Filters and functional components for filters

Abstract

To enable a predetermined function to operate downstream of the filter media while minimizing the degradation of the filter media's filtration performance. [Solution] The filter 11 comprises a sheet-like filter material 31 folded into a mountain-and-valley shape in which peaks and valleys alternate in a predetermined direction D, and a functional member 40 on which a functional agent is carried and which is arranged to be aligned with the filter material 31 in the thickness direction of the filter material 31. In the filter 11, when air passes through the filter material 31 in the thickness direction, foreign matter contained in the air is separated by the filter material 31, and the functional agent is carried downstream in the airflow direction by the air. The mountain-and-valley portion 44 of the end face of the functional member 40, which is the part facing the filter material 31, has a mountain-and-valley shape in which peaks and valleys alternate in a predetermined direction D. The functional member 40 is arranged in a state in which the mountain-and-valley shape of the functional member 40 and the mountain-and-valley shape of the filter material 31 are combined.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a filter and a functional member for a filter.

Background Art

[0002] A filter used in an air conditioner or the like of a vehicle includes a sheet-shaped filter medium. When air passes through the filter medium in the thickness direction, this filter separates foreign substances contained in the air from the air by the filter medium.

[0003] Conventionally, it has been proposed to attach a functional member for causing a predetermined function such as an antibacterial function or an aromatic function to a filter (see Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a functional agent having the above-described predetermined function is supported on the functional member. The filter medium has a shape folded so that mountains and valleys are alternately connected. Then, the functional member is attached to the filter medium by a gripping tool. The functional member is gripped by the gripping tool together with the filter medium in a state of being pushed into a portion corresponding to the valley of the filter medium. In this filter, when air passes through the filter medium in the thickness direction, the air flows downstream together with the functional agent. Thereby, the above-described predetermined function acts downstream of the filter medium.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the above filter, when the functional member is attached to the filter medium by the gripping tool, the filter medium is deformed unnecessarily. Therefore, there is a risk of causing a decrease in the filtering performance of the filter medium.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A filter for solving the above problems comprises a sheet-like filter material folded into a mountain-and-valley shape in which peaks and valleys alternate in a predetermined direction, and a functional member on which a functional agent is carried and which is arranged to be aligned with the filter material in the thickness direction of the filter material, wherein when air passes through the filter material in the thickness direction, foreign matter contained in the air is separated by the filter material, and the functional agent is carried downstream in the direction of airflow by the air, wherein the portion of the end face of the functional member facing the filter material has a mountain-and-valley shape in which peaks and valleys alternate in the predetermined direction, and the functional member is arranged in a state that combines the mountain-and-valley shape of the functional member and the mountain-and-valley shape of the filter material.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the peak and valley shape of the end face of the functional member is combined with the peak and valley shape of the filter media surface, so that the peak and valley shape of the filter media can be maintained by the peak and valley shape of the edge of the functional member. This suppresses unnecessary deformation of the filter media, and thus suppresses the decrease in the filtration performance of the filter media due to such unnecessary deformation. Furthermore, when the filter is in use, the functional agent released from the functional member is carried downstream by air passing through the filter media in the thickness direction. In this way, the functional agent can be supplied to the downstream side of the filter media by the functional member. Therefore, according to the above configuration, a predetermined function can be performed downstream of the filter media while suppressing a decrease in the filtration performance of the filter.

[0008] Furthermore, a functional filter component for solving the above problems is a filter component that provides a filter having a sheet-like filter material folded into a mountain-and-valley shape in which peaks and valleys are alternately arranged, with the function of flowing a functional agent downstream in the direction of airflow by air passing through the filter material, the functional filter component comprising a carrier on which the functional agent is supported, and at least a part of the end face of the carrier component having a mountain-and-valley shape in which peaks and valleys are alternately arranged.

[0009] According to the above configuration, when attaching the support, the shape of the filter media can be maintained by combining the peak and valley shape of the end face of the support with the peak and valley shape of the surface of the filter media. This suppresses unnecessary deformation of the filter media, thereby suppressing the decrease in the filtration performance of the filter media due to such unnecessary deformation. Moreover, by attaching the support as described above, when the filter is in use, the functional agent released from the support is carried downstream by air passing through the filter media in the thickness direction. In this way, the functional agent can be supplied to the downstream side of the filter media by the support. Therefore, according to the above configuration, a predetermined function can be performed downstream of the filter media while suppressing a decrease in the filtration performance of the filter media. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioning system to which one embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the filter according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the filter of the same embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the filter of the same embodiment along line 4-4 in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the functional member of the same embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a partially decomposed example of the filter. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a side view of a functional component in another modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a filter and a functional component for a filter will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle's air conditioning system includes a filter 11, a blower 12, an evaporator 13, and a heater 14. The system draws air into the main passage 17 via an outside air intake passage 15 or an inside air intake passage 16, driven by the blower 12. The air drawn into the main passage 17 is cooled by the evaporator 13 and heated by the heater 14 before being blown into the passenger compartment of the vehicle as conditioned air.

[0012] The outside air intake passage 15 opens outwards from the vehicle and is connected to the main passage 17. The recirculating air intake passage 16 opens towards the passenger compartment of the vehicle and is connected to the main passage 17. A switching valve 18 is positioned between the outside air intake passage 15 and the recirculating air intake passage 16 and the main passage 17. The switching valve 18 switches the main passage 17 to connect to either the outside air intake passage 15 or the recirculating air intake passage 16.

[0013] In the main passage 17, a filter 11, a blower 12, an evaporator 13, and a heater 14 are arranged in order from upstream to downstream. The filter 11 is for separating foreign matter such as dust contained in the air passing through the main passage 17 from that air. The blower 12 is for drawing air into the main passage 17 as described above and blowing that air into the vehicle interior.

[0014] The evaporator 13 forms part of the refrigeration circuit 19 that circulates the refrigerant. The evaporator 13 facilitates heat exchange between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit 19 and the air passing through the main passage 17. This cools the air passing through the main passage 17. The heater 14 also forms part of the coolant circuit 21 through which the coolant of the engine 20 mounted on the vehicle circulates. The heater 14 facilitates heat exchange between the coolant circulating in the coolant circuit 21 and the air passing through the main passage 17. This heats the air passing through the main passage 17.

[0015] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the filter 11 comprises a filter body 30 and a functional component 40. <Filter body 30> The filter body 30 includes a filter medium 31 and end plates 32.

[0016] The filter medium 31 is formed into a rectangular sheet shape by a non-woven fabric or the like. The filter medium 31 is folded into a mountain-valley shape in which mountains 31a (FIG. 4) and valleys 31b are alternately connected along the direction in which one side of the filter medium 31 extends.

[0017] The end plates 32 are in the shape of a rectangular flat plate and extend in the direction (hereinafter referred to as the predetermined direction D) in which the mountains 31a and valleys 31b of the filter medium 31 are alternately connected. The filter body 30 has two end plates 32. Each end plate 32 is fixed to the edge of the filter medium 31 so as to extend along the edge of the filter medium 31. Specifically, the two end plates 32 are fixed to one side of the filter medium 31 and another side of the filter medium 31 parallel to the one side by an adhesive or the like. The two end plates 32 are separately fixed to two sides of the quadrilateral of the filter medium 31 that extend in the predetermined direction D.

[0018] <Functional member 40> The functional member 40 is for causing a predetermined function such as an antibacterial function or an aromatic function to act downstream of the filter medium 31. The functional member 40 is for imparting a function to the filter 11 to flow a functional agent to the downstream side (hereinafter simply referred to as the "downstream side") in the air flow direction by the air passing through the filter medium 31.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 5, the functional member 40 includes a base material 51 and a bag material 52. The base material 51 is formed into a long flat plate shape by a non-woven fabric. A functional agent is carried on the base material 51. Specifically, the non-woven fabric constituting the base material 51 is impregnated with the functional agent by dipping, spraying, painting, or the like. As the functional agent, an antibacterial agent that causes an antibacterial function to act downstream of the filter medium 31 is adopted. As such an antibacterial agent, substances having an antibacterial function derived from plants, for example, benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) or allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) can be adopted.

[0020] The bag material 52 is formed in the shape of a bag from polyethylene film. The bag material 52 covers the entire outer surface of the base material 51 so as to enclose the base material 51. In this embodiment, the base material 51 on which the functional agent is supported is sealed inside the bag material 52. Because the bag material 52 is formed from polyethylene film, it is given a sustained-release function that gradually releases the functional agent inside to the outside. Therefore, the functional member 40 releases the functional agent downstream of the airflow as air passes through the filter material 31.

[0021] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the functional member 40 is in the shape of a long plate. When the functional member 40 is attached to the filter body 30 (as shown in Figure 2), it extends in a predetermined direction D and in the thickness direction of the filter material 31. The functional member 40 includes a carrier 41 that constitutes the central part in the longitudinal direction and two mounting parts 43A and 43B that constitute the ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0022] <Carrier 41> The carrier 41 is flat. A portion of the end face of the carrier 41 (hereinafter referred to as the peak-and-valley portion 44) has a peak-and-valley shape in which peaks 44a (Figure 4) and valleys 44b are alternately arranged. More specifically, the peak-and-valley portion 44 has a roughly sawtooth shape in which peak-shaped convex portions and valley-shaped concave portions are alternately arranged. When the carrier 41 is attached to the filter body 30 (as shown in Figure 4), the peak-and-valley portion 44 constitutes the portion of the end face of the carrier 41 that faces the filter material 31. In this embodiment, the peak-and-valley shape of the peak-and-valley portion 44 and the peak-and-valley shape of the filter material 31 (more specifically, the downstream surface) are similar. More specifically, the peak-and-valley shape of the peak-and-valley portion 44 and the peak-and-valley shape of the filter material 31 are almost identical in most parts, except for the parts corresponding to the peaks of the peaks 31a and 44a and the parts corresponding to the bottoms of the valleys 31b and 44b.

[0023] <Mounting parts 43A, 43B> Each of the two mounting portions 43A and 43B is hook-shaped so as to be able to hook onto the end of the filter media 31 in a predetermined direction D, specifically, the tip of which is hook-shaped and curved toward the center in the longitudinal direction. The two mounting portions 43A and 43B are used when attaching the functional member 40 to the filter body 30. As shown in Figure 4, the functional member 40 is attached to the filter body 30 by hooking the hook-shaped mounting portions 43A and 43B at both ends of the filter media 31 in a predetermined direction D.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, two functional members 40 are attached to the filter body 30. One functional member 40 is provided for each of the two sides of the rectangle of the filter material 31 that extend in a predetermined direction D. Each functional member 40 is provided on the edge of the filter material 31 along the end plate 32. The functional members 40 are provided on the filter body 30 so that their longitudinal direction coincides with the predetermined direction D. As shown in Figure 4, the functional members 40 are arranged in a state that combines the peak and valley shapes of the peaks and valleys 44 of the carrier 41 with the peak and valley shapes of the filter material 31. Specifically, the functional members 40 are arranged so that the peaks 31a, 44a of the peak and valley shapes of one of the carrier 41 and the filter material 31 fit into the valleys 31b, 44b of the peak and valley shapes of the other. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the support body 41 of the functional member 40 is provided downstream of the filter material 31, aligned with the filter material 31 in the thickness direction of the filter material 31.

[0025] <Operation of this embodiment> The operation of this embodiment will now be described. As shown in Figure 1, in the air conditioning system, the air flowing through the main passage 17 passes through the filter material 31 of the filter 11, and then passes through the evaporator 13 and heater 14 before being blown into the passenger compartment. If the air flowing downstream of the filter 11 in the main passage 17 is hot and humid, condensation is likely to occur in the equipment located downstream of the filter 11. In particular, the evaporator 13 is prone to condensation because the air is cooled by the refrigerant, causing moisture in the air to adhere to it. When condensation occurs in this way, mold and other fungi can easily grow.

[0026] In this type of air conditioning system, the air passing through the main passage 17 passes through the filter material 31 (see Figure 2) of the filter 11 in the thickness direction. At this time, foreign matter such as dust contained in the air is collected by the filter material 31 of the filter 11, thereby separating the foreign matter from the air.

[0027] Furthermore, when air passes through the filter material 31 in the thickness direction, the functional agent (antibacterial agent) released from the functional component 40 (see Figure 2) is carried downstream by the air. As a result, the antibacterial agent, along with the air, reaches the equipment downstream of the filter 11 in the main passage 17, thereby suppressing the growth of bacteria in such equipment.

[0028] <Effects of this embodiment> The effects of this embodiment will now be explained. (1) The peaks and valleys 44 of the end face of the functional member 40, which are the parts facing the filter material 31, have a peaks and valleys shape in which peaks 44a and valleys 44b are alternately connected in a predetermined direction D. The functional member 40 is arranged in a state in which the peaks and valleys shape of the functional member 40 and the peaks and valleys shape of the filter material 31 are combined.

[0029] According to the above configuration, the peak and valley shape of the end face of the functional member 40 is combined with the peak and valley shape of the surface of the filter media 31, so that the peak and valley shape of the filter media 31 can be maintained by the peak and valley shape of the peak and valley portion 44 of the functional member 40. This suppresses unnecessary deformation of the filter media 31, and thus suppresses the decrease in the filtration performance of the filter media 31 due to such unnecessary deformation. Furthermore, when the filter 11 is in use, the functional agent released from the functional member 40 is carried downstream by air passing through the filter media 31 in the thickness direction. In this way, the functional agent can be supplied to the downstream side of the filter media 31 by the functional member 40. Therefore, a predetermined function can be performed downstream of the filter media 31 while suppressing a decrease in the filtration performance of the filter media 31.

[0030] (2) The functional member 40 is provided on the edge of the filter material 31. Compared to the center of the filter media 31, the velocity of air passing through the filter media 31 in the thickness direction is slower at the edges of the filter media 31 where the functional member 40 is placed, resulting in a lower airflow rate. Because the functional member 40 is provided at the edges of the filter media 31, the amount of functional agent supported on the functional member 40 that flows downstream by the air passing through the filter media 31 is reduced. As a result, the functional agent can flow downstream of the filter 11 for a longer period of time compared to the case where the functional member 40 is provided in the center of the filter media 31. Consequently, the antibacterial function of the functional agent can be maintained downstream of the filter media 31 for a long period of time. Therefore, the proliferation of bacteria in equipment located downstream of the filter 11 can be suppressed for a long period of time.

[0031] (3) The functional member 40 is provided on the downstream side of the filter media 31. With the above configuration, the functional member 40 can support the filter material 31 from the downstream side so as to resist the airflow passing through the filter material 31, thereby effectively suppressing unnecessary deformation of the filter material 31.

[0032] (4) The functional member 40 includes a base material 51 that carries a functional agent and a bag material 52 that has a sustained-release function and encloses the base material 51 inside. With the above configuration, the sustained release function of the bag material 52 allows the functional agent supported on the base material 51 to be gradually released from the inside of the bag material 52 to the outside. Therefore, compared to a configuration without the bag material 52, the amount of the functional agent supported on the functional member 40 that flows downstream by the air passing through the filter material 31 can be reduced.

[0033] (5) The functional member 40 comprises a carrier 41 on which a functional agent is carried. The peaks and valleys 44 that constitute a part of the end face of the carrier 41 have a peaks and valleys shape in which peaks 44a and valleys 44b are alternately arranged.

[0034] According to the above configuration, when attaching the functional member 40 to the filter body 30, the shape of the filter material 31 can be maintained by the peaks and valleys of the support body 41 by combining the peaks and valleys of the end face of the support body 41 with the peaks and valleys of the surface of the filter material 31. Furthermore, by attaching the support body 41 as described above, the support body 41 can supply the functional agent to the downstream side of the filter material 31 in the airflow direction.

[0035] <Example of changes> The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0036] The functional component 40 may be attached to the end plate 32. In this case, the mounting parts 43A and 43B can be omitted. • As the functional component 40, a structure can be adopted in which a separate carrier 41 and mounting parts 43A and 43B are integrally fixed. In this case, the mounting parts 43A and 43B can be made of materials other than nonwoven fabric, such as metal plates or resin plates.

[0037] As shown in Figure 6, the functional member 60 may be composed of a carrier 41 on which the functional agent is carried, and a rubber band 63 extending to connect the two ends of the carrier 41 in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the functional member 60 can be attached to the filter body 30 by sandwiching the filter body 30 between the carrier 41 and the rubber band 63.

[0038] As shown in Figure 7, the functional member 70 may be formed in the shape of a clip, which allows an object (for example, the filter body 30) to be sandwiched between a carrier 41 carrying a functional agent and a movable piece 73 hinged to the carrier 41. In this case, the functional member 70 can be attached to the filter body 30 by sandwiching the filter body 30 between the carrier 41 and the movable piece 73.

[0039] One of the two functional components 40 may be omitted. The functional member 40 may be provided on the upstream side of the filter material 31 in the direction of airflow, and aligned with the filter material 31 in the thickness direction of the filter material 31. In this case, the functional member 40 may be provided on both the downstream and upstream sides, or only on the upstream side.

[0040] The functional member 40 may be provided at a position slightly away from the edge of the filter media 31, or at the center of the filter media 31 in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction D. When the functional member 40 is provided at the center of the filter media 31, the central portion of the filter media 31, which is more prone to deformation than the edge portion of the filter media 31, can be supported by the peaks and valleys 44 of the functional member 40, thereby effectively suppressing unnecessary deformation of the filter media 31.

[0041] The filter body 30 may have only one functional component 40 attached, or it may have three or more functional components 40 attached. A sheet-like material that is almost impermeable to air may be placed on top of the outer surface of the functional material 40 so as to cover a portion of its outer surface. For example, aluminum foil or polypropylene film can be used as the sheet-like material. With this configuration, the amount of functional agent released from the functional material 40 can be adjusted with a high degree of freedom. Therefore, the period during which an appropriate amount of functional agent can be released from the functional material 40 can be determined with a high degree of freedom.

[0042] - A sheet-like material that is almost impermeable to air may be placed over the outer surface of the functional material 40 so as to cover the entire outer surface of the functional material 40, and so as to be able to peel off at least a portion of it from the outer surface. With this configuration, by peeling off the sheet-like material when the filter 11 is attached to the air conditioning system or when the filter 11 is put into use, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary release of the functional agent from the functional material 40 before the functional material 40 is put into use.

[0043] • As the functional component 40, a bag material 52 in which the functional agent is directly sealed can be used. In this case, the base material 51 can be omitted. • The method does not limit itself to sealing the bag material 52 while the base material 51 is contained within the bag material 52; a portion of the bag material 52 may be left open.

[0044] • As the bag material 52, for example, a resin material formed into a bag shape from a resin material other than polyethylene, paper formed into a bag shape, and a metal plate with numerous holes formed into a bag shape can be used. In addition, a resin case made of a rigid resin material may be used as the bag material 52.

[0045] The bag material 52 may be omitted. The functional member 40 can be constructed using only the base material 51. The base material 51 can be formed from a nonwoven fabric, a hard resin material, or a gel-like material.

[0046] Although an antibacterial agent was given as an example of a functional agent supported on the functional member 40, an aromatic agent having a fragrance function may be supported on the end plate 32 as a functional agent instead or in addition to the antibacterial agent. The above-mentioned aromatic agent may contain components that help relax the user inside the vehicle.

[0047] The filter 11 according to the above embodiment can be applied to filters of any shape, such as hexagonal, circular, or elliptical shapes, in addition to being applied to rectangular filters. <Note> The above embodiment includes the configuration described in the following appendix.

[0048] [Note 1] A filter comprising: a sheet-like filter material folded into a mountain-and-valley shape in which peaks and valleys alternate in a predetermined direction; and a functional member on which a functional agent is carried and arranged to be aligned with the filter material in the thickness direction of the filter material, wherein when air passes through the filter material in the thickness direction, foreign matter contained in the air is separated by the filter material and the functional agent is carried downstream in the direction of airflow by the air, wherein the portion of the end face of the functional member facing the filter material has a mountain-and-valley shape in which peaks and valleys alternate in the predetermined direction, and the functional member is arranged in a state that combines the mountain-and-valley shape of the functional member and the mountain-and-valley shape of the filter material.

[0049] [Note 2] The functional member is provided on the edge of the filter material, as described in [Appendix 1]. [Note 3] The functional member is provided on the downstream side of the filter material, as described in [Appendix 1] or [Appendix 2].

[0050] [Note 4] The filter according to any one of [Appendix 1] to [Appendix 3], comprising a base material that carries the functional agent and a bag material that has a sustained-release function and contains the base material so as to cover the outer surface of the base material.

[0051] [Note 5] A functional filter component that provides a filter having a sheet-like filter material folded into a mountain-and-valley shape with alternating peaks and valleys, with the function of flowing a functional agent downstream in the direction of airflow by air passing through the filter material, the functional filter component comprising a carrier on which the functional agent is supported, and at least a portion of the end face of the carrier having a mountain-and-valley shape with alternating peaks and valleys.

[0052] [Note 6] The functional filter member described in [Appendix 5] comprises a base material that carries the functional agent and a bag material that has a sustained-release function and contains the base material so as to cover the outer surface of the base material. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 11…Filter 12... Blower 13... Evaporator 14… Heater 15…Outside air intake passage 16…Recirculation intake passage 17…Main aisle 18… Switching valve 19…Refrigeration circuit 20… Engine 21…Cooling water circuit 30…Filter body 31...filter medium 31a...Mountain 31b…Valley 32...End plate 40, 60, 70… Functional components 41... Carrier 42… 43A, 43B… Mounting section 44…Sanyabe 44a... Mountain 44b…Valley 50… 51...Base material 52...Bag material 63... Rubber band 73…Movable piece

Claims

1. The device comprises a sheet-like filter material folded into a mountain-and-valley shape in which peaks and valleys alternate in a predetermined direction, and a functional member on which a functional agent is carried and which is arranged to be aligned with the filter material in the thickness direction of the filter material, A filter in which, when air passes through the filter material in the thickness direction, foreign matter contained in the air is separated by the filter material, and the functional agent is carried downstream in the direction of the airflow by the air, The portion of the end face of the functional member facing the filter material has a mountain-and-valley shape in which peaks and valleys alternate in the predetermined direction. The functional member is arranged in a state in which the peak and valley shape of the functional member and the peak and valley shape of the filter material are combined. filter.

2. The functional member is provided on the edge of the filter material. The filter according to claim 1.

3. The functional member is provided on the downstream side of the filter material. The filter according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The functional member includes a base material that carries the functional agent, and a bag material that has a sustained-release function and contains the base material so as to cover the outer surface of the base material. The filter according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A functional member for a filter that provides a filter having a sheet-like filter material folded into a mountain-and-valley shape in which mountains and valleys are alternately arranged, with the function of flowing a functional agent downstream in the direction of airflow by air passing through the filter material, The carrier comprises the functional agent being supported, At least a portion of the end face of the aforementioned carrier has a mountain-valley shape in which peaks and valleys are alternately arranged. Functional components for filters.

6. The carrier comprises a base material that carries the functional agent, and a bag material that has a sustained-release function and contains the base material so as to cover the outer surface of the base material. The functional member for a filter according to claim 5.

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