WO2019167308A1

WO2019167308A1 - Humidifier

Info

Publication number: WO2019167308A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/031078
Authority: WO
Inventors: 浩平森田
Original assignee: シャープ株式会社
Priority date: 2018-02-28
Filing date: 2018-08-23
Publication date: 2019-09-06
Also published as: CN111788434B; CN111788434A; JPWO2019167308A1

Abstract

A humidifier (10) is configured so that water is supplied from a water supply opening (111) to a water storage tray (12), and whether or not a water level notification is required is determined on the basis of a measurement value obtained by a distance measurement sensor. The humidifier (10) issues a full water level notification only when it is detected that a predetermined water level at which the full water level notification is to be issued has been reached during a rise in the level of water in the water storage tray (12).

Description

humidifier

The present invention relates to a humidifier configured to supply water by pouring water from a water supply port.

A humidifier generally used in homes or the like includes a water supply tank that can be attached to and detached from the humidifier body, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example. When water is supplied to the humidifier, the water tank is removed from the humidifier body, and the water tank that has finished water supply is attached to the humidifier body again.

JP 2017-161104 A

In the above conventional configuration, it is necessary to remove the water tank from the humidifier body and carry it during water supply, which is troublesome. There is also a problem that water drops on the outer surface of the water supply tank fall on the floor. In order to solve the above problem, a configuration is conceivable in which a water supply port is provided in the humidifier body, water is poured from the water supply port using a container such as a kettle or a jug, and water is supplied to a water storage tray inside the humidifier. .

However, when water is supplied by pouring water from the water supply port, the user cannot directly check the water level in the water supply, and there is a possibility that the excessively poured water overflows from the water storage tray.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a humidifier configured to supply water by pouring water from a water supply port, the water level of a water storage tray in the water supply is detected and a water level notification is sent at an appropriate timing. An object is to provide a humidifier to perform.

In order to solve the above problems, a humidifier according to the present invention includes a water storage tray, a water supply port that supplies water to the water storage tray, a water level detection sensor that detects a water level of the water storage tray, and the water level. A control unit that determines whether or not a water level notification is necessary based on a measurement value of the detection sensor; and a notification unit that performs a water level notification according to a determination result of the control unit. When the predetermined water notification level is reached in the process of increasing the water level of the water level, the notification unit causes the water notification to be performed.

According to the above configuration, when a predetermined full notification level is reached in the process of increasing the water level of the water storage tray, a notification of full water is given by the notification unit so that when the user is supplying water, the full notification is given. It can be performed. Thereby, it can prevent that a user pours water too much and water overflows from a water storage tray. The full water notification level here is not limited to the level at which the water storage tray is full, but is a concept including a level approaching full water.

Further, in the humidifier, the control unit may be configured to cause the notification unit to perform water supply notification when a predetermined water supply notification level is reached in the process of lowering the water level of the water storage tray.

According to the above configuration, different water level notifications can be performed during water supply (when the water level rises) and during operation (when the water level drops). That is, a full water notification at the time of water supply and a water supply notification at the time of operation can be notified to the user at appropriate timing.

Further, in the humidifier, the control unit determines a water level stage from a measurement value of the water level detection sensor, and performs a water level notification based on the water level stage, and the water level stage is a representative value. It has a dead zone within a predetermined range before and after the water level, and the dead zone of the adjacent water level stage is set to overlap, and the control unit has the water level for the current water level stage. When the measurement value of the detection sensor exceeds the upper limit of the dead zone, the water level stage is determined to be raised to the upper water level stage, and when the lower limit of the dead zone is exceeded, the water level stage is determined to be lowered. When the water level stage rises and reaches a predetermined full water notification level, the control unit causes the notification unit to perform a full water notification, and the water level stage Drop-off when reaching a predetermined water supply notification level may be configured to perform the water supply notified by the notification unit.

According to the above configuration, the water level stage can be determined as having no vibration from the measurement value of the water level detection sensor. In the determination of the full water notification level using this water level stage, the humidifier is vibrated. It is possible to suppress erroneous detection due to fluctuations in the water level.

Further, in the humidifier, the control unit determines that water is being supplied to the water storage tray while the measured value of the water level detection sensor is oscillating, and issues a full water notification during the water supply. In such a case, the full water notification may be terminated when the vibration of the measurement value of the water level detection sensor is eliminated.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to quickly stop full water notification such as sounding of an alarm sound that is troublesome for the user when the water supply operation ends.

In the humidifier, when the notification unit is an LED, the LED is turned off while the humidifier is stopped, and the measured value of the water level detection sensor vibrates due to water supply to the water storage tray. The LED may be turned on, and the LED may be turned off when there is no vibration of the measurement value of the water level detection sensor.

According to the above configuration, the power consumption can be reduced by turning off the LED except during water supply.

In the humidifier, when the water level detection sensor detects that the water level of the water storage tray is falling at a predetermined speed or more, the control unit determines that the water is leaked from the water storage tray. It can be configured.

According to the above configuration, the water level detection sensor used for the water level notification control can also be used for water leak determination of the water storage tray.

In the humidifier, when the water level detected by the water level detection sensor changes rapidly in a short time, the control unit may not perform the full water notification.

According to the above configuration, when the water storage tray is detachable from the humidifier body, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection associated with the attachment and detachment of the water storage tray.

The humidifier according to the present invention has an effect that it is possible to prevent over-poured water from overflowing from the storage tray by performing a full-water notification when a predetermined full-water notification level is reached in the process of increasing the water level of the storage tray. Play.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the humidifier which concerns on Embodiment 1, (a) is a state without water, (b) is a figure which shows the state in water supply. It is a block diagram which shows the control system for performing water supply notification control in the humidifier which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure explaining the determination method of a water level stage, (a) is a figure which shows the measured value of a ranging sensor and the change of a water level stage at the time of water supply, (b) is a measured value of a ranging sensor during operation, and a water level stage It is a figure which shows the change of. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of water level notification control. (A), (b) is a figure explaining the misdetection suppression effect in water level notification control, and is a figure which shows the water level fluctuation | variation when a vibration is given. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the humidifier which concerns on Embodiment 2, (a) is a state without water, (b) is a figure which shows the state in water supply. It is a figure explaining the change of the measured value of a ranging sensor in the case of removing a water storage tray from the housing of a humidifier.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a humidifier 10 according to the first embodiment, where (a) illustrates a water-free state in which water is not supplied into the humidifier 10, and (b) is illustrated. Shows the state of water supply.

The humidifier 10 is generally configured to include a water storage tray 12, a fan 13, and a distance measuring sensor 14 inside a housing 11. The housing 11 is provided with a water supply port 111, a water supply path 112, and a discharge port 113. An evaporation filter 121 is disposed inside the water storage tray 12.

The humidifier 10 shown in FIG. 1 exemplifies a vaporization type humidifier in which water supplied to the water storage tray 12 is included in an evaporation filter 121 and water is vaporized by applying wind of the fan 13 to the evaporation filter 121. Is. That is, when the fan 13 is operated, wind along the air path indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 1A is generated, and vaporized vapor is discharged from the discharge port 113. However, the humidifier of the present invention is not limited to the vaporization type, and the present invention is applicable to a steam type that generates steam by heat and an ultrasonic type humidifier that discharges water by atomizing by ultrasonic vibration. Applicable.

When supplying water to the humidifier 10, as shown in FIG.1 (b), water is poured from the water supply port 111 using containers, such as a kettle and a jug, for example. The injected water is supplied to the water storage tray 12 through the water supply path 112.

At this time, the user who supplies water cannot visually check even if the water level of the water storage tray 12 rises due to the water supply. If the water supply is continued without knowing the water level of the water storage tray 12, excessively poured water may overflow from the water storage tray 12. For this reason, the humidifier 10 according to the first embodiment detects the water level of the water storage tray 12 by the distance measuring sensor (water level detection sensor) 14, and notifies the water level at an appropriate timing based on the detection result. It is characterized by that. The water level notification control performed by the humidifier 10 will be described in detail below.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system for performing water level notification control in the humidifier 10. The humidifier 10 includes a distance measuring sensor 14, a control unit 15, a storage unit 16, and a notification unit 17 as a control system.

The distance measuring sensor 14 is disposed above the water storage tray 12 in the area where the water storage tray 12 is disposed, and measures a distance L (see FIG. 1B) from the distance measuring sensor 14 to the water surface of the water storage tray 12. The measurement value obtained by the distance measuring sensor 14 is input to the control unit 15.

The control unit 15 determines the timing of issuing a water level notification based on the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14. The storage unit 16 stores a water level stage to be described later. The notification unit 17 is a means such as a buzzer or an LED (Light-Emitting-Diode), and performs water level notification by an alarm sound or warning display based on an operation signal from the control unit 15.

The measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14 indicates the distance L from the distance measuring sensor 14 to the water surface of the water storage tray 12. If the water surface is unstable (when the water surface is shaken), the distance measurement is performed. Vibration is also generated in the measured value of the sensor 14. Such vibration may cause a false detection in water level notification control. For this reason, in the water level notification control in the present embodiment, the water level stage is determined based on the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14 assuming that the vibration is eliminated, and the water level notification control is performed based on the water level stage. First, a method for determining the water level stage will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b).

The measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 is a water level “0 (Empty)” when there is no water in the water storage tray 12, and the water storage tray 12 is in a full water state (a state where water is filled up to a predetermined full water position) or full water. The state exceeding the value is output as the water level “100 (Full)”.

In the water level stage, for example, the water level is divided into “10” s between “0 (Empty) to 100 (Full)” to be representative values, and the dead zone of the water level is “10” before and after each representative value. Set one by one. For example, in the water level stage “50”, the water level “50” is a representative value, and the range of the water level “40 to 60” is a dead zone. That is, the water level stage “n (n = 0 (Empty), 10, 20,..., 90, 100 (Full))” has the water level “n” as a representative value, and the water level “(n−10) to (n + 10). ) ”Is the dead zone. However, the water level stage“ Empty ”is the dead zone in the water level level“ 0 (Empty) to 10 ”, and the water level stage“ Full ”is the water level“ 90 to 100 (Full) ”. In this way, there is an overlap between the dead zones of adjacent water level stages, for example, in the water level stage “50” and the water level stage “60”, there is a dead zone in the range of the water level “50-60”. Overlap.

The control unit 15 determines the water level stage based on the measurement value (water level) of the distance measuring sensor 14. Specifically, when the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 exceeds the upper limit of the dead zone with respect to the current water level stage, it is shifted (increased) to the upper water level stage, and when the lower limit of the dead zone is exceeded. Move (lower) to the lower water level stage.

FIG. 3A shows changes in the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14 and the water level stage during water supply. At the time of water supply, since the water surface is shaken by water injection into the water storage tray 12, the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 rises while vibrating.

For example, when the current water level stage is “40”, even if the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14 vibrates due to the shaking of the water surface, if the vibration is within the range of the dead zone “30 to 50”, the water level stage “40”. Is maintained. When the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 first exceeds the upper limit “50” of the dead zone, the process proceeds to the water level stage “50”.

When moving to the water level stage “50”, the dead zone also changes to “40-60”. For this reason, after shifting to the water level stage “50”, even if the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14 falls below the water level “50” due to the shaking of the water surface, it does not return to the water level stage “40”. In the water level stage “50”, the water level stage “50” is maintained if the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 is within the range of the dead zone “40-60”, and the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 is first set to the upper limit of the dead zone “ When it exceeds 60 ", it shifts to the water level stage" 60 ".

FIG. 3B shows changes in the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 and the water level stage during the operation of the humidifier 10. While the humidifier 10 is in operation, the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 drops due to water evaporation, but it is considered that there is almost no vibration of the measured value.

During the operation of the humidifier 10, the water level of the water storage tray 12 is lowered by the evaporation of water. In such a process of lowering the water level, for example, when the current water level stage is “60”, the water level stage “60” is maintained if the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14 is within the dead band “50 to 70”. When the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 first falls below the lower limit “50” of the dead zone, the process proceeds to the water level stage “50”. Similarly, when the current water level stage is “50”, the water level stage “50” is maintained if the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 is within the range of the dead zone “40 to 60”, and the measurement of the distance measuring sensor 14 is performed. When the value first falls below the lower limit “40” of the dead zone, the water level stage “40” is entered.

Thus, by providing a dead zone in each water level stage and overlapping the dead zones of adjacent water level stages, the water level stage can be set as having no vibration from the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14. The current water level stage determined by the control unit 15 is stored in the storage unit 16. In the above description, the water level stage is set at regular intervals between the water level levels of “0 (Empty) to 100 (Full)”, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the water level stages are equally spaced. Not necessarily. For example, at a water level that does not cause a full water notification or a water supply notification, which will be described later, there is no need to divide the water level stage finely, and a water level stage having a wider dead zone may be set.

Subsequently, the procedure of the water level notification control in the humidifier 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the humidifier 10 being turned on, the measured value by the distance measuring sensor 14 is always input to the control unit 15. The control unit 15 determines the water level stage of the water storage tray 12 based on this measurement value. In S1, the control unit 15 monitors whether or not the water level stage has risen in the determination process of the water level stage. If the water level stage rises, the control unit 15 proceeds to S2, and if there is no increase in the water level stage, proceeds to S4. To do.

If the water level stage rises (Yes in S1), it can be determined that the change is due to water supply to the humidifier 10, so that the control unit 15 is a water level stage (full water notification level) that requires a full water notification after the rise. It is determined whether or not there is (S2). And if it is a water level stage which needs the notification of a full water (Yes in S2), the control part 15 will notify a full water through the notification part 17 (S3).

Here, the water level stage that requires a full water notification is a water level stage in which the water level of the water storage tray 12 is close to the specified full water position or exceeds the full water position. Further, the number of water level stages that need to be notified of full water is not limited to one, and it is preferable to perform notification of full water in stages at multiple water level stages. Here, it is assumed that the full water notification is performed in three stages of water level stages “80”, “90”, and “100 (Full)”.

Although the notification of full water is carried out by the notification unit 17, preferably, the notification unit 17 is a buzzer and performs a full water notification with an alarm sound. Moreover, when performing stepwise full notification, it is preferable to change the notification form in each step. For example, it is assumed that a notification of full water is made by ringing an intermittent alarm sound, the ringing interval is increased at the water level stage “80” (attention of full water), and the ringing interval is shorter than the water level stage “80” at the water level stage “90”. However, it is conceivable to make the ringing interval the shortest (confirm full water) in the water level stage “100 (Full)”.

In addition, as the simplest method, the end timing of the full water notification may be a predetermined time after the start of the full water notification (alarm sound). However, as a more preferable method, it is conceivable that the full water notification (alarm sound) is continued while the water supply operation is continued, and the full water notification is also ended at the end of the water supply operation. Thereby, accompanying the end of the water supply operation, it is possible to quickly stop the alarm sound that is troublesome for the user.

In this case, the control unit 15 determines whether or not the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14 is stable (vibrates), and the measured value is unstable (vibrates) while the water is being supplied. Continue notification of full water as there is. Then, if the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 is stabilized, the notification of full water is terminated as the water supply has been completed.

In addition, in the water level notification control in the humidifier 10, not only a full notification at the time of water supply but also a water supply notification for prompting the user to supply water when the remaining amount of water stored in the water storage tray 12 decreases. For this reason, in S4, the control unit 15 also monitors whether or not the water level stage has been lowered in the determination process of the water level stage. If the water level stage has been lowered, the process proceeds to S5. If there is no descent of the water level stage, the process returns to S1.

If the water level stage is lowered (Yes in S4), the control unit 15 determines whether or not the lowered water level stage is a water level stage (water supply notification level) that requires water supply notification (S5). And if it is a water level stage which requires water supply notification (it is Yes at S5), the control part 15 will notify water supply through the notification part 17 (S3).

Here, the water level stage that requires notification of water supply is a water level stage in which the water storage tray 12 is nearly empty or empty. Further, the water level stage that requires water supply notification is not limited to one, and it is preferable to perform water supply notification step by step at a plurality of water level stages. Here, it is assumed that water supply notification is performed in three stages of water level stages “20”, “10”, and “0 (Empty)”. In addition, when performing a step-by-step water supply notification, it is preferable to change the notification form at each step as in the case of performing a full-water notification. In addition, when the water supply notification is performed by sounding an alarm sound, the end timing of the water supply notification is preferably a predetermined time after the start of the water supply notification.

In addition, the method of performing water level notification (full water notification and water supply notification) is not limited to the sounding of the alarm sound as described above, and may be performed by turning on or blinking an LED. When an LED is used for a full water notification, the following display method can be considered. First, when the humidifier 10 is stopped, the LED is turned off, and when water supply is started (if the measured value of the distance measuring sensor 14 has vibration), the LED is temporarily turned on. At this time, the full water notification can be notified by blinking of the LED. When the water supply is finished (when there is no vibration of the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14), the LED is turned off. That is, the full water notification is performed in order to prevent the excessively poured water from overflowing from the water storage tray 12, and is a notification necessary only during the water supply. For this reason, power consumption can be reduced by turning off the LED except for water supply. However, regarding the water supply notification, even when the humidifier 10 is stopped, the water supply notification (LED lighting) may be continued until water supply is performed and the water level is recovered.

In the above-described water level notification control, the water level notification is performed not only by using only the water level of the water storage tray 12 but also by considering the rise and fall of the water level. For this reason, the humidifier 10 can perform different water level notifications during water supply (when the water level rises) and during operation (when the water level is lowered). That is, a full water notification at the time of water supply and a water supply notification at the time of operation can be notified to the user at appropriate timing.

Further, in the above-described water level notification control, by using a water level stage for water level determination, it is possible to suppress erroneous detection due to water level fluctuations when vibration is applied to the humidifier 10. This erroneous detection suppression effect will be described with reference to FIG.

When the humidifier 10 is operated for a certain period of time after supplying water to the water storage tray 12, the water level of the water storage tray 12 decreases due to evaporation. At this time, the water level stage also changes as the water level falls. Here, as shown in FIG. 5A, consider a case where the water level changes due to vibration immediately after the water level falls below “80” and the water level stage drops from “90” to “80”.

At this time, even if the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14 temporarily exceeds the water level “80” due to vibration, the dead zone range is “70 to 90” after the water level stage is lowered to “80”. Therefore, the water level stage does not change. That is, if the water level stage does not fluctuate, even if the water level rises temporarily due to vibration, no erroneous full water notification is generated. In this way, by using the above-described water level stage for water level determination, it is possible to prevent an erroneous full water notification from being issued due to fluctuations in the water level due to vibrations other than during water supply, and to avoid bothering the user with unnecessary alarm sounds. .

Similarly, in the process of lowering the water level of the water storage tray 12 due to evaporation, as shown in FIG. 5B, immediately before the water level falls below “20” (in a state where the water level is slightly higher than “20”). Consider the case where the water level is “30”) and the water level changes due to vibration.

At this time, if the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14 temporarily falls below the water level “20” due to vibration, the dead zone range of the water level stage “30” is “20 to 40”. Will drop to “20” and a water supply notification will be generated. However, the water supply notification in this case occurs only slightly earlier than the water supply notification in the case of no vibration, and is merely an error range and cannot be said to be a false detection.

Further, in the humidifier 10 according to the first embodiment, when the rate of decrease in the water level is higher than expected, it is possible to determine that water leakage has occurred in the water storage tray 12 and issue a water leakage warning. is there. In this case, the control unit 15 calculates the rate of decrease in the water level from the change history of the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14, and compares the calculated rate of decrease with a predetermined threshold value to determine whether the rate of decrease in the water level is large. Can be determined.

Further, in the humidifier 10 according to the first embodiment, the distance measuring sensor 14 is preferably provided near the center of the water storage tray 12. This is because the center portion of the water storage tray 12 is considered to have less vibration than the peripheral portion, particularly when the humidifier 10 is subjected to rolling vibration.

Further, when the humidifier 10 is a vaporization type and the evaporation filter 121 is disposed inside the water storage tray 12, the distance measuring sensor 14 is disposed on the opposite side of the water supply path 112 and the fan 13 with respect to the evaporation filter 121. It is preferable. This is because the fluctuation of the water surface caused by the water injection from the water supply path 112 or the blowing of the fan 13 is mitigated by the evaporation filter 121, and the vibration at the measurement location of the distance measuring sensor 14 is considered to be reduced.

[Embodiment 2]
In Embodiment 1, although the structure which detects the water level of the water storage tray 12 by the ranging sensor 14 was illustrated, this invention is not limited to this. In Embodiment 2, the structure which uses a weight sensor as a means to detect the water level of the water storage tray 12 is illustrated. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the humidifier 20 according to the second embodiment, in which (a) illustrates a water-free state in which water is not supplied into the humidifier 20, and (b) is illustrated. Shows the state of water supply.

The humidifier 20 generally includes a water storage tray 12, a fan 13, and a weight sensor (water level detection sensor) 24 inside the housing 11. The humidifier 20 has the same configuration as the humidifier 10 in the first embodiment except that the humidifier 20 includes a weight sensor 24 instead of the distance measuring sensor 14.

The weight sensor 24 is disposed below the water storage tray 12 and measures the weight of the water storage tray 12. The measurement value by the weight sensor 24 is input to the control unit 15 in the same manner as the measurement value of the distance measurement sensor 14 in the first embodiment.

Since the weight of the water storage tray 12 varies depending on the amount of water stored, the water level of the water storage tray 12 can be obtained indirectly from the measured value by the weight sensor 24. Therefore, in the humidifier 20 that uses the weight sensor 24 as means for detecting the water level of the water storage tray 12, the water level notification control similar to that in the first embodiment can be performed.

[Embodiment 3]
The

humidifiers

10 and 20 in the first and second embodiments are configured to supply water by pouring water from the water supply port 111 without removing the water storage tray 12 from the housing 11. However, the water storage tray 12 is not detachable from the housing 11, and the water storage tray 12 is preferably detachable from the housing 11. This is because when the tap water is supplied to the water storage tray 12 and the

humidifiers

10 and 20 are used, impurities (calcium, magnesium, etc.) in the tap water adhere to the water storage tray 12 as a scale, This is because cleaning is required. It is preferable that the water storage tray 12 be detachable from the housing 11 because the water storage tray 12 can be easily cleaned.

Thus, when the water storage tray 12 can be attached to and detached from the housing 11, it is necessary to prevent erroneous detection associated with the attachment and detachment of the water storage tray 12.

In the case of the humidifier 10 including the distance measuring sensor 14, as shown in FIG. 7, the distance measuring sensor 14 detects the edge of the water storage tray 12 in the process of removing the water storage tray 12 from the housing 11. Since the measured value at this time corresponds to a water level level of “Full”, there is a possibility that such edge detection of the water storage tray 12 is erroneously determined as full water detection.

In order to prevent this, if the measurement value of the distance measuring sensor 14 changes rapidly in a short time, even if it is a change in the water level rising direction, the edge detection of the water storage tray 12 is not considered as the water level rising. Therefore, control is performed so that the full water notification is not performed.

Further, in the case of the humidifier 20 provided with the weight sensor 24, when the water storage tray 12 is removed from the housing 11, the measured value of the weight sensor 24 decreases rapidly. Therefore, there is a possibility that such removal of the water storage tray 12 may be erroneously determined as no water in the water storage tray 12.

In order to prevent this, when the measured value of the weight sensor 24 rapidly decreases in a short time, the water storage tray 12 is not regarded as having no water and the water supply notification is not performed. However, in order to notify that the water storage tray 12 is not attached to the housing 11 or that the water storage tray 12 is insufficiently attached, control for performing a water supply notification may be performed.

As a reference for judging that the measurement value of the distance sensor 14 or the weight sensor 24 has changed rapidly in a short time, for example, the water level stage has changed by two or more stages within a predetermined period (within 1 second or several seconds). Cases. In the case of sudden increase, it is preferable to change to a water level stage corresponding to “100 (Full)” within 1 second, and in the case of rapid decrease, it is preferably “0 (Empty) within 1 second. ) "To change to the water level stage. Of course, the above criteria can be set as appropriate.

As another method for preventing the malfunction, a mechanism (such as a sensor) for recognizing attachment / detachment of the water storage tray 12 to / from the housing 11 is installed in the housing 11 and the water storage tray 12 is recognized as being removed. It is good also as control which does not perform a full-water notification and / or a water supply notification while it is running.

The embodiment disclosed herein is illustrative in all respects and does not serve as a basis for limited interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted only by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the description of the scope of claims. Moreover, all the changes within the meaning and range equivalent to a claim are included.

This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-034963 filed on February 28, 2018, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-034963 are referred to by reference. Incorporated into this international application.

DESCRIPTION OF

SYMBOLS

10,20 Humidifier 11 Case 111 Water supply port 112 Water supply path 113 Release port 12 Water storage tray 121 Evaporation filter 13 Fan 14 Ranging sensor (water level detection sensor)
15 Control unit 16 Storage unit 17 Notification unit 24 Weight sensor (water level detection sensor)

Claims

A water storage tray,
A water inlet for supplying water to the water storage tray;
A water level detection sensor for detecting the water level of the water storage tray;
A control unit for determining the necessity of a water level notification based on a measurement value of the water level detection sensor;
A notification unit that performs water level notification according to the determination result of the control unit,
The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the notification unit to perform a full water notification when a predetermined full water notification level is reached in the process of increasing the water level of the water storage tray.
The humidifier according to claim 1,
The said control part makes a water supply notification be performed by the said notification part, when a predetermined water supply notification level is reached in the process in which the water level of the said water storage tray falls, The humidifier characterized by the above-mentioned.
The humidifier according to claim 2,
The control unit determines a water level stage from a measurement value of the water level detection sensor, and performs a water level notification based on the water level stage,
The water level stage has a dead zone in a predetermined range before and after the representative water level, and is set to overlap in the dead zone of the adjacent water level stage,
The control unit raises the current water level stage to a higher water level stage when the measured value of the water level detection sensor exceeds the upper limit of the dead zone, and lower when the measured value of the dead zone exceeds the lower limit of the dead zone. The water level stage is determined by lowering the water level stage,
The control unit causes the notification unit to perform a full water notification when the water level stage rises and reaches a predetermined full water notification level, and when the water level stage descends and reaches a predetermined water supply notification level Is a humidifier characterized in that a notification of water supply is made by the notification unit.
A humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The control unit determines that water is being supplied to the water storage tray while the measurement value of the water level detection sensor vibrates,
When the full water notification is performed during the water supply, the full water notification is terminated when the vibration of the measurement value of the water level detection sensor is stopped.
The humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The notification unit is an LED,
While the operation of the humidifier is stopped, the LED is turned off, and when the measured value of the water level detection sensor vibrates due to water supply to the water storage tray, the LED is turned on, and the measurement of the water level detection sensor A humidifier characterized in that the LED is turned off when there is no vibration of the value.
A humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
When the water level detection sensor detects that the water level of the water storage tray is falling at a predetermined speed or more, the control unit determines that the water is leaked from the water storage tray. .
The humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein when the water level detected by the water level detection sensor changes rapidly in a short time, the control unit does not perform the full water notification.