Air cleaner

Abstract

To provide an air cleaner that has a relatively simple configuration and that can be easily optimized in accordance with the intended use or purposes thereof when inactivating viruses in the air.SOLUTION: Provided is an air cleaner comprising an ultraviolet light source 3 which radiates ultraviolet rays having a wavelength capable of inactivating viruses, and an air flow path 58 which is equipped with a first air entrance 56 and a first air exit 57 and in which the air coming in from the first entrance 56 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays until the air goes out of the first exit 57, the ultraviolet light source 3 being disposed at a position inside and / or outside the air flow path 58. As necessary, a blower 75 that adjusts the time for which the air remains within the air flow path 58 is provided. The blower 75 functions as an airflow velocity adjustment device 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purifier having a function of inactivating viruses by irradiating them with ultraviolet light. [Background technology]

[0002] SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus, poses a major threat worldwide. It is expected that large amounts of SARS-CoV-2 are present in the breath exhaled by SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals and in living spaces where infected individuals reside, and there is an urgent need to sterilize SARS-CoV-2 present in such air.

[0003] Conventionally, a technology that can inactivate viruses using ultraviolet light has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a virus inactivation device having a suction pipe with a bell-mouth-shaped suction port at one end, which serves as an entrance for capturing the breath exhaled by the user, and a main unit connected to the other end of the suction pipe, the main unit having a blower that generates an airflow from the suction port into the main unit, and an ultraviolet lamp that irradiates the air that flows into the main unit through the suction pipe with ultraviolet light of 222 nm or 254 nm. Patent Document 1 describes that the device has the effect of effectively suppressing the risk of infection due to the spread of viruses to the surroundings by inactivating the viruses in the breath immediately after the breath is exhaled.

[0004] On the other hand, Non-Patent Document 1 reported that a liquid culture medium containing SARS-CoV-2 was irradiated with ultraviolet light of 253.7 nm wavelength at 500 μW / cm from a distance of 30 cm. 2discloses experimental results showing that exposure to a 30-second irradiance of 1000 u / s for 30 seconds reduces time-dependent infectivity (viral titer) and reduces the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 by 99.99%. Non-Patent Document 1 also discloses that these reductions are due to a significant reduction in the amount of viral RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) (damage to the viral genome). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-105899 A [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] “UVC disinfects SARS-CoV-2 by induction of viral genome damage without apparent effects on viral morphology and proteins”, Chieh-Wen Lo, Ryosuke Matsuura, Kazuki Iimura, Satoshi Wada, Atsushi Shinjo, Yoshimi Benno, Masaru Nakagawa, Masami Takei & Yoko Aida, Scientific Reports volume 11, Article number: 13804 (2021). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, to ensure a 30-second irradiation time based on Non-Patent Document 1, it is necessary to consider the amount of human inhalation and exhalation in order to ensure that irradiation time, and the size (length) of the ultraviolet ray irradiation space must be determined accordingly. This restriction creates the problem of an increased size of the air purifier device. Furthermore, when inactivating viruses, the air purifier must be optimized according to the amount of virus-containing air that can be processed per unit time, as well as the application and purpose, and this optimization design requires a great deal of effort.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide an air purifier that can shorten the time required to inactivate viruses by irradiating the air with a large amount of ultraviolet light in a short period of time. Another object of the present invention is to provide a small air purifier capable of inactivating viruses contained in at least one of the inhaled and exhaled air of a person. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air purifier that has a relatively simple configuration and can be easily optimized depending on the application or purpose when inactivating viruses in the air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The air purifier according to a first aspect of the present invention has an ultraviolet light source that emits ultraviolet light of a wavelength capable of inactivating viruses, and an air flow path that has an air inlet and an air outlet and through which the air that enters through the inlet is irradiated with the ultraviolet light before it exits through the outlet, and is characterized in that the ultraviolet light source is provided at a position inside or outside the air flow path. A second aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that when the ultraviolet light source is provided outside the air flow path, the air flow path is formed of a material that transmits the ultraviolet light. A third aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that a reflective surface that reflects the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source located inside the air flow path into the air flow path is formed on an inner surface of the air flow path. A fourth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the second aspect, characterized in that a reflective surface that reflects the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source, which is located outside the air flow path, into the air flow path is provided outside the ultraviolet light source. A fifth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that the ultraviolet light source is provided both inside and outside the air flow path, the air flow path is made of a material that transmits the ultraviolet light, and a reflective surface that reflects the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source located outside the air flow path into the air flow path is provided outside the ultraviolet light source. A sixth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that the wavelength of the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source is not less than 100 nm and not more than 310 nm. A seventh aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, further comprising an air flow rate adjustment device that adjusts the time that the air stays in the air flow path, and the air flow rate adjustment device has a blower equipped with a rotating blade and that adjusts the flow rate of the air in the air flow path by rotating the rotating blade.

[0010] An eighth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, further comprising an air flow rate adjustment device for adjusting the time that the air stays in the air flow path, and the air flow rate adjustment device has an adjustment valve for adjusting the flow rate of air flowing out of the air flow path. A ninth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, further comprising an air flow rate adjustment device that adjusts the time the air stays in the air flow path, wherein the ultraviolet light source is a light source that can change the amount of ultraviolet light irradiation, and the air flow rate adjustment device adjusts the flow rate of the air based on the amount of irradiation of the ultraviolet light source. A tenth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that an upstream connecting pipe is connected to the inlet, and a downstream connecting pipe is connected to the outlet. An eleventh aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the seventh aspect, characterized in that the blower serving as the air flow rate adjustment device is provided inside the air flow path. A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the seventh aspect, characterized in that an upstream connecting pipe is connected to the inlet and a downstream connecting pipe is connected to the outlet, and the blower is provided in the upstream connecting pipe or the downstream connecting pipe. A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, further comprising an air flow rate adjustment device for adjusting the time that the air stays in the air flow path, the air flow rate adjustment device comprising a blower having a rotating blade and for adjusting the flow rate of the air in the air flow path by rotating the rotating blade, and a regulating valve for adjusting the flow rate of air flowing out of the air flow path.

[0011] A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that the air purifier is made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, and at least one internal flow path through which air flows is provided within the air flow path. A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the fourteenth aspect, characterized in that a blower is provided which has a rotating blade and adjusts the flow speed of the air in the air flow path by rotating the rotating blade, and the blower is provided at an inlet or an outlet of the internal flow path. A 16th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that a homogenizing member for homogenizing the flow of air is provided in the air flow path, and the homogenizing member is composed of a lattice-shaped partition wall. A 17th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that a homogenizing member for homogenizing the flow of air is provided in the air flow path, and the homogenizing member is composed of a honeycomb-shaped partition wall. An 18th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that narrow plate bodies forming outer openings and wide plate bodies having inner openings are arranged alternately in the air flow path in the direction of air flow, forming a serpentine path connecting the outer openings and the inner openings. A 19th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that the air purifier is made of a material that transmits ultraviolet rays, at least one internal flow path through which air flows is provided within the air flow path, and a homogenizing member for homogenizing the air flow is provided within the air flow path, and the homogenizing member has a lattice-shaped partition wall and a honeycomb-shaped partition wall. A twentieth aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the fourth aspect, characterized in that an outer mirror body having a mirror outer circumferential surface is provided at a central axis position of the air flow path. A 21st aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the 4th aspect, characterized in that it has an ultraviolet light source position changing device that changes the distance between the ultraviolet light source and the outer circumferential surface of the air flow path.

[0012] A 22nd aspect of the present invention is the air purifier described in the 21st aspect, wherein the ultraviolet light source position changing device has a pair of support shafts extending in the axial direction of the central axis of the air flow path, a pair of rotating parts supported for free rotation on the pair of support shafts, a pair of actuator parts fixed to the pair of rotating parts, and a pair of advancing / retracting rods provided on the pair of actuator parts, the ultraviolet light source is fixed to the tip ends of the pair of advancing / retracting rods, and the ultraviolet light source position changing device changes the distance between the ultraviolet light source and the outer peripheral surface of the air flow path by rotating the pair of actuator parts around the pair of support shafts through the advancing / retracting movement of the pair of advancing / retracting rods. A 23rd aspect of the present invention is the air purifier described in the first aspect, characterized in that it comprises a humidity adjustment device provided at an upstream position of the air flow path, a humidity detection unit provided at an upstream position of the air flow path downstream of the humidity adjustment device, and a control unit that controls the humidity adjustment device based on the humidity detected by the humidity detection unit. A 24th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, characterized in that it is used to inactivate viruses in the air of a room where humans or animals are present, viruses in the air entering the room, or viruses in the air leaving the room. A 25th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, which is used to inactivate external air that may contain viruses as air inhaled by a user, and is characterized in that it has an intake port and an exhaust port for a person to breathe through their nose or mouth, a human-side sealing part that seals at least the nose and mouth from the outside, and a human-side intake pipe line that communicates between the intake port and the outlet. A 26th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, which is used to inactivate the exhaled breath of a user that may contain viruses and discharge it to the outside, and is characterized in that it has an intake port and an exhalation port for a person to breathe through their nose or mouth, a human sealing part that seals at least the nose and mouth from the outside, and a human-side exhalation pipe line that communicates between the exhalation port and the inlet.

[0013] A twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the twenty-fifth or twenty-sixth aspect, characterized in that the air purifier is mounted on a wearing tool that moves with the movement of a user. A 28th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the first aspect, comprising an inner tube extending in a predetermined direction and formed of a material that transmits the ultraviolet light, a plurality of the ultraviolet light source arranged around the outside of the inner tube, an outer tube container that houses the inner tube and the ultraviolet light source inside, an inner tube inner mouth that connects the inner tube to the inside of the outer tube container, an inner tube outer mouth that connects the inner tube to the outside, a communication port that connects the inside of the outer tube container to the outside, and an air flow rate adjustment device that is arranged in the outer tube container and adjusts the time that air stays in the outer tube container, and is characterized in that the air flow rate adjustment device is arranged inside the outer tube container facing the inner tube inner mouth. A 29th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the 28th aspect, characterized in that it has a reflective surface provided on an inner surface of the outer cylindrical container for reflecting the ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light source toward the inside of the outer cylindrical container. A 30th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the 28th or 29th aspect, characterized in that the air flow rate adjustment device has an air agitator and a motor for rotating the agitator. A thirty-first aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the third or fourth aspect, characterized in that an uneven portion for diffusing ultraviolet rays is formed on the reflective surface. A 32nd aspect of the present invention is an air purifier as described in the third or fourth aspect, characterized in that the ultraviolet light source is composed of a plurality of ultraviolet light-emitting elements arranged in the direction in which the internal flow path extends, and the ultraviolet light-emitting elements are arranged facing the internal flow path side and the ultraviolet light-emitting elements are arranged facing the reflective surface side. A 33rd aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the third aspect, characterized in that a collision part larger than a flow path diameter of the upstream connecting pipe is provided inside the air flow path, and the surface of the collision part is an ultraviolet reflective surface.

[0014] A 34th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the 33rd aspect, characterized in that the inside of the air flow path has a baffle section that causes the air flow to meander along the ultraviolet light source without leakage, and the surface of the baffle section is an ultraviolet reflective surface. The 35th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the 25th aspect, characterized in that it has an air retention chamber provided between the human side intake duct and the human enclosed section, and an intake connection path communicating the air retention chamber and the human enclosed section. A 36th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the 35th aspect, characterized in that the human enclosed section is provided with an exhaust valve configured to exhaust only the user's exhaled air while preventing the intake of air outside the human enclosed section. The 37th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the 26th aspect, characterized in that it has an air retention chamber provided between the human side expiratory duct and the human sealed section, and an expiratory connection path communicating the air retention chamber and the human sealed section. A 38th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the 37th aspect, characterized in that the human enclosed section is provided with an intake valve configured to prevent the user's exhaled air from leaking outside the human enclosed section while allowing only the user's inhaled air to be drawn into the human enclosed section. A 39th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the 25th aspect, characterized in that it has an air retention chamber provided between the human side intake pipe and the human enclosed section, and the air retention chamber is connected to the human enclosed section. A 40th aspect of the present invention is the air purifier according to the 26th aspect, characterized in that it has an air retention chamber provided between the human side expiratory duct and the human sealed section, and the air retention chamber is connected to the human sealed section. Effect of the Invention

[0015] The present invention makes it possible to provide an air purifier that can reduce the time required to inactivate viruses by irradiating the air with a large amount of ultraviolet light in a short period of time. Furthermore, the present invention can provide a small air purifier that can inactivate viruses contained in at least one of the inhaled and exhaled air of a person. The present invention can provide an air purifier that has a relatively simple configuration and can be easily optimized according to the application or purpose when inactivating viruses in the air. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment showing the basic configuration of an air flow path and a configuration in which an ultraviolet light source is provided at the center. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment showing a configuration in which multiple ultraviolet light sources are uniformly disposed within the air flow path. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment showing an example of a configuration in which an ultraviolet light source is provided outside the air flow path. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which an ultraviolet light source is provided inside and outside an air flow path made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, and a reflective surface is also provided. [Diagram 5] 11 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which an air flow rate adjusting device is configured by providing an adjusting valve in a passage connected to an air flow path. FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which an air flow rate adjusting device is configured by providing an air blower on an upstream connecting pipe that communicates with an air flow path. FIG. [Figure 7] 11 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which an air flow rate adjusting device is configured by providing an air blower at a downstream position facing the air flow path. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which an air flow rate adjusting device is configured by providing an air blower on a downstream connecting pipe that communicates with an air flow path. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which the air flow rate adjusting device is configured by providing a plurality of blowers. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which the uniformizing member is configured with lattice-shaped partition walls. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment in which the homogenizing member is constructed of honeycomb-shaped partition walls. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which an internal flow passage, for example transparent, is provided within the air flow passage. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment having a blower, a lattice-shaped partition wall, a honeycomb-shaped partition wall, and an internal flow path. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which a meander is formed in the air flow path. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an embodiment in which a meandering portion is formed in the air flow path. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment having a humidity adjusting device and an ultraviolet light source position changing device. [Figure 17] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing an example of the arrangement relationship between an air flow path and an ultraviolet light source, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing an example of an ultraviolet ray blocking member. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a front view of the ultraviolet light source position changing device. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an ultraviolet light source position changing device. [Figure 20] FIG. 1 is a diagram to explain virus inactivation in human and animal living spaces. [Figure 21] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining virus inactivation in a room where animals such as birds, cows, and pigs are kept. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of using an air purifier for inhalation through a mask. [Diagram 23] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the use of an air purifier on exhalation of a mask. [Figure 24] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the use of an air purifier in the intake of a full-face helmet. [Diagram 25] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the use of an air purifier on the exhaled air of a full-face helmet. [Figure 26] FIG. 1 shows an example of use in a portable air purifier using a mask and inactivating both inhaled and exhaled air. [Figure 27] FIG. 1 shows an example of use of a portable air purifier using a full-face helmet and performing inactivation on both inhaled and exhaled air. [Figure 28] FIG. 2A is a vertical cross-sectional view of an air purifier according to a more specific embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2B is a front view of an agitation unit, and FIG. 2C is a view of the agitation unit as viewed from below. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 28 of an air purifier according to a more specific embodiment. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an air purifier, illustrating the effect of an air flow rate adjusting device according to a more specific embodiment. [Diagram 31] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining modified examples of the reflecting surface, in which (a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of an outer cylinder, and (b) is a partially enlarged view of the uneven portion. [Diagram 32] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an air purifier that inactivates inhaled and exhaled air. [Diagram 33] FIG. 1 shows an example of a usage pattern applicable to each embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows a usage pattern of an air purifier that inactivates both inhaled and exhaled air, (b) shows a usage pattern of an air purifier exclusively for inhalation, and (c) shows a usage pattern of an air purifier exclusively for exhalation. [Diagram 34] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an ultraviolet light-emitting element as an example of an ultraviolet light source. [Diagram 35] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a modified example of the present invention, in which FIG. 10A is a plan view of a support pillar, and FIG. [Diagram 36]13A-13C are diagrams showing other configurations of the human enclosure according to the present embodiment, illustrating an example of a helmet in which at least the mouth and nose are sealed from the outside. [Figure 37] 1A to 1D are diagrams for explaining an embodiment in which a collision section and a baffle section are provided in an air flow path, where (a) is a side view of the air flow path, (b) is a perspective view, (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view, and (d) is a simulation diagram of the air flow. [Figure 38] 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining an embodiment in which a collision section and a baffle section are provided in an air flow path, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a plan view, and (c) is a simulation diagram of air flow. [Figure 39] 1A is a schematic side view of a user wearing a mask unit, FIG. 1B is a schematic front view of the same, and FIG. [Diagram 40] FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing a portable inhalation-side inactivation unit, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a mask unit. [Diagram 41] 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining a configuration for inactivating both inhaled and exhaled gas, in which (a) is a side view of a mask unit, and (b) is a rear view of the mask unit. [Diagram 42] (a) is a diagram showing the jointed mask from the front, (b) is a diagram showing the jointed mask from the back, and (c) is a diagram showing the jointed mask worn on a user's head. [Diagram 43] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment in which a full-face helmet is used as a human enclosure and an air retention chamber is provided in the full-face helmet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An air purifier according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Before describing the specific configuration of the embodiment, the concept and the viewpoints that are emphasized in the embodiment will be described. [Miniaturization and short-time processing configuration] It is said that the structure of coronaviruses mutates in a short period of time, such as once every two weeks, and it is highly likely that in the future, viruses such as coronaviruses will continue to mutate, resulting in the emergence of mutant strains that have adverse effects on the human body. There are also concerns about the spread of other viruses, such as monkeypox and smallpox. Here, viruses are composed of RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), and since they are both composed of nucleic acids, it is expected that the degree of inactivation of viruses will be great if they are exposed to a large amount of strong ultraviolet light all at once in a short period of time.

[0018] Based on the above technical prediction, one objective of this embodiment is to provide an air purifier that can inactivate viruses harmful to the human body, such as coronaviruses, in a shorter time than conventional air purifiers equipped with ultraviolet light sources, and that has a simple configuration and can optimally set the processing time required to inactivate viruses. Each configuration of this embodiment is premised on determining the amount and intensity of ultraviolet light capable of inactivating the target viruses through experiments, etc. Furthermore, the configuration of this air purifier aims to achieve an inactivation rate of 99.99% or more for the target viruses.

[0019] The air purifier according to each embodiment of the present invention can increase the intensity and amount of ultraviolet light per unit time and shorten the ultraviolet light irradiation time compared to conventional configurations. Therefore, the space in which the air is irradiated with ultraviolet light can be reduced, and the air purifier can be suitably used in an air purifier that supplies clean air to a user's mask or the like, or an air purifier that converts the breath coming out of a user's mask into clean air.

[0020] [Improved response to virus inactivation] Next, a higher objective of the present invention is to provide an air purifier 1 that can flexibly respond to various purposes and uses in virus inactivation. First, a configuration for achieving this higher objective will be described. From this perspective, the air purifier 1 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 for example, has an ultraviolet light source 3 that emits ultraviolet light of a wavelength capable of inactivating viruses, and an air flow path 58 that has a first air inlet 56 and a first air outlet 57 and through which the air that enters through the first inlet 56 is irradiated with ultraviolet light before it exits through the first outlet 57, and is characterized in that the ultraviolet light source 3 is provided at a position at least inside or outside the air flow path 58. In addition, an ultraviolet ray blocking member is provided at a predetermined location of the air purifier 1 so that the ultraviolet ray emitted from the ultraviolet ray light source 3 is not radiated outside the air purifier 1. It can be said that the reflective surface described later has both a reflective function and an ultraviolet ray blocking function. The ultraviolet rays used are often UV-C, with wavelengths of 100 nm or more and 280 nm or less, and UV-B, with wavelengths of 280 nm or more and 310 nm or less. The ultraviolet light source 3 may be a light source capable of varying the amount of ultraviolet light irradiation. In this case, by increasing the amount of ultraviolet light irradiation, the residence time of the air in the air flow path 58 required for inactivating the air can be shortened.

[0021] [First embodiment] The air flow path 58 of the air purifier 1 shown in Fig. 1 has a cylinder 60, a first wall 61 which is an upstream wall, and a second wall 62 which is a downstream wall, and the air flow path 58 is configured as an air container. A first inlet 56 is formed in the first wall 61, and a first outlet 57 is formed in the second wall 62. An upstream connecting pipe 63 is connected to the first inlet 56, and a downstream connecting pipe 64 is connected to the first outlet 57. A second inlet 65 is formed at the upstream end of the upstream connecting pipe 63. A second outlet 66 is formed at the downstream end of the downstream connecting pipe 64.

[0022] 1 to 15, the direction in which the air flow passage 58 extends is referred to as the extension direction or axial direction, and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is referred to as the width direction or radial direction. Furthermore, the circumferential direction is not limited to a circle, but is used to mean the direction around a polygon such as a rectangle. The first inlet 56 and the first outlet 57 may be formed in the same first wall body 61. In this case, the first wall body 61 is configured to be connected to an upstream side connecting pipe 63 and a downstream side connecting pipe 64. Since the ultraviolet light source 3 is disposed at the central axis position of the cylindrical body 60, ultraviolet light can be evenly irradiated from the central axis position to the air flowing inside the cylindrical body 60. In the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1, one ultraviolet light source 3 is provided inside the air flow path 58. In the configuration shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 3, for example, four ultraviolet light sources 3, are provided inside the air flow path 58. In the configuration where a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 3 are provided, it becomes possible to irradiate a large amount of ultraviolet light to the air 55 flowing through the air flow path 58.

[0023] In the configuration of the first embodiment, the air flow path 58 is used as a container for holding a predetermined amount of air to be inactivated by viruses so that it can be exposed to a predetermined irradiation amount (radiation intensity x time). An ultraviolet ray shielding member is provided outside the air flow path 58 to prevent the influence of ultraviolet rays on the surrounding area, but this is omitted in the drawing. In the air purifier 1 shown in the drawings of the present application, the ultraviolet ray shielding member is omitted as appropriate. 1 to 27 of the present application, the ultraviolet light source 3 is drawn in solid lines so as to be easily visible even when it is inside the air flow path 58, and the inside of the ultraviolet light source 3 shown in solid lines is drawn in gray.

[0024] [Second embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in Fig. 3 is characterized in that the ultraviolet light source 3 is disposed outside the air flow path 58, and at least the portion of the air flow path 58 corresponding to the position where the ultraviolet light source 3 is disposed is formed of a material that transmits ultraviolet light (such as a transparent member). Since the ultraviolet light source 3 is disposed outside the air flow path 58, there is an advantage that the ultraviolet light source 3 can be easily replaced. In addition, since the ultraviolet light source 3 is not inside the air flow path 58, there is an advantage that the air flow is smoother.

[0025] [Third embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in Fig. 4 is characterized in that the ultraviolet light source 3 is disposed both inside and outside the air flow path 58, that the cylinder 60 of the air flow path 58 is made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, and that a reflecting surface 67 that reflects ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 3 located outside the air flow path 58 toward the air flow path 58 is provided on the outside of the ultraviolet light source 3. By providing these configurations, it becomes possible to efficiently irradiate the air with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 3. It is preferable that the reflecting surface 67 is formed of an inner barrel 121 shown in Fig. 17(b). Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which ultraviolet light sources 3 are provided both inside and outside the air flow path 58, ultraviolet light with higher intensity can be effectively irradiated to the air flowing through the air flow path 58, making the entire device more compact and shortening the inactivation processing time. Furthermore, since the amount of irradiation can be increased even though the device is compact, the amount of inactivated air that can be supplied per unit time can be increased.

[0026] [Fourth embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in FIG. 5 is characterized in that the residence time adjustment device is composed of an adjustment valve 68 disposed at the second outlet 66. An example of a residence time adjustment device is the air flow rate adjustment device 20. The longer the residence time of the air adjusted by the air flow rate adjustment device 20, the greater the amount of ultraviolet irradiation (irradiation intensity x time). Therefore, the amount of ultraviolet irradiation can be changed by adjusting the flow rate by opening and closing the adjustment valve 68, etc. The adjustment valve 68 can be provided at any position on the first outlet 57 of the air flow path 58 or the downstream connecting pipe 64. When the air 55 to be treated is sent into the air flow path 58 by the pressure of the air 55 or a blower device (not shown), for example, the residence time of the air can be increased by narrowing the valve of the adjustment valve 68 to reduce the amount of air flowing out of the air flow path 58, and the residence time can be decreased by fully opening the valve of the adjustment valve 68 to increase the amount of air flowing out of the air flow path 58. In this way, the residence time of the air in the air flow path 58 can be adjusted by the adjustment valve 68.

[0027] [Fifth embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which the air flow rate adjustment device 20 is configured by an air blower 75. FIG. By changing the rotation speed of rotary vanes 59 (see FIG. 6) of blower 75, the flow speed in air flow passage 58 can be changed, thereby adjusting the residence time. The blower 75 can be provided at the upstream connecting pipe 63, the downstream connecting pipe 64, and / or the air flow path 58. FIG. 6 shows a configuration in which the blower 75 is provided at the second inlet 65 of the upstream connecting pipe 63, FIG. 7 shows a configuration in which the blower 75 is provided at the first outlet 57, and FIG. 8 shows a configuration in which the blower 75 is provided at the second outlet 66 of the downstream connecting pipe 64. FIG. 9 shows a configuration in which the blower 75 is provided at both the second inlet 65 and the second outlet 66. By providing the blower 75 at multiple locations, the wind speed can be precisely controlled at each location. The configuration in which multiple blowers 75 are provided has the advantage that a constant flow speed and flow rate can be maintained even if one blower 75 breaks down. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 28, a configuration in which a blower is provided facing at least one internal flow path provided in the air flow path can also be employed.

[0028] [Sixth embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in FIG. 10 is characterized by the provision of a uniforming member 76 that uniformizes the air flow in the air flow path 58. In the configuration shown in FIG. 10, the uniforming member 76 is configured with a lattice-shaped partition wall 77. An upstream space 80 is provided upstream of the lattice-shaped partition wall 77 inside the air flow path 58. The upstream space 80 may be a simple space. By providing the lattice-shaped partition wall 77, the air in the air flow path 58 can be distributed more evenly than in a configuration without the lattice-shaped partition wall 77. Furthermore, by providing such a configuration, the air flow can be uniformized, making it possible to uniform the amount of irradiation of the air to be inactivated. [Seventh embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in FIG. 11 is characterized in that the uniformizing member 76 is composed of a honeycomb-shaped partition wall 78. 11 shows a configuration in which a honeycomb-shaped partition wall 78 is provided substantially facing the first wall body 61. However, a configuration in which an upstream space portion 80 is provided as shown in FIG. In addition, in the configurations shown in Figures 10 and 11, in order to improve uniformity, a configuration can be adopted in which a partition wall (not shown) is provided in the upstream connecting pipe 63 to divide it into reduced lattices or honeycombs, and an air passage (not shown) is provided for each lattice or honeycomb that communicates with the enlarged lattice or honeycomb in the air flow path 58.

[0029] [Eighth embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in Fig. 12 is characterized in that at least one internal flow path 81 is provided inside the air flow path 58. The internal flow path 81 is preferably made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light. In addition, in the air purifier 1 shown in Fig. 12, the ultraviolet light source 3 is provided outside the air flow path 58, and therefore the entire circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 60 is also made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light. 12 shows a configuration in which a blower 75 is provided at the position of the second inlet 65, and four cylindrical internal flow paths 81 are provided. The cross-sectional shape of the internal flow paths 81 is not particularly limited. By providing the internal flow paths 81, the air flow can be made uniform. The internal flow passage 81 may be provided so as to be directly connected to the first inlet 56 or the first outlet 57 . In the case of a configuration in which multiple ultraviolet light sources 3 (not shown in FIG. 12) and multiple internal flow paths 81 are provided inside, it is preferable that the ultraviolet light sources 3 and the internal flow paths 81 are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the air flow path 58.

[0030] [Ninth embodiment] 13 is characterized by having a configuration in which a blower 75 is provided at a predetermined position communicating with the air flow path 58, a configuration in which a lattice-shaped partition wall 77 is provided in the air flow path 58, a configuration in which a honeycomb-shaped partition wall 78 is provided in the air flow path 58, and a configuration in which an internal flow path 81 is provided in the air flow path 58. By appropriately selecting and combining each configuration described in the above embodiment, an air purifier 1 in which the air flow is uniform and the residence time is optimized can be provided.

[0031] [Tenth embodiment] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an air purifier 1 according to a tenth embodiment, and FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the air purifier 1 taken along the central axis of an air flow path 58 thereof. The tenth embodiment is an air purifier 1 in which an ultraviolet light source 3, a narrow plate 83 forming an outer opening 82, and a wide plate 85 having an inner opening 84 are provided in the air flow path 58, and is characterized in that the narrow plate 83 and the wide plate 85 are alternately arranged in the direction in which the air flow path 58 extends to form a meandering path 86 connecting the outer opening 82 and the inner opening 84. In the configuration shown in Figures 14 and 15, one ultraviolet light source 3 is provided at the central axis position of the air flow path 58. However, a configuration in which multiple ultraviolet light sources 3 are provided near the center of the air flow path 58 can also be adopted. The ultraviolet light source 3 may be provided outside the air flow path 58, or may be provided both inside and outside the air flow path 58. With this configuration, the air flows through the serpentine path 86, so that the residence time is longer than when the air flows linearly through the air flow path 58, and the degree of inactivation can be increased. Moreover, the narrow plate 83 and the wide plate 85 are preferably made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light.

[0032] [Eleventh embodiment] Figures 16 to 19 are diagrams for explaining the eleventh embodiment. Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration including the control system. Figure 17(a) is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the air flow path and the ultraviolet light source, and Figure 17(b) is a diagram showing an ultraviolet light shielding member that houses all the components shown in Figure 17(a). Figure 17(b) shows an example in which the ultraviolet light shielding member is composed of an inner barrel body. FIG. 18 is a front view of the ultraviolet ray light source position changing device, showing an example in which six ultraviolet ray light sources are provided around the air flow path. FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view showing an ultraviolet light source position changing device.

[0033] 16, the air purifier 1 according to this embodiment has a configuration in which an ultraviolet light source 3 is provided around an air flow path 58 made of transparent glass, and is characterized in that an outer mirror body 107 with a mirror-like outer peripheral surface is provided at the central axis position of the air flow path 58. In this configuration, an annular passage 108 between the outer peripheral surface of the air flow path 58 and the outer mirror body 107 becomes the passage through which air flows. The ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light source 3 is reflected by the reflecting surface 67 of the inner mirror body 121 shown in Figure 17(b) and also by the outer mirror body 107, which has the advantage of causing multiple reflections between the outer mirror body 107 and the inner mirror body 121, allowing the ultraviolet light to be effectively irradiated into the air. In this embodiment, the "central axis position" refers to the position of the central region of the air flow path 58 where multiple reflections between the outer mirror body 107 and the inner mirror body 121 can be efficiently achieved in 360 degrees around the central axis, and where there is no practical problem of unevenness in the amount of ultraviolet light irradiated in the annular passage 108.

[0034] Also, the air purifier 1 according to this embodiment is characterized in that it has an ultraviolet light source position changing device 105 that changes the distance between the ultraviolet light source 3 and the outer circumferential surface of the air flow path 58. 18 and 19, the ultraviolet light source position change device 105 has at least a pair of support shafts 112 extending in the axial direction of the central axis of the air flow path 58, a pair of rotation parts 113 rotatably supported by the pair of support shafts 112, a pair of actuator parts 116 fixed to the pair of rotation parts 113, and a pair of advance / retract rods 115 provided on the pair of actuator parts 116, and the ultraviolet light source 3 is fixed to the tip of the pair of advance / retract rods 115. The number of support shafts 112 is increased or decreased according to the number of ultraviolet light sources 3. In this embodiment, six ultraviolet light sources 3 are provided, so six support shafts 112 are provided around the air flow path 58 at 60° intervals.

[0035] A solenoid can be exemplified as the actuator 116. Such a solenoid has a cylinder 114 that drives a reciprocating rod 115. In the case of the ultraviolet light source position change device 105, for example, by protruding the advancing / retracting rod 115 from the cylinder 114, the distance from the support shaft 112 to the ultraviolet light source 3 becomes longer, the pair of actuator parts 116 are rotated in a direction approaching the outer circumferential surface of the air flow path 58, and the ultraviolet light source 3 is fixed at that position. Also, by retracting the advancing / retracting rod 115 so as to be housed within the cylinder 114, the pair of actuator parts 116 are rotated in a direction away from the outer circumferential surface of the air flow path 58, and the ultraviolet light source 3 is fixed at that position. By changing the distance to the air flow path 58 in this manner, the irradiation intensity of ultraviolet light to the air flowing through the air flow path 58 can be changed.

[0036] Another feature of this embodiment is that it includes a humidity adjustment device 103 provided upstream of the air flow path 58, a humidity sensor 110 provided downstream of the humidity adjustment device 103 and upstream of the air flow path 58, and a control unit 118 that controls the humidity adjustment device 103 based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 110. Before describing the control of the humidity adjusting device 103, the configuration shown in FIG. 16 will be briefly described. The air flow path 58 according to this embodiment includes an equalizing member 76 located upstream of the air flow path 58. An inlet-side connecting pipe 101 is connected to the inlet of the air flow path 58, and an outlet-side connecting pipe 102 is connected to the outlet of the air flow path 58. The inlet-side connecting pipe 101 and the outlet-side connecting pipe 102 are configured to connect the annular passage 108 to the upstream-side connecting pipe 63 and the downstream-side connecting pipe 64, respectively. The inlet-side connecting pipe 101 is also a part of the upstream-side connecting pipe 63, and the outlet-side connecting pipe 102 is also a part of the downstream-side connecting pipe 64.

[0037] In the configuration shown in FIG. 16, the humidity adjustment device 103 is provided on the upstream connecting pipe 63. FIG. 16 shows a configuration in which the humidity adjustment device 103 is provided on the downstream side of the blower 75 and on the upstream side of the equalizing member 76. The humidity adjustment device 103 may be configured as a known dehumidifier driven by electricity. Alternatively, the humidity adjustment device 103 may be configured to house a moisture absorbing member (not shown) such as silica gel. When the moisture absorbing member has absorbed a predetermined amount of moisture, the humidity adjustment device 103 may be removed from the upstream connecting pipe 63 and replaced. The humidity adjustment device 103 may also be provided with a heating device (not shown) that evaporates moisture such as silica gel. The moisture absorbing member is reused by heating it with the heating device.

[0038] By providing a heating device, the moisture absorbing member can be regenerated and the temperature of viruses attached to the moisture absorbing member can be raised above the virus' death temperature (e.g., nucleic acid destruction temperature), thereby enabling the moisture absorbing member to be regenerated and preventing the spread of viruses by the moisture absorbing member. 16, the humidity adjustment device 103 indicated by the dashed line shows a modified example of the installation position of the humidity adjustment device 103, and shows a configuration in which the humidity adjustment device 103 is provided upstream of the blower 75. A dehumidifier used in a normal air conditioner (air conditioner) may be provided at the position shown by the dashed line, or a dehumidifier containing the moisture absorbing member described above may be provided.

[0039] In FIG. 16, a flow velocity sensor 111 serving as a flow velocity detection unit is provided at the position of the downstream connecting pipe 64, and a control unit 118 controls the rotation speed of the fan of the blower 75, etc. based on the flow velocity detected by the flow velocity sensor 111 to obtain the required flow velocity. In addition, the control unit 118 outputs control information for the humidity adjustment device 103, control information for changing the amount of ultraviolet irradiation by increasing or decreasing the voltage applied to the ultraviolet light source 3, and control information for specifying the number and position of the ultraviolet light source 3 to the ultraviolet light source position change device 105 to change the distance to the air flow path 58. The control unit 118 is connected to an input unit 119 that is composed of an operation panel, a remote control, or the like. The control unit 118 has a memory unit 122 in which the necessary inactivation conditions according to each type of virus are stored, or a memory unit 122 in which the necessary inactivation conditions for inactivating viruses regardless of type are stored, and inactivates viruses in the air flowing through the air flow path 58 based on the required air treatment flow rate input by the user and the inactivation mode corresponding to each necessary inactivation condition stored in each memory unit 122. For example, the flow rate for inactivation processing can be increased up to the maximum flow rate at which viruses can be inactivated with the maximum irradiation amount of the six ultraviolet light sources 3, according to an instruction from the user. As another embodiment, in the configuration shown in Fig. 16, the internal configuration of air flow path 58 can be changed to a configuration in which a blower is provided facing the internal flow path as shown in Fig. 28. In this case, based on the flow velocity detected by flow velocity sensor 111, control unit 118 controls adjustment variables (parameters) of the inner blower and the outer blower so as to obtain a final desired flow velocity. In FIG. 16, the flow velocity sensor 111 is shown to be provided downstream of the air flow path 58, but a configuration in which it is provided within the air flow path 58 can also be adopted as necessary.

[0040] [Twelfth embodiment] The twelfth embodiment shown in FIG. 20 is characterized in that an air purifier 1 is provided in a room 88, which is a living space in which a human being 89 and / or a pet animal 95 live, to inactivate viruses 90 in the air. The air to be inactivated may be air within a room 88 shown in FIG. 20, or virus-containing air may be taken into the room 88 from outside (not shown). By providing the air purifier 1 according to this embodiment to the air in or entering a room 88, the number of infectious viruses can be reduced, thereby reducing the possibility of viral infection of humans 89 or pets 95 living in the room 88. Note that non-inactivated viruses are shown in black and designated by the symbol 90, while inactivated viruses are shown in white and designated by the symbol 90a.

[0041] [Thirteenth embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in Fig. 21 is characterized by its use for inactivating viruses in the air of a room 91 in which various animals 92, for example egg-laying chickens, are kept. It is conceivable that the air used in the production factories of egg producers plagued by avian influenza and the like could be inactivated by the air purifier 1 of the present invention. Inactivation treatment could also be carried out only during periods when avian influenza is likely to spread. Other animals 92 include cows, pigs, etc. The air to be inactivated may be air inside a room 91 shown in Figure 21, or air containing viruses may be taken into room 91 from outside (not shown).

[0042] [Fourteenth embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in Figures 22 and 23 is characterized in that the human sealing part 41 is configured as a mask 93. In this specification, the "human sealing part 41" is defined as "a member that has an intake port and an exhaust port for a person to breathe through the nose or mouth, and seals at least the nose and mouth from the outside." The "human sealing part 41" includes a mask 93 and a full-face helmet 94 (see Figure 24) that seal at least the nose and mouth area and can seal the person's face or head from the outside. 22 is a diagram of the intake portion, in which air 87 containing non-inactivated viruses 90 is taken in by intake-side inactivation unit 37, which is air purifier 1, and inactivated air is supplied to the nose and mouth from intake port 42 of mask 93 via human-side intake pipe 44. An exhalation port (not shown) is provided in mask 93. When used as air purifier 1 exclusively for intake, a valve body that opens and closes with breathing can be provided in the exhalation port, and the valve body can be a valve (e.g., a check valve) that opens only when air in mask 93 is released.

[0043] 23 is a diagram of the exhalation section, in which the exhaled air containing non-inactivated viruses 90 leaving the human body through the exhalation port 43 of the mask 93 is taken into the exhalation side inactivation unit 38 through the human side exhalation tube 45. It is then configured to be sent out as purified air 87a containing inactivated viruses 90a by the exhalation side inactivation unit 38. The mask 93 is provided with an intake port 42 (not shown). When the mask 93 is used as an air purifier 1 for exhalation only, the intake port 42 may be provided with a valve that opens and closes by breathing, and the valve may be a valve (e.g., a check valve) that opens only when air in the mask 93 is inhaled. 22 and 23, air in which the virus has not been inactivated is indicated by reference numeral 87 and is shown by a grey arrow, and air in which the virus has been inactivated is indicated by reference numeral 87a and is shown by a hollow arrow.

[0044] [Fifteenth embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in Fig. 24 and Fig. 25 is characterized in that the human sealed portion 41 is configured as a full-face helmet 94. Fig. 24 is a diagram illustrating the inhalation portion, and Fig. 25 is a diagram illustrating the exhalation portion. The full-face helmet 94 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to seal the entire head from the neck up, and to seal the nose and mouth from the outside. The full-face helmet 94 is provided with an intake port 42 and an exhalation port 43. Incidentally, the human side intake pipe 44 and the human side expiratory pipe 45 shown in Figs. 24 and 25 are configured as bellows-shaped human side intake pipe 44 and human side expiratory pipe 45 so as to be easily bent.

[0045] [Sixteenth embodiment] The air purifier 1 shown in Fig. 26 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a mask 93 is used to make the air purifier 1 portable. The air purifier 1 shown in Fig. 27 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a full-face helmet 94 is used to make the air purifier 1 portable. Both embodiments are characterized in that the air purifier 1 is mounted on a wearing device 97 that moves with the user as the user moves. Examples of the wearing device 97 include wearing clothing 96 and a belt. 26 and 27, the wearable garment 96 is equipped with an inhalation side inactivation unit 37 and an exhalation side inactivation unit 38. Since the inhalation side inactivation unit 37 inactivates viruses in the inhaled air and the exhalation side inactivation unit 38 inactivates viruses in the exhaled air, a person wearing the wearable garment 96 does not release infectious viruses into the outside space, and also eliminates the risk of taking infectious viruses into the body from the outside. With this configuration, air purification becomes possible in a manner closer to everyday life.

[0046] [Seventeenth embodiment] Figure 28(a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of an air purifier according to the 17th embodiment, Figure 28(b) is a front view showing the connection configuration between the cover wall and the stirring rod in the stirring unit, Figure 28(c) is a view of the stirring unit from below, Figure 29 is an AA cross-sectional view of the air purifier in Figure 28, and Figure 30 is a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining the air flow of the air purifier and the effect of the stirring rod. In the air purifier 1 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 28, the direction in which the inner tube 2 extends is called the axial direction, and this axial direction is indicated by the arrow X in Fig. 28. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the axial direction X is set in the up-down direction, but a configuration example in which the axial direction X is set in the horizontal direction or in an oblique direction can also be appropriately adopted. The direction in which the outer tube container 4 spreads perpendicular to the axial direction X is called the radial direction or lateral direction, and is indicated by the arrow Y in Fig. 28. The direction around the inner tube 2 is called the circumferential direction, regardless of whether the cross-sectional shape of the inner tube 2 is circular, rectangular, or the like.

[0047] <Air purifier 1 configuration> The air purifier 1 according to this embodiment includes an inner cylinder 2 extending in a predetermined direction and formed of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 3 provided around the outside of the inner cylinder 2, an outer cylinder container 4 that houses the inner cylinder 2 and the ultraviolet light sources 3 therein, and a residence time adjustment device provided in the outer cylinder container 4 for adjusting the residence time of air in the outer cylinder container 4. The residence time adjustment device includes an air flow velocity adjustment device 20.

[0048] It also has an inner cylinder inner port 6 that connects the inside of the outer cylinder container 4 with the inner cylinder 2, an inner cylinder outer port 7 that connects the inner cylinder 2 with the outside, and a communication port 8 that connects the inside of the outer cylinder container 4 with the outside. The air flow rate adjusting device 20 is provided in the outer cylinder container 4 so as to face the inner opening 6 of the inner cylinder. "Facing" includes a configuration in which the air flow rate adjusting device 20 is provided opposite to the inner opening 6 of the inner cylinder. The outer cylinder container 4 is an air container extending in the axial direction of the outer cylinder 10, and is composed of the outer cylinder 10 and two wall surfaces provided in a direction intersecting with the outer cylinder 10. In the configuration shown in Figures 28 to 30, the outer cylinder container 4 is configured in the shape of an air container by the outer cylinder 10, an upper wall surface 11, and a lower wall surface 12. The outer cylindrical container 4 is an example of the air flow path 58 .

[0049] (Inner cylinder 2) The inner cylinder 2 is an air flow path formed of a material that transmits ultraviolet rays, for example, glass, highly transparent synthetic resin such as PMMA, or the like. The shape of the flow path and the direction in which it extends are not particularly limited. In general, the inner cylinder 2 is formed in a linear duct shape. The cross-sectional shape of the duct can be circular or polygonal, and is not particularly limited. The inner cylinder 2 is an example of the internal flow passage 81 .

[0050] However, as shown in Figs. 28 to 30, in a configuration in which a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 3 are arranged in the circumferential direction, the cross-sectional shape of the inner cylinder 2 is preferably circular. The inner cylinder 2 may have a bent or curved shape. The inner cylinder 2 may have a curved shape due to restrictions on the spatial arrangement of the air purifier 1. In that case, the shapes of the ultraviolet light source 3 and the outer cylinder 10 are appropriately modified to correspond to the three-dimensional shape of the inner cylinder 2.

[0051] (Outer cylinder container 4) The outer cylinder container 4 includes the outer cylinder 10 and is a container for containing air that forms a space for inactivating viruses in the air. Generally speaking, the outer cylinder container 4 is formed to extend in the same direction as the inner cylinder 2 extends. The shapes of the outer cylinder 10, the upper wall surface 11 and the lower wall surface 12 are not particularly limited as long as they are configured to accommodate at least the inner cylinder 2 and the ultraviolet light source 3 therein. In the configuration of this embodiment, the outer cylinder 10 is formed of a cylinder, and the lower wall surface 12 and the upper wall surface 11 are each formed of a disk. Moreover, the inner cylinder 2 is provided at the center position of the outer cylinder 10 .

[0052] (UV light source 3) The type of light source for the ultraviolet light source 3 is not limited as long as it can emit ultraviolet light with an intensity sufficient to inactivate viruses. An ultraviolet lamp 9 having a cylindrical surface or an ultraviolet light emitting element 73 (see FIG. 34) may be used. In this embodiment, since the inner cylinder 2 is configured to extend vertically within the outer cylinder container 4, a thin cylindrical ultraviolet lamp 9 extending vertically parallel to the inner cylinder 2 is used as the ultraviolet light source 3. As shown in FIG. 29, six ultraviolet lamps 9 are provided around the inner cylinder 2 at equal intervals of 60 degrees, extending vertically.

[0053] The number of ultraviolet light sources 3 installed around the inner cylinder 2 (360°) is preferably one to eight. It is also possible to provide a rotary holder (not shown) that holds the ultraviolet light source 3, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the holder around the central axis of the outer cylindrical container 4. The holder is composed of a circular ring or disk that holds the ultraviolet light source 3, and is configured to be rotatable relative to the outer cylindrical container 4 and the reflective surface 5. With this configuration, the ultraviolet light source 3 moves relative to the air in the outer cylindrical container 4, which has the advantage that the amount of ultraviolet light irradiation can be made uniform for the air in the outer cylindrical container 4.

[0054] (Inner cylinder mouth 6) The inner cylinder 2 has an inner cylinder inner opening 6 and an inner cylinder outer opening 7 . The inner cylinder inner port 6 is an opening for sending air present in the internal space of the outer cylinder container 4 into the inner cylinder 2. 28 to 30, the inner cylinder inner opening 6 is located at the end of the internal space of the outer cylinder container 4, and is provided as an opening of the inner cylinder 2 at a position closer to the upper wall surface 11 than to the lower wall surface 12. Specifically, the inner cylinder inner opening 6 is provided on the tip side (upper side) of the inner cylinder 2. (Inner cylinder outer port 7) The inner cylinder outer opening 7 is an outer opening that communicates between the inside of the inner cylinder 2 and the outside of the outer cylinder container 4. The inner cylinder outer opening 7 is also an opening that can be considered an exhaust port of the outer cylinder container 4 in terms of air flow. In this embodiment, the inner cylinder outer opening 7 is provided on the base end side (lower side) of the inner cylinder 2. That is, the inner cylinder outer opening 7 is provided on the lower wall surface 12 of the outer cylinder container 4 facing downward. The inner cylinder outer port 7 is an example of the first outlet 57 .

[0055] (Connection port 8) The communication ports 8 are openings that communicate between the inside and outside of the outer tubular container 4. In this embodiment, six communication ports 8 are evenly spaced on the bottom wall surface 12 of the outer tubular container 4. The six communication ports 8 are provided at the midpoints of the circumferential spacing between adjacent ultraviolet light sources 3. The six communication ports 8 are spaced circumferentially at 60° intervals. Note that this number is merely an example, and it is sufficient that at least one communication port 8 is provided in the outer tubular container 4. The communication port 8 is an example of the first inlet 56 .

[0056] However, it is preferable to provide the communication ports 8 so that the conditions for air convection and retention around the inner cylinder 2 are as uniform as possible. For example, when providing 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 communication ports 8, it is preferable to provide them at equal circumferential intervals, such as 180°, 120°, 90°, 72°, and 60°.

[0057] (Reflective surface 5) The reflective surface 5 is a surface that reflects the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 3 toward the inside of the outer cylindrical container 4. The reflective surface 5 is disposed at a position where it can reflect the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 3 toward the air moving inside the outer cylindrical container 4, the stagnant air, and the convecting air. A preferable position for such an arrangement is to form the reflective surface 5 on the inner surface of the outer cylinder 10 of the outer cylinder container 4. Note that it is preferable to provide the reflective surfaces 5 not only on the inner surface of the outer cylinder 10 but also on the outer cylinder 10, the upper wall surface 11, and the lower wall surface 12. The direction in which the ultraviolet rays are reflected is preferably toward the inner cylinder 2. By forming the outer cylinder 10 from a cylindrical tube, the ultraviolet rays reflected by the reflective surface 5 can be concentrated toward the inner cylinder 2 side.

[0058] FIG. 31(a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of an external cylinder showing a modified example of the reflecting surface, and FIG. 31(b) is a partially enlarged view of the reflecting surface. In this modification, the reflection surface 5a is formed with unevenness 70 having a size of, for example, 0.1 mm to 30 mm, and the unevenness 70 is mirror-finished. The configuration shown in Fig. 31(b) shows an example in which a convex portion 71 having a cross section of a substantially semicircular or substantially elliptical shape is formed.

[0059] It is preferable that such uneven portions 70 are provided not only on the inner surface of the outer cylinder 10 but also on the upper wall surface 11 and the lower wall surface 12 . By providing such a mirror-finished uneven portion 70 on the inner surface of the outer cylindrical container 4, the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light source is diffused by the surface of the reflecting surface 5a, and the ultraviolet light has a diffusing function. Also, the ultraviolet light can be uniformly irradiated to the air flowing inside the outer cylindrical container 4, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of areas in the air moving inside the outer cylindrical container 4 that are difficult to be irradiated with the ultraviolet light.

[0060] (Air flow rate adjusting device 20) The air purifier 1 is provided with an air flow rate adjusting device 20 that adjusts the time that air remains in the outer cylindrical container. As described above, the air flow rate adjusting device 20 can be composed of at least one blower 75 as shown in FIG. 9 or an adjusting valve 68 as shown in FIG. 28, in this embodiment, the air flow rate adjustment device 20 is configured to include at least a rotating agitator 21. That is, the air flow rate adjustment device 20 has the agitator 21 and a motor 22 as a means for rotating the agitator 21. The agitator 21, the motor 22, etc. function as an internal blower of the air flow path 58. As described above, the air flow rate adjustment device 20 may be configured with a blower 75 (see FIG. 6) having a rotary vane 59 (see FIG. 6). The blower 75 provided in the air purifier 1 as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 may also be used as the blower 75. At least one blower 75 that generates a necessary air flow for blowing air into or sucking air out of the outer cylindrical container 4 is omitted in the drawing of FIG. 28. For example, the blower 75 as shown in FIG. 9 functions as an outer blower for the air flow path 58.

[0061] The agitator 21 is composed of an agitating rod 31, an agitating blade, etc. The agitator 21 is an example of the rotating blade 59 shown in FIG. In this embodiment, for example, if the air flow becomes too efficient when an agitating blade is used, the agitating rod 31 is used to prevent the air flow from becoming too effective. This ensures that the ultraviolet light is irradiated for, for example, 5 seconds or more, and ensures that viruses are inactivated. Generally speaking, when the required air flow is slow (weak), the agitating rod is used as the agitating tool 21, and when the required air flow is fast (strong), the agitating blade is used. It is preferable that the motor 22 be configured so that it can rotate in both forward and reverse directions.

[0062] 28 has a cover wall 24 provided so as to substantially cover the inner opening 6 of the inner cylinder 2, and a plurality of stirring rods 31 protruding from the cover wall 24 in the extension direction of the inner cylinder 2. The lateral length of the cover wall 24 is configured so as to be substantially equal to the diameter of the inner cylinder 2. If necessary, an agitator moving device 35 can be provided to adjust the distance (gap d) between the cover wall 24 of the agitator 21 and the inner opening 6 of the inner cylinder. The agitator moving device 35 may be configured to move only the rotating shaft 23 in the vertical direction, or may be configured to move the entire motor 22 in the vertical direction.

[0063] The agitator 21 of the air flow rate adjusting device 20 is provided facing the inner opening 6 of the inner cylinder 2, and it is preferable that the extending direction of the agitator rod 31 is the same as the extending direction of the inner cylinder 2. The rotating shaft 23 of the agitator 21 is disposed so as to substantially coincide with the central axis of the inner cylinder 2. The motor 22 is installed on the upper surface of the upper wall surface 11, and a rotating shaft 23 from the motor 22 is inserted into the outer cylindrical container 4, and a cover wall 24 and an agitator 21 are attached to the tip of the rotating shaft 23. The agitator 21 is composed of a bar or blade extending vertically or obliquely downward.

[0064] The lower tip side area of ​​the agitator 21 is in a state of being protruding into the inner cylinder 2 from the upper end of the inner cylinder 2. The rotation of the agitator rod 31 (fan) agitates the air and at the same time centrifugal force acts. This centrifugal force can send air. In addition, the length of the agitator 21 can be set to 5% or more and 50% or less, assuming that the total length of the inner cylinder 2 is 100%. The length of the agitator 21 that is inserted into the inner cylinder 2 can be set to 5 mm or more and 100 mm or less.

[0065] Although it depends on the capacity of the outer cylinder container 4, the gap d in the vertical direction between the cover wall 24 and the inner cylinder 2 can be set to 5 mm or more and 100 mm or less.

[0066] (Intake pipe 15 on the device side, exhaust pipe 16 on the device side) 28 to 30, an apparatus-side intake pipe 15 is provided so as to encompass the area of ​​the outer cylinder container 4 where a plurality of communication ports 8 are provided below the bottom wall surface 12. In the configuration of this embodiment, eight communication ports 8 are provided circumferentially around the inner cylinder 2, so that the apparatus-side intake pipe 15 has an intake chamber 18 that covers all of the communication ports 8 on the lower surface of the bottom wall surface 12. In addition, an apparatus-side exhaust pipe 16 is provided so as to be drawn out from the inner cylinder outer opening 7 toward the outside. The apparatus-side exhaust pipe 16 is provided so as to penetrate a wall surface 18h such as a side wall and a bottom wall of the intake chamber 18. The apparatus-side intake pipe 15 and the apparatus-side exhaust pipe 16 constitute an intake / exhale manifold 17. The device-side intake pipe 15 is an example of the upstream-side connecting pipe 63 . The apparatus side exhaust pipe 16 is an example of the downstream side connecting pipe 64 .

[0067] <Operation of the Seventeenth Embodiment> The operation of the above configuration will now be described. In the present air purifier 1, the rotating agitator 21 is rotationally driven to control the air flow rate of the air in the outer tubular container 4 so as to satisfy the required irradiation time when the outside air is sucked into the outer tubular container 4. In this case, the rotating agitator 21 often acts like an extremely low pressure turbine. Also, in addition to the agitator 21, a blower 75 as shown in the above-mentioned Figs. 6 to 9 can be provided at a predetermined position of the air purifier 1.

[0068] In this embodiment, the communication port 8 is used as an inlet 32 ​​for introducing outside air into the outer tube container 4, and the inner tube outer port 7 is used as an exhaust port 33 for the air after ultraviolet irradiation. The air that has entered the outer tube container 4 from the inlet 32 ​​is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light source 3, while being exhausted from the inner tube inner port 6 through the inner tube outer port 7, thereby inactivating viruses in the air introduced into the outer tube container 4.

[0069] In this embodiment, as described above, the applicant irradiated a liquid culture medium containing SARS-CoV-2 with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 253.7 nm at a wavelength of 500 μW / cm from a distance of 30 cm. 2 The results showed that irradiating the device for 30 seconds at a radiant illuminance of 100 nm reduces time-dependent infectivity (viral titer), resulting in a 99.99% reduction in the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2. The device is designed to significantly shorten the irradiation distance of 30 cm and the irradiation time of 30 seconds, aiming for an irradiation distance of at least 10 cm, which is the length of the inner tube 2, and an irradiation time of 5 seconds or less. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in a configuration having multiple ultraviolet light sources 3, if the air residence time within the outer cylindrical container 4 can be achieved for 5 seconds, the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be inactivated.

[0070] Although the values ​​of 10 cm distance and 5 seconds based on this specific ultraviolet light source can be designed to achieve a more favorable degree of inactivation (distance shorter than 10 cm or time shorter than 5 seconds by improving the irradiation strength of the ultraviolet light source), even at this point in time, it can be said that the device demonstrates the ability to continuously inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the air on the inhalation and exhalation sides of a person in real time in accordance with the timing of the person's breathing.

[0071] Furthermore, since the amount of air that an air purifier that inactivates viruses is required to continuously process is expected to change depending on various usage patterns, the present air purifier 1 has adjustment variables (parameters) that can optimize the conditions for inactivation. Specifically, the adjustment variable (parameter) is the rotation speed of the motor 22 of the agitator 21, and if necessary, the size of the interval (gap d) between the agitator 21 and the inner opening 6 of the inner cylinder can be included.

[0072] By individually adjusting these two control variables, the system is configured to effectively create air stagnation on the intake side and / or intake side so that air that may be contaminated with viruses is exposed to ultraviolet light for at least five seconds, ensuring the residence time required for inactivation. As mentioned above, it is possible to shorten the time to inactivate the virus by increasing the intensity of the UV light source and the number of UV light sources. It is also clear that the conditions required for inactivation can be determined according to the characteristics and composition of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, mutant viruses, or other viruses.

[0073] An example of the action of the air purifier in this embodiment regarding the air flow will be described below. As the agitator 21 rotates together with the action of the blower 75 (not shown), the pressure inside the outer cylinder container 4 becomes slightly negative, and the air in the intake chamber 18 is introduced into the outer cylinder container 4 from the device side intake pipe 15 through the communication port 8, which functions as the air inlet 32.

[0074] Here, as shown in Fig. 30, the rotation of the agitator 21 generates a vortex 26 in which the airflow spreads from the center of the inner cylinder 2 of the outer cylinder container 4 toward the side (in the direction extending radially in the configuration shown in Fig. 30). This vortex 26 functions as a low-pressure air curtain that prevents air at the outer periphery of the inner cylinder 2 from entering through the inner cylinder inlet 6 at the upper end of the inner cylinder 2. In addition, when the agitator 21 rotates and a vortex 26 is generated on the upper side, an external swirling flow 27 is generated around the inner cylinder 2. The generation of the external swirling flow 27 prevents the air from immediately rising and being sucked into the inner cylinder inlet 6 of the inner cylinder 2.

[0075] Since the vortex 26 occurs at the top of the outer cylinder container 4 at approximately the same height as the inner cylinder inner port 6 of the inner cylinder 2, the intake air sucked in from the communication port 8 stagnates in the buffer zone on the side of the inner cylinder 2. As shown in FIG. 30, this stagnant flow becomes an air buffer flow 28 that swirls vertically in the buffer zone, and suppresses air from being sucked in through the inner-cylinder inner opening 6 of the inner cylinder 2.

[0076] An inner cylinder swirling flow is also generated in the inner cylinder 2 by the agitator 21 inserted into the inner cylinder 2. The strength of this vortex flow 26, outer swirling flow 27, and inner cylinder swirling flow can be controlled by adjusting the rotation speed of the motor 22 and the gap d by the agitator moving device 35 provided as necessary, thereby controlling the basic flow of the air blower (not shown), and the residence time of the air in the outer cylinder container 4 can be precisely adjusted.

[0077] In addition, in the configuration of the 16th embodiment, reflective surfaces 5, 5a are formed on the inner surface of the outer tube container 4, so that ultraviolet rays from multiple ultraviolet light sources 3 provided around the outside of the inner tube 2 can be directed at the air, and ultraviolet rays from the reflective surfaces 5, 5a can also be directed at the air inside the outer tube container 4, which has the advantage of increasing the amount of ultraviolet radiation per unit time and shortening the virus inactivation time. In addition, since there are two types of ultraviolet irradiation, namely, the first ultraviolet irradiation by the ultraviolet light source 3 onto the air present inside the outer cylindrical container 4, and the second ultraviolet irradiation by the reflecting surfaces 5, 5a, viruses can be strongly inactivated with a simple configuration.

[0078] [Eighteenth embodiment] The eighteenth embodiment shows an example of an air purifier that is designed to move along with a person. Fig. 32 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the air purifier according to the seventeenth embodiment. Note that, in Fig. 32, the components of the inhalation-side inactivation unit 37 and the exhalation-side inactivation unit 38 inside the external cylindrical container 4 are not visible, but are drawn with solid lines for easy understanding. Figure 33(a) shows the use of an air purifier that inactivates both inhaled and exhaled air, Figure 33(b) shows the use of an air purifier that is only for inhalation, and Figure 33(c) shows the use of an air purifier that is only for exhalation.

[0079] As shown in Figure 32, this air purifier 1 is equipped with an intake side inactivation unit 37 and an exhaust side inactivation unit 38, and is used on both the intake side and exhaust side of a person, and is configured so that this air purifier 1 alone can inactivate viruses in real time in accordance with the timing of a person's breathing (continuously in the intake and exhaust of air).

[0080] The intake-side inactivation unit 37 is an air purifier used to inactivate outside air that may contain viruses as the air to be inhaled by the user, and has a mask 40 (one example of a human sealing part 41) with an intake port 42 and an exhalation port 43, and a human-side intake pipe 44 (human-side intake pipe) that connects the intake port 42 to the inner cylinder outer port 7 (exhaust port 33). The human sealing part 41 is a wearing member that can seal the face or head of a person from the outside, and examples of the human sealing part 41 include a full-face helmet in addition to the mask 40, or a member that seals at least the nose and mouth. FIG. 36 shows an example of a helmet 51 as an example of a human sealing portion 41 other than the mask 93 and full-face helmet 94 shown in FIGS. This helmet 51 has a helmet part 52 that covers the head, a guard part 53 that seals the head to a predetermined degree when the user breathes, and a sealer 54 that enhances the degree of sealing of the guard part 53. In other words, this helmet 51 is configured to seal at least the nose and mouth areas of a person, and to be able to seal the person's face or head from the outside. The guard portion 53 is connected downward from the helmet portion 52 and is made of a transparent material that does not obstruct the user's field of vision. The sealing device 54 is composed of a string that seals the guard portion 53, for example around the user's neck, an elastic material such as rubber, etc., and is composed of a material that improves the degree of isolation between the external space and the internal space through which the user breathes when the user breathes. The guard portion 53 or the helmet portion 52 is provided with an intake port 42 and an exhalation port 43 . 36 can be used as the sealed part for other people 41 even if it does not have a helmet part 52, so long as it has a structure that separates the external space from the internal space. For example, it can be configured as a sealed face guard that seals at least the nose and mouth and separates the external space from the internal space.

[0081] As shown in Figure 32, the expiratory side inactivation unit 38 is an air purifier used to inactivate the user's exhaled breath, which may contain viruses, and discharge it to the outside, and has a mask 40 (an example of a human sealed section 41) with an intake port 42 and an expiratory port 43, and a human side expiratory tube 45 (human side expiratory conduit) that connects the expiratory port 43 to the communication port 8 (inlet port 32).

[0082] It is also possible to adopt a form in which the inhalation side inactivation unit 37 and the exhalation side inactivation unit 38 are housed in a case part 39 (see FIG. 33(a)) as an air purifier unit and moved with the movement of a person. In this case, the air purifier unit may be attached to a bed or a wheelchair, or it can be mounted on a wagon, various dollies, a backpack, etc. that can be moved with the movement of the user.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 33(b), it is also possible to employ a configuration in which only the intake side inactivation unit 37 is housed in a backpack to inactivate external virus-containing air. As shown in FIG. 33(c), a configuration may be adopted in which only the exhalation-side inactivation unit 38 is used to inactivate viruses that may be contained in one's own exhaled breath. Although not shown, the intake side inactivation unit 37 and the exhaust side inactivation unit 38 of the air purifier 1 are provided with a motor 22 of the agitator 21, a battery (not shown) as a driving source for the ultraviolet light source 3, and a control unit (not shown) that controls the rotation speed and gap d of the agitator 21. Furthermore, the usage forms shown in FIG. 33 are not limited to the configurations according to FIG. 32, and may employ the configurations of the embodiments described in this specification.

[0084] <Operation of the 18th embodiment> The operation of the air purifier 1 shown in FIG. 32 will be described. By utilizing the intake side blower 75 (not shown) and rotating the agitator 21 of the intake side inactivation unit 37, the agitator 21 is made to function as an extremely low pressure turbine, and air that may be contaminated with external viruses is sucked from the device side intake pipe 15 into the outer cylindrical container 4 of the intake side inactivation unit 37. In a configuration of the air purifier 1 provided with a rotating holder that holds the ultraviolet light source 3, the ultraviolet light source 3 is rotated as necessary.

[0085] The air sucked into the buffer zone around the inner cylinder 2 swirls due to the rotation of the agitator 21. In the buffer zone, the air is irradiated with ultraviolet light and the viruses are inactivated. In addition, a low-pressure air curtain for fully inactivating the air is created by the rotation of the agitator 21, creating an airflow film and retaining the air. The inactivated air then descends in sequence within the inner cylinder 2. The degree of retention can be controlled by the rotation speed of the agitator 21 and the gap d. A user wearing the mask 40 inhales virus-inactivated air through the human-side inhalation pipe 44, and can safely inhale air even if viruses are present in the outside air. In other words, the inhalation-side inactivation unit 37 is a device for protecting the user from inhaling outside air that may contain large amounts of harmful viruses.

[0086] On the other hand, by utilizing an exhalation side blower 75 (not shown) and rotating the agitator 21 of the exhalation side inactivation unit 38, the user's virus-contaminated exhaled air inside the mask 40 is sucked through the device side intake pipe 15 into the external cylinder container 4 of the exhalation side inactivation unit 38 via the human side exhalation pipe 45. The air sucked into the buffer zone around the inner cylinder 2 is then irradiated with ultraviolet light and inactivated. The air in the buffer zone swirls due to the rotation of the agitator 21. The rotation of the agitator 21 creates a low-pressure air curtain for fully inactivating the air, creating an airflow film that retains the air, and the inactivated air gradually descends within the inner cylinder 2 and is finally exhausted to the outside from the device-side exhaust pipe 16. The exhalation-side inactivation unit 38 is a device for protecting people indoors or outdoors from viruses in the user's exhaled breath.

[0087] With the configuration shown in Figure 32, when a person breathes, the inhalation side inactivation unit 37 can continuously supply air in which viruses have been inactivated at all times, and the exhalation side inactivation unit 38 can constantly discharge viruses contained in the user's exhaled breath to the outside in an inactivated state.

[0088] Modifications of this embodiment will now be described. [Variation 1] In the above embodiment, air has been taken as an example, but in cases where a gas is contaminated with a virus, the air purifier according to the present invention can be similarly applied to such a gas as well. In that sense, the air purifier according to the present invention can also be said to be a gas purifier.

[0089] [Variation 2] In the air purifier 1, which is the main body side device shown in Figures 28 to 30, the allocation of the air inlet 32 ​​and the exhaust outlet 33 can be changed as appropriate, so long as the amount and intensity of ultraviolet light irradiated onto the air inside the outer tubular container 4 is sufficient to inactivate the target viruses. In the above embodiment, the communication port 8 is used as the air inlet 32, and the inner cylinder outer port 7 is used as the exhaust port 33. However, if necessary, the communication port 8 can be used as the air exhaust port, and the inner cylinder outer port 7 can be used as the external air inlet. In this configuration, if necessary, a blower 75 can be installed and the rotation direction of the agitator 21 can be set to a direction that allows air to be sucked into the inner cylinder 2.

[0090] [Variation 3] Figure 34 is a schematic diagram showing the light emitted from an ultraviolet light-emitting LED module as an example of an ultraviolet light-emitting element, Figure 35(a) is a plan view showing an example of an ultraviolet light source in which an ultraviolet light-emitting element is attached to the surface of a support, and Figure 35(b) is a front view of the same.

[0091] As shown in Fig. 34, the light distribution angle of the light emitting portion 73h in the ultraviolet light emitting element 73 is often 90° or more and 120° or less. Also, the irradiation distance of the ultraviolet light emitting element 73 is often about 100 mm. In a configuration in which an ultraviolet light emitting element 73 such as an ultraviolet light emitting LED module is used as the ultraviolet light source 3 extending parallel to the inner tube 2, it is preferable to attach multiple ultraviolet light emitting elements 73 in the longitudinal direction of a member such as a support 74 in order to irradiate ultraviolet light to every corner of the air inside the outer tube container 4.

[0092] Furthermore, when ultraviolet light-emitting elements 73 are used in an air purifier having reflective surfaces 5, 5a, it is preferable to arrange the ultraviolet light-emitting elements 73 not only on the side facing the inner tube 2 but also on the side facing the reflective surfaces 5, 5a so that the air remaining in the outer tube container 4 can be irradiated with ultraviolet light reflected from the reflective surfaces 5, 5a.

[0093] 35 shows a support having a square cross section, but the cross section may be circular, triangular or polygonal. In a configuration in which ultraviolet light emitting elements 73 are provided on each surface of support 74, ultraviolet light can be irradiated almost evenly around support 74, and uniformity equivalent to that of a cylindrical ultraviolet lamp can be obtained.

[0094] [Variation 4] In the case of the air purifier 1 that continuously supplies inhaled air or treats exhaled air to a person, it is preferable that the inactivation rate of viruses is 99.99% or more. However, even if the inactivation rate is lower than that, the air purifier can be used for inactivating viruses.

[0095] It is said that the possibility of infection and onset of diseases caused by viruses depends on the amount of virus attached to the mucous membranes of the throat. The greater the amount of virus attached to the mucous membranes, the higher the possibility of infection and onset, and the smaller the amount of virus attached to the mucous membranes, the lower the possibility of infection and onset. Therefore, even if inactivation is not 99.99% or more, as long as an inactivation rate within the desired numerical range can be achieved, this air purifier can reduce the possibility of infection and onset of viruses and can be said to be useful.

[0096] Moreover, the air purifier 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 19, 28 to 31, etc. can be used in a wide range of applications for inactivating viruses present in the air, as shown in Figs. 20 and 21. For example, a configuration can be adopted in which the air purifier according to the present invention is installed in an inactivation treatment space (inactivation box) attached to a room where a user lives, etc., to achieve inactivation of viruses. Also, a configuration can be adopted in which air is repeatedly passed through the air purifier as necessary.

[0097] [Nineteenth embodiment] Figure 37 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the air flow path, where Figure 37(a) is a side view of the air flow path, Figure 37(b) is a perspective view, Figure 37(c) is a schematic cross-sectional view, and Figure 37(d) is a diagram showing a simulation of the air flow. In the following description of the specification, as shown in Figures 37 and 38, the front-to-rear direction is the direction in which the air flow path extends, and is the direction indicated by X in the figures. The lateral direction (left-right direction) is the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, and is the direction indicated by Y in the figures. Note that the directions right and left indicate the direction as viewed from the direction in which the air travels. The up-down direction is the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear and lateral directions, and is the direction indicated by Z in the figures. The air flow path 58 according to this embodiment is characterized in that a collision section 130 having an area larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the upstream connecting pipe 63 is provided at an upstream position in the air flow path 58 so as to face the inlet of the upstream connecting pipe 63, a baffle plate section 131 is provided at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction behind the collision section 130 to make the air flow meander along the ultraviolet light source 3 without leaking, and both the collision section 130 and the baffle plate section 131 are mirror-finished (ultraviolet light reflection processing). The ultraviolet light source 3 is provided at approximately the center position in the horizontal and vertical directions of the air flow path 58. In the configuration shown in FIG. 37, the air flow path 58 is configured to be cylindrical, and a downstream connecting pipe 64 is provided on the right side surface on the rear side.

[0098] It has a right semicircular plate baffle portion 131a that is connected without any gaps to the inner circumferential wall located on the right side as viewed from the air travel direction, and a left semicircular plate baffle portion 131b that is connected without any gaps to the inner circumferential wall located on the left side. The baffle portions 131a and 131b have recesses 141 and 141 (see FIG. 37(b)) corresponding to the shape of the ultraviolet light source 3. The outer edge of the baffle portion 131a is connected to the right inner circumferential wall of the air flow path 58 without any gaps, and the recess 141 is fitted into the right side surface of the ultraviolet light source 3. Similarly, the outer edge of the baffle portion 131b is connected to the left inner circumferential wall of the air flow path 58 without any gaps, and the recess 141 is fitted into the left side surface of the ultraviolet light source 3. The fitting is performed so that the ultraviolet light source 3 is divided into approximately two equal parts on the left and right sides with a center line extending in the longitudinal direction of the ultraviolet light source 3 in between. This configuration forms a serpentine air path. 37(c), at least two leakage prevention walls 133 are provided so as to extend inwardly of the upstream connecting pipe 63 and protrude therefrom in order to prevent ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light source 3 from leaking out of the inlet of the upstream connecting pipe 63. On opposing wall surfaces of the upstream connecting pipe 63, adjacent leakage prevention walls 133 in the front-to-rear direction are provided so as to protrude from different wall surfaces in a staggered manner. The leakage prevention walls 133 have an overlapping region in the center when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, so that the ultraviolet light is blocked by the leakage prevention walls 133. The leakage prevention walls 133 may be formed of a substantially semicircular plate or the like having an angle equal to or greater than 180°.

[0099] The upstream connection tube 134 connected to the upstream side of the upstream connection pipe 63 can be bent in a predetermined direction such as up, down, left, or right to prevent ultraviolet rays from escaping in the direction of the air flow. When the upstream connection tube 134 is bent, a preventive section (not shown) for preventing ultraviolet rays from leaking can be provided at the bent portion. Examples of such a preventive section include a configuration in which the upstream connection tube 134 is mirror-finished, or a configuration in which an ultraviolet absorbing surface is formed. Note that the leakage prevention wall section 133 and a preventive section are also provided on the downstream connection pipe 64 side as necessary.

[0100] FIG. 37(d) shows the air flow in the air flow path 58 predicted by computer simulation. By providing the collision section 130, the air flow that has entered the air flow path 58 generates a mushroom-shaped backflow, and the backflow and the air flow that has meandered due to the baffle plate section 131 can obtain the residence time required for inactivation. In addition, the ultraviolet light source 3 is sandwiched between the recesses 141 from two directions, which makes it possible to move the air flow near the surface of the ultraviolet light source 3 where the ultraviolet intensity increases rapidly, thereby enhancing the inactivation effect. This effect is enhanced by the collision section 130, the baffle plate section 131, and the inner wall of the air flow path 58 having an ultraviolet reflective surface such as a mirror finish. In addition, with this configuration, the multiple reflection chamber 145 is configured to be connected in a meandering manner in the extension direction of the air flow path 58. The multiple reflection chamber 145 is an indoor space surrounded by two baffle plate sections 131 adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction, the inner wall of the air flow path 58, and the surface of the ultraviolet light source 3.

[0101] Fig. 38 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment in which a collision section 130 and a baffle section 131 are provided in a rectangular parallelepiped air flow path 58, Fig. 38(a) is a perspective view, Fig. 38(b) is a plan view, and Fig. 38(c) is a simulation diagram of an air flow. This air flow path 58 has, for example, a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 3 (two in the figure) arranged in a predetermined direction such as the horizontal direction within the air flow path 58. The collision section 130 is made of a rectangular plate larger than the area of ​​the upstream connecting pipe 63, and the baffle section 131a located on the right side is made of a rectangular plate connected to the upper inner wall, right inner wall, and lower inner wall of the air flow path 58 without any gaps, and has an insertion hole 143a through which the right light source 3a passes and a recess 141 that fits into about half of the left light source 3b. Similarly, the baffle plate portion 131b located on the left side is composed of a rectangular plate connected to the upper inner wall, left inner wall, and lower inner wall of the air flow path 58 without any gaps, and has an insertion hole 143b through which the left light source 3b passes and a recessed portion 141 into which approximately half of the right light source 3a fits. In addition, the collision portion 130, the baffle plate portion 131, and the inner wall of the air flow path 58 are mirror-finished. With this configuration, even if multiple ultraviolet light sources 3 are provided at predetermined positions such as above, below, left, and right, the residence time and ultraviolet intensity required for inactivation can be secured by appropriately configuring the baffle plate portion 131 having the insertion hole 143 and the recessed portion 141. Furthermore, even if the air flow path 58 shown in Figures 37 and 38 is designed to be relatively small, with a front-to-rear length of 150 mm and a diameter or width of 80 mm, the residence time within the air flow path 58 can be ensured to be approximately 3 seconds, assuming the amount of air supply per unit time required for the mask section 40 described below, and it is expected that various mutated viruses, such as coronavirus mutant strains that are expected to occur in the future, will be inactivated even when a general ultraviolet light source is used.

[0102] [Twentieth embodiment] Fig. 39 shows another example of the configuration using the human sealing part 41, Fig. 39(a) is a schematic side view of a user wearing the mask unit 140, Fig. 39(b) is a schematic front view, and Fig. 39(c) is a schematic rear view. Fig. 40(a) shows the intake-side inactivation unit 37, and is a schematic view showing a portable configuration accommodating an air flow path 58, and Fig. 40(b) is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the mask unit 140. As shown in FIG. 40(a), the air flow path 58 disposed in the intake side inactivation unit 37 employs the configuration shown in FIG. In the configuration shown in Fig. 39, the human sealed portion 41 is composed of a mask portion 40. As shown in Fig. 39(b) as an example, the mask portion 40 has an intake port 42 and an exhaust valve 136. In the configuration shown in Fig. 39, the mask unit 140 has an air retention chamber 124 provided between the human intake pipe 44 and the mask portion 40, and a connection communication passage 125 that communicates between the air retention chamber 124 and the mask portion 40. As the material for the air retention chamber 124, flexible and elastic materials such as rubber, synthetic resin, etc. can be used as long as they are elastic and can secure the volume of the chamber. The connection communication passage 125 can be not only a normal tube with a circular cross section, but also a tapered tube with a wide cross section on the air retention chamber 124 side and a small cross section on the mask part 40 side.

[0103] The air retention chamber 124 is placed at the back of the user's head by a positioning part. The positioning part may be formed by a separate wearing tool (not shown). The positioning part may also be formed by fixing the user's head by sandwiching it from the front and back between the mask part 40 and the air retention chamber 124 using the elasticity of the connection communication passage 125. As shown in FIG. 40(b), the air retention chamber 124 has a connection hole to which the person-side intake pipe 44 is connected, and a pair of left and right air communication ports connected to the connection communication passage 125. The pair of connection communication passages 125 are connected to a pair of intake ports of the mask part 40. In the case of a mask section configured to inactivate only the inhaled air by the air purifier 1 having the air flow path 58, the user's exhaled air is exhausted from the exhaust valve 136 provided in the mask section 40. This exhaust valve 36 is configured to exhaust only the user's exhaled air while preventing the inhalation of air outside the mask section 40. A check valve can be used as such a valve. On the other hand, if the mask part 40 is configured to inactivate only the exhaled breath by the air purifier 1 having the air flow path 58, the user's inhaled breath can be sucked into the mask part 40 from an inhalation valve (not shown) provided in the mask part 40. This inhalation valve is configured to prevent the user's exhaled breath from leaking out of the mask part 40 while sucking only the user's inhaled breath into the mask part 40.

[0104] In order to avoid restricting the movement of the user, it is preferable to position the lower inactivation section 126 with the air flow path 8 and the air retention chamber 124 at the rear as seen from the user. The reason for this is to allow easier movement of the body and hands of medical personnel who are at high risk of being infected with viruses. Not only a configuration in which only one of the inhaled air and the exhausted air is inactivated, but also a configuration in which both the inhaled air and the exhausted air are inactivated as shown in Fig. 32 can be adopted. Fig. 41(a) is a side view of a mask unit 140 with such a configuration, and Fig. 41(b) is a view seen from behind. In this configuration, a human side inhalation tube 44 and a human side exhalation tube 45 are connected to the air retention chamber 124, and a total of four connecting communication channels 125 are provided, one pair on each side of the head, in order to send the inhaled air and the exhaled air corresponding to the human side inhalation tube 44 and the human side exhalation tube 45 to the mask part 40. The four connecting communication channels 125 are connected to the inhalation port 42 and the exhalation port 43 of the mask part 40, respectively. As described above, by providing the air retention chamber 124, it is possible to stably supply the necessary air to the mask section 40. Furthermore, as shown as an example in Fig. 41, even when a human side inhalation tube 44 and a human side exhalation tube 45 are provided, the connection communication passage 125 can move easily without sagging.

[0105] The air retention chamber 124 may be provided not only at the back of the user's head, but also connected to the mask part 40. Fig. 42(a) is a front view of such an articulated mask 144, Fig. 42(b) is a rear view of the articulated mask 144, and Fig. 42(c) is a view of the articulated mask 144 worn on the user's head. In this connected type mask 144, as shown in Fig. 42(c), only the inhaled air is inactivated, and two exhaust valves 136, which are check valves, are provided in the mask part 40, arranged vertically on the left side of the mask part as seen from the user's side. As shown in Fig. 42(b), two intake ports 42 are provided vertically on the right side. In the air retention chamber 124 of this connected type mask 144, two finger-shaped pull-out parts 138 are provided from a rectangular prism-shaped base chamber part 139, and are connected to the two intake ports 42, respectively. A connection pipe 137 is provided on the back side of the base chamber part 139, which connects to the person's side intake pipe 44 (not shown). With such a joint-type mask 144, the connection communication passage 125 is not necessary, and there is no problem that the connection communication passage 125 gets caught on something outside. Also, since the air retention chamber 124 can be attached just by attaching the mask part 40, attachment and removal can be simplified. The air retention chamber 124 provided in the joint-type mask 144 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 42, and the shape can be changed as appropriate as long as it has a volume large enough to retain a predetermined amount of air.

[0106] FIG. 43 shows an embodiment in which the human sealing part 41 is configured by a full-face helmet 94, not a mask part 40. In this configuration, an air retention chamber 124 is attached to the rear position of the full-face helmet 94. In the case of a configuration in which the intake air is inactivated, the human-side intake pipe 44 is connected to the air retention chamber 124. A pair of connection communication passages 125 extend from the air retention chamber 124 toward the inside of the full-face helmet 94, and an opening 125a serving as an inactivated air outlet of the connection communication passage 125 is positioned around the nose or mouth. A pair of exhaust valves 136 are provided below the pair of connection communication passages 125. However, the number of connection communication passages 125, the number of exhaust valves 136, and the vertical relationship between the connection communication passages 125 and the exhaust valves 136 shown in FIG. 43 are merely examples, and are not limited to FIG. 43, and various configurations can be adopted. In addition, although FIG. 43 shows the connection communication passage 125 having a tube shape, it may also be configured as a connection communication passage 125 that is integrated with a member of the full-face helmet 94 . A sealing device 146 is provided at the bottom of the full-face helmet 94 to seal the inside and outside of the full-face helmet 94. The sealing device 146 is often composed of a sealing means that seals around the neck of the user. With this configuration, compared to using the mask portion 40, the configuration in which the full-face helmet 94 is worn has the advantage that the degree of sealing and isolation from the outside can be increased by the full-face helmet 94 and the sealing device 146, and the risk of the full-face helmet 94 coming off due to an external impact or being caught can be reduced compared to the mask portion 40, thereby improving safety. Note that even if the human side intake pipe 44 and the human side expiratory pipe 45 shown in Fig. 27 or 36 are both led to the full-face helmet 94, the air retention chamber portion 124 can be provided in the full-face helmet 94, although this is not shown in the figures.

[0107] In the following, in the present invention, configuration examples mainly associated with the 28th aspect will be described in the form of supplementary notes. In the supplementary notes, "the above" corresponds to the members and components described in the claims and in the "Means for Solving the Problems" column. (Appendix 1) an outer blower provided at least one of an upstream position and a downstream position of the air flow path; an inner blower provided at an inner position of the air flow path; a flow velocity detection unit that detects a flow velocity of the air flow path; a control unit that controls the outer blower and the inner blower based on the flow speed detected by the flow speed detection unit. (Appendix 2) An air purifier, characterized in that a part of the agitator is inserted into an inner opening of the inner cylinder. (Additional Note) This air purifier uses the communication port as an inlet for introducing outside air into the outer cylindrical container, and the inner cylindrical outer port as an exhaust port for air after ultraviolet light irradiation, and irradiates the air that has entered the outer cylindrical container from the inlet with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source while discharging it from the inner port of the inner cylindrical container through the outer port of the inner cylindrical container, thereby inactivating viruses in the air introduced into the outer cylindrical container. (Appendix 3) The inner cylinder is configured as an inner cylinder provided at a central axis position of the outer cylinder container, and the reflection surface is formed on the inner surface of the outer cylinder container, The air purifier is characterized in that a plurality of the ultraviolet light sources are arranged at circumferential positions on the outer side of the inner cylinder. (Appendix 4) An air purifier characterized in that a plurality of the inlets are provided on an upper wall surface or a lower wall surface of the outer cylindrical container, and an air intake chamber is provided to cover the inlets. (Appendix 5) An air purifier, characterized in that the inlet is provided at a position between adjacent ultraviolet light sources in a circumferential direction on the outside of the inner cylinder. (Appendix 6) An air purifier comprising an agitator moving device for adjusting the distance between the agitator and the inner opening of the inner cylinder. (Appendix 7) An air purifier characterized in that the axial length of the inner cylinder is shorter than the axial length of the outer cylinder container, and the agitator is provided in the space between the outer cylinder container and the inner cylinder. (Appendix 8) An air purifier, wherein the agitator has a cover wall on the opposite side to the inner opening of the inner cylinder, the cover wall having approximately the same size as the inner opening of the inner cylinder. (Appendix 9) An air purifier used to inactivate outside air that may contain viruses as air inhaled by a user, A human sealing part that has an intake port and an exhaust port for a person to breathe through the nose or mouth and seals at least the nose and the mouth from the outside; An air purifier comprising: a human-side intake pipe that communicates between the intake port and the exhaust port. (Appendix 10) An air purifier used to inactivate a user's breath that may contain viruses and discharge it to the outside, A human sealing part that has an intake port and an exhaust port for a person to breathe through the nose or mouth and seals at least the nose and the mouth from the outside; An air purifier comprising: a human-side expiratory conduit that communicates between the expiratory port and the inlet. (Appendix 11) This air purifier uses the inner tube outer port as an inlet for introducing outside air into the outer tube container, and the communication port as an exhaust port for air after ultraviolet light irradiation, and irradiates ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source onto air entering the outer tube container from the inner tube outer port through the inner tube inner port, while discharging the air from the communication port, thereby inactivating viruses in the air introduced into the outer tube container. (Appendix 12) An air purifier comprising: a holder that holds the ultraviolet light source; and a motor that rotates the holder around a central axis of the outer cylindrical container.

[0108] Although the present invention has been described above by way of examples of the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the claims, and it goes without saying that various modifications, additions to the configuration, or improvements can be made within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1: Air purifier 2: Inner cylinder 3: Ultraviolet light source 4: Outer cylinder container 4a: Inner surface of outer cylinder 5,5a: Reflective surface 6: Inner cylinder mouth 7: Inner cylinder outer mouth 8: Communication port 11: Upper wall surface of outer cylinder container 12: Bottom wall of outer cylinder 18: Intake chamber 20: Air flow rate adjusting device (an example of a residence time adjusting device) 21: Mixing tool 22: Motor 24: Lid wall 32: Entrance 33: Exhaust port 35: Mixer moving device 40: Mask section 41: Sealed section for humans 42: Air intake 43: Exhalation port 44: Human side intake pipe (an example of a human side intake pipe) 45: Human expiratory tube (an example of a human expiratory tube) 56: 1st Entrance (Entrance) 57: 1st exit (exit) 58: Air flow path 59: Rotating blade 63: Upstream connecting pipe 64: Downstream connecting pipe 67: Reflective surface 68: Regulating valve (an example of an air flow rate adjusting device) 70: Uneven part 73: Ultraviolet light emitting element (an example of an ultraviolet light source) 75: Blower (an example of an air flow rate adjusting device) 76: Uniformizing material 77: Lattice type partition wall 78: Honeycomb partition wall 81: Internal flow path 82:Outside opening 83: Narrow plate body 84: Inner opening 85: Large plate body 86: Serpentine Road 88: Room 91: Room 93: Mask (an example of a human-use sealed part) 94: Full-face helmet (an example of a human-use sealed part) 96: Wearing clothing 97: Wearing equipment 103: Humidity adjustment device 105: UV light source position change device 107: External mirror body 111: Flow velocity sensor (an example of a flow velocity detection unit) 112: Support shaft 113: Rotating part 115: Advance / retract rod 116: Actuator section 118: Control unit 110: Humidity sensor (an example of a humidity detection unit) 124: Air retention chamber 125: Connection passage (an example of an inhalation connection passage and an exhalation connection passage) 130: Collision part 131: Baffle plate section 144: Connected mask

Claims

1. an ultraviolet light source that emits ultraviolet light of a wavelength capable of inactivating viruses; an air flow path including an air inlet and an air outlet, the air entering through the inlet being irradiated with the ultraviolet light before exiting through the outlet; An air purifier, characterized in that the ultraviolet light source is provided at a position inside or outside the air flow path.

2. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein, when the ultraviolet light source is provided outside the air flow path, the air flow path is formed of a material that transmits the ultraviolet light.

3. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein a reflective surface that reflects the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source located inside the air flow path into the air flow path is formed on an inner surface of the air flow path.

4. The air purifier according to claim 2, characterized in that a reflective surface that reflects the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source, which is located outside the air flow path, into the air flow path is provided outside the ultraviolet light source.

5. The air purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that the ultraviolet light source is provided both inside and outside the air flow path, the air flow path is made of a material that transmits the ultraviolet light, and a reflective surface that reflects the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source located outside the air flow path into the air flow path is provided outside the ultraviolet light source.

6. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength of the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source is 100 nm or more and 310 nm or less.

7. an air flow rate adjusting device for adjusting the time that the air remains in the air flow path, 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the air flow rate adjustment device has a blower equipped with a rotating blade and adjusts the flow rate of the air in the air flow path by rotating the rotating blade.

8. an air flow rate adjusting device for adjusting the time that the air remains in the air flow path, The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the air flow rate adjusting device has an adjusting valve for adjusting the flow rate of air flowing out of the air flow passage.

9. an air flow rate adjusting device for adjusting the time that the air remains in the air flow path, 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light source is a light source capable of changing an amount of irradiation of the ultraviolet light, and the air flow rate adjusting device adjusts the flow rate of the air based on the amount of irradiation of the ultraviolet light source.

10. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein an upstream connecting pipe is connected to the inlet, and a downstream connecting pipe is connected to the outlet.

11. 8. The air purifier according to claim 7, wherein the air blower serving as the air flow rate adjusting device is provided inside the air flow path.

12. An upstream connecting pipe is connected to the inlet, and a downstream connecting pipe is connected to the outlet, The air purifier according to claim 7, wherein the air blower is provided in the upstream connecting pipe or the downstream connecting pipe.

13. an air flow rate adjusting device for adjusting the time that the air stays in the air flow path, The air purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that the air flow rate adjustment device includes a blower equipped with a rotating blade that adjusts the flow rate of the air in the air flow path by rotating the rotating blade, and an adjustment valve that adjusts the amount of air flowing out of the air flow path.

14. 2. The air purifier of claim 1, further comprising at least one internal passageway within said air passageway, said passageway being constructed from a material that transmits ultraviolet light and through which air flows.

15. The air purifier according to claim 14, further comprising a blower having a rotating blade and configured to adjust the flow speed of the air in the air flow path by rotating the rotating blade, and the blower is disposed at an inlet or outlet of the internal flow path.

16. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein a uniformizing member for uniformizing the flow of air is provided in the air flow passage, the uniformizing member being configured with a lattice-shaped partition wall.

17. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein a uniformizing member for uniformizing the flow of air is provided in the air flow passage, the uniformizing member being configured with a honeycomb-shaped partition wall.

18. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein narrow plates forming an outer opening and wide plates having an inner opening are arranged alternately in the air flow path in the direction of air flow, forming a serpentine path connecting the outer opening and the inner opening.

19. At least one internal flow passage is provided within the air flow passage and is made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, and through which air flows; 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein a uniformizing member for uniformizing the flow of air is provided in the air flow passage, the uniformizing member having a lattice-shaped partition wall and a honeycomb-shaped partition wall.

20. 5. The air purifier according to claim 4, wherein an outer mirror body having a mirror outer periphery is provided at a central axis position of the air flow path.

21. 5. The air purifier according to claim 4, further comprising an ultraviolet light source position changing device for changing a distance between the ultraviolet light source and an outer circumferential surface of the air flow path.

22. The ultraviolet light source position changing device is A pair of support shafts extending in an axial direction of a central axis of the air flow passage; A pair of rotating parts rotatably supported on the pair of support shafts; A pair of actuator units fixed to the pair of rotating units; A pair of advancing and retreating rods provided in the pair of actuator parts, The ultraviolet light source is fixed to the tip end of the pair of reciprocating rods, The air purifier according to claim 21, wherein the ultraviolet light source position changing device changes the distance between the ultraviolet light source and the outer peripheral surface of the air flow path by rotating the pair of actuator parts around the pair of support shafts through the advancing and retracting movement of the pair of advancing and retracting rods.

23. The air purifier according to claim 1, further comprising: a humidity adjustment device provided at an upstream position of the air flow path; a humidity detection unit provided at an upstream position of the air flow path downstream of the humidity adjustment device; and a control unit that controls the humidity adjustment device based on the humidity detected by the humidity detection unit.

24. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, which is used to inactivate viruses in the air of a room where humans or animals are present, in the air entering said room, or in the air leaving said room.

25. An air purifier used to inactivate outside air that may contain viruses as air inhaled by a user, A human sealing part that has an intake port and an exhaust port for a person to breathe through the nose or mouth and seals at least the nose and the mouth from the outside; 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, further comprising a human-side intake pipe that connects the intake port and the outlet port.

26. An air purifier used to inactivate a user's breath that may contain viruses and discharge it to the outside, A human sealing part that has an intake port and an exhaust port for a person to breathe through the nose or mouth and seals at least the nose and the mouth from the outside; 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, further comprising a human-side exhalation pipe connecting the exhalation port and the inlet.

27. 27. The air purifier according to claim 25 or 26, wherein the air purifier is mounted on a wearing tool that moves with the movement of a user.

28. An inner tube extending in a predetermined direction and formed of a material that transmits ultraviolet light; A plurality of the ultraviolet light sources provided around the outer periphery of the inner cylinder; an outer cylinder container that accommodates the inner cylinder and the ultraviolet light source therein; an inner cylinder inner port that communicates the inner cylinder with the inside of the outer cylinder container; an outer port of the inner cylinder that communicates with the outside; A communication port that communicates the inside and the outside of the outer cylindrical container; an air flow rate adjusting device provided in the outer cylindrical container and adjusting the time that air remains in the outer cylindrical container; 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the air flow rate adjusting device is provided inside the outer cylinder container and faces an inner opening of the inner cylinder.

29. 29. The air purifier according to claim 28, further comprising a reflective surface provided on an inner surface of the outer cylindrical container for reflecting the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source toward the inside of the outer cylindrical container.

30. 30. The air purifier according to claim 28 or 29, wherein the air flow rate adjusting device comprises an air agitator, and a motor for rotating the agitator.

31. 5. The air purifier according to claim 3, wherein the reflecting surface is formed with uneven portions for diffusing ultraviolet rays.

32. The ultraviolet light source is composed of a plurality of ultraviolet light emitting elements provided in a direction in which the internal flow path extends, The ultraviolet light emitting element is disposed facing the internal flow path side; The ultraviolet light emitting element is disposed facing the reflecting surface side; The air purifier according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising:

33. 4. The air purifier according to claim 3, further comprising a collision part inside the air flow path, the collision part having a diameter larger than a flow path diameter of the upstream connecting pipe, the collision part having a surface that reflects ultraviolet rays.

34. The air purifier according to claim 33, characterized in that a baffle section is provided inside the air flow path to cause the air flow to meander along the ultraviolet light source without leakage, and the surface of the baffle section is an ultraviolet reflective surface.

35. An air retention chamber provided between the human side intake pipe and the human enclosed section; An intake connection passage that communicates the air retention chamber and the enclosed section for personnel; 26. The air purifier of claim 25, further comprising:

36. 36. The air purifier according to claim 35, wherein the human enclosure is provided with an exhaust valve configured to exhaust only the user's exhaled air while preventing the intake of air outside the human enclosure.

37. An air retention chamber provided between the human side expiratory conduit and the human sealed portion; An exhalation connection path that communicates the air retention chamber and the sealed portion for humans; 27. The air purifier of claim 26, further comprising:

38. The air purifier according to claim 37, characterized in that the human enclosed section is provided with an intake valve configured to draw only the inhaled air of the user into the human enclosed section while preventing the user's exhaled air from leaking outside the human enclosed section.

39. An air retention chamber provided between the human side intake pipe and the human enclosed section, 26. The air purifier of claim 25, wherein the air retention chamber is connected to the enclosed human section.

40. An air retention chamber provided between the human-side expiratory conduit and the human-side sealed portion, 27. The air purifier of claim 26, wherein the air retention chamber is connected to the enclosed human section.

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