TWI555954B - Air purifier - Google Patents

Description

Air purifier

The present invention relates to an air cleaner having a function of purifying and blowing inhaled air.

For example, an air cleaner having a function of detecting a temperature difference between a ceiling and a floor and reducing indoor temperature unevenness as described in Patent Document 1 has been known. The air cleaner of the prior art has a first temperature detector that detects the ceiling temperature and a second temperature detector that detects the temperature in the vicinity of the floor. Further, in the prior art, by calculating the difference between the output values of the respective temperature detectors, the temperature difference between the ceiling and the floor is calculated, and the air blow is started due to the temperature difference.

Furthermore, the Applicant pointed out that the documents which are included in the above-mentioned documents are related to the present case.

Advanced technical literature Patent literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-56147

Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-41518

However, the air purifier of the above prior art does not control the loop. The wind direction at the time of the ring, and the air blowing operation is performed only toward the upper portion. As a result, air is diffused disorderly in the vicinity of the ceiling, so that the dirt such as smoke near the ceiling easily spreads to a wide range together with the air. Therefore, in the prior art, there is a problem that the air cleaning speed of the entire room is slowed down due to the spread of dirt generated in the vicinity of the ceiling, and the user feels uncomfortable.

The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an air cleaner capable of sufficiently utilizing air cleaning ability and efficiently performing air circulation to improve user comfort.

An air cleaner according to the present invention includes: a casing having a suction port for air and a blow port for blowing air obliquely upward; and a blower for sucking air from the suction port to the inside of the casing and blowing the air from the blower The outlet is blown out; the cleaning device cleans the air flowing inside the casing; the temperature difference detecting device detects the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling in the room; and the control device controls the blowing from the air blowing device The amount of air blown out by the outlet; the control device performs air supply control, wherein when the temperature difference detected by the temperature difference detecting means is greater than a preset reference value, the air volume of the blown air is compared with the Increase when the temperature difference is lower than the reference value.

According to this aspect of the invention, when the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling is larger than the reference value, the amount of air blown out by the air can be increased. Thereby, while performing the air cleaning operation, the air in the vicinity of the ceiling can be stirred to actively circulate the air between the ceiling and the floor. Therefore, the air purification ability can be fully utilized, and the air circulation can be efficiently performed to improve the comfort of the user. Fitness.

1‧‧‧Air Purifier

2‧‧‧Shell

2A‧‧‧ next door

3‧‧‧ pedestal

4‧‧‧Inhalation

5,5A,5B‧‧‧Blowing

6‧‧‧Air supply device (air supply means)

6A‧‧‧fan

6B‧‧‧Motor

7,7A, 7B‧‧‧ Wind Road

8‧‧‧Clean purification device (cleaning means)

9‧‧‧ movable grid (wind direction variable device)

10‧‧‧ grid drive unit (wind direction variable device)

11‧‧‧Open variable mechanism

12‧‧‧Open drive department

13‧‧‧Rectifier

14‧‧‧Rectification drive department

15‧‧‧ horizontal slewing mechanism (wind direction slewing device)

20‧‧‧Stain detection device (dirty detection device)

21‧‧‧Detector section (human detection device, temperature difference detection device)

22‧‧‧Operation Department

23‧‧‧Control device (control means)

40‧‧‧Infrared detector

41‧‧‧Multi-component light receiving unit

41a~41h‧‧‧Light-receiving components

42‧‧‧ collecting lens

43,43a~43h‧‧‧Lighting angle of view

44‧‧‧Detector Drive Department

50‧‧‧wind direction vector

50A‧‧‧Vertical Direction Vector

50B‧‧‧ front and rear direction vector

50C‧‧‧ direction vector

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

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the air cleaner in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of an essential part in the first diagram showing the operating states (a) and (b) of the movable grid and the rectifying mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the configuration of a control system of the air cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a structural sectional view showing the infrared detector in a schematic manner.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the light receiving elements constituting the infrared detector and the detection range of each of the light receiving elements.

Fig. 7 is an explanatory view showing the rotation states (a), (b), and (c) of the infrared detector by the detector drive unit.

Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of wind direction control executed by the control device in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of air volume control executed by the control device in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiment 1

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an air cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In addition, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the air cleaner in Fig. 1. As shown in these figures, the air cleaner 1 of the present embodiment is configured as a floor-mounted air cleaner. The air cleaner 1 includes a casing 2, a susceptor 3, a suction port 4, an air outlet 5, a blower 6, an air path 7 (7A and 7B), a cleaning device 8, a movable grid 9, and a grid drive unit 10. The opening variable mechanism 11, the opening driving unit 12, the rectifying mechanism 13, the rectifying driving unit 14 (see FIG. 4), the horizontal turning mechanism 15, and the like.

The casing 2 is formed in a rectangular shape of, for example, a substantially square shape, and is supported by a base 3 provided on the floor of the room to be rotatable in a horizontal direction. As shown in Fig. 2, in the space of the casing 2, in the space from the suction port 4 to the air outlet 5, the cleaning device 8, the air blowing device 6, the air path 7A, and the air blowing device 7 are disposed in order from the upstream to the downstream. 7B. Further, in the present specification, among the side surface portions of the casing 2, a portion mainly disposed to face the indoor space is referred to as a front portion, and a portion facing the front portion is referred to as a rear portion. Further, the direction in which the front portion of the casing 2 faces is described as the front side, and the direction corresponding to the left and right sides of the casing 2 when viewed from the front is described as the left-right direction, and the vertical direction is referred to as the vertical direction depending on the case. The air cleaner 1 is installed, for example, at a position close to any one of the wall surfaces of the room, and is used in a state where the rear surface of the casing 2 faces the wall surface and the front portion of the casing 2 faces the indoor space.

The suction port 4 is an opening for sucking indoor air into the inside of the casing 2, and is provided, for example, at a front surface portion of the casing 2. The air outlet 5 is an opening for blowing air that has entered the inside of the casing 2 to the outside, and is constituted by, for example, two air outlets 5A and 5B that are opened to the upper surface portion of the casing 2. The air outlets 5A and 5B extend side by side along the left and right sides of the casing 2. In addition, the air outlets 5A and 5B are not particularly distinguished. In some cases, it may be described as "blowing outlet 5". Further, the air blown out from the air outlet 5 may be described as "blowing air".

In Fig. 2, the wind direction vector 50 indicates the wind direction vector at the position where the wind speed of the blown air is the largest. The wind direction vector 50 is a combination of a vertical direction vector 50A, a front-rear direction vector 50B, and a left-right direction vector 50C (not shown). The air outlet 5 has a function of blowing air upward and upward by the action of the movable grid 9. Further, in Fig. 2, the air blown from the air outlets 5A and 5B is combined, and the wind direction vector 50 is exemplified in one position, but the wind direction vector 50 is present in the air outlets 5A and 5B, respectively. Further, in the present invention, the suction port 4 may be disposed on the back surface portion, the side surface portion, the lower surface portion, or the like of the casing 2, or the air outlet 5 may be disposed in the front surface portion, the side surface portion, or the like of the casing 2. Further, in the casing 2, only one air outlet 5 may be disposed, or three or more air outlets 5 may be disposed. That is, in the present invention, the position and the number of the air outlets 5 are not limited to the first embodiment.

The air blowing device 6 is a device that sucks air from the suction port 4 into the casing 2 and blows the air out of the air outlet 5, and constitutes a specific example of the air blowing means in the present embodiment. The air blowing device 6 has a fan 6A as a device main body portion and an electric motor 6B that rotates the fan 6A. The number of revolutions of the fan 6A is controlled by the control device 23, and the amount of air blown out is changed corresponding to the number of revolutions. As shown in FIG. 2, in the inside of the casing 2, for example, the two air blowing devices 6 are arranged side by side in the up-and-down direction in a state in which the positions in the front-rear direction are shifted.

Further, inside the casing 2, an air passage 7 that connects the air blowing device 6 and the air outlet 5 and guides the air blown from the air blowing device 6 to the air outlet 5 is provided. The air passage 7 is partitioned into a front air passage 7A and a rear air passage 7B by a partition wall 2A provided inside the casing 2. Two air passages 7A and 7B configured to be inside and outside the casing 2 The direction is extended, for example, juxtaposed in the front-rear direction when viewed from a horizontal section.

The lower sides of the air passages 7A and 7B are respectively connected to different air blowing devices 6, and the upper sides of the air passages 7A and 7B are connected to the air outlets 5A and 5B, respectively. In other words, the air cleaner 1 includes the first air blowing system that has passed through the air path 7A from one of the air blowing devices 6 and reaches the air outlet 5A, and the second air blowing system that has passed through the air path 7B from the other air blowing device 6 to reach the air outlet 5B. Air supply system. In these air supply systems, the air volume, wind direction, and wind speed can be individually controlled.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the partition wall 2A is disposed inside the casing 2, and the two air passages 7A and 7B are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. Further, among the two air blowing devices 6, at least one of the air blowing devices 6 located on the upper side in the second drawing is constituted by a motor-incorporated air blowing device in which a part of the motor 6B is buried in the fan 6A. Thereby, the two air blowing systems are efficiently formed inside the casing 2, and the installation area of the air cleaner 1 can be reduced, and the air cleaner 1 of a small size and high performance can be implement|achieved.

The cleaning device 8 is a device for purifying the air inside the casing 2, and constitutes a specific example of the cleaning device in the present embodiment. The cleaning device 8 is disposed between, for example, the suction port 4 and the air blowing device 6. Here, the term "clear purification" means to remove pollutants such as dust, smoke, pollen, viruses, molds, bacteria, allergens, and odor molecules floating in the air, specifically, " "Clean purification" means the action of trapping, inactivating, adsorbing and decomposing various pollutants mentioned above. The cleaning device 8 may be composed of the following machines or a combination of the following machines: a dust collecting filter, a deodorizing filter, a voltage applying device, and the like. The dust collecting filter is a device for collecting dust in the air, and the deodorizing filter is a device for adsorbing the odor component. In addition, the voltage application device is removed by applying a high voltage to the electrode. And devices for decomposing pollutants. Further, in the flow direction of the air, a dirt detecting device 20 to be described later is provided on the upstream side of the cleaning device 8.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of an essential part in the first diagram showing the operating states (a) and (b) of the movable grid and the rectifying mechanism. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the movable grille 9 is a device that swings the wind direction of the blown air in the vertical direction, and one movable grille 9 is provided in each of the air outlets 5A and 5B of the casing 2. In detail, the movable grid 9 is formed of, for example, an elongated flat plate or the like extending in the left-right direction of the casing 2. Further, the proximal end sides of the movable grid plate 9 are attached to the respective air outlets 5A and 5B by the grid driving portions 10 provided in the air outlets 5A and 5B, respectively. Further, the proximal end side of the movable grid plate 9 can be swung in the vertical direction by the grid drive unit 10. Further, the two movable grids 9 are configured to be capable of individually changing the wind direction of the air blown from the air outlets 5A and 5B. In the present embodiment, the case where two movable grids 9 are provided is exemplified. However, in the present invention, one or three or more movable grid plates 9 may be provided corresponding to the number of the air outlets 5.

The movable grid plate 9 is rotated at a base end side (a fulcrum of the grid drive unit 10) as a fixed point on a circle centered on the fixed point. Thereby, the wind direction of the blown air is swung in the up-and-down direction between the front and the upper side corresponding to the turning angle of the movable grille 9. The elevation angle of the wind direction becomes almost the same angle as the elevation angle of the movable grid 9. In the present specification, the "elevation angle" is an angle that is inclined upward with respect to the horizontal direction parallel to the floor. That is, the elevation angle = 0° indicates the horizontal direction, and the elevation angle = 90° indicates the vertical direction. In addition, the "revolving angle" of the wind direction indicates the angle of the wind direction that is rotated in the left-right direction by the horizontal turning mechanism 15 or the like.

The grid driving portion 10 includes: a movable grid supported in a drivable manner The support shaft of the plate 9 rotates the actuator (not shown). The movable grid plate 9 and the grid drive unit 10 constitute a specific example of a wind direction variable device that changes the wind direction of the blown air in the vertical direction. As shown in Fig. 2, the opening variable mechanism 11 is provided, for example, at a position opposed to the one-side movable grid 9 in the front-rear direction, and cooperates with the movable grid 9 to change the opening area of the air outlet 5A. In addition, in the first drawing and the third drawing, the rectifying mechanism 13 to be described later is clearly shown, and therefore the illustration of the opening variable mechanism 11 is omitted. In addition, in the second figure, the case where the opening variable mechanism 11 is disposed in only one of the air outlets 5A is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and only the other air outlets 5B or both of them may be blown. The opening variable mechanism 11 is disposed in both the outlets 5A and 5B.

The opening variable mechanism 11 is formed of, for example, an elongated flat plate or the like that extends in the left-right direction of the casing 2. The base end portion of the opening variable mechanism 11 is attached to the air outlet 5A through the opening driving portion 12 having the same configuration as the grid driving portion 10. The front end portion of the opening variable mechanism 11 is driven in the front-rear direction by the opening driving portion 12, and its position is changed to approach and move away from the movable grid 9. Thereby, the opening variable mechanism 11 increases or decreases the opening area of the air outlet 5A, and the wind speed of the blown air can be changed in accordance with the opening area. In other words, the opening variable mechanism 11 and the opening driving unit 12 constitute a specific example of the wind speed air blowing changing device capable of changing the blowing air. Further, the opening variable mechanism 11 may be a mechanism that is disposed not in the air outlet 5 but in one or both of the air passages 7A and 7B to change the opening area (that is, the flow path area) of the air passage 7. .

The rectifying mechanism 13 is a device that adjusts the wind direction in the left-right direction while maintaining the elevation angle of the wind set by the movable grille 9. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rectifying mechanism 13 is formed of, for example, a fin having a slightly triangular shape (or a fan shape). Further, the rectifying mechanism 13 is disposed so as to protrude from the wind receiving surface side of each movable grille 9 and to arrange a plurality of them in the left-right direction with an interval therebetween. As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), each of the rectifying mechanisms 13 is rotated in the left-right direction so that the wind direction of the blown air changes in the left-right direction corresponding to the swing angle.

Further, the rectifying mechanism 13 is swung by, for example, a rectifying drive unit 14 (only shown in FIG. 4) provided on the movable grille plate 9. In other words, the rectifying mechanism 13 and the rectifying drive unit 14 constitute a specific example of a variable direction mechanism that can change the wind direction of the blown air in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide the rectifying mechanism 13 in the present invention. In addition, the rectifying mechanism 13 may be configured to be disposed, for example, only on the left and right end sides of the movable grille plate 9.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the horizontal turning mechanism 15 is a device that is provided between the casing 2 and the susceptor 3 to rotate the casing 2 on the susceptor 3 at least in the left-right direction. Since the direction of the air outlet 5 changes in the horizontal direction together with the casing 2, the horizontal turning mechanism 15 constitutes a specific example of the wind direction turning device that rotates the wind direction of the blown air in the horizontal direction. Similarly, since the direction of the suction port 4 also changes in the horizontal direction together with the casing 2, the horizontal turning mechanism 15 constitutes a specific example of the suction port horizontal turning mechanism that rotates the suction port 4 in the horizontal direction.

Further, as described above, in the first embodiment, the two air blowing devices 6 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. According to this configuration, it is easier to form the air cleaner 1 into a vertically long tower type than the air cleaner that generates the same air volume by the single air blowing device 6. Thereby, the cross-sectional shape of the air cleaner 1 is square or circular, and the installation area can be made small. In particular, the square and circular cross-sectional shapes can reduce the installation area necessary for the horizontal rotation operation, and become the most appropriate shape when the horizontal rotation mechanism 15 is employed. shape. Thereby, the air cleaner 1 can be easily installed between furniture or the like even if the horizontal swing mechanism 15 is provided. Further, it is possible to easily change the installation place of the air cleaner 1 in accordance with the situation of the room or the like, and it is possible to improve the versatility.

(Control System)

Next, the control system of the air cleaner 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 4 . Fig. 4 is a view showing the configuration of a control system of the air cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The air cleaner 1 includes a contamination detecting device 20, a detector system including the detector unit 21 and the infrared detector 40, an operation unit 22 for operating the air cleaner 1, and an operating state of the air cleaner 1 as being controlled. Control device 23 of the control device.

The stain detecting device 20 is a device that detects the amount of the pollutants sucked into the inside of the casing 2, and constitutes a specific example of the stain detecting device in the present embodiment. The soil detecting device 20 is composed of, for example, a dust detector, a gas detector, a wind speed detector, or the like, or a composite type detector in which these detectors are combined. The dirt detecting device 20 detects the amount of pollutants in the air that is blown out by the air cleaner 1 in a specific direction and returns from the direction, thereby detecting the contamination of the air in a specific direction. degree.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the dirt detecting device 20 constitutes a specific example of the dirtyness level information detecting device that detects the information as the dirtyness index. In other words, the contamination detecting device of the present invention is not limited to the soil detecting device 20 exemplified in the first embodiment, and may be any device that can grasp various state quantities that can detect or estimate the air quality. The position of the soil detecting device is not limited to the inside of the casing 2 depending on the detection method. That is, in the present invention, the soil detecting device may be provided outside the casing 2 depending on the situation.

In addition, the dirt detecting device may be configured to be formed to be different The body of the main body of the air cleaner 1 transmits the detected data through a communication means from a position away from the main body. In particular, in the present invention, the contamination detecting device can be mounted on a small unit that can be attached to and detached from the casing 2. In this case, the small unit can be detached from the casing 2 and placed in a place where the user wants to place. Thereby, it is possible to quickly detect the dirty state of the position away from the air cleaner 1, and perform an appropriate air cleaning operation in response to the detection result. Therefore, it is possible to quickly purify the room without letting people get dirty air.

As shown in Fig. 1, the detector unit 21 has an infrared detector 40 and a detector driving unit 44 (see Fig. 4) which are provided, for example, on the upper side of the front surface of the casing 2. The detector unit 21 has a function of detecting the position of a person in the room, and constitutes a specific example of the person detecting device in the present embodiment. Further, the detector unit 21 has a function of detecting the temperature of the indoor floor and the ceiling, and constitutes a specific example of the temperature difference detecting device that detects the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling.

On the other hand, the operation unit 22 is a device that is operated by a user of the air cleaner 1 when performing various settings and operation switching, and includes a power switch for starting and stopping the air cleaner 1 and a display air cleaner 1 A display unit such as an operating state. Further, the operation unit 22 is connected to the control device 23 in a state in which bidirectional communication is possible.

The control device 23 is a device that controls the operation state of the air cleaner 1, and includes a calculation processing device, an input port, a memory circuit, and the like, which are not shown. As shown in Fig. 4, the detector system including the contamination detecting device 20, the detector portion 21, and the infrared ray detector 40 is connected to the input side of the control device 23. An actuator including the air blowing device 6, the cleaning device 8, the grid driving portion 10, the opening driving portion 12, the rectifying driving portion 14, the horizontal turning mechanism 15, the detector driving portion 44, and the like The output side of the control device 23 is connected. Further, the control device 23 controls the actuator in accordance with the output of the sensing system, thereby causing the air cleaner 1 to operate.

(Configuration of detector unit)

Next, the configuration of the detector unit 21 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7 . The fifth is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the infrared detector. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the light receiving elements constituting the infrared detector and the detection range of each of the light receiving elements. Fig. 7 is an explanatory view showing the rotation states (a), (b), and (c) of the infrared detector by the detector drive unit. As shown in these figures, the detector portion 21 has an infrared ray detector 40 and a detector driving portion 44. The infrared ray detector 40 is a device that detects infrared rays generated from the detected object, and has a function as a temperature detecting detector that utilizes thermal imaging in the infrared ray chamber.

As shown in Fig. 5, the infrared detector 40 has a multi-element light receiving unit 41 composed of a plurality of light receiving elements 41a to 41h, and a collecting lens 42. In addition, in the fifth drawing, the case where the multi-element light receiving unit 41 is constituted by the eight light receiving elements 41a to 41h is exemplified. However, in the present invention, the number of light receiving elements is not limited to eight, and the multi-element light receiving unit 41 may be composed of seven or less or nine or more arbitrary number of light receiving elements.

Each of the light-receiving elements 41a to 41h is a detection element that can individually perform infrared light reception and human detection, and is arranged, for example, in a straight line in the vertical direction. Thereby, the infrared ray detector 40 has a function of distinguishing and detecting eight regions in which the indoor temperature heights are different from each other. The collecting lens 42 is a device that efficiently collects infrared light into the multi-element light receiving unit 41, and is configured by, for example, a convex lens. The collecting lens 42 can be disposed on the upper portion of the multi-element light receiving unit 41 in the Z direction (up and down direction). The infrared ray detector 40 is composed of the respective light receiving elements 41a to 41h. The temperature of the detected object is detected, and a signal corresponding to, for example, indoor thermal image data is output.

Further, each of the light receiving elements 41a to 41h has a light distribution viewing angles 43a to 43h as shown in Fig. 6, respectively. The light distribution viewing angles 43a to 43h correspond to the detection ranges of the respective light receiving elements 41a to 41h. The light distribution viewing angles 43a to 43h are set as quadrangular regions having the same size. In addition, the light distribution viewing angles 43a (43b to 43h) of one light receiving element 41a (may be 41b to 41h) are set such that the vertical viewing angle of the vertical direction is, for example, 7°, and is set to the horizontal direction. The viewing angle of the light distribution is 8°.

The entire light distribution viewing angle 43 synthesized by the light distribution viewing angles 43a to 43h is set to be a long and narrow region in the vertical direction, and has an upper limit of the viewing angle 43max which is the upper limit of the light distribution viewing angle 43 and a light distribution viewing angle 43. The lower limit of the viewing angle of the lower limit is 43 min. Further, in the present invention, the light distribution viewing angles 43a to 43h are not necessarily the same shape and the same size, and the specific values of the vertical light distribution angle and the horizontal light distribution angle are not limited to the above examples.

The detector driving unit 44 has a function of a detector horizontal turning mechanism that rotates the direction of the infrared ray detector 40 in the horizontal direction with respect to the casing 2 (that is, on both sides in the left-right direction). The detector driving unit 44 uses, for example, a stepping motor that can accurately adjust the turning drive angle of the infrared ray detector 40. Further, the detector drive unit 44 is controlled by the control device 23 independently of the operation of the horizontal swing mechanism 15, and as shown in Fig. 7, the infrared detector 40 is rotated. In Fig. 7, (a) shows a case where the infrared ray detector 40 is rotationally driven to the right end, (b) shows a case where the infrared ray detector 40 is maintained at the center portion, and (c) shows that the infrared ray detector 40 is turned to the left end. The case of the partial slewing drive.

As described above, the control device 23 repeats the operation of transmitting the direction of the infrared ray detector 40 in the left-right direction by the transmission of the detector driving unit 44. Specifically, the direction of the infrared ray detector 40 is as shown by (a) to (c) in Fig. 7, from the right end portion to the left end portion via the center portion, and then from the left end portion to the right end portion via the center portion. unit. Thereby, the human detecting device 21 scans the temperature detection target range in the room in the left-right direction and sequentially detects the temperatures of the respective portions.

(Control of air purifier)

Next, the basic operation of the air cleaner 1 will be described. When the air cleaner 1 is operated, the air blowing device 6 and the cleaning device 8 are driven by the control device 23. Thereby, air is taken in from the suction port 4 of the casing 2, and the air is purified by the cleaning device 8. Then, the cleaned air reaches the air outlets 5A and 5B via the air blowing device 6 and the air passages 7A and 7B, and is blown to the outside from the air outlets 5A and 5B. The air blown out like this is sucked into the suction port 4 together with the pollutants in the air after circulating indoors. By repeating this cycle action, the indoor air can be cleaned.

At this time, the control device 23 of the air cleaner 1 of the present embodiment performs a temperature difference. Human detection control, wind direction control and air volume control. Temperature difference. In the person detection control, the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling is detected using the detector unit 21, and the direction of the person in the room and the height of the person are detected. In the wind direction control, the movable grille 9, the opening variable mechanism 11, the rectifying mechanism 13, the horizontal swivel mechanism 15, and the like are driven, whereby the wind direction of the blown air is controlled based on the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling. In addition, in the wind direction control, the wind direction can be controlled such that the blown air is blown toward the area on the head of the detected person. On the other hand, in the air volume control, by changing the number of revolutions of the air blowing device 6, the air is controlled to be blown based on the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling. The amount of wind. These controls are described in order below. Further, the wind direction control, the air volume control, and the wind direction turning control to be described later show a specific example of the air blowing control in the present embodiment. .

(temperature difference. person detection control)

In this control, the control device 23 obtains the thermal image data of the wall or the ground of the room by the human detecting device 21, and performs the detection of the person inside the room indoors based on the thermal image data. In detail, first, the controller 23 causes the direction of the infrared ray detector 40 to be rotated in the left-right direction by a predetermined movable angle (here, for example, 1.6°) by the detector operating unit 44. Next, the infrared detector 40 is stopped according to a preset standby time (for example, 0.1 to 0.2 seconds). Then, in this standby time, the thermal image data is detected by the eight light receiving elements 41a to 41h of the infrared ray detector 40, respectively. The detected thermal image data is read by the control device 23.

Further, the control device 23 repeatedly performs the above-described movable angle by rotating the direction of the infrared ray detector 40 in the horizontal direction, and stops the infrared ray detector 40 during the standby time in each of the slewing angles, and reads the light receiving elements 41a to 41h. Processing of detected thermal image data. For example, this processing is performed at a total of 94 positions every 1.6 degrees of the movable angle. In this case, the angular range in which the infrared ray detector 40 is rotatably driven in the left-right direction (that is, the angular range of the slewing drive in the left-right direction of the infrared ray detector 40) is about 150.4.

Moreover, the control device 23 detects the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling based on the thermal image data of the floor and the ceiling acquired by the infrared ray detector 40. In this detection process, first, the thermal image data is used to calculate the average temperature at which the floor is estimated to be the floor and the average temperature at which the ceiling is estimated. Then, calculate the difference between these average temperatures to calculate the temperature of the floor and ceiling. difference.

According to the above temperature difference. The person detection control compares the thermal image data at each specific time in the movable range of the infrared detector 40 in the left-right direction, thereby detecting the direction and height of the person appearing indoors. Further, according to the detector unit 21 of the present embodiment, the thermal image data of the respective light distribution viewing angles 43a to 43h are obtained by the eight light receiving elements 41a to 41h of the infrared ray detector 40, respectively. As a result, the height of the human body is more accurately detected depending on which one of the light distribution viewing angles is detected. Furthermore, the control device 23 independently controls the detector drive unit 44 and the horizontal swing mechanism 15. Thereby, the direction of the infrared detector 40 in the left-right direction can be driven to rotate without affecting the wind direction control to be described later.

Further, in the present invention, the detector portion 21 is not necessarily constituted by the infrared ray detector 40. In other words, the temperature difference detecting device may be any one that can detect a temperature difference between the ceiling and the floor, and may be composed of the following machines or a combination of the following machine and the infrared detector 40: a dirty detector, Body detector, distance detector, humidity detector, or illuminance detector.

Here, the contamination detector (dust detector) is composed of a semiconductor element, an optical element, or the like, and detects the concentration of dust, smoke, pollen, and the like in the air. The distance detector is composed of a non-contact type detector such as an ultrasonic detector, a photodetector, or an image recognition detector, and detects the distance between the air cleaner 1 and the detected object by using sound waves or electromagnetic waves. The detected object includes indoor walls, ceilings, furniture, people, animals, and the like. The illuminance detector detects whether there are people and animals in the room, and whether there is any action or the like based on the change in illuminance. In addition, the output of the humidity detector is used to correspond to the humidity to correct the sensitivity of each of the above detectors. In addition, the combination of the above detectors is only an example, and the present invention is not limited to A human detecting device in which the above detectors are combined.

(wind direction control and its effect)

Next, the wind direction control performed by the control device 23 and its effects will be described. The control device 23 determines the above temperature difference. The temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling detected by the person detection control is greater than a preset reference value. Then, when it is determined that the temperature difference is greater than the reference value, the wind direction control is executed. In the wind direction control, when the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling is smaller than the above-described reference value, the wind direction of the blown air is made upward (especially obliquely upward).

Here, the reference value is a threshold for avoiding erroneous determination. The aforementioned temperature difference. In the human detection control, when the average temperature of the floor and the ceiling is detected, an error (offset) of about ±1 °C may occur in each detected value. This error is reflected in the calculated value of the temperature difference. Therefore, it is preferable that the reference value is set to, for example, 2 °C.

Further, the wind direction elevation angle by the wind direction control can be set to any angle other than 0° and 90° (90> elevation angle>0), but it is preferably set to, for example, 45 degrees. That is, the angle of the wind direction vector 50 is set to be not toward the wall or the floor, but is preferably set to blow to the ceiling. The air is blown to the ceiling, whereby the air in the vicinity of the ceiling can be efficiently stirred, and a good stirring effect can be obtained. Further, the wind direction vector 50 preferably has a component in the horizontal direction (at least one of the front-rear direction vector 50B and the left-right direction vector 50C). Thereby, it is possible to limit the flow direction after the blown air is blown to the ceiling, and it is possible to suppress unnecessary diffusion of the blown air.

The reason why the wind direction elevation angle is preferably 45° is that the balance between the vertical direction vector 50A of the wind direction and the other wind direction vectors 50B and 50C is good. But with Depending on the size of the room, there may be cases where the air cannot reach the ceiling, so it is not necessarily limited to 45°. More specifically, in the wind direction control of the present invention, it is also possible to change the wind direction in response to the shape, size, etc. of the room by detecting, for example, a compartment mode of the room and providing means for inputting the data to the compartment. Elevation angle and angle of rotation. Further, in the present invention, it is important that the wind direction vector 50 is directed obliquely upward by the wind direction control, and it is not always necessary to adjust the wind direction. Therefore, it is important that the air cleaner 1 has a structure in which air is blown upward obliquely upward.

Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of wind direction control executed by the control device in the first embodiment of the present invention. The procedure shown in this figure is repeated during the operation of the air cleaner 1. In the program shown in Fig. 8, first, in step S100, the detection result of the detector unit 21 is read. Next, in step S101, the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling is detected based on the read data. Next, in step S102, it is determined whether the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling is greater than the above reference value. When this determination is made, the process proceeds to step S103, and the elevation angle of the blown air is increased more than the normal state (when the wind direction control is not controlled). On the other hand, when the determination of step S102 is not established, the process proceeds to step S104, and the elevation angle of the blown air is maintained in a normal state.

According to the wind direction control, when the temperature difference between the local panel and the ceiling is larger than the reference value, the wind direction of the blown air can be changed to be higher than when the wind direction control is not performed. Thereby, the air in the vicinity of the ceiling can be stirred while performing the air cleaning operation, and the air can be actively circulated between the ceiling and the floor. Therefore, the air cleaning ability can be fully utilized, and the air can be efficiently circulated to improve the comfort of the user.

Further, after the wind direction is changed, the air blowing time may be set in a motorized manner based on, for example, a temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling, a set air volume, and an elevation angle of the wind direction. Here, the temperature difference detected by the infrared ray detector 40 corresponds to the temperature difference of the surface temperature of the substance itself constituting the floor and the ceiling. This surface temperature difference exhibits a temperature difference from the vicinity of the floor and the ceiling due to the difference in heat transfer resistance. That is, the air blowing time required to eliminate the above-described temperature difference does not match the air blowing time obtained from the surface temperature difference. Therefore, the air blowing time of the wind direction control (cycle) is not the output of the infrared ray detector 40, but is preferably calculated by calculation.

In particular, when the temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor is large, when the circulation is performed for a long time, the contact between the air and the wall surface is increased, so that the amount of heat that escapes through the wall surface is increased. In addition, when the cycle time is too long, the energy consumption of the air cleaner increases. Therefore, it is preferable to set the air blowing time to an appropriate length based on the above parameters and the like. Further, when a general air cleaner is used to circulate in a general house, it is expected to eliminate the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling at a speed of about 1 °C. If possible, it is preferable to calculate the room size and calculate the air supply time from the calculation formula of the temperature cancellation speed prepared in advance. However, if it is difficult to adopt this method, it is preferable to set the air blowing time based on the state in which the temperature difference is removed at a speed of about 1 °C. Thereby, no matter what kind of room is used, it is possible to perform a cycle with little waste.

In addition, the timing at which the cycle is temporarily stopped and then executed again can be set based on the time (detection possible time) at which the infrared ray detector 40 detects that the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling is eliminated. The time of detection may be set in advance by actual measurement or the like. By this, when it arrives, it can correctly judge the temperature of the floor and ceiling. This judgment can be performed after the point in time when the degree of disparity is eliminated. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the unnecessary loop from being executed.

(air volume control. effect)

Next, the air volume control performed by the control device 23 and its effects will be described. Control device 23, when determining the above temperature difference. When the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling detected by the human detection control is greater than the reference value, the air volume control is performed. In the air volume control, the air volume of the blown air is increased more than when the temperature difference is less than the above reference value. That is, in the air volume control, when it is necessary to eliminate the temperature unevenness, the blowing is performed in a larger amount than when it is not necessary. At this time, the wind direction of the blown air is set to be obliquely upward.

Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of air volume control executed by the control device in the first embodiment of the present invention. The procedure shown in this figure is repeated during the operation of the air cleaner 1. In the routine shown in Fig. 9, first, in steps S100 to S102, the same processing as the wind direction control is executed. Then, when the judgment of S102 is established, the process proceeds to step S200, so that the blown air volume is increased more than the normal state. On the other hand, when the determination of step S102 is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S201, and the air volume of the blown air is maintained in a normal state.

According to the air volume control described above, when the temperature difference between the local panel and the ceiling is larger than the reference value, the amount of air blown out toward the obliquely upward direction can be increased more than when the air volume control is not performed. Thereby, the air in the vicinity of the ceiling can be stirred while performing the air cleaning operation, and the air can be actively circulated between the ceiling and the floor. Therefore, the same effect as the wind direction control can be obtained. In particular, by combining the wind direction control and the air volume control, the elevation angle of the blown air can be increased, and a large amount of blown air can be blown to agitate the air near the ceiling. If you play to the maximum. Therefore, a significant circulation effect can be obtained by the addition effect of the wind direction control and the air volume control.

Further, when the RAC or the like is operated at the same time, even if the temperature unevenness is temporarily eliminated, when the air blown by the blown air is completely stopped, temperature unevenness easily occurs. Therefore, in the air volume control, even after the temperature unevenness is eliminated, it is preferable to continue a small amount of blown air blowing. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the overall temperature drop in the air volume suppression chamber while preventing temperature unevenness from occurring again.

(wind direction rotation control)

Further, in the present embodiment, the wind direction control and the air volume control may be performed by the control device 23 in the wind direction control. In the wind direction turning control, the horizontal turning mechanism 15 rotates the wind direction of the blown air in the left-right direction. Thereby, the directivity of the airflow is maintained, and the wind direction vector 50 can be moved in the left-right direction. Therefore, the blown air can be blown in the plural direction in the horizontal direction in order, and it is possible to suppress the formation of air (dirty) deposit in the room.

Further, the wind direction control, the air volume control, and the wind direction rotation control may be configured to change the control state in accordance with not only the temperature difference between the ceiling and the floor but also the result of the detection by the person of the infrared ray detector 40. Specifically, when a blowing destination of the air is blown out, while circulating, there is a possibility that the dirt stuck in the vicinity of the ceiling is circulated toward the person, causing a feeling of discomfort. In order to avoid this phenomenon, the presence/absence, position, and height of the person are detected by the detector unit 21, and the movable grid 9 and the horizontal swing mechanism 15 are driven based on the detection result, and the air is blown in a direction in which no one is present. Thereby, the effect of the wind direction control, the air volume control, and the wind direction rotation control can be fully exerted, and the feeling of being blown can be prevented, and the comfort can be improved. Furthermore, when no pollutants are detected indoors, it is not necessarily To avoid people blowing the wind.

On the other hand, when there is no one in the room, it is not necessary to quickly eliminate temperature unevenness, so that the air volume can be reduced to less than that of a person. Thereby, the energy loss of the air cleaner can be suppressed, and the operation efficiency can be improved. Further, in the air volume control and the wind direction rotation control, at least one of the number of revolutions of the air blowing device 6 and the horizontal turning mechanism 15 may be controlled based on the detection result of the pollutants by the soil detecting device 20. That is, in this control, at least one of the turning angle and the air volume of the blown air is controlled based on the detection result of the pollutant. Thereby, the effect of the air volume control and the wind direction turning control is sufficiently exerted, and the blown air is blown toward the place where the pollution level is high, and the cleaning of the position is preferentially performed. In this way, not only the detected person but also the dirt is detected, and the detection result of both is controlled, and the optimal air cleaning operation can be performed efficiently.

In addition, in the present embodiment, various air conditioners having a temperature adjustment function such as an air conditioner or an electric heater may be connected to the air cleaner 1. Specifically, the air cleaner 1 acquires, for example, actuation information of another air conditioner, and changes control operations of at least one of the wind direction control, the air volume control, and the wind direction rotation control in accordance with the actuation information.

In general, when heating is turned on in winter, warm air tends to stay near the ceiling, and the floor is easily cooled by the influence of outside air temperature. As a result, temperature unevenness of the floor and the ceiling is likely to occur. Therefore, the air cleaner 1, for example, when the heater is started, obtains the actuation information, and immediately starts monitoring the temperature unevenness. Moreover, when temperature unevenness exceeding the allowable limit occurs, that is, when the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling exceeds the above reference value, it starts immediately The above air supply control. Thereby, the air can be quickly stirred to improve comfort. In addition, it is also possible to obtain an effect of suppressing unnecessary heater operation, which contributes to energy saving.

The method of obtaining the activation information may be, for example, instantaneously measuring the amount of consumed electric power of the entire household, and estimating the operating state (ON/OFF) of the air-conditioning apparatus based on the amount of consumed electric power of the outlet to which the air-conditioning apparatus is connected. Further, if an air conditioner or the like that operates the air conditioner can be operated by a remote controller, an infrared detector that detects the operation of the remote controller may be attached to the air cleaner 1, and the operation state of the air conditioner may be estimated by an operation signal of the remote controller. Further, a wireless transmission means for wirelessly transmitting the operation information of the air conditioner to the air cleaner 1 may be used.

Further, when the other air-conditioning apparatus has the air blowing function, the airflow blown by the air cleaner 1 is disturbed by the other air conditioners, and the circulation effect is reduced. Therefore, the air cleaner 1 can acquire the position information of other air conditioners, and control the wind direction of the blown air based on the position information. Specifically, when air is blown from other air conditioners, the temperature at the blowout position changes. Therefore, the control device 23 detects the temperature change of the blowing position based on the detection result of the infrared ray detector 40, and acquires the position information of the other air conditioner. Then, based on the acquired position information, the blown air is blown toward, for example, a direction different from the direction in which other air conditioners exist. By this control, it is possible to prevent the flow of the blown air from being disturbed by the collision with the airflow blown by the other air conditioners, and to circulate stably. In addition, it is possible to suppress the spread of dirt to the surroundings due to the collision of the air flow.

Further, the air cleaner 1 may be connected to a consumer power control system that integrates and controls the power consumption of home appliances installed in the house. For example, HEMS (Home Energy Management System) is known as such a system. HEMS The controller controls the power consumption of the air cleaner 1 as one of the home electric appliances, and the power consumption of the entire house is improved. Therefore, it is preferable to carry the function of cooperating with the consumption power control system in the air cleaner 1. In this way, through the consumer power control system, it can work in conjunction with other home appliances.

Specifically, the air cleaner 1 can function as a blower while maintaining air quality by cooperating with home electric appliances such as a ventilating fan and an air conditioner. As a result, the entire indoor air is maintained in a clean state, and temperature unevenness in the vicinity of the floor and in the vicinity of the ceiling is eliminated. Moreover, since it is managed by the consumer power control system, it can promote its energy saving. Further, when the consumer power control system has a function of sharing the detection information of the detector, the data detected and acquired by the air cleaner 1 can be shared with other air conditioners and the like. Thereby, the energy saving effect can be further improved.

In the first embodiment, the wind direction control, the air volume control, and the wind direction rotation control are combined and executed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and only wind direction control may be performed among these controls, and only air volume control may be performed. In addition, any of the wind direction control and the air volume control may be combined with the wind direction rotation control.

Further, in the first embodiment, the horizontal direction is changed in the horizontal direction by the horizontal turning mechanism 15. However, in the present invention, the wind direction may be changed in the left direction and the right direction while moving back and forth in the vertical direction (for example, waves). The horizontal slewing mechanism of the general action). Further, in the first embodiment, the air volume of the blown air can be changed by the air blowing device 6, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the air volume may be changed by another mechanism.

S100~S104‧‧‧Steps

Claims (13)

An air cleaner comprising: a housing having a suction port for air and an air outlet for blowing air obliquely upward; and a blowing device for drawing air from the suction port into the interior of the housing and blowing the air from the air The outlet purging device is configured to clean the air flowing inside the casing; the wind direction variable device is configured to change the wind direction of the air blown from the outlet; the temperature difference detecting device The detection device is configured to detect a temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling in the room; the human detection device is configured to detect a person indoors; and the control device is configured to detect a temperature difference detected by the temperature difference detecting device. When the value is greater than the preset reference value, the air supply control is performed by controlling the air blowing device such that the air volume of the blown air is increased compared to when the temperature difference is lower than the reference value, and the person is controlled by the air supply When the detection device detects the person, the wind direction of the blown air is changed by the wind direction variable device in accordance with the detection result. An air cleaner comprising: a casing having a suction port and an air outlet of air; and a blowing device configured to suck air from the suction port into the casing and to blow the air from the outlet; The device is configured to purify the air flowing inside the casing; The wind direction variable device is configured to change the wind direction of the air blown from the air outlet; the temperature difference detecting device is configured to detect a temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling in the room; and the human detection device is detected indoors. The control device is configured to control the wind direction variable device to perform air supply control so that the air blowing is performed when the temperature difference obtained by the temperature difference detecting device is greater than a preset reference value The wind direction is changed obliquely upward when the temperature difference is lower than the reference value, and when the person detecting device detects the person in the air blowing control, the wind direction variable device is corresponding to the detection result. Change the wind direction of the blown air. An air cleaner comprising: a casing having a suction port and an air outlet of air; and a blowing device configured to suck air from the suction port into the casing and to blow the air from the outlet; The chemical device is configured to purify the air flowing inside the casing; the wind direction variable device is configured to change the wind direction of the air blown from the air outlet; and the detector portion serves as the floor of the detection room. a temperature difference detecting device that is inferior to the temperature of the ceiling and an element detecting the person detecting device of the person in the room; and the detector driving unit is configured to change the direction of the detector portion with respect to the casing to The detector section scans the room; The control device is configured to control the air blowing device or the wind direction variable device to perform air supply control so that the air volume and the wind direction of the blown air are performed when the temperature difference detected by the detector portion is greater than a preset reference value When at least one of the two is changed when the temperature difference is lower than the reference value, and the detector is scanned by the detector unit in the air blowing control, the air volume of the blown air is changed corresponding to the detection result. With at least one of the winds. The air cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a driving portion that changes a direction of the temperature difference detecting device relative to the casing; the control device controls when the temperature difference is detected The driving unit scans the room by the temperature difference detecting device. The air cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a driving portion that changes a direction of the person detecting device relative to the casing; the control device controls the driving portion when the person is detected And the room is scanned by the person detecting device. The air cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature difference detecting device and the person detecting device are constituted by the same detector portion; the air cleaner further comprises the detector portion A detector driving portion that is changeable in direction with respect to the housing; the control device controls the detector driving portion and scans the chamber by the detector portion when detecting the temperature difference or a person. The air purifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the person detecting device has a function of detecting at least one of information on presence, location, and height of a person present in the room; The control device sends the blown air to a direction different from the person corresponding to the information detected by the person detecting device in the air blowing control. In the air cleaner according to the second aspect of the invention, in the air blowing control, the wind direction variable device changes the wind direction of the blown air upward, and the air blower increases the air volume of the blown air. The air cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air cleaner includes a wind direction turning device configured to rotate the wind direction of the blown air in a horizontal direction; The wind direction turning device rotates the wind direction of the blown air. The air cleaner according to claim 9, comprising a dirt detecting device configured to detect at least one of dust, odor, and pollen contained in the air; and the control device At least one of the air blowing means and the wind direction turning means is controlled based on the detection result of the dirt detecting means. An air cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air conditioner has an operation information of another air conditioner that can generate a temperature difference between a floor and a ceiling in the room, and is in the air conditioner. At startup, the function to monitor this temperature difference begins. The air cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air cleaner has the function of acquiring the position information of the other air conditioner and controlling the wind direction of the blown air in response to the position information. An air cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is connected to a consumer that controls the consumption of electric power stored in a home appliance product. The power control system can control the power consumption of the power control system as one of the home appliances.