Air treatment device

Abstract

To provide an air treatment device capable of reducing adhesion of dust to an ozone generation section and protecting the ozone generation section.SOLUTION: A air treatment device 10 is equipped with a housing 11, a fan 61, an ozone generator 75, and a cover 96. The housing 11 has a processing unit that treats air, an intake port that communicates with the processing unit, and an exhaust port 17 that communicates with the processing unit. The fan 61 is arranged within the housing 11 and sucks outside air of the housing 11 into the processing unit from the intake port, discharging the air drawn into the processing unit out of the housing 11 through the exhaust port 17. The ozone generator 75 has an ozone generation section 77 that is arranged within the housing 11 between the fan 61 and the exhaust port 17. The cover 96 is positioned vertically overlapping the ozone generation section 77 between the ozone generation section 77 and the exhaust port 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present invention relate to an air treatment device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been an air treatment device that draws outside air into a housing using a fan, treats the air by irradiating it with ultraviolet light, deodorizing it using a photocatalyst, or releasing ozone from an ozone generator, and then exhausts the treated air to the outside.

[0003] In such an air treatment device, if the device has an exhaust port on the top side, when the fan is not rotating and the device is not in operation, dust may enter the housing through the exhaust port and adhere to the ozone generating unit of the ozone generator, causing a decrease in the ozone generating capacity. Also, if a foreign object falls from the exhaust port and hits the ozone generating unit, the ozone generating unit may be damaged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-99515 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an air treatment device capable of reducing adhesion of dust to an ozone generating section and protecting the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The air treatment device of the embodiment includes a housing, a fan, an ozone generator, and a cover. The housing has a treatment section that treats air, an intake port communicating with the treatment section, and an exhaust port communicating with the treatment section. The fan is disposed within the housing and draws air from outside the housing into the treatment section through the intake port, and exhausts the air drawn into the treatment section to the outside of the housing through the exhaust port. The ozone generator has an ozone generating section disposed within the housing between the fan and the exhaust port. The cover is disposed between the ozone generating section and the exhaust port in a position vertically overlapping the ozone generating section. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the embodiment, it is expected that the adhesion of dust to the ozone generating section can be reduced and the ozone generating section can be protected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an air treatment device according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the air treatment device with the front panel removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the air treatment unit of the air treatment device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the internal structure of the air treatment device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an ozone generator of the air treatment device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ozone generator seen from the inside of the air treatment device. [Figure 8] 2A and 2B show an ozone generating section of the air treatment device, in which FIG. 2A is a front view of the ozone generating section, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the ozone generating section. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a front view of an ozone generating section of an air treatment device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0010] The air treatment device in the following embodiment is a device that performs air treatment of any of sterilization, disinfection, sterilization, sterilization, deodorization, and deodorization by a predetermined method on the air flowing inside the air treatment device or the outside air. The air treatment of the air treatment device can be interpreted as any of sterilization, disinfection, sterilization, sterilization, deodorization, and deodorization. The predetermined method here is light irradiation, photocatalysis, ozone, and the like. Light irradiation refers to irradiation with light of wavelengths such as the UV-C region, UV-B region, UV-A region, visible light region, and infrared region. Photocatalysis refers to suppressing the activity of bacteria, viruses, and odor sources floating in the air, or decomposing them into water and carbon dioxide, by active enzymes and OH radicals generated by irradiating light (ultraviolet light or visible light) to a photocatalyst such as titanium oxide arranged inside the air treatment device. Ozone refers to oxidizing and deodorizing odor components in the air and odor components attached to the surface of an object.

[0011] 1 shows a perspective view of a free-standing air treatment device 10. The air treatment device 10 includes a housing 11 and leg members 12 that support the housing 11 in an upright position, for example, on a floor surface. The housing 11 is formed in a vertical shape that is wider in the left-right direction than it is deep in the front-rear direction, and is longer in the up-down direction than in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0012] The housing 11 comprises a main body 14 and a front panel 15 detachably disposed on the front side of the main body 14. An intake port 16 for drawing in outside air is provided on the lower side of the housing 11, and an exhaust port 17 for exhausting air inside the housing 11 to the outside is provided on the upper side. An operation panel 18 having an operation unit for operating the air processing device 10 and a display unit for displaying the operating state, etc. is provided on the upper surface of the main body 14 and in front of the exhaust port 17. The housing 11 may be formed as a quadrangular housing having a quadrangular tube shape (approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape) or a cylindrical housing having a cylindrical shape (approximately cylindrical shape).

[0013] The leg members 12 are placed on, for example, the floor surface and support the housing 11 in an upright position. The leg members 12 form a gap between the floor surface and the air intake port 16 on the underside of the housing 11, enabling air to be sucked in through the air intake port 16.

[0014] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 11 includes an outer housing 20 which is a resin housing forming an outer shell, and an inner housing 21 which is a metal housing covered by the outer housing 20 so as to be disposed within the outer housing 20.

[0015] The external housing 20 includes a pair of side panels 23 attached to the left and right sides of the internal housing 21, a back cover 24 attached to the back side of the internal housing 21, an upper cover 25 attached to the upper surface of the internal housing 21, and a front panel 15 detachably arranged to cover the front side of the internal housing 21. The side panels 23 on both sides, the back cover 24, the upper cover 25, and the internal housing 21 constitute a main body 14, and the front panel 15 is detachably attached to the front side of the main body 14. An operation panel 18 is disposed on the front side of the upper surface of the upper cover 25, and an exhaust port 17 is formed on the rear side of the upper surface. A louver 26 is disposed in the exhaust port 17 to rectify the direction of the exhaust air so that it is, for example, diagonally forward. The external housing 20 is a resin housing in which the front panel 15, the side panels 23, the back cover 24, and the upper cover 25 are all formed of a resin material.

[0016] 3 and 4 show the internal housing 21. The internal housing 21 includes a reflecting cylinder 28 that opens in the vertical direction, and a pair of side frames 29 attached to both the left and right sides of the reflecting cylinder 28. The reflecting cylinder 28 includes a front reflector 30, left and right side reflectors 31, and a rear reflector 32, and is formed in a rectangular cylinder shape with a wide width in the left and right direction. The side reflectors 31 and the rear reflector 32 on both sides are integrally formed by bending, and the front reflector 30 is separately attached to the front edge of the side frames 29 on both sides that are attached to the side reflectors 31 on both sides. The internal housing 21 is a metal housing in which the reflectors 30, 31, and 32 of the reflecting cylinder 28 and the side frames 29 are all made of metal materials. The reflecting cylinder 28 may have a structure in which the side reflectors 31 on both sides, the rear reflector 32, and the front reflector 30 are integrally formed by bending.

[0017] An intake side unit 34, which is a first unit disposed on the lower side of the internal housing 21, is attached between the lower ends of the side frames 29 on both sides at the lower side of the reflecting cylinder 28, and an exhaust side unit 35, which is a second unit disposed on the upper side of the internal housing 21, is attached between the upper ends of the side frames 29 on both sides at the upper side of the reflecting cylinder 28. A lower mounting part 36 for mounting the intake side unit 34 is provided at the lower end of each of the side frames 29, and an upper mounting part 37 for mounting the exhaust side unit 35 is provided at the upper end of each of the side frames 29. A power supply part 38, which is an AC / DC converter that converts commercial AC power into a predetermined DC power, and a control part 39 that controls each device provided in the air treatment device 10 are attached to the side frame 29 on one side, and a light source power supply part 40 is attached to the side frame 29 on the other side.

[0018] An air processing unit, which is a main unit, is configured by the inner housing 21, the intake side unit 34, the exhaust side unit 35, the power supply units 38, 40, and the control unit 39. The air processing unit is disposed inside the housing 11 (outer housing 20).

[0019] FIG. 5 shows the internal structure of the air treatment device 10.

[0020] The lower side of the internal housing 21 (reflecting tube 28) is connected to the intake port 16 on the lower side of the housing 11, and the upper side of the internal housing 21 (reflecting tube 28) is connected to the exhaust port 17 on the upper side of the housing 11. Inside the internal housing 21 (reflecting tube 28), a processing space 42 is formed in which air flows between the intake port 16 and the exhaust port 17. The processing space 42 includes a processing section 43 region through which air flows and which is irradiated with light in the ultraviolet region, a first processing opening 44 region on the intake port 16 side, and a second processing opening 45 region on the exhaust port 17 side. Air is sucked into the processing section 43 from the first processing opening 44, and the air is exhausted to the outside of the processing section 43 from the second processing opening 45. It is preferable that the first processing opening 44 and the second processing opening 45 are configured to be approximately parallel to each other. The processing space 42 is surrounded on its front, back, left and right sides by metallic reflecting plates 30, 31 and 32 that reflect light in the ultraviolet region.

[0021] 4 and 5, the intake side unit 34 is attached to the lower side of the internal housing 21 and disposed in the first processing opening 44 of the processing space 42. The intake side unit 34 includes a light shielding device 50, a foreign matter trapping filter 51, and a photocatalyst 52. The light shielding device 50, the foreign matter trapping filter 51, and the photocatalyst 52 are disposed in this order from the upstream side of the air flow direction (air blowing direction A by the fan 61, hereinafter referred to as blowing direction A). Note that the foreign matter trapping filter 51, the light shielding device 50, and the photocatalyst 52 may also be disposed in this order from the upstream side of the air flow direction.

[0022] The light shielding device 50 includes a frame 54 with upper and lower openings, and a plurality of plate-shaped light shielding members 55 arranged inside the frame 54 along the upper and lower openings. The frame 54 is made of a metal material. The light shielding members 55 are preferably made of a material that has high light resistance, particularly to ultraviolet light, and low reflectance of ultraviolet light and visible light, and are made of, for example, metals such as iron, galvanized steel, and stainless steel, or fluoride resin, ABS resin, and the like. The light shielding members 55 are formed in a substantially dogleg-shaped cross section having a vertex 56 bent at a predetermined angle and a pair of light shielding plate portions 57 extending from the vertex 56 in a direction at a predetermined angle.

[0023] Adjacent light-shielding members 55 of a light-shielding device 50 are arranged at a pitch such that, when viewed from above, the vertex 56 or light-shielding plate portion 57 of one adjacent light-shielding member 55 overlaps with the light-shielding plate portion 57 or vertex 56 of the other adjacent light-shielding member 55.

[0024] The light shielding members 55 arranged in each of the left and right regions with the center of the light shielding device 50 in the left-right direction as a boundary are arranged at equal intervals with their vertices 56 facing each other. As a result, the air sucked into the processing space 42 through the light shielding members 55 of the light shielding device 50 flows so as to spread in the left-right direction of the processing space 42, and the air circulating in the processing section 43 flows diffusely without bias. The light shielding members 55 may be arranged so that all of their vertices 56 face the same direction, or so that their vertices 56 face the front and rear directions, or so that they are arranged circumferentially with their vertices 56 facing the circumferential direction when the housing 11 is cylindrical, square, or other tubular.

[0025] The foreign object capture filter 51 is disposed so as to cover substantially the entirety of the air intake 16 or the surface of the frame 54 of the light blocking device 50 facing the air intake 16. The foreign object capture filter 51 captures foreign objects such as dust and pieces of paper sucked in together with the air from the air intake 16. A metal mesh is used for the foreign object capture filter 51. The foreign object capture filter 51 is removable from the front side of the main body 14 after the front panel 15 is removed, and can be cleaned or replaced. The foreign object capture filter 51 may be made of a non-metallic material that has low resistance to ultraviolet light (e.g., resin, cloth, paper, etc.). In this case, by disposing the foreign object capture filter 51 upstream of the light blocking device 50 in the air blowing direction A, deterioration due to irradiation with ultraviolet light can be prevented, and the filter can be used for a long period of time.

[0026] The photocatalyst body 52 is supported by a support having a plurality of ventilation holes and a photocatalyst such as titanium oxide, and receives ultraviolet light or visible light with a wavelength component of at least 315 nm to 400 nm of UV-A from a light source unit disposed in the exhaust unit 35 or from a light source unit separate from this light source unit, thereby generating active enzymes and OH radicals, which decompose odor components in the air to deodorize and eliminate odors or suppress virus activity. The photocatalyst body 52 is detachable from the front side of the main body unit 14 after removing the front panel 15, and can be cleaned or replaced.

[0027] The foreign matter capturing filter 51 and the photocatalyst 52 are integrally combined to form a filter unit, which can be attached and detached as a whole from the front side of the main body 14 with the front panel 15 removed. On both the left and right sides of the frame 54 of the shading device 50, filter unit holding parts 54a are provided to hold the filter unit detachably from the front side of the main body 14.

[0028] 3 and 4, a metal door 58 is attached to the frame 54 of the light blocking device 50 in an openable and closable manner to press and cover the foreign matter trapping filter 51 and the photocatalyst 52 attached to the intake side unit 34 from the front side. Note that the door 58 is not shown in FIG.

[0029] Next, the exhaust side unit 35 is shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5. The exhaust side unit 35 is attached to the upper side of the internal housing 21 and disposed on the second processing opening 45 side of the processing space 42. The exhaust side unit 35 includes a light source unit 59, a mounting member 60 to which the light source unit 59 is attached in an insulated state, and two fans 61 disposed on the mounting member 60. The insulated state here means that, for example, the insulation resistance between the two members is a predetermined value or more, the distance between the two members is a predetermined distance or more, or an insulating member is interposed between the two members, thereby satisfying a predetermined insulation standard or safety standard. The light source unit 59, the mounting member 60, and the fan 61 are disposed in this order from the upstream side of the air blowing direction A.

[0030] The light source unit 59 includes a light source module in which one or more ultraviolet light sources 64, which are light emitting elements such as LEDs, organic electroluminescence (EL), and laser diodes, are mounted along the longitudinal direction of the surface of an elongated substrate 63. In this embodiment, two light source modules are used for the light source unit 59, which are attached to the lower surface side of the mounting member 60 at two locations spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and irradiate light in the ultraviolet region toward the inside of the processing unit 43 below, opposite the fan 61. The light source unit 59 may include one light source module, or three or more light source modules.

[0031] The substrate 63 has a base plate formed of a metal material such as aluminum, a resin material such as glass epoxy, or an inorganic material such as ceramics such as aluminum oxide or aluminum nitride. If the base plate is made of metal, an insulating layer is formed on the front side of the base plate, and a wiring pattern is formed on the base plate or insulating layer, including a plurality of pads for mounting the ultraviolet light source 64 and wiring sections for connecting these pads in series or series-parallel.

[0032] The ultraviolet light source 64 includes a first ultraviolet light source (sterilizing LED) that emits ultraviolet light having a wavelength component of UV-C with a peak wavelength of 280 nm or less for sterilizing air, preferably a wavelength component of 260 to 280 nm, and a second ultraviolet light source (photocatalyst LED) that emits light having a wavelength component of at least 315 nm to 420 nm in the UV-A or visible region for exciting the photocatalyst supported on the photocatalyst body 52. ​​The wavelength of the light emitted by the first ultraviolet light source (sterilizing LED) is shorter than the wavelength of the light emitted by the second ultraviolet light source (photocatalyst LED). The UV-C ultraviolet light source 64 and the UV-A ultraviolet light source 64 are arranged in a mixed state in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 63, for example, alternately arranged. The ultraviolet light source 64 is turned on by receiving a predetermined lighting power from the light source power supply unit 40. When the light source unit 59 includes two or more light source modules, the light source unit 59 may include a light source module including only the first ultraviolet light source and a light source module including only the second ultraviolet light source. Furthermore, when the air treatment device 10 is configured to include a second ultraviolet light source (photocatalytic LED) in addition to the light source unit 59, the light source unit 59 may be configured to include only the first ultraviolet light source (sterilizing LED).

[0033] The back side of the substrate 63 is attached to the heat dissipation block 65 by screwing, and the substrate 63 is attached to the mounting member 60 via this heat dissipation block 65. The heat dissipation block 65 is made of a metal such as aluminum, and is formed in a rectangular column shape with approximately the same length and width as the substrate 63.

[0034] The mounting member 60 is formed of a metal plate such as aluminum. The mounting member 60 is formed to have a substantially U-shaped cross section, including an upper surface portion 67 to which the fan 61 is attached, and a light source mounting portion 68 to which the light source portion 59 is attached, which is bent downward from the front and rear portions of the upper surface portion 67. Mounting piece portions 69 protrude from both ends in the left-right direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the upper surface portion 67. The mounting piece portions 69 at both ends are disposed on the upper mounting portions 37 at both ends in the left-right direction of the internal housing 21 and screwed, thereby mounting the mounting member 60 to the internal housing 21. The mounting member 60 also functions as a part of the internal housing 21. Two fans 61 are attached to the upper surface of the upper surface portion 67 in a line in the left-right direction. Two air outlets communicating with each fan 61 are provided in the upper surface portion 67 in a line in the left-right direction in correspondence with the mounting positions of each fan 61.

[0035] The fan 61 is an exhaust fan disposed on the exhaust side of the housing 11, and an axial fan is used. The fan 61 includes an impeller 71 that blows air in the axial direction, a motor 72 that rotates the impeller 71, and a frame-shaped frame 73 that supports the motor 72 and in which the impeller 71 is rotatably disposed. The fan 61 draws outside air into the processing unit 43 from the intake port 16 on the lower side of the housing 11 and exhausts air in the processing unit 43 to the outside from the exhaust port 17 on the upper side of the housing 11 by rotating the impeller 71 in a clockwise direction as viewed from above, generating an airflow in the blowing direction A and circulating the air from the outside to the processing unit 43 in the housing 11.

[0036] The fan 61 is attached to the mounting member 60 so as to communicate with an air outlet in an upper surface portion 67 of the mounting member 60. The fan 61 is supplied with a predetermined operating power from the power supply unit 38 and rotates.

[0037] The number of fans 61 may be one, or three or more. The fan 61 is not limited to an axial flow fan, and other fan types such as a centrifugal fan or a sirocco fan may be used.

[0038] 5 to 8, an ozone generator 75 that generates ozone is disposed inside the housing 11. The ozone generator 75 is disposed downstream of the photocatalyst 52, the ultraviolet light source 64, and the fan 61 in the air blowing direction A, and between one of the fans 61 and the exhaust port 17.

[0039] The ozone generator 75 may be of any type, such as a silent discharge type, an electrolysis type, an ultraviolet lamp type, etc. In the ozone generator 75 of this embodiment, a silent discharge type is used.

[0040] The ozone generator 75 has a case 76 made of insulating resin, an ozone generating unit 77 arranged outside the case 76, and an ozone generating circuit unit (not shown) that is housed inside the case 76 and generates silent discharge in the ozone generating unit 77.

[0041] The case 76 includes a main body case 78 that houses the ozone generating circuit, and an electrode case 79 that is provided below the main body case 78 and in which the ozone generating unit 77 is disposed. The main body case 78 and the electrode case 79 may be provided separately, or the electrode case 79 may be provided so as to protrude from the lower surface of the main body case 78 as shown in Fig. 7. A connector 80 that connects a power supply cable from the power supply 38 to the ozone generating circuit is provided on the upper part of the main body case 78. The electrode case 79 is provided with an opening 81 that penetrates in the front-rear direction and in which the ozone generating unit 77 is disposed.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 8, the ozone generating unit 77 has a pair of electrode parts 84 in which the periphery of a cylindrical or columnar electrode 82 is covered with a dielectric 83 such as glass, and the pair of electrode parts 84 are arranged in parallel with the dielectric 83 in close contact with each other. The length over which the dielectric 83 of the pair of electrode parts 84 is in close contact with each other is about 10 mm. Both ends in the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the pair of electrode parts 84 are supported by terminal parts 85, one terminal part 85 is electrically connected to one electrode 82, the other terminal part 85 is electrically connected to the other electrode 82, and a discharge voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes 82 through the pair of terminal parts 85. When a discharge voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes 82, a silent discharge (dielectric barrier discharge) occurs, and electrons generated by this silent discharge generate ozone from oxygen in the air.

[0043] A pair of electrode portions 84 of the ozone generator 77 are arranged parallel to the front or back surface of the case 76 and perpendicular to the opening direction, which is the front-to-back direction of the opening 81 of the electrode case portion 79, so as to penetrate horizontally through the opening 81, and both ends are supported by terminal portions 85 within the electrode case portion 79.

[0044] The ozone generator 75 is attached to the rear side (inner side) of a front cover part 87 provided on the front side of the upper cover 25 by a mounting member 86. The mounting member 86 is made of metal and has a front part 88, side parts 89 on both sides of the front part 88 bent backward, claw-shaped pressing parts 90 bent from rear edges of the side parts 89 on both sides to face the front part 88, bottom parts 91 bent from lower edges of the side parts 89 on both sides to approach each other, and mounting piece parts 92 bent outward from upper edges of the side parts 89 on both sides and protruding. The mounting piece parts 92 on both sides of the mounting member 86 are disposed on a pair of mounting parts 93 protruding from the rear side of the front cover part 87 of the upper cover 25 and fixed by screws or the like.

[0045] An accommodation portion 94 that opens upward is formed between the front portion 88, both side portions 89, and the pressing portion 90 of the mounting member 86, and the ozone generator 75 is inserted into this accommodation portion 94 from above and removably attached.

[0046] The ozone generator 75 can be attached to and detached from the mounting member 86 through an opening on the upper surface of the top cover 25 by removing the operation panel 18 from the upper cover 25 and removing the control board 95 for the operation panel arranged below the operation panel 18. The ozone generator 75 can also be replaced.

[0047] In the ozone generator 75 attached to the mounting member 86, the electrode case portion 79 and the ozone generating portion 77 protrude downward from the bottom surface portion 91 of the mounting member 86. The ozone generating portion 77 is disposed between the fan 61 and the exhaust port 17, and emits ozone into the air that is blown upward from the fan 61 by the blowing of the fan 61 and flows into the exhaust port 17.

[0048] The ozone generating unit 77 is disposed so that the opening direction of the opening 81 of the electrode case 79 faces the front-rear direction of the housing 11, the opening 81 faces the front cover 87 of the upper cover 25 in a substantially parallel manner, and the direction from one electrode 84 of the pair of electrode units 84 of the ozone generating unit 77 to the other electrode unit 84 overlaps with the vertical direction (up-down direction) Z, and the longitudinal direction (axial direction) is disposed along the horizontal direction (left-right direction). Note that this vertical direction (up-down direction) Z approximately coincides with the direction of air flow inside the air treatment device 10. In addition, as an ozone generating method for generating ozone in the ozone generating unit 77, for example, an ultraviolet lamp method has a longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the ultraviolet lamp, so that it can be disposed in the same manner as the electrode unit 84 of the silent discharge method.

[0049] Between the ozone generating unit 77 and the exhaust port 17, a cover 96 that is an upper cover is disposed at a position overlapping the ozone generating unit 77 above in the vertical direction Z. The cover 96 may be provided integrally with the case 76 of the ozone generator 75 or provided separately. In this embodiment, the cover 96 is provided integrally, and is composed of an upper opening edge portion of the opening 81 of the electrode case portion 79, a lower surface portion of the main body case portion 78 from which the electrode case portion 79 projects, and the like. The cover 96 may be protruded from the surface of the case 76 so as to overlap and cover the ozone generating unit 77 above in the vertical direction Z. When the cover 96 is provided separately, the cover 96 may be attached inside the housing 11, may be attached to the ozone generator 75, or may be provided integrally with the upper cover 25 that is a part of the housing 11.

[0050] The cover 96 is larger than the ozone generation unit 77 in a top view and has a size sufficient to cover the entire ozone generation unit 77. Since a discharge voltage is applied to the ozone generation unit 77 to generate silent discharge, it is preferable that the cover 96 be made of an insulating material to ensure insulation when the cover 96 is close to the ozone generation unit 77, for example, when the cover 96 is provided integrally with the cover 76 of the ozone generator 75.

[0051] A lower cover 97 is disposed between the ozone generating unit 77 and the fan 61 at a position overlapping the ozone generating unit 77 below in the vertical direction Z. The lower cover 97 may be provided integrally with the case 76 of the ozone generator 75 or provided separately. In this embodiment, the lower cover 97 is configured by the lower opening edge of the opening 81 of the electrode case 79. The lower cover 97 may protrude from the surface of the case 76 so as to overlap and cover the ozone generating unit 77 below in the vertical direction Z. When the lower cover 97 is provided separately, the lower cover 97 may be attached to the inside of the housing 11 or to the ozone generator 75, or may be provided integrally with the upper cover 25 which is a part of the housing 11.

[0052] The lower cover 97 is larger than the ozone generation unit 77 in bottom view and has a size sufficient to cover the entire ozone generation unit 77. When the lower cover 97 is close to the ozone generation unit 77, it is also preferable that the lower cover 97 be made of an insulating material.

[0053] A maintenance window 96 that opens to expose the ozone generating unit 77 is provided in the front cover portion 87 of the upper cover 25 at a position facing the ozone generating unit 77 of the ozone generator 75. This window 98 is provided long along the left-right direction, which is the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the electrode portion 84 of the ozone generating unit 77.

[0054] The ozone generating section 77 of the ozone generator 75 arranged in the housing 11 is arranged in the upper region of the outer shape of one of the fans 61, that is, in the air discharge region where the air is discharged upward from one of the fans 61. Therefore, the air discharged from the fan 61 flows to the ozone generating section 77 of the ozone generator 75 and is exhausted to the outside from the upper air intake 16. Therefore, the ozone generated in the ozone generating section 77 is efficiently supplied to the air exhausted to the outside from the air intake 16. For example, the diameter of the fan 61 is 120 mm, and the distance between the fan 61 and the ozone generating section 77 is about 15 mm. Ozone decomposes odor components in the air to deodorize and eliminate odors, and suppresses the activity of viruses, and is released into the room to decompose and deodorize odor components attached to the ceiling, walls, and floor of the room, as well as to objects placed in the room.

[0055] The housing 11 has one surface in a direction intersecting the airflow direction A, and the front surface of the main body 14 exposed by removing the front panel 15 is configured as a work surface 14a for performing maintenance work. From the work surface 14a of the main body 14 with the front panel 15 removed, the foreign matter capturing filter 51 and the photocatalyst 52 can be attached and detached, and the ozone generating section 77 of the ozone generator 75 exposed through the window hole 98 can be cleaned.

[0056] Further, a front panel detector 100 such as a microswitch that detects attachment / detachment of the front panel 15 to the main body 14 is disposed on the front cover portion 87 of the upper cover 25. When the front panel detector 100 detects the front panel 15 attached to the main body 14, the control portion 39 enables the operation of the fan 61, the ultraviolet light source 64, and the ozone generator 75, and may also prohibit the operation of at least the ultraviolet light source 64 and the ozone generator 75, and further prohibit the operation of the fan 61, when the front panel detector 100 does not detect the front panel 15 because the front panel 15 is detached from the main body 14.

[0057] Furthermore, the control unit 39 may perform control so as to rotate the fan 61 first when the device starts operating, and then operate the ozone generator 75 a predetermined time after the fan 61 starts rotating.

[0058] The operation of air treatment system 10 will then be described.

[0059] As the fan 61 rotates, outside air is sucked into the processing section 43 of the processing space 42 from the air intake port 16 on the lower side of the housing 11 through the light blocking device 50, the foreign matter capturing filter 51 and the photocatalyst 52, and the air inside the processing section 43 is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust port 17 on the upper side via the fan 61, so that air from the outside circulates inside the processing section 43.

[0060] When the ultraviolet light source 64 is turned on, the ultraviolet light source 64 irradiates the processing section 43 with the above-mentioned UV-C and UV-A ultraviolet light, and the air flowing through the processing section 43 is sterilized with at least the UV-C ultraviolet light with a peak wavelength of 280 nm or less. The air irradiated with the ultraviolet light is exhausted to the outside from the exhaust port 17 on the upper side through the fan 61.

[0061] Heat generated when the ultraviolet light source 64 is turned on is transferred to the heat dissipation block 65, and is further transferred from the heat dissipation block 65 to the mounting member 60 and dissipated. Furthermore, since the ultraviolet light source 64, the heat dissipation block 65, and the mounting member 60 are arranged in the air passage from the processing unit 43 toward the exhaust port 17, heat transferred to each location is efficiently dissipated into the air, a rise in temperature of the ultraviolet light source 64 is suppressed, and the output of the ultraviolet light source 64 is maintained and its lifespan is extended.

[0062] In addition, in the light blocking device 50 of the intake side unit 34, external air is sucked into the processing section 43 from the intake port 16 through the gaps between the multiple light blocking members 55. Furthermore, in the light blocking device 50, the opening region of the photocatalyst 52 and the ultraviolet light passing through the foreign matter capturing filter 51 are blocked, thereby preventing light leakage from the intake port 16.

[0063] The foreign object capture filter 51 captures foreign objects such as dust and pieces of paper that are sucked in together with the air from the air intake 16 on the lower side. The foreign object capture filter 51 is preferably disposed on the path of air from the air intake 16 to the photocatalyst 52. The foreign object capture filter 51 is disposed, for example, between the air intake 16 and the light shielding device 50, or between the light shielding device 50 and the photocatalyst 52. Since the foreign object capture filter 51 is made of a metal material, even if it is disposed together with the photocatalyst 52 downstream of the light shielding device 50 in the air blowing direction A, deterioration due to irradiation with light in the ultraviolet region can be prevented.

[0064] When the photocatalyst 52 is irradiated with ultraviolet light or visible light of at least the UV-A wavelength component with a peak wavelength of 315 nm to 420 nm emitted from the ultraviolet light source 64, active enzymes and OH radicals are generated, and the generated active enzymes and OH radicals decompose odorous components in the air to deodorize and eliminate odors and suppress viral activity.

[0065] Furthermore, operation of ozone generator 75 generates ozone from ozone generating section 77, which is supplied to the air flowing from fan 61 to exhaust port 17 and released to the outside together with the air. Ozone decomposes odorous components in the air to deodorize and eliminate odors and suppresses viral activity, and when released into the room, it also decomposes and deodorizes odorous components attached to the ceiling, walls, and floor of the room, as well as objects placed in the room.

[0066] In addition, the ozone generated by the ozone generator 75 is disposed within the upper region of the outer shape of the fan 61, that is, within the air discharge region where air is discharged upward from one of the fans 61. Therefore, the air discharged from the fan 61 flows through the ozone generating section 77 of the ozone generator 75 to the upper air intake 16, and the ozone generated in the ozone generating section 77 is efficiently released together with the air exhausted to the outside from the air intake 16.

[0067] In addition, the photocatalyst 52 is preferably washed periodically since dirt adheres to it over time and the processing capacity is reduced. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the front panel 15 is removed from the main body 14 to expose the work surface 14a of the main body 14, the opening and closing door 58 is opened (not shown in FIG. 2, see FIG. 3 and FIG. 4), and the integrally combined foreign matter trapping filter 51 and photocatalyst 52 are pulled out forward. The pulled-out photocatalyst 52 is washed, and the foreign matter trapping filter 51 is cleaned of dust adhering thereto. After maintenance, the foreign matter trapping filter 51 and photocatalyst 52 are inserted back into the main body 14 from the front, and the front panel 15 is attached to the main body 14.

[0068] In addition, if dust adheres to the electrode 82 of the ozone generating unit 77 of the ozone generator 75, the discharge area of ​​the electrode 82 decreases, and the ozone generating capacity decreases, so it is preferable to periodically clean the electrode 82 to remove dust. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the front panel 15 is removed from the main body 14 to expose the working surface 14a of the main body 14, and the electrode 82 of the ozone generating unit 77 exposed through the window 98 provided in the front cover part 87 of the upper cover 25 is cleaned with a cleaning tool such as a nonwoven fabric, a cotton swab, or a brush. The range in which the electrode 82 of the ozone generating unit 77 can be cleaned through the window 98 is the front side, upper side, and lower side of the electrode 82, and it is difficult to clean the rear side where the cleaning tool cannot reach. However, the flow of air discharged from the fan 61 is stronger on the rear side of the electrode 82 than on the front side, so dust is less likely to adhere thereto, and the impact on the decrease in the ozone generating capacity is small. After cleaning, the front panel 15 is attached to the main body 14.

[0069] Furthermore, by removing the front panel 15 from the main body 14, the foreign matter capturing filter 51 and the photocatalyst 52 can be removed from the exposed work surface 14a of the main body 14, and the ozone generator 75 can be cleaned. This means that these tasks can be performed at once, improving maintenance workability.

[0070] Furthermore, when the front panel 15 is removed from the main body 14 and the front panel detection unit 100 no longer detects the front panel 15, the operation of at least the ultraviolet light source 64 and the ozone generator 75 is prohibited, so that light in the ultraviolet range does not leak to the outside when the photocatalyst 52 is removed, and the electrode 82 to which a voltage is applied does not come into contact when the ozone generator 75 is cleaned.

[0071] Furthermore, since the ozone generator 75 is positioned downstream of the ultraviolet light source 64, the fan 61, and even the inner housing 21, which is a metal housing, in the air blowing direction A, the influence of the oxidizing action of ozone on the metal materials of the ultraviolet light source 64 and the fan 61 and on the inner housing 21 can be suppressed.

[0072] In addition, when the fan 61 of the air treatment device 10 is stopped and the operation is stopped, dust enters the housing 11 from the exhaust port 17. If the cover 96 were not provided, the dust entering the housing 11 from the exhaust port 17 would adhere to the ozone generating section 77 of the ozone generator 75, and the ozone generating capacity would be reduced. Furthermore, if a foreign object falls from the exhaust port 17 and hits the ozone generating section 77, the ozone generating section 77 would be damaged. In the case of the present embodiment, if the cover 96 is provided, the dust entering the housing 11 from the exhaust port 17 is reduced from adhering to the ozone generating section 77 of the ozone generator 75, and the reduction in the ozone generating capacity is suppressed. Furthermore, even if a foreign object falls from the exhaust port 17, the cover 96 prevents the foreign object from hitting the ozone generating section 77, and the damage to the ozone generating section 77 is suppressed. Furthermore, inside the air treatment device 10, the cover 96 is present downstream of the ozone generator 75 in the air flow inside the air treatment device 10, so that the ozone generated from the ozone generator 75 is carried by the air flow and diffuses when it hits the cover 96. This makes it possible to diffuse the ozone widely from the air treatment device 10.

[0073] Furthermore, during operation with the fan 61 of the air treatment device 10 rotating, dust that is sucked in through the air intake 16 and passes through the foreign matter capture filter 51 may enter the housing 11. If the lower cover 97 were not present, the dust that enters the housing 11 may adhere to the ozone generating unit 77, causing a decrease in ozone generation capacity. If the lower cover 97 is present as in this embodiment, the adhesion of dust to the ozone generating unit 77 is reduced, and a decrease in ozone generation capacity is suppressed.

[0074] Furthermore, a recessed portion is generated on the surface between the pair of electrode parts 84 of the ozone generating unit 77. If the pair of electrode parts 84 were arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, dust would easily adhere to and accumulate in the recessed portion between the pair of electrode parts 84. By arranging the pair of electrode parts 84 overlapping in the vertical direction (up-down direction) Z as in this embodiment, the recessed portion between the pair of electrode parts 84 is arranged on the side, and dust is less likely to adhere to the recessed portion. Even if dust does adhere to the recessed portion, the dust is blown away by the air blown by the fan 61, and dust is less likely to accumulate.

[0075] Furthermore, when the air treatment device 10 starts to operate, the fan 61 is rotated first, and the air blown by the fan 61 blows away dust adhering to the ozone generating section 77 of the ozone generator 75, and the ozone generator 75 is operated after a predetermined time has elapsed, thereby suppressing deterioration of the ozone generating section 77 and maintaining a predetermined ozone generating capacity. At this time, the fan 61 may rotate at a higher rotation speed than the rotation speed in the normal state in which air treatment is performed by the air treatment device 10. For example, the air treatment device 10 may be configured such that the rotation speed of the fan 61 can be set to high (the state in which the fan 61 rotates at the highest rotation speed that can be changed by a user's operation) or low (the state in which the fan 61 rotates at the lowest rotation speed that can be changed by a user's operation) by a user's operation, and the fan 61 rotates at a higher rotation speed than high at the start of operation.

[0076] As described above, in the air treatment device 10 of this embodiment, the cover 96 is positioned between the ozone generation unit 77 and the exhaust port 17 in a position overlapping above the ozone generation unit 77 in the vertical direction Z, thereby reducing adhesion of dust to the ozone generation unit 77 and protecting the ozone generation unit 77 from foreign objects falling from the exhaust port 17.

[0077] In addition, since the ozone generator 75 is disposed downstream of the air blowing direction A, the ozone generated by the ozone generator 75 is not reduced by irradiation with ultraviolet light or by contact with the photocatalyst 52 before being released into the room, and the ozone can be efficiently released together with the air exhausted from the housing 11 to the outside by the fan 61.

[0078] Furthermore, the photocatalyst 52 can be attached and detached and the ozone generator 75 can be cleaned from one side of the work surface 14a of the housing 11, improving the ease of maintenance work.

[0079] Next, a second embodiment is shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a front view of an ozone generating unit 77.

[0080] The ozone generating unit 77 is provided in a shape having a longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal direction is arranged along the vertical direction (up-down direction) Z. When the ozone generator 75 is of the silent discharge type described above, the longitudinal direction of the pair of electrode parts 84 of the ozone generating unit 77 is arranged along the vertical direction (up-down direction) Z. In other words, the pair of electrode parts 84 are arranged so that the direction from one electrode part 84 of the pair of electrode parts 84 to the other electrode part 84 intersects with the vertical direction (up-down direction) Z, and is approximately parallel to the front cover part 87 and the longitudinal direction (axial direction) is along the horizontal direction (left-right direction). Note that it is preferable that the direction from one electrode part 84 of the pair of electrode parts 84 to the other electrode part 84 is perpendicular to the vertical direction (up-down direction) Z.

[0081] In this way, by arranging the longitudinal direction of the pair of electrode parts 84 along the vertical direction Z, the recessed portion of the surface generated between the pair of electrode parts 84 faces sideways, making it difficult for dust to adhere to the recessed portion, and even if dust does adhere to the recessed portion, the dust is blown away by the air flow from the fan 61, making it difficult for dust to accumulate.

[0082] In addition, the intake port 16 on the lower side of the housing 11 may remain as an intake port, the exhaust port 17 on the upper side as an exhaust port, and the fan 61 may be disposed on the side of the intake port 16 on the lower side as an intake fan.

[0083] The air treatment device 10 is not limited to a freestanding type, but can also be used as a wall-mounted type. In the case of a wall-mounted type, the leg members 12 are not used, and instead a ventilation cover disposed on the air intake port 16 is used. A wall mounting member that is attached to the wall is separately used, and the rear side of the air treatment device 10 is attached to the wall mounting member attached to the wall.

[0084] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10 Air Treatment Equipment 11. Cabinet 16 Air Intake 17 Exhaust port 39 Control Unit 43 Processing section 61 Fans 75 Ozone Generator 77 Ozone Generator 82 electrode 83 Dielectric 84 Electrode section 96 Cover 97 Lower cover Z vertical direction

Claims

1. a housing having a treatment section for treating air, an intake port communicating with the treatment section, and an exhaust port communicating with the treatment section; a fan disposed within the housing, sucking air from outside the housing through the intake port into the processing section and discharging the air sucked into the processing section to the outside of the housing through the exhaust port; an ozone generator having an ozone generating unit disposed between the fan and the exhaust port within the housing; a cover disposed between the ozone generating unit and the exhaust port in a position vertically overlapping with the ozone generating unit; An air treatment device comprising:

2. The ozone generating unit is provided in a shape having a longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal direction is disposed along the vertical direction.

2. The air treatment system of claim 1.

3. The ozone generating unit has a pair of electrode units in which electrodes are covered with a dielectric, and the pair of electrode units are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction.

2. The air treatment system of claim 1.

4. a lower cover disposed between the fan and the ozone generating unit in a position vertically overlapping with the ozone generating unit; 2. The air treatment system of claim 1.

5. and a control unit that controls the rotation of the fan and the operation of the ozone generator, rotates the fan when the device starts operating, and operates the ozone generator after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of rotation of the fan.

3. An air treatment device according to claim 1 or 2.

Images