humidifier

Abstract

To provide a humidifier capable of fully exerting an air purification effect after releasing humidified air and ozone into the outside air. The humidifier 1 of the present invention has a humidified air generating and discharging section 10 that humidifies air taken in through an inlet 17 and discharges the humidified air from a first outlet 18, and an ozone generating and discharging section 15 that generates ozone and discharges the ozone from a second outlet 24. Discharge of humidified air from the first outlet 18 and discharge of ozone from the second outlet 24 are performed simultaneously or alternately.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Humidifiers are widely used as devices for maintaining a more comfortable humidity level indoors, etc. Some humidifiers spray ozone while humidifying, thereby disinfecting and deodorizing the humidified space and cleaning the air in every corner of the space, creating a hygienic space.

[0003] As is well known, ozone has strong oxidizing power and is therefore used to sterilize various bacteria and purify the air, including inactivating viruses. It is widely used not only in humidifiers but also in various other fields, such as air purifiers and sterilizing and deodorizing devices.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sterilizing and deodorizing device that focuses on the fact that the reaction between water vapor (water molecules) and ozone generates hydroxyl radicals, which have a stronger oxidation-reduction effect than ozone and have excellent sterilizing and deodorizing effects, and that supplies ozone to air with a high relative humidity in an air guide duct within the device, causing the water vapor and ozone to react sufficiently, thereby efficiently generating hydroxyl radicals in the air flowing through the air guide duct. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-3230 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, since hydroxyl radicals disappear within a short time after they are generated, if hydroxyl radicals are generated inside the device by reacting humidified air with ozone, it may be that the hydroxyl radicals are unable to fully exert their air purification effects, including sterilization, deodorization, and allergen suppression, after they are released outside the device.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a humidifier that can fully exert the air purification effect after humidified air and ozone are released into the outside air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The humidifier of the present invention comprises: a humidified air generating and discharging unit that humidifies air taken in through the air inlet and discharges the humidified air from the first air outlet; an ozone generating and releasing unit that generates ozone and releases the ozone from the second outlet; and The humidified air is discharged from the first outlet and the ozone is discharged from the second outlet simultaneously or alternately.

[0009] According to the above-described configuration of the present invention, by discharging humidified air from the first outlet and discharging ozone from the second outlet, i.e., by discharging the humidified air and ozone separately to the outside of the humidifier (outside air), the humidified air and ozone mix and react in the outside air, which is the space to be humidified, to generate hydroxyl radicals. In other words, because hydroxyl radicals, which have a short lifespan and disappear shortly after generation, are generated outside the humidifier, the air purification effect of the hydroxyl radicals can be fully and reliably exerted in the space to be humidified (after the humidified air and ozone are released into the outside air). Furthermore, experiments by the inventors have shown that the air purification effect in this case is approximately the same whether the humidified air is released from the first outlet and the ozone is released from the second outlet simultaneously or alternately.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above configuration, in order to generate hydroxyl radicals outside the humidifier (in the space to be humidified), which disappear shortly after generation, it is necessary to prevent the humidified air and ozone from mixing inside the humidifier. Therefore, if the humidified air generating and releasing unit has a first flow path extending from the air inlet to the first outlet, and the ozone generating and releasing unit has an ozone generating unit that generates ozone and a second flow path extending from the ozone generating unit to the second outlet, the first flow path and the second flow path are provided separately so as not to communicate with each other.

[0011] The humidified air generating unit that generates humidified air in the humidified air generating and discharging unit may be of any type, such as an ultrasonic type in which an ultrasonic vibrator is immersed in stored water and uses ultrasonic vibrations to disperse water molecules of a specified particle size and mix them into the inhaled air, a heating type in which stored water is heated with a heater to evaporate the water molecules and mix them into the inhaled air, an evaporation type in which a fan blows air onto a filter soaked in water and the evaporated water vapor is mixed into the inhaled air, or a hybrid type that combines a heating type and an evaporation type.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to ensure that the air purification effect of hydroxy radicals is fully exerted, it is preferable that the humidified air generating unit that generates humidified air in the humidified air generating and releasing unit mixes water molecules with particle sizes of 100 nm to 300 μm, preferably 100 nm to 300 nm, into the air taken in from the intake port. Experiments by the inventors have shown that by mixing water molecules with particle sizes in this size range into the air, it is possible to efficiently exert a sufficient air purification effect of hydroxy radicals in the space to be humidified in a short period of time (as will be described later).

[0013] Furthermore, the inventors have found through experiments that as long as water molecules with particle sizes within this size range are mixed into the air, even if the humidified air and ozone mix and react in the humidifier, the air purification effect of hydroxy radicals can be fully exerted in the space to be humidified (after the humidified air and ozone are released into the outside air).Furthermore, water molecules with particle sizes of 100 nm to 300 μm, preferably 100 nm to 300 nm, can be generated efficiently, particularly by an ultrasonic vibrator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the humidifier of the present invention, the air purification effect can be fully exerted after the humidified air and ozone are released into the outside air. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a heater according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining environmental conditions in a performance test of the humidifier of FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a graph showing the change in particle size distribution of water molecules from the humidifier of FIG. 1 obtained at a distal point in the chamber (center of the chamber) under the environmental conditions of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the change over time in the amount of pollen allergens obtained at a proximal point in the chamber under the environmental conditions of FIG. 2, with a humidity of 35%. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the change over time in the amount of pollen allergens obtained at a proximal point in the chamber under the environmental conditions of FIG. 2, with a humidity of 50%. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a graph showing, as a comparative example, the change over time in the amount of pollen allergens obtained at a humidity of 35% when the humidified air generating unit that generates humidified air is of an evaporative type. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a graph showing, as a comparative example, the change over time in the amount of pollen allergens obtained at a humidity of 50% when the humidified air generating unit that generates humidified air is of an evaporative type. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A humidifier 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically in Figure 1. As shown in the figure, the humidifier 1 of this embodiment comprises a housing 2, a humidified air generating and releasing section 10 provided within the housing 2, and an ozone generating and releasing section 15 provided within the housing 2.

[0017] Humidified air generating and discharging unit 10 has an intake port 17 provided on the side of housing 2, a first outlet 18 provided at the top end of housing 2, a first flow path 20 extending from intake port 17 to first outlet 18, and humidified air generating unit 12 provided midway along first flow path 20, and humidifies air taken in through intake port 17 and discharges the humidified air from first outlet 18. First flow path 20 also consists of a horizontal flow path section 20a that connects intake port 17 and humidified air generating unit 12 so that they communicate with each other, and a vertical flow path section 20b that connects first outlet 18 and humidified air generating unit 12 so that they communicate with each other.

[0018] Humidified air generating unit 12 generates humidified air by mixing water molecules with particle sizes of 100 nm to 300 μm into air taken in through inlet 17. Specifically, humidified air generating unit 12 has a storage chamber 21 in which water 13 is stored, an ultrasonic vibrator 14 immersed in stored water 13 in storage chamber 21, and a first fan 19 provided above stored water 13 so as to face horizontal flow path unit 20 a.

[0019] In this configuration, when ultrasonic vibrator 14 is driven, ultrasonic vibrations imparted to water 13 cause water 13 to evaporate or become mist on the water surface. The evaporated or misted water (water molecules) 13 have minute particle sizes of 100 nm to 300 μm, which promotes evaporation. As the mist released into the air in storage chamber 21 evaporates, water vapor is supplied to the air taken in from intake port 17 by first fan 19, increasing the relative humidity of the air flowing through horizontal flow path 20a. The humidified air with increased relative humidity is then sent directly by first fan 19 to vertical flow path 20b and blown out from first outlet 18.

[0020] The blowing means for blowing the humidified air generated by taking in air (outside air) through the air inlet 17 to the first outlet 18 is not limited to the fan 19. Any type of blowing means known in the art may be used.

[0021] In this embodiment, the ozone generating and releasing unit 15 has a second air outlet 24 provided on the side of the housing 2, an ozone generating unit 25 that generates (generates) ozone, and a second flow path 22 that extends at least from the ozone generating unit 25 to the second air outlet 24, and releases the ozone generated by the ozone generating unit 25 from the second air outlet 24. In this case, the ozone generating unit 25 is configured as an ozone generator typified by silent discharge, for example, and supplies ozone to the air flow in the second flow path 22 obtained by drawing in outside air with a second fan 27, for example. This ozone flow is then sent out by the second fan 27 and blown out from the second air outlet 24.

[0022] The sending means for sending the ozone generated by the ozone generating unit 25 to the second outlet 24 is not limited to the fan 27. Any type of sending means known in the art can be used.

[0023] Furthermore, as can be clearly seen from Figure 1, in this embodiment, the first flow path 20 of the humidified air generating and releasing section 10 and the second flow path 22 of the ozone generating and releasing section 15 are provided separately so as not to be connected to each other, so that the humidified air generated by the humidified air generating section 12 and the ozone generated by the ozone generating and releasing section 15 do not mix.

[0024] The drive (power supply, etc.) of all of the driving elements described above, i.e., ultrasonic vibrator 14, ozone generator 25, and fans 19 and 27, is controlled by a drive control unit 30 provided within housing 2. In this embodiment, under the control of drive control unit 30, first and second fans 19 and 27 are driven, and humidified air is discharged from first outlet 18 and ozone is discharged from second outlet 24 simultaneously or alternately. As a result, the humidified air (water vapor) and ozone, which are separately and independently discharged into the outside air (outside humidifier 1), mix and react with each other in the outside air, which is the space to be humidified, to generate hydroxyl radicals. As a result, bacteria, viruses, odors, allergens, etc., contained in the outside air are removed or suppressed by the hydroxyl radicals and the remaining unreacted ozone, thereby purifying the air. In other words, in the humidifier 1 of this embodiment, hydroxyl radicals, which have a short life span and disappear shortly after generation, can be generated outside the humidifier 1, so that the air purification effect of hydroxyl radicals can be fully and reliably exerted within the space to be humidified (after the humidified air and ozone are released into the outside air).

[0025] Performance test data for the humidifier 1 of this embodiment are shown in Figs. 3 to 5. These data were obtained by a performance test under the environment shown in Fig. 2. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the performance test was conducted in a room with an internal space volume of 25 m 3A chamber 50 was prepared, a humidifier 1 according to the present embodiment was installed at one end of the chamber 50, and the concentration of water particles (water molecules) by particle size in the humidified air released from the humidifier 1 was measured at a proximal point P1 in the chamber a distance L1 (= 30 cm) from the installation location and at a distal point P2 in the chamber (the central position in the chamber 50) a distance L2 (= 150 cm) from the installation location. A pollen allergen-adhered test piece was also placed at the proximal point P1 in the chamber, and the amount of pollen allergen was also measured.

[0026] The particle size of water molecules was measured using a scanning mobility particle size analyzer. The environmental temperature in chamber 50 was maintained at 23±3°C, and the test was carried out (without ventilation) with humidifier 1 at an initial humidity of 20% or less until the humidity reached 99% (particle concentration measurement was performed). Before the test, the particle concentration in chamber 50 was reduced by operating an air purifier, and the test was started only after confirming that the concentration was sufficiently low.

[0027] Figure 3 is a graph showing the change in particle size distribution of water molecules from the humidifier 1 obtained at a distal point (center of the chamber) P2 in the chamber under the environmental conditions of Figure 2. Each line graph shows the particle concentration for each particle size at 90 minutes, 98 minutes, 106 minutes, 114 minutes, 122 minutes, 130 minutes, and 138 minutes after the start of the test. In the figure, the vertical axis represents the concentration of water particles (water molecules) (number / cm 3 ), with the horizontal axis representing particle diameter (nm). As can be seen from the figure, at all times, the particle concentration was high for water molecules with particle diameters of 100 nm to 300 nm. In other words, water molecules with particle diameters of 100 nm to 300 nm mainly mixed with and reacted with ozone in chamber 50, generating hydroxyl radicals that have an air purifying effect.

[0028] The air purification effect obtained by water molecules with particle sizes of 100 nm to 300 nm mixing and reacting with ozone in chamber 50 to generate hydroxyl radicals is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively, as an example in relation to the amount of pollen allergens. Here, FIG. 4 is a graph showing the time-dependent change in the amount of pollen allergens obtained at a proximal point P1 in the chamber under the environmental conditions of FIG. 2, with a humidity of 35%, and FIG. 5 is a graph showing the time-dependent change in the amount of pollen allergens obtained at a proximal point P1 in the chamber under the environmental conditions of FIG. 2, with a humidity of 50%. The vertical axis represents the amount of allergens (ng / filter), and the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time (h). As can be seen from the graphs, the amount of allergens steadily decreased over time at all humidity levels. Furthermore, the degree of decrease increased with increasing humidity.

[0029] In contrast, evaporative humidifiers that cannot generate water molecules with particle diameters of 100 nm to 300 nm, such as ultrasonic vibrator 14, did not exhibit the same smooth reduction in allergen levels as the humidifier 1 of this embodiment. Comparative examples are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the change over time in the amount of pollen allergens obtained at 35% humidity when the humidified air generating unit that generates humidified air is an evaporative type, and FIG. 7 is a graph showing the change over time in the amount of pollen allergens obtained at 50% humidity when the humidified air generating unit that generates humidified air is an evaporative type. As shown in FIG. 6, at 35% humidity, the amount of allergens slightly decreased but began to increase after one hour. As shown in FIG. 7, even at 50% humidity, the amount of allergens eventually decreased, but after one hour, the amount of allergens continued to increase for one hour.

[0030] However, excellent air purification effects are not limited to water molecules with particle sizes of 100 nm to 300 nm. Experiments conducted by the present inventors have shown that water molecules with particle sizes in the range of 100 nm to 300 μm also have a significant difference in sterilization and deodorization effects compared to particles with other particle sizes.

[0031] Furthermore, the inventors have found through experiments that as long as water molecules with particle sizes within this size range are mixed into the air, even if the humidified air and ozone mix and react inside the humidifier, the air purification effect of hydroxyl radicals can be fully exerted in the space to be humidified (after the humidified air and ozone are released into the outside air). Therefore, even if the first flow path 20 and the second flow path 22 are connected to each other and form a single flow path to blow out ozone and humidified air from a single outlet in the configuration described above with reference to Figure 1, as long as humidified air generating unit 12 mixes water molecules with sizes of 100 nm to 300 µm into the air taken in from inlet 17, an excellent air purification effect can be obtained even outside humidifier 1. Specifically, such a humidifier has a humidified air generating unit that generates humidified air by mixing water molecules with particle sizes of 100 nm to 300 μm generated by an ultrasonic vibrator into air taken in through an intake port, and an ozone generating unit that generates ozone.The humidified air generated by the humidified air generating unit is supplied with ozone generated by the ozone generating unit, causing the humidified air and ozone to react with each other and releasing the reaction product from an outlet.

[0032] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the shape of the housing, the positions of the inlet and outlet, the configuration of the ozone generator, the means for delivering humidified air and ozone, the configuration of the humidified air generator, and the configuration of the flow path are not limited to the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, some or all of the above-described embodiments may be combined, or part of the configuration may be omitted from one of the above-described embodiments, without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 humidifier 10 Humidified air generating and discharging section 12 Humidified air generating section 14 Ultrasonic transducer 15 Ozone generation and emission section 17 Intake port 18 First air outlet 20 First Channel 22 Second Channel 24 Second air outlet 25 Ozone generation unit

Claims

1. a humidified air generating and discharging section that humidifies air taken in through the air inlet and discharges the humidified air from the first air outlet; an ozone generating and releasing unit that generates ozone and releases the ozone from the second outlet; and A humidifier characterized in that the humidified air is discharged from the first outlet and the ozone is discharged from the second outlet simultaneously or alternately.

2. the humidified air generating and discharging section has a first flow path extending from the air inlet to the first air outlet, the ozone generation and release unit includes an ozone generation unit that generates ozone, and a second flow path that extends from the ozone generation unit to the second outlet, 2. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the first flow path and the second flow path are provided separately so that the humidified air and the ozone do not mix with each other.

3. The humidifier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the humidified air generating and discharging section has a humidified air generating section that generates humidified air by mixing water molecules with a particle size of 100 nm to 300 μm into the air taken in through the suction port.

4. 4. The humidifier according to claim 3, wherein the humidified air generating unit generates water molecules having a particle size of 100 nm to 300 μm by an ultrasonic vibrator.

5. a humidified air generating unit that generates humidified air by mixing water molecules having a particle size of 100 nm to 300 μm generated by an ultrasonic vibrator into air taken in through an intake port; an ozone generating unit that generates ozone; and A humidifier characterized in that ozone generated by the ozone generating unit is supplied to humidified air generated by the humidified air generating unit, causing the humidified air and the ozone to react with each other, and the reaction product is released from an outlet.

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