Air conditioner

Abstract

For air conditioners that use ultraviolet lamps to inactivate bacteria and viruses in the air for air sterilization, the required air supply capacity of the air conditioner is ensured, and ultraviolet leakage from the air conditioner to the outside is suppressed. The air conditioner (1) has a blower (23) and a heat exchanger (24) inside, and has an intake port (34) for drawing in indoor air and an air outlet (35) for sending out the adjusted air on the lower surface. The air conditioner (1) has a reflector (41) and a rod-shaped ultraviolet lamp (40), which is adjacent to the intake port (34) and irradiates the air drawn in from the intake port (34) with ultraviolet light. The reflector (41) is formed with a V-shaped cross section by reflector plates (41b) and (41c) that block the ultraviolet light below and on both sides of the ultraviolet lamp (40). The reflector plates (41b) and (41c) of the reflector (41) have multiple bladed grilles (42) that allow air to pass through.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an air conditioner installed on an indoor ceiling, and more particularly to an air conditioner that sterilizes the air by inactivating bacteria and viruses in the air. Background Technology

[0002] Conventionally, air conditioners installed on indoor ceilings include fan coil units and ceiling panel units, with the fan coil unit disposed inside the indoor ceiling and the ceiling panel unit installed below the fan coil unit and disposed on the ceiling surface (Patent Document 1).

[0003] The fan coil unit contains an intake chamber, a blower, a heat exchanger, and an air supply chamber. The blower directs air from the intake chamber to the heat exchanger and the air supply chamber. Additionally, the ceiling panel unit has an intake port on its lower surface for drawing in indoor air and an air supply port for blowing air out of the room. Indoor air drawn in through the intake port flows into the intake chamber of the fan coil unit, while air supplied from the air supply chamber of the fan coil unit is delivered into the room through the air supply port.

[0004] Typically, air conditioners use built-in filters to remove dust and heat exchangers to regulate temperature. However, additional sterilization devices are needed to inactivate bacteria and viruses in the air for air sterilization.

[0005] Ultraviolet (UV) lamps are commonly used in air conditioners for air sterilization. However, the adverse effects of UV radiation on human health must be considered when using UV lamps. Therefore, it is essential to minimize the leakage of UV radiation from the ceiling panel unit of the air conditioner into the room.

[0006] However, to completely suppress ultraviolet leakage, the light path of the ultraviolet rays can only be blocked, but the suction port of the ceiling panel unit cannot be blocked. Furthermore, if the suction port of the ceiling panel unit is reduced to a level that will not have an adverse effect on the human body, the following problems will occur: the amount of air that can be drawn in will be reduced, and the original air intake volume of the air conditioner cannot be obtained, resulting in a reduction in air supply capacity and an inability to ensure the required air supply capacity of the air conditioner.

[0007] Existing technical documents

[0008] Patent documents

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-225972 Summary of the Invention

[0010] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0011] This invention was made in view of the following problems, and its purpose is to ensure the required air supply capacity of air conditioners that use ultraviolet lamps to inactivate bacteria and viruses in the air for air sterilization, and to suppress the leakage of ultraviolet light from the air conditioner to the outside.

[0012] Solution for solving the problem

[0013] This invention relates to an air conditioner that includes a blower and a heat exchanger inside, and has an intake port and an air outlet on its lower surface. The air conditioner also includes a reflector and a rod-shaped ultraviolet lamp adjacent to the intake port, which irradiates the air drawn in from the intake port with ultraviolet light. The reflector is formed with a V-shaped cross-section facing upwards by a reflective plate that blocks ultraviolet light from below and to the sides of the ultraviolet lamp. The reflective plate of the reflector has multiple bladed grids that allow air to pass through, and the intake port has multiple blades installed parallel to and spaced apart from the ultraviolet lamp. The blades are installed on both sides of the ultraviolet lamp and are inclined in opposite directions to each other in an upward-facing manner.

[0014] The effects of the invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the air supply capacity of the air conditioner can be ensured, and the leakage of ultraviolet rays from the air conditioner to the outside can be significantly reduced. Specifically, by having a reflector that blocks ultraviolet rays below and to the sides of the ultraviolet lamp installed adjacent to the air conditioner's suction port, the leakage of ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet lamp from the air conditioner to the outside (here, the indoor area) can be significantly reduced.

[0016] In addition, by forming the reflector's reflective surface into a V-shaped cross section and setting a bladed grille on the reflective surface, air passes through the bladed grille without obstructing the airflow, thus maintaining the required amount of air flowing inside the air conditioner, thereby ensuring the air supply capacity of the air conditioner. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 It indicates the overall direction of the air conditioner. Figure 2 A longitudinal sectional view of A-A.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a 3D view of the ceiling panel unit.

[0019] Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 The longitudinal section view of B-B.

[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 An enlarged sectional view of part A.

[0021] Figure 5 A is the side view of the reflector. Figure 5B is the top view of the reflector. Figure 5 C is the front view of the reflector.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the locations where ultraviolet radiation was measured in the experiment. Detailed Implementation

[0023] An embodiment of the air conditioner of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] The air conditioner in this embodiment is a type installed on the indoor ceiling. It uses ultraviolet lamps to inactivate bacteria and viruses in the air, thus sterilizing the air and supplying clean air to the room. Here, "indoor" refers to the interior space of residences, offices, hospitals, commercial facilities, public facilities, etc.

[0025] Figure 1 It indicates the overall direction of the air conditioner. Figure 2 The longitudinal section view of line A-A. Figure 2 This is a 3D view of the ceiling panel unit. Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 The longitudinal section view of line B-B.

[0026] Before describing the air conditioner of this embodiment, the terminology will be explained.

[0027] In this specification, "front-to-back direction" refers to the length direction of the ceiling panel unit 3, which will be described later. Figure 2 The image is indicated by an arrow X. Additionally, "left and right direction" refers to the width direction of ceiling panel unit 3. Figure 2 , Figure 3 The image below uses an arrow Y to indicate this. Additionally, "vertical direction" refers to the height direction of ceiling panel unit 3. Figure 2 , Figure 3 The arrow Z is used to indicate this in the attached diagram. Similarly, the arrows X, Y, and Z in the other attached diagrams are also represented by this arrow.

[0028] First, let me briefly describe the overall structure of the air conditioner 1.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the air conditioner 1 includes: a fan coil unit 2 disposed on the inner side of the ceiling of the room; and a ceiling panel unit 3 installed on the lower part of the fan coil unit 2 and configured such that its bottom surface is substantially flush with the ceiling surface C.

[0030] The fan coil unit 2 includes, within its housing: an intake chamber 22 having an air intake port 21 at its lower part; a blower 23 disposed above the intake chamber 22; a heat exchanger (coil) 24 adjacent to the blower 23 downstream of the blower 23; and an air supply chamber 26 adjacent to the heat exchanger 24 downstream of the heat exchanger 24. The air supply chamber 26 has an opening 25 at its lower part.

[0031] Fan coil unit 2 uses blower 23 to deliver air from intake chamber 22 to heat exchanger 24, where heat exchange occurs. The heat-exchanged air is then delivered to supply chamber 26. Fan coil unit 2 is fixed to the inside of ceiling in a manner that prevents it from being easily removed from the ceiling.

[0032] Ceiling panel unit 3 presents Figure 2 , Figure 3 The shape shown is, for example, molded using synthetic resin. The ceiling panel unit 3, as illustrated, is rectangular when viewed from above. The front and rear sides of the rectangle are walls (front wall 30a, rear wall 30b), while the left and right sides are formed by left and right air supply ducts 32a and 32b, respectively. These ducts serve as ventilation paths for delivering air ejected from the fan coil unit 2 to the indoor side. Additionally, a bottom panel 33 is installed on the bottom surface of the ceiling panel unit 3, and the overall shape is a shell (box) with an open upper surface.

[0033] The bottom panel 33 is provided with a suction port 34 for drawing air into the air conditioner 1 and an air outlet 35 for distributing adjusted (i.e., purified and heat-exchanged) air to the indoor side. In addition, a rectangular frame 30d is integrally formed on the front wall 30a, which forms an inspection port 30c for checking the vertical communication of the fan coil unit 2. A convex portion 30e is integrally formed on the rear wall 30b at the same height as the frame 30d. The convex portion 30e, together with the frame 30d, serves as a positioning component when the fan coil unit 2 is mounted on the ceiling.

[0034] The right-side air supply duct 32b has a roughly rectangular cross-section and openings at both its upper and lower ends (upper opening 32c and lower opening 32d). The upper opening 32c connects to the opening 25 at the lower end of the air supply chamber 26 of the fan coil unit 2. The right-side air supply duct 32b has an air outlet 35 for supplying air from the upper opening 32c into the right-side air supply duct 32b to the room through an opening (air outlet) 33a in the bottom panel 33.

[0035] The cross-section of the left air supply duct 32a is roughly rectangular. The left air supply duct 32a has an air outlet 35 at its lower end for supplying the air to the room through the opening (air outlet) 33b of the bottom panel 33. The upper part of the left air supply duct 32a is connected to the connecting duct 36 described later.

[0036] As shown in the figure, the left and right air supply ducts 32a and 32b are connected to multiple connecting ducts 36 (two shown in the figure) arranged at equal intervals in the front-back direction. Air flowing into the right air supply duct 32b is branched off by the connecting duct 36 to the left air supply duct 32a, and air is supplied to the room from the lower end of the left air supply duct 32a through the opening (air outlet) 33b of the bottom panel 33. The air flow in the left and right air supply ducts 32a and 32b and the connecting ducts 36... Figure 2 , Figure 3 The arrow F is used to represent this.

[0037] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 As shown, a horizontal panel 37 is provided on the inner side of the ceiling panel unit 3. The panel 37, the front wall 30a and rear wall 30b surrounding the outer portion 30 of the panel 37, and the inner walls of the left and right air supply ducts 32a and 32b form an open space below. By using the bottom panel 33 to close the open space below, an intake chamber 38 is formed for the inflow of air drawn in from the room.

[0038] A horizontal panel 37 forms the bottom wall of the connecting pipes 36, and openings are provided between the connecting pipes 36 and between the connecting pipes 36 and the front wall 30a and rear wall 30b. These openings, as described later, provide a flow path (inlet passage 39) for air drawn into the ceiling panel unit 3 to flow into the intake chamber 22 of the fan coil unit 2. The airflow through this inlet passage 39... Figure 2 The arrow E is used to represent this.

[0039] A filter 34a is provided at the suction port 34 of the bottom panel 33, which is located at the lower end of the suction chamber 38 and is mounted on the bottom surface of the ceiling panel unit 3, to remove dust and other particles from the suction air. In addition, an ultraviolet lamp 40 and a reflector 41 that restricts the direction of ultraviolet radiation emitted from the ultraviolet lamp 40 are provided on the upper side of the filter 34a adjacent to it.

[0040] Next, the ultraviolet lamp 40 and the reflector 41 will be described.

[0041] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 An enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in the figure. Figure 5 A is the side view of the reflector. Figure 5 B is the top view of the reflector. Figure 5 C is the front view of the reflector.

[0042] The UV lamp 40 is a rod-shaped lamp. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the ultraviolet lamp 40 is positioned parallel to the ceiling surface C at a position corresponding to the center of the suction port 34 on the left and right sides. Figure 2 The suction chamber 38 is installed in the inner part 31 of the ceiling panel unit 3 in the front-to-back direction, that is, above and adjacent to the suction port 34 of the bottom panel 33. The ultraviolet lamp 40 is used to irradiate the air drawn from the suction port with ultraviolet light.

[0043] The ultraviolet lamp 40 used is, for example, a UV-C lamp that produces UV-C. UV-C (ultraviolet C: short-wave ultraviolet light) is ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 180nm to 280nm. It has the highest energy among ultraviolet rays and has a strong destructive effect on living organisms, with a very high inactivation effect on bacteria and viruses, i.e., a sterilization effect. In addition, the ultraviolet lamp 40 is not limited to a UV-C lamp; it can also be, for example, a UV-A lamp that produces UV-A (ultraviolet A: long-wave ultraviolet light) or a UV-B lamp that produces UV-B (ultraviolet B: medium-wave ultraviolet light).

[0044] like Figure 5 A, Figure 5 B Figure 5 As shown in Figure C, the reflector 41 includes: a horizontal plate 41a extending in the front-to-back direction, located at the center of the left and right sides of the reflector 41, and narrow in width; and reflector plates 41b and 41c symmetrically extending obliquely upward to the left and right sides of the horizontal plate 41a. That is, the reflector 41 is formed as an upward-opening, V-shaped section, extending in the front-to-back direction to cover the lower and sides of the ultraviolet lamp 40. Thus, the reflector plates 41b and 41c block ultraviolet rays from both sides of the ultraviolet lamp 40.

[0045] The reflector 41 is configured to be the same length as or longer than the ultraviolet lamp 40, and when it is installed in the suction chamber 38, its upper end reaches the upper part of the suction chamber 38.

[0046] Reflectors 41b and 41c are each provided with a bladed grille 42 that allows air to pass through. Each bladed grille 42 has multiple sets of slits 42a and blades 42b. The blades 42b guide the intake air towards the slits 42a and suppress ultraviolet leakage from the slits 42a. Multiple bladed grilles 42 are provided on reflectors 41b and 41c at predetermined intervals along the front-to-back direction, for example, five (two are shown in the figure).

[0047] The horizontal plate 41a of the reflector 41 is longer in the front-to-back direction than the front-to-back lengths of the reflectors 41b and 41c. The reflector 41 is held in place by the bottom plate 33 of the ceiling panel unit 3.

[0048] A lamp holder 43 is mounted on the upper side of the horizontal plate 41a of the reflector 41. The ultraviolet lamp 40 is mounted inside the reflector 41 using the lamp holder 43, such that the lower and sides of the ultraviolet lamp 40 are covered by the reflector plates 41b and 41c of the reflector 41.

[0049] By using reflector 41, ultraviolet light can be irradiated onto the air flowing into the V-shaped area divided by reflectors 41b and 41c for sterilization. Reflector 41 also has an inner reflector 44 along the ultraviolet lamp 40 inside the reflectors 41b and 41c. This inner reflector 44 includes left and right reflectors 44a and 44b of a predetermined height. Thus, the reflectors 44a and 44b block ultraviolet light from both sides of the ultraviolet lamp 40. The vertical length (height) of the inner reflector 44 is approximately two-thirds the height of reflector 41, and its front-to-back length is the same as that of reflector 41. The height of the inner reflector 44 is set to approximately two-thirds the height of reflector 41 because if the height of the inner reflector 44 were higher, the required amount of ultraviolet light irradiation would be insufficient; conversely, if the height of the inner reflector 44 were lower, the amount of leaked ultraviolet light would increase to an undesirable level.

[0050] By incorporating the inner reflector 44, most of the direct light (ultraviolet rays) from the ultraviolet lamp 40 towards the reflectors 41b and 41c is blocked by the reflectors 44a and 44b of the inner reflector 44. Furthermore, the reflectors 44a and 44b act as baffles for the airflow, generating air vortices and agitating the flowing air. This suppresses ultraviolet leakage and ensures that ultraviolet rays are fully absorbed into the air flowing into the reflector 41, enabling the inactivation of bacteria and viruses and improving the sterilization effect.

[0051] In addition, such as Figure 4 As shown, a plurality of blades 34b are mounted on the bottom panel 33, which is installed on the bottom surface of the ceiling panel unit 3, along the length of the ultraviolet lamp 40 on the lower side of the filter 34a. That is, the suction port 34 has a plurality of blades 34b installed parallel to and spaced apart from the ultraviolet lamp 40.

[0052] The blades 34b are mounted on both sides of the ultraviolet lamp 40, tilted in opposite directions relative to each other in an upward-facing manner. The tilting direction of the blades 34b is opposite to the upward-facing tilting direction of the blades 42b of the bladed grid 42 of the reflector 41.

[0053] Therefore, the air drawn in from the suction port 34 can flow smoothly in the direction of diffusion within the suction chamber 38, and the inclined blades 34b can be used to suppress the leakage of ultraviolet rays scattered in the reflectors 41b, 41c or the inner portion 31 downwards, i.e., inside the chamber.

[0054] Next, the airflow and air sterilization within the air conditioner 1 described above will be explained.

[0055] like Figure 1 As shown, when the air conditioner 1 is working, indoor air is drawn in from the suction port 34 of the ceiling panel unit 3 by the blower 23 of the fan coil unit 2. The drawn-in air is first filtered by the filter 34a to remove dust and other contaminants and then flows into the suction chamber 38. Next, the air reaching the reflector 41 is guided by the blades 42b of the bladed grille 42 of the reflector plates 41b and 41c of the reflector 41 and flows into the reflector 41 from the slit 42a.

[0056] The air flowing into reflector 41 is irradiated by reflected and scattered ultraviolet light and flows upward. After reaching the upper end of inner reflector 44, it is agitated by the action of inner reflector 44 and is also irradiated by direct light from ultraviolet lamp (a portion of the air flows into inner reflector 44 and is irradiated by direct ultraviolet light there). The air, thus sterilized by ultraviolet irradiation without omission, flows into the intake chamber 22 of fan coil unit 2 through inlet passage 39.

[0057] Air flowing into the intake chamber 22 is ejected by the blower 23 into the heat exchanger 24, where heat exchange occurs. The heat-exchanged air then flows into the supply air chamber 26 and the right-side supply air duct 32b connected to it. A portion of the air flowing into the right-side supply air duct 32b is diverted by the connecting duct 36 and flows into the left-side supply air duct 32a. This sterilized and heat-exchanged air is then supplied to the room from the air outlet 35 on the bottom panel 33 of the ceiling panel unit 3 of the air conditioner 1. The air supplied from the air outlet 35 is guided by the guide plate 35a located on the air outlet 35, changing its ejection direction to a downward angle.

[0058] As described above, in the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, the ceiling panel unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 has a V-shaped reflector 41 that blocks ultraviolet rays below and to both sides of the ultraviolet lamp 40 mounted above the suction port 34, and an inner reflector 44 is provided inside the V-shaped reflector 41. Therefore, the leakage of ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet lamp 40 from the air conditioner 1 to the outside (indoors) can be significantly reduced. In addition, by installing blades 34b on the suction port 34, the leakage of ultraviolet rays leaking from the V-shaped reflector 41 into the indoors can be further suppressed. Therefore, the leakage of ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet lamp 40 from the air conditioner 1 to the outside can be significantly reduced.

[0059] In addition, the reflector plates 41b and 41c of the V-shaped reflector 41 that block ultraviolet rays below and to the sides of the ultraviolet lamp 40 are provided with bladed grilles 42. The blades 42b of the bladed grilles 42 can guide the air to pass smoothly through the slits 42a, so the air flow is not obstructed and the air flowing in the air conditioner 1 can be maintained at a specified ventilation volume, thereby maintaining the air supply capacity of the air conditioner 1.

[0060] Furthermore, since the ultraviolet lamp 40 and the V-shaped reflector 41 are installed inside the ceiling panel unit 3, when replacing an existing air conditioner 1 without air sterilization function with an air conditioner 1 that has an air sterilization function that inactivates bacteria and viruses in the air, it is not necessary to replace the internal fan coil unit 2 fixed to the indoor ceiling; only the ceiling panel unit 3, which is detachably installed below the fan coil unit 2, needs to be replaced. In other words, it is possible to easily and inexpensively replace an existing air conditioner 1 without air sterilization function with an air conditioner 1 that has an air sterilization function.

[0061] In addition, in the above embodiment, the air conditioner 1 includes two units: a fan coil unit 2 and a ceiling panel unit 3, but it is not limited to these. It can also be a structure that integrates them into one unit or other structures.

[0062] Next, in the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, an experiment was conducted to investigate the amount of ultraviolet light leaking from the air conditioner 1 to the outside (indoors), and this will be described here.

[0063] In the experiment, the amount of ultraviolet light leaking from air conditioner 1 to the outside was investigated.

[0064] like Figure 6 As shown, the amount of ultraviolet radiation leaking from the air conditioner 1 to the outside was measured at four locations below the air conditioner 1 (labeled P1, P2, P3, and P4 in the attached diagram). All measurement locations were 200 mm away from the lower surface of the ceiling panel unit 3 of the air conditioner 1.

[0065] In addition, an air conditioner that does not have a V-shaped reflector 41 and an inner reflector 44 in the ceiling panel unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 was used as a comparative example, and the amount of ultraviolet light leaking to the outside in this comparative example was also measured. The measurement locations were the same as those mentioned above, which were four locations below the air conditioner 1 (labeled P1, P2, P3, and P4 in the attached drawings).

[0066] The results are presented in Table 1 below.

[0067] Table 1

[0068]

[0069] As shown in Table 1, in the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, the amount of ultraviolet light leaked to the outside is 0.027 to 0.083 (μW / cm²). 2 At all four locations, the ultraviolet radiation level was 0.1 μW / cm². 2 Below 0.1 μW / cm², not exceeding the safety reference value of 0.1 μW / cm² for ultraviolet (UV-C) radiation. 2 ).

[0070] In contrast, in the comparative example air conditioner lacking the V-shaped reflector 41 and the inner reflector 44, the amount of ultraviolet light leaking to the outside is 2.788–5.346 μW / cm². 2 At all four locations, the ultraviolet radiation levels significantly exceeded the safety baseline of 0.1 μW / cm². 2 ).

[0071] As described above, it can be confirmed that in the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, the leakage of ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet lamp 40 into the room can be greatly reduced, and the air conditioner 1 can be used safely.

[0072] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0073] 1. Air conditioner; 2. Fan coil unit; 3. Ceiling panel unit; 21. Inlet; 22. Suction chamber; 23. Blower; 24. Heat exchanger; 25. Opening; 26. Supply air chamber; 30. Outer side; 30a. Front wall; 30b. Rear wall; 30c. Inspection port; 30d. Frame; 30e. Protruding part; 31. Inner side; 32a. Supply air duct; 32b. Supply air duct; 32c. Upper opening; 32d. Lower opening; 33. Bottom panel; 33a. Opening (air outlet) 33b. Opening (air outlet); 34. Suction inlet; 34a. Filter; 34b. Blade; 35. Air outlet; 35a. Guide plate; 36. Connecting duct; 37. Panel; 38. Suction chamber; 39. Inlet passage; 40. Ultraviolet lamp; 41. Reflector; 41a. Horizontal plate; 41b. Reflector; 41c. Reflector; 42. Grille with blades; 42a. Slit; 42b. Blade; 43. Lamp holder; 44. Internal reflector; 44a. Reflector; 44b. Reflector.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, The air conditioner has a blower and a heat exchanger inside, and it also has an intake vent and an air outlet on its lower surface. The air conditioner is equipped with a reflector and a rod-shaped ultraviolet lamp. The ultraviolet lamp is adjacent to the suction port and irradiates the air drawn in from the suction port with ultraviolet light. The reflector is formed with a V-shaped cross-section, which blocks the ultraviolet light below and to the sides of the ultraviolet lamp. The reflector plate has multiple bladed grilles that allow air to pass through. The suction port has multiple blades installed parallel to and spaced apart from the ultraviolet lamp. The blades are installed on both sides of the ultraviolet lamp and tilted in opposite directions to each other in an upward-open manner.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein, The blades are tilted in the opposite direction to the blades of the reflector's reflector plate, which are tilted upwards.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The air conditioner has an inner reflector of a specified height on the inside of the reflector plate along the ultraviolet lamp, which blocks ultraviolet rays from both sides of the ultraviolet lamp.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, Ultraviolet lamps are UV-C lamps.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein, Ultraviolet lamps are UV-C lamps.

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