Humidification device

Abstract

To provide a humidification device capable of maintaining water level detection precision by a magnetic sensor.SOLUTION: A humidification device comprises: a humidification part which generates humidifying air; a tray 5 which reserves water for generating the humidifying air, and is formed of austenite stainless steel; a float 83 for water level detection which floats on the water reserved in the tray 5, and holds a magnet M; and a magnetic sensor S which is positioned on the opposite side from the magnet M across a specific part of the tray 5, and detects the magnetic field by the magnet M. The specific part of the tray 5 is a part where no processing-induced martensitic transformation is caused, or a part where processing-induced martensitic transformation is small enough not to impede the detection by the magnetic sensor S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a humidifier. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a humidifier including a humidifier that generates humidified air and a water storage unit that has a water tank for storing water. The water storage unit further includes a water level detector that detects the water level in the water tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-133941 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent document 1 does not disclose the detailed detection mechanism of the water level detection unit. For example, when a magnet and a magnetic sensor are used to detect the water level, if a magnetic material is present in the vicinity of the two, there is a risk that the accuracy of water level detection by the magnetic sensor will decrease.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide a humidifier capable of maintaining the accuracy of water level detection by a magnetic sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the humidifier according to the present invention comprises: A humidifying unit that generates humidified air; a tray made of austenitic stainless steel for storing water for generating the humidified air; a water level detection float that floats on the water stored in the tray and holds a magnet; a magnetic sensor located on the opposite side of the magnet across the specific portion of the tray and detecting a magnetic field generated by the magnet; The specific portion is a portion in which no stress-induced martensitic transformation has occurred, or a portion in which stress-induced martensitic transformation has occurred only to the extent that it does not impede detection by the magnetic sensor. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the accuracy of water level detection by a magnetic sensor can be maintained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the humidifier according to the embodiment with a front panel and a beam portion removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating insertion of a tray holder into a housing according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tray and the tray holder on which the tray is placed according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 5A and 5B are schematic cross-sectional views of the water supply tank and the like according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 5A shows a state with a tray and FIG. 5B shows a state without a tray. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are partial perspective views of the partition plate and the like according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 5A shows a state with a tray and FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the humidifying unit, the partition structure unit, the tray, and the tray holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the partition structure according to the above embodiment, seen from the bearing side. [Figure 12]FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the water level detection float and a magnetic sensor according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] As shown in appropriate figures of Figures 1 to 12, the humidifier 100 includes a housing 1, a fan 2, a humidifier section 3, an ultraviolet ray irradiation section 4, a tray 5, a tray holder 6, a water tank 7, a partition structure section 8, a control section 9, and a magnetic sensor S.

[0011] In the following description, the directions of the humidifier 100 are defined as up-down, front-back, and left-right directions as shown in Fig. 2. In other figures, directions corresponding to the directions defined in Fig. 2 are shown. Note that while the up-down direction may be defined as the direction of the humidifier 100 during use, the front-back and left-right directions are relative directions to facilitate understanding of the description.

[0012] The housing 1 includes a front panel 1F, a rear panel 1B, a left panel 1L, a right panel 1R, and an upper panel 1U, and a casing 10 surrounded by these panels.

[0013] The left panel 1L connected to the upper panel 1U reaches the bottom 10D of the casing 10. On the other hand, the right panel 1R connected to the upper panel 1U has a shorter vertical length than the left panel 1L. As a result, an insertion opening 1a through which the tray holder 6 is inserted is formed between the right panel 1R of the housing 1 and the bottom 10D. As shown in FIG. 4, when the tray holder 6 is inserted from the insertion opening 1a and the tray holder 6 is attached to the housing 1 as shown in FIG. 2 (hereinafter referred to as the "holder attached state"), the insertion opening 1a is blocked by the holder panel 6R fixed to the tray holder 6. In the holder attached state, the outer surfaces of the holder panel 6R and the right panel 1R are approximately flush with each other. The outer shape of the housing 1 in the holder attached state is approximately rectangular.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the casing 10 comprises a holder accommodating section 11 that accommodates the tray holder 6, a side wall section 12 that is erected relative to the holder accommodating section 11 and faces the right panel 1R in the left-right direction, and a fan accommodating section 13 that is located above the holder accommodating section 11 and accommodates the fan 2.

[0015] The holder accommodation section 11 has the bottom section 10D described above. A humidifier accommodation chamber R3 that accommodates the humidifier section 3 is formed above the bottom section 10D inside the housing 1 on the left side of the side wall section 12, and a tank accommodation chamber R7 that accommodates the water supply tank 7 is formed on the right side of the side wall section 12. A communication hole 12a that communicates between the humidifier accommodation chamber R3 and the tank accommodation chamber R7 is formed in the side wall section 12. When the tray holder 6 in which the partition structure section 8 is arranged is in a holder-attached state, the communication hole 12a is blocked by a partition plate 81 described below.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, an openable and closable lid 17 is attached above the tank storage chamber R7 in the upper panel 1U. The lid 17 allows the water supply tank 7 to be stored in the tank storage chamber R7 from above the housing 1. The water supply tank 7 is used in a state in which the partition structure 8 is installed on the tray holder 6 via the tray 5. The casing 10 is, for example, separable in the front-rear direction and is composed of two members that can be combined with each other.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the rear panel 1B is formed with an inlet P1 for drawing in outside air. The fan housing section 13 of the casing 10 is formed with an inlet Q1 through which the fan 2 draws in the humidified air generated in the humidifier section 3, and an exhaust port Q2 through which the fan 2 exhausts the humidified air. The upper panel 1U is formed with an outlet P2 for discharging the humidified air exhausted from the exhaust port Q2 to the outside of the housing 1. When the fan 2 rotates, air passes through a flow path W that proceeds in the order of the inlet P1, the humidifier section 3, the inlet Q1, the exhaust port Q2, and the outlet P2, and the humidified air generated in the humidifier section 3 is blown out of the housing 1 from the outlet. A heater T is provided between the inlet P1 and the humidifier section 3 in the flow path W to send hot air in response to certain conditions.

[0018] The fan 2 is a centrifugal fan, for example a sirocco fan, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of a fan motor 2a attached to a casing 10.

[0019] The humidifier 3 is located inside the housing 1 and is configured to generate humidified air. As shown in Fig. 2, the humidifier 3 includes a humidifying filter 30 (evaporation filter) and a frame 31 that holds the humidifying filter 30. In other words, the humidifier 100 is of an evaporation type that generates humidified air by the humidifying filter 30.

[0020] The humidifier 3 is provided in the housing 1 so as to be rotatable about an axis AX shown in Fig. 1. The axis AX extends in a direction perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 1 (i.e., extends in the left-right direction of the housing 1). As shown in Fig. 10, a pair of shafts 31R, 31L are provided on the frame 31, and the humidifier 3 has one shaft 31R supported by a partition structure 8 (bearing 8R, described in detail below) and the other shaft 31L supported by a tray holder 6 (bearing 6L, described in detail below). The humidifier 3 is rotatable about the axis AX when the shaft 31L is rotationally driven by a turn motor (not shown) attached to the casing 10.

[0021] The humidifier 3 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the direction of the axis AX, and among the six faces constituting the rectangular parallelepiped, the parts corresponding to the pair of faces having the largest areas function as the first ventilation section 3a and the second ventilation section 3b that allow air to pass through. Note that, of the humidifier 3, the two side faces that are located in the radial direction of the axis AX and connect the first ventilation section 3a and the second ventilation section 3b are formed in curved shapes so as not to impede the rotation of the humidifier 3.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the state in which the first ventilation section 3a and the second ventilation section 3b of the humidifying section 3 face the front-rear direction is a "water-absorbable state" in which the humidifying filter 30 can absorb water in the tray 5. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the air that enters the humidifying filter 30 from the second ventilation section 3b is discharged as humidified air from the first ventilation section 3a (hereinafter, the first state), but a state in which the humidifying section 3 rotates 180 degrees from the first state and the air that enters the humidifying filter 30 from the first ventilation section 3a is discharged as humidified air from the second ventilation section 3b (hereinafter, the second state) is also a water-absorbable state. In other words, there are two states of the humidifying section 3 that realize the water-absorbable state: the first state and the second state. During the operation of the humidifying device 100, under the control of the control section 9, the humidifying section 3 changes from one of the first state and the second state to the other at a predetermined cycle.

[0023] On the other hand, when the control unit 9 receives an instruction to stop the operation of the humidifier 100, it places the humidifier 3 in a state in which the first ventilation section 3a and the second ventilation section 3b are oriented vertically (i.e., the humidifier 3 in the first or second embodiment is rotated 90°). This state is a "separated state" in which the humidifying filter 30 is separated from the water in the tray 5. This separated state prevents the humidifying filter 30 from being constantly immersed in the water in the tray 5, and suppresses the growth of bacteria.

[0024] The ultraviolet irradiating unit 4 irradiates ultraviolet rays to the inside of the housing 1. Specifically, the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4 is composed of an LED module equipped with a deep ultraviolet LED that emits deep ultraviolet rays (UV-C) that have a high disinfecting and sterilizing effect.

[0025] The ultraviolet irradiation unit 4 is attached to a beam 14 fixed to the front side of the casing 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the beam 14 is located between the side wall 12 and a wall 15 facing the side wall 12, and provides the casing 10 with a beam structure extending in the left-right direction. That is, one end (right end) of the beam 14 is fixed to the side wall 12, and the other end (left end) is fixed to the wall 15. The beam 14 thus provided is located behind the front panel 1F and contacts the front panel 1F, as shown in FIG. 1. This makes it possible to suppress distortion of the front panel 1F that occurs during assembly, etc.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the beam 14 is located behind the front panel 1F. A module case 14a that houses the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 is formed in the beam 14. The ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 housed in the module case 14a is located at a position higher than the axis line AX, and irradiates ultraviolet ray U (deep ultraviolet ray) toward the humidifier 3 (humidifier filter 30). Specifically, the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 irradiates ultraviolet ray U toward the axis line AX of the humidifier 3. As described above, during operation of the humidifier 100, the humidifier 3 changes from one of the first state and the second state to the other at a predetermined cycle, so that the ultraviolet ray U can be irradiated evenly toward both the first ventilation portion 3a and the second ventilation portion 3b.

[0027] The tray 5 stores water for generating humidified air. The tray 5 placed on the tray holder 6 is located inside the housing 1 when the tray is attached to the tray holder 6. Hereinafter, the state in which the tray 5 is placed on the tray holder 6 will be referred to as a "tray-present state," and the state in which the tray 5 is removed from the tray holder 6 will be referred to as a "tray-absent state."

[0028] The tray 5 is made of stainless steel, and is prevented from deteriorating even when exposed to ultraviolet rays U. The material of the tray 5 will be described in detail later.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 5, the tray 5 has an edge 50, and a main water tank section 51, a tank facing section 52, and a float water tank section 53, which are located below the edge 50. The main water tank section 51 is located below the humidifying section 3, and is a section where water to be absorbed by the humidifying section 3 is stored. The tank facing section 52 is a flat section that faces the water supply tank 7 in the vertical direction, sandwiching a receiving member 80 described below. The float water tank section 53 is a section that is recessed below the tank facing section 52, and is a section where water on which a water level detection float 83 described below floats is stored. The float water tank section 53 has a flat bottom section 53a that is a flat bottom.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 6 , the tray holder 6 includes a tray accommodating section 60 in which the tray 5 is accommodated, a standing wall section 61 standing around the tray accommodating section 60, and an outer peripheral wall section 62 standing around the standing wall section 61.

[0031] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the tray 5 and the tray holder 6 on which the tray 5 is placed. The cross-sectional view shows a section of the portion corresponding to the main water tank section 51 along an imaginary plane determined by an axis extending in the front-rear direction and an axis extending in the up-down direction. Note that in Fig. 7 and Figs. 8 and 12 described below, hatching indicating cross sections has been omitted as appropriate for ease of viewing the drawings.

[0032] 7, an edge portion 50 of the tray 5 is supported by a standing wall portion 61 of the tray holder 6. The edge portion 50 has a supported portion 50a that abuts against and is supported by the standing wall portion 61 when the tray 5 is placed on the tray holder 6, and a longitudinal portion 50b that is connected to the supported portion 50a and extends along the outer surface of the standing wall portion 61.

[0033] The tray accommodating portion 60 of the tray holder 6 is provided with two openings 6a and 6b through which a part of the underside of the tray 5 can be seen. The openings 6a and 6b are provided with a gap between them in the front-rear direction (first direction). A user can easily remove the tray 5 from the tray holder 6 by pushing up the underside of the tray 5 through the openings 6a and 6b.

[0034] The tray storage section 60 has a saucer section 601 between the two openings 6a, 6b. The main water tank section 51 of the tray 5 is formed in a curved plate shape that bulges toward the saucer section 601. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the main water tank section 51 is formed in a curved plate shape that bulges downward at the center and follows the arc-shaped path that the outer periphery of the humidifier section 3 describes when the humidifier section 3 rotates around the axis line AX. This shape of the main water tank section 51 makes it possible to minimize the amount of water stored in the tray 5. The main water tank section 51 of this embodiment is formed in a curved plate shape that is symmetrical in the front and rear. The main water tank section 51 has a bottom plate section 51a that faces the saucer section 601 in the up-down direction.

[0035] The tray 601 has bars 601a protruding toward the bottom plate 51a at one end and the other end in the front-rear direction (first direction). As shown in FIG. 6, the bars 601a are provided extending in the left-right direction (second direction). The bars 601a allow water droplets that drip when condensation occurs on the underside of the tray 5 to be collected in the tray 601. As shown in FIG. 7, in the tray-present state in which the tray 5 is placed on the tray holder 6, a gap is generated between the bars 601a and the bottom plate 51a. This gap allows water droplets on the underside of the tray 5 to pass smoothly toward the tray 601.

[0036] 2, the water supply tank 7 is accommodated in a tank accommodation chamber R7 in the housing 1, and stores water to be supplied to the tray 5. As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and (b), the water supply tank 7 includes a tank body 70 and a tank cap 71 attached to the lower end of the tank body 70. The tank cap 71 has a water supply port 71a and a valve mechanism 72 that opens and closes the water supply port 71a.

[0037] 10, the partition structure 8 includes a receiving member 80, a partition plate 81, and a float support portion 82, which are integrally formed. The partition structure 8 is configured separately from the tray 5 and the tray holder 6. The partition structure 8 (i.e., the integral receiving member 80, partition plate 81, and float support portion 82) is detachable from the tray 5.

[0038] 8(a), the receiving member 80 is a tray-shaped member that receives the water supply tank 7. The receiving member 80 receives the tank cap 71 of the water supply tank 7 at its edge, and has a pin-shaped portion 80a that protrudes toward the valve mechanism 72 from a bottom surface that is recessed from the edge.

[0039] When the water supply tank 7 is accommodated in the tank accommodation chamber R7, the tank cap 71 is in a state in which it is received (supported) by the receiving member 80. At this time, the valve mechanism 72 of the water supply tank 7 is pushed up relatively to the pin-shaped portion 80a. As a result, the valve mechanism 72 is opened, the flow path from the water supply port 71a to the receiving member 80 is opened, and water is supplied from the water supply tank 7 through the receiving member 80 to the tray 5. When the water level in the tray 5 reaches the lower end of the water supply port 71a, the outside air cannot enter the tank body 70 from the water supply port 71a, so that the supply of water from the water supply tank 7 to the tray 5 stops. Then, when the water in the tray 5 decreases and the water level becomes lower than the lower end of the water supply port 71a, the outside air enters the tank body 70 from the water supply port 71a and water comes out from the water supply port 71a. This mechanism keeps the water level in the tray 5 constant. The partition plate 81 is formed with water passage holes 81a (see FIGS. 10 and 11) for allowing the water accumulated in the receiving member 80 to pass to the humidifying section 3 side.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the partition plate 81 is a plate-like member that separates the humidifying unit 3 and the water tank 7. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, a notch 61a is formed in the vertical wall portion 61 of the tray holder 6. Although not shown in FIG. 6, a pair of notches 61a are provided facing each other in the front-rear direction. The pair of notches 61a are located below the partition plate 81 across the edge portion 50 of the tray 5 in a state in which the partition structure portion 8 is further placed on the tray 5 placed on the tray holder 6. In addition, the outer peripheral wall portion 62 of the tray holder 6 is provided with a pair of partition plate guides 62a into which the left and right ends of the partition plate 81 are inserted. The partition plate guides 62a are groove-like portions that are recessed toward the outer periphery of the outer peripheral wall portion 62 and extend in the up-down direction.

[0041] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the partition plate 81 has an engageable portion 81b that can engage with the cutout 61a, and an insertion rib 81c that is inserted into the partition plate guide 62a. The insertion rib 81c is located on the outer side of the partition plate 81 than the engageable portion 81b. There are a pair of engageable portions 81b corresponding to the pair of cutouts 61a. There are also a pair of insertion ribs 81c corresponding to the pair of partition plate guides 62a. The partition structure 8 is attached to the tray holder 6 with the partition plate 81 standing upright relative to the tray holder 6 by inserting the insertion rib 81c into the partition plate guide 62a.

[0042] Figures 8(a) and 9(a) show the relationship of each part in the "tray-present state." In the tray-present state, as shown in Figure 9(a), the notch 61a is covered by the edge 50 of the tray 5 and does not fit with the fittable part 81b. As shown in Figure 8(a), the water supply tank 7 is received by the receiving member 80 and the valve mechanism 72 is pressed against the pin-shaped part 80a. This allows water to be supplied from the water supply tank 7 to the tray 5, as described above.

[0043] 8(b) and 9(b) show the relationship of each part in the "tray-less state". In the tray-less state, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the tray 5 and the edge portion 50 are absent, and the engageable portion 81b engages with the notch 61a. Then, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the receiving member 80 and the pin-shaped portion 80a are lower than in the tray-present state (that is, the entire partition structure portion 8 is lower than in the tray-present state), and the pin-shaped portion 80a separates from the valve mechanism 72. Therefore, the valve mechanism 72 is in a closed state, the flow path from the water supply port 71a to the receiving member 80 is blocked, and the water supply from the water supply tank 7 is stopped. This makes it possible to prevent water from flowing out from the water supply tank 7 to the tray holder 6 even if the user forgets to attach the tray 5 to the tray holder 6 and attaches the tray holder 6 with the partition structure portion 8 placed thereon to the housing 1.

[0044] Here, the tank body 70 of the water supply tank 7 has an opposing portion 70a that faces the standing wall portion 61 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 8(a), in the tray-present state, the tank cap 71 of the water supply tank 7 is supported by the receiving member 80, and the opposing portion 70a is supported by the edge portion 50 of the tray 5. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8(b), in the tray-less state, the tank cap 71 of the water supply tank 7 is separated from the receiving member 80, and the opposing portion 70a is directly supported by the standing wall portion 61. As a result, in the tray-less state, the water supply tank 7 is slightly lowered by the thickness of the edge portion 50 of the tray 5 than in the tray-present state. On the other hand, as can be seen by comparing FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b), in the tray-less state, the engageable portion 81b (i.e., the entire partition structure portion 8) is lowered by the sum of the thickness of the edge portion 50 and the depth (vertical length) of the notch 61a. Therefore, in the absence of a tray, the pin-shaped portion 80a can be separated from the valve mechanism 72 of the water supply tank 7 by a distance corresponding to the depth of the notch 61a.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 8(a), the tray holder 6 has a base portion 602 that abuts against a portion of the tray 5 facing the receiving member 80 when the tray is present (the tank facing portion 52 of the tray 5 described above), a low floor portion 603 that is located lower than the base portion 602, and a rib 604 that surrounds the base portion 602. As shown in FIG. 6, the low floor portion 603 is connected to the bottom of the receiving dish portion 601. The base portion 602 rises upward from the low floor portion 603 and is formed in a circular shape in this embodiment. The base portion 602 can stabilize the tray 5 and the partition structure portion 8 located on the tray 5. The rib 604 is formed in a ring shape with a portion that is notched. The notched portion of the rib 604 can ensure ventilation, and water that has accumulated between the rib 604 and the base portion 602 can be easily dried.

[0046] The receiving member 80 has legs 80b that are supported by the tray 5 (specifically, the tank facing portion 52) in the tray-present state shown in FIG. 8(a). The legs 80b correspond to the lower end of the outer periphery of the receiving member 80 that is formed in a roughly disk-like shape, as shown in FIG. 10. As a result, the lower end of the legs 80b is ring-shaped, and in the tray-absent state, it is fitted between the base portion 602 and the rib 604 shown in FIG. 6. That is, in the tray-absent state shown in FIG. 8(b), as described above, the legs 80b of the partition structure 8, which is lower in position than in the tray-present state, are supported by the low floor portion 603. As a result, the partition structure 8 is reliably supported by the tray 5 at the legs 80b in the tray-present state, while in the tray-absent state, it is reliably supported by the low floor portion 603 of the tray holder 6.

[0047] Furthermore, the rib 604 of the tray holder 6 comes into contact with a portion of the tray 5 that does not face the receiving member 80 in the tray-present state shown in Fig. 8(a). In the tray-absent state shown in Fig. 8(b), the legs 80b are supported by the low floor portion 603 between the base portion 602 and the rib 604. Here, in the tray-present state, the tray 5 receives the load of the water supply tank 7 via the legs 80b of the receiving member 80, but the presence of the rib 604 allows the periphery of the portion of the tray 5 that is supported by the base portion 602 to be supported by the rib 604 as well. In other words, the rib 604 can prevent the load of the water supply tank 7 from concentrating locally on the tray 5, and can prevent the tray 5 from being deformed.

[0048] 10 supports a water level detection float 83, which floats on the water stored in the tray 5, so that the float can be displaced in response to the displacement of the water. Specifically, the water level detection float 83 floats on the water in the float water tank portion 53 described above. The float support portion 82 of this embodiment supports the water level detection float 83 so that the float can rotate about an axis BX extending in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the water in the tray 5 is displaced, the water level detection float 83 is displaced in an arc shape about the axis BX.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 12, the water level detection float 83 holds a magnet M at its lower end. A magnetic sensor S for detecting a magnetic field (magnetic flux density) caused by the magnet M is provided on the opposite side of the magnet M across the flat bottom 53a of the float water tank portion 53 in the tray 5. The magnetic sensor S is embedded, for example, inside the bottom portion 10D of the casing 10. The magnetic sensor S is composed of a reed switch, a Hall element, an MR (Magneto Resistive Sensor) element, etc., and detects the magnetic flux of the magnet M that changes when the magnet M approaches the magnetic sensor S due to the displacement of the water level detection float 83. The control unit 9 detects the water level in the tray 5 based on the detection signal output by the magnetic sensor S.

[0050] Here, the tray 5 of this embodiment is formed by cold working SUS304, which is an austenitic stainless steel. In the formation of the tray 5, deformation-induced martensitic transformation (martensite transformation) may occur during bending, drawing, etc., resulting in magnetic parts. For example, in the tray 5 shown in FIG. 5, the part where deformation-induced martensitic transformation occurs is the edge part 50 and its vicinity. If the magnet M and the magnetic sensor S are arranged to sandwich the magnetic part of the tray 5, the magnetic flux generated between the magnet M and the magnetic sensor S may be blocked or weakened by the part, which may affect the accuracy of the water level detection.

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, the magnet M and the magnetic sensor S are arranged with a "specific portion" of the tray 5, which will be described below, sandwiched between them. The specific portion is (i) a portion where no deformation-induced martensitic transformation has occurred, or (ii) a portion where deformation-induced martensitic transformation has occurred only to the extent that it does not impede detection by the magnetic sensor S (i.e., a portion where deformation-induced martensitic transformation does not affect water level detection based on the output of the magnetic sensor S, even if deformation-induced martensitic transformation has occurred). Specifically, this specific portion is a flat plate-shaped portion (flat bottom portion 53a) located below the magnet M.

[0052] The specific portion may be any portion where no processing-induced martensitic transformation has occurred or where processing-induced martensitic transformation has occurred to such an extent that it does not impede detection by the magnetic sensor S, for example, any portion other than the edge portion 50 of the tray 5. The tray 5 may be made of SUS301, SUS316, or the like. Although the above description has been given of an example in which the tray 5 is made of SUS304, it is more preferable that the tray 5 be made of SUS304L, SUS316, or SUS316L, which are less susceptible to processing-induced martensitic transformation (less susceptible to magnetism) due to bending, drawing, or the like, among the austenitic stainless steels, than SUS304. SUS304L is a material with a lower carbon concentration than SUS304, and SUS316L is a material with a lower carbon concentration than SUS316.

[0053] The control unit 9 shown in FIG. 2 is composed of a microcomputer that controls the overall operation of the humidifier 100, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The control unit 9 is mounted on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) (not shown). The PCB is provided, for example, between the upper panel 1U and the casing 10. The control unit 9 is electrically connected to various electronic components provided in the humidifier 100. The control unit 9 receives operations performed by a user on an operation panel (not shown) provided on the upper panel 1U, and controls each unit of the humidifier 100 according to the received operation. The control unit 9 controls the operation of the heater T, the fan motor 2a, a turn motor (not shown) that rotates the humidifier unit 3, and the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4. The control unit 9 also detects the water level in the tray 5 based on the output of the magnetic sensor S.

[0054] The humidifier 100 described above can be described from the following viewpoints A to E.

[0055] (Perspective A) Viewpoint A has a main object to provide a humidifier capable of suppressing deterioration of the tray.

[0056] (A1) A humidifier (100) according to aspect A is A housing (1), A humidifying unit (3) located inside the housing and generating humidified air; an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit (4) that irradiates ultraviolet rays into the inside of the housing; a tray (5) located inside the housing for storing water for generating the humidified air; The tray is formed from stainless steel. According to this configuration, since the tray is made of stainless steel, deterioration of the tray can be suppressed even if it is exposed to ultraviolet rays.

[0057] (A2) The humidifier according to A1 further includes a tray holder (6) that is inserted through an insertion opening (1a) provided in the housing and on which the tray is placed, The tray is detachable from the tray holder, The tray holder is detachable from the housing. This configuration makes it easy to clean the tray and the tray holder.

[0058] (A3) The humidifier according to A2, The tray holder has a standing wall portion (61) that supports an edge portion (50) of the tray, The edge portion of the tray has a supported portion (50a) that abuts against the vertical wall portion and is supported by the vertical wall portion when the tray is placed on the tray holder, and an extending portion (50b) that is connected to the supported portion and follows the outer surface of the vertical wall portion. According to this configuration, the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder can be improved. Specifically, by providing a lining portion on the edge of the tray, the flatness of the supported portion can be ensured, and the degree of adhesion between the vertical wall portion of the tray holder and the supported portion of the tray can be increased. This makes it possible to improve the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder. If the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder is improved, it is possible to prevent a part of the air passing through the flow path W shown in FIG. 1 from entering between the tray and the tray holder, or to prevent air from being sucked in from the outside. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the blowing performance of humidified air.

[0059] (Perspective B) Viewpoint B has a main object to provide a humidifier capable of suppressing the complexity of the tray shape.

[0060] (B1) The humidifier (100) according to aspect B is A humidifying section (3) that generates humidified air; A tray (5) for storing water for generating the humidified air; a water supply tank (7) located above the tray for storing water to be supplied to the tray; a pin-shaped portion (80a) located below a valve mechanism (72) of the water supply tank and protruding toward the valve mechanism, the water supply tank is capable of supplying water to the tray when the valve mechanism is pressed by the pin-shaped portion, The pin-shaped portion is separate from the tray. According to this configuration, since it is not necessary to provide the pin-shaped portion on the tray, the tray shape can be prevented from becoming complicated. As a result, the tray can be configured with a simple shape, and the tray can be easily cleaned.

[0061] (B2) The humidifier according to B1 further comprises a tray holder (6) on which the tray is placed, The tray holder is provided with openings (6a, 6b) through which a part of the lower surface of the tray is exposed. According to this configuration, the tray can be easily removed from the tray holder by pushing up the lower surface of the tray through the opening.

[0062] (B3) In the humidifier according to B2, The openings are provided in two spaces in a first direction (front-rear direction), The tray holder has a receiving portion (601) between the two openings, The tray has a bottom plate portion (51a) facing the receiving pan portion, The tray portion has a bar (601a) protruding toward the bottom plate portion at one end and the other end in the first direction, The crosspiece is provided to extend in a second direction (left-right direction) intersecting the first direction. With this configuration, when condensation occurs on the underside of the tray, the dripping water can be collected in the drip pan.

[0063] (B4) In the humidifier according to B3, When the tray is placed on the tray holder, a gap is generated between the crosspiece and the bottom plate portion. This configuration allows water droplets on the underside of the tray to easily pass through toward the receiving tray.

[0064] (B5) In the humidifier according to any one of B2 to B4, The tray holder has a standing wall portion (61) that supports an edge portion (50) of the tray, The edge portion of the tray has a supported portion (50a) that abuts against the vertical wall portion and is supported by the vertical wall portion when the tray is placed on the tray holder, and an extending portion (50b) that is connected to the supported portion and follows the outer surface of the vertical wall portion. According to this configuration, the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder can be improved. Specifically, by providing a lining portion on the edge of the tray, the flatness of the supported portion can be ensured, and the degree of adhesion between the vertical wall portion of the tray holder and the supported portion of the tray can be increased. This makes it possible to improve the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder. If the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder is improved, it is possible to prevent a part of the air passing through the flow path W shown in FIG. 1 from entering between the tray and the tray holder, or to prevent air from being sucked in from the outside. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the blowing performance of humidified air.

[0065] (Perspective C) Viewpoint C has a main object to provide a humidifier capable of preventing unintentional water supply from a water supply tank.

[0066] (C1) A humidifier (100) according to point C, A humidifying section (3) that generates humidified air; A tray (5) for storing water for generating the humidified air; A tray holder (6) on which the tray is placed; a water supply tank (7) located above the tray for storing water to be supplied to the tray; a receiving member (80) for receiving the water supply tank, the receiving member (80) having a pin-shaped portion (80a) projecting toward a valve mechanism (72) of the water supply tank; The receiving member is detachable from the tray, the water supply tank is capable of supplying water to the tray when the valve mechanism is pressed by the pin-shaped portion, The tray holder has a standing wall portion (61) that supports an edge portion (50) of the tray, A notch (61a) is formed in a portion of the upright wall portion, a mating portion (81b) that can be mated with the notch is provided integrally with the receiving member at a position that faces the notch in the up-down direction when the receiving member is attached to the tray, In a tray-present state in which the tray is placed on the tray holder, the notch is covered by the edge of the tray and does not engage with the engageable portion, and the water supply tank is received by the receiving member and the valve mechanism is pressed against the pin-shaped portion, In a tray-less state where the tray is removed from the tray holder, the engageable portion engages with the notch, and the receiving member and the pin-shaped portion are lowered below when the tray is present, thereby causing the pin-shaped portion to move away from the valve mechanism. With this configuration, even if the user forgets to attach the tray to the tray holder and attaches the tray holder with the receiving member placed on it to the housing, it is possible to prevent water from flowing out of the water supply tank into the tray holder, i.e., it is possible to prevent unintended water supply from the water supply tank.

[0067] (C2) In the humidifier according to C1, The water supply tank has an opposing portion (70a) that faces the standing wall portion in the up-down direction, In the tray-less state, the facing portion is supported by the standing wall portion of the tray holder. With this configuration, the water tank can be stably supported even without the tray.

[0068] (C3) In the humidifier according to C1 or C2, The tray holder has a base portion (602) that comes into contact with a portion of the tray that faces the receiving member when the tray is present, and a low floor portion (603) that is located lower than the base portion, The receiving member has legs (80b) that are supported by the tray when the tray is present, In the tray-less state, the legs are supported on the low floor portion. According to this configuration, the partition structure can be stably supported in both a tray-present state and a tray-absent state.

[0069] (C4) The humidifier according to C3, The tray holder further has a rib (604) that comes into contact with a portion of the tray that does not face the receiving member when the tray is present; In the tray-free state, the legs are supported on the low floor between the base and the ribs. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the load of the water supply tank from concentrating locally on the tray, and to prevent the tray from being deformed.

[0070] (C5) The humidifier according to any one of C1 to C4, a partition plate (81) that separates the humidifying section from the water tank and is formed integrally with the receiving member, The engageable portion is a part of the partition plate. According to this configuration, a part of the partition plate can be used as a mechanism for preventing unintentional water supply from the water supply tank, thereby preventing an increase in the number of parts or a complicated structure.

[0071] (Perspective D) Viewpoint D has a main object to provide a humidifier capable of suppressing variations in water level detection while suppressing the complexity of the tray shape.

[0072] (D1) A humidifier (100) according to aspect D is A humidifying section (3) that generates humidified air; A tray (5) for storing water for generating the humidified air; a water supply tank (7) located above the tray for storing water to be supplied to the tray; a receiving member (80) for receiving the water supply tank, the receiving member (80) having a pin-shaped portion (80a) protruding toward a valve mechanism (72) of the water supply tank; a partition plate (81) separating the humidifying section from the water tank; a float support portion (82) for supporting a water level detection float (83) that floats on the water stored in the tray so that the float can be displaced in response to the displacement of the water, the water supply tank is capable of supplying water to the tray when the valve mechanism is pressed by the pin-shaped portion, The receiving member, the partition plate and the float support portion are integral with each other. According to this configuration, since it is not necessary to provide a receiving member having a pin-shaped portion on the tray, the tray shape can be prevented from becoming complicated. As a result, the tray can be configured with a simple shape, and the tray can be easily cleaned. Furthermore, according to this configuration, since the partition plate, the portion that receives the water supply tank, and the portion that supports the water level detection float are integrated, individual differences in each portion and assembly errors are reduced, and variations in the water level height and water level detection can be suppressed. Here, if the receiving member is configured as a separate part, an assembly error in the height direction will occur, and the height of the water supply tank (more specifically, the height of the tank cap) that is the object to be received will also vary, and the water level height will not be stable. However, by integrating the receiving member with the partition plate or the like as described above, variations in the water level height can be suppressed.

[0073] (D2) In the humidifier according to D1, The partition plate has a support portion (bearing 8R) that supports the humidifying portion. With this configuration, the position of the humidifying section relative to the tray can be specified as the position relative to the partition plate, which can more effectively suppress variation in water level detection. In addition, the support section can suppress individual differences in the depth to which the humidifying section is submerged in water, which in turn suppresses variation in the amount of humidification by the humidifier. This is because when the submersion depth of the humidifying section differs due to individual differences, the amount of water that is absorbed and moistened differs, and the amount of humidification that evaporates also differs.

[0074] (Perspective E) Viewpoint E has a main object to provide a humidifier capable of maintaining the accuracy of water level detection by a magnetic sensor.

[0075] (E1) The humidifier (100) according to aspect D is A humidifying section (3) that generates humidified air; A tray (5) made of austenitic stainless steel that stores water for generating the humidified air; A water level detection float (83) that floats on the water stored in the tray and holds a magnet (M); a magnetic sensor (S) located on the opposite side of the magnet across the specific portion (flat bottom portion 53a) of the tray and detecting a magnetic field generated by the magnet; The specific portion is a portion in which no stress-induced martensitic transformation has occurred, or a portion in which stress-induced martensitic transformation has occurred only to the extent that it does not impede detection by the magnetic sensor. According to this configuration, the magnet and magnetic sensor are positioned to avoid any part of the tray that is so magnetic that it would impede detection by the magnetic sensor, thereby maintaining the accuracy of water level detection by the magnetic sensor.

[0076] (E2) Specifically, in the humidifier according to E1, the specific portion is a portion other than the edge of the tray.

[0077] (E3) Specifically, in the humidifier according to E1 or E2, the specific portion is a flat portion located below the magnet.

[0078] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and drawings. It is possible to make appropriate changes (including deletion of components) within the scope of the present invention. For example, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 4 may be any unit that emits light in the ultraviolet region, and is not limited to one that emits deep ultraviolet light (UV-C). In addition, the humidification unit 3 is not limited to a configuration that can rotate with respect to the housing 1. The humidification unit 3 may be one that does not rotate with respect to the housing 1 and is installed above the tray 5. In this case, instead of the bearing 8R provided on the partition plate 81, a support unit of any shape that supports a part of the humidification unit 3 may be provided. It is preferable that this support unit determines the relative position of the humidification unit 3 with respect to the tray 5. In addition, the engageable portion 81b is not limited to an example that is a part of the partition plate 81, and may be a configuration that is formed integrally with at least the receiving member 80.

[0079] In the above description, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, descriptions of well-known technical matters have been omitted as appropriate.

[0080] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 100...humidifier, W...flow path 1. Housing 1a...insertion port, P1...intake port, P2...outlet 1F: front panel, 1B: rear panel 1L: Left panel, 1R: Right panel, 1U: Top panel 10…Casing 10D…Bottom 11...Holder accommodation section 12...Side wall part, 12a...Communication hole 13... Fan housing, Q1... Intake port, Q2... Exhaust port 14...beam portion, 14a...module case 15...wall, 17...lid R3: Humidification unit housing chamber, R7: Tank housing chamber 2... Fan, 2a... Fan motor 3. Humidification section 3a: first ventilation section, 3b: second ventilation section 30...Humidification filter 31...frame body, 31R,31L...shaft part, AX...axis line 4...Ultraviolet irradiation section, U...Ultraviolet light 5…Tray 50... Edge, 50a... Supported part, 50b... Alongside part 51...Main water tank section, 51a...Bottom plate section 52…Tank facing part 53...float water tank section, 53a...flat bottom section 6…Tray holder 6a, 6b...Opening, 6R...Holder panel, 6L...Bearing 60…Tray storage area 601... tray portion, 601a... crosspiece 602: base, 603: low floor, 604: rib 61...standing wall portion, 61a...notch 62... outer peripheral wall portion, 62a... partition plate guide 7. Water tank 70...tank body, 70a...opposing portion 71...tank cap, 71a...water inlet, 72...valve mechanism 8...Partition structure 8R…Bearing (support part) 80: receiving member, 80a: pin-shaped portion, 80b: leg portion 81…Partition 81a... water passage hole, 81b... matable portion, 81c... insertion rib 82…Float support 83...Float for detecting water level, M...Magnet, BX...Axis 9...Control section S: Magnetic sensor T…Heater

Claims

1. A humidifying unit that generates humidified air; a tray made of austenitic stainless steel for storing water for generating the humidified air; a water level detection float that floats on the water stored in the tray and holds a magnet; a magnetic sensor located on the opposite side of the magnet across the specific portion of the tray and detecting a magnetic field generated by the magnet; The specific portion is a portion in which deformation-induced martensitic transformation has not occurred, or a portion in which deformation-induced martensitic transformation has occurred only to the extent that it does not interfere with detection by the magnetic sensor. humidifier.

2. The specific portion is a portion other than the edge of the tray. The humidification device according to claim 1 .

3. The specific portion is a flat portion located below the magnet. The humidifier according to claim 1 or 2.

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