Air purifier

Abstract

To provide an air purifier that improves the air sterilization effect using deep ultraviolet light while preventing an increase in the size of the device itself and providing easy maintenance. [Solution] The air purifier 1 has a fan unit 30 and an air purifying section 20 inside a casing 10. The lower surface of the casing 10 is provided with an intake port 10a for taking in indoor air and four outlets 10b for blowing out clean air in different directions. The air purifying section 20 has an irradiation chamber 23 composed of a light source 21 that irradiates deep ultraviolet light and a reflective section (reflector 22) that reflects the deep ultraviolet light. The fan unit 30 has a fan casing 31 built into the upper part of the casing 10, a multi-blade impeller 32 and a motor 33. The fan casing 31 is provided with an inlet 31a that communicates with the irradiation chamber 23 and four openings 31b that communicate with each of the outlets 10b.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purifying device that takes in indoor air and supplies the sterilized (purified) air (clean air) indoors.

Background Art

[0002] In the field of air purification, a technique for purifying (sterilizing) air using ultraviolet light of a specific wavelength is known. In particular, ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 100 nm to 280 nm, called deep ultraviolet light, is known to have a strong sterilizing effect and can inactivate bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc. However, since deep ultraviolet light can cause inflammation and skin cancer if directly applied to the skin and may cause cataracts if directly viewed, sufficient caution is required when handling it. Therefore, there is a need for an air purifying device that can be safely handled while utilizing deep ultraviolet light. For example, there is one described in Patent Document 1.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an antiviral air conditioner that includes a blower fan, a heat exchanger, a filter, a housing that houses an ultraviolet light source that emits light including ultraviolet light of a wavelength that inactivates viruses, and an air intake provided at a position corresponding to the front side (upstream side) of the filter of this housing. The ultraviolet light source is provided on the rear side (downstream side) of the filter. With such a configuration, this antiviral air conditioner can inactivate viruses without directly irradiating the room with ultraviolet light of a wavelength that inactivates viruses.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the antiviral air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 uses filters such as medium-efficiency filters and HEPA filters, which means that filter maintenance (inspection, replacement, etc.) is time-consuming and costly. In addition, the antiviral air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 has a chamber for raising the filter in the space above (behind) the filter in order to ensure that a certain amount or more of deep ultraviolet irradiation is obtained. Therefore, in order to ensure that a certain amount or more of deep ultraviolet irradiation is obtained, it is necessary to ensure sufficient vertical distance of the chamber, which inevitably makes the air conditioner unit large and limits the installation space.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an air purifier that improves the air sterilization effect using deep ultraviolet light, prevents the device from becoming larger, and offers good maintainability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The air purifying device according to the present invention is An air purifier having a fan unit and an air purification unit inside a casing, The lower surface of the casing is provided with an intake port for taking in indoor air. Around the aforementioned intake port, four outlets are provided, each blowing clean air in a different direction. The air purification unit comprises a light source that emits deep ultraviolet light and an irradiation chamber composed of a reflective section that reflects the deep ultraviolet light. The fan unit comprises a fan casing built into the upper part of the casing, a multi-blade impeller provided inside the fan casing, and a motor for driving the impeller. The fan casing is provided with an inlet that communicates with the irradiation chamber and four openings that communicate with each of the outlets.

[0008] With this configuration, bacteria, fungi, and viruses contained in the indoor air taken in through the intake port on the underside of the casing are inactivated and killed by deep ultraviolet light emitted by the light source in the irradiation chamber of the air purification unit and by deep ultraviolet light reflected by the reflector. The sterilized air (purified air) is then drawn into the fan casing from the inlet by the impeller and blown out in all directions from the respective outlets of the casing through their respective openings.

[0009] Furthermore, it is desirable that the light source be positioned below the irradiation chamber so as to irradiate toward the inlet side of the fan casing.

[0010] Furthermore, it is desirable that the impeller be made of a material with a high reflectivity to deep ultraviolet light emitted from the light source.

[0011] In addition, it is desirable that a light-shielding means made of a material with low reflectivity to deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source be provided near the intake port of the casing.

[0012] Furthermore, it is desirable that the light-shielding means comprises a first light-shielding member provided substantially vertically so as to surround the light source, and a second light-shielding member provided substantially vertically so as to surround the first light-shielding member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The air purifying device according to the present invention, with the above configuration, (1-1) In this way, by drawing in indoor air from below the air purifier through the intake port and blowing the purified air evenly in all directions from the outlet, an airflow is generated that circulates in the space below the air purifier, and the space can be disinfected evenly. (1-2) The indoor air taken in through the intake is sterilized in the irradiation chamber of the air purification unit not only by deep ultraviolet light emitted by the light source but also by deep ultraviolet light reflected by the reflector, thus improving the sterilization effect and supplying higher quality clean air. (1-3) The air purification unit has a simple configuration that does not require filters to remove bacteria, fungi, or viruses from the air. Therefore, maintenance does not involve the hassle and expense of inspecting and replacing filters, thus improving convenience. In addition, maintenance can be performed safely because there is no contact with filters contaminated with bacteria, fungi, or viruses.

[0014] Furthermore, the light source is positioned below the irradiation chamber so as to irradiate the fan casing towards the inlet side. (2-1) The light source irradiates deep ultraviolet light towards the inlet side (upwards) of the fan casing, so that deep ultraviolet light can be irradiated through the inlet into the fan casing where the impeller is installed, thereby improving the sterilization effect. (2-2) Furthermore, by irradiating deep ultraviolet light into the fan casing where the impeller is installed, a sufficient amount of irradiation can be secured without having to secure an unnecessarily large distance in the vertical direction (direction of deep ultraviolet irradiation) of the air purification unit.

[0015] (3) As mentioned above, the light source can irradiate deep ultraviolet light all the way to the impeller located inside the fan casing. Furthermore, by making the impeller out of a material with a high reflectivity of deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source, the deep ultraviolet light is reflected by the impeller as well, so that sterilization treatment is also performed inside the fan casing, further improving the sterilization effect.

[0016] In addition, by providing a light-shielding means near the intake port of the casing, which is made of a material with low reflectivity to deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source, (4-1) The light-shielding means can further prevent deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source from leaking into the room through the intake port of the casing. (4-2) Furthermore, by using light-shielding means to prevent deep ultraviolet rays from the light source from leaking into the room, it is possible to prevent health problems among indoor residents such as cataracts, skin cancer, and inflammation.

[0017] (5) Further, the light shielding means is composed of a first light shielding member provided substantially vertically so as to surround the periphery of the light source, and a second light shielding member provided substantially vertically so as to surround the periphery of the first light shielding member. Thus, the deep ultraviolet rays irradiated from the light source are blocked while being attenuated between the first and second light shielding members, so that it is possible to more reliably prevent the deep ultraviolet rays from leaking into the room from the suction port.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the air purifying apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a bottom view of the air purifying apparatus shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining the air flow in the air purifying apparatus based on FIG. 3. [Figure 7] It is a diagram for explaining the air flow in the air purifying apparatus based on FIG. 4. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a state where the air purifying apparatus blows out clean air in the horizontal direction. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a state where the air purifying apparatus blows out clean air in the vertical direction. [Figure 10] It is a diagram for explaining another embodiment based on FIG. 3.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. However, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction in this description shall be as shown in FIG. 1. Also, although there are specific regulations such as the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (Law concerning the Assurance of Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, etc.), for the sake of convenience in this description, treatments such as inactivating and killing bacteria, fungi and viruses by deep ultraviolet rays are collectively referred to as sterilization (sterilization treatment, sterilization effect).

[0020] [Air purifier] First, an air purifier 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The air purifier 1 is a device that takes in indoor air from an intake port 10a, disinfects it in an air purification unit 20, and blows out clean air from an outlet port 10b. The air purifier 1 has an air purification unit 20 and a fan unit 30 inside a casing (enclosure) 10 (see Figure 3).

[0021] Furthermore, an intake port 10a for taking in indoor air is provided on the lower surface of the casing 10. Specifically, a square-shaped pan member 11 smaller than the opening is placed in a square-shaped opening provided on the lower surface of the casing 10, and the gaps on all four sides between the opening and the pan member 11 are formed as the intake port 10a (see Figures 1 to 3).

[0022] In this embodiment, four air outlets 10b are provided on the outer circumference of the intake port 10a, each blowing out clean air in a different direction (front, back, left, and right) (see Figures 1 and 2).

[0023] [Air Purification Unit] The air purification unit 20 has a light source 21 that emits deep ultraviolet light and an irradiation chamber 23 composed of a reflective section that reflects the deep ultraviolet light (see Figure 3). A material with high reflectivity for deep ultraviolet light is used for the reflective section. In addition, a light source installation section 24 is positioned between the pan member 11 and the irradiation chamber 23.

[0024] In this embodiment, multiple LED units 21U, each containing multiple LEDs 21a, are arranged in parallel on the light source mounting section 24 (see Figures 3 and 5). Therefore, the light source 21 is positioned between the pan member 11 and the irradiation chamber 23 (see Figure 3). The LEDs 21a are capable of emitting deep ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 280 nm, and the radiant flux of deep ultraviolet light per LED 21a arranged in the LED unit 21U is 110 mW. Of course, as long as the light source 21 can emit deep ultraviolet light, there are no restrictions on its radiant flux, size, shape, or arrangement configuration.

[0025] In this embodiment, the reflective section is composed of aluminum reflectors 22 (aluminum plates) that form the four walls (front, back, left, and right) of the irradiation chamber 23. Note that some or all of the light source installation section 24 or the inlet 31a of the fan casing 31 (see Figure 3) may also be used as the reflective section, and a material other than aluminum with high reflectivity for deep ultraviolet light may be used for the reflectors 22.

[0026] Furthermore, the upper part of the irradiation chamber 23 is open, and the fan unit 30 is arranged inside the casing 10 so that the opening 23a of the irradiation chamber 23 and the inlet 31a of the fan casing 31, which will be described later, are in communication. In this embodiment, the light source 21 is provided below the irradiation chamber 23 as described above so as to irradiate toward the inlet 31a side (upwards).

[0027] [Fan Unit] The fan unit 30 includes a fan casing 31 built into the upper part of the casing 10, a multi-blade impeller 32 provided inside the fan casing 31, and a motor 33 that drives the impeller 32 (see Figure 3). Here, an inlet 31a communicating with the irradiation chamber 23 is provided on the lower surface of the fan casing 31, and the air purification unit 20 and the fan unit 30 are in communication with the opening 23a of the irradiation chamber 23 and the inlet 31a.

[0028] Furthermore, the fan casing 31 has four discharge channels 71 formed by four flow channel members 34 and tongue portions 34a (see Figure 4). Specifically, the flow channel members 34 extend from the four corners of the fan casing 31 toward the impeller 32, and near the impeller 32 they curve to match the shape of the impeller 32, with their tips forming tongue portions 34a. An outlet 71a is formed by the tongue portion 34a of one flow channel member 34 and another flow channel member 34 adjacent to it, and air from the inlet 31a flows into the discharge channels 71 through the four outlets 71a formed therein. The discharge channels 71 are connected to the outlet 10b via openings 31b provided for each discharge channel 71 and an air supply channel 72 (see Figures 3 and 4).

[0029] In this embodiment, the impeller 32 is made of the same material (aluminum) as the reflector 22. The impeller 32 is not limited to the example configuration, and a material other than aluminum with a high reflectivity for deep ultraviolet light may be used. Furthermore, the impeller 32 is configured such that the main plate 32a is above the fan casing 31, allowing air to flow into the fan casing 31 from below (irradiation chamber 23) via the inlet 31a, and irradiating the entire impeller 32 with deep ultraviolet light (see Figure 3).

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a sirocco fan (impeller 32 and motor 33) that generates less noise is used. By providing four flow path members 34 and tongue portions 34a, the clean air sent out by the sirocco fan passes through four discharge flow paths 71 and is evenly distributed to four openings 31b (see Figure 4).

[0031] Furthermore, since the discharge channel 71 widens in the width direction of the opening 31b, clean air flows into the opening 31b without bias. Of course, the fan is not limited to the example shown, and other centrifugal fans such as turbo fans may be used.

[0032] The configuration of the fan unit 30 in this embodiment is as follows, but these dimensions and other aspects can be modified as appropriate. • Outer diameter of impeller 32: 230mm • Impeller 32 height: 85mm • Bell mouth opening (inlet 31a) diameter: 175 mm

[0033] [Shading means] The air purifier 1 is provided with a light-shielding means 40 made of a material with low reflectivity to deep ultraviolet light near the intake port 10a of the casing 10 (see Figure 3). In this embodiment, the light-shielding means 40 consists of a first light-shielding member 41 provided substantially vertically to surround the light source 21, a second light-shielding member 42 provided substantially vertically to surround the periphery (outer surface) of the first light-shielding member 41, and a third light-shielding member 43 provided substantially vertically along the lower end of the wall surface of the irradiation chamber 23 to surround the periphery (outer surface) of the second light-shielding member 42. The first light-shielding member 41, the second light-shielding member 42, and the third light-shielding member 43 are arranged at substantially equal intervals and have substantially the same height. In this embodiment, the light-shielding means 40 is installed with the first light-shielding member 41 in close contact with its vertical surface (the surface 41a on the light source 21 side) and the periphery of the light source installation section 24. In this way, deep ultraviolet light from the light source 21 is prevented from leaking from the space between the light source mounting section 24 and the surface 41a to the underside of the light source mounting section 24.

[0034] The light-shielding means 40 (first light-shielding member 41 to third light-shielding member 43) are made of materials that have been finished to reduce the reflectivity of deep ultraviolet light, such as metal plates such as iron plates or aluminum plates that have been painted black. In this embodiment, the first light-shielding member 41 to third light-shielding member 43 are made of iron plates with their surfaces painted black.

[0035] However, only the surface 41a of the first light-shielding member 41 facing the light source 21 is made of an aluminum plate that is not painted black (see Figure 3). In other words, the first light-shielding member 41 is made of an aluminum plate that is not painted black on the surface facing the light source 21, and an iron plate that is painted black on the opposite side. Therefore, the space between the first light-shielding member 41 and the second light-shielding member 42 is surrounded by a material with low reflectivity, and in this space, the reflection of deep ultraviolet light is attenuated to prevent leakage into the room, while the surface 41a of the first light-shielding member 41 facing the light source 21 has high reflectivity, which can improve the antibacterial effect on the indoor air taken in.

[0036] Similarly, the space between the second light-shielding member 42 and the third light-shielding member 43 is also enclosed by a low-reflectivity material, and in this space as well, the reflection of deep ultraviolet light can be attenuated, preventing leakage into the room.

[0037] In addition, the configuration of the air purifier 1 according to this embodiment (see Figures 3 and 5) has the following dimensions: • Bottom surface of casing 10: 600mm x 600mm • Casing height 10: 350mm And, • Surface wind speed of air passing through the irradiated space: approximately 0.5 m / s to 1.0 m / s The answer is as follows: • Height L1 of the irradiation chamber (distance from light source 21 to opening 23a of irradiation chamber 23): 140 mm • Height of the illumination space L2 (distance from light source 21 to the top surface of fan casing 31): 220 mm • Height L3 from light source 21 to the upper end of first light-shielding member 41: 30 mm • Height L4 of the first light-shielding member 41, the second light-shielding member 42, and the third light-shielding member 43: 55 mm • The distance between LEDs 21a on LED unit 21U (the distance between the centers of LEDs 21a) is L5: 25mm • Spacing between 21U LED units: L6: 50mm In this embodiment, four LED units are arranged in the light source installation section 24 at intervals L6, and each LED unit has eight LEDs arranged in a row at intervals L5.

[0038] If the spacing between LEDs 21a is too wide or too narrow, uneven illuminance of deep ultraviolet light will occur, making it impossible to efficiently irradiate the air passing through the irradiated space with deep ultraviolet light. However, in order to solve the above problem, the inventors diligently conducted research, including measuring the distribution of illuminance of the LEDs by changing the spacing between them, and found that the deep ultraviolet light is irradiated most evenly when the spacing is 25 mm. As mentioned above, the air purifier 1 has a spacing of 25 mm between LEDs 21a with a radiant flux of 110 mW, so it eliminates unevenness in the illuminance of deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the LED unit 21U and can efficiently sterilize the indoor air.

[0039] Furthermore, a light source control board 51 and a safety switch 52 are provided in the space between the pan member 11 and the light source mounting section 24 (see Figure 3). The pan member 11 is also provided with a mounting bracket (not shown) in this space for attachment to the lower surface of the light source mounting section 24. If the mounting bracket is, for example, a roller catch, the pan member 11 can be easily attached to and detached from the light source mounting section 24 with a simple operation of pushing the pan member 11 from bottom to top (or pulling it from top to bottom) without using any tools.

[0040] The light source control board 51 is provided with a switch (not shown) that can adjust the amount of clean air CA blown out from the outlet 10b. By manually operating this switch through a hole or the like provided in the pan member 11, the amount of clean air CA blown out can be adjusted.

[0041] On the other hand, the safety switch 52 is in contact with the pan member 11 and is pressed when the air purifier 1 is in operation. However, when the pan member 11 is removed, the safety switch 52 is released, which cuts off the power supply to the light source 21 and automatically stops the irradiation of deep ultraviolet light.

[0042] Furthermore, the wiring (not shown) connecting the light source control board 51 and the light source 21 (LED 21a) is coated with resin, and in this embodiment, an aluminum glass cloth cover is attached to protect the resin coating of the wiring from deep ultraviolet light.

[0043] Furthermore, all points where the wiring penetrates sheet metal parts such as the light source control board 51 are connected with connectors. Therefore, since the wiring can be disconnected and connected at these connector points, components that make up the air purifier 1, such as the pan member 11, light source control board 51, impeller 32, and motor 33, can be removed from below (indoor side) by releasing the screws or other fasteners.

[0044] For example, the worker first removes the pan component 11 from the light source mounting section 24 without using any tools. Then, they loosen the screws and other fasteners securing the light source mounting section 24 and the first and second light-shielding members 41 and 42, and remove them from the air purifier 1. After that, they further loosen the screws and other fasteners securing the impeller 32 and motor 33, and remove them. In this way, the worker can perform maintenance (inspection, replacement, cleaning, etc.) on the air purifier 1 from inside the room without entering the ceiling space.

[0045] Furthermore, as explained with reference to Figures 1 to 5, the air purifier 1 has a simple configuration that does not require a filter to remove bacteria, fungi, or viruses from the air. Therefore, maintenance does not involve the time and expense of inspecting and replacing filters, thus improving convenience. In addition, maintenance can be performed safely because workers do not come into contact with filters contaminated with bacteria, fungi, or viruses.

[0046] Furthermore, in order to remove bacteria, fungi, and viruses from the air, it is necessary to use fine-mesh filters with high pressure loss, such as HEPA filters. Since air purifier 1 does not require such filters, it has low pressure loss, which reduces the power consumption of air purifier 1 and ultimately leads to energy savings.

[0047] [Air purifier operation] Next, referring further to Figures 6 to 9, the operation of the air purifier 1, including the airflow within the air purifier 1 and the sterilization process in the air purifying unit 20, will be explained. Here, the dashed arrows in each figure indicate the airflow.

[0048] First, the air purifier 1 is installed on the building structure 60 inside the room via suspension bolts so that its lower end is at approximately the same height as the ceiling board 61. When the air purifier 1 is operated, indoor air RA is drawn in from the intake port 10a (see Figures 6 and 8), and the drawn-in indoor air RA is sterilized in the air purification unit 20. In detail, the indoor air RA drawn in from the intake port 10a passes through the irradiation chamber 23, where it is sterilized by deep ultraviolet light emitted by the light source 21.

[0049] Furthermore, in this process, within the irradiation chamber 23 of the air purification unit 20, the deep ultraviolet light emitted by the light source 21 directly irradiates the indoor air RA, and the deep ultraviolet light reflected by the reflector (reflector plate 22) is also emitted, further improving the sterilization effect on the indoor air RA. In short, the deep ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 21 directly irradiates the indoor air RA, and the deep ultraviolet light reflected by the reflector plate 22 also irradiates the indoor air RA. This process of irradiation with deep ultraviolet light is repeated many times within the irradiation chamber 23, resulting in a further improvement in the sterilization effect.

[0050] Subsequently, the indoor air RA, which has been sterilized in the air purification unit 20, is drawn into the fan casing 31 from the inlet 31a of the fan unit 30. At this time, since the light source 21 is positioned below the irradiation chamber 23 so as to irradiate toward the inlet 31a side (upwards), the deep ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 21 reaches not only the irradiation chamber 23 but also the fan casing 31, thus increasing the irradiation time of the deep ultraviolet light and further improving the sterilization effect on the indoor air RA.

[0051] In addition, since the impeller 32, like the reflector 22, is made of a material (aluminum) with high reflectivity for deep ultraviolet light, the deep ultraviolet light is also reflected by the impeller 32, and the deep ultraviolet light is irradiated throughout the fan casing 31, further improving the sterilization effect on the indoor air RA.

[0052] The clean air CA is then guided to the discharge port 71a, the discharge channel 71, the opening 31b, and the supply air channel 72, respectively, and is blown out evenly in all four directions horizontally from the four discharge ports 10b by the inclined section 53 and guide member 54 provided around the outlet port 10b (see Figures 6 and 7).

[0053] In this way, by drawing in indoor air RA from below the air purifier 1 through the intake port 10a and blowing out purified air CA evenly in all directions from the outlet port 10b, an airflow is generated that circulates within the indoor space in which the air purifier 1 is installed, thereby disinfecting the air in that space.

[0054] The airflow of the purified air CA may be changed to suit the conditions in the room. For example, in this embodiment, a horizontal airflow is created by the inclined section 53 and the guide member 54, but by changing the shape and orientation of the guide member 54, the purified air CA can be blown out vertically (see Figure 9) in addition to horizontally (see Figure 8). By blowing out the purified air CA vertically, the space directly below the air purifier 1 can be disinfected intensively, especially when disinfection is necessary (for example, when there is a sickbed directly below the air purifier 1).

[0055] Furthermore, the air purifier 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a light-shielding means 40 composed of a first light-shielding member 41 to a third light-shielding member 43 (see Figure 3). In this embodiment, the first light-shielding member 41 to the third light-shielding member 43 are iron plates painted black to reduce the reflectivity of deep ultraviolet light, thus further preventing deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source 21 from leaking into the room through the intake port 10a of the casing 10. Therefore, even when an occupant stays below the air purifier 1 for a long period of time, the light-shielding means 40 prevents deep ultraviolet light from the light source 21 from leaking into the room, thereby reliably preventing health problems for the occupant in the room, such as cataracts, skin cancer, and inflammation.

[0056] Specifically, in this embodiment, some of the deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source 21 and directed toward the intake port 10a is attenuated and blocked between the first light-shielding member 41 and the second light-shielding member 42, and between the second light-shielding member 42 and the third light-shielding member 43, thereby reliably preventing deep ultraviolet light from leaking into the room from the intake port 10a. In particular, the light-shielding means 40 ensures sufficient height in the space between the black-painted iron plates by setting the height L4 of the first light-shielding member 41 to the third light-shielding member 43 to 55 mm, thereby adequately attenuating deep ultraviolet light that would otherwise be directed from the irradiation chamber 23 towards the intake port 10a. On the other hand, by setting the height L3 of the first light-shielding member 41 from the light source 21 to its upper end to 30 mm, the amount of deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source 21 and directed towards the intake port 10a can be reduced. Therefore, these effects ensure that deep ultraviolet light does not leak into the room from the intake port 10a.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the surface 41a of the first light-shielding member 41 facing the light source 21 has high reflectivity, and as mentioned above, its height L3 is 30 mm (see Figure 3). Therefore, the deep ultraviolet light from the light source 21 is irradiated toward the inlet 31a side (upwards) of the fan casing 31, and is reflected by the surface 41a acting as a wall. Since the surface 41a has high reflectivity and sufficient height L3, the deep ultraviolet light reflected by the surface 41a, in addition to the deep ultraviolet light from the light source 21, is further irradiated onto the indoor air RA, thereby improving the sterilization effect.

[0058] Furthermore, as mentioned above, since the deep ultraviolet light from the light source 21 irradiates the inside of the fan casing 31 of the air purifier 1, it is not necessary to secure an unnecessarily large height L1 for the irradiation chamber 23. For example, as in this embodiment, the height L1 of the irradiation chamber 23 can be about 140 mm, making the air purifier more compact.

[0059] In addition, a polyhedral reflector 35 made of a highly reflective material can be provided on the main plate of the impeller 32, which rotates together with the impeller 32 (see Figure 10). In this embodiment, the material of the reflector 35 is aluminum, and it is constructed as an icosahedron consisting of equilateral triangular faces with sides of 50 mm. The reflector 35 is fixed to the motor shaft of the motor 33 together with the impeller 32.

[0060] As a result, the deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source 21 toward the impeller 32 is reflected by the rotating reflector 32, with the irradiation direction changing in multiple directions. Therefore, since deep ultraviolet light can be repeatedly irradiated from various angles into the irradiation space, including the irradiation chamber 23, the indoor air can be disinfected even more efficiently.

[0061] The air purifier 1 described above is an example of an air purifier according to the present invention, and the configuration of the present invention is not limited to that example, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0062] For example, the aluminum material used for the reflector 22 in this embodiment has a deep ultraviolet reflectivity of about 70%, but it is also possible to use a reflector 22 made of a material with higher reflectivity or a reflector that has been processed to increase reflectivity. Conversely, by using aluminum with a reflectivity of about 70% for materials such as the reflector 22 and the impeller 32, it is possible to sufficiently disinfect the indoor air RA while preventing deep ultraviolet rays from leaking into the room from the intake port 10a due to excessive reflection. [Industrial applicability]

[0063] The air purifier according to the present invention is industrially useful because it improves the air sterilization effect using deep ultraviolet light while preventing the device from becoming large and is easy to maintain, and therefore can be widely used in various places and facilities without being limited in terms of installation location or application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1. Air purifier 10. Casing (enclosure) 10a Inlet 10b Air outlet 11 Bread ingredients 20 Air purification unit 21 Light source 21U LED Unit 21a LED 22 Reflector 23 Irradiation room 23a Opening of the irradiation chamber 24 Light source installation section 30 Fan Units 31 Fan Casing 31a Inlet 31b opening 32 Impellers 32a main plate 33 Motor 34 Flow channel members 34a Tongue 35 Reflector 40 Shading means 41 First light-shielding member 41a The light source side surface of the first light-shielding member 42 Second light-shielding member 43 Third light-shielding member 51 Light source operation board 52 Safety switch 53 Slope 54 Guide Member 60 skeleton 61 Ceiling board 71 Discharge channel 71a Discharge port 72 Air intake passage RA Indoor air CA Clean Air L1 Height of the irradiation chamber L2 Height of the irradiation space L3 Height from the light source to the upper end of the first light-shielding member L4 Height of the first light-shielding member, the second light-shielding member, and the third light-shielding member Spacing between LEDs on the L5 LED unit Spacing between L6 LED units

Claims

1. An air purifier having a fan unit and an air purification unit inside a casing, The lower surface of the casing is provided with an intake port for taking in indoor air. Around the aforementioned intake port, four outlets are provided, each blowing out clean air in a different direction. The air purification unit comprises a light source that emits deep ultraviolet light and an irradiation chamber composed of a reflective section that reflects the deep ultraviolet light. The fan unit comprises a fan casing built into the upper part of the casing, a multi-blade impeller provided inside the fan casing, and a motor for driving the impeller. The fan casing is an air purifier provided with an inlet that communicates with the irradiation chamber and four openings that communicate with each of the aforementioned outlets.

2. The air purifying device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is provided below the irradiation chamber so as to irradiate toward the inlet side of the fan casing.

3. The air purifier according to claim 2, wherein the impeller is made of a material that has a high reflectivity of deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source.

4. The air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a light-shielding member made of a material with low reflectivity to deep ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source is provided near the intake port of the casing.

5. The air purifier according to claim 4, wherein the light-shielding member comprises a first light-shielding member provided substantially vertically so as to surround the light source, and a second light-shielding member provided substantially vertically so as to surround the first light-shielding member.

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