Air treatment device

The air treatment device addresses odor release from trapped hair by using UV light and ozone to decompose odor components, effectively suppressing odor generation.

JP2025141340APending Publication Date: 2025-09-29TOSHIBA LIGHTING & TECHNOLOGY CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024041231
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-03-15
Publication Date
2025-09-29

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Air treatment devices used in environments with animal hair, such as pet shops or grooming salons, risk releasing odors from trapped hair in filter members due to airflow.

Method used

An air treatment device with a specific arrangement of a fan, photocatalyst, ultraviolet light source, and filter member, where the filter member captures foreign matter and is irradiated with UV light, and ozone is introduced to break down odor components, while a light-blocking section prevents UV leakage.

Benefits of technology

Suppresses odor generation from trapped matter by decomposing odor components using UV light and ozone, reducing odor release into the room.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide an air treatment device that can suppress generation of odor from captured matters captured by a filter member.SOLUTION: An air treatment device comprises a housing, a fan, a photocatalytic body 40, an ultraviolet light source, and a filter member 39. The housing has a treatment space. The fan absorbs outside air into the treatment space by blowing, and exhausts air absorbed into the treatment space to the outside. The photocatalytic body 40 is arranged in the treatment space, and has a plurality of vent holes 70. The ultraviolet light source is arranged on a downstream side of a blowing direction by the fan of the photocatalytic body 40 in the treatment space, and irradiates the photocatalytic body 40 on an upstream side of the blowing direction with light in an ultraviolet region. The filter member 39 is arranged on an upstream side of a blowing direction of the photocatalytic body 40 in the treatment space, and captures foreign substances absorbed from outside, and the captured foreign substances is irradiated with light from the ultraviolet light source which has passed through the photocatalytic body 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to an air treatment device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is an air treatment device that draws air from within a room into a housing by blowing air, irradiates the air circulating within the housing with ultraviolet light or deodorizes it using a photocatalyst, and exhausts the treated air to the outside.

[0003] When such an air treatment device is used in an environment where animal hair is scattered, such as a pet shop or grooming salon, there is a possibility that the hair will be sucked into the housing. Although it is possible to capture the hair sucked into the housing with a filter member, the hair trapped in the filter member may generate an odor, which may then be released into the room by the airflow. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-148732 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 that can suppress the generation of odors from matter trapped in a filter member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An embodiment of an air treatment device includes a housing, a fan, a photocatalyst, an ultraviolet light source, and a filter member. The housing has a treatment space. The fan draws external air into the treatment space by blowing air and exhausts the air drawn into the treatment space to the outside. The photocatalyst is disposed within the treatment space and has multiple air vents. The ultraviolet light source is disposed within the treatment space downstream of the photocatalyst in the direction of air blown by the fan, and irradiates light in the ultraviolet range toward the photocatalyst located upstream in the air blowing direction. The filter member is disposed within the treatment space upstream of the photocatalyst in the direction of air blowing, and captures foreign matter drawn in from the outside, and the captured foreign matter is irradiated with light from the ultraviolet light source that has passed through the photocatalyst. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the embodiment, it is expected that odor generation from the matter captured by the filter member can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an air treatment device according to one embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the internal structure of the air treatment device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a filter device used in the air treatment device. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front view of the air treatment device with the cover removed. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which foreign matter is trapped in the filter device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] The air treatment device in the following embodiments is a device that performs air treatment using a predetermined method, such as sterilization, disinfection, sterilization, sterilization, deodorization, or deodorization, on air circulating inside the air treatment device or external air. The air treatment by the air treatment device can be interpreted as sterilization, disinfection, sterilization, sterilization, deodorization, or deodorization. The predetermined method here refers to light irradiation, photocatalysis, ozone, etc. 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 the use of active enzymes and OH radicals generated by irradiating a photocatalyst such as titanium oxide disposed inside the air treatment device with light (ultraviolet light or visible light) to suppress the activity of airborne bacteria, viruses, and odor sources, or to decompose them into water and carbon dioxide. Ozone oxidizes and deodorizes odorous components in the air and odorous components attached to the surfaces of objects.

[0011] 1 shows a perspective view of a floor-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. The housing 11 is formed in a vertical shape that is wider in the left-right direction than it is deep in the front-to-back direction, and is longer in the up-to-down direction than in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The housing 11 may also be formed as a rectangular housing having a rectangular tubular shape (approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape) or a cylindrical housing having a cylindrical shape (approximately cylindrical shape).

[0012] The housing 11 comprises a main body 14 and a cover 15, which is a front panel that is detachably disposed on the front side of the main body 14. An air intake port 16 that draws air into the housing 11 from the outside is provided on the lower side of the housing 11, and an exhaust port 17 that exhausts air from the inside of the housing 11 to the outside is provided on the upper side. On the top surface of the main body 14, in front of the exhaust port 17, is provided an operation panel 18 that has an operation unit for operating the air treatment device 10 and a display unit that displays the operating status, etc.

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

[0014] Figure 2 shows the internal structure of air treatment device 10. Housing 11 comprises outer housing 20, which is a resin housing that forms the outer shell, and inner housing 21, which is a metal housing that is covered by outer housing 20 and is placed inside outer housing 20. Although not shown, a power supply unit, which is an AC / DC converter that converts commercial AC power to specified operating power and supplies it to each device, a light source power supply unit that turns on the ultraviolet light source, and a control unit that controls each device are arranged between outer housing 20 and inner housing 21.

[0015] The internal housing 21 includes a reflecting cylinder 23 that opens in the vertical direction. The reflecting cylinder 23 has metallic reflecting plates 24 arranged on the front, back, left and right sides, and these reflecting plates 24 form a rectangular cylindrical shape.

[0016] The lower side of the reflecting cylinder 23 is connected to the intake port 16 on the lower side of the housing 11, and the upper side of the reflecting cylinder 23 is connected to the exhaust port 17 on the upper side of the housing 11. An air flow path 22 connected to the intake port 16 and the exhaust port 17 is formed inside the reflecting cylinder 23. A processing space 25 is formed inside the reflecting cylinder 23, through which air flows between the intake port 16 and the exhaust port 17. The processing space 25 includes a processing section 26 region through which air flows and which is irradiated with light in the ultraviolet region, an intake side opening 27 region on the intake port 16 side, and an exhaust side opening 28 region on the exhaust port 17 side. Air is taken into the processing section 26 from the intake side opening 27, and air is exhausted to the outside of the processing section 26 from the exhaust side opening 28.

[0017] An intake side unit 30 is disposed at an intake side opening 27 of the processing space 25, which is located below the reflecting cylinder 23. The intake side unit 30 includes a light blocking section 31 and a filter device 32.

[0018] The light-shielding unit 31 includes a frame member 33 that is elongated in the left-right direction and has open top and bottom surfaces, and a plurality of light-shielding members 34 that are arranged at predetermined intervals along the left-right direction inside the frame member 33. The frame member 33 and the light-shielding members 34 are preferably made of a material that has high resistance to ultraviolet light and low reflectance of ultraviolet light and visible light, and are formed, for example, from a metal such as iron, galvanized steel plate, or stainless steel, or from a fluoride resin or ABS resin. The light-shielding members 34 are formed with a generally V-shaped cross section and are arranged within the frame member 33 at intervals such that adjacent light-shielding members 34 overlap each other when viewed from above.

[0019] The filter device 32 is detachably mounted by sliding in the front-rear direction from the front side of the main body 14 with the cover 15 of the housing 11 removed to a filter mounting area 35 provided on the lower side of the reflecting tube 23. On both sides of the filter mounting area 35, there are provided engagement members 36 with which both sides of the filter device 32 are engaged so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, and holding members 37, such as leaf springs, that abut against the upper surface of the filter device 32 inserted into the engagement members 36 to hold it in place. The filter device 32 includes a main body member 38, a filter member 39, and a photocatalyst 40. The distance between the filter member 39 and the light-shielding portion 31 is 10 to 50 mm. The structure of the filter device 32 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0020] In the intake side unit 30, the shading section 31, the filter member 39, and the photocatalyst 40 are arranged in this order from the upstream side of the flow direction in which air is sucked from the intake port 16 into the processing section 26 (the direction in which air is blown by the fan 47, hereinafter referred to as blowing direction A).

[0021] An exhaust-side unit 44 is disposed at the exhaust-side opening 28 of the processing space 25, which is located above the reflecting cylinder 23. The exhaust-side unit 44 includes a mounting member 45, a light source unit 46 disposed on the underside of the mounting member 45, and two fans 47 disposed on the upper side of the mounting member 45. The light source unit 46, mounting member 45, and fans 47 are disposed in this order from the upstream side of the air blowing direction A.

[0022] The mounting member 45 is made of a metal plate and is attached to the upper side of the reflecting cylinder 23 .

[0023] The light source section 46 includes a light source module in which one or more ultraviolet light sources 49, which are light emitting elements such as LEDs, organic ELs, and laser diodes, are mounted along the longitudinal direction of the surface of a long substrate 48.

[0024] The substrate 48 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 multiple pads for mounting the ultraviolet light source 49 and wiring sections connecting these pads in series or series-parallel.

[0025] The ultraviolet light source 49 includes a first ultraviolet light source (sterilizing LED) that emits ultraviolet light with a UV-C wavelength component having 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 (photocatalytic LED) that emits light with a UV-A or visible wavelength component of at least 315 to 420 nm for exciting the photocatalyst supported on the photocatalyst 40. 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 (photocatalytic LED). The UV-C ultraviolet light source 49 and the UV-A ultraviolet light source 49 are arranged in a mixed state along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 48, for example, alternately. The ultraviolet light source 49 is turned on by receiving a predetermined lighting power from the light source power supply.

[0026] The fan 47 is an exhaust fan disposed on the exhaust side of the housing 11, and is, for example, an axial fan. The fan 47 receives a predetermined operating power from a power supply unit, causing the impeller to rotate. The rotation axis of the impeller of the fan 47 is vertical. As the impeller rotates, the fan 47 draws external air into the processing unit 26 through the intake port 16 at the bottom of the housing 11 and exhausts air from the processing unit 26 to the outside through the exhaust port 17 at the top of the housing 11, generating an airflow in the blowing direction A and circulating the external air through the processing unit 26 inside the housing 11. Note that one fan 47 may be used, or three or more fans may be used. The fan 47 is not limited to an axial fan, and other fan types, such as a centrifugal fan or a sirocco fan, may also be used.

[0027] An ozone generator 51 that generates ozone is also disposed within the housing 11. The ozone generator 51 is disposed downstream of the photocatalyst 40, the ultraviolet light source 49, the fan 47, etc. in the air blowing direction A, and is disposed between the ozone generator 51 and the exhaust port 17.

[0028] The ozone generator 51 may be of any type, including silent discharge, electrolysis, and ultraviolet lamp types. The ozone generator 51 of this embodiment employs a silent discharge system. A pair of parallel rod-shaped electrodes, each surrounded by a dielectric material such as glass, are arranged in the ozone generating unit 52. A high voltage is applied between the electrodes, generating a silent discharge (dielectric barrier discharge). Electrons generated by this silent discharge generate ozone from oxygen in the air. The ozone generated by the ozone generating unit 51 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 17 along with the air flowing through the airflow path 22 by the fan 47. Some of the ozone is also introduced into the intake port 16. The ozone decomposes odorous components in the air to deodorize and eliminate odors, and inhibits viral activity. When released into a room, it also decomposes and deodorizes odorous components adhering to the ceiling, walls, floor, and even objects placed in the room.

[0029] 3 and 4 show the filter device 32. The filter device 32 includes a main body member 38, a filter member 39, and a photocatalyst 40.

[0030] The main body member 38 is elongated in the left-right direction to correspond to the shape of the filter mounting area 35 of the reflecting tube 23. The main body member 38 includes a metal main body frame 60 and a metal cover frame 61 detachably attached to the main body frame 60. The main body frame 60 has a first surface 62, a peripheral surface 63 bent from the periphery of the first surface 62, and an attachment portion 64 bent from the long side of the peripheral surface 63. A plurality of rectangular first openings 65 are formed in the first surface 62 and arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The cover frame 61 is formed in a flat plate shape and covers the second surface side of the main body frame 60 opposite the first surface 62. The cover frame 61 is attached to the attachment portion 64 with a plurality of screws 66. The cover frame 61 is formed with second openings 67 facing each of the first openings 65 of the main body frame 60 and having the same shape as each of the first openings 65.

[0031] The filter member 39 is formed horizontally in the left-right direction, for example, from a metal wire mesh. The filter member 39 is a mesh with a mesh count of 30 to 70 (preferably 55) per inch, an opening size of 0.2 to 0.5 mm (preferably 0.3 mm), and an opening ratio of 40 to 70% (preferably 55%).

[0032] The filter member 39 is installed inside the main body frame 60 from the rear side opposite the first surface 62, and is arranged so as to close the multiple first openings 65. The filter member 39 is sandwiched and held between the filter member 39 and the inner surface of the first surface 62 of the main body frame 60 by a presser frame 68 installed from the rear side of the main body frame 60. The presser frame 68 is formed from a metal plate, and has frame openings 69 formed therein that are the same shape as the first openings 65 of the main body frame 60.

[0033] The photocatalyst 40 is formed by holding and applying a photocatalyst such as titanium oxide to a support, for example, in the shape of a square plate, which has a plurality of ventilation holes 70. When exposed to ultraviolet light or visible light with a wavelength component of at least 315 nm to 400 nm in the UV-A range from the light source 46 of the exhaust unit 44, active enzymes and OH radicals are generated. The generated active enzymes and OH radicals decompose odorous components in the air, thereby deodorizing and eliminating odors and suppressing viral activity. The opening rate of the photocatalyst 40 due to the ventilation holes 70 is 30 to 60%.

[0034] The photocatalyst 40 is formed in a substantially square plate shape that is slightly larger than the first opening 65 of the main body frame 60 and the second opening 67 of the cover frame 61, but maintains the same outline. The photocatalysts 40 are inserted into the main body frame 60 from the rear side and arranged side by side in the left-right direction within the main body frame 60. Buffer members 71 that press the photocatalysts 40 arranged within the main body member 38 are arranged between the photocatalyst 40 and the presser frame 68, between the main body frame 60 and the cover frame 61, and between adjacent photocatalysts 40. The buffer members 71 are preferably made of a material with high UV resistance, such as fluororesin or ABS resin. Each photocatalyst 40 arranged within the main body member 38 faces each of the first openings 65 of the main body frame 60 and each of the second openings 67 of the cover frame 61.

[0035] The filter device 32 is arranged so that the first opening 65 of the main body member 38 faces downward and the second opening 67 faces upward when attached to the filter attachment region 35 of the main body portion 14. As a result, the filter member 39 and the photocatalyst 40 are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the air blowing direction A.

[0036] Next, FIGS. 5 to 8 show the configuration of an ozone introduction path 80 that introduces a portion of the ozone generated by the ozone generator 51 into the intake port 16 side.

[0037] An upper member 81 having an exhaust port 17 on its upper surface and an open bottom surface is disposed above the reflecting cylinder 23. A part of the air flow path 22 leading from the fan 47 to the exhaust port 17 is formed inside the upper member 81.

[0038] The ozone generator 51 is attached to the inside of the front surface 82 of the upper member 81. The ozone generating section 52 of the ozone generator 51 is connected to the air flow path 22 and emits ozone into the air flowing through the air flow path 22. An opening (inlet opening) 83 for the ozone generating section 52 of the ozone generator 51 is provided in the front surface 82 of the upper member 81. The ozone generating section 52 of the ozone generator 51 is connected to the opening 83, allowing some of the generated ozone to be introduced into an ozone introduction path 80 provided on the front side of the front surface 82 through the opening 83. The opening 83 has two functions: a maintenance function for cleaning the electrodes of the ozone generating section 52 and a function for introducing ozone into the ozone introduction path 80. A reflector 24 on the front side of the reflecting tube 23 is disposed below the front surface 82 of the upper member 81.

[0039] An ozone introduction path 80 is formed between the front side of the main body 14 and the rear side of the cover 15 attached to the front side of the main body 14, and is connected to the opening 82 and the air intake 16 side to introduce ozone generated by the ozone generator 51 into the air intake 16 side. The components that form the ozone introduction path 80 are made of metals with high ozone resistance, such as iron, galvanized steel plate, and stainless steel, or resins such as fluoride resin and ABS resin. The ozone introduction path 80 is provided separately from the air flow path 22.

[0040] A pair of ribbed introduction walls 84 are provided in parallel along the vertical direction on the back side of cover 15, and a space for ozone introduction path 80 is formed along the vertical direction between the front side of main body 14, the back side of cover 15, and the pair of introduction walls 84. The upper side of ozone introduction path 80 is connected to opening 82, and the lower side is on the intake port 16 side and is connected to discharge port 85 which communicates with the lower side of light-shielding part 31.

[0041] The lower side of the ozone introduction path 80 may be connected to the air intake port 16 side, between the light blocking part 31 and the filter device 32.

[0042] The operation of the air treatment device 10 will now be described.

[0043] As the fan 47 rotates, outside air is drawn into the processing section 26 of the processing space 25 from the intake port 16 on the lower side of the housing 11 through the light-shielding section 31 and the filter device 32, and the air inside the processing section 26 is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust port 17 on the upper side via the fan 47, causing air from outside to circulate inside the processing section 26.

[0044] When the ultraviolet light source 49 is turned on, the ultraviolet light source 49 irradiates the processing unit 26 with the above-mentioned UV-C and UV-A light in the ultraviolet region, and the air circulating within the processing unit 26 is sterilized by the UV-C light with a peak wavelength of at least 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 via the fan 47.

[0045] A portion of the light directed from the ultraviolet light source 49 to the processing section 26 is irradiated onto the photocatalyst 40 of the filter device 32. When the photocatalyst 40 is irradiated with light in the ultraviolet region of at least the UV-A wavelength component with a peak wavelength of 315 nm to 420 nm or visible light from the ultraviolet light source 49, it generates active enzymes and OH radicals, and the generated active enzymes and OH radicals decompose odorous components in the circulating air to deodorize and eliminate odors and suppress viral activity.

[0046] By blowing air by fan 47, external air is sucked into processing section 26 from intake port 16 through the gaps between light-shielding members 34 of light-shielding section 31. Light-shielding section 31 blocks light in the ultraviolet region from ultraviolet light source 49 that passes through filter device 32, preventing light leakage from intake port 16. Light passing through filter device 32 passes through ventilation holes 68 of photocatalyst 40 and the mesh of filter member 39.

[0047] Furthermore, when air is blown by fan 47, foreign matter such as animal hair, human hair, and dust may be sucked into air intake 16 along with the air, pass through light blocking portion 31, and reach filter device 32. As shown in Figure 9, foreign matter such as hair and dust sucked into air intake 16 is captured by filter member 39 and accumulates on the surface of filter member 39.

[0048] The hair captured by the filter member 39 becomes tangled in the filter member 39, tangles with each other, or tangles with dust, and accumulates in the state where it is captured in the filter member 39. Therefore, even when the fan 47 is stopped, the hair and dust captured in the filter member 39 remain in the accumulated state and are prevented from falling.

[0049] Foreign matter such as hair and dust captured on the filter member 39 is irradiated with ultraviolet light L from the ultraviolet light source 49 that passes through the ventilation holes 70 of the photocatalyst 40 and the mesh of the filter member 39, breaking down odor components and deodorizing them. This suppresses the generation of odor from the hair captured on the filter member 39 and reduces the release of odor into the room due to airflow.

[0050] The filter member 39 is a net with a mesh count of 30 to 70, an opening size of 0.2 to 0.5 mm, and an opening rate of 40 to 70%, so that it can capture foreign matter such as hair and dust while ensuring the passage of light L in the ultraviolet region from the ultraviolet light source 49, thereby improving deodorizing performance against foreign matter such as hair and dust.

[0051] The photocatalyst 40 has an opening rate of 30 to 60% due to the ventilation holes 70, which ensures a sufficient contact area with the air while also ensuring the passage of the amount of ultraviolet light L from the ultraviolet light source 49, thereby improving the deodorizing performance against foreign matter such as hair and dust.

[0052] A part of the light L in the ultraviolet region from the ultraviolet light source 49 that passes through the filter member 39 passes through foreign matter such as hair and dust, but since the light blocking section 31 is arranged upstream of the filter member 39 in the air blowing direction A, it is possible to prevent the light L in the ultraviolet region from the ultraviolet light source 49 from leaking to the outside through the air intake 16.

[0053] Since the distance between the filter member 39 and the light-shielding portion 31 is 10 to 50 mm, even if foreign matter such as hair or dust captured in the filter member 39 accumulates to a certain thickness, when the filter device 32 is pulled out from the main body portion 14 for cleaning, the foreign matter such as hair or dust captured in the filter member 39 can be prevented from interfering with the light-shielding portion 31 and falling off.

[0054] 7 and 8, ozone generated by the operation of ozone generator 51 is supplied to the air flowing through air flow path 22 from fan 47 to exhaust port 17 and is released to the outside together with the air. Ozone decomposes odorous components in the air to deodorize and eliminate odors and suppress viral activity, and when released into the room, it also decomposes and deodorizes odorous components adhering to the ceiling, walls, floor, and even objects placed in the room.

[0055] Some of the ozone released into the room is sucked in through the air intake 16 and adheres to foreign matter such as hair and dust captured in the filter member 39, thereby breaking down odor components and eliminating and deodorizing the room.

[0056] 5, 7, and 8, because ozone is heavier than air, some of the ozone generated by ozone generator 51 is introduced into ozone inlet path 80 through opening 82, and is then guided through ozone inlet path 80 to the underside of light shielding portion 31 on the side of intake port 16, and is then sucked into air flow path 22 from intake port 16 together with the air sucked into intake port 16. As shown in Fig. 9, after passing through light shielding portion 31, the ozone sucked into intake port 16 (shown by a dashed line in Fig. 9) adheres to foreign matter such as hair and dust captured by filter member 39, breaking down the odor components and thereby deodorizing and eliminating odors.

[0057] In this way, foreign matter such as hair and dust captured on the filter member 39 is irradiated with ultraviolet light L from above, and ozone flows in from below, and the synergistic effect of these two elements makes it possible to decompose odorous components and deodorize even if foreign matter such as hair and dust has accumulated.

[0058] Furthermore, since trapped foreign matter accumulates in the filter device 32, it must be cleaned periodically. To clean it, the cover 15 is removed from the main body 14, and the filter device 32 is pulled forward from the filter mounting area 35 of the main body 14. The foreign matter trapped in the filter member 39 of the filter device 32 is removed, for example, by vacuuming with a vacuum cleaner. Alternatively, the main body 38 may be disassembled, the filter member 39 removed from the main body 38, and the foreign matter removed and washed. After cleaning the filter member 39, the filter device 32 is inserted back into the filter mounting area 35 of the main body 14.

[0059] Furthermore, if captured foreign matter such as hair or dust falls into the light-shielding portion 31 when the filter device 32 is removed from the filter mounting area 35 of the main body 14, it can be removed by inserting the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner into the filter mounting area 35 and sucking it up.

[0060] Furthermore, the photocatalyst 40 must be cleaned periodically, as it becomes soiled over time and its processing capacity declines. As with the cleaning described above, the filter device 32 is removed from the main body 14, the main body member 38 is disassembled, and the photocatalyst 40 is removed from the main body member 38 and cleaned. After cleaning, the photocatalyst 40 is returned to the main body member 38, the main body member 38 is reassembled, and the filter device 32 is returned to the main body 14.

[0061] As described above, in the air treatment device 10 of this embodiment, foreign matter such as hair and dust sucked in through the air intake 16 can be captured by the filter member 39 and prevented from entering the treatment section 26 .

[0062] Foreign matter such as hair and dust captured by the filter member 39 is irradiated with ultraviolet light L from the ultraviolet light source 49 that has passed through the photocatalyst 40 and the filter member 39, thereby suppressing the generation of odor and reducing the release of odor into the room due to airflow.

[0063] By introducing a portion of the ozone generated by the ozone generator 51 into the air intake 16 side through the ozone introduction path 80, the ozone adheres to foreign matter such as hair and dust captured by the filter member 39, decomposing the odor components and deodorizing them, thereby suppressing the generation of odor and reducing the amount of odor released into the room by the blown air.

[0064] This ozone introduction path 80 is provided separately from the air flow path 22, and is connected to the opening 82 through which the ozone generated by the ozone generator flows, so that the influence of the air blown by the fan 47 is small, and the ozone can be introduced into the intake port 16 side through the ozone introduction path 80.

[0065] By attaching the cover 15 to the main body 14 of the housing 11, the main body 14 and the cover 15 can cooperate to form an ozone introduction path 80.

[0066] It should be noted that ozone generator 51 may be operated to generate ozone when fan 47 is stopped. In this case, ozone, which is heavier than air, flows downward through air flow path 22, which is the opposite direction to airflow direction A, and adheres to foreign matter such as hair and dust captured in filter member 39 through ventilation holes 70 of photocatalyst 40, thereby breaking down odor components and enabling deodorization.

[0067] At this time, fan 47 may be rotated in the reverse direction to send air in the opposite direction to air flow direction A, thereby sending ozone toward foreign matter such as hair and dust captured in the lower filter member 39. Furthermore, a fan that sends air in the opposite direction to air flow direction A may be provided separately from fan 47 that sends air in the opposite direction to air flow direction A, and the air sent by this fan may send ozone toward foreign matter such as hair and dust captured in the lower filter member 39.

[0068] Although several 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 embodied 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 within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10 Air Treatment Device 11. Housing 25 Processing Space 31 Light blocking section 39 Filter material 40 Photocatalyst 47 Fans 49 Ultraviolet light source 51 Ozone Generator 70 ventilation holes A Air blow direction L light

Claims

1. a housing having a processing space; a fan that draws external air into the treatment space and exhausts the air drawn into the treatment space to the outside; a photocatalytic body disposed in the treatment space and having a plurality of ventilation holes; an ultraviolet light source that is disposed within the processing space downstream of the photocatalyst in the direction of airflow by the fan, and that irradiates light in the ultraviolet region toward the photocatalyst upstream of the airflow direction; a filter member that is disposed in the processing space on the upstream side of the photocatalyst in the air blowing direction, and that captures foreign matter sucked in from the outside, and irradiates the captured foreign matter with the light from the ultraviolet light source that has passed through the photocatalyst; An air treatment device comprising:

2. The filter member is a net having a mesh number of 30 to 70, an opening size of 0.2 to 0.5 mm, and an opening rate of 40 to 70%.

2. The air treatment system of claim 1.

3. The photocatalyst has an opening rate of 30 to 60% due to the air holes.

2. The air treatment system of claim 1.

4. a light blocking portion that blocks the light from the ultraviolet light source passing through the filter member, the light blocking portion being disposed upstream of the filter member in the air blowing direction; 2. The air treatment system of claim 1.

5. The distance between the filter member and the light blocking portion is 10 to 50 mm.

2. The air treatment system of claim 1.

6. Equipped with an ozone generator that generates ozone 2. The air treatment system of claim 1.

7. When the fan is stopped or when air is blown in the opposite direction to the air blowing direction, ozone generated by the ozone generator flows toward the filter member.

7. The air treatment system of claim 6.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Air treatment device

    JP2023148732A