Air cleaner

Abstract

To provide an air cleaner which can further reduce noise while suppressing an increase in pressure loss.SOLUTION: An air cleaner 10 comprises: a filter part composed of a prefilter 21, a deodorization filter 22 and a dust collection filter 24; a fan 32 for generating an airflow in order to withdraw air into the filter part; and an exhaust part having an exhaust port 13, and exhausting air from the fan 32 to the outside via the exhaust port 13. The exhaust part comprises: an exhaust path 43 formed between the fan 32 and the exhaust port 13; and sound absorption materials 41, 42 provided at least at a pair of opposing faces of the exhaust path 43. The exhaust path 43 is formed while inclining to an exhaust direction from the fan 32 so that a part of the fan 32 can be seen from the exhaust port 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air purifier. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Air purifiers are widely used as devices for removing dust and fine particles from indoor air and for sterilizing the air.

[0003] The air purifier has an inlet for introducing indoor air, a filter section through which the air introduced from the inlet passes, and an exhaust port for exhausting the filtered air. The filter section is composed of, for example, a pre-filter, a deodorizing filter, and a dust-collecting filter.

[0004] The air cleaning capacity of an air purifier is determined by the capacity of the filter and the amount of air passing through the filter. In particular, large air purifiers installed in large rooms use large or high-speed fans to increase the amount of air passing through the filter. As a result, the wind noise of the fan generated inside the air purifier may be emitted to the outside through the exhaust port, causing noise.

[0005] Noise reduction techniques for air purifiers are disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for reducing noise by attaching a sound-absorbing material to the inner wall surface of the ventilation passage. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for reducing noise by providing a sound-absorbing material in the exhaust passage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-296524 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2011-47592 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, noise countermeasures in conventional air purifiers are still insufficient.

[0009] The present disclosure provides an air purifier that can further reduce noise while suppressing an increase in pressure loss. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] One aspect of the air purifier of the present disclosure is: The filter section, a fan that generates an air flow for drawing air into the filter section; an exhaust unit having an exhaust port and exhausting air from the fan to the outside through the exhaust port; An air purifier comprising: The exhaust section includes an exhaust path formed between the fan and the exhaust port, and a sound absorbing material provided on at least one pair of opposing surfaces of the exhaust path, The exhaust path is formed to be inclined obliquely with respect to the exhaust direction from the fan so that a part of the fan is visible from the exhaust port. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to realize an air purifier that can further reduce noise while suppressing an increase in pressure loss. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an air purifier according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] A cross-sectional view of the air purifier taken along the YZ plane including the dashed line indicated by AA' in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the filter case, the fan case, and the exhaust case. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of the exhaust section cut near the exhaust port toward the sirocco fan [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the relationship between the exhaust flow and the exhaust section. [Figure 5B] A cross-sectional view explaining the relationship between sound and the exhaust section [Figure 6A] Diagram showing noise levels when positioned in front of the air purifier [Figure 6B] Diagram showing noise levels at the top of the air purifier [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an exhaust case and a sound-absorbing material according to another embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the surface shape of a sound-absorbing material according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Before describing the embodiments, the background to the present disclosure will be described.

[0014] When the wind noise generated by the fan of an air purifier leaks out from the exhaust port, it becomes noise. Here, by bending the exhaust path from the fan to the exhaust port, it is possible to reduce the noise so that the direct sound waves from the fan do not propagate from the exhaust port to the outside. However, doing so increases the pressure loss, which creates a new problem of a reduced air volume.

[0015] Based on these considerations, the inventors of the present disclosure conducted extensive research into the shape of the exhaust duct and the position of the sound-absorbing material to be provided in the exhaust duct so as to further reduce noise from the fan while suppressing an increase in pressure loss in the exhaust duct, and arrived at the present disclosure.

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0017] <Overall composition> 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an air purifier 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the left-right directions when viewing air purifier 10 from the front are defined as ±X directions, the front-rear directions are defined as ±Y directions, and the up-down directions are defined as ±Z directions.

[0018] The air purifier 10 is installed, for example, in a medical booth for isolating a patient, etc. However, the installation location of the air purifier 10 is not limited thereto, and it may be in another room, such as a hospital room, an office, or a room.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the air purifier 10 taken along the YZ plane including the dashed line indicated by AA′ in FIG.

[0020] The overall configuration of the air purifier 10 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The air purifier 10 is covered by a substantially rectangular parallelepiped main body case 11. An air intake port 12 is formed in the rear case of the main body case 11, and an air exhaust port 13 is formed in the top case.

[0021] In addition, an operation unit 14 is provided on the upper case. The operation unit 14 has operation buttons and a display unit. By operating the operation unit 14, the user can control the on / off of the air purifier 10 and the strength of the airflow. In addition, the user can check the operating status of the air purifier 10 by looking at the display unit of the operation unit 14.

[0022] The side case is provided with a grip 15 for lifting the air purifier and a lid 16 for replacing the filter.

[0023] As can be seen from FIG. 2, a filter case 20, a fan case 30, and an exhaust case 40 are provided within the main body case 11.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the filter case 20, the fan case 30, and the exhaust case 40. As shown in FIG.

[0025] In the filter case 20, a pre-filter 21, a deodorizing filter 22, an ultraviolet ray irradiation section 23, a dust collecting filter 24, etc. are arranged in this order.

[0026] A fan motor 31 and a sirocco fan 32 are provided inside the fan case 30. When the sirocco fan 32 is rotationally driven by the fan motor 31, an airflow is generated inside the fan case 30 in the -Y direction.

[0027] As a result, in air purifier 10, air taken in through air intake port 12 passes through pre-filter 21, deodorizing filter 22, ultraviolet irradiator 23, and dust collection filter 24 in order, and is then drawn into fan case 30. Air exhausted from fan case 30 passes through exhaust case 40, and is then exhausted from exhaust port 13.

[0028] <Details of exhaust section> Next, a detailed configuration of the exhaust unit of this embodiment will be described.

[0029] As can be seen from FIG. 3, the filter case 20 is connected to the fan case 30 in the +Y direction, and the exhaust case 40 is connected to the fan case 30 in the +Z direction.

[0030] 2, sound absorbing materials 41 and 42 are provided inside exhaust case 40. In the case of this embodiment, sound absorbing materials 41 and 42 each have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape (which may also be called a sheet shape).

[0031] The sound absorbing materials 41 and 42 contain polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers. As the material for the sound absorbing materials 41 and 42, various known materials such as urethane, rock wool, felt, etc. can be used.

[0032] As can be seen from Fig. 3, in this embodiment, exhaust case 40 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As can be seen from Fig. 2, sound absorbing materials 41, 42 are provided on surfaces facing each other inside exhaust case 40. More specifically, sound absorbing materials 41, 42 are provided on surfaces facing each other in the ±Y directions, and no sound absorbing material is provided on surfaces facing each other in the ±X directions. However, sound absorbing materials may also be provided on surfaces facing each other in the ±X directions.

[0033] The exhaust section of the present embodiment has exhaust port 13, and exhausts air from sirocco fan 32 to the outside through exhaust port 13. The exhaust section has exhaust path 43 formed between sirocco fan 32 and exhaust port 13, and sound absorbing materials 41, 42 provided on at least a pair of opposing surfaces of exhaust path 43.

[0034] In addition, in this embodiment, exhaust path 43 is formed to be inclined obliquely with respect to the exhaust direction (+Z direction) from sirocco fan 32 so that part of sirocco fan 32 is visible from exhaust port 13.

[0035] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the exhaust part cut in the vicinity of exhaust port 13 toward sirocco fan 32, more specifically, a cross-sectional view of the exhaust part cut in the -Z direction along the XY plane including the dashed line indicated by BB' in FIG. 2. In the present embodiment, as can be seen from FIG. 4, exhaust path 43 is inclined at an angle, but part of sirocco fan 32 can be seen from exhaust port 13. In the present embodiment, the exhaust path is inclined at an angle of 5° to 30° with respect to the exhaust direction (+Z direction).

[0036] As a result, part of the exhaust air from sirocco fan 32 (airflow generated in part of sirocco fan 32 visible from exhaust port 13) is discharged directly from exhaust port 13 without hitting sound absorbing materials 41, 42. As a result, pressure loss caused by inclining exhaust path 43 can be suppressed.

[0037] In this embodiment, exhaust path 43 is inclined toward the air intake side of sirocco fan 32 (i.e., toward filter case 20 (+Y direction)) as it approaches the downstream side. Therefore, a part of sirocco fan 32 visible from exhaust port 13 is the part of sirocco fan 32 on the air intake side.

[0038] Generally, a sirocco fan generates a larger airflow in the width direction (±Y direction) on the air intake side. Taking this into consideration, in this embodiment, exhaust path 43 is inclined obliquely toward the air intake side of sirocco fan 32 (i.e., toward filter case 20 (+Y direction)).

[0039] 5A, of the exhaust flows F1 and F2 generated by the sirocco fan 32, the small air flow F2 generated at the position of the sirocco fan 32 far from the air intake side is subjected to pressure loss by hitting the sound absorbing material 42, but the large air flow F1 generated at the position of the sirocco fan 32 closer to the air intake side is exhausted from the exhaust port 13 without hitting the sound absorbing material 41 and without being subjected to pressure loss. As a result, pressure loss in the exhaust path 43 can be suppressed.

[0040] 5B , of the sounds S1, S2 such as wind noise generated by sirocco fan 32, most of the sound S1 hits sound-absorbing materials 41, 42 and is absorbed by them. Note that some of the sound S2 does not hit sound-absorbing materials 41, 42 and leaks out from exhaust port 13. However, unlike the wind generated by sirocco fan 32, the sound generated by sirocco fan 32 has not only a +Z direction component but also a ±Y direction component, so most of the sound hits sound-absorbing materials 41, 42 and is absorbed.

[0041] In addition, the sound generated by sirocco fan 32 actually has a ±X direction component in addition to a +Z direction component and a ±Y direction component, so noise can be further suppressed by providing sound absorbing materials on the surfaces facing each other in the ±X direction in addition to sound absorbing materials 41, 42 facing each other in the ±Y direction.

[0042] In this manner, according to the configuration of this embodiment, it is possible to further reduce noise while suppressing an increase in pressure loss.

[0043] <Summary> As described above, the air purifier 10 of this embodiment comprises a fan (sirocco fan 32) that generates an airflow to draw air into the filter section, and an exhaust section having an exhaust port 13 and exhausting air from the fan (sirocco fan 32) to the outside via the exhaust port 13. The exhaust section comprises an exhaust path 43 formed between the fan (sirocco fan 32) and the exhaust port 13, and sound-absorbing materials 41, 42 provided on at least one pair of opposing surfaces of the exhaust path 43. The exhaust path 43 is formed at an angle with respect to the exhaust direction (+Z direction) from the fan (sirocco fan 32) so that part of the fan (sirocco fan 32) is visible from the exhaust port 13.

[0044] This makes it possible to realize an air purifier 10 that can further reduce noise while suppressing an increase in pressure loss.

[0045] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the results of an experiment confirming the sound-absorbing effect of air purifier 10 of the present embodiment. Fig. 6A shows the noise level at the front position of air purifier 10, and Fig. 6B shows the noise level at the top position of air purifier 10. It can be seen from these diagrams that the configuration of this embodiment (with sound-absorbing mechanism) can greatly reduce the noise level compared to the conventional configuration (without sound-absorbing mechanism).

[0046] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, exhaust path 43 is inclined obliquely toward the air intake side (+Y direction) of the fan (sirocco fan 32). As a result, of exhaust flows F1 and F2 generated by sirocco fan 32, the small air flow F2 generated at a position of sirocco fan 32 far from the air intake side hits sound absorbing material 42 and suffers pressure loss, whereas the large air flow F1 generated at a position of sirocco fan 32 close to the air intake side does not hit sound absorbing material 42 and does not suffer pressure loss and is exhausted from exhaust port 13. As a result, pressure loss in exhaust path 43 can be suppressed.

[0047] Moreover, according to this embodiment, the sound absorbing materials 41 and 42 are provided on a pair of opposing surfaces facing each other in the inclined direction (+Y direction) of the exhaust path 43. As a result, the sound S1 generated by the fan (sirocco fan 32) is attenuated by repeatedly reflecting off the sound absorbing materials 41 and 42.

[0048] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the exhaust section includes exhaust case 40 connected to fan case 30 that houses a fan (sirocco fan 32), and sound absorbing materials 41, 42 housed in exhaust case 40, and exhaust path 43 is formed by sound absorbing materials 41, 42. As a result, by appropriately changing the shapes of sound absorbing materials 41, 42, it becomes possible to easily form exhaust path 43 that is inclined obliquely with respect to the exhaust direction (+Z direction) from the fan (sirocco fan 32).

[0049] The above-described embodiment is merely an example of the embodiment of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the embodiment. In other words, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist or main characteristics of the present invention.

[0050] In addition to the above-mentioned embodiment, the sound absorbing materials 41 and 42 may have portions with different absorption frequency characteristics. In this way, it becomes easier to absorb sounds in a wide band. In addition, the sound absorbing material 41 provided on one of the pair of opposing surfaces may have a different sound absorbing frequency characteristic from the sound absorbing material 42 provided on the other opposing surface. In this way, for example, it becomes possible to perform a process in which the sound absorbing material 41 absorbs low-frequency sounds and the sound absorbing material 42 absorbs high-frequency sounds. In addition, for example, the sound absorbing materials 41 and 42 may have different thicknesses from the upstream side to the downstream side of the exhaust path 43. In this way, it is possible to change the absorption frequency characteristic from the upstream side to the downstream side of the exhaust path 43.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the exhaust case 40 is tilted to tilt the exhaust path 43, but this is not limiting, and the exhaust case 40a may not be tilted, and the cross-sectional shape of the sound absorbing materials 41a, 42a may be a trapezoid with one side on the upstream or downstream side as a short side and the other side on the upstream or downstream side as a long side, to tilt the exhaust path 43, as shown in Fig. 7. In this way, since it is not necessary to tilt the exhaust case 40a, no extra space is generated on the sides of the exhaust case 40a, and the air purifier 10 can be made compact.

[0052] In addition to the above-described embodiment, of the sound absorbing materials 41, 42 provided on a pair of opposing surfaces, the area of ​​one sound absorbing material 42 whose surface is inclined in the direction opposite to the direction facing the fan (sirocco fan 32) may be made larger than the area of ​​the other sound absorbing material 41 whose surface is inclined in the direction facing the fan (sirocco fan 32). In this way, sound that has spread over a wide range due to reflection by the sound absorbing material 41 can be received by the sound absorbing material 42 with a larger area, thereby making it possible to reduce sound leakage due to the sound absorbing material 42.

[0053] In addition to the above-mentioned embodiment, the sound absorbing efficiency may be improved by forming an uneven shape on the surface of the sound absorbing materials 41 and 42. Fig. 8 shows an example in which the surface shape of the sound absorbing materials 41 and 42 is a mountain shape. The surface shape may be other than this, for example, a wave shape.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the sirocco fan 32 is used as the fan, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a turbo fan or a propeller fan may also be used. [Industrial Applicability]

[0055] The air purifier of the present disclosure is widely applicable to air purifiers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10. Air Purifier 11 Main unit case 12 Air intake 13 Exhaust port 14 Control section 15 Gripping part 16 Lid 20 Filter Case 21 Pre-filter 22 Deodorizing filter 23 Ultraviolet irradiation unit 24 Dust collection filter 30 Fan case 31 Fan motor 32 Sirocco fan 40, 40a Exhaust case 41, 41a, 42, 42a Sound absorbing material 43 Exhaust duct F1, F2 exhaust flow S1, S2 sound

Claims

1. The filter section, a fan that generates an air flow for drawing air into the filter section; an exhaust unit having an exhaust port and exhausting air from the fan to the outside through the exhaust port; An air purifier comprising: the exhaust section includes an exhaust path formed between the fan and the exhaust port, and a sound absorbing material provided on at least a pair of opposing surfaces of the exhaust path, The exhaust path is formed to be inclined obliquely with respect to the exhaust direction from the fan so that a part of the fan is visible from the exhaust port. Air purifier.

2. The exhaust passage is inclined toward the air intake side of the fan as it goes downstream.

2. The air purifier according to claim 1.

3. The sound absorbing material is provided on a pair of opposing surfaces facing each other in the inclined direction of the exhaust passage.

2. The air purifier according to claim 1.

4. The exhaust path is inclined at an angle of 5° to 30° with respect to the exhaust direction.

2. The air purifier according to claim 1.

5. The exhaust section is an exhaust case connected to a fan case that houses the fan; A sound absorbing material accommodated in the exhaust case; Equipped with The exhaust path is formed by the sound absorbing material.

2. The air purifier according to claim 1.

6. The sound absorbing material has portions with different absorption frequency characteristics.

2. The air purifier according to claim 1.

7. Among the sound absorbing materials provided on the pair of opposing surfaces, the sound absorbing frequency characteristic of the sound absorbing material provided on one opposing surface is different from the sound absorbing frequency characteristic of the sound absorbing material provided on the other opposing surface.

7. The air purifier according to claim 6.

8. The sound absorbing material has a thickness that varies from the upstream side to the downstream side of the exhaust passage.

7. The air purifier according to claim 6.

9. The cross-sectional shape of the sound-absorbing material is a trapezoid with one side on the upstream side or downstream side as a short side and the other side on the upstream side or downstream side as a long side.

2. The air purifier according to claim 1.

10. an area of ​​one of the sound absorbing materials provided on the pair of opposing surfaces, the surface of which is inclined in a direction opposite to the direction facing the fan, is larger than an area of ​​the other sound absorbing material, the surface of which is inclined in a direction facing the fan; 2. The air purifier according to claim 1.

11. The sound absorbing material includes polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers.

11. An air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images