Dehumidification apparatus

Abstract

To provide a dehumidification apparatus that can improve a dehumidifying capability.SOLUTION: A dehumidification apparatus 100 is provided with a main body case 1 having an air inlet port 2 and an air outlet port. A heat absorber 10, a heat exchanger 11, a heat radiator 8, and an air blower 6 are arranged in the main body case 1. The dehumidification apparatus 100 has: a first dehumidification passage through which a first portion suctioned through the air inlet port into the main body case 1 by action of the air blower 6 is blown out from the air outlet port 4 through the heat absorber 10, a first passage of the heat exchanger 11, and the heat radiator 8 to the outside of the main body case 1; a second dehumidification passage through which a second portion is blown out from the air outlet port 4 through a second passage of the heat exchanger 11 and the heat radiator 8 to the outside of the main body case 1; and a bypass air passage through which a third portion is blown out from the air outlet port 4 through the radiator 8 to the outside of the main body case 1, without going through the heat absorber 10 and the heat exchanger 11, in which a drainage port 12c is provided on a water collection part 12a in which dew condensation water is aggregated, where the drainage port 12c is arranged below the heat radiator 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dehumidifier. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a dehumidifier that is used in a living space to reduce humidity in the living space, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a dehumidifier that includes a dehumidifying unit configured with a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a radiator, an expander, and a heat absorber are sequentially connected in a ring shape. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-116580 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the device described in Patent Document 1, condensed water accumulates in a drain pan and is drained through a drain outlet, but there are areas where the flow of water and the wind direction in the second air duct are opposite, preventing smooth drainage and potentially reducing dehumidification capacity.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a dehumidifier that can improve the suppression of a decrease in dehumidifying capacity by smooth drainage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a dehumidifier according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a main body case having an air intake port and an air outlet port, in which a heat absorber, a heat exchanger, a radiator and a blower are arranged, and which has a first dehumidification path that blows a first portion of the intake air drawn into the main body case from the air intake port through the heat absorber, a first passage of the heat exchanger and the radiator, and out of the main body case through the air outlet port, a second dehumidification path that blows a second portion of the intake air out of the main body case through a second passage of the heat exchanger and the radiator, and a bypass air path that blows a third portion of the intake air out of the main body case through the air outlet port through a specific part of the radiator, without passing through the heat absorber and heat exchanger, and the drain outlet of the water collection section is arranged below the radiator.

[0007] Any combination of the above components, and conversion of the present disclosure into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a dehumidifier capable of improving dehumidification capacity by smooth drainage can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a dehumidifying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the dehumidifying device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an air passage of the dehumidifier; [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the air flow in the dehumidifier. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Each of the examples described below represents a preferred specific example of the present disclosure. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, the arrangement and connection of the components, steps (processes), and the order of steps are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, among the components in the following examples, components that are not described in the independent claims that represent the highest concept of the present disclosure are described as optional components. Furthermore, in each drawing, substantially identical components are assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0011] Furthermore, terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit the components. [Example] The schematic configuration of a dehumidifier 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the dehumidifier 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the cross section of the dehumidifier 100 taken along line AA in Figure 1.

[0012] 1, a dehumidifier 100 according to this embodiment has a box-shaped main body case 1 as an outer shell, which distinguishes the outside from the inside of the main body case 1. The main body case 1 is provided with an air inlet 2 and an air outlet 4.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the dehumidifier 100 includes a heat absorber 10, a heat exchanger 11, a radiator 8, and a blower 6. The heat absorber 10, the heat exchanger 11, the radiator 8, and the blower 6 are arranged in this order in the front-to-back direction (from the front surface 22 side to the rear surface 23 side) in the main body case 1. In this specification, the directions of the device are defined as the directions when the dehumidifier is installed in a normal operable state. In the dehumidifier 100, the side on which the heat absorber 10 is arranged relative to the radiator 8 is referred to as the "front," the opposite side is referred to as the "rear," and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is referred to as the left-to-right direction.

[0014] A view from the front and back is sometimes referred to as a "front view" or "rear view," a view from the left and right is sometimes referred to as a "side view," and a view from above is sometimes referred to as a "plan view." The air flow generated by the action of the blower 6 is sometimes referred to as "wind," and the upstream and downstream of the air flow are sometimes referred to as "upwind" and "downwind." These notations do not limit the position in which the dehumidifier 100 is used, and the dehumidifier 100 can be used in any position.

[0015] In the embodiment, the front-to-back width of the main body case 1 is smaller than the left-to-right width, and the top-to-bottom width is larger than the left-to-right width. With respect to the main body case 1, the part that forms the front outer surface is referred to as the "front surface," the part that forms the outer surface opposite the front surface is referred to as the "rear surface," the parts that form the left and right outer surfaces are referred to as the "side surfaces," and the part that forms the upper outer surface is referred to as the "top surface."

[0016] An operation unit 25 is provided on the front top surface of the main body case 1 for receiving input from the user and displaying information about the dehumidifier such as the operation mode and current humidity to the user.

[0017] In the embodiment, the air inlet 2 is arranged on the side surface 21 of the main body case 1. The air inlet 2 is a rectangular opening in the side surface 21 of the main body case 1 that draws in air from a direction perpendicular to the side surface 21, and is provided with a lattice. In the embodiment, the air outlet 4 is arranged on the upper rear side of the main body case 1. Above the air outlet 4, a louver 31 is provided that changes the direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 4.

[0018] The blower 6 includes a motor 32 and a fan 33 connected to the rotary shaft of the motor 32 for drawing in and exhausting air. The blower 6 has an intake port 68, which is an opening provided on the surface facing the radiator 8. The blower 6 draws in the air that has passed through the dehumidifier 5 through the intake port 68, and The air is blown out of the blower 6. As a result, the blower 6 blows the air outside the main body case 1 that has been sucked in through the air inlet 2, passes through the dehumidifying section 5, and then blows it out of the main body case 1 through the air outlet 4. The passage for this air is the air passage 34.

[0019] 2, an air passage 34, a blower 6, and a dehumidifying section 5 are arranged inside the main body case 1 of the dehumidifier 100. The air passage 34 communicates with the air inlet 2 and the air outlet 4, and by the action of the blower 6, intake air 60 is drawn into the main body case 1 from the air inlet 2, passes through the air passage 34, and is blown out from the air outlet 4.

[0020] Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the air passage 34 of the dehumidifier 100. Intake air 60 is divided into a first portion 61, a second portion 62, and a third portion 63, each of which is part of the intake air 60, within the main body case 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the flows of the first portion 61, the second portion 62, and the third portion 63 superimposed on a cross-sectional view.

[0021] 2, 3, and 4, in this embodiment, air passage 34 is made up of a plurality of dehumidification paths, namely, first dehumidification path 51, second dehumidification path 52, and third dehumidification path 53. The air flow path of first dehumidification path 51 is referred to as first air passage 71, the air flow path of second dehumidification path 52 is referred to as second air passage 72, and the air flow path of third dehumidification path 53 is referred to as third bypass air passage 73. In other words, air passage 34 can be said to be made up of first air passage 71, second air passage 72, and third bypass air passage 73.

[0022] The dehumidifying section 5 is configured with a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor 7, a radiator 8, an expander 9, and a heat absorber 10 are connected in this order in a ring shape. The refrigeration cycle uses, for example, an alternative refrigerant (HFC134a). The refrigerant pushed out from the compressor 7 flows from top to bottom inside the radiator 8 through refrigerant piping 80. For this reason, the temperature becomes higher the further up the radiator 8 goes. The refrigerant pushed out from the radiator 8 is supplied to the heat absorber 10 via the expander 9. The refrigerant supplied to the heat absorber 10 flows from bottom to top inside the heat absorber 10 and flows into the compressor 7 through refrigerant piping 83. The refrigeration cycle is well known, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0023] Within the main body case 1, a heat absorber 10 is provided on the air inlet 2 side, which is the upstream side of the air flow in the air passage 34, and a heat radiator 8 is provided on the air outlet 4 side, which is the downstream side of the air flow in the air passage 34. A sensible heat type heat exchanger 11 is disposed in the space provided between the heat absorber 10 and the heat radiator 8. In other words, the heat absorber 10, heat exchanger 11, and radiator 8 are disposed in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side of the air flow in the air passage 34.

[0024] The heat exchanger 11 has a horizontal first passage 17 through which a first portion 61 of the intake air 60 passes, and a vertical second passage 18 through which a second portion 62 of the intake air 60 passes. The first passage 17 and the second passage 18 are air passage spaces independent of each other. There are no limitations on the configuration or shape of the heat exchanger 11. As an example, the heat exchanger 11 is formed by stacking multiple resin plates (not shown) so that the first passage 17 and the second passage 18 are formed between them. The heat exchanger 11 is configured to be able to exchange heat between the first portion 61 passing through the first passage 17 and the second portion 62 passing through the second passage 18. As an example, the heat exchanger 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0025] A first portion 61 of the intake air 60 passes through the heat absorber 10, the first passage 17 of the heat exchanger 11, the radiator 8, and the blower 6, and is then blown out of the main body case 1 from the air outlet 4. The flow path of this first portion 61 is the above-mentioned first air passage 71. A second portion 62 of the intake air 60 passes through the second passage 18 of the heat exchanger 11, the radiator 8, and the blower 6, and is then blown out of the main body case 1 from the air outlet 4. The path of this second portion 62 is the above-mentioned second air passage 72.

[0026] The first portion 61 is first cooled by the heat absorber 10. At this time, condensation occurs on the first portion 61. Condensed water is generated. The condensed water drips downward and is collected in a funnel-shaped water collection section 12a located below the heat absorber 10 and the heat exchanger 11. The condensed water collected in the water collection section 12a flows from a drain outlet 12c located below the radiator 8 into a water collection tank 12b located below the water collection section 12a. The water collection tank 12b can be easily attached and detached from the main body case 1.

[0027] Due to heat exchange, the cooled first portion 61 flowing through the first passage 18 lowers the temperature of the second portion 62 flowing through the second passage 18. As a result, condensation occurs in the second portion 62 that has not passed through the heat absorber 10, generating condensed water. The condensed water drips downward from the second passage 18, is collected in the funnel-shaped water collection portion 12a, and flows into the water collection tank 12b through the drain outlet 12c.

[0028] In the embodiment, the heat exchanger 11 is configured such that the airflow resistance of the second passage 18 is greater than the airflow resistance of the first passage 17. As a result, the amount of the second portion 62 flowing through the second passage 18 is less than the amount of the first portion 61 flowing through the first passage.

[0029] The dried first portion 61 after condensation is blown out of the main body case 1 through the air outlet 4. The dried second portion 62 after condensation is blown out of the main body case 1 through the air outlet 4 from the heat exchanger 11 via the radiator 8 and the blower 6. In this way, the dehumidifier 100 reduces the humidity in the surrounding space.

[0030] The operation of the dehumidifier 100 configured as described above will now be described. When the blower 6 is activated, intake air 60 is drawn into the main body case 1 through the air inlet 2 provided in the side surface portion 21. The intake air 60 is divided into a first portion 61, a second portion 62, and a third portion 63. The first portion 61 flows into the radiator 8 through the heat absorber 10 and the first passage 17 of the heat exchanger 11, and cools the radiator 8. The second portion 62 flows into the radiator 8 through the second passage 18 of the heat exchanger 11, and cools the radiator 8.

[0031] The third portion 63 flows into the heat radiator 8 through a third bypass air passage 73 that bypasses the heat absorber 10 and the heat exchanger 11, and cools the heat radiator 8. After cooling the heat radiator 8, the first portion 61, the second portion 62, and the third portion 63 are blown out of the main body case 1 from the air outlet 4 via the blower 6.

[0032] The first portion 61 and the second portion 62 of the intake air 60 are cooled by the heat absorber 10 and the heat exchanger 11 of the refrigeration cycle, and condensation occurs, causing the air to dry. The dried first portion 61 and the second portion 62 are blown out from the air outlet 4, thereby reducing the humidity in the space around the dehumidifier 100.

[0033] The features of the dehumidifier 100 configured as described above will be described. The heat absorber 10, the heat exchanger 11, and the heat radiator 8 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction (front-to-back direction) of the main body case 1 in the order of heat absorber 10, heat exchanger 11, and heat radiator 8. The heat exchanger 11 is provided between the heat absorber 10 and the heat radiator 8. The water collection section 12a is provided below the heat absorber 10, the heat exchanger 11, and the radiator 8. That is, water dripping from the heat absorber 10, the heat exchanger 11, and the radiator 8 drips into the water collection section 12a. The funnel-shaped water collection section 12a has an inclined surface that slopes diagonally downward from the periphery of the water collection section 12a toward the drain outlet 12c on the inside. The water dripping into the water collection section 12a flows into the water collection tank 12b via the drain outlet 12c. Drain outlet 12c is arranged on the radiator 8 side of water collection section 12a in the front-to-rear direction of main body case 1. The inclined surface has a first inclined surface 12d that inclined obliquely downward from the heat absorber 10 side toward drain outlet 12c in water collection section 12a, and a second inclined surface 12e that inclined obliquely downward from the radiator 8 side toward drain outlet 12c in water collection section 12a. In other words, first inclined surface 12d inclined obliquely downward from the heat absorber 10 side toward the radiator 8 side, and second inclined surface 12e inclined obliquely downward from the radiator 8 side toward the heat absorber 10 side.

[0034] Condensation water generated in the heat absorber 10 and the heat exchanger 11 is collected toward the drain outlet 12c by the inclined surface of the water collection portion 12a. At this time, because the drain outlet 12c is disposed below the radiator 8, the direction in which the condensation water flows along the first inclined surface 12d is from the heat absorber 10 side toward the radiator 8 side. The direction in which the intake air 60 of the second portion 62 flows along the first inclined surface 12d is also from the heat absorber 10 side toward the radiator 8 side. On the first inclined surface 12d, the flow direction of the condensation water and the flow direction of the intake air 60 are the same, so that the condensation water can be smoothly drained to the drain outlet 12c and the evaporation of the condensation water by wind can be reduced.

[0035] In addition, in this embodiment, the position of the drain outlet 12c is located on the heat absorber 10 side while overlapping with the radiator 8 in the vertical direction. The position of the drain outlet 12c does not necessarily have to overlap with the radiator 8 in the vertical direction, but it is necessary to be located in the vicinity.

[0036] Between the heat radiator 8 and the water collection section 12a, there is a weir 12f that extends upward from the upper surface of the water collection section 12a and is close to or in contact with the lower end of the heat radiator 8. When viewed from the heat absorber 10 side (the front side of the main body case 1), the weir 12f has a horizontally elongated rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction of the main body case 1, and extends vertically from the second inclined surface 12e of the water collection section 12a so as to be close to or in contact with the lower end of the heat radiator 8. A portion of the intake air 60 in the second section 62 flows along the first inclined surface 12d from the heat absorber 10 side to the heat radiator 8 side, hits the weir 12f, flows upward along the weir 12f, and flows into the heat radiator 8. The weir 12f prevents a portion of the intake air 60 in the second section 62 from flowing into the gap between the heat radiator 8 and the second inclined surface 12e of the water collection section 12a. The dimension of the weir 12f in the left-right direction in the main body case 1 is approximately the same as the dimension of the radiator 8 in the left-right direction in the main body case 1.

[0037] Furthermore, some of the condensation water flowing on first inclined surface 12d due to intake air 60 of second portion 62 flows from heat absorber 10 side to radiator 8 side without entering drain outlet 12c, but hits weir 12f and flows downward along weir 12f. In other words, weir 12f forms second air passage 72, and at the same time prevents condensation water from coming into contact with radiator 8, being heated, and evaporating. As a result, dehumidification capacity can be improved.

[0038] The above description is based on the embodiments of the present disclosure. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component or each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0039] In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the third bypass air passage 73 is provided has been shown, but providing the third bypass air passage 73 is not essential.

[0040] In the description of the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the air inlet 2 is provided on the side surface 21 of the main body case 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. The air inlet 2 may also be provided on the front surface 22 of the main body case 1. [Industrial Applicability]

[0041] It is expected to be used as a dehumidifier to remove humidity from the air in homes, offices, and other spaces. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 Main unit case 2 Air intake 4 Air outlet 5 Dehumidification section 6. Blower 7 Compressor 8 Heat sink 9. Expander 10 Heat absorber 11 Heat exchanger 12a Water collection area 12b Water collection tank 12c drain 12d 1st slope 12e 2nd slope 12f weir 17 1st aisle 18 2nd aisle 21 Side part 22 Front part 23 Rear part 25 Control section 31 Louver 32 motor 33 Fans 34 Air passage 51 First dehumidification route 52 Second dehumidification route 53 Third dehumidification route 60 Intake air 61 Part 1 62 Part 2 63 Part 3 68 Air intake 71 1st wind path 72 2nd wind path 73 Third bypass air duct 100 Dehumidifier

Claims

1. a main body case having an air inlet and an air outlet, a heat sink, a heat exchanger, a radiator, and a fan are disposed in the main body case; a first dehumidifying path that blows a first portion of the intake air drawn into the main body case through the air intake port by the action of the blower, through the heat absorber, the first passage of the heat exchanger, and the radiator, to the outside of the main body case through the air outlet; a second dehumidifying path that blows a second portion of the intake air out of the main body case through the air outlet via a second passage of the heat exchanger and the radiator, the heat absorber, the heat exchanger, and the heat radiator are arranged in a horizontal direction in this order: the heat absorber, the heat exchanger, the heat radiator; A funnel-shaped water collecting section for collecting condensed water is disposed below the heat absorber, the heat exchanger, and the radiator 8; A water collection tank for storing condensed water is provided below the water collection section, The condensed water dripping into the water collection section flows into the water collection tank through a drain outlet of the water collection section, The drain outlet of the dehumidifier is disposed below the radiator.

2. The dehumidifying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a weir provided between the radiator and the water collecting section, the weir extending upward from the water collecting section and being close to or in contact with a lower end of the radiator.

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