Blower and fan

Abstract

For example, we provide a blower in which the growth of microorganisms is suppressed. [Solution] The blower comprises a housing and a fan disposed inside the housing, the fan having at least a portion of its surface being water-repellent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a blower and a fan.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioner that focuses on the growth of microorganisms such as mold and bacteria.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A main object of the present disclosure is to provide, for example, a blower in which the growth of microorganisms is suppressed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the blower includes a housing and a fan disposed within the housing, at least a part of the surface of which has water repellency.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, for example, a blower in which the growth of microorganisms is suppressed can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] It is a schematic perspective view of an air conditioner with the air outlet closed. [Figure 2] It is a schematic perspective view of an air conditioner with the air outlet open. [Figure 3] It is a schematic front view of an air conditioner with the air outlet closed. [Figure 4]Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioner along line IV-IV. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air conditioner with the air outlet open. [Figure 6] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air conditioner with the fins and louvers removed. [Figure 7] This is a schematic perspective of a fan. [Figure 8] This is a schematic front view of the fan. [Figure 9] Figure 8 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the fan along line IX-IX. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram of an air conditioning unit. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing the process when the air conditioning operation mode is stopped. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart for the reverse rotation mode. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart illustrating the control in the first modified example. [Figure 14] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioner in the second modified example, with the fins and louvers removed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] In this embodiment, an air conditioner 1 shown in Figure 1 will be described in detail with reference to the drawing as an example of a blower. In the following description, components having substantially common functions will be referred to by the same reference numerals and used in the explanation.

[0009] In this disclosure, “air blower” means any device that blows out air. An air blower may have other functions in addition to an air blowing function, such as a function to heat, cool, dehumidify, humidify, or purify the blown air. Examples of air blowers include air conditioners, air purifiers, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers.

[0010] In the present disclosure, the "air conditioner" shall mean all air blowers that adjust temperature, humidity, air purification, and air flow.

[0011] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the air conditioner 1 with the air outlet 10b closed. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the air conditioner 1 with the air outlet open. FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the air conditioner 1 with the air outlet closed. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioner 1 taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioner 1 with the air outlet open. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioner 1 with the fins and louvers removed.

[0012] In the following description, for example, the vertical direction of the air conditioner 1 installed on a wall or the like is defined as the height direction H, the direction perpendicular to each of the height direction H and the wall is defined as the depth direction D, and the direction perpendicular to each of the height direction H and the depth direction D is defined as the width direction W.

[0013] The air conditioner 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 is an air conditioner having a cooling function.

[0014] The air conditioner 1 has a housing 10. The housing 10 houses various mechanisms of the air conditioner 1. The housing 10 is provided with an air inlet 10a and an air outlet 10b. The air inlet 10a and the air outlet​​​Mainly, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a fan 20 is arranged inside the housing 10. The fan 20 is a member that generates an air flow. The fan 20 is provided rotatably about a central axis A extending along the width direction W. When the fan 20 rotates in the first rotation direction D1 about the central axis A, an air flow is generated in which the air supplied from the intake port 10a to the internal space 10c is blown out of the housing 10 from the outlet port 10b via the fan 20.

[0016] In the direction in which the air flow flows, a cooling mechanism 35 is arranged between the intake port 10a and the fan 20. The cooling mechanism 35 is located between the intake port 10a and the fan 20 in the height direction H. In a plan view, the upper part of the fan 20 is covered by the cooling mechanism 35. The air supplied from the intake port 10a reaches the fan 20 via the cooling mechanism 35.

[0017] The cooling mechanism 35 cools the air in the vicinity of the cooling mechanism 35. The cooling mechanism 35 may be constituted by, for example, an evaporator connected to a compressor 32 (see FIG. 10) provided in an outdoor unit by a refrigerant circuit. In that case, the air is cooled by heat exchange between the cooled refrigerant supplied to the cooling mechanism 35 as the evaporator and the air. As shown in FIG. 10, a heat pump 33 is constituted by the cooling mechanism 35 constituted by the evaporator, the compressor 32, and a refrigerant circuit that connects the cooling mechanism 35 and the compressor 32 and allows the refrigerant to circulate.

[0018] In the direction in which the air flow flows, a wind guiding member 30 is provided between the fan 20 and the outlet port 10b. A wind guiding path 30a extending from the region side where the fan 20 is provided to the outlet port 10b side is formed in the wind guiding member 30. The air from the fan 20 is guided to the outlet port 10b side by the wind guiding path 30a provided in the wind guiding member 30.

[0019] The air guide member 30 has a wall portion 31 located below the air guide path 30a. At least a portion of the wall portion 31 is located below the fan 20. In a side view (when viewed from the width direction W), the wall portion 31 is provided so as to extend from the rear to the front of the central axis A of the fan 20. The wall portion 31 extends diagonally downward toward the front (towards the outlet 10b).

[0020] A louver 41 is provided within the air guide path 30a. This louver 41 is a component for adjusting the direction of the air flowing through the air guide path 30a in the width direction W. The louver 41 has multiple blades that extend along the height direction H. Each of the multiple blades is provided with a variable direction of extension in a plan view. By adjusting the direction of the blades of this louver 41, the direction of the air blown out from the outlet 10b in the width direction W can be adjusted.

[0021] The louvers 41 are detachably attached to the housing 10. Figure 6 shows the louvers 41 removed from the housing 10.

[0022] A louver 42 is provided in the air guide path 30a. This louver 42 is located downstream of the louver 41. The louver 42 is made of a plate-like member. The louver 42 is located at the upstream end and is rotatable about a rotation axis that extends along the width direction W. By adjusting the rotational position of this louver 42, the direction of the wind in the height direction H blown out from the outlet 10b can be adjusted.

[0023] Furthermore, by maintaining the louver 42 in the rotational position shown in Figure 4, the air outlet 10b can be effectively closed by the louver 42. By maintaining the louver 42 in the rotational position shown in Figure 5, the air outlet 10b can be opened. For example, when the air conditioner 1 is stopped, maintaining the louver 42 in the rotational position shown in Figure 4 closes the air outlet 10b, preventing dust and other debris from entering the internal space 10c from the air outlet 10b. For example, by maintaining the louver 42 in the rotational position shown in Figure 5, the air outlet 10b can be opened, allowing for a suitable airflow from the air outlet 10b. Thus, the louver 42 combines both an airflow guiding function and an opening / closing mechanism function.

[0024] Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of fan 20. Figure 8 is a schematic front view of fan 20. Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of fan 20 along line IX-IX in Figure 8.

[0025] As primarily shown in Figure 9, the fan 20 has multiple blades 21. The multiple blades 21 are arranged at intervals from one another along the circumferential direction around the central axis A. The multiple blades 21 are positioned radially away from the central axis A. Therefore, when the fan 20 rotates around the central axis A, the multiple blades 21 revolve around the central axis A.

[0026] Multiple blades 21 are arranged concentrically around the central axis A. Each of the multiple blades 21 extends radially outward toward the first rotation direction D1. Therefore, when the fan 20 rotates in the first rotation direction D1, a stronger airflow is generated than when the fan 20 rotates in the second rotation direction D2, which is opposite to the first rotation direction D1. Each of the multiple blades 21 has a curved shape when viewed in detail from the direction in which the central axis A extends.

[0027] In the air conditioner 1, at least a portion of the surface of the fan 20 is water-repellent. At least a portion of the surface of the fan 20 is either coated with a water-repellent layer or treated with a water-repellent coating. The contact angle with water of the water-repellent portion of the surface of the fan 20 is preferably 120° or more, more preferably 130° or more, even more preferably 140° or more, and still more preferably 150° or more.

[0028] In this disclosure, the contact angle with respect to water (static contact angle) can be measured under normal pressure and at room temperature (25°C) using, for example, a contact angle meter manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd. (product name: DMs-301). The contact angle with respect to water should be measured on a planar sample, and a measurement sample having the same properties as the surface of the fan should be prepared and used for the measurement.

[0029] In this disclosure, the property of having a contact angle with water of 150° or more is referred to as "superhydrophobic." For this reason, it is preferable that at least a portion of the surface of the fan 20 is superhydrophobic. Of the fan 20, it is preferable that at least the concave main surfaces 21a of the plurality of blades 21 are water-repellent, preferably superhydrophobic, and it is more preferable that the entire surface of the plurality of blades 21 is water-repellent, preferably superhydrophobic, and it is preferable that substantially the entire surface of the fan 20 is water-repellent, preferably superhydrophobic.

[0030] The water-repellent coating layer formed on the surface of the fan 20 preferably contains at least one selected from the group consisting of, for example, organofluorine compounds, organosilicon compounds, and organic compounds having a tertiary alkyl group. The water-repellent coating layer preferably contains an organic compound having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups having 3 or fewer carbon atoms, trifluoromethyl groups, perfluoroalkyl groups, silyl groups, and tertiary alkyl groups. Examples of water-repellent treatments for imparting water repellency to the surface of the fan 20 include spraying, immersion, and vapor deposition.

[0031] Preferably, at least a portion of the surface of the fan 20 includes a portion that has higher water repellency than at least a portion of the main surface 31a (see, for example, Figure 6), which is the inner surface of the wall portion 31 of the air guide member 30 facing the fan 20.

[0032] The main surface 31a includes an upstream surface 31a1 located on the fan 20 side and a downstream surface 31a2 located on the outlet 10b side of the upstream surface 31a1. Preferably, the downstream surface 31a2 has higher water repellency than the upstream surface 31a1. Preferably, at least a portion of the surface of the fan 20, particularly the main surfaces 21a of a plurality of blades 21, have higher water repellency than the upstream surface 31a1. For example, it is preferable that the following formulas (1) and (2) are satisfied.

[0033] θ1 > θ2 ······ (1) θ2 > θ3 ······ (1) In equations (1) and (2), θ1 is the contact angle of at least a portion of the surface of the fan 20 with respect to water. θ2 is the contact angle of the upstream surface 31a1 with respect to water. θ3 is the contact angle between the downstream surface 31a2 and water.

[0034] In the cross-section of the air conditioner 1 shown in Figure 6, the length of the downstream surface 31a2 is preferably 1 / 20 or more of the length of the main surface 31a, more preferably 1 / 10 or more, and even more preferably 1 / 5 or more. The length of the downstream surface 31a2 is preferably 0.7 times or less of the length of the main surface 31a, and more preferably 1 / 2 or less.

[0035] In the air conditioner 1, it is preferable that the surface roughness (arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) as defined in JIS B 0601:1994) of the downstream surface 31a2 is rougher than that of the upstream surface 31a1. It is preferable that the arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) of at least a portion of the downstream surface 31a2 is 5 times or more, and more preferably 10 times or more, than that of the arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) of the upstream surface 31a1.

[0036] Figure 10 is a block diagram of the air conditioner 1. As shown in Figure 10, the air conditioner 1 has a control unit 50. The control unit 50 may include, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and a memory device. The memory device stores, for example, data and computer programs. For example, the memory device temporarily stores data necessary for each process of the control unit 50, and stores setting data for the cooling unit 2. The memory device may include a main memory and an auxiliary memory. The memory device may include, for example, non-volatile memory or a hard disk drive.

[0037] A rotation mechanism 51 is connected to the control unit 50. The rotation mechanism 51 is a mechanism that rotates the fan 20 about the central axis A. The rotation mechanism 51 can rotate the fan 20 in both the first rotation direction D1 and the second rotation direction D2. The rotation mechanism 51 can be configured by, for example, a motor.

[0038] A heat pump 33 is connected to the control unit 50. More specifically, the compressor 32 of the heat pump 33 is connected to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 indirectly controls the cooling mechanism 35, which is composed of an evaporator, by controlling the compressor 32. If the cooling mechanism 35 is composed of independent cooling elements, such as a Peltier element, the control unit 50 may directly control the cooling mechanism 35.

[0039] An opening / closing mechanism 52 is further connected to the control unit 50. The opening / closing mechanism 52 is a mechanism that opens and closes the air outlet 10b by rotating the louvers 42 that constitute the opening / closing member. The opening / closing mechanism 52 may be composed of, for example, a motor or a cylinder.

[0040] The control unit 50 is configured to execute multiple modes, such as a cooling mode that blows out cooled air, a heating mode that blows out heated air, and a dehumidifying mode that blows out dehumidified air, by controlling the heat pump 33 and the like.

[0041] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the process when the cooling operation mode is stopped. As shown in Figure 11, while the cooling operation mode is being executed by the control unit 50, in step S10, the control unit 50 determines whether or not the user has performed an operation to stop the operation. The air conditioner 1 has an operator such as a remote controller, and the control unit 50 determines whether or not the user has performed an operation to stop the cooling operation mode using that operator. If it is determined in step S10 that no stop operation has been performed, the process returns to step S10.

[0042] If it is determined that a stop operation has been performed in step S10, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, the control unit 50 stops the cooling mechanism 35. Specifically, in the air conditioner 1, the cooling mechanism 35 is composed of an evaporator, so in step S11, the control unit 50 stops the heat pump 33 by stopping the compressor 32, etc., thereby indirectly stopping the cooling mechanism 35.

[0043] Next, in step S20, the control unit 50 performs the reverse rotation mode. Figure 12 shows a flowchart of the reverse rotation mode. As shown in Figure 12, in the reverse rotation mode, first, in step S21, the control unit 50 closes the air outlet 10b. Specifically, the control unit 50 changes the position of the louvers 42 using the opening and closing mechanism 52 shown in Figure 10, and closes the air outlet 10b with the louvers 42.

[0044] Next, in step S22, the control unit 50 causes the fan 20 to rotate in the reverse direction using the rotating mechanism 51. More specifically, the control unit 50 rotates the fan 20 in a second rotation direction D2, which is opposite to the first rotation direction D1, which is the rotation direction of the fan 20 in the cooling operation mode.

[0045] Next, in step S23, the control unit 50 instructs the rotating mechanism 51 to stop the rotation of the fan 20.

[0046] As explained above, in the air conditioner 1, at least a portion of the surface of the fan 20 is water-repellent. Therefore, water droplets adhering to the fan 20 fall off easily. Thus, dust and other particles adhere to the water droplets on the fan 20, and the subsequent proliferation of microorganisms such as bacteria can be effectively suppressed. Among the parts of the fan 20, the blades 21 are more exposed to the air when blowing air. Therefore, it is preferable that at least a portion of the surface of the blades 21 is water-repellent, and of the surface of the blades 21, it is preferable that at least the main surface 21a is water-repellent.

[0047] From the viewpoint of more effectively suppressing the adhesion of water droplets generated by condensation on the surface of the fan 20 to the fan 20, it is preferable that at least a portion of the surface of the fan 20 has superhydrophobic properties.

[0048] In particular, in the air conditioner 1, the cooling mechanism 35 is located on the intake port 10a side of the fan 20, so cooled air is supplied to the fan 20, and condensation is likely to occur on the surface of the fan 20. Therefore, the technology of this embodiment, which can suppress the adhesion of water droplets caused by condensation to the fan 20, is more effective.

[0049] During condensation, dust and other particles in the air are easily incorporated into the water. Therefore, it is preferable that the air conditioner 1 is configured so that condensed water that falls from the fan 20 does not fall outside the air conditioner 1.

[0050] Although the surface of the fan 20 has high water repellency, the water repellency of the surface of the air guide member 30 facing the fan 20 is lower than that of the fan 20 surface. Therefore, condensation water that falls from the fan 20 is stopped on the surface of the air guide member 30 and is less likely to fall outside the air conditioner 1. In particular, in this embodiment, the downstream surface 31a2 has a rougher surface than the upstream surface 31a1. Condensation water is more effectively trapped in this area, and its leakage from the air conditioner 1 is more effectively suppressed.

[0051] In the air conditioner 1, the water-repellent properties of the upstream surface 31a1 of the wall portion 31 of the air guide member 30 are higher than those of the downstream surface 31a2. Therefore, condensation water that falls on the wall portion 31 is collected from the upstream surface 31a1 to the downstream surface 31a2, trapped on the downstream surface 31a2, and effectively suppressed to the outside of the air conditioner 1.

[0052] In the air conditioner 1, the louvers 42 and 41 are configured to be detachable. Therefore, for example, by removing the louvers 41 and 42, etc., to the state shown in Figure 6, the downstream surface 31a2, which is prone to dirt accumulation, can be easily cleaned. Thus, the growth of microorganisms is suppressed in the air conditioner 1, and the air conditioner 1 has excellent cleanability and maintainability.

[0053] Furthermore, in the air conditioner 1, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, when the cooling operation mode is stopped, the control unit 50 performs a reverse rotation mode, causing the fan 20 to rotate in the reverse direction using the rotating mechanism 51. This allows the fan 20 to blow away any water droplets that may have adhered to it. Therefore, the persistence of water droplets adhering to the surface of the fan 20 can be more effectively suppressed.

[0054] From the standpoint of more effectively blowing away water droplets from the fan 20, it is preferable that the rotation speed of the fan 20 in reverse rotation mode is higher than the rotation speed of the fan 20 in reverse rotation mode than when the cooling mechanism 35 is running during cooling operation mode. This is because a large centrifugal force is applied to the water droplets adhering to the fan 20.

[0055] In step S22, the rotational speed of the fan 20 may be increased all at once, or the rotational speed of the fan 20 may be increased gradually. By gradually increasing the rotational speed of the fan 20, the water droplets can be moved radially outward from the fan 20 by the gradually increasing centrifugal force and then blown away.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in step S23, the control unit 50 stops the reverse rotation of the fan 20. Specifically, the control unit 50 restricts the reverse rotation of the fan 20 during the execution of the reverse rotation mode to stop the reverse rotation of the fan 20. For example, the control unit 50 stops the reverse rotation of the fan 20 by causing the rotation mechanism 51 to apply torque to the fan 20 in the forward rotation direction (first rotation direction D1). This causes the reverse rotation of the fan 20 to stop abruptly. Therefore, an inertial force acts on the water droplets adhering to the fan 20, more effectively promoting the blowing off of the water droplets from the fan 20. Thus, the persistence of water droplets adhering to the fan 20 is more effectively suppressed.

[0057] The fan 20 may also be stopped by a brake (for example, a disc brake) provided separately from the rotating mechanism 51.

[0058] For example, from the perspective of blowing away water adhering to the fan 20, the fan 20 may be rotated in the forward direction (the first rotational direction D1). However, in that case, the rotation of the fan 20 will cause air to be blown towards the outlet 10b.

[0059] In this embodiment, the fan 20 rotates in the reverse direction (rotates in the second rotation direction D2). Therefore, the rotation of the fan 20 generates an airflow on the opposite side from the air outlet 10b. Thus, the falling of water droplets from the air outlet 10b located on the lower side can be more effectively suppressed. Moreover, in this embodiment, step S21 closes at least a part of the air outlet 10b with the louver 42. Thus, the falling of water droplets from the air outlet 10b is more effectively suppressed.

[0060] From the viewpoint of promoting the evaporation of water droplets blown away by the fan 20 inside the housing 10, the reverse rotation mode may be performed while heating the air with the heat pump 33. For example, the reverse rotation mode may be performed while the heating operation mode is in operation.

[0061] The following describes modifications of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following description, components having substantially the same function as those in the first embodiment are referred to by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0062] (First variation) Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating the control in the first modified example.

[0063] In the first embodiment described above, an example was given in which the reverse rotation mode is performed once. However, this disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in Figure 13, in the first modified example, after the reverse rotation mode is performed in step S20, in step S24, the control unit 50 determines whether the most recently performed reverse rotation mode is the nth time. n is a natural number. For example, if n is 3, the control unit 50 determines in step S24 that the reverse rotation mode performed in the most recent step S20 was the 1st or 2nd time, and returns to step S20. In step S24, if the control unit 50 determines that the most recently performed reverse rotation mode is the nth time (specifically the 3rd time), the reverse rotation mode ends without being performed any further. Therefore, in this modified example, the reverse rotation mode is performed repeatedly multiple times. Thus, water adhering to the fan 20 can be blown away more effectively.

[0064] (Second variation) Figure 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioner in the second modified example, with the fins and louvers removed. In the second modified example shown in Figure 14, a projection 34 is provided that protrudes upward from the downstream surface 31a2 of the main surface 31a of the wall portion 31 of the air guide member 30. As a result, for example, water droplets that fall from the fan 20 onto the main surface 31a are more effectively prevented from falling out of the air outlet 10b.

[0065] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. Configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described herein are also included in the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1: Air conditioner 2: Cooling unit 10: Cabinet 10a: Intake 10b: Air outlet 10c: Internal space 20: Fan 21: Feather 21a: Main surface 30: Air guide member 30a: Air guide path 31 :Wall part 31a: Main surface 31a1: Upstream surface 31a2: Downstream surface 32: Compressor 33: Heat pump 34:Protrusion 35: Cooling mechanism 41: Louver 42: Louver 50: Control Unit 51: Rotating mechanism 52: Opening and closing mechanism

Claims

1. The casing and A fan is disposed within the aforementioned enclosure, and at least a portion of its surface is water-repellent. A blower equipped with a fan.

2. The device further includes a rotation mechanism that rotates the fan around a central axis, The fan has blades that rotate around the central axis as it rotates around the central axis. The blower according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the surface of the blades is water-repellent.

3. The blower according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the surface of the fan is superhydrophobic.

4. The housing has an air intake and an air outlet, The blower according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling mechanism positioned on the intake side of the fan.

5. The housing has an air intake and an air outlet, The system further includes an air guide member having a portion located below the fan, which guides the air from the fan toward the outlet side. The blower according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the fan includes a portion having higher water repellency than the surface of the air guide member facing the fan.

6. The surface of the air guide member facing the fan side includes an upstream portion and a downstream portion located closer to the outlet than the upstream portion. The blower according to claim 5, wherein the water repellency of the upstream portion is higher than that of the downstream portion.

7. The fan according to claim 6, wherein the surface of the fan includes a portion having higher water repellency than the upstream portion.

8. The blower according to claim 6, wherein the air guide member has a projection that protrudes upward from the downstream portion.

9. The blower according to claim 6, wherein the downstream portion has a portion with a rougher surface than the upstream portion.

10. A rotation mechanism that rotates the fan around a central axis, A cooling mechanism for cooling the air blown by the aforementioned fan, Control unit and Furthermore, The blower according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes a reverse rotation mode on the rotating mechanism to rotate the fan in the reverse direction after stopping the cooling mechanism.

11. A fan whose surface, at least a portion of it, is water-repellent.

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