Air cleaner

Abstract

To provide an air cleaner capable of sufficiently removing even fine particles in the air, preventing erosion of a limited arrangement space in a flow passage, preventing deterioration of air blowing efficiency and securing air quantity required for air cleaning without increasing cost.SOLUTION: An air cleaner 10 that removes dirt in air includes: a filter 20 provided in the middle of a flow passage 11 in which air flows in a predetermined direction to collect dust in the air; and a negative ion generator 30 for charging fine particles in the air that has passed through the filter 20 by using ions. At least part of the flow passage 11 itself serves as an adsorption part 11A formed of a material capable of adsorbing the charged fine particles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purifying device for removing dirt in the air, and is incorporated, for example, into an air conditioner for automobiles.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various effects of negative ions have been known, and there are various negative ion generators for generating these negative ions. And the negative ion generator is utilized mainly by being incorporated into various devices including an air conditioner and an air purifying device as a negative ion generation module.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which an ion generator for sterilizing air is provided in a filter unit detachably attached to an air conditioner for automobiles. In the technique of this Patent Document 1, the ion generator is used only for the purpose of sterilizing air, and the means for collecting dust in the air is only a filter. Therefore, fine particles in the air are often not sufficiently removed, and further air purification has been desired.

[0004] As a conventional technique capable of solving such a problem, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for removing fine particles in the air in an air purifying device for automobiles as well. In the technique of this Patent Document 2, separately from a filter for collecting coarse dust in the air, a special charged filter for collecting fine particles 13 charged by an ionizer is separately provided on the downstream side of the ionizer (ion generator).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, with the technology of Patent Document 1 described above, fine particles in the air cannot be sufficiently removed. Also, with the technology of Patent Document 2 described above, apart from a normal filter, it is necessary to prepare a special charged filter, which increases the number of parts and the assembly man-hours of the entire device, leading to a problem of cost increase.

[0007] Moreover, with the technology of Patent Document 2 described above, the addition of a special charged filter not only causes a corresponding cost increase, but also inhibits the blowing efficiency because the air in the flow path needs to pass through the charged filter, and there is a risk that the required air volume in the entire device cannot be ensured. In some cases, it is also difficult to arrange the charged filter in the limited flow path within the device due to space constraints.

[0008] The present invention has been made by paying attention to the problems of the prior art as described above, and it is possible to sufficiently remove even fine particles in the air without causing a cost increase, without encroaching on the limited arrangement space in the flow path, and preventing a decrease in blowing efficiency to ensure the air volume necessary for air purification. The object is to provide an air purification device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is In an air purification device for removing dirt in the air, a filter provided in the middle of a flow path through which air flows in a predetermined direction and collecting dust in the air, and ion generation means for charging fine particles in the air that have passed through the filter with ions, are provided, and at least a part of the flow path itself is formed as an adsorption part made of a material capable of adsorbing the charged fine particles.

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the air purifying apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to sufficiently remove even fine particles in the air without causing an increase in cost, without encroaching on the limited arrangement space in the flow path, and without reducing the blowing efficiency, thereby ensuring the air volume necessary for air purification.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

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Figure 15

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, representative embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The air cleaning device 10 according to the present embodiment is a device for removing dirt in the air, and as basic components, it includes a filter 20 provided in the middle of a flow path 11 through which air flows in a predetermined direction, a negative ion generator 30, and the like. Such an air cleaning device 10 can be incorporated into various devices such as various air conditioners. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the case where the air cleaning device 10 is incorporated into an air conditioner 1 for an automobile, which is a car air conditioner, will be described as an example.

[0013] <Regarding the air conditioner 1 for an automobile> First, an overview of the air conditioner 1 for an automobile incorporating the air cleaning device 10, which is the core of the present invention, will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 1 for an automobile is a device that cools the air in the vehicle interior with the low-temperature refrigerant of the cooling system 4 during cooling, and heats the air in the vehicle interior by using the heat of the engine cooling water during heating.

[0014] In addition to the air flow path 11, filter 20, negative ion generator 30, and fan 40 shared with the air purifying device 10, an evaporator 2 for cooling air and a heater core 3 for heating air are respectively disposed downstream of the fan 40 in the flow path 11. Further, a cooling system 4 outside the flow path 11 is connected to the evaporator 2 via a refrigerant circuit for cooling, and an engine 5 outside the flow path 11 is connected to the heater core 3 via a refrigerant circuit for heating.

[0015] The evaporator 2 is a device that performs heat exchange between a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant and air, and is disposed in the flow path 11. During cooling, a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 2 from a heat pump or the like of the cooling system 4, and cools the air sent into the vehicle interior. The heater core 3 is a device that performs heat exchange between the heated engine coolant and air, and is disposed in the flow path 11. During heating, the engine coolant heated by the engine 5 is supplied to the heater core 3, and heats the air sent into the vehicle interior. Note that since other components in the air conditioner 1 are common, illustration and detailed description thereof are omitted.

[0016] <<Air flow path 11>> The flow path 11 in the air conditioner 1 and the air purifying device 10 is arranged so that air flows in a predetermined direction in the vehicle body, and is basically configured as a tubular path. The most upstream of the flow path 11 is divided into an outside air pipe 12 that takes in outside air from outside the vehicle interior and an inside air pipe 13 that takes in inside air from inside the vehicle interior, but they merge midway to form a single flow path 11. The open ends of the outside air pipe 12 and the inside air pipe 13 respectively form air supply ports. On the other hand, the most downstream of the flow path 11 branches so as to communicate with the following air outlets 14a to 14d.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a plurality of air outlets 14a to 14d for blowing out air that has been cleaned by the air cleaner 10 and temperature-adjusted by the air conditioner 1 into the vehicle interior are provided throughout the instrument panel (instrument panel) 101 in front of the driver's seat and the dashboard 102 in front of the passenger seat of the automobile 100. Each of the air outlets 14a to 14d can be opened and closed by a louver and the air direction can also be adjusted.

[0018] Also, when the opening / closing door 104 of the glove box 103 on the dashboard 102 is removed, an insertion port 105 communicating with the middle of the flow path 11 is opened at the back. The filter 20 described later is inserted into the insertion port 105 from the front so as to be arranged in an airtight state with respect to the middle of the flow path 11. Also, the filter 20 can be taken out by pulling it out from the insertion port 105. Here, the insertion port 105 is the only place where the user can access the middle of the flow path 11 in the vehicle interior.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, in the flow path 11, the material from the air supply port such as the outside air pipe 12 to each of the air outlets 14a to 14d is not particularly limited as long as it can partition the space forming a path extending in a predetermined direction, and it can be metal or resin. However, in the flow path 11, a part of the section downstream of the negative ion generator 30 described later is formed of a material capable of adsorbing fine particles charged by negative ions. This will be described in detail later together with the negative ion generator 30.

[0020] <Regarding the air cleaner 10> As shown in FIG. 1, the air purifying apparatus 10 is provided in the middle of the flow path 11 that is also used by the air conditioner 1 described above, and includes a filter 20 that collects dust in the air, and a negative ion generator 30 that charges fine particles in the air that has passed through the filter 20 with ions. Here, the negative ion generator 30 is an example of the "ion generating means" of the present invention, and the fan 40 is an example of the "air blowing means" of the present invention. Further, as a main feature of the air purifying apparatus 10, at least a part of the flow path 11 itself is configured as an adsorption part 11A formed of a material capable of adsorbing charged fine particles.

[0021] <Filter 20> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, although the internal structure of the filter 20 is not shown, specifically, for example, an adsorption layer containing activated carbon is laminated between a front non-woven fabric layer forming an intake surface facing the upstream side of the flow path 11 and a back non-woven fabric layer forming an exhaust surface facing the downstream side of the flow path 11. Such a filter 20 is in the form of a thick sheet that is substantially square in plan view, and is pleated to increase the surface area per unit volume.

[0022] Due to the three-dimensional structure of the non-woven fabric layers on the front and back of the filter 20, it is possible to achieve a high dust collection performance capable of collecting fine dust such as PM2.5 and pollen. Further, an antiviral processing agent is added to either the front or back non-woven fabric layer of the filter 20 to add the performance of significantly reducing the number of specific viruses, or an antibacterial agent is added to suppress the growth of bacteria and mold adhering to the filter 20, and the adsorption layer containing activated carbon can reduce unpleasant odors such as exhaust gas odor (acetaldehyde). Since the configuration of such a filter 20 is common, further detailed description will be omitted.

[0023] <<Frame 21>> As shown in FIGS. 2 to 9, the filter 20 is configured as a unit held by the frame 21. The frame 21 is formed in a shallow square frame shape in plan view and holds the filter 20 inside thereof. The frame 21 has a large opening for the air supply surface 22 facing the upstream side of the flow path 11, and the exhaust surface 23 facing the downstream side of the flow path 11 is formed in a substantially lattice shape by ribs 24 that hold the filter 20. Although only a part of the ribs 24 is labeled with reference numerals in the figure, the ribs 24 include a plurality of straight portions extending radially from the center of the exhaust surface 23 toward the four directions and a plurality of circumferential portions arranged concentrically from the center of the exhaust surface 23 so as to intersect the respective straight portions.

[0024] Around the air supply surface 22 of the frame 21, there are provided projecting pieces 25 that project inward to hook the ends of the aforementioned front nonwoven fabric layer of the filter 20. Further, one of the four side walls of the frame 21 is provided with a mounting opening 26 for inserting the filter 20 inside the frame 21. The inner dimension of the frame 21 is set to a size corresponding to the outer dimension of the filter 20 so that the filter 20 just fits inside it. Such a frame 21 is integrally formed of, for example, a synthetic resin.

[0025] In addition, outside the mounting opening 26 of the frame 21, there is provided an engaging claw 27 that is detachably fitted around the aforementioned insertion opening 105 (see FIG. 13) into which the frame 21 is inserted. In addition to the engaging claw 27, attachment structures such as guides and hooks that fit with each other are appropriately provided on the frame 21 or the insertion opening 105. Further, at the position on the exhaust surface side of the filter 20 by the frame 21, there is provided a mounting portion 28 for mounting a negative ion generator 30 described below.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6, the attachment portion 28 includes a first attachment portion 28a formed in a plate-like portion that spreads to close the gap of the rib 24 at one corner of the exhaust surface 23, and a plurality of second attachment portions 28b arranged in the circumferential direction from the center of the exhaust surface 23. The first attachment portion 28a is for attaching the case body 31 of the negative ion generator 30, and is provided according to the size of the case body 31. The case body 31 may be directly screwed to the first attachment portion 28a, or may be fixed via a bracket or the like. Further, the case body 31 may be easily detachable from the first attachment portion 28a.

[0027] The second attachment portion 28b is for attaching a plurality of ion generation portions 38 of the negative ion generator 30. In the present embodiment, although described later, there are four ion generation portions 38, and accordingly, four second attachment portions 28b are provided. Each second attachment portion 28b is provided at a position where the ion generation portions 38 are arranged at equal intervals in the radial direction with respect to the filter 20. Each second attachment portion 28b is provided according to the size of the ion generation portion 38. The ion generation portion 38 may be directly screwed to each second attachment portion 28b, or may be fixed via a bracket or the like.

[0028] The second attachment portion 28b is also formed as a plate-like portion that closes the gap of the rib 24 in the same manner as the first attachment portion 28a. The second attachment portion 28b and the ion generation portion 38 attached thereto are arranged so that air can pass through the inside of the frame 21 in the middle of the flow path 11 without resistance, without closing the gap of the rib 24 covered by the filter 20 as much as possible. Hereinafter, when the first attachment portion 28a and the second attachment portion 28b are collectively referred to, they are simply denoted as the attachment portion 28.

[0029] <Negative ion generator 30> As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the negative ion generator 30 is a device that applies electricity to air to generate negative (minus) ions. The usefulness of negative ions is known not only for the inactivation of viruses, bacteria, etc. and the decomposition of odor components, but also for the activation of immune cells and the effects on the sensory spectrum, such as stress reduction, a sense of relaxation, and improved concentration.

[0030] As a principle of generating negative ions, conventionally, for example, there is a "corona discharge method" that generates negative ions by causing corona discharge between positive and negative electrodes, and an "electron emission method" that uses a sharp metal piece for the negative electrode without using corona discharge and directly emits electrons into the air to generate negative ions.

[0031] The former corona discharge method has a problem that it generates harmful ozone and nitrogen oxides (NOx, SOx, etc.) at the same time as generating negative ions. The latter electron emission method has relatively little generation of harmful ozone and nitrogen oxides, etc., but has a problem that it generates harmful electromagnetic waves by an iron core type transformer. Therefore, among the applicants of this case, Andes Electric Co., Ltd. has developed a new method, the "inti (registered trademark)-fion method" (company's general name), by improving the electron emission method, and has adopted it for the negative ion generator 30 in this embodiment.

[0032] The negative ion generator 30 using the inti-fion method generates a high voltage by the mechanical vibration of a piezoelectric transformer instead of an iron core type transformer in the electron emission method, thereby reducing the generation of electromagnetic waves, which was a drawback of the electron emission method, and is characterized by hardly generating oxides such as nitrogen oxides. Such a negative ion generator 30 can be incorporated as a negative ion generation module into various devices including the air conditioner 1 and the air purifier 10.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 10, the negative ion generator 30 is configured as a unit in which related components such as a piezoelectric transformer 32 are mounted on a substrate housed in a thin and small case body 31. The case body 31 has, for example, an openable and closable bottom plate, and power supply and external input / output terminals are provided at appropriate positions on the case body 31. Further, an insertion port 31a through which a harness 37 connecting an ion generation unit 38 described later passes is provided at one end of the case body 31.

[0034] Specifically, as shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 11, the negative ion generator 30 includes, in addition to the piezoelectric transformer 32, an oscillation circuit 33, a transformer drive circuit 34, a booster circuit 35, and the like. The signal output from the oscillation circuit 33 is input to the transformer drive circuit 34 to output an alternating voltage for driving the piezoelectric transformer 32. The piezoelectric transformer 32 is formed, for example, by forming input electrodes on opposing surfaces of half the length in the length direction of a thin rectangular plate-shaped piezoelectric ceramic, and forming output electrodes on the end surfaces on the opposite side of the input electrodes.

[0035] When an alternating voltage near the resonance frequency from the transformer drive circuit 34 is applied to the piezoelectric transformer 32, the entire piezoelectric transformer 32 vibrates mechanically due to the piezoelectric inverse effect, and this mechanical vibration is output as an even higher voltage to the output electrodes due to the piezoelectric effect. The high voltage output from the piezoelectric transformer 32 is converted by the booster circuit 35 into a negative-polarity high voltage within a predetermined range. For example, four ion generation units 38 are connected to the booster circuit 35 via a harness 37.

[0036] The ion generation unit 38 is a needle-shaped discharge electrode. Specifically, for example, a stainless steel brush needle with good durability is adopted. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the ion generation unit 38 is arranged at a position surrounding the exhaust surface side of the filter 20 from the periphery in the frame 21 of the filter 20 described above. That is, each ion generation unit 38 is arranged at equal intervals in the radial direction with respect to the filter 20. In addition, at appropriate positions on the frame 21 (for example, the rib 24), a ground using a metal foil, a wire, or the like is provided to ground the ion generation unit 38.

[0037] When a negative high voltage from the booster circuit 35 is applied to each ion generation unit 38, electrons are emitted from the tip of each ion generation unit 38 to generate negative ions. Here, the amount of negative ions generated, that is, the frequency of the signal output by the oscillation circuit 33, is configured to be controllable. According to such an inti-fion type negative ion generator 30, it is possible to solve the problems in the conventional corona discharge method and electron emission method described above, and it is possible to realize the miniaturization and thinning of the entire unit.

[0038] <Adsorbing portion 11A of the flow path 11> The main feature of this air purifier 10 is that the fine particles that could not be completely captured by the filter 20 are negatively charged by the negative ions from the negative ion generator 30, and these charged fine particles are adsorbed and collected on the flow path 11 itself. That is, at least a part of the flow path 11 itself is configured as an adsorbing portion 11A formed of a material capable of adsorbing charged fine particles.

[0039] The specific position of the adsorbing portion 11A in the flow path 11 is downstream of each ion generation unit 38 in the middle of the flow path 11, but the portion from the location communicating with the exhaust surface 23 of the frame 21 of the filter 20 close to each ion generation unit 38 in the flow path 11 to the fan 40 described later is suitable. The tubular inner wall or the whole of such a portion may be formed of a material capable of adsorbing charged fine particles to form the adsorbing portion 11A. However, the adsorbing portion 11A is not limited to such a portion, and for example, the casing 41 surrounding the fan 40 described later or the portion from the fan 40 to the evaporator 2 on its downstream side may also be used.

[0040] Examples of the material capable of adsorbing charged fine particles include synthetic resins, and vinyl chloride, which also corresponds to the flame-retardant resin required as a material for vehicle equipment, is particularly suitable. Generally, as the charging characteristics of resins, thermosetting resins are difficult to charge and tend to discharge charges relatively quickly even if charged. On the contrary, thermoplastic resins are easy to charge and tend not to discharge charges easily once charged.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 14, a “charging series” that exemplifies the order of substances that are likely to be charged is generally known. In the charging series, when two substances in the series are rubbed against each other, it means that the one on the plus side is likely to be charged positively and the one on the minus side is likely to be charged negatively. As is clear from this charging series, among resins, particularly vinyl chloride is likely to be charged negatively, that is, it has a material that is likely to adsorb negatively charged fine particles.

[0042] Note that the material capable of adsorbing charged fine particles is not limited to vinyl chloride, and for example, polyethylene, polyurethane, etc. may also be adopted. Further, the adsorption part 11A in the flow path 11 is not necessarily limited to only a specific part in the middle of the flow path 11. For example, all parts from the most upstream to the most downstream in the flow path 11 may be formed of a material capable of adsorbing charged fine particles such as vinyl chloride. Such a material may be coated only on the inner wall surface of a part or the whole of the flow path 11.

[0043] <Fan 40> As shown in FIG. 1, the fan 40 is a device that blows air into the flow path 11 to generate an air flow. The fan 40 is disposed downstream of the negative ion generator 30 in the middle of the flow path 11, is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), sucks air from the upstream side of the arrangement position in the flow path 11, and blows the air out to the downstream side, thereby generating the air flow indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1.

[0044] The fan 40 is rotatably housed in a casing 41, and is, for example, a centrifugal blower fan in which a plurality of blades are arranged and supported at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The air volume blown per unit time in the fan 40 can be appropriately adjusted by a controller (not shown) that controls the air conditioner 1 or the air purifier 10. Note that the fan 40 and the casing 41 are formed of, for example, synthetic resin. Therefore, the casing 41 can also be formed of vinyl chloride to become the adsorption part 11A.

[0045] <Operation of the air purifying device 10> In Fig. 1, in the air conditioner 1 (air purifying device 10), when the fan 40 is driven, air is sucked into the flow path 11 from the outside air pipe 12 or the inside air pipe 13, which is the uppermost stream of the flow path 11, and an air current is generated in the downstream direction of the flow path 11 as indicated by each arrow in Fig. 1. Here, the outside air pipe 12 and the inside air pipe 13 can be switched so that only one of them opens, and either outside air from outside the vehicle compartment or inside air from inside the vehicle compartment can be selectively taken into the flow path 11.

[0046] When the air that has entered the flow path 11 passes through the filter 20, the dust contained in the air is collected and removed by the filter 20. Here, if a multifunctional filter 20 is used, for example, fine dust such as PM2.5 and pollen can also be collected. Furthermore, with the multifunctional filter 20, it is also possible to significantly reduce the number of specific viruses, suppress the growth of bacteria and mold adhering to the filter 20, and reduce unpleasant odors.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 2, the filter 20 is held by the frame 21, and a negative ion generator 30 is integrally incorporated and unitized on the exhaust surface side of the filter 20 in the frame 21. Here, since the frame 21 is provided with a mounting portion 28 for mounting the case body 31 of the negative ion generator 30 and each ion generating portion 38, these can be easily positioned and mounted with respect to the frame 21. Note that the negative ion generator 30 may be detachable with respect to the mounting portion 28 of the frame 21.

[0048] In this way, for the unit in which the negative ion generator 30 is incorporated into the frame 21 of the filter 20, by replacing only the filter 20 part with a new one, the frame 21 and the negative ion generator 30 can be used permanently. In conventional general ion generators, unitization with the filter 20 was difficult because of a relatively bulky configuration. Note that the replacement work of the filter 20 can be performed by the user himself / herself through the insertion port 105 in the glove box 103 shown in Fig. 13.

[0049] When the negative ion generator 30 immediately downstream of the filter 20 operates, the negative ion generator 30 charges the air (oxygen atoms) and fine particles that have passed through the filter 20 with a high voltage to ionize them negatively. Also, in the case of the inti-fion type negative ion generator 30, while achieving high efficiency, it can reduce power consumption and electromagnetic noise, suppress the generation of harmful substances and electromagnetic waves, and can also be made small, lightweight, and thin.

[0050] Due to the negative ion generator 30, the negatively charged air (oxygen atoms) and fine particles flow downstream in the flow path 11, but the negatively charged fine particles are adsorbed and collected by the adsorption part 11A in the middle of the flow path 11 itself. As a result, in the downstream of the negative ion generator 30 in the flow path 11, the fine particles contained in the air can be easily removed without separately arranging special members such as a charging filter. Note that the negatively ionized air (oxygen atoms) will flow directly downstream in the flow path 11.

[0051] The air from which not only dust but also fine particles have been removed in this way passes through the casing 41 of the fan 40 in order and is sent to the evaporator 2 and the heater core 3 of the air conditioner 1. By the evaporator 2, the air is cooled during cooling, and by the heater core 3, the air is heated during heating. Then, the temperature-adjusted air is blown into the vehicle interior from the air outlets 14a to 14d together with negative ions. Note that the adsorption part 11A to which the charged fine particles are attached will be subject to maintenance work as needed by, for example, automobile manufacturers or their sales agents.

[0052] <<Confirmation Test>> The inventors of the present invention conducted a test to confirm the air purification effect of the present air purifier 10. The purpose of such a test is to measure the actual reduction rate of fine particles (particles) by using the present air purifier 10. The test method was to install the present air purifier 10 at the air conditioner filter insertion port 105 in the car air conditioner (air conditioner 1) standardly equipped in an impreza (manufactured by Subaru Corporation) as the automobile 100, and measure the residual rate of particles (fine particles) contained in the air blown from the air conditioner outlet (air outlet 14a).

[0053] In the air purifier 10, the filter 20 uses a clean air filter premium (manufactured by Subaru Supplies Co., Ltd.), and the negative ion generator 30 uses the ITM-F401A (manufactured by Andes Electric Co., Ltd.) of the inti-fion method described above. As the measurement conditions, the air volume during the operation of the car air conditioner (air conditioner 1) was set to be weak at about 1.0 m / s, the air intake was set to be the internal air circulation from the internal air pipe 13, and the amount of negative ions generated during the operation of the present air purifier 10 (ion unit ON) was set to be 750,000 or more per cc (distance 10 cm).

[0054] Also, the dimensions of the clean air filter premium are W215 / D215 / H25 (mm), and the cross-sectional area of the flow path 11 passing through the filter 20 is about 20 mm in diameter. Further, the dimensions of the adsorption part 11A in the flow path 11 are a length of 3 cm from the location communicating with the exhaust surface 23 of the frame 21 to the fan 40 described later.

[0055] The measurement time was set to 5 minutes, and the residual rates of particles (fine particles) were measured when the negative ion generator 30 was operating (unit ON) and when it was not operating (unit OFF). The measurement here was performed by a particle counter KC-01E (manufactured by Lion Corporation) set at the air conditioner outlet (air outlet 14a), but almost the same results were obtained by using a particle counter manufactured by other companies.

[0056] The results of the above-described measurement are shown in the graph of FIG. 15. According to such results, in the case where the negative ion generator 30 was operated (unit ON) during the measurement time of 5 minutes, a decrease of slightly less than 10% in fine particles was observed compared to the case where it was not operated (unit OFF). The fine particles here mainly correspond to those of 0.3 μm or more. From the above results, according to the present air purifying apparatus 10, not only is it possible to simply generate beneficial negative ions, but also, separately from the filter 20, an effect of adsorbing and collecting fine particles was clearly shown.

[0057] <Configuration and Operational Effects of the Present Invention> As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The present invention derived from the above-described embodiments will be explained below.

[0058] First, the present invention is an air purifying apparatus 10 for removing dirt in the air, a filter 20 provided in the middle of a flow path 11 through which air flows in a predetermined direction for collecting dust in the air, and ion generating means 30 for charging fine particles in the air that has passed through the filter 20 with ions, and is characterized in that at least a part of the flow path 11 itself is formed as an adsorption part 11A made of a material capable of adsorbing the charged fine particles.

[0059] According to such an air purifying apparatus 10, in the downstream side of the ion generating means 30 in the flow path 11, fine particles contained in the air can be easily removed without separately disposing a special member such as a charging filter. Therefore, according to the air purifying apparatus 10, it is possible to sufficiently remove even fine particles in the air without causing a cost increase, without encroaching on the limited arrangement space in the flow path 11, and without preventing a decrease in the blowing efficiency and ensuring the air volume necessary for air purification.

[0060] In addition, in the present invention, a blowing means 40 for blowing air into the flow path 11 to generate an air flow is provided on the downstream side of the ion generation means 30 in the flow path 11, The adsorption part 11A of the flow path 11 is characterized in that it is arranged between the ion generation means 30 and the blowing means 40.

[0061] According to such a configuration, since the adsorption part 11A of the flow path 11 is close to the immediate downstream side of the ion generation means 30, fine particles in the air can be efficiently charged. In addition, the blowing means 40 located on the downstream side of the adsorption part 11A and the evaporator 2 etc. further downstream thereof can be prevented from being contaminated by the fine particles.

[0062] In addition, as the present invention, the filter 20 is configured as a unit held by a frame 21, A mounting part 28 for mounting the ion generation means 30 is provided at a position on the exhaust surface side of the filter 20 by the frame 21, which is characterized in that.

[0063] According to such a configuration, it becomes possible to easily incorporate the ion generation means 30 into the frame 21 of the filter 20, and it can be commercialized as a unit of the filter 20 with the ion generation means 30 added. In addition, since the frame 21 is provided with the mounting part 28 for mounting the ion generation means 30, the ion generation means 30 can be easily positioned and mounted with respect to the frame 21.

[0064] In addition, as the present invention, a plurality of ion generation parts 38 in the ion generation means 30 are characterized in that they are arranged at positions surrounding the exhaust surface side of the filter 20 from the periphery by the frame 21.

[0065] According to such a configuration, negative ions can be efficiently released to the air passing through the filter 20. In addition, each ion generation part 38 can be prevented from blocking the middle of the flow path 11 covered by the filter 20 and inhibiting the blowing efficiency in the flow path 11.

[0066] Furthermore, as the present invention, the air purifying device 10 is incorporated into the air conditioner 1 for automobiles, the filter 20 is detachable at an insertion port 105 communicating from the interior of the vehicle compartment in the middle of the flow path 11 shared with the air conditioner 1, which is characterized.

[0067] Thus, by incorporating the air purifying device 10 into the air conditioner 1 for automobiles, the value of the air conditioner 1 can be enhanced. Also, maintenance and inspection such as replacement of the filter 20 can be easily performed by the user himself / herself from inside the vehicle compartment.

[0068] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications and additions within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the air purifying device 10 is incorporated into the air conditioner 1 of the automobile 100 has been described as an example. However, it may be incorporated into an air conditioner used other than automobiles or other devices other than air conditioners and used, or may be installed independently and used.

Industrial Applicability

[0069] The air purifying device according to the present invention can be used in combination with various devices including not only air conditioners for automobiles but also other air conditioners.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0070] 1... Air conditioner 2... Evaporator 3... Heater core 4... Cooling system 5... Engine 10... Air purifying device 11... Flow path 11A... Adsorbing part 12... Outside air pipe 13... Inside air pipe 14a~14d... Air outlet 20... Filter 21... Frame 28a…First attachment part 28b…Second attachment part 30…Negative ion generator 31…Case body 32…Piezoelectric transformer 38…Ion generation part 40…Fan 41…Casing 100…Automobile

Claims

1. In an air purifying apparatus for removing contaminants in air, a filter provided in the middle of a flow path through which air flows in a predetermined direction and collecting dust in the air; ion generating means for charging fine particles in the air that has passed through the filter with ions, and an air purifying apparatus characterized in that at least a part of the flow path itself is an adsorption part formed of a material capable of adsorbing the charged fine particles.

2. Blowing means for blowing air into the flow path to generate an air flow is provided on the downstream side of the flow path from the ion generating means, The air purifying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the adsorption part of the flow path is arranged between the ion generating means and the blowing means.

3. The filter is configured as a unit held by a frame, The air purifying apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that an attachment part for attaching the ion generating means is provided at a position on the exhaust surface side of the filter by the frame.

4. The air purifying apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that a plurality of ion generating parts in the ion generating means are arranged at positions surrounding the exhaust surface side of the filter from the periphery by the frame.

5. The air purifying apparatus is incorporated into an air conditioner for an automobile, The air purifying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the filter is detachable at an insertion port communicating from the inside of the vehicle compartment in the middle of the flow path shared with the air conditioner.

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