WO2024106272A1

WO2024106272A1 - Blower

Info

Publication number: WO2024106272A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/040075
Authority: WO
Inventors: 朋弘石川; 成龍桂
Original assignee: シャープ株式会社
Priority date: 2022-11-14
Filing date: 2023-11-07
Publication date: 2024-05-23

Abstract

This blower comprises: a ventilation port; first and second filters; a first mounting part to which the first filter can be mounted and which defines a first space in communication with the ventilation port; a second mounting part which is contiguous to the first space in the upper direction, to which the second filter can be mounted, and which defines a second space in communication with the ventilation port; a detection body movable between a first position in the second space and a second position outside the second space; a sensor that detects the detection body at the second position; and a control unit that determines the mounting state of the first and second filters on the basis of the detection result of the sensor.

Description

Blower

The present invention relates to a blower.

The blower in the background art is provided with a detachable dust collection filter and a deodorizing filter. The dust collection filter collects dust, and the deodorizing filter removes odors. The blower is also provided with a first filter and a second filter. The first filter and the second filter detect whether the dust collection filter and the deodorizing filter are attached to the blower. In the blower, a control unit controls the air volume of the blower fan based on the dust collection filter and the deodorizing filter (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-293817 A

In the background art, a sensor for each filter detects whether or not each filter is attached to a blower. The presence or absence of a filter is detected. However, it is preferable to have a small number of sensors.

The object of the present invention is to provide a blower that can detect the installation of multiple filters using a smaller number of sensors.

The blower of the present invention comprises an air vent, a first filter and a second filter, a first mounting part that defines a first space in which the first filter can be attached and that communicates with the air vent, a second mounting part that is continuous with the first space in the upward direction and defines a second space in which the second filter can be attached and that communicates with the air vent, a detectable object that can move between a first position in the second space and a second position outside the second space, a sensor that detects the detectable object at the second position, and a control unit that determines the attachment status of the first filter and the second filter based on the detection result of the sensor.

The present invention provides a blower that can detect the presence of multiple filters using a smaller number of sensors.

1 is a perspective view of a blower according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally above the front right. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the blower shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is an exploded view of the blower shown in FIG. 1, seen from diagonally below and rear left. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the upper end periphery of the suction port shown in FIG. 3 . 5 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion taken along line VV in FIG. 4, viewed from the left. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion (without a filter) taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4, viewed from the left. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion (with a filter) taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4, viewed from the left. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the blower taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 1, viewed from the left. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the blower taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 1 as viewed from above. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the blower taken along line XX in FIG. 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the blower shown in FIG. 1 . 12 is a flowchart showing a process of a control unit shown in FIG. 11 . FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a detailed configuration of the filter shown in FIG. 3 .

The following describes the blower 100 according to the embodiment with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings, the same or equivalent parts are given the same reference symbols and descriptions will not be repeated.

Furthermore, in the embodiments and drawings, arrows Z, X, and Y are respectively shown indicating the first direction, second direction, and third direction for the purpose of easy understanding. In the embodiments, the first direction, second direction, and third direction respectively indicate the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction of the blower 100. Hereinafter, the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction are referred to as the "up-down direction Z," the "left-right direction X," and the "front-rear direction Y." Note that the first direction, second direction, and third direction may respectively indicate the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction of the blower 100.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the blower 100 as seen from diagonally above the front right. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the blower 100 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the blower 100 shown in FIG. 1 as seen from diagonally below the rear left.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the blower 100 is, for example, a floor-mounted type. The blower 100 is operated while positioned on the floor 201 of the room 200 (see Fig. 1). Hereinafter, the term "operable state" refers to a state in which the blower 100 is capable of operating properly on the floor 201. In the following, unless otherwise noted, the blower 100 in the operable state will be described.

The blower 100 can be operated in at least two operating modes. The two modes are a hot air operating mode and a blowing operating mode. In the hot air operating mode, the blower 100 heats the air drawn into the interior and then blows out the heated air as hot air. On the other hand, in the blowing operating mode, the blower 100 blows out the air drawn into the interior as an air flow without heating it.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the blower 100 comprises a housing 1, an operating unit 2, an air inlet 3A and an outlet 3B,

attachment units

4A and 4B,

filters

5A and 5B, and a rear cover 6. The housing 1, operating unit 2, and outlet 3B are clearly shown in Figure 1. The inlet 3A,

attachment units

4A and 4B, and

filters

5A and 5B are clearly shown in Figure 3. The rear cover 6 is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The housing 1 can have a variety of shapes. In this embodiment, the outer shape of the housing 1 is a generally cylindrical shape that is elongated in the vertical direction Z. The housing 1 can also have a generally rectangular prism shape. The housing 1 has roughly a bottom surface 1A, a top surface 1B, a front surface 1C, a back surface 1D, and two

side surfaces

1E and 1F.

The bottom surface 1A is in contact with the floor 201 (see FIG. 1). The top surface 1B is located above and away from the bottom surface 1A.

The front surface 1C extends in the up-down direction Z between the front edges of the bottom surface 1A and the top surface 1B. The front surface 1C is located in the center of the housing 1 in the left-right direction X when viewed from the front. The front surface 1C has an arc shape that bulges forward when viewed from the front, and is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front.

The rear surface 1D is located rearward away from the front surface 1C. The rear surface 1D is located slightly forward of the rear edges of the bottom surface 1A and the top surface 1B, and extends in the vertical direction Z and the horizontal direction X between the bottom surface 1A and the top surface 1B (see FIG. 3). The rear surface 1D has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from behind.

Side 1E extends in the up-down direction Z between the left edges of bottom surface 1A and top surface 1B. Side 1E is located between the left edge of front surface 1C and the left edge of back surface 1D. Side 1E has an arc shape that bulges to the left in a plan view, and is approximately rectangular in a left side view.

Side 1F may have a shape symmetrical to side 1E in the left-right direction X. Therefore, a detailed description of side 1F will be refrained from.

The operation unit 2 (see FIG. 1) is located on the top surface 1B. The operation unit 2 includes buttons 2A to 2C. Buttons 2A to 2C are operated by the user.

The button 2A transmits a first command to the control unit 12 (see FIG. 11) each time it is operated by the user. The first command indicates that the button 2A has been operated. When the control unit 12 receives the first command while the blower 100 is stopped, it executes a start-up process to start operating the blower 100 in the blowing air operation mode. When the control unit 12 receives a further first command in the blowing air operation mode, it switches to the hot air operation mode. When the control unit 12 receives a further first command in the hot air operation mode, it switches to the blowing air operation mode. Details of the start-up process will be described later with reference to FIG. 12.

The button 2B transmits a second command to the control unit 12 each time it is operated by the user. The second command indicates that the button 2B has been operated. When the control unit 12 receives the second command while the blower 100 is operating, it executes a stop process to stop the operation of the blower 100. Details of the stop process will also be described later with reference to FIG. 12.

The button 2C transmits a third command to the control unit 12 each time it is operated by the user. The third command indicates that the button 2C has been operated. When the control unit 12 receives the third command when the airflow of the blower 100 is "weak" out of "weak," "medium," and "strong," and the control unit 12 sets the airflow to "medium." When the control unit 12 receives the third command when the airflow of the blower 100 is "medium," and the control unit 12 sets the airflow to "strong." When the control unit 12 receives the third command when the airflow of the blower 100 is "strong," and the control unit 12 sets the airflow to "weak."

The suction port 3A (see FIG. 3) is an opening formed on the rear surface 1D. The suction port 3A is open toward the rear. The suction port 3A has a generally rectangular shape that is elongated in the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the opening area of the suction port 3A is slightly smaller than the rear surface 1D so that a large amount of air is taken into the housing 1. The suction port 3A is an example of a "ventilation hole" in the present invention.

The suction port 3A is covered by a guard 31 (see FIG. 3). The guard 31 has a large number of through holes formed therein. Each through hole has an opening area large enough to prevent the user's fingers from entering. The guard 31 prevents the user's fingers from entering the inside of the housing 1 through the suction port 3A. In this embodiment, the guard 31 has a lattice shape. The large number of through holes are arranged in the guard 31 in the vertical direction Z and the horizontal direction X.

The rear end surface of the guard 31 is a flat surface parallel to the vertical direction Z and the horizontal direction X. The guard 31 constitutes a part of the mounting

parts

4A, 4B (see FIG. 3).

In this embodiment, two air outlets 3B (see FIG. 1) are provided. One of the air outlets 3B is formed between the right end of the front surface 1C and the front end of the side surface 1F. One of the air outlets 3B extends linearly in the vertical direction Z between the bottom surface 1A and the top surface 1B. One of the air outlets 3B is open toward the front. The other air outlet 3B may be symmetrical to the one of the air outlets 3B with respect to the front surface 1C. Therefore, a detailed description of the other air outlet 3B will be omitted. It is sufficient that there is at least one air outlet 3B.

Mounting

parts

4A, 4B (see FIG. 3) define

spaces

41A, 41B in which filters 5A, 5B can be mounted and which communicate with suction port 3A. Space 41B is continuous with space 41A in the upward direction. Mounting

parts

4A and 4B are examples of the "first mounting part" and "second mounting part" in the present invention.

Spaces

41A and 41B are examples of the "first space" and "second space" in the present invention.

Mounting section 4A is composed of guard 31, the lower halves of

side walls

42C, 42D, and bottom wall 42A. Mounting section 4B is composed of guard 31, the upper halves of

side walls

42C, 42D, and top wall 42B. Bottom wall 42A, top wall 42B, side wall 42C, and side wall 42D protrude from the periphery of suction port 3A on rear surface 1D. More specifically, bottom wall 42A, top wall 42B, side wall 42C, and side wall 42D protrude from the lower, upper, left, and right sides, respectively, of suction port 3A. Bottom wall 42A, top wall 42B, side wall 42C, and side wall 42D extend a distance D11 rearward from the rear end surface of guard 31. Distance D11 is greater than or equal to the thickness of each

filter

5A, 5B. The bottom wall 42A and the top wall 42B are spaced apart from each other by a distance D12 in the vertical direction Z. The distance D12 is preferably equal to the sum of the lengths of the

filters

5A and 5B. The

side walls

42C and 42D are spaced apart from each other by a distance D13 in the left-right direction X. The distance D13 is preferably equal to the width of each

filter

5A and 5B. In the

filters

5A and 5B, the thickness is the dimension in the front-back direction Y, the length is the dimension in the vertical direction Z, and the width is the dimension in the left-right direction X.

Space 41A is a space defined by the guard 31 and the lower halves of each of the

side walls

42C and 42D, and the bottom wall 42A. Space 41B is a space defined by the guard 31 and the upper halves of each of the

side walls

42C and 42D, and the top wall 42B. Each of the

spaces

41A and 41B has an opening that opens toward the rear. Space 41B is continuous with space 41A in the upward direction. In other words, the blower 100 does not have a wall that separates the

spaces

41A and 41B.

Filters

5A and 5B (see FIG. 3) are, for example, dust-collecting filters or deodorizing filters. Dust-collecting filters can collect dust, pollen, smoke, and fine particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5). Deodorizing filters can remove odors from the air.

Filters

5A and 5B are examples of the "first filter" and "second filter" of the present invention.

In detail, filters 5A and 5B have a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is thin in the front-rear direction Y. In the embodiment, filters 5A and 5B have the same outer shape. In filters 5A and 5B, the dimension in the front-rear direction Y corresponds to distance D11, the dimension in the up-down direction Z corresponds to half the distance D12, and the dimension in the left-right direction X corresponds to distance D13.

Filters

5A and 5B are housed in

spaces

41A and 41B, respectively. In other words,

filters

5A and 5B are attached to

attachment portions

4A and 4B, respectively. When attached, filters 5A and 5B are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction Z along the rear end surface of guard 31. In detail, when attached, the lower end surface of filter 5B fits snugly against the upper end surface of filter 5A.

The rear cover 6 is detachable from the housing 1 (specifically,

side walls

42C, 42D) (see Figures 2 and 3). When attached to the housing 1, the rear cover 6 covers the

filters

5A, 5B housed in the

spaces

41A, 41B, and also covers the guard 31 and the intake port 3A. In this embodiment, the rear cover 6 is lattice-shaped like the guard 31. The rear cover 6 further has a large number of through holes arranged in the vertical direction Z and the horizontal direction X.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the upper end periphery of the suction port 3A shown in FIG. 3. In detail, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the area within the two-dot chain line frame W11 in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vertical section of the mounting portion 4B taken along line V-V shown in FIG. 4, seen from the left. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the blower 100 has a stopper 42E on the upper wall 42B. The stopper 42E is provided at the rear end of the upper wall 42B and protrudes slightly downward beyond the upper wall 42B. In this embodiment, the stopper 42E is provided in the central portion of the upper wall 42B in the left-right direction X (see FIG. 4).

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, filter 5A is accommodated in space 41A, and then filter 5B is accommodated in space 41B. At this time, filter 5B is adjacent to filter 5A in the vertical direction Z. Therefore, filter 5A is supported in a state where it is sandwiched between filter 5B and bottom wall 42A. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the vicinity of the upper end of filter 5B is supported in a state where it is sandwiched between stopper 42E and guard 31 in the front-rear direction Y. Also, filter 5B is supported in a state where it is sandwiched between upper wall 42B and filter 5A in the vertical direction Z. Therefore, even when rear cover 6 is removed from housing 1, filters 5A and 5B are unlikely to fall off mounting

portions

4A and 4B. This makes it easier to attach rear cover 6 to housing 1.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views of the mounting portion 4B taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4, viewed from the left. FIG. 6 in particular shows the state in which the filter 5B is not attached to the mounting portion 4B. FIG. 7 in particular shows the state in which the filter 5B is attached to the mounting portion 4B.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a through hole 71 is formed in the mounting portion 4B. In this embodiment, the through hole 71 is formed in the upper right corner of the mounting portion 4B (see Figures 3 and 4). The through hole 71 extends from the ridge line 71A toward positions P11 and P12, respectively, and penetrates the upper wall 42B and the guard 31. The ridge line 71A is a line where the upper wall 42B and the guard 31 intersect, and extends in the left-right direction X. Position P11 (see Figure 7) is a position on the upper wall 42B slightly away from the ridge line 71A in the rear direction. Position P12 (see Figure 6) is a position on the guard 31 slightly away from the ridge line 71A in the downward direction. The dimension of the through hole 71 in the left-right direction X (i.e., the left-right width) is generally constant.

In addition, a space 72 capable of accommodating a detectable object 7 (described below) is formed above and behind the through hole 71 within the housing 1. A shaft 73 is provided at a position in the housing 1 away from the space 72 in the upward direction. The shaft 73 extends outside the space 41B along a left-right direction X that intersects with the up-down direction Z. The left-right direction X is an example of an "intersecting direction that intersects with the upward direction" in this invention. In detail, the shaft 73 is located above the space 41B. Therefore, the shaft 73 does not create a ventilation resistance for the air passing through the suction port 3A covered by the space 41B.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the blower 100 further includes a detectable body 7. The detectable body 7 has a main body 74, a through hole 75, and a magnet 76.

The main body 74 is made of a non-magnetic material such as resin. In this embodiment, the main body 74 is teardrop-shaped when viewed from the left side. In detail, the main body 74 has one end in the long diameter direction as a base end 741 and the other end as a tip end 742. The base end 741 has, for example, a curved surface in the shape of a relatively small arc when viewed from the left side. The main body 74 becomes wider from the base end 741 toward the tip end 742.

The through hole 75 is formed in the main body 74 at a position closer to the base end 741 than the base end 741 or the tip end 742. The through hole 75 penetrates the main body 74 in the left-right direction X. The shaft 73 is inserted through the through hole 75.

The magnet 76 is located on the base end 741 side of the main body 74 and near the tip 742 of the tip 742.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the filter 5B is not attached to the attachment portion 4B, the detectable object 7 hangs downward due to the weight of the main body 74 and the magnet 76 (i.e., its own weight) and protrudes from the through-hole 71 into the space 41B. In detail, when the filter 5B is not attached to the attachment portion 4B, the detectable object 7 is located at position P21 in the space 41B. When the filter 5B is not attached, the main body 74 abuts against the upper wall 42B at the rear end of the through-hole 71 and cannot move rearward beyond the through-hole 71.

As shown in FIG. 7, when filter 5B is attached to attachment portion 4B, filter 5B abuts against main body 74, and as a result, detectable object 7 moves outside space 41B and into space 72. In detail, when filter 5B is attached to attachment portion 4B, detectable object 7 is located at position P22 outside space 41B. Positions P21 and P22 are examples of the "first position" and "second position" in the present invention.

During the process of attaching or detaching the filter 5B, the detectable body 7 can rotate around the shaft 73 extending in the left-right direction X between positions P21 and P22. In particular, during the process of attaching the filter 5B to the attachment portion 4B, it rotates around the shaft 73 and moves from position P21 to position P22. Therefore, since the detectable body 7 moves due to gravity and the contact force received from the filter 5B, there is no need to bias the magnet 76 downward using, for example, a torsion coil spring. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced.

6 and 7, the blower 100 further includes a sensor 8. The sensor 8 is an example of the "sensor for detecting a detectable object at a second position" of the present invention. In the embodiment, the sensor 8 is a magnetic sensor, and outputs a signal (hereinafter, referred to as the "sensor signal") of a level corresponding to the magnetic field applied to the sensor 8 to the control unit 12. The sensor 8 is provided in a position close to the magnet 76 at position P22 but out of contact with the magnet 76. Therefore, the sensor 8 and the detectable object 7 are not worn down due to contact. In the embodiment, the sensor 8 is positioned slightly forward from the magnet 76 at position P22.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the blower 100 taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 1, as viewed from the left. FIGS. 9 and 10 are horizontal cross-sectional views of the blower 100 taken along line IX-IX and line X-X in FIG. 1, as viewed diagonally from above rear left. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the blower 100 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the blower 100 further includes

fans

9A and 9B within the housing 1.

Each of the

fans

9A and 9B is a double-suction centrifugal fan. The fan 9B is located above the fan 9A. The fan 9A has a casing 91A, a front suction port 92A, a rear suction port 93A, and an outlet 94A, as well as an impeller 95A and a motor 96A (see FIG. 11). The outlet 94A is clearly shown in FIG. 9. For convenience of illustration, the impeller 95A and the motor 96A are not shown in FIG. 9 to FIG. 10.

The front suction port 92A and the rear suction port 93A are formed on the front and rear sides, respectively, of the casing 91A. The blow-out port 94A is formed on the side of the casing 91A. An impeller 95A and a motor 96A (see FIG. 11) are disposed inside the casing 91A. The motor 96A rotates under the control of the control unit 12. The impeller 95A rotates by the power generated by the motor 96A. As a result, air is taken into the casing 91A through the front suction port 92A and the rear suction port 93A, and air is blown out of the casing 91A through the blow-out port 94A.

The fan 9B has a casing 91B, a front suction port 92B, a rear suction port 93B, and an outlet port 94B (see FIGS. 8 to 10), as well as an impeller 95B and a motor 96B (see FIG. 11).
The casing 91B, front suction port 92B, rear suction port 93B, outlet 94B, impeller 95B and motor 96B may be similar to the casing 91A, front suction port 92A, rear suction port 93A, outlet 94A, impeller 95A and motor 96A, so detailed description of each will be refrained.

The blower 100 further includes

air ventilation passages

97A and 97B, as shown in Figures 8 to 10.

The ventilation passage 97A consists of an upstream ventilation passage 971A (see Figures 8 and 9) and a downstream ventilation passage 972A (see Figure 9). The upstream ventilation passage 971A is formed between the suction port 3A and the front suction port 92A and rear suction port 93A, and guides air sucked in from the suction port 3A to the front suction port 92A and rear suction port 93A. The downstream ventilation passage 972A is formed between the outlet 94A and one of the outlets 3B, and guides air blown out from the outlet 94A to one of the outlets 3B. Note that in Figures 8 and 9, the air flow in the ventilation passage 97A is indicated by hollow arrows.

The ventilation passage 97B consists of an upstream ventilation passage 971B (see FIG. 8) and a downstream ventilation passage 972B (see FIG. 9). The upstream ventilation passage 971B is formed between the suction port 3A and the front suction port 92B and rear suction port 93B, and guides air sucked in from the suction port 3A to the front suction port 92B and rear suction port 93B. The downstream ventilation passage 972B is formed between the blow-out port 94B and the other side of the blow-out port 3B, and guides air blown out from the blow-out port 94B to the other side of the blow-out port 3B. Note that in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the air flow in the ventilation passage 97A is indicated by hollow arrows.

The blower 100 further includes

heaters

10A and 10B (see FIG. 11). The

heaters

10A and 10B are disposed in the

ventilation passages

97A and 97B, and generate heat under the control of the control unit 12. As a result, the air flowing through the

ventilation passages

97A and 97B is warmed by the heat of the

heaters

10A and 10B.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the blower 100 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 11, the blower 100 further includes a notification unit 11 and a control unit 12.

The notification unit 11 is a light-emitting element or a speaker provided in the housing 1.

The control unit 12 has a central processing unit or a microcomputer.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing of the control unit 12 shown in FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 12, in step S101, when the control unit 12 receives the first command from button 2A while the blower 100 is stopped, the control unit 12 executes a start-up process and starts controlling each part constituting the blower 100.

In step S102, the control unit 12 determines whether to execute the fan operation mode or the warm air operation mode based on the number of times the first command is received.

If step S102 determines that the operation mode is the fan operation mode, step S103 is executed. On the other hand, if step S102 determines that the operation mode is the hot air operation mode, step S107 is executed.

In step S103, the control unit 12 controls the operation in the blowing operation mode. In detail, the control unit 12 controls the power supply to the

motors

96A and 96B, and controls the rotation of the

motors

96A and 96B. In the

fans

9A and 9B, the

impellers

95A and 95B start rotating by the power from the

motors

96A and 96B. As a result, air flows from the suction port 3A into the

upstream ventilation ducts

971A and 971B. In the

upstream ventilation ducts

971A and 971B, the air flows toward the

fans

9A and 9B. In the fan 9A, air flows into the casing 91A from the front suction port 92A and the rear suction port 93A. In addition, air is blown out from the outlet 94A of the casing 91A into the downstream ventilation duct 972A. In the downstream ventilation duct 972A, the air flows toward one of the outlets 3B. From the outlet 3B, the air is blown out toward the outside of the blower 100. Similarly, in the fan 9B, air flows into the casing 91B through a front suction port 92B and a rear suction port 93B, and is blown out from an air outlet 94B into a downstream ventilation passage 972B.
The air flows through the downstream ventilation passage 972B and is blown out from the other of the air outlets 3B. Note that the control unit 12 changes the airflow volume in response to receiving the third command during execution of step S103.

During execution of step S103, in step S104, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the first command has been received from the button 2 A. If the control unit 12 determines that the first command has not been received (No in step S104), step S105 is executed.
On the other hand, if the control unit 12 determines that the first command has been received (Yes in step S104), step S107 is executed.

In step S105, the control unit 12 determines whether or not a second command has been received from the button 2B. If the control unit 12 determines that the second command has not been received (No in step S105), step S103 continues to be executed. On the other hand, if the control unit 12 determines that the second command has been received (Yes in step S105), step S106 is executed.

In step S106, the control unit 12 executes a stop process, i.e., stops operation in the fan operation mode. In detail, the control unit 12 ends the power supply control to the

motors

96A and 96B, and stops the rotation of the

motors

96A and 96B. After step S105 ends, the process in FIG. 12 ends.

In step S107, the control unit 12 acquires a sensor signal from the sensor 8. The control unit 12 determines whether the magnet 76 is located at position P22 based on the level of the sensor signal. In other words, in step S107, the control unit 12 determines the attachment status of the

filters

5A, 5B based on the detection result of the sensor 8. Therefore, the correct attachment of the

multiple filters

5A, 5B is detected by a smaller number of sensors 8. The control unit 12 that executes step S107 is an example of the "control unit" in the present invention. Note that in this embodiment, the number of filters is two, and the number of sensors 8 is one.

If it is determined that the magnet 76 is located at position P22 (Yes in step S107), it is determined that the

filters

5A and 5B are correctly attached, and step S108 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the magnet 76 is not located at position P22 (No in step S107), it is determined that the

filters

5A and 5B are not correctly attached, and the process proceeds to step S112.

In step S108, the control unit 12 executes operation in the hot air operation mode. In detail, the control unit 12 first controls the power supply to the

motors

96A, 96B, and controls the rotation of the

motors

96A, 96B. As a result, an air flow similar to that in the fan operation mode is generated inside the housing 1. The control unit 12 further controls the power supply to the

heaters

10A, 10B. As a result, hot air is blown out from the air outlet 3B. Note that the control unit 12 changes the air volume in response to receiving a third command while executing step S108.

During execution of step S108, in step S109, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the first command has been received from the button 2 A. If the control unit 12 determines that the first command has not been received (No in step S109), step S110 is executed.
On the other hand, when the control unit 12 determines that the first command has been received (Yes in step S109), step S103 is executed. That is, the operation mode is switched from the hot air operation mode to the air blowing operation mode.

In step S110, the control unit 12 determines whether or not a second command has been received from button 2B. If the control unit 12 determines that a second command has not been received (No in step S110), step S108 continues to be executed. On the other hand, if the control unit 12 determines that a second command has been received (Yes in step S110), step S111 is executed.

In step S111, the control unit 12 executes a stop process, i.e., stops operation in the hot air operation mode. In detail, the control unit 12 ends control of the power supply to the

motors

96A and 96B. After step S111 ends, the process in FIG. 12 ends.

When the process proceeds to step S112, since the magnet 76 is not located at position P22, it can be assumed that the

filters

5A, 5B are not properly attached to the

attachment parts

4A, 4B. In the embodiment, the fact that the

filters

5A, 5B are not properly attached to the

attachment parts

4A, 4B is defined as an error. In step S112, the control unit 12 outputs an error signal indicating that an error has occurred to the notification unit 11. That is, the control unit 12 outputs a signal indicating an error based on the detection result of the sensor 8. As a result, the power consumption of the blower 100 is reduced.

In more detail, when the hot air operation mode is executed without

filters

5A, 5B attached, the power consumption of blower 100 increases. When blower 100 raises the air temperature to the set temperature per unit time, the power consumption of

heaters

10A, 10B correlates with the air flow rate in

ventilation ducts

97A, 97B. When filters 5A, 5B are not attached, the ventilation resistance in

ventilation ducts

97A, 97B decreases. In other words, the air flow rate in

ventilation ducts

97A, 97B increases. As a result, the power consumption of

heaters

10A, 10B increases, which in turn increases the power consumption of blower 100.

In response to receiving an error signal, the notification unit 11 notifies users around the blower 100 that an error has occurred by causing the light-emitting element to emit light or by outputting sound from the speaker.

After step S112 is completed, the process in FIG. 12 ends.

The above describes the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate. For example, a certain component among all the components shown in one embodiment may be added to a component of another embodiment, or some of all the components shown in one embodiment may be deleted from the embodiment.

Furthermore, the drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner in order to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the configuration of each component shown in the above embodiment is one example and is not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within a range that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present invention.

(1) As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, it is preferable that the detectable body 7 further has a curved surface 743 on the side surface of the main body 74 that bulges toward the inside of the space 41B. The filter 5B abuts against the curved surface 743 during the process of mounting the filter 5B to the mounting portion 4B. The curved surface 743 allows the filter 5B to be smoothly mounted to the mounting portion 4B.

(2) FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed configuration of the filter 5B shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 13, the filter 5B preferably has a filter material 51B and a frame 52B. The filter material 51B is produced, for example, by pleating a nonwoven fabric. The frame 52B is made of, for example, a hardened nonwoven fabric, and supports the filter material 51B at least around the periphery of the filter material 51B. This maintains the shape of the filter material 51B. In addition, the object to be detected 7 (see FIG. 4) is arranged to face the frame 52B of the filter 5B attached to the attachment part 4B. When the filter 5B is attached to the attachment part 4B, the relatively hard frame 52B abuts against the object to be detected 7, so that the shape of the filter material 51B is maintained.

(3) In the embodiment, the outer shapes of

filters

5A and 5B are the same. However, this is not limited, and the left-right width of filter 5B may be narrower than the left-right width of filter 5A.

(4) In the embodiment, the sensor 8 is a magnetic sensor. However, this is not limited to this, and the sensor 8 may be a photointerrupter or a contact switch.

(5) In the embodiment, before transitioning to the hot air operation mode (step S108 in FIG. 12), the control unit 12 determines whether or not to execute step S112 in step S107. However, this is not limited to the above. When the magnet 76 moves to position P22 while power is being supplied to the

heaters

10A and 10B, that is, when the

filters

5A and 5B are removed from the mounting

portions

4A and 4B, the control unit 12 may output an error signal and then stop the operation of the blower 100.

(6) In the embodiment, when the filter 5B is not attached to the attachment portion 4B, the detection object 7 hangs downward due to the weight of the main body 74 and the magnet 76 (i.e., its own weight).
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the detection object 7 may be configured to be displaced downward by the biasing force of a torsion coil spring.

The present invention provides a blower and has industrial applicability.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Blower 1

Housing

3A,

3B Intake port

4A,

4B Mounting portion

41A, 41B Space 42E Stopper 5A, 5B Filter 51B Filter medium 52B Frame 7 Object to be detected 8

Sensor

9A, 9B Fan 11 Notification portion 12 Control portion

Claims

Ventilators and
A first filter and a second filter;
a first mounting portion that defines a first space in which the first filter can be mounted and that communicates with the ventilation opening;
a second mounting portion that is continuous with the first space in an upward direction, that defines a second space in which the second filter can be mounted and that communicates with the ventilation opening;
a detection object movable between a first position in the second space and a second position outside the second space;
a sensor for detecting the object to be detected at the second position;
and a control unit that determines an attachment state of the first filter and the second filter based on a detection result of the sensor.
The object to be detected is
The movable member is rotatable around a shaft extending in a direction intersecting the upward direction outside the second space,
When the second filter is not attached to the second attachment portion, the second attachment portion is located at the first position,
The blower according to claim 1 , wherein the second filter rotates about the shaft and moves from the first position to the second position during a process of mounting the second filter in the second space.
The blower according to claim 2, wherein the shaft is positioned above the second space.
the detection object has a curved surface that bulges toward the inside of the second space,
The blower according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the curved surface is contacted by the second filter during a process of mounting the second filter in the second space.
The second filter is
A filter medium;
A frame supporting the filter medium,
The blower according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the detection object is disposed so as to face the frame of the second filter mounted in the second space.
The blower according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit outputs a signal indicating an error based on the detection result of the sensor.