed water is discharged to the outside through the drain hose 40 and stored in the water tank 50.

However, in the air conditioner according to the related art as described above, the condensed water formed in the heat exchanger 14 of the indoor unit 10 is stored in the water tanks 50 and 50 'disposed indoors or outdoors, The condensed water stored in the water bottles 50 and 50 'overflows, damaging the furniture or the electronic product provided in the room, or causing damage to the peripheral part of the outdoor.

Particularly, in the case where the water tank 50 'is disposed outdoors and the condensed water is discharged, the length of the drain hose 40 for transferring the condensed water to the water tank 50' is increased to increase the installation cost, There is a problem to drill the wall.

In addition, since the indoor air is dried during the indoor cooling operation using the air conditioner, it may cause respiratory diseases and the like. Therefore, in some cases, it is necessary to provide a separate humidifier for performing the humidifying function.

In recent years, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a technique has been developed, such as Korean Patent No. 10-1399268 and Korean Patent No. 10-1138699, in which condensed water is evaporated to remove condensed water contained in a water tank.

However, since the above-mentioned condensate water treatment device is required to install a blowing fan and a motor in order to remove condensed water stored in a water tank, it is required to have a high manufacturing cost, an operating cost such as power consumption, .

Korean Patent No. 10-1399268 (published on May 26, 2014) Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1138699 (April 19, 2012 announcement) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1998-017234 (published Jun. 10, 1998)

It is an object of the present invention to provide a condensate water treatment apparatus which does not require separate blowers to evaporate received condensed water, requires no separate electric power for treatment of condensed water, and does not require separate management of condensate contained in the vessel .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a condensed water reservoir for storing and storing condensed water supplied from the outside, And a water transfer means disposed in the blower to transfer the condensed water absorbed through the one end to the other end.

According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience of periodically emptying the water reservoir in which the condensed water is stored by moving the condensed water stored in the vessel to the periphery of the blower and evaporating the condensed water through the operation of the blower.

The present invention uses a blower provided in an air conditioner or the like to remove condensate contained in the container, so that no management cost for removing the condensed water is generated separately.

Further, since the present invention does not require the installation of a blower for the evaporation treatment of the condensed water itself, a structure that minimizes the size thereof is applied, so that it can be installed in any air conditioner.

In addition, since the discharge direction of the humid air generated through the evaporation treatment of the condensed water can be adjusted according to the surrounding humidity, the present invention can prevent the room from being dried through the humidifying action.

1 is a schematic block diagram of an air conditioner according to the prior art.
2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the indoor unit shown in FIG.
3 is a schematic view for explaining an embodiment of the condensed water processing apparatus according to the present invention.
4 is a perspective view for explaining another embodiment of the condensed water processing apparatus according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a condensed water treatment apparatus according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a schematic view for explaining an embodiment of the condensed water processing apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the apparatus for treating a condensed water according to the present invention includes a condensate water reservoir 100 for storing and storing condensed water, and a condensate water reservoir 100 having one end disposed in the condensate water reservoir 100, And water transfer means (210, 220) disposed in the blower.

Hereinafter, each component will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 3, the apparatus for treating condensate according to the present invention includes a condensate reservoir 100.

The condensed water storage container 100 is installed in an air conditioner such as a heat exchange ventilator, an air conditioner, or the like, and functions to receive and store condensed water generated from the air conditioner.

The condensate water reservoir 100 is formed in a box-like structure having an open top so that free-fall condensate can be smoothly received.

If necessary, the condensate reservoir 100 may be provided with a condensate transfer pipe (not shown). The condensate transfer pipe connects the condenser water reservoir 100 and the heat exchanger of the air conditioner, and provides the condensed water reservoir 100 with the condensed water generated from the heat exchanger. At this time, a pump (not shown) for pumping the condensed water generated from the heat exchanger to the condensed water storage container 100 may be additionally provided in the condensate transfer pipe.

In addition, the condensate reservoir 100 may be provided with a function of providing sterilizing power by itself. To this end, the condensed water storage container 100 may be provided with sterilizing means for inhibiting the propagation of bacteria and the like.

For example, the condensate reservoir 100 may be constructed or coated with a sterilizing agent on its surface, or may include one or more of silver nanoparticles, metal oxide particles, and peroxide compounds, or may be coated with ultraviolet (UV) Lamps may be installed.

Referring to FIG. 3, the condensate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a moisture transfer means.

The water transfer means 210 and 220 move the condensed water to the blower of the air conditioner so as to evaporate the condensed water stored in the condensed water storage container 100, The function of treating the condensed water by absorbing the condensed water stored in the reservoir 100 and then evaporating the condensed water absorbed in the blowing operation of the blower by the wind.

The water transfer means 210 and 220 may include a first moisture transfer means 210 having one end disposed in the condensed water storage container 100 and the other end disposed in a first blower provided in the air conditioner, And a second moisture transfer unit 220 disposed in the condensed water storage container 100 and disposed at the other end of the second blower unit of the air conditioner. In this case, the first moisture transfer means 210 and the second moisture transfer means 220 are preferably divided into air blowers 42 and 44 for blowing air outdoors and indoors as shown in FIG.

For example, the first moisture transfer means 210 moves the condensed water, which has fallen freely from the total enthalpy heat exchanger element 50, to a position adjacent to the first blowing fan 42, (42). Accordingly, the first blowing fan 42 discharges the outdoor air sucked through the outdoor air inlet 70 through the blowing action and the wet air generated through the evaporation process to the room.

The second moisture transfer means 220 moves the condensed water dropped from the total enthalpy heat exchanger element 50 to a position adjacent to the second blowing fan 44 and discharges the room air to the outside through the second blowing fan 44 The evaporated water absorbed at the end of the second moisture transfer means 220 is evaporated. Accordingly, the second blowing fan 44 discharges the indoor air sucked through the indoor air inlet 60 through the blowing action and the wet air generated through the evaporation process to the outside.

Such wet air is composed of outdoor air or indoor air, and water vapor of condensed water evaporated in the water transfer means 210 and 220, and since such wet air can perform indoor humidification, it has a direct effect on the health of the user It goes crazy.

On the other hand, the moisture transfer means 210 and 220 may be provided with a function of providing sterilizing power by itself. To this end, the water transfer means may be provided with sterilizing means for inhibiting the propagation of bacteria or the like. For example, the moisture transferring means may be constituted or coated with a sterilizing agent coated on its surface, or with one or more of silver nanoparticles, metal oxide particles and peroxide compounds, or a UV lamp for irradiating ultraviolet (UV) Can be installed.

The moisture transfer means 210 and 220 may be composed of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, and other moisture transfer powders.

For example, the water transfer means 210 and 220 can easily absorb the condensed water such as microfiber cloth, cloth, sponge, etc., and not only the shape is maintained in a state of absorbing the condensed water, So that it can be easily evaporated.

A fiber referred to as a microfiber is a very thin fiber having a thickness of 0.5 denier or less, and refers to a fiber spun by mixing a polyester and nylon at a ratio of 7: 3. Among them, fibers having a size of 0.1 denier or less are called micro-fibers. Such a microfiber cloth is referred to as a microfiber cloth.

Such a microfiber cloth has a very narrow fiber, so that a very narrow gap is formed between the fiber and the fiber. When a liquid such as water touches such a narrow gap, the liquid easily penetrates into the narrow gap. Such a phenomenon is referred to as a capillary phenomenon, and the capillary phenomenon becomes larger as the gap becomes narrower.

Since the basic material of the microfiber cloth is very thin, the gap between the fibers is very narrow, and the capillary phenomenon is also so large that the water is quickly absorbed into the microfiber cloth and dispersed to the periphery. The degree of water absorption of a conventional microfiber cloth is 2 to 5 times that of ordinary cotton cloth.

If the water transfer means is used in a condition where there is not a lot of condensed water, it may be possible to treat the condensed water by using a general fabric cloth instead of the above-mentioned microfiber cloth.

In addition, the water transfer means 210 and 220 may be formed to have a slender thread shape such as a microfabricated shape, but may have a planar shape so as to have a wider surface area. In this case, the moisture collected in the condensed water reservoir 100 through the lower end vertex of the total enthalpy heat exchanger element 50 is transferred and diffused through the water transfer means of the planar structure (plate-like compressed bundle type) provided on one side of the total enthalpy heat exchanger element , And the surface portion of the water transfer means is disposed so as to be exposed to the first blowing fan (42) and the second blowing fan (44).

If necessary, the moisture transfer means 210 and 220 may be provided with a part of the moisture transfer means 210 and 220 at each corner of the total enthalpy heat exchanger element 50. The water flowed by the gravity collects at the edge of the total enthalpy heat exchanger element 50 and falls into the condensed water storage container 100. The water transferred to the water transfer means 210 , 220) to the other end of the water transfer means (210, 220).

Further, the present invention may include a fixing means (300) for fixing the other end of the moisture transfer means such that the other end of the water transfer means is located in the blower. The fixing means 300 may be any fixing means 300 as long as it can fix the water transfer means, but a tape or the like can be used.

In addition, the present invention may further include a waterproof covering material (not shown). The waterproof covering material is provided on the outside of the water transfer means 210 and 220 so that the water transfer means 210 and 220 can be connected to the water transfer means 210 and 220 in order to prevent the condensed water moving through the water transfer means 210 and 220 from flowing out. It provides the function to shut off from the outside.

As such a waterproof covering material, any covering material may be used as long as it is a waterproof covering material.

As a specific aspect, it is preferable that the waterproof cover material according to the present invention is provided from one end of the moisture transfer means deviating from the condensate storage container 100 to the other end of the moisture transfer means before facing the blower. This is to prevent absorption of condensed water through one end of the moisture transfer means by preventing the waterproofing covering material from being provided at one end of the moisture transfer means disposed in the condensed water storage container 100. In addition, the waterproof cover is not provided at the other end of the water transfer means facing the blower, so that evaporation of the condensed water absorbed at the end of the water transfer means during blowing operation of the blower can be smoothly performed.

4 is a perspective view for explaining another embodiment of the condensed water processing apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the condensate processing apparatus according to the present invention may further include a condensate flow control means 400.

The condensate flow control means 400 controls the storage area of the condensed water so that the condensed water falling freely into the condensed water reservoir 100 is absorbed by either the first moisture transfer means 210 or the second moisture transfer means 220 .

The condensing water flow control means 400 includes a humidity sensor (not shown) installed in a room of the building, a hinge 410 installed on the bottom to divide the bottom surface of the condensed water storage container 100 into two areas, A condensing water flow guide plate 420 coupled to the hinge 410 and dividing the condensed water reservoir 100 into two zones, a first zone and a second zone, And a control module (not shown) for controlling the rotation of the stepping motor to adjust the rotation direction of the condensate flow guide plate 420 according to the humidity of the room collected from the sensor.

The humidity sensor measures the humidity of the room and provides humidity information to the control module.

The stepping motor provides a rotational force to the hinge 410 and provides forward rotation and reverse rotation.

The condensate water guide plate 420 is formed as a flat plate for dividing the condensed water reservoir 100 into a first zone in which the first moisture transfer unit 210 is disposed and a second zone in which the second water transfer unit 220 is disposed And provides a movement path of the condensed water falling freely so that the condensed water falling freely in accordance with the rotation of the hinge 410 is accommodated in either the first area or the second area.

The control module controls the rotation direction of the stepping motor according to the humidity information collected from the humidity sensor, and is electrically connected to the stepping motor to control the rotating direction of the stepping motor.

The control module controls the rotation direction of the stepping motor in a forward direction so that the humid air collected from the humidity sensor falls below the self-specified minimum humidity and the humid air formed by evaporating the condensed water is supplied to the room.

When the humidity collected from the humidity sensor exceeds the self-specified minimum humidity, the control module controls the rotation direction of the stepping motor in the reverse direction so that the humid air formed by evaporating the condensed water is supplied to the outside of the room.

This is to increase the humidity of the room by discharging the humid air formed by evaporating the condensed water when the humidity of the room is lower than the specified minimum humidity, for example, 40 to 60%.

For example, when the stepping motor is rotated in the forward direction under the control of the control module, the condensate flow guide plate 420 blocks the upper portion of the second zone so that the freely falling condensed water moves to the first zone. Conversely, when the stepping motor is rotated in the reverse direction under the control of the control module, the condensate flow guide plate 420 blocks the upper portion of the first zone so that the freely falling condensed water moves to the second zone.

That is, even if two moisture transfer means are disposed in the condensate storage container 100 through the condensate flow control means 400, it is possible to control the condensation water to be absorbed only in one moisture transfer means by adjusting the area where the condensed water is received .

As a result, in the case of the summer season, most of the moisture contained in the condensed water storage container 100 is transferred to the second blowing fan 44, which discharges the room air outdoors, and discharges it to the outside of the room. However, if it is determined that the room is dry as in the winter, the outdoor air may be transferred to the first blowing fan 42 for discharging the room to the room to humidify the room.

In addition, the present invention can set in which direction (indoor or outdoor) the condensed water stored in the condensed water storage container 100 is discharged in connection with the smartphone. To this end, the condensate flow control means 400 may be configured to include a communication module to receive the control signal transmitted from the smartphone. The communication module receives the control signal transmitted from the smartphone and provides the control signal to the control module. At this time, the control module controls the rotation direction of the condensate flow guide plate 420 according to the control signal.

In addition, the condensate flow control means 400 of the present invention can provide a function of automatically learning the control pattern of the user through the smartphone and setting the discharge direction of the condensed water accommodated in the condensed water reservoir 100 according to season and humidity have. To this end, the condensate flow control means 400 comprises a storage module for storing the control signal transmitted via the smartphone. In this case, the control module analyzes the control signal stored in the storage module and the humidity collected from the humidity sensor to determine the operation pattern of the condensate flow control means 400.

If necessary, the present invention may include at least one functional material reservoir (not shown) that communicates with the condensed water reservoir 100 to supply the liquid material necessary for air purification. These functional material reservoirs can store the phytoncide solution for air purification and the liquid phase for aromatherapy, respectively.

In particular, the functional material reservoir communicates with the first area of the condensate reservoir 100 in which the first moisture transfer unit 210 is disposed so that the functional material can be discharged to the room.

In addition, a solenoid valve may be provided between the functional substance storage and condensed water reservoir 100. Such a solenoid valve is determined by the control module which receives the control signal from the smartphone.

For example, the user may select one of the first through fourth functional material storage tanks connected to the condensed water storage container 100 so that only the functional material contained in the second functional material storage container flows into the condensed water storage container 100, The opening and closing of the second solenoid valve provided between the reservoir 100 can be remotely controlled.

That is, the user can select phytoncide or various aroma fragrances through the smartphone and control them to flow into the room.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It can be understood that it is possible.

100: condensate reservoir 210: first moisture transfer means
220: second moisture transfer means 300: fixing means
400: Condensate flow control means 410: Hinge
420: Condensate flow guide plate

Claims

A condensate water reservoir for receiving and storing condensate water supplied from outside; And
And a water transferring means having one end disposed in the condensed water storage container and the other end corresponding to the one end disposed in an air blower provided in the air conditioner and moving the condensed water absorbed through the one end to the other end.

The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a waterproof covering material provided on the outside of the moisture transfer means.

The waterproof coating material according to claim 1,
Wherein the condensing water is supplied from one end of the moisture transfer means deviating from the condensed water storage container to the other end of the moisture transfer means before facing the blower.

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising fixing means for fixing the other end of the moisture transfer means such that the other end of the moisture transfer means is located in the blower.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moisture transfer means
A first moisture transferring means having one end disposed in the condensed water storage container and the other end disposed in a first blower provided in the air conditioner,
And a second moisture transferring means having one end disposed in the condensed water reservoir and the other end disposed in a second blower provided in the air conditioner.

6. The method of claim 5,
A humidity sensor installed in the building; a hinge installed on the bottom to divide the bottom surface of the condensed water storage tank into two sections; a stepping motor coupled to the hinge; a condensate water flow And a control module configured to control rotation of the stepping motor to control the rotation direction of the condensate flow guide plate according to the humidity of the room collected from the humidity sensor. Device.

The method according to claim 1,
Characterized in that the condensate reservoir, the water transfer means, or both are provided with a sterilizing means, and the sterilizing means is any one of silver nanoparticles, metal oxide particles, peroxide compounds, or UV lamps.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the condensate flow control means
Further comprising: a communication module for receiving the control signal transmitted from the smartphone and providing the control signal to the control module.

The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a functional material reservoir communicating with the condensate reservoir and supplying a liquid material necessary for purifying the air.

The method according to claim 1,
A humidity sensor installed in a room of the building; a hinge installed on the bottom surface to divide the bottom surface of the condensed water storage tank into two sections; a stepping motor coupled to the hinge; a condensing water reservoir coupled to the hinge, And a control module configured to control rotation of the stepping motor according to the humidity of the room collected from the humidity sensor to adjust the direction of rotation of the condensate flow guide plate.
A functional material reservoir communicated with a first area of a condensate reservoir in which moisture transfer means for transferring moisture to an air blower for introducing outdoor air into the room so that the functional material can be discharged into the room;
A communication module for receiving a control signal transmitted from a smart phone and providing the control signal to the control module; And
Further comprising a solenoid valve disposed between the condensed-water storage and functional material storage container and being opened or closed by a control module that receives a control signal from a smartphone.