Humidifier

Abstract

To provide a humidifier capable of preventing leakage of ultraviolet light to the outside of a housing, while preventing component breakage when loading a tray part onto the housing.SOLUTION: A humidifier includes: a housing 1; a humidification part 3 for generating humidifying air; a tray 5 for storing water; a detachable tray part TR; an ultraviolet light irradiation part 4 for irradiating the humidification part with ultraviolet light; a control part 9 for controlling the operation of the humidifier; a lock mechanism 40 movable in the vertical direction; and a detector 41 for detecting the attachment / detachment state of the tray part, and for outputting it to the control part 9 as a mounted state signal or a non-mounted state signal. When mounting the tray part onto the housing, the detector outputs the mounted state signal or the non-mounted state signal of the tray part to the control part, being interlocked with the lock mechanism coming into a locked state or a lock released state. In the case where the mounted state signal from the detector is not inputted, or in the case where the non-mounted state signal is inputted, the control part prohibits the operation of the ultraviolet light irradiation part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a humidifier that includes a main body, a vaporization filter that generates humidified air, a water tank section that stores water to moisten the vaporization filter, and an ultraviolet lamp that irradiates the vaporization filter with ultraviolet light, and sterilizes the vaporization filter with ultraviolet light. This humidifier has a removable water tank section and a microswitch inside the main body, so that when the water tank section is attached, the microswitch is turned ON and ultraviolet light is irradiated from the ultraviolet lamp, and when the water tank section is removed, the microswitch is turned OFF and the ultraviolet lamp is turned off. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-003042 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the humidifier described in Patent Document 1, if the water tub part is inserted forcefully horizontally when being attached, excessive impact may be applied to the microswitch installed inside the main body, which may result in damage to the microswitch. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the humidifier of the present invention is a humidifier comprising a housing, a humidifying section located inside the housing for generating humidified air, a tray section having a tray for storing water for generating the humidified air and horizontally detachable from the housing, and an ultraviolet irradiation section for irradiating ultraviolet rays to the humidifying section, and further comprising a control section for controlling the operation of the humidifier, a locking mechanism supported by the tray section and movable in the vertical direction, and a detector for detecting the attachment / detachment state of the tray section and outputting the result as an attachment state signal or a non-attachment state signal to the control section, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to enter a locked state in which movement of the tray section in an attached state is restricted by moving in one vertical direction, and to enter an unlocked state in which the locked state is released by moving in the other vertical direction, the detector outputs an attachment state signal in conjunction with the locking mechanism entering the locked state, or outputs a non-attached state signal in conjunction with the locking mechanism entering the unlocked state, and the control section is configured to prohibit operation of the ultraviolet irradiation section when the attachment state signal from the detector is not input or when a non-attached state signal is input. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, when the tray unit is attached to the housing, the detector outputs an attached or non-attached state signal for the tray unit to the control unit in conjunction with the operation of the locking mechanism, and if the attached state signal is not input from the detector or if a non-attached state signal is input, the control unit prohibits the operation of the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit.This prevents damage to parts when the tray unit is attached while also preventing ultraviolet ray leakage outside the housing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the humidifier according to the embodiment with a front panel and a beam portion removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating insertion of a tray holder into a housing according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tray and the tray holder on which the tray is placed according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 5A and 5B are schematic cross-sectional views of the water supply tank and the like according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 5A shows a state with a tray and FIG. 5B shows a state without a tray. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are partial perspective views of the partition plate and the like according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 5A shows a state with a tray and FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the humidifying unit, the partition structure unit, the tray, and the tray holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the partition structure according to the above embodiment, seen from the bearing side. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the water level detection float and a magnetic sensor according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining stop positions of the humidifier part according to the embodiment, where FIG. 5A shows a first rotation position and FIG. 5B shows a second rotation position. [Figure 14] 4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the humidifying filter and an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 15] 5A and 5B are schematic cross-sectional views for explaining the arrangement of the locking mechanism and the detector according to the embodiment, where FIG. 5A shows a locked state and FIG. 5B shows an unlocked state. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an arrangement of a lock mechanism and a lever portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the drive circuit according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 5A shows a state in which a switch is on, and FIG. 5B shows a state in which the switch is off. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between a detection unit and a humidification unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] 4 is a flowchart showing a drying operation process according to the embodiment; [Figure 20] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a sequence of a sterilization process during a humidification operation according to the embodiment; [Figure 21] 5 is a flowchart showing a sterilization process during a humidification operation according to the embodiment; [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between ultraviolet irradiation time and sterilization effect. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] As shown in appropriate figures of Figures 1 to 18, the humidifier 100 includes a housing 1, a fan 2, a humidifier section 3, an ultraviolet ray irradiation section 4, a tray section TR having a tray 5 and a tray holder 6, a water tank 7, a partition structure section 8, a control section 9, and a magnetic sensor S.

[0010] In the following description, the directions of the humidifier 100 are defined as up-down, front-back, and left-right directions as shown in Fig. 2. In other figures, directions corresponding to the directions defined in Fig. 2 are shown. Note that while the up-down direction may be defined as the direction of the humidifier 100 during use, the front-back and left-right directions are relative directions to facilitate understanding of the description.

[0011] The housing 1 includes a front panel 1F, a rear panel 1B, a left panel 1L, a right panel 1R, and an upper panel 1U, and a casing 10 surrounded by these panels.

[0012] The left panel 1L connected to the upper panel 1U reaches the bottom 10D of the casing 10. On the other hand, the right panel 1R connected to the upper panel 1U has a shorter length in the vertical direction than the left panel 1L. As a result, an insertion opening 1a into which the tray holder 6 is inserted is formed between the right panel 1R of the housing 1 and the bottom 10D. As shown in FIG. 4, the tray holder 6 is inserted in the left-right direction (horizontally) from the insertion opening 1a, and in a state in which the tray holder 6 is attached to the housing 1 as shown in FIG. 2 (hereinafter referred to as the "holder attached state"), the insertion opening 1a is blocked by the holder panel 6R fixed to the tray holder 6. In the holder attached state, the outer surfaces of the holder panel 6R and the right panel 1R are approximately flush with each other. The outer shape of the housing 1 in the holder attached state is approximately rectangular parallelepiped.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the casing 10 comprises a holder accommodating section 11 that accommodates the tray holder 6, a side wall section 12 that is erected relative to the holder accommodating section 11 and faces the right panel 1R in the left-right direction, and a fan accommodating section 13 that is located above the holder accommodating section 11 and accommodates the fan 2.

[0014] The holder accommodation section 11 has the bottom section 10D described above. A humidifier accommodation chamber R3 that accommodates the humidifier section 3 is formed above the bottom section 10D inside the housing 1 on the left side of the side wall section 12, and a tank accommodation chamber R7 that accommodates the water supply tank 7 is formed on the right side of the side wall section 12. A communication hole 12a that communicates between the humidifier accommodation chamber R3 and the tank accommodation chamber R7 is formed in the side wall section 12. When the tray holder 6 in which the partition structure section 8 is arranged is in a holder-attached state, the communication hole 12a is blocked by a partition plate 81 described below.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 2, an openable and closable lid 17 is attached above the tank storage chamber R7 in the upper panel 1U. The lid 17 allows the water supply tank 7 to be stored in the tank storage chamber R7 from above the housing 1. The water supply tank 7 is used in a state in which the partition structure 8 is installed on the tray holder 6 via the tray 5. The casing 10 is, for example, separable in the front-rear direction and is composed of two members that can be combined with each other.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the rear panel 1B is formed with an inlet P1 for drawing in outside air. The fan housing section 13 of the casing 10 is formed with an inlet Q1 through which the fan 2 draws in the humidified air generated in the humidifier 3, and an exhaust port Q2 through which the fan 2 exhausts the humidified air. The upper panel 1U is formed with an outlet P2 through which the humidified air exhausted from the exhaust port Q2 is discharged to the outside of the housing 1. That is, the housing 1 has the inlet P1, the humidifier 3, the inlet Q1, the exhaust port Q2, and the outlet P2. When the fan 2 rotates, air passes through a flow path W that proceeds in the order of the inlet P1, the humidifier 3, the inlet Q1, the exhaust port Q2, and the outlet P2, and the humidified air generated in the humidifier 3 is blown out of the housing 1 from the outlet. In addition, a heater H is provided between the inlet P1 and the humidifier 3 in the flow path W (i.e., on the upstream side) to operate according to conditions and send warm air. By providing the heater H on the upstream side, hot air can be effectively sent to the humidifying section 3.

[0017] The fan 2 is a centrifugal fan, such as a sirocco fan. The fan 2 rotates with the rotation of a fan motor 2a attached to the casing 10. As described above, the fan 2 is configured to make air flow through the flow path W that runs from the intake port P1 through the humidifier 3 to the outlet port P2.

[0018] The humidifier 3 is located inside the housing 1 and is configured to generate humidified air. As shown in Fig. 2, the humidifier 3 includes a humidifying filter 30 (evaporation filter) and a frame 31 that holds the humidifying filter 30. In other words, the humidifier 100 is of an evaporation type that generates humidified air by the humidifying filter 30.

[0019] The humidifying unit 3 is provided in the housing 1 so as to be rotatable about an axis AX shown in FIG. 1. The axis AX extends in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1 (that is, extends in the left-right direction of the housing 1). As shown in FIG. 10, a pair of first and second shafts 31R and 31L are provided in the frame 31, and the first shaft 31R of the humidifying unit 3 is supported by a partition structure 8 (bearing 8R described later in detail), and the second shaft 31L is supported by a tray holder 6 (bearing 6L described later in detail). The second shaft 31L is rotated by a turn motor (not shown) attached to the casing 10, so that the humidifying unit 3 is rotated about the axis AX. The rotating shaft of the turn motor and the second shaft 31L are engaged with each other when the tray unit TR is attached to the housing 1, and are disengaged when the tray unit TR is removed from the housing 1. That is, the turn motor (rotating shaft) and the second shaft portion 31L are detachable, and when the second shaft portion 31L is attached to the turn motor, the second shaft portion 31L can be rotationally driven by the turn motor.

[0020] The frame 31 of the humidifying unit 3 is made of, for example, resin, and holds the humidifying filter 30 while forming a filter exposed portion 30a where the humidifying filter 30 is exposed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 14. The humidifying unit 3 is roughly rectangular parallelepiped long in the direction in which the axis line AX extends, and has a first surface 3a and a second surface 3b, which are a pair of surfaces having the largest areas among the six surfaces constituting the rectangular parallelepiped. The first surface 3a and the second surface 3b are in a front-back relationship with each other, and are the surfaces of the humidifying unit 3 that include the filter exposed portion 30a that allows air to pass through. In addition, the two side surfaces of the humidifying unit 3 that are located in the radial direction of the axis line AX and connect the first surface 3a and the second surface 3b are formed in a curved shape so as not to hinder the rotation of the humidifying unit 3.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the state in which the first surface 3a and the second surface 3b of the humidifying unit 3 face in the front-rear direction is a "water-absorbable state" in which the humidifying filter 30 can absorb water in the tray 5. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the air that enters the humidifying filter 30 from the second surface 3b exits as humidified air from the first surface 3a (hereinafter, referred to as the first state), but a state in which the humidifying unit 3 rotates 180° from the first state and the air that enters the humidifying filter 30 from the first surface 3a exits as humidified air from the second surface 3b (hereinafter, referred to as the second state) is also a water-absorbable state. In other words, there are two states of the humidifying unit 3 that realize the water-absorbable state: the first state and the second state. During the operation of the humidifying device 100, under the control of the control unit 9, the humidifying unit 3 changes from one of the first state and the second state to the other at a predetermined cycle. In either the first or second embodiment, the filter exposed portion 30a of the humidifier 3 faces horizontally (left-right direction). The rotational position of the humidifier 3 around the axis AX at this time is set to a first rotational position Rp1 as shown in FIG. 13(a).

[0022] On the other hand, when the control unit 9 receives an instruction to stop the operation of the humidifier 100, it places the humidifier unit 3 in a state in which the first surface 3a and the second surface 3b face vertically (up and down) (i.e., the humidifier unit 3 in the first or second embodiment is rotated 90°). In this state, the rotational position of the humidifier unit 3 about the axis line AX is set to the second rotational position Rp2, as shown in FIG. 13(b). In the second rotational position Rp2, the filter exposed portion 30a faces vertically. The humidifier unit 3 in the second rotational position Rp2 is in a "separated state" in which the humidifying filter 30 is separated from the water in the tray 5. This separated state prevents the humidifying filter 30 from being constantly immersed in the water in the tray 5, and suppresses the growth of bacteria. In addition, when (i) switching the humidifying unit 3 from one of the first and second modes to the other, and (ii) rotating the humidifying unit 3 from one of the first rotation position Rp1 and the second rotation position Rp2 to the other, the rotation direction of the humidifying unit 3 is arbitrary and may be either clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0023] The ultraviolet irradiating unit 4 irradiates ultraviolet rays to the inside of the housing 1. Specifically, the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4 is composed of an LED module equipped with a deep ultraviolet LED that emits deep ultraviolet rays (UV-C) that have a high disinfecting and sterilizing effect.

[0024] The ultraviolet irradiation unit 4 is attached to a beam 14 fixed to the front side of the casing 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the beam 14 is located between the side wall 12 and the wall 15 facing the side wall 12, and provides the casing 10 with a beam structure extending in the left-right direction. That is, one end (right end) of the beam 14 is fixed to the side wall 12, and the other end (left end) is fixed to the wall 15. The beam 14 thus provided is located behind the front panel 1F and contacts the front panel 1F, as shown in FIG. 1. That is, the beam 14 supports the front panel 1F (exterior panel) from behind. This makes it possible to suppress distortion of the front panel 1F that occurs during assembly, etc.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 1, the beam portion 14 is located behind the front panel 1F. A module case 14a that houses the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 is formed in the beam portion 14. The ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 housed in the module case 14a is provided inside the housing 1, between the humidifier unit 3 and the outlet P2 (i.e., downstream side) of the flow path W that runs from the inlet P1 to the outlet P2 via the humidifier unit 3. The ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 housed in the module case 14a is located at a position higher than the axis line AX, and irradiates ultraviolet rays U (deep ultraviolet rays) toward the humidifier unit 3 (humidifier filter 30).

[0026] Specifically, the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 irradiates ultraviolet rays U toward the axis line AX of the humidifier 3. As can be seen from FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b), the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 is provided in a direction in which the filter exposed portion 30a (specifically, one of the filter exposed portions 30a) faces when the humidifier 3 is at an intermediate position Rp3 between the first rotational position Rp1 and the second rotational position Rp2. Here, if the rotational angle from the first rotational position Rp1 to the second rotational position Rp2 of the humidifier 3 is θ (not shown), in this embodiment, θ=90°. The ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 is provided so that the angle α that the optical axis of the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 makes with respect to the horizontal direction is 45° (α=θ / 2). That is, when the humidifier 3 is at the intermediate position Rp3, the filter exposed portion 30a faces in a direction of 45° with respect to each of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. As a result, whether the humidifier 3 is in the first rotation position Rp1 or the second rotation position Rp2, the relative positions of the ultraviolet irradiating section 4 and the filter exposed section 30a can be kept the same, thereby suppressing fluctuations in the irradiation range of the humidifying filter 30. Furthermore, as described above, during operation of the humidifier 100, the humidifier 3 changes from one of the first state and the second state to the other at a predetermined cycle, so that the ultraviolet ray U can be irradiated evenly onto both the first surface 3a and the second surface 3b.

[0027] In the above, an example has been shown in which α defining the intermediate position Rp3 is α=θ / 2, but α and θ are not limited to this example. For example, α defining the intermediate position Rp3 may be arbitrarily determined within the range of 1 / 4θ≦α≦3 / 4θ. Furthermore, the first rotational position Rp1 may be any position that places the humidifying unit 3 in the water-absorbing state described above, and the second rotational position Rp2 may be any position that places the humidifying unit 3 in the separated state described above. In other words, θ is not limited to 90°, and may be greater than 90° or less than 90°.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 14, the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 is disposed so that its optical axis coincides with the center of the humidifier unit 3 in the left-right direction. As shown in the blowout of FIG. 14, the humidifier filter 30 is folded in an accordion-like manner. Note that the blowout of FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 and the humidifier filter 30 viewed from a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 when the filter exposed portion 30a of the humidifier unit 3 faces the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4. The fold direction 30b of the humidifier filter 30 is along the rotation direction of the humidifier unit 3. In other words, the humidifier unit 3 is rotated along the folds of the humidifier filter 30. As a result, the ultraviolet ray U can be irradiated up to the gaps (valleys) of the folds of the humidifier filter 30 regardless of the rotation angle of the humidifier unit 3 about the axis line AX relative to the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4.

[0029] The tray 5 stores water for generating humidified air. The tray 5 placed on the tray holder 6 is located inside the housing 1 when the tray is attached to the tray holder 6. Hereinafter, the state in which the tray 5 is placed on the tray holder 6 will be referred to as a "tray-present state," and the state in which the tray 5 is removed from the tray holder 6 will be referred to as a "tray-absent state."

[0030] The tray 5 is made of stainless steel, and is prevented from deteriorating even when exposed to ultraviolet rays U. The material of the tray 5 will be described in detail later.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 5, the tray 5 has an edge 50, and a main water tank section 51, a tank facing section 52, and a float water tank section 53, which are located below the edge 50. The main water tank section 51 is located below the humidifying section 3, and is a section where water to be absorbed by the humidifying section 3 is stored. The tank facing section 52 is a flat section that faces the water supply tank 7 in the vertical direction, sandwiching a receiving member 80 described below. The float water tank section 53 is a section that is recessed below the tank facing section 52, and is a section where water on which a water level detection float 83 described below floats is stored. The float water tank section 53 has a flat bottom section 53a that is a flat bottom.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 6 , the tray holder 6 includes a tray accommodating section 60 in which the tray 5 is accommodated, a standing wall section 61 standing around the tray accommodating section 60, and an outer peripheral wall section 62 standing around the standing wall section 61.

[0033] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the tray 5 and the tray holder 6 on which the tray 5 is placed. The cross-sectional view shows a section of the portion corresponding to the main water tank section 51 along an imaginary plane determined by an axis extending in the front-rear direction and an axis extending in the up-down direction. Note that in Fig. 7 and Figs. 8, 12, and 17 described below, hatching indicating cross sections has been omitted as appropriate for ease of viewing the drawings.

[0034] 7, an edge portion 50 of the tray 5 is supported by a standing wall portion 61 of the tray holder 6. The edge portion 50 has a supported portion 50a that abuts against and is supported by the standing wall portion 61 when the tray 5 is placed on the tray holder 6, and a longitudinal portion 50b that is connected to the supported portion 50a and extends along the outer surface of the standing wall portion 61.

[0035] The tray accommodating portion 60 of the tray holder 6 is provided with two openings 6a and 6b through which a part of the underside of the tray 5 can be seen. The openings 6a and 6b are provided with a gap between them in the front-rear direction (first direction). A user can easily remove the tray 5 from the tray holder 6 by pushing up the underside of the tray 5 through the openings 6a and 6b.

[0036] The tray storage section 60 has a saucer section 601 between the two openings 6a, 6b. The main water tank section 51 of the tray 5 is formed in a curved plate shape that bulges toward the saucer section 601. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the main water tank section 51 is formed in a curved plate shape that bulges downward at the center and follows the arc-shaped path that the outer periphery of the humidifier section 3 describes when the humidifier section 3 rotates around the axis line AX. This shape of the main water tank section 51 makes it possible to minimize the amount of water stored in the tray 5. The main water tank section 51 of this embodiment is formed in a curved plate shape that is symmetrical in the front and rear. The main water tank section 51 has a bottom plate section 51a that faces the saucer section 601 in the up-down direction.

[0037] The tray 601 has bars 601a protruding toward the bottom plate 51a at one end and the other end in the front-rear direction (first direction). As shown in FIG. 6, the bars 601a are provided extending in the left-right direction (second direction). The bars 601a allow water droplets that drip when condensation occurs on the underside of the tray 5 to be collected in the tray 601. As shown in FIG. 7, in the tray-present state in which the tray 5 is placed on the tray holder 6, a gap is generated between the bars 601a and the bottom plate 51a. This gap allows water droplets on the underside of the tray 5 to pass smoothly toward the tray 601.

[0038] 2, the water supply tank 7 is accommodated in a tank accommodation chamber R7 in the housing 1, and stores water to be supplied to the tray 5. As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and (b), the water supply tank 7 includes a tank body 70 and a tank cap 71 attached to the lower end of the tank body 70. The tank cap 71 has a water supply port 71a and a valve mechanism 72 that opens and closes the water supply port 71a.

[0039] 10, the partition structure 8 includes a receiving member 80, a partition plate 81, and a float support portion 82, which are integrally formed. The partition structure 8 is configured separately from the tray 5 and the tray holder 6. The partition structure 8 (i.e., the integral receiving member 80, partition plate 81, and float support portion 82) is detachable from the tray 5.

[0040] 8(a), the receiving member 80 is a tray-shaped member that receives the water supply tank 7. The receiving member 80 receives the tank cap 71 of the water supply tank 7 at its edge, and has a pin-shaped portion 80a that protrudes toward the valve mechanism 72 from a bottom surface that is recessed from the edge.

[0041] When the water supply tank 7 is accommodated in the tank accommodation chamber R7, the tank cap 71 is in a state in which it is received (supported) by the receiving member 80. At this time, the valve mechanism 72 of the water supply tank 7 is pushed up relatively to the pin-shaped portion 80a. As a result, the valve mechanism 72 is opened, the flow path from the water supply port 71a to the receiving member 80 is opened, and water is supplied from the water supply tank 7 through the receiving member 80 to the tray 5. When the water level in the tray 5 reaches the lower end of the water supply port 71a, the outside air cannot enter the tank body 70 from the water supply port 71a, so that the supply of water from the water supply tank 7 to the tray 5 stops. Then, when the water in the tray 5 decreases and the water level becomes lower than the lower end of the water supply port 71a, the outside air enters the tank body 70 from the water supply port 71a and water comes out from the water supply port 71a. This mechanism keeps the water level in the tray 5 constant. The partition plate 81 is formed with water passage holes 81a (see FIGS. 10 and 11) for allowing the water accumulated in the receiving member 80 to pass to the humidifying section 3 side.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the partition plate 81 is a plate-like member that separates the humidifying unit 3 and the water tank 7. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, a notch 61a is formed in the vertical wall portion 61 of the tray holder 6. Although not shown in FIG. 6, a pair of notches 61a are provided facing each other in the front-rear direction. The pair of notches 61a are located below the partition plate 81 across the edge portion 50 of the tray 5 in a state in which the partition structure portion 8 is further placed on the tray 5 placed on the tray holder 6. In addition, the outer peripheral wall portion 62 of the tray holder 6 is provided with a pair of partition plate guides 62a into which the left and right ends of the partition plate 81 are inserted. The partition plate guides 62a are groove-like portions that are recessed toward the outer periphery of the outer peripheral wall portion 62 and extend in the up-down direction.

[0043] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the partition plate 81 has an engageable portion 81b that can engage with the cutout 61a, and an insertion rib 81c that is inserted into the partition plate guide 62a. The insertion rib 81c is located on the outer side of the partition plate 81 than the engageable portion 81b. There are a pair of engageable portions 81b corresponding to the pair of cutouts 61a. There are also a pair of insertion ribs 81c corresponding to the pair of partition plate guides 62a. The partition structure 8 is attached to the tray holder 6 with the partition plate 81 standing upright relative to the tray holder 6 by inserting the insertion rib 81c into the partition plate guide 62a.

[0044] Figures 8(a) and 9(a) show the relationship of each part in the "tray-present state." In the tray-present state, as shown in Figure 9(a), the notch 61a is covered by the edge 50 of the tray 5 and does not fit with the fittable part 81b. As shown in Figure 8(a), the water supply tank 7 is received by the receiving member 80 and the valve mechanism 72 is pressed against the pin-shaped part 80a. This allows water to be supplied from the water supply tank 7 to the tray 5, as described above.

[0045] 8(b) and 9(b) show the relationship of each part in the "tray-less state". In the tray-less state, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the tray 5 and the edge portion 50 are absent, and the engageable portion 81b engages with the notch 61a. Then, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the receiving member 80 and the pin-shaped portion 80a are lower than in the tray-present state (that is, the entire partition structure portion 8 is lower than in the tray-present state), and the pin-shaped portion 80a separates from the valve mechanism 72. Therefore, the valve mechanism 72 is in a closed state, the flow path from the water supply port 71a to the receiving member 80 is blocked, and the water supply from the water supply tank 7 is stopped. This makes it possible to prevent water from flowing out from the water supply tank 7 to the tray holder 6 even if the user forgets to attach the tray 5 to the tray holder 6 and attaches the tray holder 6 with the partition structure portion 8 placed thereon to the housing 1.

[0046] Here, the tank body 70 of the water supply tank 7 has an opposing portion 70a that faces the standing wall portion 61 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 8(a), in the tray-present state, the tank cap 71 of the water supply tank 7 is supported by the receiving member 80, and the opposing portion 70a is supported by the edge portion 50 of the tray 5. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8(b), in the tray-less state, the tank cap 71 of the water supply tank 7 is separated from the receiving member 80, and the opposing portion 70a is directly supported by the standing wall portion 61. As a result, in the tray-less state, the water supply tank 7 is slightly lowered by the thickness of the edge portion 50 of the tray 5 than in the tray-present state. On the other hand, as can be seen by comparing FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b), in the tray-less state, the engageable portion 81b (i.e., the entire partition structure portion 8) is lowered by the sum of the thickness of the edge portion 50 and the depth (vertical length) of the notch 61a. Therefore, in the absence of a tray, the pin-shaped portion 80a can be separated from the valve mechanism 72 of the water supply tank 7 by a distance corresponding to the depth of the notch 61a.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 8(a), the tray holder 6 has a base portion 602 that abuts against a portion of the tray 5 facing the receiving member 80 when the tray is present (the tank facing portion 52 of the tray 5 described above), a low floor portion 603 that is located lower than the base portion 602, and a rib 604 that surrounds the base portion 602. As shown in FIG. 6, the low floor portion 603 is connected to the bottom of the receiving dish portion 601. The base portion 602 rises upward from the low floor portion 603 and is formed in a circular shape in this embodiment. The base portion 602 can stabilize the tray 5 and the partition structure portion 8 located on the tray 5. The rib 604 is formed in a ring shape with a portion that is notched. The notched portion of the rib 604 can ensure ventilation, and water that has accumulated between the rib 604 and the base portion 602 can be easily dried.

[0048] The receiving member 80 has legs 80b that are supported by the tray 5 (specifically, the tank facing portion 52) in the tray-present state shown in FIG. 8(a). The legs 80b correspond to the lower end of the outer periphery of the receiving member 80 that is formed in a roughly disk-like shape, as shown in FIG. 10. As a result, the lower end of the legs 80b is ring-shaped, and in the tray-absent state, it is fitted between the base portion 602 and the rib 604 shown in FIG. 6. That is, in the tray-absent state shown in FIG. 8(b), as described above, the legs 80b of the partition structure 8, which is lower in position than in the tray-present state, are supported by the low floor portion 603. As a result, the partition structure 8 is reliably supported by the tray 5 at the legs 80b in the tray-present state, while in the tray-absent state, it is reliably supported by the low floor portion 603 of the tray holder 6.

[0049] Furthermore, the rib 604 of the tray holder 6 comes into contact with a portion of the tray 5 that does not face the receiving member 80 in the tray-present state shown in Fig. 8(a). In the tray-absent state shown in Fig. 8(b), the legs 80b are supported by the low floor portion 603 between the base portion 602 and the rib 604. Here, in the tray-present state, the tray 5 receives the load of the water supply tank 7 via the legs 80b of the receiving member 80, but the presence of the rib 604 allows the periphery of the portion of the tray 5 that is supported by the base portion 602 to be supported by the rib 604 as well. In other words, the rib 604 can prevent the load of the water supply tank 7 from concentrating locally on the tray 5, and can prevent the tray 5 from being deformed.

[0050] 10 supports a water level detection float 83, which floats on the water stored in the tray 5, so that the float can be displaced in response to the displacement of the water. Specifically, the water level detection float 83 floats on the water in the float water tank portion 53 described above. The float support portion 82 of this embodiment supports the water level detection float 83 so that the float can rotate about an axis BX extending in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the water in the tray 5 is displaced, the water level detection float 83 is displaced in an arc shape about the axis BX.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 12, the water level detection float 83 holds a magnet M at its lower end. A magnetic sensor S for detecting a magnetic field (magnetic flux density) caused by the magnet M is provided on the opposite side of the magnet M across the flat bottom 53a of the float water tank portion 53 in the tray 5. The magnetic sensor S is embedded, for example, inside the bottom portion 10D of the casing 10. The magnetic sensor S is composed of a reed switch, a Hall element, an MR (Magneto Resistive Sensor) element, etc., and detects the magnetic flux of the magnet M that changes when the magnet M approaches the magnetic sensor S due to the displacement of the water level detection float 83. The control unit 9 detects the water level in the tray 5 based on the detection signal output by the magnetic sensor S.

[0052] Here, the tray 5 of this embodiment is formed by cold working SUS304, which is an austenitic stainless steel. The tray 5 may also be made of SUS301, SUS316, or the like.

[0053] The control unit 9 shown in FIG. 2 is composed of a microcomputer that controls the overall operation of the humidifier 100, and includes a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), and the like. The ROM stores in advance an operation program for performing a drying operation process and a sterilization process during humidification operation, which will be described later, in addition to an operation program for performing a humidification operation of the humidifier 100. The control unit 9 is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) (not shown). The PCB is provided, for example, between the upper panel 1U and the casing 10. The control unit 9 is electrically connected to various electronic components provided in the humidifier 100. The control unit 9 receives a user's operation (hereinafter referred to as a user operation) performed on an operation panel (not shown) provided on the upper panel 1U, and controls each part of the humidifier 100 according to the received operation. The control unit 9 controls the operation of each of the heater H, the fan motor 2a, and a turn motor (not shown) that rotates and drives the humidifier 3. The control unit 9 also controls the driving of the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4 via a drive circuit DR, which will be described later. The control unit 9 also detects the water level in the tray 5 based on the output of the magnetic sensor S.

[0054] As described below, the humidifier 100 according to this embodiment further has a mechanism for detecting whether or not a tray portion is attached, and features related to the associated control of ultraviolet radiation irradiation.

[0055] As shown in Figs. 15(a) and 15(b), the humidifier 100 includes a locking mechanism 40 and a detector 41. The locking mechanism 40 is held by a holding portion 42 that is integral with the tray holder 6, and in this embodiment, the locking mechanism 40 is movable in the up-down direction by allowing the holding portion 42 to be inserted. The locking mechanism 40 is also provided with a bar 401. As shown in Fig. 15(a), when the locking mechanism 40 moves downward, the bar 401 fits into a hole 43 provided in the bottom portion 10D inside the housing 1, and the locking mechanism 40 is in a locked state that restricts the tray part TR from being pulled out and removed from the housing 1. As shown in Fig. 15(b), when the locking mechanism 40 moves upward, the bar 401 is released from the hole 43, and the locking mechanism 40 is in an unlocked state in which the tray part TR can be pulled out and removed from the housing 1.

[0056] Here, the locked state that restricts the movement of the tray part TR is defined as a state in which the tray part TR is attached to the housing 1 (attached state), and the unlocked state in which the locked state of the tray part TR is released is defined as a state in which the tray part TR is not attached (unattached state), which includes a state in which the tray part TR can be removed from the housing 1.

[0057] The detector 41 is provided inside the housing 1, and in this embodiment, is composed of a detection sensor such as a limit switch or a microswitch, and operates a switch SW, which is a movable contact, by an external force applied to a detection unit 41a such as an actuator. As shown in FIG. 15(a), when the lock mechanism 40 moves downward, the lock state described above is reached, and the lock mechanism 40 applies an external force to the detection unit 41a of the detector 41, thereby turning the switch SW of the detector 41 on (closed). Also, as shown in FIG. 15(b), when the lock mechanism 40 moves upward, the lock state described above is reached, and the external force applied to the detection unit 41a by the lock mechanism 40 is eliminated, turning the switch SW of the detector 41 off (open). That is, when the lock mechanism 40 is in the locked state, i.e., when the tray unit TR is in the mounted state, the switch SW of the detector 41 is turned on, and when the lock mechanism 40 is in the unlocked state, i.e., when the tray unit TR is in the unmounted state, the switch SW of the detector 41 is turned off.

[0058] At this time, the detector 41 outputs the result of the switch operation (on state or off state) accompanying the operation of the lock mechanism 40 to the control unit 9 as a voltage-applied signal indicating the attached state or non-attached state. Here, when the contact of the switch or the like is output as a voltage-applied contact, whether the voltage is applied when the switch SW is on or when the switch SW is off depends on the circuit configuration. Therefore, when the lock mechanism 40 is in the locked state, i.e., when the tray part TR is in the attached state and the switch SW of the detector 41 is in the on state, the detector 41 outputs the attached state signal in a voltage-applied state to the control unit 9 in conjunction with the lock mechanism 40 becoming locked. On the other hand, if a different circuit configuration is used, when the lock mechanism 40 is in the unlocked state, i.e., when the tray part TR is in the non-attached state and the switch SW of the detector 41 is in the off state, the detector 41 can also output the non-attached state signal in a voltage-applied state to the control unit 9 in conjunction with the lock mechanism 40 becoming unlocked.

[0059] The control unit 9 can determine whether the tray part TR is in an attached state or an unattached state based on a signal from the detector 41. When the tray part TR is in an unattached state, the control unit 9 controls not to drive the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4. In other words, when a signal indicating an attached state is not input from the detector 41, or when a signal indicating an unattached state is input, the control unit 9 determines that the tray part TR is in an unattached state, and controls not to drive the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4. This makes it possible to prevent the ultraviolet ray U from leaking outside the housing 1, thereby ensuring the safety of the user.

[0060] Furthermore, when the tray part TR is attached to the housing 1, that is, when the tray part TR is inserted from the insertion opening 1a into the housing 1 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction), the locking mechanism 40 and the detector 41 are kept at a distance so as not to come into contact with each other. In other words, when the tray part TR is attached, a distance is ensured so that they do not come into contact in the horizontal direction, so even if the tray part TR is inserted forcefully, damage, etc. will not occur due to the locking mechanism 40 coming into contact with the detector 41.

[0061] 16, the locking mechanism 40 is provided at a position where it does not interfere with the housing 1. In other words, when the tray part TR is attached to the housing 1 or removed from the housing 1, the locking mechanism 40 is held by the tray holder 6 so as not to interfere with the inside of the housing 1.

[0062] In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 40 is movable in the vertical direction by allowing the holding portion 42 to be inserted therethrough, but for example, a slide rail may be provided on the locking mechanism 40 and the tray portion TR so that the locking mechanism 40 can move in the vertical direction.

[0063] In addition, in this embodiment, the latch portion 401 is locked by engaging with the hole portion 43, but for example, by providing a dam at the bottom 10D inside the housing 1, even if an attempt is made to pull out the tray portion TR from the housing 1 after the locking mechanism 40 moves downward and reaches the bottom 10D, the dam may be provided to prevent the tray portion TR from being pulled out.

[0064] In addition, in this embodiment, the detection portion 41a of the detector 41 is positioned so that the switch SW is turned on (closed) by applying an external force in a downward direction, but the detector 41 may also be positioned above the locking mechanism 40 and upside down so that an external force is applied in an upward direction to the detection portion 41a.

[0065] The detector 41 and the locking mechanism 40 may be arranged upside down compared to the present embodiment. That is, when the tray part TR is in a locked state, i.e., an attached state, the locking mechanism 40 may be configured to move upward and the latch part 401 may fit into a hole part (not shown) provided upward inside the housing 1. When the locking mechanism 40 is in an unlocked state, i.e., when the tray part TR is not attached, the locking mechanism 40 may be configured to move downward and release the engagement with the hole part (not shown).

[0066] In this embodiment, the detector 41 is a contact detection sensor such as a limit switch or a microswitch, but it may be a non-contact detection sensor such as a proximity sensor (reed switch, etc.) or a photoelectric switch. In this case, the detector 41a corresponds to an element that detects changes in a magnetic field or light, and detects the magnetic field or light that changes when the lock mechanism 40 approaches.

[0067] In this embodiment, the detector 41 for outputting a signal to the control unit 9 is a contact output type detection sensor, but it may be a photocoupler output type, voltage output type, or current output type sensor.

[0068] Next, a configuration will be described in which the result of the switch operation of the detector 41 accompanying the operation of the lock mechanism 40 (on or off state) is not output to the control unit 9 but is directly used as an opening and closing element.

[0069] As shown in Figs. 17(a) and 17(b), the humidifier 100 includes a drive circuit DR for driving the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4 and a switch SW connected in series to the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4. The drive circuit DR includes a power source 90, an npn-type transistor 91 whose base is connected to the control unit 9, and a resistor element 92 connected to the collector of the transistor 91, and supplies a drive current from the power source 90 to the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4 under the control of the control unit 9. The emitter of the transistor 91 is connected to GND. The switch SW uses a switch that is a movable contact of the detector 41. The power source 90 and the resistor element 92 of the drive circuit DR are connected in series via the switch SW and the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4. The switch SW is located closer to the power source 90 than the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4. In other words, the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4 as a load and the switch SW are connected in series to the drive circuit DR. The control unit 9 controls the on / off operation of the transistor 91, and can supply a drive current to the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4 based on the power source 90 and the resistor element 92. The transistor 91 is not limited to an npn type, but may be a pnp type, or may be a known switching element such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). The configuration of the drive circuit DR may be appropriately changed according to the switching element used. In any case, the switch SW and the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 are connected in series with the drive circuit DR.

[0070] As shown in Figure 17(a), when the switch SW is in the on state (contacts are closed), there is electrical continuity from the power source 90 to the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4, and under the control of the control unit 9, a driving current is supplied to the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4, causing the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4 to irradiate ultraviolet light U.

[0071] In order for the switch SW to be turned on, an external force needs to be applied to the detection unit 41a of the detector 41, and as described above, this can be applied by moving the lock mechanism 40 downward or upward. At this time, in conjunction with the lock mechanism 40 being turned on, the switch SW of the detector 41 is turned on, and the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 can be driven.

[0072] On the other hand, when the tray part TR is removed from the housing 1 and is in a non-attached state, the lock mechanism 40 is in an unlocked state, and the switch SW of the detector 41 is in an off state. As shown in FIG. 17(b), when the switch SW is in an off state (contact point is open), the current path from the power supply 90 to the ultraviolet ray irradiation part 4 is cut off. That is, when the switch SW is in an off state, the drive current to the ultraviolet ray irradiation part 4 is cut off. As a result, even if the control part 9 controls the driving of the ultraviolet ray irradiation part 4, when the tray part TR is not attached to the housing 1, the ultraviolet ray irradiation part 4 cannot irradiate the ultraviolet ray U. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ultraviolet ray U from leaking outside the housing 1, and the safety of the user can be ensured. For example, even if a situation occurs in which the ultraviolet ray U can be unintentionally irradiated (for example, an instruction to irradiate ultraviolet ray U in control, a drive current supply) due to a failure of the drive circuit DR, a failure due to a short circuit of the transistor 91, or a program malfunction of the control part 9, irradiation of the ultraviolet ray U is reliably impossible when the tray part TR is not attached to the housing 1.

[0073] Also, in order to move the locking mechanism 40 upward to set it to the unlocked state, the lever portion 402 provided on the locking mechanism 40 may be moved upward. Also, in order to remove the tray part TR from the housing 1, an operation is performed to pull out the tray part TR by gripping a handle 6H provided on the tray holder 6, but by locating the lever portion 402 in the space inside the handle 6Ha and locating it in a position where the lever portion 402 can be operated upward while gripping the handle 6H, an operation to pull out the tray part TR and an operation to set it to the unlocked state can be performed at the same time.

[0074] Note that the movable direction of the lever portion 402 may be not only upward, but also downward. In other words, when the arrangement of the detector 41 and the locking mechanism 40 is upside down compared to this embodiment, the movable direction of the locking mechanism 40 in the unlocked state is downward, and therefore the movable direction of the lever portion 402 is also downward. In this case, by providing a spring structure (not shown) that restricts the locking mechanism 40 to the upward direction, the locking mechanism 40 maintains the locked state by the elastic force of the spring, while applying a downward force to the lever portion 402 to compress the spring to unlock the locking mechanism.

[0075] 16, the lever portion 402 may be shaped so that the length in the front-rear direction is secured to the vicinity of the center in the space inside the handle 6Ha. In other words, when pulling out the tray part TR, it is easier to pull it out by grasping the vicinity of the center of the handle 6H, but even in that case, the lever portion 402 can be easily operated.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 18, the humidifier 100 further includes a detector DP for detecting the rotational position of the humidifier 3, and an interlocking unit 32 that interlocks with the second shaft unit 31L. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the relationship between the detector DP and the humidifier 3. Here, the second shaft unit 31L is formed with a pair of protrusions 31La that protrude in the radial direction centered on the axis line AX. When the humidifier 3 is in the first rotational position Rp1 and is oriented vertically, the pair of protrusions 31La is also oriented vertically. On the other hand, when the humidifier 3 is in the second rotational position Rp2 and is oriented horizontally, the pair of protrusions 31La is also oriented horizontally.

[0077] The interlocking part 32 is a lever-shaped member provided in the casing 10 and rotatable about the axis CX. The axis CX is parallel to the axis AX. The interlocking part 32 faces the second shaft part 31L in the up-down direction when the first shaft part 31R is supported by the partition plate 81, the second shaft part 31L is supported by the tray holder 6, and the tray part TR is attached to the housing 1. When the interlocking part 32 is pushed upward by one of the pair of protrusions 31La of the second shaft part 31L, it moves upward along an arc centered on the axis CX. In other words, the interlocking part 32 and the protrusion 31La function as a cam mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the second shaft part 31L about the axis AX into a rotational motion about the axis CX.

[0078] When the humidifier 3 is in the first rotation position Rp1 and the pair of protrusions 31La of the second shaft 31L is vertical, the interlocking part 32 is pushed upward by one of the protrusions 31La, turning on the detection part DP. The detection part DP is composed of, for example, a microswitch, and outputs a signal indicating the detection result to the control part 9.

[0079] On the other hand, when the humidifier 3 is in the second rotation position Rp2 and the pair of protrusions 31La of the second shaft 31L are oriented horizontally, the interlocking part 32 is not pressed by the protrusions 31La and does not turn on the detection part DP. Also, when the humidifier 3 is in a state between the second rotation position Rp2 and the first rotation position Rp1, the interlocking part 32 is not pressed by the protrusions 31La and the detection part DP is not turned on, or even if the interlocking part 32 is pressed by the protrusions 31La, the interlocking part 32 does not come into contact with the detection part DP sufficiently to turn on the switch of the detection part DP. Therefore, when the humidifier 3 is in a rotation position other than the first rotation position Rp1, the detection part DP is in the off state.

[0080] Here, as described above, the humidifier 3 can be rotated about the axis AX when (i) the first shaft 31R is supported by the partition plate 81 (bearing 8R) and the second shaft 31L is supported by the tray holder 6 (bearing 6L), and (ii) the tray part TR is attached to the housing 1. Therefore, when the rotational position of the humidifier 3 is not detected within a predetermined period as described below, it can be regarded as a state in which the partition structure 8, i.e., the partition plate 81, is not attached to the tray part TR. In other words, it can be said that the detector DP is configured to not only detect the rotational position of the humidifier 3, but also indirectly detect the attachment / detachment state of the partition plate 81 with respect to the tray part TR when the tray part TR is attached to the housing 1.

[0081] The control unit 9 can switch the operation mode of the humidifier 100 between a humidification operation mode in which humidified air is sent out of the housing 1 and a drying operation mode for drying the humidifier unit 3. When the control unit 9 receives an instruction to start the drying operation mode by a user operation, it executes the drying operation process shown in Fig. 19. Note that the drying operation process is performed on the premise that there is no water in the tray 5. Therefore, the control unit 9 may start the drying operation process on the condition that it has determined that there is no water in the tray 5 based on the detection signal output by the magnetic sensor S.

[0082] (Drying operation process) First, the control unit 9 drives the fan 2 to perform a drying operation to send air to the humidifying unit 3 (step S101). At this time, the control unit 9 also drives the heater H to send hot air to the humidifying unit 3.

[0083] Next, the control unit 9 rotates the turn motor to rotate the humidifying unit 3 around the axis line AX (step S102).

[0084] Next, the control unit 9 determines whether the detection unit DP is turned on within a predetermined period of time (step S103). In the drying operation process, in order to secure the ventilation area of ​​the humidifying unit 3, the humidifying unit 3 is controlled to be vertical, that is, to the first rotation position Rp1. Step S103 is a determination process for this control. The predetermined period is predetermined as a period sufficient to rotate the humidifying unit 3 from the second rotation position Rp2 to the first rotation position Rp1 even if the humidifying unit 3 is in the second rotation position Rp2. Therefore, the length of the predetermined period is arbitrary, but a period of 30 seconds, for example, is set.

[0085] If the detection unit DP is turned on within a predetermined period in step S103 (step S103; Yes), it can be considered that the partition plate 81 is attached to the tray unit TR. In this case, when the detection unit DP is turned on, the control unit 9 stops the rotation of the turn motor, controls the humidifier unit 3 to the first rotation position Rp1, and causes the ultraviolet irradiator 4 to irradiate ultraviolet rays U (step S104). After the result in step S103 is Yes, the control unit 9 switches the humidifier unit 3 from one of the first state and the second state to the other at a predetermined cycle so that both the first surface 3a and the second surface 3b are dried evenly.

[0086] Next, the control unit 9 determines whether or not a stop condition for the drying operation is satisfied (step S105). This stop condition is satisfied when a specified time has elapsed since the start of the drying operation, or when the control unit 9 receives an instruction to stop the drying operation mode by a user operation. If the stop condition is not satisfied (step S105; No), the control unit 9 continues the drying operation and ultraviolet irradiation. On the other hand, if the stop condition is satisfied (step S105; Yes), the control unit 9 stops the drying operation and ultraviolet irradiation (step S106) and ends the drying operation process.

[0087] If the detection unit DP is not turned on within a predetermined period in step S103 (step S103; No), this means that the turn motor continues to rotate in the absence of the second shaft unit 31L that should be present. Therefore, this state can be regarded as a state in which the partition plate 81 is not attached to the tray unit TR. If the ultraviolet ray U is irradiated in the absence of the partition plate 81, there is a risk that the ultraviolet ray U will leak out of the housing 1. Therefore, in this case, the control unit 9 does not allow the ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 4 to irradiate the ultraviolet ray U, and issues an error notification (step S107). For example, the error notification may be executed by causing an image display unit to display an error or by turning on a warning light as a configuration (not shown) provided in the humidifier 100. Next, the control unit 9 stops the drying operation (step S108) and ends the drying operation process. The above is the drying operation process.

[0088] As the detector DP according to the modified example, a configuration may be adopted that directly detects the attachment / detachment state of the partition plate 81 with respect to the tray part TR when the tray part TR is attached to the housing 1. The detection unit DP according to this modified example may be a mechanical switch that is pressed and turned on by an arbitrary part of the partition structure unit 8 when the tray part TR with the partition structure unit 8 attached is attached to the housing 1, or an optical or magnetic switch that detects that an arbitrary part of the partition structure unit 8 is in a specified position. The detection unit DP according to the modified example may also be provided in the casing 10.

[0089] In addition, regardless of whether the detector DP directly or indirectly detects the attachment / detachment state of the partition plate 81, the drying operation process shown in Fig. 19 may be changed so that the drying operation is performed for the first time immediately after step S103 becomes Yes. In this case, the processes of steps S101 and S108 are not necessary.

[0090] (Sterilization process during humidification operation) The following describes the sterilization process during humidification operation executed by the control unit 9. When the control unit 9 receives an instruction to start the humidification operation mode by a user operation, the control unit 9 drives the fan 2 and executes the sterilization process during humidification operation.

[0091] The control unit 9 executes the sterilization process during humidification operation at regular intervals T (i.e., at a predetermined cycle). Fig. 20 shows a sequence of the sterilization process during humidification operation for two cycles (i.e., for a period of 2T). Fig. 21 shows a flowchart of the sterilization process during humidification operation for one cycle (i.e., for a period of 1T).

[0092] 20, the fixed period T is composed of a first half Tf and a second half Ts, each of which is half the length of the fixed period T (Tf=Ts=1 / 2T). At the timing when the first half Tf switches to the second half Ts, the control unit 9 rotates the humidifying unit 3 by 180°, and switches the humidifying unit 3 from the first mode to the second mode.

[0093] The first half Tf is composed of a first stop period K1 during which the ultraviolet ray U is not irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 4, and a first irradiation period T1 following the first stop period K1. The first irradiation period T1 is a period during which the humidifier 3 is controlled to the first mode, and the ultraviolet ray U is irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 4. In other words, the first irradiation period T1 is a period during which the ultraviolet ray U is irradiated toward the first surface 3a, but the ultraviolet ray U is not irradiated toward the second surface 3b.

[0094] The second half Ts is composed of a second irradiation period T2 and a second stop period K2 following the second irradiation period T2, during which ultraviolet rays U are not irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4. The second irradiation period T2 is a period during which the humidifier 3 is controlled to the second mode, and ultraviolet rays U are irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiating unit 4. In other words, the second irradiation period T2 is a period during which ultraviolet rays U are irradiated toward the second surface 3b, but ultraviolet rays U are not irradiated toward the first surface 3a.

[0095] Here, the length of each period constituting the fixed period T according to this embodiment will be summarized. The first irradiation period T1 is twice as long as the first stop period K1 (T1=2×K1). The second irradiation period T2 is twice as long as the second stop period K2 (T2=2×K2). The lengths of the first stop period K1 and the second stop period K2 are equal (K1=K2). The lengths of the first irradiation period T1 and the second irradiation period T2 are equal (T1=T2).

[0096] From the above relationship, if we take a certain period T as the base period, the length of each period is K1 = K2 = 1 / 6T, and T1 = T2 = 2 / 6T = 1 / 3T.

[0097] Here, consider irradiation and non-irradiation of the first surface 3a with ultraviolet rays U. When the sterilization process during humidification operation is repeatedly performed at regular intervals T, the period between a certain first irradiation period T1 and the next first irradiation period T1 (i.e., the period between adjacent first irradiation periods T1 on the time axis) is a first non-irradiation period N1 in which the first surface 3a is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays U. The first non-irradiation period N1 is composed of a second irradiation period T2, a second stop period K2, and a first stop period K1, which are successive in chronological order. As can be seen from the length of each period described above, the first non-irradiation period N1 in which the first surface 3a is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays U is longer than the first irradiation period T1 in which the first surface 3a is irradiated with ultraviolet rays U.

[0098] Similarly, consider irradiation and non-irradiation of the second surface 3b with ultraviolet rays U. When the sterilization process during humidification operation is repeatedly performed at regular intervals T, the period between a certain second irradiation period T2 and the next second irradiation period T2 (i.e., the period between adjacent second irradiation periods T2 on the time axis) is a second non-irradiation period N2 in which the second surface 3b is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays U. The second non-irradiation period N2 is composed of a second stop period K2, a first stop period K1, and a first irradiation period T1, which are successive in chronological order. As can be seen from the length of each period described above, the second non-irradiation period N2 in which the second surface 3b is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays U is longer than the second irradiation period T2 in which the second surface 3b is irradiated with ultraviolet rays U.

[0099] Furthermore, in this embodiment, specifically, the fixed period T is 90 minutes, the first irradiation period T1 and the second irradiation period T2 are each 30 minutes, and the first non-irradiation period N1 and the second non-irradiation period N2 are each 60 minutes. For the other periods, K1=K2=15 (minutes), and Tf=Ts=45 (minutes) from the above-mentioned relationship.

[0100] Here, the reason why the length of the period for irradiating one of the first surface 3a and the second surface 3b of the humidifying unit 3 with ultraviolet light U is set to 30 minutes will be described. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the ultraviolet light irradiation time and the sterilization effect. Specifically, FIG. 22 is a graph showing data obtained by measuring the attenuation of bacteria attached to a filter material using coliform bacteria, which are also used in standards for water pollution. This graph shows the change over time in the attenuation of bacteria when UV-C is continuously irradiated onto the filter material to be sterilized for 30 minutes and then the irradiation is stopped. As can be seen from this graph, the attenuation of bacteria begins to saturate about 30 minutes after the start of UV-C irradiation. In other words, even if ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the target to be sterilized for more than 30 minutes, it is difficult to further attenuate the bacteria, and it can be assumed that there is a limit to the sterilization effect. In addition, Escherichia coli, a representative coliform bacterium, is said to divide into two in about 20 minutes when favorable conditions for bacterial growth are met. Based on the amount of bacteria after UV-C irradiation was stopped (dotted line in the graph), it is possible that the amount of bacteria will regrow to the amount before UV-C irradiation more than 50 minutes after irradiation was stopped.

[0101] From the above considerations, the first irradiation period T1 and the second irradiation period T2 are each set to "30 minutes", and the first non-irradiation period N1 and the second non-irradiation period N2 are each set to "60 minutes". In addition, by setting the first half Tf and the second half Ts as "45 minutes" as the period during which the humidifier 3 is switched from one of the first mode and the second mode to the other, a regular sequence can be constructed as shown in FIG. 20.

[0102] The sterilization process during humidification operation will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 21. It is assumed that, at the start of the sterilization process during humidification operation, the humidifier 3 is controlled to the first mode and the ultraviolet irradiator 4 is not driven.

[0103] First, the control unit 9 determines whether or not the first stop period K1 has elapsed since the start of the sterilization process during humidification operation (step 201). If the first stop period K1 has not elapsed (step S201; No), the control unit 9 waits until the first stop period K1 has elapsed, and when the first stop period K1 has elapsed (step S201; Yes), the control unit 9 causes the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 to irradiate the ultraviolet ray U (step S202). Next, the control unit 9 determines whether or not the first irradiation period T1 has elapsed since the start of irradiation of the ultraviolet ray U (step 203). If the first irradiation period T1 has not elapsed (step S203; No), the control unit 9 waits until the first irradiation period T1 has elapsed, and when the first irradiation period T1 has elapsed (step S203; Yes), the control unit 9 switches the humidification unit 3 from the first mode to the second mode, that is, switches the irradiated surface of the humidification unit 3 (step S204). This corresponds to the first half Tf.

[0104] In the subsequent latter half Ts, the control unit 9 determines whether or not the second irradiation period T2 has elapsed since the start of the latter half Ts (step S205). If the second irradiation period T2 has not elapsed (step S205; No), the control unit 9 waits until the second irradiation period T2 has elapsed, and when the second irradiation period T2 has elapsed (step S205; Yes), the control unit 9 stops the irradiation of the ultraviolet ray U by the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 4 (step S206). Then, the control unit 9 determines whether or not the second stop period K2 has elapsed since the irradiation of the ultraviolet ray U was stopped (step 207). If the second stop period K2 has not elapsed (step S207; No), the control unit 9 waits until the second stop period K2 has elapsed, and when the second stop period K2 has elapsed (step S207; Yes), the control unit 9 switches the humidification unit 3 from the second mode to the first mode, that is, switches the irradiated surface of the humidification unit 3 (step S208). The above is the sterilization process during the humidification operation for a certain period T. The control unit 9 repeatedly executes the sterilization process during humidification operation at fixed intervals T, for example, until an operation stop instruction is received through a user operation.

[0105] In addition, each of the first irradiation period T1 and the second irradiation period T2 is not limited to 30 minutes, and can be changed in the range of, for example, 20 minutes to 40 minutes (20 minutes or more and 40 minutes or less) considering the graph of FIG. 22. In addition, a sterilization process similar to the sterilization process during humidification operation may be performed in the above-mentioned drying operation process. In this case, for example, after step S103 in FIG. 19 becomes Yes, the control unit 9 may execute the sterilization process. In addition, in the above, an example in which the humidification unit 3 is rotated is shown, but as a modified example, the humidification unit 3 may be placed vertically with respect to the tray unit TR in the first mode. In this modified example, the sterilization process during humidification operation may be considered only in the sequence corresponding to the first surface in FIG. 20. In addition, the first non-irradiation period N1 in the above embodiment includes the second irradiation period T2 in which the ultraviolet ray U is irradiated, but the first non-irradiation period N1 in this modified example may be a period in which the ultraviolet ray U is not irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 4.

[0106] The humidifier 100 described above can be described from the following viewpoints A to G.

[0107] (Perspective A) Viewpoint A has a main object to provide a humidifier capable of suppressing deterioration of the tray.

[0108] (A1) A humidifier (100) according to aspect A is A housing (1), A humidifying unit (3) located inside the housing and generating humidified air; an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit (4) that irradiates ultraviolet rays into the inside of the housing; a tray (5) located inside the housing for storing water for generating the humidified air; The tray is formed from stainless steel. According to this configuration, since the tray is made of stainless steel, deterioration of the tray can be suppressed even if it is exposed to ultraviolet rays.

[0109] (A2) The humidifier according to A1 further includes a tray holder (6) that is inserted through an insertion opening (1a) provided in the housing and on which the tray is placed, The tray is detachable from the tray holder, The tray holder is detachable from the housing. This configuration makes it easy to clean the tray and the tray holder.

[0110] (A3) The humidifier according to A2, The tray holder has a standing wall portion (61) that supports an edge portion (50) of the tray, The edge portion of the tray has a supported portion (50a) that abuts against the vertical wall portion and is supported by the vertical wall portion when the tray is placed on the tray holder, and an extending portion (50b) that is connected to the supported portion and follows the outer surface of the vertical wall portion. According to this configuration, the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder can be improved. Specifically, by providing a lining portion on the edge of the tray, the flatness of the supported portion can be ensured, and the degree of adhesion between the vertical wall portion of the tray holder and the supported portion of the tray can be increased. This makes it possible to improve the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder. If the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder is improved, it is possible to prevent a part of the air passing through the flow path W shown in FIG. 1 from entering between the tray and the tray holder, or to prevent air from being sucked in from the outside. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the blowing performance of humidified air.

[0111] (Perspective B) Viewpoint B has a main object to provide a humidifier capable of suppressing the complexity of the tray shape.

[0112] (B1) The humidifier (100) according to aspect B is A humidifying section (3) that generates humidified air; A tray (5) for storing water for generating the humidified air; a water supply tank (7) located above the tray for storing water to be supplied to the tray; a pin-shaped portion (80a) located below a valve mechanism (72) of the water supply tank and protruding toward the valve mechanism, the water supply tank is capable of supplying water to the tray when the valve mechanism is pressed by the pin-shaped portion, The pin-shaped portion is separate from the tray. According to this configuration, since it is not necessary to provide the pin-shaped portion on the tray, the tray shape can be prevented from becoming complicated. As a result, the tray can be configured with a simple shape, and the tray can be easily cleaned.

[0113] (B2) The humidifier according to B1 further comprises a tray holder (6) on which the tray is placed, The tray holder is provided with openings (6a, 6b) through which a part of the lower surface of the tray is exposed. According to this configuration, the tray can be easily removed from the tray holder by pushing up the lower surface of the tray through the opening.

[0114] (B3) In the humidifier according to B2, The openings are provided in two spaces in a first direction (front-rear direction), The tray holder has a receiving portion (601) between the two openings, The tray has a bottom plate portion (51a) facing the receiving pan portion, The tray portion has a bar (601a) protruding toward the bottom plate portion at one end and the other end in the first direction, The crosspiece is provided to extend in a second direction (left-right direction) intersecting the first direction. With this configuration, when condensation occurs on the underside of the tray, the dripping water can be collected in the drip pan.

[0115] (B4) In the humidifier according to B3, When the tray is placed on the tray holder, a gap is generated between the crosspiece and the bottom plate portion. This configuration allows water droplets on the underside of the tray to easily pass through toward the receiving tray.

[0116] (B5) In the humidifier according to any one of B2 to B4, The tray holder has a standing wall portion (61) that supports an edge portion (50) of the tray, The edge portion of the tray has a supported portion (50a) that abuts against the vertical wall portion and is supported by the vertical wall portion when the tray is placed on the tray holder, and an extending portion (50b) that is connected to the supported portion and follows the outer surface of the vertical wall portion. According to this configuration, the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder can be improved. Specifically, by providing a lining portion on the edge of the tray, the flatness of the supported portion can be ensured, and the degree of adhesion between the vertical wall portion of the tray holder and the supported portion of the tray can be increased. This makes it possible to improve the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder. If the airtightness between the tray and the tray holder is improved, it is possible to prevent a part of the air passing through the flow path W shown in FIG. 1 from entering between the tray and the tray holder, or to prevent air from being sucked in from the outside. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the blowing performance of humidified air.

[0117] (Perspective C) Viewpoint C has a main object to provide a humidifier capable of preventing unintentional water supply from a water supply tank.

[0118] (C1) A humidifier (100) according to point C, A humidifying section (3) that generates humidified air; A tray (5) for storing water for generating the humidified air; A tray holder (6) on which the tray is placed; a water supply tank (7) located above the tray for storing water to be supplied to the tray; a receiving member (80) for receiving the water supply tank, the receiving member (80) having a pin-shaped portion (80a) projecting toward a valve mechanism (72) of the water supply tank; The receiving member is detachable from the tray, the water supply tank is capable of supplying water to the tray when the valve mechanism is pressed by the pin-shaped portion, The tray holder has a standing wall portion (61) that supports an edge portion (50) of the tray, A notch (61a) is formed in a portion of the upright wall portion, a mating portion (81b) that can be mated with the notch is provided integrally with the receiving member at a position that faces the notch in the up-down direction when the receiving member is attached to the tray, In a tray-present state in which the tray is placed on the tray holder, the notch is covered by the edge of the tray and does not engage with the engageable portion, and the water supply tank is received by the receiving member and the valve mechanism is pressed against the pin-shaped portion, In a tray-less state where the tray is removed from the tray holder, the engageable portion engages with the notch, and the receiving member and the pin-shaped portion are lowered below when the tray is present, thereby causing the pin-shaped portion to move away from the valve mechanism. With this configuration, even if the user forgets to attach the tray to the tray holder and attaches the tray holder with the receiving member placed on it to the housing, it is possible to prevent water from flowing out of the water supply tank into the tray holder, i.e., it is possible to prevent unintended water supply from the water supply tank.

[0119] (C2) In the humidifier according to C1, The water supply tank has an opposing portion (70a) that faces the standing wall portion in the up-down direction, In the tray-less state, the facing portion is supported by the standing wall portion of the tray holder. With this configuration, the water tank can be stably supported even without the tray.

[0120] (C3) In the humidifier according to C1 or C2, The tray holder has a base portion (602) that comes into contact with a portion of the tray that faces the receiving member when the tray is present, and a low floor portion (603) that is located lower than the base portion, The receiving member has legs (80b) that are supported by the tray when the tray is present, In the tray-less state, the legs are supported on the low floor portion. According to this configuration, the partition structure can be stably supported in both a tray-present state and a tray-absent state.

[0121] (C4) The humidifier according to C3, The tray holder further has a rib (604) that comes into contact with a portion of the tray that does not face the receiving member when the tray is present; In the tray-free state, the legs are supported on the low floor between the base and the ribs. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the load of the water supply tank from concentrating locally on the tray, and to prevent the tray from being deformed.

[0122] (C5) The humidifier according to any one of C1 to C4, a partition plate (81) that separates the humidifying section from the water tank and is formed integrally with the receiving member, The engageable portion is a part of the partition plate. According to this configuration, a part of the partition plate can be used as a mechanism for preventing unintentional water supply from the water supply tank, thereby preventing an increase in the number of parts or a complicated structure.

[0123] (Perspective D) Viewpoint D has a main object to provide a humidifier capable of suppressing variations in water level detection while suppressing the complexity of the tray shape.

[0124] (D1) A humidifier (100) according to aspect D is A humidifying section (3) that generates humidified air; A tray (5) for storing water for generating the humidified air; a water supply tank (7) located above the tray for storing water to be supplied to the tray; a receiving member (80) for receiving the water supply tank, the receiving member (80) having a pin-shaped portion (80a) protruding toward a valve mechanism (72) of the water supply tank; a partition plate (81) separating the humidifying section from the water tank; a float support portion (82) for supporting a water level detection float (83) that floats on the water stored in the tray so that the float can be displaced in response to the displacement of the water, the water supply tank is capable of supplying water to the tray when the valve mechanism is pressed by the pin-shaped portion, The receiving member, the partition plate and the float support portion are integral with each other. According to this configuration, since it is not necessary to provide a receiving member having a pin-shaped portion on the tray, the tray shape can be prevented from becoming complicated. As a result, the tray can be configured with a simple shape, and the tray can be easily cleaned. Furthermore, according to this configuration, since the partition plate, the portion that receives the water supply tank, and the portion that supports the water level detection float are integrated, individual differences in each portion and assembly errors are reduced, and variations in the water level height and water level detection can be suppressed. Here, if the receiving member is configured as a separate part, an assembly error in the height direction will occur, and the height of the water supply tank (more specifically, the height of the tank cap) that is the object to be received will also vary, and the water level height will not be stable. However, by integrating the receiving member with the partition plate or the like as described above, variations in the water level height can be suppressed.

[0125] (D2) In the humidifier according to D1, The partition plate has a support portion (bearing 8R) that supports the humidifying portion. With this configuration, the position of the humidifying section relative to the tray can be specified as the position relative to the partition plate, which can more effectively suppress variation in water level detection. In addition, the support section can suppress individual differences in the depth to which the humidifying section is submerged in water, which in turn suppresses variation in the amount of humidification by the humidifier. This is because when the submersion depth of the humidifying section differs due to individual differences, the amount of water that is absorbed and moistened differs, and the amount of humidification that evaporates also differs.

[0126] (Perspective E) Viewpoint E has a main object to provide a humidifier that can prevent damage to components when the tray portion is attached to the housing, while preventing leakage of ultraviolet rays to the outside of the housing.

[0127] (E1) A humidifier (100) according to a first aspect of the aspect E, A housing (1), A humidifying unit (3) located inside the housing and generating humidified air; a tray portion (TR) having a tray (5) for storing water for generating the humidified air and being horizontally detachable from the housing; An ultraviolet ray irradiation unit (4) that irradiates ultraviolet rays to the humidifying unit, A control unit (9) for controlling the operation of the humidifier; a lock mechanism (40) supported by the tray portion and movable in the vertical direction; a detector (41) that detects the attached / detached state of the tray unit and outputs the detected state as an attached state signal or an unattached state signal to the control unit, the locking mechanism is configured to move in one direction in a vertical direction to enter a locked state in which movement of the tray portion in an attached state is restricted, and to move in the other direction in a vertical direction to enter an unlocked state in which the locked state is released, the detector outputs an attached state signal in response to the lock mechanism being in the locked state, or outputs an unattached state signal in response to the lock mechanism being in the unlocked state, The control unit inhibits the operation of the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit when the mounting state signal is not input from the detector or when the non-mounting state signal is input. This configuration can prevent damage caused by the lock mechanism 40 coming into contact with the detector 41, and can also prevent ultraviolet light from leaking outside the housing, ensuring the safety of the user.

[0128] (E2) A humidifier (100) according to a second aspect of the aspect E, A housing (1), A humidifying unit (3) located inside the housing and generating humidified air; a tray portion (TR) having a tray (5) for storing water for generating the humidified air and being horizontally detachable from the housing; an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit (4) that irradiates ultraviolet rays to the humidification unit; A drive circuit (DR) that supplies a drive current to the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit; a lock mechanism (40) supported by the tray portion and movable in the vertical direction; a switch (SW) connected in series to the ultraviolet irradiation unit and the drive circuit, which allows a drive current to be supplied to the ultraviolet irradiation unit when in an on state and cuts off the drive current to the ultraviolet irradiation unit when in an off state; the locking mechanism is configured to move in one direction in a vertical direction to enter a locked state in which movement of the tray portion in an attached state is restricted, and to move in the other direction in a vertical direction to enter an unlocked state in which the locked state is released, The switch is turned on when the lock mechanism is brought into the locked state, and is turned off when the lock mechanism is brought into the unlocked state. According to this configuration, even if an unintended instruction to irradiate ultraviolet light U occurs due to a malfunction of the control unit, irradiation of ultraviolet light U is reliably prevented when the tray part TR is not attached to the housing 1, thereby ensuring the safety of the user.

[0129] (E3) The humidifier according to E1 or E2, The locking mechanism has a bar (401), and is brought into the locked state by fitting the bar into a hole (43) provided in the housing. According to this configuration, the locking mechanism can be reliably put into the locked state with a simple structure.

[0130] (E4) The humidifier according to E3, The lock mechanism has a lever portion (402), and the lock is released by moving the lever portion in one direction, up or down. According to this configuration, the locking mechanism can be easily moved.

[0131] (E5) The humidifier according to E4, The tray portion is provided with a handle (6H) for pulling out the tray portion from the housing, The lever portion is provided at a position where it can be operated while gripping the handle. According to this configuration, the operation of unlocking the tray unit can be performed at the same time as the operation of pulling out the tray unit, using a simple mechanical structure.

[0132] (Point of View F) Viewpoint F has a main object to provide a humidifier capable of keeping the air blown outside cleaner.

[0133] (F1) A humidifier (100) according to aspect F, A humidifying section (3) that generates humidified air; A housing having an inlet (P1) for drawing in outside air and an outlet (P2) for blowing out the humidified air; a fan (2) for blowing air through a flow path (W) from the suction port through the humidifier to the air outlet; an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit (4) that irradiates ultraviolet rays to the humidifying unit, The ultraviolet irradiating section is provided inside the housing, in the flow path between the humidifying section and the air outlet. According to this configuration, not only the humidifier but also the humidified air flowing from the humidifier to the air outlet can be sterilized with ultraviolet light, thereby keeping the air blown out to the outside cleaner.

[0134] (F2) In the humidifier according to F1, The humidification unit includes: a frame (31) that holds the humidifying filter (30) and that forms a filter exposed portion (30a) where the humidifying filter is exposed, and is driven to rotate about an axis (AX); The filter can be stopped at a first rotational position (Rp1) in which the filter exposed portion faces a predetermined direction and at a second rotational position (Rp2) different from the first rotational position, The ultraviolet irradiating section is provided in a direction in which the filter exposed section faces when the humidifying section is in an intermediate position (Rp3) between the first rotation position and the second rotation position. According to this configuration, the relative positions of the ultraviolet irradiating portion and the filter exposed portion can be kept constant, and fluctuations in the irradiation range of ultraviolet light on the humidifying filter can be suppressed.

[0135] (F3) The humidifier according to F2, In the first rotation position, the filter exposure portion faces a horizontal direction, In the second rotational position, the filter exposed portion faces vertically. This configuration simplifies the control of the position at which the humidifier is stopped. In addition, the angle between the first rotation position and the second rotation position is 90°, which further reduces fluctuations in the UV irradiation range, allowing for good UV irradiation at both the first and second rotation positions.

[0136] (F4) The humidifier according to F2 or F3, The humidifying filter is accordion-folded, The humidifying section is driven to rotate along the folds of the humidifying filter. According to this configuration, regardless of the position of the humidifying section relative to the ultraviolet irradiating section, ultraviolet rays can be irradiated up to the gaps (valleys) between the folds of the humidifying filter, and the humidifying filter can be sterilized satisfactorily.

[0137] (F5) In the humidifier according to any one of F1 to F4, The housing includes a casing (10) that houses the fan and an exterior panel (front panel 1F) that covers the casing, The ultraviolet irradiation unit is attached to a beam portion (14) that is fixed to the casing and gives the casing a beam structure, The beam portion supports the exterior panel from behind. This configuration can reduce distortion of the exterior panel that occurs during assembly, etc.

[0138] (Perspective G) Viewpoint G has a main object to provide a humidifier that can effectively sterilize the humidifying section while suppressing deterioration of the portion exposed to ultraviolet rays.

[0139] (G1) A humidifier (100) according to aspect G is A humidifying section (3) that generates humidified air; an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit (4) that irradiates ultraviolet rays to the humidification unit; A humidifier comprising: a control unit (9) that controls the operation of the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit, The humidifying section has a first surface (3a) and a second surface (3b) which are opposite surfaces to each other, When the control unit receives an instruction to start operation of the humidifier, the control unit executes a sterilization process at regular intervals (T); the certain period includes a first irradiation period (T1) during which the ultraviolet light is irradiated toward the first surface, A period between adjacent first irradiation periods on a time axis is a first non-irradiation period (N1) during which the ultraviolet light is not irradiated toward the first surface, The first non-irradiation period is longer than the first irradiation period. According to this configuration, a necessary and sufficient period can be set as the first irradiation period, and a first non-irradiation period longer than this period is set, so that the humidifying section can be effectively sterilized while suppressing deterioration of the part exposed to ultraviolet rays.

[0140] (G2) In the humidifier according to G1, The humidification unit is rotated around an axis (AX) under the control of the control unit, The control unit is The humidifying unit is rotated 180° at a timing when the fixed period is switched from the first half (Tf) to the second half (Ts) so that the first surface faces the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit in the first half (Tf) of the fixed period and the second surface faces the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit in the second half (Ts) of the fixed period; the first half includes the first irradiation period in which the ultraviolet light is irradiated toward the first surface while the ultraviolet light is not irradiated toward the second surface, the latter half is a period following the first irradiation period and includes a second irradiation period (T2) in which the ultraviolet light is irradiated toward the second surface, A period between adjacent second irradiation periods on a time axis is a second non-irradiation period (N2) in which the ultraviolet light is not irradiated toward the second surface, The second non-irradiation period is longer than the second irradiation period. This configuration allows both sides of the humidifier to be effectively sterilized while suppressing deterioration of the areas hit by ultraviolet light. In addition, the humidifier is rotated at the timing when the first half switches to the second half, and ultraviolet light can be continuously irradiated during the first and second irradiation periods that sandwich this timing, so that ultraviolet light can be applied to areas of the humidifier other than the first and second faces for sterilization.

[0141] (G3) The humidifier according to G2, The first half is composed of a first stop period (K1) during which the ultraviolet ray is not irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit, and the first irradiation period following the first stop period, The latter half is made up of the second irradiation period and a second stop period (K2) following the second irradiation period during which the ultraviolet ray is not irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit. According to this configuration, an idling period immediately after the start of operation of the humidifier can be secured during the first stop period, and the sterilization process sequence can be made regular, thereby reducing the control burden.

[0142] (G4) The humidifier according to G3, the first stop period and the second stop period have the same length, The first irradiation period and the second irradiation period have the same length. According to this configuration, the sterilization processing sequence can be made more regular, and the control burden can be reduced.

[0143] (G5) In the humidifier according to G3 or G4, the first irradiation period is twice as long as the first stop period; The second illumination period is twice as long as the second off period. According to this configuration, the sterilization processing sequence can be made more regular, and the control burden can be reduced.

[0144] (G6) In the humidifier according to any one of G2 to G5, The length of each of the first irradiation period and the second irradiation period is 20 minutes to 40 minutes. With this configuration, the humidifying section can be effectively sterilized.

[0145] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, modified example, and drawings. It is possible to make appropriate modifications (including deletion of components) within the scope of the present invention. For example, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 4 may be any one that emits light in the ultraviolet region, and is not limited to one that emits deep ultraviolet light (UV-C). In addition, the humidification unit 3 is not limited to a configuration that can rotate with respect to the housing 1. The humidification unit 3 may be one that does not rotate with respect to the housing 1 and is installed above the tray 5. In this case, instead of the bearing 8R provided on the partition plate 81, a support part of any shape that supports a part of the humidification unit 3 may be provided. It is preferable that this support part determines the relative position of the humidification unit 3 with respect to the tray 5. In addition, the engageable part 81b is not limited to an example that is a part of the partition plate 81, and may be a configuration that is formed integrally with at least the receiving member 80.

[0146] In the above description, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, descriptions of well-known technical matters have been omitted as appropriate.

[0147] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 100...humidifier, W...flow path 1. Housing 1a...insertion port, P1...intake port, P2...outlet 1F: front panel, 1B: rear panel 1L…left panel, 1R…right panel, 1U…upper panel 10…Casing 10D…Bottom 11...Holder accommodation section 12...Side wall part, 12a...Communication hole 13... Fan housing, Q1... Intake port, Q2... Exhaust port 14...beam portion, 14a...module case 15...wall, 17...lid R3: Humidification unit housing chamber, R7: Tank housing chamber 2... Fan, 2a... Fan motor 3. Humidification section 3a...first surface, 3b...second surface 30...humidifying filter, 30a...filter exposed portion, 30b...folding direction 31...Frame body, 31R...First shaft part, 31L...Second shaft part, 31La...Protrusion part, AX...Axis line 32…Interlocking part, CX…Axis line Rp1: First rotation position, Rp2: Second rotation position, Rp3: Intermediate position 4…Ultraviolet ray irradiation section U...Ultraviolet rays 40...Lock mechanism 401…Bar 402…Lever section 41...detector, 41a...detection unit 42...Holding part 43...Hole SW…Switch TR…Tray section 5…Tray 50... Edge, 50a... Supported part, 50b... Alongside part 51...Main water tank part, 51a...Bottom plate part 52…Tank facing part 53...float water tank section, 53a...flat bottom section 6…Tray holder 6a, 6b...Opening, 6R...Holder panel, 6L...Bearing 60…Tray storage area 601... tray portion, 601a... crosspiece 602: base, 603: low floor, 604: rib 61...standing wall portion, 61a...notch 62... outer peripheral wall portion, 62a... partition plate guide 6H…Handle, 6Ha…Inside of handle 7. Water tank 70...tank body, 70a...opposing portion 71...tank cap, 71a...water inlet, 72...valve mechanism 8...Partition structure 8R…Bearing (support part) 80: receiving member, 80a: pin-shaped portion, 80b: leg portion 81…Partition 81a... water passage hole, 81b... matable portion, 81c... insertion rib 82…Float support 83...Float for detecting water level, M1...Magnet, BX...Axis 9...Control section S: Magnetic sensor, H: Heater DR: drive circuit, 90: power supply, 91: transistor, 92: resistor element T…certain period Tf: first half, K1: first stop period, T1: first irradiation period Ts: second half, T2: second irradiation period, K2: second stop period N1...first non-irradiation period, N2...second non-irradiation period

Claims

1. A housing and A humidifying unit that is located inside the housing and generates humidified air; a tray portion having a tray for storing water for generating the humidified air, the tray portion being detachable in a horizontal direction from the housing; A humidifier comprising: an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays to the humidifier unit, A control unit for controlling the operation of the humidifier; a lock mechanism supported by the tray portion and movable in a vertical direction; a detector that detects the attached / detached state of the tray unit and outputs a mounted state signal or a non-mounted state signal to the control unit, the locking mechanism is configured to move in one direction in a vertical direction to enter a locked state in which movement of the tray portion in an attached state is restricted, and to move in the other direction in a vertical direction to enter an unlocked state in which the locked state is released, the detector outputs an attached state signal in response to the lock mechanism being in the locked state, or outputs an unattached state signal in response to the lock mechanism being in the unlocked state, The control unit is configured to prohibit operation of the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit when an attachment state signal is not input from the detector or when a non-attachment state signal is input.

2. A housing and A humidifying unit that is located inside the housing and generates humidified air; a tray portion having a tray for storing water for generating the humidified air, the tray portion being detachable in a horizontal direction from the housing; an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays to the humidification unit; A drive circuit for supplying a drive current to the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit; a lock mechanism supported by the tray portion and movable in a vertical direction; a switch connected in series to the ultraviolet irradiation unit and the drive circuit, which allows a drive current to be supplied to the ultraviolet irradiation unit when in an on state and cuts off the drive current to the ultraviolet irradiation unit when in an off state; the locking mechanism is configured to move in one direction in a vertical direction to enter a locked state in which movement of the tray portion in an attached state is restricted, and to move in the other direction in a vertical direction to enter an unlocked state in which the locked state is released, The switch is turned on in response to the lock mechanism being turned to the locked state, The humidifier is characterized in that the lock mechanism is brought into the unlocked state and the off state is established in conjunction with the unlocked state.

3. 3. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism has a bar, and the locked state is achieved by fitting the bar into a hole provided in the housing.

4. 4. The humidifier according to claim 3, wherein the lock mechanism has a lever portion, and the lock release state is achieved by moving the lever portion in one direction, up or down.

5. The tray portion is provided with a handle for pulling out the tray portion from the housing, 5. The humidifier according to claim 4, wherein the lever portion is provided at a position where it can be operated while gripping the handle.

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