Air purifier

Abstract

In an air purifier equipped with an ion generating unit, the objective is to suppress the reaction of substances other than the target air pollutants and to reduce noise associated with airflow in a short amount of time. [Solution] The air purifier 1 is equipped with a detection unit that detects the state of the outside air and an ion generating unit 26. In a second mode specialized for removing specific air pollutants, the ion generating unit 26 is activated when predetermined conditions are met. In addition, when the ion generating unit 26 is activated in the second mode, the airflow rate is increased and the sensitivity of a sensor that detects substances other than specific air pollutants is reduced. As a result, unless there is a high concentration of specific air pollutants, unnecessary air purification operation is avoided, enabling appropriate air purification operation with reduced noise from airflow for a short period of time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purifying device for purifying indoor air.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, some air purifying devices for purifying air are known to be provided with a plurality of types of sensors for detecting air contaminants, and can detect the level of air contamination corresponding to the type of contaminant. The air purifying device can control the operation of the blower, etc. according to the level of air contamination detected by this sensor. When the level of air contamination is high, the air volume of the blower is increased, and as the contamination level decreases, the air volume is decreased (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, some air purifying devices are equipped with an ion generator for removing bacteria and viruses in the air, or for charging and collecting fine substances and pollen. When the user wants to remove these contaminants, they can operate an operation switch or the like to activate the ion generator, thereby instructing an air purification operation that better suits their preferences.

[0004] By the way, when the ion generator is activated, ozone is generated accordingly. Therefore, there is a concern that it may generate an unpleasant ozone odor for the user, or in some cases, the ozone concentration around the ion generator may reach a level harmful to the human body. To eliminate this, when activating the ion generator, there is a device that creates an air flow and blows air to the ion generator (for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

[0006] However, increasing the airflow to supply air to the ion generator can also attract dirt from areas far from the air purifier, causing the sensor to detect higher levels of air pollution. This results in higher detections of pollution levels not only for the specific pollutants the user wants to remove, but also for other pollutants.

[0007] As a result, even if a user operates an air purifier intending to remove a specific pollutant, the air purifier may operate to remove substances other than the intended pollutant. For example, a user might operate an air purifier to remove pollen, but even after the pollen has been removed, the air purifier may detect a high level of odorous gases (such as cooking odors) and continue air purification.

[0008] Performing air purification operations beyond what the user needs can lead to prolonged noise from the fan, potentially causing discomfort to the user.

[0009] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and to provide an air purifier that can operate with reduced noise from airflow for a short period of time, even when configured to remove specific pollutants. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] This invention comprises an intake section for drawing in outside air, This air purification unit purifies the air drawn in from the intake, The outlet that blows out purified air, A blower unit that creates the airflow that draws in air from the intake unit and blows it out from the outlet unit, A detection unit that detects the condition of the outside air, An air purifier equipped with a control unit, The aforementioned air purification unit includes an ion generating unit. The control unit sets the operating mode as follows: A first mode controls the amount of air blown by the air blower according to the detection status of the detection unit. It also features a second mode that performs control specifically for removing certain air pollutants, The control unit, If it is determined that predetermined conditions are met while the second mode is selected, the ion generating unit is activated. If it is determined that the ion generating unit is operating while the second mode is selected, the airflow rate of the air blower is increased to an airflow rate equal to or greater than the maximum airflow rate in the first mode, An air purifier that reduces the sensitivity of the sensor in the detection unit that detects substances other than the specific air pollutants. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] By configuring the system as described above, even when the airflow rate is increased in conjunction with the operation of the ion generator, the detection results for substances other than specific air pollutants can be kept low. This makes it possible to provide an air purifier that can operate with reduced noise from airflow for a short period of time, even when configured to remove specific pollutants. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is an external view of the air purifier according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the air purifier according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the configuration of the air purification unit in this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the main components of the air purifier according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described by illustrating the operation of the present invention.

[0014] The present invention is an air purifying apparatus that purifies air drawn in by a blower unit with an air purifying unit, and includes a detection unit that detects the state of outside air and an ion generation unit. The control unit has, as operation modes, a first mode in which the air volume is controlled according to the detection status of the detection unit, and a second mode specialized in removing specific air pollutants. When a predetermined condition is satisfied during the second mode, the ion generation unit is activated. In addition, when the ion generation unit is operating during the second mode, the air volume is increased and the sensitivity of a sensor that detects substances other than specific air pollutants is decreased. By configuring in this way, even if the air volume is increased along with the operation of the ion generation unit, the detection result of substances other than specific air pollutants can be kept low. Thereby, except when there are a lot of specific air pollutants, in order to refrain from unnecessary air purification operation, even if it is configured to be able to remove specifically for specific air pollutants, an air purification operation with noise caused by blowing suppressed in a short time becomes possible.

[0015] Also, the above-mentioned predetermined condition is that it is within a predetermined time after the introduction of the second mode, or the detected amount of specific air pollutants detected by the detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold value. By configuring in this way, it becomes possible to meet the user's desire to quickly and intensively remove specific air pollutants. Thereby, more effective removal of specific air pollutants becomes possible.

[0016] Also, during the second mode, the sensitivity of the sensor in the detection unit that detects specific air pollutants is increased. By configuring in this way, even when there are fewer specific air pollutants, it becomes possible to sensitively detect dirt and execute an air purification operation. Thereby, more effective removal of specific air pollutants becomes possible.

Example

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 is an external view of the air purifier of this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the air purifier of this embodiment. The air purifier 1 of this embodiment comprises a top panel 11, a front panel 12, left and right side panels 13, a rear panel (not shown), and a bottom frame 14. The top panel 11 is provided with an operation unit 15 equipped with various buttons for instructing the operation of the air purifier 1, and an air outlet 17 having a grid-shaped grill 16.

[0019] The main body 2 of the air purifier 1 is supported by a bottom frame 14. A front opening 12a is formed on the front side of the main body 2 between the bottom frame 14 and the front panel 12, and a rear opening is similarly formed on the rear side. In addition, a side opening 13a is formed on the side panel 13 by an opening provided at the bottom. An air intake port 18 is formed at the bottom of the air purifier 1 to introduce air into the main body 2, and air flowing in through the front opening 12a, the rear opening, and the side opening 13a is taken into the air intake port 18.

[0020] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the air purifier 1 is equipped with, in order from upstream in the airflow direction, a mesh-shaped pre-filter 21 that collects dust from the air taken in from the intake port 18, an air purification unit 22 that collects substances that have passed through the pre-filter 21, and a blower 23 that blows air into the air passage from the intake port 18 to the outlet port 17. The main body 2 is composed of the pre-filter 21, the air purification unit 22, and the blower 23, and the front panel 12 is attached so as to cover the front of the main body 2.

[0021] Furthermore, a filter case 25 housing an air filter 24 is detachably provided below the air intake 18, that is, upstream in the direction of airflow. The air filter 24 is located at the uppermost point in the direction of airflow and is prone to accumulating large dust particles. The presence of the air filter 24 reduces the amount of dust collected by the pre-filter 21 and the air purification unit 22, thus reducing the frequency of maintenance on the pre-filter 21 and the air purification unit 22, and offering superior convenience.

[0022] Figure 3 shows the configuration of the air purification unit of this embodiment. The air purification unit 22 purifies the air by capturing fine substances such as particles and viruses that have passed through the pre-filter 21 and air filter 24, and its configuration can include various elements. In the air purifier 1 of this embodiment, an ion generating unit 26, a dust collection filter 27, and a deodorizing filter 28 are included.

[0023] The ion generating unit 26 is configured by alternately arranging ionizing electrodes and dust collection electrodes. By applying a voltage between the ionizing electrodes and dust collection electrodes, substances that have passed through the pre-filter 21 are charged, and the charged substances are collected by the dust collection electrodes. Due to the effect of applying voltage to the electrodes, ozone is generated around the ion generating unit 26. While this contributes to sterilization and the decomposition of odor-causing substances, there is a concern that high ozone concentrations may cause unpleasant odors or, in some cases, reach concentrations that are dangerous to the human body, so caution is required during operation. It should be noted that the ion generating unit is installed to charge and collect fine substances or to perform sterilization by generating ions, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0024] The dust collection filter 27 collects particles that were not captured by the ion generating unit 26, as well as fine substances such as viruses. The deodorizing filter 28 is a sheet-shaped or pleated filter made of activated carbon fibers, for example, and purifies the air by adsorbing odor components contained in the air after it has passed through the dust collection filter 27.

[0025] The air purifier 1 may also have a configuration that includes only one of either the ion generator 26 or the dust collection filter 27. In the above configuration that uses both the ion generator 26 and the dust collection filter 27, a sensor for detecting the level of air pollution (details will be described later) may be provided, and the ion generator 26 may be activated according to the amount of pollution detected by the sensor. In other words, the ion generator 26 is activated when the level of pollution is high, and substances in the air are captured by both the ion generator 26 and the dust collection filter 27. This enhances the purification capacity and allows for faster air purification.

[0026] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the main components of the air purifier of this embodiment. The air purifier 1 is equipped with multiple sensors as a detection unit for detecting the state of the outside air. Each sensor detects a different object, and in this embodiment, two types of sensors are provided: a dust sensor 31 and a gas sensor 32.

[0027] The dust sensor 31 is a sensor that detects dust in the air, detecting the amount of PM2.5, pollen, dust, etc. Furthermore, since the output obtained differs depending on the particle size of the detected dust, the type of dust can also be identified. The gas sensor 32 is a semiconductor-type sensor that detects odor substances in the air, and calculates and outputs the gas sensitivity from the resistance value measured by the sensor. Note that the dust sensor 31 and gas sensor 32 are examples of sensors that detect substances contained in the air, and other sensors may also be included. Additionally, sensors may be provided individually depending on the particle size of the dust or the type of gas.

[0028] The outputs from the dust sensor 31 and the gas sensor 32 are transmitted to the control unit 4 as signals indicating the detection results. The control unit 4 compares the judgment threshold with the sensor outputs to determine the level of air pollution. In addition, the control unit 4 also receives input from a thermistor (not shown) that detects the room temperature and from various buttons on the operation unit 15.

[0029] The control unit 4 is configured to include a sensitivity setting means 41 for setting the sensitivity of the dust sensor 31 and the gas sensor 32, a level determination means 42 for determining the level of air pollution from the outputs of the dust sensor 31 and the gas sensor 32, an operation control means 43 for controlling the operation of the blower 23 and the ion generator 26 based on the pollution level and the operating mode, and a display control means 44 for controlling the display. The control unit 4 controls the operation of the air purifier 1 based on the input signals, and displays the detection results of the dust sensor 31 and the gas sensor 32, the operating mode, etc., by lighting up the indicator lamp 19.

[0030] The user can change the sensor sensitivity information held by the sensitivity setting means 41, and can set the sensitivity of the dust sensor 31 and the gas sensor 32 individually. The sensitivity change operation is only possible when the operation is stopped, and the user can select three levels of sensitivity adjustment: "medium (standard)", "strong", and "weak", as well as "disable" sensitivity, by operating the buttons on the control unit 15.

[0031] Sensor sensitivity information is sent to the level determination means 42, and the determination threshold for determining the level of air pollution is changed. When the sensor sensitivity is set to "high," the system determines that the air is polluted even if the actual amount of pollution detected is less than when the sensitivity is set to "medium (standard)." Therefore, if you want to improve the purification performance, it is effective to set the sensor sensitivity higher.

[0032] The level determination means 42 individually determines the dust level and odor level based on the output from each sensor, compares them, and sets the higher level (the dirtier one) as the room's dirt level. The dust level and odor level are divided into four stages: 0, 1, 2, and 3 (the higher the number, the dirtier it is). For example, if the dust level is 2 and the odor level is 1, the level determination means 42 sets the room's dirt level to 2.

[0033] When the air purifier 1 receives an instruction to start operation, it rotates the blower 23 according to instructions from the operation control means 43 to draw in indoor air into the unit. The amount of substances contained in the air is detected by the dust sensor 31 and the gas sensor 32, and the operation control means 43 controls the airflow of the blower 23 and the ON / OFF status of the ion generator 26 based on the set operating mode and the contamination level determined by the level determination means 42 to start air purification operation. The airflow of the blower 23 can be switched between "turbo," "strong," "medium," and "weak."

[0034] Air purifier 1 has three operating modes: "fixed airflow mode," "automatic mode," and "pollen mode." The following describes each operating mode, but these are just examples, and other operating modes may also be available.

[0035] "Fixed airflow operation mode" This mode allows the fan 23 to operate with a fixed airflow setting of "Turbo," "Strong," "Medium," or "Weak." When the fixed airflow mode is selected, the fan will operate at the airflow specified by the user, regardless of the determined level of soiling.

[0036] "Automatic driving mode" This operating mode controls the airflow of the blower 23 and the operation of the ion generator 26 according to the level of contamination determined by the level determination means 42. The user can select the maximum airflow during operation from either "Turbo" or "Strong". The operation control means 43 increases the airflow as the contamination level increases and gradually decreases the airflow as the contamination level decreases. Also, when the airflow is set to either "Turbo" or "Strong", the ion generator 26 is switched ON / OFF based on the output of the dust sensor 31.

[0037] "Pollen mode" This mode automatically operates in a way that is particularly suitable for removing pollen. In pollen mode, for the first predetermined time (for example, 15 minutes) from the start of operation, the fan speed is set to "high" regardless of the level of contamination, so that pollen is quickly removed as soon as operation starts. After the first predetermined time has elapsed, the fan speed is switched according to the level of contamination in the room detected by the dust sensor 31 and the gas sensor 32. After it is determined that the air has become clean, the fan speed is set to "low" and operation continues, while a patrol operation is performed every second predetermined time (for example, every 60 minutes).

[0038] During patrol operation, the airflow is temporarily increased to "high" to create airflow, which lifts the pollen, making it easier for the dust sensor 31 to detect it. Patrol operation continues for a third predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes), and if the dust sensor 31 does not detect any dirt during this time, the airflow is returned to "low". Note that since patrol operation temporarily increases the airflow, it is preferable to set the second and third predetermined times to a duration that does not cause discomfort to the user.

[0039] Thus, the air purifier 1 has a mode that controls the airflow according to the output of the sensor and a different mode that is suitable for removing specific air pollutants. The "automatic operation mode" described above is an example of the first mode, and the "pollen mode" is an example of the second mode, but this embodiment is not limited to this example.

[0040] In this embodiment, the air purifier 1 activates the ion generating unit 26 when predetermined conditions are met during the pollen mode described above. This causes the pollen to become charged, making it easier for the air purification unit 22 to capture the pollen, thus enabling more effective air purification operation.

[0041] On the other hand, the operation of the ion generating unit 26 generates ozone, which may cause users to experience an unpleasant ozone odor, and in some cases, may result in ozone concentrations that are dangerous to the human body. Therefore, in the air purifier 1 of this embodiment, the airflow is increased to at least the maximum airflow set in automatic operation mode while the ion generating unit 26 is operating. For example, if the maximum airflow is set to "turbo" in automatic operation mode, the airflow will be increased to "turbo" when predetermined conditions are met and the ion generating unit 26 is activated during pollen mode.

[0042] Furthermore, the conditions for increasing the airflow only need to include the case where the ion generating unit 26 is operating during pollen mode, and are not limited to this embodiment. In addition to the case where the ion generating unit 26 is operating, the airflow may also be increased to a level equal to or greater than the maximum airflow in automatic operation mode during the aforementioned patrol operation, or the airflow may be increased in other cases as well.

[0043] Increasing the airflow increases the amount of air intake and exhaust per unit time. This not only enables rapid air purification but also creates airflow around the ion generation unit 26, suppressing the rise in ozone concentration around the air purifier 1. However, increasing the airflow also attracts dirt from areas far from the air purifier 1, increasing the amount of pollutants detected by the dust sensor 31 and gas sensor 32. This makes the system more sensitive to substances other than pollen, potentially causing it to perform air purification even in environments with insufficient pollen.

[0044] For example, after selecting the pollen mode, suppose the ion generator 26 operates and the resulting increase in airflow sufficiently removes the pollen. Subsequently, if the amount of odorous gases from cooking increases in the same space, the air purifying operation may be triggered in response to the odorous gases, even though the pollen in the space has been sufficiently removed. Since the user wants to remove pollen, it would be desirable to continue operation with reduced airflow, but the airflow is increased, resulting in noise from the airflow and causing discomfort to the user.

[0045] Therefore, in the air purifier 1 of this embodiment, when the ion generating unit 26 is operating in pollen mode, the airflow is increased and the sensitivity of the gas sensor 32 is decreased. This prevents the air purifier from being activated in response to substances other than pollen in an environment with a sufficiently low amount of pollen. After pollen removal is complete, the airflow is reduced to suppress noise associated with the airflow.

[0046] Furthermore, the conditions for lowering the sensitivity of the gas sensor 32 are not limited to this embodiment, and only include cases where the airflow is increased to a level equal to or greater than the maximum airflow set in "automatic operation mode" during pollen mode. The sensitivity of the gas sensor 32 may be lowered only when the airflow is increased, or the sensitivity of the gas sensor 32 may be lowered at all times during pollen mode.

[0047] Furthermore, "lowering the sensitivity" means setting the sensitivity to a lower level compared to the sensitivity set by the sensitivity setting means 41. If the already set sensitivity is the lowest sensitivity, the sensitivity may be maintained as is, or an even lower sensitivity may be specially set.

[0048] Furthermore, in the air purifier 1 of this embodiment, the "predetermined conditions" for operating the ion generating unit 26 described above are defined as either being within a predetermined time after the introduction of the pollen mode (for example, 15 minutes) or the amount of pollen detected by the dust sensor 31 exceeding a specific threshold (for example, a dust level of 2 or higher).

[0049] After activating the pollen mode, the ion generator 26 is operated for a certain period of time to increase air purification capacity, enabling rapid air purification that meets the needs of users who want to remove pollen. Furthermore, by increasing air purification capacity when an increase in pollen is detected, even if the amount of pollen in the space increases again due to people entering and leaving, the pollen can be quickly removed, maintaining a low level of pollen in the space. Through these operations, the air purifier 1 can more effectively remove specific air pollutants.

[0050] Furthermore, in the air purifier 1 of this embodiment, the sensitivity of the dust sensor 31 is increased during pollen mode. As mentioned above, the dust sensor 31 can detect pollen, so by increasing its sensitivity, it can react to even smaller amounts of pollen and perform air purification. This further reduces the amount of pollen in the space, allowing the air purifier 1 to remove specific air pollutants more effectively.

[0051] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 17. Air outlet (air outlet section) 18. Air intake port (intake section) 19. Indicator lamp (display unit) 22 Air purification unit 23. Blower (blowing unit) 26 Ion Generating Unit 31. Dust sensor (detection unit) 32 Gas sensor (detection unit)

Claims

1. An intake section that draws in outside air, This air purification unit purifies the air drawn in from the intake, The outlet that blows out purified air, A blower unit that creates the airflow that draws in air from the intake unit and blows it out from the outlet unit, A detection unit that detects the condition of the outside air, An air purifier equipped with a control unit, The aforementioned air purification unit includes an ion generating unit. The control unit sets the operating mode as follows: A first mode controls the amount of air blown by the air blower according to the detection status of the detection unit. It also features a second mode that performs control specifically for removing certain air pollutants, The control unit, If it is determined that predetermined conditions are met while the second mode is selected, the ion generating unit is activated. If it is determined that the ion generating unit is operating while the second mode is selected, the airflow rate of the air blower is increased to an airflow rate equal to or greater than the maximum airflow rate in the first mode, An air purifier that reduces the sensitivity of the sensor in the detection unit that detects substances other than the specific air pollutants.

2. The aforementioned predetermined conditions are: It is within a predetermined time after the introduction of the second mode or The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the specific air pollutant detected by the detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold.

3. The control unit, While the second mode is selected, The air purifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensitivity of the sensor that detects the specific air pollutant among the detection units is increased.

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