Space purification system

Abstract

This technology provides a way to suppress the effects of reaction odors while ensuring sufficient purification. [Solution] The space purification system purifies the air-conditioned space. Electrode 27a generates hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing salt water. Electrolysis time control unit 92 controls the time for electrolyzing the salt water at electrode 27a. Human detection device 80 detects the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space. If the human detection device 80 detects the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space, the electrolysis time control unit 92 shortens the time for electrolyzing the salt water compared to when the human detection device 92 detects the absence of a person in the air-conditioned space.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a space purification apparatus, and particularly to a space purification system that vaporizes water containing hypochlorous acid water. [Background Art]

[0002] As a space purification apparatus that purifies a target space, there is an apparatus that vaporizes fine water particles of chemicals or the like, for example, water containing hypochlorous acid water, into the space to sterilize the space. As this type of space purification apparatus, there is an apparatus in which salt water is electrolyzed in an electrolytic cell to generate hypochlorous acid water, the water supplied from a water supply unit and the hypochlorous acid water supplied from the electrolytic cell are mixed in a mixing tank (also referred to as a centrifugal crushing tank), and then the mixed water is micronized and released into the air (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2022-146945 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] Reaction odor is generally generated in purification using hypochlorous acid water. Some people find this reaction odor unpleasant. On the other hand, if the concentration of hypochlorous acid water is lowered to weaken the reaction odor, there is a possibility that sufficient purification cannot be performed.

[0005] Accordingly, the present disclosure solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that suppresses the influence of reaction odor while achieving sufficient purification. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, a spatial purification system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a spatial purification system for purifying an air-conditioned space, comprising: an electrolytic unit that generates hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing salt water; an electrolytic time control unit that controls the time for which the salt water is electrolyzed in the electrolytic unit; and a human detection device that detects the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space. When the human detection device detects the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space, the electrolytic time control unit shortens the time for electrolyzing the salt water compared to when the human detection device detects the absence of a person in the air-conditioned space.

[0007] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, as well as any conversion of the expressions of this disclosure between methods, apparatus, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc., are also valid forms of this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, the effects of reaction odors can be suppressed while sufficient purification is achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a spatial purification system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the miniaturization section and its surrounding area that constitute the air purification device. [Figure 3] This is a water circuit diagram showing the flow of water inside the enclosure of the air purification device. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the configuration of the control unit shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This figure shows the data structure of the table stored in the memory unit of Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a flowchart showing the procedure for setting the electrolysis time in the air purification system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing this disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiments described below are all preferred specific examples of this disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, and components shown in the following embodiments, as well as the arrangement and connection configurations of the components, are examples and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Accordingly, components in the following embodiments that are not described in the independent claims representing the highest-level concepts of this disclosure will be described as arbitrary components. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0011] In the following, the space purification system 100 according to this embodiment will be described in the following order: (1) basic configuration, and (2) control for suppressing the effects of reaction odors while ensuring sufficient purification. (1) Basic configuration First, with reference to Figure 1, an overview of the air purification system 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the air purification system 100.

[0012] The space purification system 100 is a system that disinfects and deodorizes the indoor space 62, which is the target of purification. When circulating the air in the indoor space 62, the space purification system 100 performs cooling (dehumidification) or heating treatment on the air from the indoor space 62 (Return Air (RA)) 8a as needed. In addition, the space purification system 100 incorporates air purification components along with atomized water into the air (RA) 8a. The space purification system 100 purifies the indoor space 62, that is, disinfects and deodorizes it, by supplying the air containing the air purification components (Supplied Air (SA)) 9 to the indoor space 62. The indoor space 62 is also called the air-conditioned space.

[0013] The air purification system 100 includes an air purification device 10, an air conditioning device 50, an outdoor unit 60, an operating device 70, an intake duct 64, an outlet duct 67, and a human detection device 80.

[0014] The air conditioner 50 is, for example, a 4-way cassette air conditioner embedded in the ceiling or the like of an indoor space 62, and is capable of performing at least one of cooling (dehumidification) and heating on air (RA) 8a from the indoor space 62. The air conditioner 50 includes a main body 51 located in the ceiling plenum, and a decorative panel 52 disposed on the indoor space 62 side of the main body 51.

[0015] The decorative panel 52 is provided with an indoor suction port 53 provided at a central portion thereof for sucking air (RA) 8a from the indoor space 62, and four air outlets 54 provided at a peripheral portion thereof for discharging air 8c in four directions.

[0016] However, two of the four air outlets 54 are configured to be closed so as not to discharge air. Therefore, in FIG. 1, illustration of the closed air outlets 54 is omitted, and one air outlet 54 is shown. The air conditioner 50 is also provided with an air outlet 55 on a side surface of the main body 51. Note that all four air outlets 54 of the decorative panel 52 may be configured to discharge air, or all four air outlets 54 may be closed so as not to discharge air.

[0017] The air conditioner 50 performs air conditioning control (cooling (dehumidification) or heating) on the air (RA) 8a sucked from the indoor space 62 through the indoor suction port 53. Among the temperature-adjusted air whose temperature has been adjusted by the air conditioning control, the air conditioner 50 sends part of the air (AC) 8b from the air outlet 55 to the space purification device 10, and sends the remaining air 8c from the two air outlets 54 to the indoor space 62.

[0018] An outdoor unit 60 is connected to the air conditioner 50. The outdoor unit 60 is an outdoor unit installed in an outdoor space. Since an outdoor unit 60 having a general configuration is used, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0019] The space purification device 10 is a main component of the space purification system 100, which generates hypochlorous acid water as an air purification component, micronizes mixed water obtained by mixing water and hypochlorous acid water through a centrifugal crushing method, and discharges the micronized mixture into the air. The space purification device 10 comprises a housing 1, a filter 11 inside the housing 1, an air blowing unit 12, a micronization unit 13, a hypochlorous acid water generation unit 14, a drainage unit 15, and a control unit 18.

[0020] The housing 1 forms the outer contour of the space purification device 10. A suction inlet 2 is disposed on one side surface of the housing 1, and an air outlet 3 is disposed on the other side surface of the housing 1, which is a side surface opposite to the one side surface of the housing 1.

[0021] The suction inlet 2 is an inlet that introduces part of temperature-adjusted air, which is air (AC) 8b from the air conditioner 50, that is, air (RA) 8a sucked from an indoor space 62 and temperature-adjusted by the air conditioner 50, into the housing 1 of the space purification device 10. The suction inlet 2 communicates with an air outlet 55 of the air conditioner 50 via a suction-side duct 64. The temperature-adjusted air discharged from the air outlet 55 passes through the suction-side duct 64 as air (AC) 8b and is introduced into the housing 1 from the suction inlet 2.

[0022] The air outlet 3 is a discharge port for discharging air (SA) 9 that has circulated through the housing 1 of the space purification device 10 into the indoor space 62. The air (SA) 9 contains hypochlorous acid water that has been micronized and discharged by the space purification device 10.

[0023] The air outlet 3 communicates with an indoor air outlet 68 provided on a ceiling or the like of the indoor space 62 via an air outlet-side duct 67. Thereby, the air (SA) 9 containing hypochlorous acid water discharged from the air outlet 3 passes through the air outlet-side duct 67 and is blown out from the indoor air outlet 68 toward the indoor space 62.

[0024] The air outlet-side duct 67 is a duct whose inner wall uses a low-reactivity material that has poor reactivity with hypochlorous acid water. The low-reactivity material is, for example, a polyolefin-based material. The polyolefin-based material contains, for example, at least one of polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0025] A purification air passage 5 is formed inside the housing 1. The purification air passage 5 is an air passage for infusing the air (AC) 8b taken into the housing 1 from the intake port 2 with atomized hypochlorous acid water while circulating it inside the housing 1 towards the outlet port 3. The purification air passage 5 is equipped with a filter 11, an air blowing unit 12, and an atomization unit 13 in that order from upstream to downstream. The hypochlorous acid water generation unit 14, the drainage unit 15, the mixing tank water supply unit 16, the water supply unit 17, and the control unit 18 are located inside the housing 1 but outside the purification air passage 5.

[0026] Filter 11 is an air filter, and for example, a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is used. Filter 11 removes dust and other debris from the air (AC) 8b taken into the housing 1 from the intake port 2, and outputs purified air.

[0027] The air blower unit 12 is composed of a blower fan. The air blower unit 12 draws in a portion of the air (RA) 8a (air (AC) 8b) from the indoor space 62 to be purified through the intake port 2 and blows it to the atomization unit 13 described later. The atomization unit 13 then blows out the air (SA) 9, which contains the atomized mixed water, back into the indoor space 62. The air (RA) 8a taken into the interior of the housing 1 from the intake port 2 by the air blower unit 12 is transported along the purification air passage 5 to the outlet 3.

[0028] The blower unit 12 transports air through the purification air passage 5 at a predetermined airflow rate by the rotational motion of blades arranged radially with respect to the axis. The rotation speed of the blades of the blower unit 12 is controlled according to the output signal from the control unit 18, and air is transported through the purification air passage 5 at an airflow rate corresponding to that rotation speed.

[0029] The atomization unit 13 is the main part of the air purification device 10 and is a unit for humidifying the air being transported through the purification air passage 5. In this humidification process, the atomization unit 13 incorporates hypochlorous acid water as an air purification component along with atomized water into the air. As will be described in detail later, the hypochlorous acid water generation unit 14 generates hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing salt water and supplies the generated hypochlorous acid water to the mixing tank 21 of the atomization unit 13.

[0030] To explain the configuration of the atomization unit 13, Figure 2 will also be used here. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the atomization unit 13 and its surrounding area that constitute the air purification device 10. The atomization unit 13 atomizes the mixed water, which is a mixture of water and hypochlorous acid water in the mixing tank 21, using a centrifugal crushing method, and releases the atomized water containing hypochlorous acid water into the air transported in the purification air passage 5. The hypochlorous acid water atomized in the atomization unit 13 is incorporated into the air (SA) 9 in a state where the liquid component has evaporated, and is blown out from the outlet 3 through the discharge-side duct 67 to the indoor outlet 68 and into the indoor space 62.

[0031] The atomization section 13 has a cylindrical impact wall 24 with openings at the top and bottom, and a cylindrical water pumping pipe 22 that rotates inside the impact wall 24 and draws up (pumps up) water. In the atomization section 13, the purification air passage 5 is formed between the impact wall 24 and the water pumping pipe 22, and air taken in from the intake port 2 is transported from the upper opening of the cylindrical impact wall 24 to the lower opening. Air discharged from the lower opening of the impact wall 24 is transported through the purification air passage 5 to the outlet port 3.

[0032] The water pumping pipe 22 has an inverted cone-shaped hollow structure, with a water outlet at its bottom and a rotating shaft 22c fixed at the center of the inverted cone-shaped top surface, positioned vertically. The rotating shaft 22c is connected to a motor 23 located vertically above the water pumping pipe 22, so that the rotational motion of the motor 23 is transmitted to the water pumping pipe 22 through the rotating shaft 22c, causing the water pumping pipe 22 to rotate.

[0033] The water pumping pipe 22 is equipped with multiple rotating plates 22b formed to protrude outward from the outer surface of the water pumping pipe 22. The multiple rotating plates 22b are formed to protrude outward from the outer surface of the water pumping pipe 22, with predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the rotation axis 22c. Since the rotating plates 22b rotate together with the water pumping pipe 22, a horizontal disc shape coaxial with the rotation axis 22c is preferred. The number of rotating plates 22b is set appropriately according to the target performance and the dimensions of the water pumping pipe 22.

[0034] The wall surface of the water pumping pipe 22 is provided with an opening 22a that penetrates the wall surface. The opening 22a is located in a position that communicates with a rotating plate 22b which is formed to protrude outward from the outer surface of the water pumping pipe 22.

[0035] Below the micronization section 13, a bowl-shaped mixing tank (centrifugal crushing tank) 21 is provided, vertically below the pumping pipe 22, to store the water pumped up by the pumping pipe 22. The mixing tank 21 stores mixed water, which is a mixture of water and hypochlorous acid water in a predetermined ratio. As a result, the mixed water containing hypochlorous acid water is pumped up by the pumping pipe 22. The mixing tank 21 is deep enough so that a portion of the lower part of the pumping pipe 22 is submerged. This depth can be designed to match the required pumping volume.

[0036] Here, we will explain the operating principle of water (a mixture of water and hypochlorous acid water) atomization in the atomization section 13. When the motor 23 drives the rotating shaft 22c, the water pumping pipe 22 rotates in conjunction with it, and the centrifugal force generated by this rotation draws up the mixed water stored in the mixing tank 21 through the water pumping pipe 22. Since the water pumping pipe 22 has an inverted conical hollow structure, the mixed water drawn up by the rotation is pumped upwards along the inner wall of the water pumping pipe 22. The pumped mixed water is then released centrifugally from the opening 22a of the water pumping pipe 22 along the rotating plate 22b and scattered as water droplets.

[0037] Water droplets scattered from the rotating plate 22b fly through the space surrounded by the collision wall 24, collide with the collision wall 24, and are crushed and miniaturized. Meanwhile, the air transported through the purification air passage 5 moves into the collision wall 24 from the upper opening, and then moves out of the collision wall 24 from the lower opening, containing the water droplets that have been crushed (miniatureized) by the collision wall 24. As a result, the miniaturization unit 13 humidifies the air (AC) 8b taken in from the intake port 2 and adds hypochlorous acid water, which is an air purification component, and then blows out the humidified air (SA) 9 containing hypochlorous acid water from the outlet port 3. The above is the operating principle of water miniaturization in the miniaturization unit 13.

[0038] The mixing tank 21 has a circular drain port 21a at the lowest point of its bowl-shaped bottom. The drain port 21a is shut off and drained by the rotation of the water pump pipe 22.

[0039] Specifically, when the pumping pipe 22 is rotated, the centrifugal force of the rotation generates a vortex in the mixed water of the mixing tank 21 inside the pumping pipe 22. The pumping pipe 22 exposes the bottom of the mixing tank 21 at the center of the vortex generated by the rotation, creating a space near the drain outlet 21a. As a result, rotating the pumping pipe 22 prevents the water from being drained from the drain outlet 21a.

[0040] On the other hand, when the rotation of the water pump pipe 22 stops, the space near the drain port 21a disappears, and the mixed water from the mixing tank 21 flows into the drain port 21a. As a result, the atomization unit 13 can drain the mixed water from the mixing tank 21 through the drain port 21a.

[0041] In this way, even without using a drain valve, the micronization unit 13 rotates the water pumping pipe 22 to suppress (stop) the drainage of the mixed water from the mixing tank 21 through the drain port 21a, and by stopping the rotation of the water pumping pipe 22, the mixed water from the mixing tank 21 can be drained through the drain port 21a.

[0042] Furthermore, the bottom of the mixing tank 21 is shaped like a mortar towards the drain port 21a. This makes it easier to apply centrifugal force to the water stored in the mixing tank 21 when the pumping pipe 22 rotates, making it easier to generate vortices in the water in the mixing tank 21 inside the pumping pipe 22, and allowing the generated vortices to remain stable. In addition, when the rotation of the pumping pipe 22 stops, the water stored in the mixing tank 21 can be reliably drained from the drain port 21a.

[0043] A drain valve may be provided at the drain port 21a. In this case, the micronization unit 13 can prevent the mixed water from the mixing tank 21 from being drained from the drain port 21a even when the rotation of the water pump pipe 22 is stopped by closing the drain valve. In other words, water can be stored in the mixing tank 21 even when the water pump pipe 22 is stopped. The micronization unit 13 can also drain the mixed water from the mixing tank 21 from the drain port 21a by opening the drain valve. The opening and closing of the drain valve is controlled by an output signal from the control unit 18. Returning to Figure 1. The drain unit 15, control unit 18, operating device 70, and human detection device 80 will be described later.

[0044] Figure 3 is a water circuit diagram showing the flow of water inside the housing 1 of the air purification device 10. The water circuit diagram includes a water supply unit 17, a hypochlorous acid water generation unit 14, a mixing tank water supply unit 16, a micronization unit 13, and a drainage unit 15. The water supply unit 17 includes a water supply pipe connection port 30, a strainer 31, a first solenoid valve 32, and a second solenoid valve 33. The hypochlorous acid water generation unit 14 includes an electrolytic cell 27, a pair of electrodes 27a, a full water sensor 27b, a saltwater tank 28, and a saltwater transport pump 29. The mixing tank water supply unit 16 includes an electrolytic cell transport pump 16a and a mixing tank water supply pipe 16b. The micronization unit 13 includes a mixing tank 21. The drainage unit 15 includes a drainage tray 25 and a drainage pump 26.

[0045] The water supply unit 17 supplies water (tap water) from a water supply pipe, such as a waterworks, to the electrolytic cell 27 in response to an output signal from the control unit 18. The water supply unit 17 has a water supply pipe connection port 30, a strainer 31, a first solenoid valve 32, and a second solenoid valve 33, which are connected by a water supply pipe.

[0046] The water supply pipe connection port 30 is a component that connects the water supply pipe to the water delivery pipe, and water supplied from the water supply pipe is sent to the water delivery pipe. The strainer 31 is a component that separates and removes foreign matter and debris from the water supplied from the water supply pipe. The water from which foreign matter and debris have been removed by the strainer 31 is sent to the first solenoid valve 32.

[0047] The first solenoid valve 32 controls whether or not to send water supplied via the strainer 31 to the second solenoid valve 33, in response to an output signal from the control unit 18. While the air purification device 10 is operating in humidification mode only, or in mode that performs humidification and sterilization / deodorization, the control unit 18 controls the first solenoid valve 32 to open and send water to the second solenoid valve 33.

[0048] The second solenoid valve 33 controls whether or not to send the water discharged from the first solenoid valve 32 to the electrolytic cell 27, in response to an output signal from the control unit 18. The control unit 18 controls the second solenoid valve 33 to open (discharge water) while the first solenoid valve 32 is open (discharge water), thereby supplying water (tap water) supplied from the water supply pipe to the electrolytic cell 27.

[0049] The brine tank 28 stores brine (an aqueous sodium chloride solution) and supplies brine to the electrolytic cell 27 via the brine transport pump 29 in response to an output signal from the control unit 18. The amount of brine supplied from the brine tank 28 to the electrolytic cell 27 is determined by the control unit 18 controlling the drive amount of the brine transport pump 29. The brine tank 28 and the brine transport pump 29 correspond to the salt supply unit in this disclosure. Thus, the salt supplied by the salt supply unit in this disclosure may be brine.

[0050] The electrolytic cell 27 is a tank capable of storing liquid (saltwater or water (tap water)) up to a predetermined capacity. Since a general-purpose device is used for the electrolytic cell 27, a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0051] The electrolytic cell 27 mixes, for example, saltwater supplied from the saltwater tank 28 with water (tap water) supplied from the water supply unit 17 to store a predetermined volume of saltwater of a predetermined concentration. The predetermined volume of saltwater of a predetermined concentration stored in the electrolytic cell 27 is electrolyzed by the electrode 27a, which will be described later, and hypochlorous acid water of a predetermined concentration is generated in the electrolytic cell 27. In other words, the electrolytic cell 27 is also a tank for generating hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing the predetermined volume of stored saltwater. The hypochlorous acid water generated in the electrolytic cell 27 is supplied to the mixing tank 21 by the mixing tank water supply unit 16 in accordance with the output signal from the control unit 18.

[0052] Furthermore, the electrolytic cell 27 stores a predetermined volume of water (tap water) supplied from the water supply unit 17 in response to an output signal from the control unit 18. The water (tap water) stored in the electrolytic cell 27 in the predetermined volume is also supplied to the mixing tank 21 by the mixing tank water supply unit 16 in response to an output signal from the control unit 18.

[0053] Alternatively, instead of the saltwater tank 28, a salt tablet input unit may be provided to input salt tablets into the electrolytic cell 27 in response to an output signal from the control unit 18. In this case, a predetermined amount of salt tablets is input into the electrolytic cell 27 from the salt tablet input unit in response to an output signal from the control unit 18, and a predetermined volume of water is supplied to the electrolytic cell 27 from the water supply unit 17. As a result, the electrolytic cell 27 can generate and store a predetermined volume of saltwater of a predetermined concentration. When a salt tablet input unit is provided, this salt tablet input unit corresponds to the salt supply unit in this disclosure.

[0054] The electrolytic cell 27 is equipped with a full-water sensor 27b. The full-water sensor 27b is a sensor that detects whether or not the water level in the electrolytic cell 27 is at the full water level, and is composed of a float sensor. In this embodiment, the full-water sensor 27b is installed at a position where 0.6 L of liquid is stored in the electrolytic cell 27. A general-purpose float sensor is used, so a detailed explanation of it is omitted.

[0055] The signal output from the full-water sensor 27b is input to the control unit 18. Based on the signal output from the full-water sensor 27b, the control unit 18 determines whether the water level in the electrolytic cell 27 is at the full water level, and if the water level in the electrolytic cell 27 is at the full water level, it determines that a predetermined capacity (0.6 L) of saltwater or water (tap water) has been stored in the electrolytic cell 27.

[0056] The electrode 27a is placed inside the electrolytic cell 27 and, in response to an output signal from the control unit 18, electrolyzes saline solution by applying current to produce hypochlorous acid water of a predetermined concentration. In other words, the electrolytic cell 27 produces hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing a chloride aqueous solution (e.g., saline solution) as an electrolyte between a pair of electrodes 27a.

[0057] The electrolyte is not particularly limited as long as it is an electrolyte capable of producing hypochlorous acid water and contains even a small amount of chloride ions. For example, aqueous solutions in which sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, etc., are dissolved as solutes are acceptable. Hydrochloric acid is also acceptable. In this embodiment, a chloride aqueous solution (saltwater) made by adding sodium chloride to water is used as the electrolyte.

[0058] The mixing tank water supply section 16 supplies hypochlorous acid water or water from the electrolytic cell 27 to the mixing tank 21 of the atomization section 13, and consists of an electrolytic cell transfer pump 16a and a mixing tank water supply pipe 16b. The electrolytic cell transfer pump 16a sends hypochlorous acid water generated in the electrolytic cell 27, or a predetermined volume of water stored in the electrolytic cell 27, to the mixing tank water supply pipe 16b in response to an output signal from the control unit 18. The mixing tank water supply pipe 16b is connected between the electrolytic cell transfer pump 16a and the mixing tank 21 and supplies hypochlorous acid water or water towards the mixing tank 21.

[0059] As described above, the miniaturization unit 13 will not be explained here. The drainage unit 15 discharges water from the mixing tank 21 and other sources to the outside of the air purification device 10 and includes a drainage tray 25 and a drainage pump 26. The drainage tray 25 is positioned vertically below the miniaturization unit 13, the hypochlorous acid water generation unit 14 (electrolytic cell 27, brine tank 28), the mixing tank water supply unit 16, and the water supply unit 17, and receives water falling from these. The water from the mixing tank 21 discharged from the drainage port 21a provided in the mixing tank 21 of the miniaturization unit 13 is received by this drainage tray 25.

[0060] The drain pump 26 responds to an output signal from the control unit 18, for example, when the water level in the drain tray 25 reaches a predetermined value or when a predetermined period of time has elapsed, by pumping up the water in the drain tray 25 and discharging it to the outside of the air purification device 10.

[0061] The control unit 18 in Figure 1 controls the operation of the air purification system 100. Based on the output signal from the control unit 18, the air conditioner 50 performs at least one of cooling (dehumidification) and heating on the air (RA) 8a from the indoor space 62. Based on the output signal from the control unit 18, the air purification device 10 atomizes the mixed water of water and hypochlorous acid water, and releases the atomized mixed water to the air (AC) 8b, which is part of the air (RA) 8a from the indoor space 62, and blows it into the indoor space 62. The air purification device 10 also supplies water to the mixing tank 21 from the electrolytic cell 27 based on the output signal from the control unit 18. That is, the control unit 18 controls the selective supply of hypochlorous acid water generated in the electrolytic cell 27 and water stored in a predetermined volume in the electrolytic cell 27 to the mixing tank 21 from the electrolytic cell 27.

[0062] In this embodiment, the air purification device 10 allows the intensity of disinfection and deodorization of the indoor space 62 to be set to four levels: "weak," "medium," "strong," and "concentrated mode." The intensity of disinfection and deodorization is set by the user operating the control device 70. The air purification device 10 can disinfect and deodorize the indoor space 62 more strongly in the order of "weak" < "medium" < "strong" < "concentrated mode" by increasing the concentration of hypochlorous acid water contained in the air (SA) 9 blown into the indoor space 62. The "concentrated mode" is a mode in which high-concentration hypochlorous acid water is released into the indoor space 62 for a short period of time, disinfecting and deodorizing the indoor space 62 in a short time with high-concentration hypochlorous acid water.

[0063] The control unit 18 controls the concentration of hypochlorous acid water generated in the electrolytic cell 27 according to the sterilization and deodorization intensity set by the operating device 70. Specifically, when the sterilization and deodorization intensity is "weak," the control unit 18 sets the concentration of hypochlorous acid water generated in the electrolytic cell 27 to the first concentration. When the sterilization and deodorization intensity is "medium," the control unit 18 sets the concentration of hypochlorous acid water generated in the electrolytic cell 27 to the second concentration, which is higher than the first concentration. When the sterilization and deodorization intensity is "strong," the control unit 18 sets the concentration of hypochlorous acid water generated in the electrolytic cell 27 to the third concentration, which is higher than the second concentration. Furthermore, when the sterilization and deodorization intensity is "intensive mode," the control unit 18 sets the concentration of hypochlorous acid water generated in the electrolytic cell 27 to the fourth concentration, which is higher than the third concentration.

[0064] In this way, depending on the disinfection and deodorization intensity set by the user, hypochlorous acid water of different concentrations is generated in the electrolytic cell 27 and supplied to the atomization unit 13. As a result, regardless of the set disinfection and deodorization intensity, the hypochlorous acid water supplied to the atomization unit 13 is mixed with an equal amount of water, and the mixed water containing hypochlorous acid water of different concentrations is atomized in the atomization unit 13 and released into the air (SA) 9.

[0065] The operating device 70 is an input interface that accepts settings related to the operation of the air purification system 100 through user operation, and is connected to the control unit 18 by wire or wireless.

[0066] The control device 70 receives settings related to air conditioning, such as the target temperature and target humidity of the indoor space 62, as well as the air conditioning operation mode ("cooling", "heating", "dehumidification", "off", etc.), and transmits the set target temperature value, target humidity value, and air conditioning operation mode information to the control unit 18. The control unit 18 controls the operation of the air conditioning system 50 based on the air conditioning-related setting information transmitted from the control device 70.

[0067] The control device 70 also accepts settings related to air purification, such as the air purification operation mode ("humidification only", "humidification + sterilization and deodorization", "off", etc.) and the sterilization / deodorization intensity ("weak", "medium", "strong", "concentrated mode"). The control device 70 transmits the set air purification operation mode information and sterilization / deodorization intensity information to the control unit 18. The control unit 18 controls the operation of the air purification device 10 based on the air purification-related setting information transmitted from the control device 70.

[0068] Next, the space purification operation of the space purification device 10 will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0069] When the space purification operation mode is set to "humidification + sterilization and deodorization" on the control device 70, the control unit 18 first operates the air blower unit 12. As a result, a portion of the air (RA) 8a from the indoor space 62, which has been cooled (dehumidified) or heated (AC) 8b by the air conditioning unit 50, is drawn into the housing 1 and transported through the purification air passage 5.

[0070] Next, the control unit 18 drives the motor 23 to rotate the water pumping pipe 22. This prevents the liquid (water, hypochlorous acid water, and a mixture thereof) supplied to the mixing tank 21 from being drained from the drain port 21a, and shuts off the water flow from the mixing tank 21.

[0071] The control unit 18 then supplies water and hypochlorous acid water to the mixing tank 21. At this time, the control unit 18 controls the supply of hypochlorous acid water generated in the electrolytic cell 27 and water stored in a predetermined volume in the electrolytic cell 27 to the mixing tank 21 from the electrolytic cell 27.

[0072] In the mixing tank 21, the rotation of the water pump pipe 22 agitates the supplied water and hypochlorous acid water to produce mixed water. Furthermore, the rotation of the water pump pipe 22 causes the mixed water in the mixing tank 21 to be atomized by pumping, splashing, and crushing as described above.

[0073] The atomized mixed water is released into the air being transported through the purification air passage 5, that is, the air (AC) 8b taken into the interior of the housing 1 by the blower unit 12 (i.e., the air (RA) 8a of the indoor space 62, which is part of the temperature-controlled air whose temperature has been adjusted by the air conditioning device 50). Then, the air (SA) 9 containing the atomized mixed water (hypochlorous acid water) is blown out into the indoor space 62.

[0074] When the space purification operation mode is set to "off" on the control device 70, the control unit 18 stops the motor 23 to stop the rotation of the water pump pipe 22 and operates the drainage pump 26 of the drainage unit 15. As a result, the mixed water remaining in the mixing tank 21 is drained into the drainage tray 25 of the drainage unit 15 and discharged to the outside from the drainage tray 25 by the drainage pump 26.

[0075] Furthermore, when the space purification operation mode is set to "humidification only" on the operating device 70, the control unit 18 first operates the blower unit 12, drives the motor 23 to rotate the water pump pipe 22, and then supplies a predetermined volume of water stored in the electrolytic cell 27 to the mixing tank 21. By repeating this supply of water from the electrolytic cell 27 to the mixing tank 21 a predetermined number of times, the water level in the mixing tank 21 can be controlled even without a water level sensor, and the required amount of water can be stored.

[0076] The atomization unit 13 atomizes the water stored in the mixing tank 21 by the rotation of the water pumping pipe 22, by pumping, scattering, and crushing it, and then releases the atomized water into the air (AC) 8b taken into the interior of the housing 1 by the air blowing unit 12. Then, the air (SA) 9 containing the atomized water is blown into the indoor space 62, thereby humidifying the space.

[0077] (2) Control to suppress the effects of reaction odors while ensuring sufficient purification In the spatial purification system 100 described above, this section describes the control mechanisms to suppress the effects of reaction odors generated during purification with hypochlorous acid water, and to achieve sufficient purification even when the effects of reaction odors are suppressed.

[0078] Figure 4 shows the configuration of the control unit 18. The control unit 18 includes a human presence / absence determination unit 90, an electrolysis time control unit 92, and a storage unit 94. The control unit 18 is also connected to a human detection device 80 and an electrode 27a (electrolysis unit).

[0079] The human detection device 80 is an imaging device. The human detection device 80 images the indoor space 62 and generates moving images (video) or still images (hereinafter collectively referred to as "images"). If a person is present in the indoor space 62, the image generated by the human detection device 80 will include the person. This corresponds to detecting the presence of a person in an air-conditioned space. The human detection device 80 can communicate with the control unit 18 by wire or wireless connection and transmits the image to the control unit 18.

[0080] The person presence / absence determination unit 90 receives the image generated by the person detection device 80. The person presence / absence determination unit 90 performs image recognition processing on the image and determines whether or not a person is included in the image. If the person presence / absence determination unit 90 determines that a person is included in the image, it also obtains the number of people included in the image. If the number of people present in the indoor space 62 changes over time from 3 people to 4 people to 2 people, the person presence / absence determination unit 90 sequentially determines that the number of people included in the image is 3 people, 4 people, and 2 people. The person presence / absence determination unit 90 outputs the determination result to the electrolysis time control unit 92. If the person presence / absence determination unit 90 sequentially determines that the number of people included in the image is 3 people, 4 people, and 2 people, it sequentially outputs 3 people, 4 people, and 2 people as the determination result.

[0081] The electrolysis time control unit 92 receives the determination result from the person presence determination unit 90. If the determination result indicates that a person is present in the image (person present), the electrolysis time control unit 92 extracts the number of people present in the image from the determination result. If the number of people present in the image increases during the period in which the determination result indicates that a person is present in the image, that is, the period in which the person detection device 80 detects the presence of a person in the indoor space 62, the electrolysis time control unit 92 stores the number of people present in the image in the storage unit 94. The updating of the number of people present in the image continues throughout the period in which the determination result indicates that a person is present in the image. As a result, the storage unit 94 stores the maximum number of people present in the indoor space 62.

[0082] When the period in which the judgment result indicates that a person is present in the image ends and the period in which the judgment result indicates that a person is present in the image (no person present) begins, the memory unit 94 maintains the maximum number of people present in the indoor space 62. Furthermore, when the period in which the judgment result indicates that a person is present in the image ends and the period in which the judgment result indicates that a person is present in the image begins, the electrolysis time control unit 92 stores the number of people present in the image at that time in the memory unit 94. In other words, when the period in which the judgment result indicates that a person is present in the image ends and the period in which the judgment result indicates that a person is present in the image begins, the maximum number of people stored in the memory unit 94 is reset.

[0083] The electrolysis time control unit 92 determines the electrolysis time by referring to a table stored in the memory unit 94, based on information about the presence or absence of people and the maximum number of people.

[0084] Figure 5 shows the data structure of the table stored in the memory unit 94. The table shows the "number of people," "setpoint," "limit," and "electrolysis time" for both cases: with and without people present. "Number of people" represents the "maximum number of people," and "setpoint" is the base value for the electrolysis time relative to the number of people. The relationship between the number of people and the setpoint is the same regardless of whether people are present or not; as the number of people increases, the setpoint also increases. This is because as the number of people increases, the air in the indoor space 62 becomes polluted, requiring a higher concentration of hypochlorous acid water to purify it, thus increasing the setpoint. The "limit" is a value to prevent the electrolysis time from exceeding the limit. This is because as the electrolysis time increases and the concentration of hypochlorous acid water increases, the effect of the reaction odor becomes greater. In the case of no people present, the effect of the reaction odor is irrelevant, so no limit is set. "Electrolysis time" is the final value as the time for electrolysis.

[0085] The electrolysis time control unit 92 acquires a set value based on the number of people if no people are present. Since no limit value is set when no people are present, the electrolysis time control unit 92 determines the acquired set value as the electrolysis time. As a result, the larger the maximum value stored in the memory unit 94, the longer the electrolysis time. On the other hand, the electrolysis time control unit 92 also acquires a set value based on the number of people when people are present. The electrolysis time control unit 92 determines the set value as the electrolysis time if the set value is less than or equal to the limit value, and determines the limit value as the electrolysis time if the set value is greater than the limit value. As a result, when people are present and there are 3 or more people, the electrolysis time is kept below the limit value. Also, when there are 4 or 5 people, the electrolysis time is shorter when the presence of people is detected than when no people are detected. Furthermore, when there are 4 or 5 people, the electrolysis time is increased to above the limit value when the presence of people changes from present to absent. Return to Figure 4.

[0086] The electrolysis time control unit 92 causes the electrode 27a (electrolysis unit) to electrolyze saline solution to generate hypochlorous acid water over the determined electrolysis time.

[0087] The subject of the apparatus, system, or method in this disclosure comprises a computer. The functions of the subject of the apparatus, system, or method in this disclosure are realized by the computer executing a program. The computer comprises a processor as its main hardware component, which operates according to the program. The processor is of any type as long as it can realize its functions by executing the program. The processor consists of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or LSIs (Large Scale Integrations). Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated on one chip or provided on multiple chips. Multiple chips may be aggregated in one device or provided on multiple devices. The program is recorded on a non-temporary recording medium such as a ROM, optical disc, or hard disk drive that is readable by the computer. The program may be pre-stored on the recording medium or supplied to the recording medium via a wide-area communication network, including the Internet.

[0088] The operation of the space purification system 100 with the above configuration will now be explained. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure for setting the electrolysis time by the space purification system 100. Saltwater is supplied to the electrolytic cell 27 (S10). The human detection device 80 and the human presence / absence determination unit 90 acquire whether or not there are people in the indoor space 62 (S12). If there are no people in the indoor space 62 (N in S14), the electrolysis time control unit 92 sets the electrolysis time based on the maximum value (S16), and the electrode 27a electrolyzes the saltwater for the electrolysis time.

[0089] If there are people in the indoor space 62 (Y in S14) and the number of people is greater than the maximum value in the memory unit 94 (Y in S18), the electrolysis time control unit 92 updates the maximum value in the memory unit 94 (S20). If the number of people is not greater than the maximum value in the memory unit 94 (N in S18), step 20 is skipped. The electrolysis time control unit 92 sets the electrolysis time based on the maximum value (S22). If the electrolysis time is not longer than the limit value (N in S24), the electrode 27a electrolyzes the saltwater for the electrolysis time and then returns to step 14. If the electrolysis time is longer than the limit value (Y in S24), the electrolysis time control unit 92 resets the electrolysis time to less than or equal to the limit value (S26), the electrode 27a electrolyzes the saltwater for the electrolysis time and then returns to step 14.

[0090] According to this embodiment, when the presence of a person is detected in the indoor space 62, the electrolysis time is shortened compared to when the absence of a person is detected, so that purification can be sufficiently performed even when no one is present. Also, when the presence of a person is detected in the indoor space 62, the electrolysis time is shortened compared to when the absence of a person is detected, so that the effect of reaction odors can be suppressed when a person is present. Also, when the presence of a person is detected in the indoor space 62, the electrolysis time is set to below the limit value, so that the effect of reaction odors can be suppressed. Also, when a change from the presence of a person to the absence of a person is detected, the electrolysis time is set to above the limit value, so that purification can be sufficiently performed. Furthermore, the greater the maximum number of people present in the indoor space 62, the longer the electrolysis time is set, so that purification can be sufficiently performed.

[0091] An overview of one aspect of this disclosure is as follows: (Item 1) A space purification system (100) for purifying an air-conditioned space (62), An electrolytic unit (72a) that generates hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing salt water, The electrolysis unit (72a) includes an electrolysis time control unit (92) that controls the time for electrolyzing the salt water, The system includes a person detection device (80) that detects the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space (62), The electrolysis time control unit (92) is, A space purification system (100) that, when the person detection device (80) detects the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space (62), shortens the time for electrolyzing the saltwater compared to when the person detection device (80) detects the absence of a person in the air-conditioned space (62).

[0092] (Item 2) The electrolysis time control unit (92) is, The space purification system (100) described in item 1, wherein if the person detection device (80) detects the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space (62), the time for electrolyzing the saltwater is reduced to below a limit value.

[0093] (Item 3) The electrolysis time control unit (92) is, The space purification system (100) described in item 2, wherein the person detection device (80) detects a change in the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space (62) from the presence of a person to the absence of a person, and the time for electrolyzing the saltwater is set to exceed a limit value.

[0094] (Item 4) The system further includes a storage unit (94) that stores the maximum number of people present in the air-conditioned space (62) during the period in which the person detection device (80) detected the presence of people in the air-conditioned space (62). The electrolysis time control unit (92) is, The space purification system (100) described in item 1, wherein the larger the maximum value stored in the memory unit (94), the longer the time for electrolyzing the saltwater.

[0095] The present disclosure has been described above based on embodiments. These embodiments are illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible for each component or combination of processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1 Housing, 2 Intake port, 3 Outlet port, 5 Purified air passage, 8a Air (RA), 8b Air (AC), 8c Air, 9 Air (SA), 10 Air purification device, 11 Filter, 12 Blower unit, 13 Miniaturization unit, 14 Hypochlorous acid water generation unit, 15 Drainage unit, 16 Mixing tank water supply unit, 16a Electrolytic cell transfer pump, 16b Mixing tank water supply pipe, 17 Water supply unit, 18 Control unit, 21 Mixing tank, 21a Drain port, 22 Water lifting pipe, 22a Opening, 22b Rotating plate, 22c Rotating shaft, 23 Motor, 24 Impact wall, 25 Drainage tray, 26 Drainage pump, 27 Electrolytic cell, 27a Electrode, 27b Full water sensor 28 Saltwater tank, 29 Saltwater transfer pump, 30 Water supply pipe connection port, 31 Strainer, 32 First solenoid valve, 33 Second solenoid valve, 50 Air conditioning unit, 51 Main unit, 52 Decorative panel, 53 Indoor intake port, 54, 55 Outlet port, 60 Outdoor unit, 62 Indoor space, 64 Intake duct, 67 Outlet duct, 68 Indoor outlet, 70 Operating device, 80 Person detection device, 90 Person presence / absence determination unit, 92 Electrolysis time control unit, 94 Memory unit, 100 Space purification system.

Claims

1. A space purification system that purifies the air-conditioned space, An electrolytic unit that generates hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing salt water, The electrolysis unit includes an electrolysis time control unit that controls the time for electrolyzing the saltwater, The system includes a human detection device that detects the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space, The electrolysis time control unit is A space purification system that, when the person detection device detects the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space, shortens the time for electrolyzing the saltwater compared to when the device detects the absence of a person in the air-conditioned space.

2. The electrolysis time control unit is The space purification system according to claim 1, wherein when the person detection device detects the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space, the time for electrolyzing the saltwater is reduced to below a limit value.

3. The electrolysis time control unit is The space purification system according to claim 2, wherein when the person detection device detects a change from the presence of a person to the absence of a person in the air-conditioned space, the time for electrolyzing the saltwater is set to exceed a limit value.

4. The system further includes a storage unit that stores the maximum number of people present in the air-conditioned space during the period in which the person detection device detected the presence of people in the air-conditioned space. The electrolysis time control unit is The space purification system according to claim 1, wherein the larger the maximum value stored in the memory unit, the longer the time for electrolyzing the saltwater.

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