Fine water discharge device and fine water discharge method

Abstract

This fine water discharge device is provided with: a fine water discharge element which has a base material and a conductive polymer film provided on the base material, and which changes between a moisture-absorbing state in which moisture in air is absorbed to the conductive polymer film and a moisture-releasing state in which moisture in the air is released from the conductive polymer film; in the moisture liberation state, the moisture adsorbed on the conductive polymer film is discharged as fine water with the particle size being less than 50 nanometers; a supply unit for supplying energy to the fine water discharge element; and a control unit that executes moisture absorption control for controlling the supply unit so as to supply first energy for bringing the fine water discharge element into a moisture absorption state, and moisture release control for releasing moisture from the fine water discharge element. In the moisture release control, the supply unit is controlled so as to supply second energy that causes the temperature of the fine water discharge element to be higher than the temperature in the moisture absorption state and causes the fine water discharge element to be in a moisture release state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fine water releasing device and a fine water releasing method. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a fine water release device has been proposed, which includes: a cylindrical housing having a flow path for air; a humidity control unit disposed in the flow path and having a fine water release element that absorbs and releases moisture; an energizing unit that energizes a base member of the fine water release element; and a control unit that controls the energizing unit (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this device, the base member is made non-energized by the energizing unit, thereby the temperature of the fine water release element decreases and moisture in the air is adsorbed, and the base member is made energized by the energizing unit, thereby the temperature of the fine water release element increases and fine water is released from the fine water release element.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-018195

[0004] In the above-mentioned device, when adsorbing water, the temperature is not controlled simply by setting the substrate part to a non-powered state. Therefore, there is a case where the adsorption of water to the fine water release element is promoted and the amount of water becomes excessive, and adjacent water particles absorbed by the fine water release element are bonded to each other. It is believed that even if the temperature of the fine water release element rises, the bonded water particles are not easily released as fine water. Summary of the invention

[0005] The main object of the present disclosure is to promote the release of fine water in moisture release control by more appropriately performing moisture absorption control.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned main purpose, the present disclosure adopts the following aspects.

[0007] The essence of the fine water release device disclosed in the present invention is that it comprises: a fine water release element, which has a substrate and a conductive polymer film arranged on the above substrate, and changes into a hygroscopic state and a dehumidifying state, in which moisture in the air is adsorbed to the above conductive polymer film, and in which the moisture adsorbed to the above conductive polymer film is released as fine water with a particle size of less than 50 nanometers; a supply unit, which supplies energy to the above fine water release element; and a control unit, which performs hygroscopic control and dehumidification control, in which the supply unit is controlled to supply a first energy that puts the above fine water release element into the above hygroscopic state, and in which the supply unit is controlled to supply a second energy that makes the temperature of the above fine water release element higher than the temperature in the above hygroscopic state and puts the above fine water release element into the above dehumidification state.

[0008] The fine water release device disclosed in the present invention performs moisture absorption control and moisture release control, wherein the first energy is supplied to make the fine water release element enter the moisture absorption state, and the second energy is supplied to make the fine water release element enter the moisture release state at a temperature higher than that in the moisture absorption state. By supplying energy in the moisture absorption control, the temperature of the fine water release element is increased compared with the moisture absorption control in which no energy is supplied, so that the amount of water adsorbed on the conductive polymer film can be controlled. Therefore, the combination of water particles can be suppressed, and the adsorption ratio of water particles that become fine water relative to the total amount of adsorbed water can be increased, so that the release of fine water in the moisture release control can be promoted.

[0009] The essence of the fine water release method disclosed in the present invention is to release fine water from a fine water release element, wherein the fine water release element has a substrate and a conductive polymer film arranged on the above substrate, and changes into a hygroscopic state and a dehumidifying state, wherein moisture in the air is adsorbed onto the above conductive polymer film in the hygroscopic state, and wherein the moisture adsorbed onto the above conductive polymer film is released as fine water with a particle size of less than 50 nanometers in the dehumidifying state, wherein the method includes: a hygroscopic control step, wherein a supply unit is controlled to supply a first energy that causes the above fine water release element to be in the above hygroscopic state; and a dehumidification control step, wherein the supply unit is controlled to supply a second energy that causes the above fine water release element to be in the above dehumidifying state by causing the temperature of the above fine water release element to be higher than the temperature of the above hygroscopic state.

[0010] In the fine water release method of the present disclosure, as in the above-mentioned fine water release device, it is possible to suppress the bonding of water particles and increase the adsorption ratio of water particles that become fine water relative to the total amount of adsorbed moisture, thereby promoting the release of fine water during moisture release control. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the fine water release device 10.

[0012] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the fine water generating box 30.

[0013] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the fine water release element 34.

[0014] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the conductive polymer film 36.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing an example of the fine water release process.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of moisture absorption control.

[0017] Figure 7This is a flowchart showing an example of dehumidification control.

[0018] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the conductive polymer film 36 in the moisture-absorbing state in the comparative example.

[0019] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the conductive polymer film 36 in the moisture-absorbed state in this embodiment.

[0020] Fig.10 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship between the temperature and the ion current during moisture absorption.

[0021] Fig.11 : is a flowchart showing the fine water release process of a modification example.

[0022] Fig.12 This is a flowchart showing moisture absorption control according to a modified example.

[0023] Fig.13 It is a schematic structural diagram of a fine water release device 10B according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described using the drawings. Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the fine water release device 10. Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the fine water generating box 30. Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the fine water release element 34. Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the conductive polymer film 36. The fine water discharge device 10 is configured as, for example, a beauty device or a medical device that discharges fine water toward a human body (skin, hair, etc.). Figure 1 As shown, the fine water discharge device 10 includes a pipe 20, a fine water generating box (fine water discharge box) 30, a fan 40, and a control unit 50. In addition, the fine water discharge device 10 is provided with various switches such as a start switch 55 for starting the operation of the fine water discharge device 10 and an air volume adjustment switch 56 for adjusting the air volume of the fan 40. In addition, the fine water discharge device 10 includes an internal temperature sensor 57 for detecting the temperature inside the fine water generating box 30.

[0025] The duct 20 is a cylindrical member with both ends open, and has a suction port 21a at one end and a discharge port 21b at the other end. In the duct 20, the fan 40 and the fine water generating box 30 are arranged in this order from the suction port 21a side.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, the fine water generating box 30 includes: a cylindrical housing 32 having an outer diameter that can be arranged in the pipe 20, and a fine water releasing element (fine water generating element) 34 provided in the housing 32. Figure 3As shown, the fine water release element 34 includes a substrate 35 and a conductive polymer film 36 formed on the surface of the substrate 35 .

[0027] The substrate 35 is formed of a conductive material such as a stainless steel metal, a copper metal, a carbon material, or a conductive ceramic material. In this embodiment, a stainless steel foil with aluminum added is used. In addition, the fine water release element 34 is formed in a corrugated plate shape, a honeycomb shape, a spiral shape, etc., so that air can flow and the surface area of ​​the substrate 35 (conductive polymer film 36) is as large as possible. The substrate 35 is connected to an electric circuit 38 (see Figure 1 ), the power-on circuit 38 operates based on a control signal from the control unit 50. The power-on circuit 38 is configured to switch between a first power-on state (weak power-on state), a second power-on state (strong power-on state), and a non-power-on state, wherein a relatively small current is supplied to the substrate 35 in the first power-on state (weak power-on state), a relatively large current is supplied to the substrate 35 in the second power-on state (strong power-on state), and the power supply to the substrate 35 is cut off in the non-power-on state.

[0028] The conductive polymer film 36 is formed of a conductive polymer compound such as a thiophene-based conductive polymer. In the present embodiment, it is formed of PEDOT / PSS (poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) / poly (styrene sulfonic acid)) among the thiophene-based conductive polymers. For example, the conductive polymer film 36 is formed by dispersing PEDOT / PSS having a core-shell structure having a core of PEDOT and a shell of an acidic functional group capable of hydrogen bonding, i.e., a sulfonic acid group, in a solvent such as water, and applying the dispersion to the outer surface of the substrate 35 and drying it. Therefore, as Figure 4 As shown, the conductive polymer film 36 has PEDOT 36a in the core, and PSS 36b of a polymer material in the shell covering the core, and a flow path of nanometer size, such as about 2 nanometers (nm), is formed between each particle (between the shells), that is, a nanochannel 36c. There are many sulfonic acid groups of PSS 36b in the nanochannel 36c, so when the amount of water on the surface of the conductive polymer film 36 is large and the amount of water inside is small, the water moves to the inside along the sulfonic acid groups in the nanochannel 36c due to the concentration difference between the surface and the inside. As a result, the conductive polymer film 36 adsorbs water particles W as water.

[0029] In addition, in the state of internally adsorbing water, when the amount of water on the surface is small and the amount of water inside is large, the water (water particles W) moves to the surface along the sulfonic acid groups in the nanochannel 36c due to the concentration difference between the surface and the inside. As a result, the water is released from the conductive polymer film 36 as fine water. In addition, in the state where the temperature of the conductive polymer film 36 rises, the rapid release of water (fine water) is promoted compared to the case where the concentration difference is used only to move, and in the state where the temperature of the conductive polymer film 36 decreases, the rapid adsorption of water is promoted compared to the case where the concentration difference is used only to move. In this way, the fine water generating box 30 (fine water release element 34) changes to a hygroscopic state in which the conductive polymer film 36 adsorbs water in the air due to the temperature decrease, and changes the adsorbed water to a dehumidification state released from the conductive polymer film 36 due to the temperature increase. In addition, the thickness of the conductive polymer film 36 can be appropriately determined according to the required amount of adsorption (release) of fine water. For example, when the conductive polymer film 36 is formed to have a thickness of 1 to 30 micrometers, sufficient water can be adsorbed and released in fine water in a period of several seconds to several tens of seconds.

[0030] In addition, the fine water generating box 30 releases water particles with a particle size of less than 50 nanometers, for example, uncharged fine water (uncharged fine water particles) with a particle size of about 1 to 2 nanometers from the conductive polymer film 36 of the fine water releasing element 34. The reason for considering such a particle size is that the size of the nanochannel 36c is 2 nanometers or less, so due to the increase in the mobility of the water in the nanochannel 36c caused by the temperature increase of the conductive polymer film 36, the pressure increases, and the water flies out of the nanochannel 36c. In addition, even if the water particles condense with each other after flying out, their particle sizes are distributed in the range of less than 50 nanometers. The detailed description of the fine water generation of such a fine water generating box 30 (conductive polymer film 36) is recorded in WO2020 / 054100 of the applicant of the present application and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-018195, etc., so the detailed description above is omitted.

[0031] The fan 40 is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction, so that the air sucked into the duct 20 from the suction port 21a passes through the fine water generating box 30 and is discharged from the discharge port 21b. The fan 40 is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown) and is controlled by the control unit 50 through PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control or voltage control. In addition, the fan 40 may be a propeller fan, a sirocco fan, or the like.

[0032] The control unit 50 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, it also includes a ROM, a RAM, a timer, and an input / output port. An operation signal from the start switch 55, an operation signal from the air volume adjustment switch 56, a detection signal from the internal temperature sensor 57 that detects the internal temperature of the fine water generating box 30 such as the temperature of the fine water releasing element 34 (substrate 35), and the like are input to the control unit 50 via the input port. In addition, the internal temperature sensor 57 can use, for example, a thermistor, a thermocouple, and the like. In addition, a drive signal to the motor that drives the fan 40 to rotate, a drive signal to the switch of the power supply circuit 38, and the like are output from the control unit 50 via the output port.

[0033] Next, the operation of the fine water release device 10 configured as above will be described. Figure 5 1 is a flowchart showing an example of fine water release processing. In this processing, the control unit 50 performs moisture absorption control (S100) to make the fine water generating box 30 (fine water release element 34) absorb moisture, and determines whether the first time has passed (S110). The first time is a time predetermined as the execution time of the moisture absorption control, for example, a time of about several minutes such as 5 minutes. If the control unit 50 determines that the first time has not passed, it returns to S100.

[0034] On the other hand, if the control unit 50 determines that the first time has passed, it executes the moisture release control (S120) to release the adsorbed moisture as fine water from the fine water generating box 30 (fine water release element 34), and determines whether the second time has passed (S130). The second time is a time predetermined as the execution time of the moisture release control, for example, a time of about several minutes shorter than the first time, such as 2 minutes. In addition, the second time may be the same time as the first time. If the control unit 50 determines that the second time has not passed, it returns to S120.

[0035] If the control unit 50 determines that the second time has passed, it determines whether it is the stop timing of the fine water release process (S140). If it is determined that it is not the stop timing, it returns to S100 and executes the moisture absorption control. In this way, the control unit 50 switches and executes the moisture absorption control of S100 and the moisture release control of S120. In addition, when the execution time of the fine water release process set by a timer (not shown) is reached, when the number of executions of the moisture absorption control and the moisture release control reaches a prescribed number of times, when the user performs a stop operation, etc., the control unit 50 determines that it is the stop timing in S140. If the control unit 50 determines that it is the stop timing, it stops the power supply to the fine water generating box 30 and the fan 40 (S150) and ends the fine water release process. The moisture absorption control of S100 and the moisture release control of S120 are described in detail below.

[0036] based on Figure 6 The moisture absorption control of S100 is performed according to the flowchart of FIG. 1. First, the control unit 50 rotates the fan 40 at a high speed so as to blow air at a relatively high wind speed (S200), and determines whether the temperature of the fine water discharge element 34 (substrate 35) detected by the internal temperature sensor 57 is below the first temperature (S210). The first temperature is determined to be a temperature higher than the temperature around the fine water discharge device 10, that is, the ambient temperature. In the present embodiment, the first temperature is predetermined to be, for example, 50°C as a temperature that is usually not lower than the ambient temperature.

[0037] If the control unit 50 determines that the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is lower than the first temperature, the control unit 50 outputs a control signal to the power-on circuit 38 so that a relatively small current (small current) flows to the substrate 35 in the first power-on state (weak power-on state), and a small current is supplied to the fine water generating box 30 (S220). If the control unit 50 determines that the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is not lower than the first temperature, S220 is skipped. In addition, when the moisture absorption control is performed immediately after the start of the fine water release process, the control unit 50 usually determines that the temperature is lower than the first temperature in S210 and supplies power in S220. Therefore, the temperature of the fine water release element 34 rises.

[0038] Next, the control unit 50 determines whether the temperature of the fine water release element 34 detected by the internal temperature sensor 57 has reached the second temperature (S230). The second temperature is a temperature that is several degrees higher than the first temperature, and is predetermined to be, for example, 55 degrees Celsius. If the control unit 50 determines that the temperature of the fine water release element 34 has not reached the second temperature, the moisture absorption control is terminated. On the other hand, if the control unit 50 determines that the temperature of the fine water release element 34 has reached the second temperature, the power supply to the fine water generating box 30 is stopped, and the fan 40 is rotated at a low speed so as to blow air at a relatively slow wind speed (predetermined wind speed) (S240), and the moisture absorption control is terminated. That is, if the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is higher than the second temperature, the control unit 50 stops the power supply to the fine water generating box 30 and rotates the fan 40 at a low speed. Thus, even if the power supply to the fine water generating box 30 is started in S220, the temperature of the fine water release element 34 can be prevented from exceeding the second temperature and rising.

[0039] based on Figure 7The dehumidification control of S120 is performed according to the flowchart of S120. First, the control unit 50 rotates the fan 40 at a low speed so as to supply air at a relatively slow wind speed (prescribed wind speed) (S300). In S300, the control unit 50 only needs to rotate the fan 40 at a speed lower than that of S200. In this embodiment, the fan 40 is rotated at the same speed as S240. Next, the control unit 50 determines whether the temperature of the fine water release element 34 detected by the internal temperature sensor 57 is below the third temperature (S310). The third temperature is predetermined as a temperature higher than the above-mentioned second temperature, for example, 65°C.

[0040] If the control unit 50 determines that the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is lower than the third temperature, the control unit 50 outputs a control signal to the power supply circuit 38 so that a relatively large current (large current) flows to the substrate 35 in the second power supply state (strong power supply state), and a large current is supplied to the fine water generating box 30 (S320). That is, the control unit 50 supplies a larger current to the fine water generating box 30 than in the moisture absorption control in the moisture release control, and the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is increased compared with the moisture absorption state. In addition, if the control unit 50 determines that the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is not lower than the third temperature, S320 is skipped. Since the third temperature is a temperature higher than the second temperature, when switching from the moisture absorption control to the moisture release control, the control unit 50 determines that the temperature is lower than the third temperature in S310, and supplies a large current to the fine water generating box 30 in S320.

[0041] Next, the control unit 50 determines whether the temperature of the fine water release element 34 detected by the internal temperature sensor 57 has reached the fourth temperature (S330). The fourth temperature is predetermined to be, for example, 75°C as a temperature that is several to ten degrees higher than the third temperature. If the control unit 50 determines that the temperature of the fine water release element 34 has not reached the fourth temperature, the dehumidification control is terminated. On the other hand, if the control unit 50 determines that the temperature of the fine water release element 34 has reached the fourth temperature, the power supply to the fine water generating box 30 is stopped (S340), and the dehumidification control is terminated. That is, if the temperature of the fine water release element 34 becomes higher than the fourth temperature, the control unit 50 stops the power supply to the fine water generating box 30. In this way, the temperature of the fine water release element 34 can be prevented from exceeding the fourth temperature and rising.

[0042] If the control unit 50 determines in S130 that the second time has elapsed and in the next S140 that it is not the stop timing, the control unit 50 switches to S100 ( Figure 5) moisture absorption control. In the moisture absorption control, the control unit 50 rotates the fan 40 at a high speed in S200, so that the fine water release element 34 that has risen to a temperature between the third temperature and the fourth temperature can be quickly cooled. In addition, the control unit 50 rotates the fan 40 at a high speed until the temperature of the fine water release element 34 drops and reaches the second temperature. If it is determined in S230 that the temperature of the fine water release element 34 has reached the second temperature, the fan 40 is rotated at a low speed in S240. In this way, the control unit 50 switches and performs moisture absorption control from the first temperature to the second temperature (for example, 50°C to 55°C) and moisture release control from the third temperature to the fourth temperature (for example, 65°C to 75°C). Therefore, as the temperature difference between moisture absorption and moisture release, a temperature difference of about 10 to 20°C is generated. If the temperature during moisture absorption is lowered by about 10 to 20° C. from the temperature during moisture release, the fine water release element 34 can appropriately change to the moisture absorption state and absorb fine water even at a temperature higher than room temperature of about 25° C., for example.

[0043] here, Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the conductive polymer film 36 in the moisture-absorbing state in the comparative example. Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the conductive polymer film 36 in the moisture-absorbed state in this embodiment. Fig.10 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship between temperature and ion current during moisture absorption. In the comparative example, current does not flow through the fine water generating box 30 (substrate 35) during moisture absorption control, and moisture absorption control is performed in a state where the fine water discharge element 34 (substrate 35) is at a normal temperature of about 25°C, for example. In the present embodiment, as described above, moisture absorption control is performed in a state where the fine water discharge element 34 is at a relatively high temperature of 50 to 55°C. Fig.10 The bar graph on the left side of shows the comparative example, for example, it shows the ion current detected when the moisture absorption control is performed at a normal temperature of about 25°C and the moisture release control is performed at about 45°C. Fig.10 The bar graph on the right side of shows the situation of this embodiment, for example, it shows the ion current detected when the moisture absorption control is performed at a high temperature of about 55°C and the moisture release control is performed at about 67°C. In addition, the fine water released from the fine water release element 34 is charged by passing through a neutralizer, and the electric mobility of the charged fine water is measured and classified using a differential mobility analyzer, and the current (charge) of the fine water below 50 nanometers is measured, thereby calculating the amount of fine water released. The larger the ion current, the more the amount of fine water released in the moisture release control.

[0044] like Figure 8As shown in FIG. 1 , in the comparative example, since there are more sites capable of adsorbing water in the nanochannel 36c, relatively more water is adsorbed. Therefore, it is considered that the water particles W of adjacent sulfonic acid groups are combined to form bulk water, and the nanochannel 36c is filled with water. It is considered that the combined water particles W are difficult to exist in a cluster state with a particle size of about 2 nanometers or less, and it is difficult to release as fine water in the dehumidification state. As a result, the amount of fine water below 50 nanometers released is reduced (refer to FIG. 1 ). Fig.10 ).

[0045] On the other hand, Fig. 9 As shown, in the present embodiment, since the fine water release element 34 becomes a high temperature state during moisture absorption control, the shell (PSS36b) shrinks and the nanochannel 36c becomes smaller. Compared with the comparative example, it is considered that the number of sites that can adsorb water in the nanochannel 36c is reduced, and the overall amount of moisture that can be adsorbed is reduced. On the other hand, it is also difficult to combine adjacent water particles W, so it is considered that the number of water particles W that exist in a cluster state with a particle size of less than 2 nanometers is increased. As a result, in the dehumidification state, the amount of fine water below 50 nanometers released is increased compared with the comparative example (refer to Fig.10 ). Although not shown in the figure, if the temperature of the fine water release element 34 further rises in the dehumidification state, the PSS 36b of the shell further shrinks. In the dehumidification control, the release of fine water from the nanochannel 36c is promoted by the temperature rise, the shrinkage of the shell (PSS 36b), and the difference in water concentration between the surface and the inside of the element.

[0046] Here, the fine water discharge device 10 discharges fine water toward the skin, hair, etc. of the human body. There are fine gaps of about 20 to 50 nanometers or less in the stratum corneum on the surface of the skin. Therefore, if the particle size of the fine water is 50 nanometers or less, it is easy to penetrate from the stratum corneum into the inside of the skin. Regarding the hair, there are also fine gaps in the stratum corneum on the surface of the hair. Therefore, if the particle size of the fine water is 50 nanometers or less, it is easy to penetrate into the inside of the hair. Compared with the comparative example, the fine water discharge device 10 of this embodiment is easy to make the water particles W exist in a state of less than 50 nanometers when absorbing moisture, thereby promoting the release of fine water less than 50 nanometers when releasing moisture, and improving the effect of making the fine water penetrate into the skin and hair. As a result, the fine water can fully penetrate into the skin and hair to bring about the effect of improving the moisturizing property.

[0047] In the fine water release device 10 of the present embodiment described above, moisture absorption control and moisture release control are performed. In the moisture absorption control, a small current is supplied to make the fine water release element 34 enter a moisture absorption state. In the moisture release control, a large current is supplied to make the temperature of the fine water release element 34 higher than the temperature of the moisture absorption state to enter a moisture release state. Thus, compared with the case where the fine water release element 34 is not supplied with electricity in the moisture absorption control, the amount of moisture adsorbed by the conductive polymer film 36 can be controlled to suppress the bonding of water particles W, and the adsorption ratio of water particles W that become fine water relative to the total amount of moisture can be increased. Therefore, appropriate release of fine water can be promoted.

[0048] Furthermore, during moisture absorption control, the control unit 50 starts supplying a small current when the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is below the first temperature, and stops supplying the current when the temperature is above the second temperature. This can prevent the fine water release element 34 from becoming too high in temperature and failing to absorb moisture.

[0049] In addition, during dehumidification control, the control unit 50 starts to supply a large current when the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is below the third temperature, and stops supplying the current when the temperature is above the fourth temperature, thereby ensuring the temperature difference from the dehumidification control to perform appropriate dehumidification and suppress excessive temperature rise.

[0050] Furthermore, the control unit 50 rotates the fan 40 at a low speed during the dehumidification control and rotates the fan 40 at a high speed when the dehumidification control is started. Therefore, in the dehumidification control after the dehumidification control, the cooling of the fine water release element 34 can be promoted to quickly enter the dehumidification state.

[0051] In addition, when the fine water release element 34 is in a moisture absorption state, the PSS 36b of the shell shrinks, and the amount of water adsorbed in the nanochannel 36c is suppressed, thereby, compared with the case of adsorption at room temperature, although the overall amount of water adsorption is reduced, the proportion of water particles W that become fine water is increased. When the fine water release element 34 is in a moisture release state, the PSS 36b of the shell further shrinks, and fine water is released from the nanochannel 36c due to the difference in moisture concentration between the surface and the inside of the element. As a result, the fine water release device 10 can make the fine water release element 34 having the conductive polymer film 36 of the core-shell structure function more appropriately to absorb and release moisture.

[0052] In the embodiment, the fan 40 is rotated at high speed in S200 of the moisture absorption control, but in the moisture absorption control immediately after the start of the fine water release process (the first time), it is usually not necessary to operate the fan 40 at high speed for cooling, so S200 may be omitted. Alternatively, it is not limited to the case where the fan 40 is rotated at high speed in the moisture absorption control, and it may be as follows. Fig.11 : is a flowchart showing the fine water release process of a modification example. Fig.12 2 is a flowchart showing moisture absorption control according to a modification. In the following modification, the same processing as that in the embodiment is denoted by the same step number and the description thereof is omitted.

[0053] exist Fig.11 In the fine water release process of the modified example, if the control unit 50 determines in S140 that it is not the stop timing, it implements the cooling control (S145) of rotating the fan 40 at a high speed for a predetermined time, and then shifts to the moisture absorption control of S100. That is, before switching from the moisture release control to the moisture absorption control, the fan 40 is rotated at a high speed for a predetermined time to cool the fine water generating box 30 (fine water release element 34), which is different from the fine water release process ( Figure 5 ). The prescribed time in the cooling control of S145 is predetermined as the time required to bring the temperature of the fine water release element 34, which has become relatively high temperature in the moisture absorption control, to the moisture absorption state. In addition, the control unit 50 may rotate the fan 40 at a high speed until the temperature of the fine water release element 34 reaches the moisture absorption state (for example, the second temperature or lower) based on the detected temperature of the internal temperature sensor 57, and then shift to the moisture absorption control of S100.

[0054] exist Fig.12 In the moisture absorption control of the modified example, the control unit 50 first rotates the fan 40 at a low speed so that air is supplied at a relatively slow wind speed (predetermined wind speed) (S200B). In addition, if the control unit 50 determines in S230 that the temperature of the fine water discharge element 34 has reached the second temperature, it stops the power supply to the fine water generating box 30 (S240B) and ends the moisture absorption control. In this way, in the moisture absorption control of the modified example, the fan 40 is rotated at a low speed when the moisture absorption control is started, and the fan 40 is not stopped but kept rotating at a low speed when the moisture absorption control is ended.

[0055] In this modification, by rotating the fan 40 at a high speed for a predetermined time before starting the moisture absorption control, the cooling of the fine water release element 34 can be promoted. Therefore, when the moisture absorption control is started, the fine water release element 34 can be set to a temperature of a moisture absorption state, and moisture can be absorbed quickly. In addition, even in the moisture absorption control performed immediately after the start of the fine water release process, by rotating the fan 40 at a low speed, the fine water release element 34 can be quickly heated to a temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature, and appropriate moisture absorption that suppresses the bonding of water particles W can be quickly started.

[0056] In addition, in the moisture absorption control, after the temperature of the fine water release element 34 reaches the second temperature, the fine water release element 34 can absorb moisture for about several seconds to several tens of seconds. Therefore, when the temperature of the fine water release element 34 reaches the second temperature during the first time (S110) of implementing the moisture absorption control and moisture is absorbed by the fine water release element 34, it is not necessary to provide the cooling control (S145) between the moisture absorption control and the moisture release control.

[0057] In the embodiment, the first to fourth temperatures are used, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a temperature set based on the ambient temperature of the fine water discharge device 10 and the fine water generating box 30 may be used. Fig.13 This is a schematic structural diagram of a modified example of a fine water discharge device 10B. The fine water discharge device 10B is equipped with an ambient temperature sensor 58 that detects the temperature around the fine water discharge device 10, that is, the ambient temperature. The control unit 50 only needs to set the first to fourth temperatures based on the ambient temperature detected by the ambient temperature sensor 58. For example, the control unit 50 may set the first temperature by adding a temperature of several tens of degrees Celsius such as 20°C to 30°C to the ambient temperature detected by the ambient temperature sensor 58 (a first prescribed temperature), and set the second temperature by adding a temperature of several degrees Celsius to ten degrees Celsius to the first temperature (a second prescribed temperature). In addition, the control unit 50 may set the third temperature by adding a temperature of ten degrees Celsius to more than ten degrees Celsius to the second temperature (a third prescribed temperature), and set the fourth temperature by adding a temperature of several degrees Celsius to ten degrees Celsius to the third temperature (a fourth prescribed temperature).

[0058] In addition, the control unit 50 may selectively set the first to fourth temperatures based on the ambient temperature detected by the ambient temperature sensor 58. For example, as the first temperature, the second temperature, the third temperature, and the fourth temperature, the control unit 50 sets the temperature 1A, the temperature 2A, the temperature 3A, and the temperature 4A respectively when the ambient temperature is low, and sets the temperature 1B, the temperature 2B, the temperature 3B, and the temperature 4B respectively when the ambient temperature is high. The respective temperatures may be predetermined and stored in a storage unit such as a ROM of the control unit 50 as long as they are, from the lower side, the temperature 1A, the temperature 1B, the temperature 2A, the temperature 2B, the temperature 3A, the temperature 3B, the temperature 4A, and the temperature 4B. In addition, the control unit 50 may change the settings of the first to fourth temperatures according to changes in the ambient temperature during the execution of the fine water release process.

[0059] In the embodiment, the wind speed of the fan 40 is changed in two stages, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the wind speed may be changed in a plurality of stages of three or more stages.

[0060] In the embodiment, the control unit 50 terminates the energization when the second temperature is reached (when the temperature is above the second temperature) during the moisture absorption control, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the energization amount may be reduced to suppress the temperature rise. In addition, the control unit 50 terminates the energization when the fourth temperature is reached (when the temperature is above the fourth temperature) during the moisture release control, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the energization amount may be reduced to suppress the temperature rise.

[0061] In the embodiment, the case where the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is increased by energizing the substrate 35, that is, electric energy is supplied as energy, is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and thermal energy from a heat source (supply unit) may be supplied, or both electric energy and thermal energy may be supplied. In addition, as long as the first energy is supplied to the fine water release element 34 in the moisture absorption control, and the second energy that raises the temperature compared with the moisture absorption control is supplied to the fine water release element 34 in the moisture release control, the types of energy supplied in the moisture absorption control and the moisture release control may be different. Alternatively, the first energy may be supplied to the fine water release element 34 from one supply unit in the moisture absorption control, and the second energy may be supplied to the fine water release element 34 from two or more supply units in the moisture release control.

[0062] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the present disclosure described in the column of means for solving the problem is described. The fine water release device 10 of the embodiment is equivalent to the "fine water release device" of the present disclosure, the fine water release element 34 is equivalent to the "fine water release element", and the control unit 50 is equivalent to the "control unit". The internal temperature sensor 57 is equivalent to the "temperature sensor". The fan 40 is equivalent to the "air supply unit". In addition, in this embodiment, by describing the operation of the fine water release device 10, an example of the fine water release method of the present disclosure is also clarified.

[0063] As described above, the essence of the fine water release device 10 disclosed in the present invention is that it comprises: a fine water release element 34 having a substrate 35 and a conductive polymer film 36 provided on the substrate 35, which changes into a hygroscopic state and a dehumidifying state, in which moisture in the air is adsorbed to the conductive polymer film 36 in the hygroscopic state, and in which the moisture adsorbed to the conductive polymer film 36 is released as fine water with a particle size of 50 nanometers or less in the dehumidifying state; a supply unit 38 that supplies energy to the fine water release element 34; and a control unit 50 that performs hygroscopic control and dehumidification control, in which the supply unit 38 is controlled to supply a first energy that causes the fine water release element 34 to be in the hygroscopic state, and in which the supply unit 38 is controlled to supply a second energy that causes the temperature of the fine water release element 34 to be higher than the temperature in the hygroscopic state and causes the fine water release element 34 to be in the dehumidifying state.

[0064] The fine water release device disclosed in the present invention performs moisture absorption control and moisture release control, wherein the first energy is supplied to make the fine water release element enter the moisture absorption state, and the second energy is supplied to make the fine water release element enter the moisture release state at a temperature higher than that in the moisture absorption state. By supplying energy in the moisture absorption control, the temperature of the fine water release element is increased compared with the moisture absorption control in which no energy is supplied, so that the amount of water adsorbed on the conductive polymer film can be controlled. Therefore, the combination of water particles can be suppressed, and the adsorption ratio of water particles that become fine water relative to the total amount of adsorbed water can be increased, so that the release of fine water in the moisture release control can be promoted.

[0065] In addition, a temperature sensor 57 for detecting the temperature of the fine water release element 34 may be provided, and the control unit 50 controls the supply unit 38 during the moisture absorption control so that the supply of the first energy is started when the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is lower than the first temperature, and the supply of the first energy is stopped when the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is higher than the second temperature higher than the first temperature. In this way, the temperature of the fine water release element can be maintained within an appropriate range during the moisture absorption control, and the bonding of water particles inside the fine water release element can be appropriately suppressed.

[0066] In addition, the control unit 50 may control the supply unit 38 in the dehumidification control so that the supply of the second energy is started when the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is lower than the third temperature higher than the second temperature, and the supply of the second energy is stopped when the temperature of the fine water release element 34 is higher than the fourth temperature higher than the third temperature. In this way, the moisture absorption and dehumidification can be appropriately switched by the temperature difference of the fine water release element in the moisture absorption control and the moisture release control. In addition, the excessive temperature rise of the fine water release element can be suppressed.

[0067] In addition, an air supply unit 40 may be provided, which supplies air so that air flows through the fine water release element 34, and the control unit 50 controls the air supply unit 40 to supply air at a predetermined wind speed during the dehumidification control, and controls the air supply unit 40 to supply air at a wind speed faster than the predetermined wind speed when switching from the dehumidification control to the moisture absorption control or before switching to the moisture absorption control. In this way, the cooling of the fine water release element can be promoted, so that the fine water release element can be quickly changed to the moisture absorption state after the dehumidification control.

[0068] Furthermore, an ambient temperature sensor 58 for detecting the ambient temperature may be provided, and the control unit (50) may adjust the first energy according to the ambient temperature.

[0069] In addition, an ambient temperature sensor 58 for detecting the ambient temperature may be provided, and the control unit (50) sets the first temperature to a temperature obtained by adding a first predetermined temperature to the ambient temperature, and sets the second temperature to a temperature obtained by adding a second predetermined temperature to the first temperature.

[0070] In addition, the control unit 50 may set the third temperature to a temperature obtained by adding a third predetermined temperature to the second temperature, and may set the fourth temperature to a temperature obtained by adding the fourth predetermined temperature to the third temperature.

[0071] This specification also discloses the following technical idea: in claim 4 of the original application, "the fine water discharge device described in claim 1 or 2" is changed to "the fine water discharge device described in any one of claims 1 to 3".

[0072] In addition, the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the present disclosure recorded in the column of means for solving the problem is an example of a specific embodiment recorded in the column of means for solving the problem in the embodiment, and therefore does not limit the elements of the present disclosure recorded in the column of means for solving the problem. That is, the interpretation of the present disclosure recorded in the column of means for solving the problem should be based on the description in the column, and the embodiment is only a specific example of the present disclosure recorded in the column of means for solving the problem.

[0073] Although specific embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is by no means limited to such embodiments, and can of course be implemented in various forms within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0074] Industrial Applicability

[0075] The present disclosure can be used in the technical field of releasing fine water from a fine water releasing element, etc.

[0076] Description of Reference Numerals

[0077] 10, 10B…fine water release device; 20…pipe; 21a…inlet; 21b…exhaust outlet; 30…fine water generating box; 32…housing; 34…fine water release element (fine water generating element); 35…substrate; 36…conductive polymer film; 36a…PEDOT; 36b…PSS; 36c…nanochannel; 38…power circuit (supply unit); 40…fan (air supply unit); 50…control unit; 55…start switch; 56…air volume adjustment switch; 57…internal temperature sensor; 58…ambient temperature sensor; W…water particles.

Claims

1. A micro water release device, wherein: have: A fine water release element having a substrate and a conductive polymer film disposed on the substrate, which changes into a moisture absorption state and a moisture release state. In the moisture absorption state, moisture in the air is adsorbed to the conductive polymer film, and in the moisture release state, the moisture adsorbed to the conductive polymer film is released as fine water with a particle size of 50 nanometers or less. a supply unit for supplying energy to the fine water releasing element; as well as The control unit performs moisture absorption control and moisture release control, wherein the supply unit is controlled to supply a first energy for causing the fine water release element to be in the moisture absorption state, and the control unit is controlled to supply a second energy for causing the fine water release element to be in the moisture release state by making the temperature of the fine water release element higher than the temperature of the moisture absorption state.

2. The fine water discharge device according to claim 1, wherein: A temperature sensor is provided for detecting the temperature of the fine water discharge element. During the moisture absorption control, the control unit controls the supply unit so as to start supplying the first energy when the temperature of the fine water release element is lower than a first temperature, and to stop supplying the first energy when the temperature of the fine water release element is higher than a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

3. The fine water discharge device according to claim 2, wherein: During the dehumidification control, the control unit controls the supply unit so as to start supplying the second energy when the temperature of the fine water release element is below a third temperature higher than the second temperature, and to stop supplying the second energy when the temperature of the fine water release element is above a fourth temperature higher than the third temperature.

4. The fine water discharge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A blower section is provided, which blows air so that air flows through the fine water release element. The control unit controls the air supply unit to supply air at a specified wind speed during the dehumidification control, and controls the air supply unit to supply air at a wind speed faster than the specified wind speed when switching from the dehumidification control to the dehumidification control or before switching to the dehumidification control.

5. The fine water discharge device according to claim 1, wherein: Equipped with an ambient temperature sensor for detecting ambient temperature, The control unit adjusts the first energy according to the ambient temperature.

6. The fine water discharge device according to claim 2, wherein: Equipped with an ambient temperature sensor for detecting ambient temperature, The control unit sets the first temperature to a temperature obtained by adding a first predetermined temperature to the ambient temperature, and sets the second temperature to a temperature obtained by adding a second predetermined temperature to the first temperature.

7. The fine water discharge device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit sets the third temperature to a temperature obtained by adding a third predetermined temperature to the second temperature, and sets the fourth temperature to a temperature obtained by adding a fourth predetermined temperature to the third temperature.

8. A method for releasing fine water, wherein fine water is released from a fine water releasing element, the fine water releasing element comprising a substrate and a conductive polymer film disposed on the substrate, and the fine water releasing element changes into a moisture absorbing state and a moisture releasing state, wherein in the moisture absorbing state, moisture in the air is adsorbed to the conductive polymer film, and in the moisture releasing state, the moisture adsorbed to the conductive polymer film is released as fine water with a particle size of 50 nanometers or less, wherein: Include: a moisture absorption control step of controlling a supply unit to supply a first energy that causes the fine water-releasing element to be in the moisture absorption state; and The moisture release control step controls the supply unit to supply second energy that causes the fine water release element to be in the moisture release state by making the temperature of the fine water release element higher than the temperature of the moisture absorption state.

9. The fine water release method according to claim 8, wherein: In the moisture absorption control step, the supply unit is controlled so that the supply of the first energy is started when the temperature of the fine water release element detected by the temperature sensor is below a first temperature, and the supply of the first energy is stopped when the temperature of the fine water release element is above a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

10. The fine water release method according to claim 9, wherein: In the dehumidification control step, the supply unit is controlled so that the supply of the second energy is started when the temperature of the fine water release element is below a third temperature higher than the second temperature, and the supply of the second energy is stopped when the temperature of the fine water release element is above a fourth temperature higher than the third temperature.

11. The fine water releasing method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: In the moisture release control step, the air supply unit is controlled so that the air supply unit supplies air at a predetermined wind speed so that air flows through the fine water release element. When switching from the moisture release control step to the moisture absorption control step or before switching to the moisture absorption control step, the air supply unit is controlled so as to supply air at a wind speed faster than the predetermined wind speed.

12. The fine water release method according to claim 8, wherein: In the moisture absorption controlling step, the first energy is adjusted according to an ambient temperature detected by an ambient temperature sensor.

13. The fine water release method according to claim 9, wherein: In the moisture absorption control step, the first temperature is set to a temperature obtained by adding a first predetermined temperature to an ambient temperature detected by an ambient temperature sensor, and the second temperature is set to a temperature obtained by adding a second predetermined temperature to the first temperature.

14. The fine water release method according to claim 10, wherein: In the moisture release control step, the third temperature is set to a temperature obtained by adding a third predetermined temperature to the second temperature, and the fourth temperature is set to a temperature obtained by adding a fourth predetermined temperature to the third temperature.

Images