Humidification unit and humidification air cleaner

Abstract

To provide a humidification unit having high humidification performance.SOLUTION: A humidification unit of the present invention is a housing which has an inner cylinder part, an outer cylinder part and a bottom part, and can store water in a water storage space which is formed of the inner cylinder part, the outer cylinder part and the bottom part. The inner cylinder part has a suction port being an opening for sucking air blown out of a blower at a lower side, the outer cylinder part surrounds the outside of the inner cylinder part. The bottom part comprises: a housing for connecting a lower end part of the inner cylinder part and a lower end part of the outer cylinder part; a humidification filter provided in the water storage part, having water absorption performance, and generating humidified air by humidifying air; a blowout port being an opening formed at an upper side of the outer cylinder part, and discharging the humidified air toward a sideway; and an upper lid provided so as to cover upper sides of the outer cylinder part, the inner cylinder part and the humidification filter. At least a part of the blowout port is located at an upper side rather than an upper end of the inner cylinder part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a humidification unit and a humidification air purifier. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been an air purifier that includes a purifier main body and a humidifier as a humidifying section on the purifier main body, as described in Patent Document 1. The humidifier of this air purifier includes a main body, an engagement section, a wet filter section, and a ventilation section, and a first opening is formed on the bottom of the main body and a second opening is formed on the opposite top surface. The airflow that enters from the first opening passes through the wet filter section, becomes a wet airflow, and exits to the outside through the ventilation opening of the ventilation section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3225216 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the humidifier described in Patent Document 1, the gas flow changes twice from below to above, from above to the side, and from the side to above before being discharged to the outside through the ventilation hole, and the wind speed decreases every time the gas flow changes, which is insufficient from the viewpoint of humidifying a wide range. As a result, there is a problem that the humidifier described in Patent Document 1 does not provide sufficient humidification performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention provides the following means to solve the above problems.

[0006] A humidification unit according to one aspect of the present invention is a humidification unit that humidifies air blown from an air blower and emits the humidified air, A housing having an inner cylinder portion, an outer cylinder portion, and a bottom portion, the housing being capable of storing water in a water storage space formed by the inner cylinder portion, the outer cylinder portion, and the bottom portion, The inner cylinder portion has a suction port on a lower side, the suction port being an opening for sucking in air blown from the blower device, The outer cylinder portion surrounds the outside of the inner cylinder portion, the bottom portion connects a lower end of the inner cylinder portion to a lower end of the outer cylinder portion; and a humidifying filter that is provided in the water storage space, has water absorption properties, and humidifies the air to generate the humidified air; an air outlet that is an opening provided on an upper side of the outer cylinder portion and that discharges the humidified air laterally; a top cover provided to cover the outer cylinder portion, the inner cylinder portion, and an upper side of the humidifying filter, At least a portion of the air outlet is located above an upper end of the inner cylinder portion.

[0007] According to the above-mentioned humidifying unit, by mounting the humidifying unit on the blower, it is possible to easily add a humidifying function to the blower. In addition, since the humidified air is discharged to the side by the air outlet, the humidified air that has passed through the humidifying filter in the radial direction, i.e., to the side, can be discharged as is without changing the direction, so that a decrease in wind speed can be prevented and high humidifying performance can be obtained. In addition, by providing the air outlet on the side, the humidified air can reach a long distance compared to a configuration in which the air outlet is provided on the upper side, so that even higher humidifying performance can be obtained. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which the air outlet is provided on the upper surface, dust is less likely to enter the inside from the air outlet, so that a decrease in humidifying performance caused by the invaded dust adhering to the humidifying filter, etc. can be suppressed.

[0008] In the above-mentioned humidifying unit, preferably, the humidifying filter is cylindrical and has an upper opening on the upper side, A filter cover for covering the upper opening is further provided. The filter lid is A connecting portion that is detachably connected to the inner cylindrical portion; an inclined portion located on the upper side of the inner cylindrical portion, the inclined portion being inclined upward as it goes outward from a downward protruding apex provided at a position facing the center of the inner cylindrical portion; The pen has a grip portion that can be gripped by a user and is provided in a recess formed on the upper side opposite the inclined portion.

[0009] According to the above-mentioned humidifying unit, the inclined portion can guide the air flow from the bottom to the top of the inner tube outward. Also, a recess is formed on the opposite side of the inclined portion, and a grip can be provided in this recess, so that the space can be used effectively. Furthermore, by providing the grip in this recess, the height of the filter cover can be reduced compared to a configuration in which a grip is provided without a recess, and the height of the humidifying unit can be reduced.

[0010] In the above humidification unit, an upper end of the inner cylinder is preferably located above an upper end of the outer cylinder.

[0011] With this configuration, even if more water than the allowable amount is poured into the water storage space, the water will flow out beyond the upper end of the outer cylinder before it reaches the upper end of the inner cylinder, and it is possible to prevent water from flowing inside the inner cylinder. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water flowing out of the water storage space from entering the blower device located below the inner cylinder, which would cause the blower device to break down.

[0012] In the above humidification unit, preferably, a cross-sectional area of ​​the inner cylinder portion in a direction perpendicular to a vertical direction gradually decreases from a lower end to an upper end.

[0013] With this configuration, the speed of the air passing upward through the inner cylinder portion increases, and the humidified air discharged from the air outlet can reach farther.

[0014] In the above humidification unit, preferably, the air outlet and the upper cover are integral and detachably connectable to the outer cylinder portion.

[0015] This configuration allows the outlet and the top cover to be removed to supply water to the water storage area from above, improving convenience. Also, compared to a configuration in which the outlet is integrated with the housing, it is easier to visually check the amount of water in the water storage area and to confirm the full water position.

[0016] The above humidification unit preferably further includes an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion provided on the upper surface of the air blower at a position opposite to the engaged portion.

[0017] With this configuration, the humidifying unit can be stably placed on the air blowing device.

[0018] A humidifier air purifier according to one aspect of the present invention includes a humidifier unit having the above-described engagement portion, an air purification unit that purifies the sucked air and blows the purified air from a purified air outlet provided on an upper surface toward an upper side where the humidification unit is located; the engaged portion is formed by a gap between bars provided at the clean air outlet, The bars are formed in a plurality of shapes similar to the outer shape of the upper surface of the air purification unit and become smaller toward the inside.

[0019] With this configuration, the humidifying unit can be stabilized relative to the air purifying unit without rattling.

[0020] A humidifier air purifier according to one aspect of the present invention includes the above-mentioned humidifier unit, and an air purification unit which purifies the sucked air and sends the purified air toward the humidification unit.

[0021] In the above humidifier air purifier, preferably, the air purification unit is A housing having an intake port that is an opening for sucking in surrounding air; A purification section that purifies the sucked air; A motor that rotates by power supplied thereto; a fan driven by the motor to blow air; a motor cover for covering the motor; and an upper surface member having a clean air outlet for blowing the cleaned air upward, The motor cover has an upper opening on an upper surface thereof, The upper surface member has a shielding portion provided above the upper opening so as to cover the entire upper opening in a top view.

[0022] With this configuration, even if water enters from above the air purification unit, the water that hits the shielding portion and flows down from the outer edge of the shielding portion is less likely to enter through the upper opening of the motor cover, thereby preventing water from getting on the motor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a humidifier air purifier according to an embodiment, as viewed from the front side. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the humidifier air purifier according to the embodiment as viewed from the rear side. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the air purification unit and the humidification unit are separated in the humidification air purifier of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the humidifying unit according to the embodiment, seen from below. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the humidifying unit according to the embodiment, seen from above. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the humidifying unit according to the embodiment, as viewed from below. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the humidifier air purifier according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the air purification unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the air purification unit of the embodiment with the top member removed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the fitting portion on the inner cylinder. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the filter lid lower fitting portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, a humidified air purifier according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely one example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. In each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted.

[0025] In this specification, the humidified air purifier 1 will be described as being placed on a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The side of the humidified air purifier 1 on which the operation units 39a to 39c are provided is referred to as the front side, and the opposite side on which the power cable 39g is provided is referred to as the rear side. The up-down direction of the humidified air purifier 1 may be referred to as the height direction.

[0026] [Overall configuration of Humidified Air Purifier 1] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the humidifier air purifier 1 as viewed from the front side, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view as viewed from the rear side. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the air purification unit 3 and the humidification unit 2 are separated.

[0027] 1 to 3, a humidifier air purifier 1 includes a humidifier unit 2 and an air purification unit 3. The air purification unit 3 can also be used alone as an air purifier.

[0028] [Humidification unit 2] The humidifying unit 2 is placed on top of the air purifying unit 3 so as to be detachable from the air purifying unit 3. The humidifying unit 2 uses the air flow (hereinafter also referred to as "airflow") generated by the air purifying unit 3 to draw in air from an inlet and emit humidified air from an outlet. That is, the humidifying unit 2 humidifies the air blown from the air purifying unit 3 functioning as a blower and emits the humidified air. The blower is preferably the air purifying unit 3, but it is also possible to employ a blower that does not have the function of purifying air.

[0029] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the humidifying unit 2 as viewed from below. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are exploded perspective views of the humidifying unit 2, Fig. 5 being a view as viewed from above and Fig. 6 being a view as viewed from below. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the humidifying air purifier 1.

[0030] As shown in the figures, the humidifying unit 2 includes an upper cover 21, an air outlet section 22, a filter cover 23, a humidifying filter 24, a silver bead holder 25, and a housing 26. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the external appearance of the humidifying unit 2 in an assembled state is that of the housing 26, the air outlet section 22, and the upper cover 21, which are stacked in this order from the bottom.

[0031] [Case 26] The housing 26 includes an outer cylinder portion 261, an inner cylinder portion 262, a bottom portion 263, and an engagement portion 264a. The outer cylinder portion 261, the inner cylinder portion 262, the bottom portion 263, and the engagement portion 264a are formed of resin, but may be formed of other materials. The housing 26 is located at the bottom of the humidification unit 2, and is placed directly on the air purification unit 3. The housing 26 is capable of storing water for humidification in a water storage space 263a formed by the outer cylinder portion 261, the inner cylinder portion 262, and the bottom portion 263.

[0032] [Outer cylinder part 261] The outer cylinder portion 261 is a member having a cylindrical outer shape, and forms the outer shell of the housing 26. The outer cylinder portion 261 is provided to surround the inner cylinder portion 262.

[0033] An outer cylinder upper fitting portion 261a that fits with the air outlet portion lower fitting portion 22c is formed at the upper end of the outer cylinder portion 261. When the outer cylinder upper fitting portion 261a and the air outlet portion lower fitting portion 22c are fitted together, the outer cylinder upper fitting portion 261a is located outside the air outlet portion lower fitting portion 22c.

[0034] Outer cylinder 261 has water level window 261b extending in the vertical direction and formed of transparent resin, glass, or the like. Water level window 261b is provided in a through hole penetrating outer cylinder 261 from the inside to the outside. Water level window 261b has a guide that indicates the appropriate amount or upper limit of water to be held. From water level window 261b, the user can visually confirm the amount of water held in water storage space 263a inside housing 26, and whether the amount of water is the appropriate amount or the upper limit.

[0035] [Inner cylinder portion 262] The inner cylinder 262 is a cylindrical member and is disposed inside the outer cylinder 261 and surrounded by the outer cylinder 261. The inner cylinder 262 has an intake port 262a on the lower side, which is an opening for sucking in air blown from the clean air outlet 31b of the air purification unit 3. The inner cylinder 262 is formed so that the diameter gradually decreases from the lower end to the upper end, and thus the cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction decreases from the lower end to the upper end. With this configuration, the speed of the air passing through the inside of the inner cylinder 262 is prevented from increasing or decreasing, compared to a configuration in which the diameter is constant.

[0036] At the upper end of the inner cylinder portion 262, an inner cylinder fitting portion 262b is formed, which is fitted detachably by rotation with the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d of the filter lid 23. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the inner cylinder fitting portion 262b. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d. When the inner cylinder fitting portion 262b and the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d are fitted together, the inner cylinder fitting portion 262b is located inside the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d. Specifically, the inner cylinder fitting portion 262b has a groove-like recess 262c formed in an L-shape, and the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d, which is a rectangular protrusion, can be fitted into this recess 262c. The filter lid lower fitting portion 23d can be moved to the right after being inserted downward with respect to the recess 262c of the L-shaped inner cylinder fitting portion 262b. At this time, the filter lid 23 rotates with respect to the inner cylinder portion 262. A protrusion 262e that engages with the recess 23e formed in the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d is formed at the tip of the recess 262c of the inner cylinder upper fitting portion 262b, and the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d climbs over the protrusion 262e of the recess 262c, whereby the protrusion 262e of the recess 262c and the recess 23e of the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d engage with each other, and the inner cylinder portion 262 and the filter lid 23 are stabilized in a fitted state.

[0037] [Bottom 263] Bottom portion 263 is formed to connect the lower end of outer cylinder portion 261 and the lower end of inner cylinder portion 262. Bottom portion 263 is located outside the innermost part of the bottom surface of humidifying filter 24, and abuts against the bottom surface of humidifying filter 24. In other words, the part of the bottom surface of humidifying filter 24 that is inside the innermost part is inner cylinder portion 262.

[0038] The outer cylinder 261, the inner cylinder 262, and the bottom 263 are formed continuously to form a water storage space 263a that is annular when viewed from above. The water storage space 263a holds water to be used for humidification. The upper end 262d of the inner cylinder 262 is higher than the upper end 261c of the outer cylinder 261. Therefore, when water exceeding the allowable amount is poured into the water storage space 263a, the water exceeds the upper end 261c of the outer cylinder 261 and flows out to the outside of the outer cylinder 261, but does not flow into the inside of the inner cylinder 262. The water storage space 263a may hold a liquid for humidification other than water.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 4, the lower side of the bottom portion 263 has recesses 264b and 264c formed to be recessed toward the upper side. These recesses 264b and 264c are provided at positions on the opposite side of the center of the housing 26 which is circular when viewed from above. The circumferential length of the recess 264b is approximately twice the circumferential length of the recess 264c. The recesses 264b and 264c are located at the circumferential ends of the engagement portion 264a.

[0040] [Engaging portion 264a] The four engaging parts 264a are formed on the lower surface of the bottom part 263 at positions facing the engaged parts 31c provided on the upper surface of the air purification unit 3 so as to engage with the engaged parts 31c. Specifically, the four engaging parts 264a are provided at positions having an angle of 90° with respect to the center of the housing 26, which is circular when viewed from above, so as to be equally spaced from one another in the circumferential direction and to extend in the circumferential direction. The circumferential length of the engaging parts 264a is the same as the circumferential length of the engaged parts 31c formed by the gaps of the bars 31a of the upper surface member 31 of the air purification unit 3 into which the engaging parts 264a are inserted, and when engaged with each other, the housing 26 is prevented from rotating relative to the upper surface member 31, thereby preventing the humidification unit 2 from rotating relative to the air purification unit 3. Each of the engaging parts 264a has three ribs 264e extending in the radial direction. These ribs 264e are formed so that the lower side is shorter in the radial direction than the upper side, and therefore can be easily engaged with the engaged portion 31c. These ribs 264e extend in a direction to radially connect the engaged portion 31c formed by the gap of the rail 31a of the upper surface member 31 of the air purification unit 3 into which the engaging portion 264a is inserted, and prevent the housing 26 from rattling relative to the upper surface member 31.

[0041] [Silver bead holder 25] The silver beads holder 25 is a case for holding silver beads made of silver for adding silver ions to the water held in the water storage space 263a, and is placed in the water storage space 263a. The silver beads held in the silver beads holder 25 release silver ions when they come into contact with the water in the water storage space 263a, and sterilize the water and prevent it from becoming slimy. The silver beads holder 25 can be attached to and detached from the water storage space 263a by the user.

[0042] [Humidification filter 24] The humidifying filter 24 is a cylindrical member formed of a material such as a fiber having high water absorption and having an upper opening 24a on the upper side, and is provided in the water storage space 263a between the inner cylinder part 262 and the outer cylinder part 261. The humidifying filter 24 humidifies the air by increasing the proportion of water vapor, i.e., water molecules, contained in the air passing through the humidifying unit 2, thereby increasing the humidity. The humidifying filter 24 is formed by densely arranging thin fibrous materials, forming small gaps between the fibrous materials, and sucks up water to above the water surface of the water storage space 263a by capillary action. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the humidifying filter 24 is folded in a zigzag shape in the circumferential direction and has a circular ring shape when viewed from above. By forming it in such a zigzag shape, the air passing through the humidifying filter 24 effectively comes into contact with the water sucked in by the humidifying filter 24, making it possible to effectively humidify the air.

[0043] 7, the humidifying filter 24 is disposed radially center between the inner cylinder portion 262 and the outer cylinder portion 261. The bottom surface of the humidifying filter 24 contacts the bottom portion 263, and the top surface abuts on the bottom surface of the outermost portion 23f of the filter lid 23 or is located immediately below this bottom surface. This prevents air from flowing through the gap between the humidifying filter 24 and the filter lid 23, which would otherwise cause a decrease in the humidifying effect, and enables effective humidification.

[0044] [Filter lid 23] The filter lid 23 is provided on the upper side of the humidifying filter 24 so as to cover the upper opening of the humidifying filter 24. The filter lid 23 has a lid portion 23a that covers the upper opening of the humidifying filter 24, and a cylindrical portion 23b that extends downward from the lid portion 23a in a cylindrical shape. The cylindrical portion 23b has four openings 23c that are through holes that penetrate laterally and are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction. In the vicinity of the lower end of the cylindrical portion 23b, a filter lid lower fitting portion 23d that is a rectangular convex portion that is provided at an even position in the circumferential direction and that protrudes toward the inside is formed. As described above, the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d is detachably fitted to the inner cylinder upper fitting portion 262b of the inner cylinder portion 262. The filter lid lower fitting portion 23d is an example of a "connecting portion" that detachably connects the filter lid 23 to the inner cylinder portion 262. The coupling portion that couples the filter lid 23 and the inner cylinder portion 262 may be configured with a different structure from the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d and the inner cylinder upper fitting portion 262b.

[0045] The cover portion 23a of the filter cover 23 includes an annular outermost portion 23f located at the outermost position in the radial direction, an annular outer portion 23g located inside the outermost portion 23f, and a conical portion 23h located inside the outermost portion 23g and at the center. The outer edge of the outermost portion 23f is located slightly outside the outer edge of the humidifying filter 24 when viewed from above. This allows the cover portion 23a to cover the entire humidifying filter 24. The conical portion 23h is formed in a cone shape that is convex downward, with the apex 23j that is provided at a position opposite the center of the inner cylinder portion 262 and protruding downward as its apex, and the circular portion at the inner end of the outer portion 23g as the circumference of a circle that constitutes its bottom surface. The lower surface of the conical portion 23h forms an inclined portion 23k that is formed so as to incline upward as it goes outward from the apex 23j. The upper surface of the conical portion 23h is in a mortar shape that is recessed downward on the upper surface of the cover portion 23a. In this recess of the conical portion 23h, a grip portion 23i that passes through the center of the lid portion 23a and extends linearly in the radial direction and that can be gripped by a user is formed. The user can grip the grip portion 23i to rotate the filter lid 23 relative to the housing 26, and engage or disengage the filter lid lower fitting portion 23d of the filter lid 23 with the inner cylinder upper fitting portion 262b of the inner cylinder portion 262 of the housing 26.

[0046] [Air outlet section 22] The air outlet section 22 is a cylindrical member provided on the upper side of the housing 26, and has the same diameter as the outer cylinder section 261. The air outlet section 22 extends in the vertical direction, and has a plurality of bars 22a provided at equal positions in the circumferential direction. An opening formed by a gap between the bars 22a becomes the air outlet 22b, which is an opening for discharging humidified air humidified by the humidifying filter 24 toward the side. As shown in FIG. 7, the lower end of the air outlet 22b is located above the upper end 261c of the outer cylinder section 261. The air outlet 22b extends to the lower end of the upper lid 21, and at least a part of the air outlet 22b is located above the upper end 262d of the inner cylinder section 262 in the vertical direction.

[0047] A blow-out port lower fitting portion 22c that fits with the outer cylinder upper fitting portion 261a is formed at the lower end of the blow-out port portion 22. When the outer cylinder upper fitting portion 261a and the blow-out port lower fitting portion 22c are fitted together, the blow-out port lower fitting portion 22c is located inside the outer cylinder upper fitting portion 261a.

[0048] [Top lid 21] Top lid 21 is provided above air outlet portion 22 so as to cover outer cylinder portion 261 and inner cylinder portion 262 of housing 26, humidifying filter 24, filter cover 23, and air outlet portion 22. Top lid 21 has the same diameter as housing 26 and air outlet portion 22, and is fixed integrally with air outlet portion 22 by being connected to air outlet portion 22 with screws. The top surface of top lid 21 is flat and circular, and forms the top surface of humidifying unit 2.

[0049] [Air purifier unit 3] The air purification unit 3 has a cylindrical outer shape, purifies the air sucked in through the suction port 37a provided on the side, and blows the purified air upward from the purified air outlet 31b provided on the top surface. When the humidification unit 2 is placed on the air purification unit 3, the air blown upward from the purified air outlet 31b is blown toward the suction port 262a of the humidification unit 2.

[0050] 8 and 9 are perspective views showing the appearance of the air purification unit 3. Fig. 8 shows a state in which the upper surface member 31 is attached, and Fig. 9 shows a state in which the upper surface member 31 is removed. As shown in the figures, the air purification unit 3 includes the upper surface member 31, a motor 32, a motor cover 33, a fan 34, a guide 35, a HEPA (High Efficiency Pariculate Air) filter 36, a housing 37, an intake port 37a, a bottom cover 38, operation units 39a to 39c, display units 39d to 39f, and a power cable 39g.

[0051] [Case 37] The housing 37 has a cylindrical outer shape and is configured to cover the periphery of the air purification unit 3. An upper surface member 31 is detachably attached to the top surface of the housing 37, and a bottom cover 38 is detachably attached to the bottom surface.

[0052] The housing 37 has, on its side, an intake port 37a which is an opening for taking in air from the surroundings as described above. The intake port 37a is composed of a plurality of through holes provided to penetrate the side of the housing 37, and is provided mainly on the front and back of the housing 37, but is not limited to this. The intake port 37a may be provided on the bottom surface or near the bottom surface of the housing 37 instead of on the side surface, or may be provided in other locations. However, providing the intake port 37a on the side surface of the housing 37 is preferable because it allows air to be efficiently drawn in.

[0053] The front surface of the housing 37 is provided with operation units 39a to 39c and display units 39d to 39f. The operation units 39a to 39c are buttons that can be operated by the user, for example, the operation unit 39a is an intensity setting button, the operation unit 39b is a timer button, and the operation unit 39c is a power button. The operation unit 39a, which is an intensity setting button, can be operated to change the operation intensity of the air purification unit 3 between weak, medium, strong, and auto. When the operation intensity is weak, medium, or strong, the rotation speed of the motor 32 is changed to change the rotation speed per unit time of the fan 34, and the amount of air sucked in and discharged by the air purification unit 3 per unit time is changed. When the operation intensity is auto, the rotation speed of the motor 32 is changed based on the amount of substances such as dust, smoke, or pollen contained in the air, the strength of the odor, the temperature, or humidity, etc. detected by a sensor provided inside the housing 37. The sensor may be, for example, but is not limited to, a dust sensor, an odor sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or a combination of these sensors. The operation unit 39b, which is a timer button, can be operated to set and change an automatic stop timer, which is the time until the air purification unit 3 automatically stops. The automatic stop time can be set, for example, between 1 hour, 2 hours, and 4 hours. The operation unit 39c, which is a power button, can be operated to control on / off of the air purification unit 3.

[0054] The display units 39d to 39f are provided above the operation units 39a to 39c, respectively, and perform displays corresponding to the functions of the operation units 39a to 39c located below each of them. The display units 39d to 39f are each composed of a display device such as one or more LED elements. Specifically, the display unit 39d provided above the operation unit 39a, which is an intensity setting button, displays whether the current operating intensity is weak, medium, strong, or auto, identifiably by the number of lit LED elements. The display unit 39e provided above the operation unit 39b, which is a timer button, displays whether the automatic stop timer is set and the type of the set automatic stop timer, i.e., the time until automatic stop, identifiably by the number of lit LED elements. The display unit 39f provided above the operation unit 39c, which is a power button, displays whether the air purification unit 3 is in a power-on state or a power-off state, identifiably by the lit or unlit state of the LED elements. The configuration of the display units 39d-39f is not limited to LED elements, and may be a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, etc. When the display units 39d-39f are a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL display device, the state of the air purification unit 3 may be displayed visibly to the user by letters, numbers, symbols, etc., instead of the number of lit elements.

[0055] A control board equipped with a control device that receives operations on the operation units 39a to 39c and controls the displays on the display units 39d to 39f is disposed on the rear side of the operation units 39a to 39c and the display units 39d to 39f. The control device controls each element of the air purification unit 3. A semiconductor integrated circuit, electronic components, and the like that constitute the control device are mounted on this control board.

[0056] 2, the power cable 39g is provided at the lower end of the back surface of the housing 37 and supplies power to the air purification unit 3. The power cable 39g can be connected to a household power source, and inputs the supplied power to a voltage conversion unit (not shown). The voltage conversion unit converts the input AC voltage into a required DC voltage and supplies it to each component of the air purification unit 3.

[0057] [HEPA filter 36] The HEPA filter 36 purifies the air by passing the air sucked in from the suction port 37a and removing particles such as dust, pollen, and viruses contained in the air. The HEPA filter 36 is an air filter that has a particle capture rate of 99.97% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.3 μm at a rated air volume and an initial pressure loss of 245 Pa or less, as specified by the JIS standard. Activated carbon may be kneaded into the HEPA filter 36. This can provide a deodorizing function. The HEPA filter 36 is a cylindrical member with a circular cross section in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The air sucked in from the suction port 37a flows upward after passing through the HEPA filter 36 in the radial direction by the airflow created by the fan 34. The HEPA filter 36 is a specific example of the "purifying unit" of the present invention, but may be replaced with another filter or may be replaced with another configuration having a function of purifying air.

[0058] [Fan 34] The fan 34 is provided above the HEPA filter 36 with its axis of rotation at the center of the air purification unit 3 when viewed from above, and rotates to create an air flow, i.e., an air current, in the air purification unit 3 to blow air. In the humidified air purifier 1 of this embodiment, the humidification unit 2 does not have a fan, so the fan 34 of the air purification unit 3 creates an air flow in the humidification unit 2 as well as the air purification unit 3.

[0059] The fan 34 is connected to a shaft 32a of the motor 32, and rotates when the motor 32 rotates. That is, the fan 34 is rotationally driven by the motor 32. The air flow in the humidifier air purifier 1 created by the fan 34 will be described later.

[0060] A fan intake port 34a is provided below the fan 34, between the fan 34 and the HEPA filter 36, and has a size that matches the upper opening of the HEPA filter 36. The fan intake port 34a is formed to include concentric bars and bars extending in the radial direction.

[0061] [Guide 35] The guide 35 is a wall-like portion that is formed above the fan inlet 34a and radially outward, and extends in the vertical direction. The guide 35 functions to guide the direction of the airflow created by the fan 34 upward.

[0062] [Motor 32] The motor 32 is provided above the fan 34, with its rotation axis at the center of the air purification unit 3 when viewed from above. A shaft 32a extending downward from the motor 32 is connected to the rotation axis of the motor 32 along the center of the air purification unit 3 when viewed from above. The motor 32 rotates when power is supplied.

[0063] [Motor cover 33] The motor cover 33 is provided to cover the motor 32. The motor cover 33 has a dome-shaped upper surface that is convex upwards and a convex bowl-shaped bottom surface that is convex downwards, and has cylindrical sides. As shown in Figs. 7 and 9, the motor cover 33 has an upper opening 33a, which is a circular opening, on its upper surface. A lid 33b formed of concentric bars and bars extending in the radial direction is attached to this upper opening 33a. The motor cover 33 has a lower opening 33c, which is a circular opening, on its lower surface.

[0064] A control board 32b for controlling the voltage and current supplied to the motor 32 is provided inside the motor cover 33.

[0065] [Top member 31] The upper surface member 31 is provided on the upper surface of the air purification unit 3 and has a clean air outlet 31b that blows air purified by the air purification unit 3 upward. The upper surface member 31 is a circular member that can be detachably connected to the housing 37, and is a cover that covers the upper side of the air purification unit 3. The upper surface member 31 has a disk-shaped shielding part 31d at the center, a crosspiece 31a formed concentrically with the upper surface member 31 and formed outside the shielding part 31d, and a crosspiece 31e extending in the radial direction. The shielding part 31d is provided above the upper opening 33a of the motor cover 33 so as to cover the entire upper opening 33a in a top view, and has an area larger than that of the upper opening 33a. The clean air outlet 31b and the engaged part 31c are formed by the gap between the crosspieces 31a and 31e. The clean air outlet 31b and the engaged portion 31c are both through holes extending in the circumferential direction and are defined by the bars 31a and 31e. An engaging portion 264a formed on the lower side of the housing 26 of the humidification unit 2 can be inserted into the engaged portion 31c.

[0066] [Bottom lid 38] Bottom cover 38 is detachably provided on the bottom of housing 37. When bottom cover 38 is removed, HEPA filter 36 can be taken out downward from an opening formed at the position where bottom cover 38 was removed. That is, when replacing HEPA filter 36, a user removes bottom cover 38 and takes out or inserts HEPA filter 36.

[0067] [Air flow inside humidifier air purifier 1] The arrows in FIG. 7 indicate the air flow in the humidified air purifier 1. This air flow is created by the fan 34 as described above. As shown in FIG. 7, the air around the air purifier unit 3 is sucked into the air purifier unit 3 through the fan inlet 34a of the air purifier unit 3. At this time, the sucked air passes through the HEPA filter 36. The air that has passed through the HEPA filter 36 flows upward, passes through the fan inlet 34a, and flows radially outward by the fan 34. At this time, the air that has flowed radially outward hits the guide 35 and is guided upward, and flows radially outward of the motor cover 33 toward the upper side. Thereafter, the purified air is discharged from the air purifier unit 3 through the purified air outlet 31b provided on the upper surface member 31 of the air purifier unit 3 toward the humidifier unit 2 arranged above the air purifier unit 3.

[0068] The air discharged upward from the purified air outlet 31b of the air purification unit 3 is sucked into the humidification unit 2 through the inlet 262a provided in the inner cylinder portion 262 of the humidification unit 2. The air then hits the inclined portion 23k provided on the upper side of the inner cylinder portion 262, is guided toward the radially outer side where the humidification filter 24 is located, and is humidified by passing through the humidification filter 24 in the radial direction. The air thus humidified is discharged toward the side of the humidification unit 2 through the outlet 22b provided in the outlet portion 22.

[0069] In this way, in the humidified air purifier 1 of the present embodiment, the air humidified by passing through the humidifying filter 24 in the radial direction is discharged from the outlet 22b to the side while maintaining the momentum of the airflow. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the air passing through the humidifying filter 24 in the radial direction is redirected upward, the air can be discharged while maintaining its momentum, making it possible to blow air farther. As a result, even if the configuration includes an air purification unit 3 including a motor 32 and a fan 34 that can generate a similar airflow, the space in which the humidified air purifier 1 is placed can be humidified more effectively, and the humidification performance can be improved. In other words, when configuring a humidified air purifier 1 with the same humidification performance, it is also possible to configure it to be more compact or consume less power.

[0070] [Variations] The humidification unit, air purification unit, and humidified air purifier of the present invention are not limited to the configuration of the humidified air purifier 1 of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Modifications are shown below, but are not limited to these.

[0071] The humidified air purifier 1 of the embodiment has a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction, but it is not necessarily cylindrical, and may be an elliptical cylinder with an elliptical cross section, or a polygonal column such as a square column or a triangular column. The humidified air purifier 1 may also be a column whose cross section has a different shape depending on the vertical position. The humidified air purifier 1 may also be a cone shape, or a truncated cone shape with the top of the cone removed. For example, when the humidified air purifier 1 is cone-shaped, the air purifier unit 3 may be truncated cone-shaped, and the humidifier unit 2 may be cone-shaped.

[0072] When the humidified air purifier 1 is not cylindrical as described above, each component has a shape corresponding to the shape of the humidified air purifier 1 as viewed from above. For example, the bars 31a formed on the upper surface member 31 are formed in a shape similar to the outer shape of the upper surface of the air purification unit 3 and are smaller in size toward the inside.

[0073] The humidification unit 2 may have an internal motor and fan, although an embodiment without a motor and fan is preferred as this is a simpler and less expensive configuration.

[0074] Although the HEPA filter 36 in the embodiment is formed in a cylindrical shape, a filter having a shape in which a cylindrical filter is divided into a plurality of filters may be used. Even with such a configuration, a certain degree of humidification effect can be obtained.

[0075] [Summary of the embodiment and modifications] As described above, the humidifying unit 2 of the present embodiment and the modified example is a humidifying unit 2 that humidifies the air blown from the air purifying unit 3 functioning as a blowing device and emits the humidified air, and includes the housing 26, the humidifying filter 24, the air outlet 22b, and the upper cover 21. The housing 26 has an inner cylinder portion 262, an outer cylinder portion 261, and a bottom portion 263, and can store water in the water storage space 263a formed by the inner cylinder portion 262, the outer cylinder portion 261, and the bottom portion 263. The inner cylinder portion 262 has an intake port 262a on the lower side, which is an opening that draws in the air blown from the air purifying unit 3. The outer cylinder portion 261 surrounds the outside of the inner cylinder portion 262. The bottom portion 263 connects the lower end of the inner cylinder portion 262 and the lower end of the outer cylinder portion 261. The humidifying filter 24 is provided in the water storage space 263a, has water absorption, and humidifies the air to generate humidified air. The air outlet 22b is an opening provided on the upper side of the outer cylinder portion 261 and for discharging humidified air laterally. The upper lid 21 is provided so as to cover the upper sides of the outer cylinder portion 261, the inner cylinder portion 262, and the humidifying filter 24. At least a portion of the air outlet 22b is located above the upper end of the inner cylinder portion 262.

[0076] In the humidifying unit 2 of the present embodiment and the modified example, the humidifying filter 24 is cylindrical with an upper opening 24a on the upper side, and further includes a filter lid 23 that covers the upper opening 24a. The filter lid 23 has a filter lid lower fitting portion 23d that functions as a connecting portion, an inclined portion 23k, and a grip portion 23i. The filter lid lower fitting portion 23d is detachably connected to the inner cylinder portion 262. The inclined portion 23k is located on the upper side of the inner cylinder portion 262, and is formed so as to incline upward as it moves outward from a peak portion 23j that is provided at a position opposite to the center of the inner cylinder portion 262 and protrudes downward. The grip portion 23i is provided in a recess formed on the upper side opposite the inclined portion 23k, and can be gripped by a user.

[0077] In the humidification unit 2 of this embodiment and the modified example, the area of ​​the cross section of the inner cylinder portion 262 in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction gradually decreases from the lower end to the upper end.

[0078] In the humidification unit 2 of this embodiment and the modified example, the air outlet portion 22 having the air outlet 22b and the upper cover 21 are integral with each other, and these can be connected to the outer cylinder portion 261 in a detachable manner.

[0079] Moreover, the humidification unit 2 of this embodiment and the modified example further includes an engagement portion 264a at a position facing the engagement portion 31c provided on the upper surface of the air purification unit 3, which engages with the engagement portion 31c.

[0080] In the humidified air purifier 1 including the humidification unit 2 of this embodiment and the modified example, the engaged portion 31c is formed by a gap between the bars 31a and 31e provided at the clean air outlet 31b. The bars 31a are formed in a shape similar to the outer shape of the upper surface of the air purification unit 3 and become smaller toward the inside.

[0081] In the humidified air purifier 1 including the humidifying unit 2 of the present embodiment and the modified example, the air purification unit 3 includes a housing 37, a HEPA filter 36 functioning as a purification unit, a motor 32, a fan 34, a motor cover 33, and an upper surface member 31. The housing 37 has an intake port 37a which is an opening for sucking in the surrounding air. The HEPA filter 36 purifies the sucked air. The motor 32 rotates by the supplied power. The fan 34 is driven by the motor 32 and blows air. The motor cover 33 covers the motor 32. The upper surface member 31 has a clean air outlet 31b which blows the purified air upward. The motor cover 33 has an upper opening 33a on the upper surface, and the upper surface member 31 has a shielding portion 31d provided above the upper opening 33a so as to cover the entire upper opening 33a when viewed from above.

[0082] Incidentally, the air purifier described in Patent Document 1, which is equipped with a cleaning machine main body and a humidifier as a humidifying section on top of the cleaning machine main body, is configured so that if more water than the allowable amount is poured in, the water will flow out into the inside of the device.

[0083] In contrast, in the humidification unit 2 of this embodiment, the upper end 262d of the inner cylinder 262 is higher than the upper end 261c of the outer cylinder 261. Therefore, even if water exceeding the allowable amount is poured into the water storage space 263a, the water will flow out beyond the upper end 261c of the outer cylinder 261 and will not flow into the inner cylinder 262. This makes it possible to prevent the air purification unit 3 located below the inner cylinder 262 from breaking down due to water entering the air purification unit 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1. Humidifier / air purifier 2. Humidification unit 21...Top lid 22...Air outlet section 22a…pier 22b…Air outlet 22c…Blowout outlet lower fitting part 23…Filter cover 23a...Lid part 23b...Cylindrical section 23c…Aperture 23d…Fitting part under filter cover 23h…cone section 23i...Gripping part 23j...top 23k…Slope part 24...Humidification filter 24a…Top opening 25...Silver bead holder 26…Housing 261…Outer cylinder 261a... Fitting part on outer cylinder 261b…Water volume window 262…Inner cylinder 262a…Suction port 262b…Inner cylinder upper fitting part 263…Bottom 263a... Water storage space 264a…Engagement part 264e…Rib 3…Air purifying unit 31...Top member 31a, 31e...Bay 31b…Clean air outlet 31c...Engaged part 31d…shielding part 32…Motor 32a…shaft 32b…Control board 33…Motor cover 33a…Top opening 33b…Lid 33c…Lower opening 34…Fan 34a…Fan intake port 35…Guide 36…HEPA filter 37…Housing 37a…Suction port 38…Bottom lid 39a~39c...Operation unit 39d~39f…Display section 39g…Power cable

Claims

1. A humidification unit that humidifies air blown from a blower and releases the humidified air, A housing having an inner cylinder portion, an outer cylinder portion, and a bottom portion, the housing being capable of storing water in a water storage space formed by the inner cylinder portion, the outer cylinder portion, and the bottom portion, The inner cylinder portion has a suction port on a lower side, the suction port being an opening for sucking in air blown from the blower device, The outer cylinder portion surrounds the outside of the inner cylinder portion, the bottom portion connects a lower end of the inner cylinder portion to a lower end of the outer cylinder portion; and a humidifying filter that is provided in the water storage space, has water absorption properties, and humidifies the air to generate the humidified air; an air outlet that is an opening provided on an upper side of the outer cylinder portion and that discharges the humidified air laterally; a top cover provided to cover the outer cylinder portion, the inner cylinder portion, and an upper side of the humidifying filter, At least a portion of the air outlet is located above an upper end of the inner cylinder portion. Humidification unit.

2. The humidifying filter is cylindrical and has an upper opening on the upper side. A filter cover for covering the upper opening is further provided. The filter lid is A connecting portion that is detachably connected to the inner cylindrical portion; an inclined portion located on the upper side of the inner cylindrical portion, the inclined portion being inclined upward as it goes outward from a downward protruding apex provided at a position facing the center of the inner cylindrical portion; A grip portion that can be gripped by a user and is provided in a recess formed on the upper side opposite the inclined portion. The humidification unit according to claim 1.

3. The upper end of the inner cylinder portion is located above the upper end of the outer cylinder portion. The humidification unit according to claim 1.

4. The cross-sectional area of ​​the inner cylinder portion in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction gradually decreases from the lower end to the upper end. The humidification unit according to claim 1.

5. The air outlet and the upper lid are integral with each other and can be detachably connected to the outer cylinder portion. The humidification unit according to claim 1.

6. The blower further includes an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion at a position facing the engaged portion provided on the upper surface of the blower. The humidification unit according to claim 1.

7. A humidification unit according to claim 6 , an air purification unit that purifies the sucked air and blows the purified air from a purified air outlet provided on an upper surface toward an upper side where the humidification unit is located; the engaged portion is formed by a gap between bars provided at the clean air outlet, The bar is formed in a plurality of shapes similar to the outer shape of the upper surface of the air purification unit and becoming smaller toward the inside. Humidifier air purifier.

8. A humidification unit according to claim 1 ; and an air purification unit that purifies the sucked air and sends the purified air toward the humidification unit. Humidifier air purifier.

9. The air purification unit comprises: A housing having an intake port that is an opening for sucking in surrounding air; A purification section that purifies the sucked air; A motor that rotates by power supplied thereto; a fan driven by the motor to blow air; a motor cover for covering the motor; and an upper surface member having a clean air outlet for blowing the cleaned air upward, The motor cover has an upper opening on an upper surface thereof, The upper surface member has a shielding portion provided above the upper opening so as to cover the entire upper opening in a top view. The humidifier air purifier according to claim 8.

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