dehumidifier

Abstract

To provide a dehumidifier that can efficiently cool the circuit board and reactor without increasing the number of components. [Solution] The dehumidifier according to the present disclosure comprises a housing having an intake port and an outlet port, an airflow passage from the intake port to the outlet port, a blowing means provided in the airflow passage for generating airflow, a dehumidifying means disposed inside the housing for removing moisture from the airflow, and a control means disposed inside the housing for controlling the operation of the blowing means and the dehumidifying means, wherein the control means has a circuit board and a reactor, the circuit board and reactor are disposed in a circuit board storage space different from the airflow passage, and the control means has a first communication port connecting to the circuit board storage space from upstream of the dehumidifying means in the airflow passage, and a second communication port connecting to the circuit board storage space downstream of the dehumidifying means in the airflow passage, the first communication port and the second communication port are connected by the circuit board storage space.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dehumidifier. [Background Art]

[0002] A conventional dehumidifier disclosed in Patent Document 1 below includes: a blower configured to generate an airflow in an air blowing duct extending from a suction inlet to a blow outlet; a dehumidifying unit configured to remove moisture from the airflow; and a substrate configured to control the blower and the dehumidifying unit. The substrate is disposed in a substrate housing space, and the substrate housing space is provided with an opening for taking in air from outside a housing to cool the substrate. [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. WO 2024 / 154220 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] However, since there are two air intake ports, namely the suction inlet and the opening, it is necessary to install a filter for preventing dust suction at each port, which increases the number of components. In addition, it is necessary to separately perform maintenance to prevent reduction of airflow caused by dust accumulation at the air intake ports, which increases the workload. This is the problem that exists.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-described problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a dehumidifier capable of efficiently cooling a substrate and a reactor without increasing the number of components. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] The dehumidifier according to this disclosure comprises a housing having an intake port and an outlet port, an airflow path from the intake port to the outlet port, a blowing means provided in the airflow path for generating airflow, a dehumidifying means disposed inside the housing for removing moisture from the airflow, and a control means disposed inside the housing for controlling the operation of the blowing means and the dehumidifying means, wherein the control means has a circuit board and a reactor, the circuit board and reactor are disposed in a circuit board housing space separate from the airflow path, and the control means has a first communication port connecting the circuit board housing space from upstream of the dehumidifying means in the airflow path, and a second communication port connecting the circuit board housing space from downstream of the dehumidifying means in the airflow path, and the first communication port and the second communication port are connected by the circuit board housing space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a dehumidifier that can efficiently cool the substrate and reactor without increasing the number of components. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the dehumidifier of Embodiment 1, taken from the front. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the dehumidifier of Embodiment 1, seen from the rear. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1, in the vertical direction. [Figure 4] This is a horizontal cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate storage space along the CC line. [Figure 6] This is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the circuit board storage space of the dehumidifier according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 7] This is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the circuit board storage space of the dehumidifier according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 8] This is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the circuit board storage space of the dehumidifier according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 9] This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the dehumidifier of Embodiment 5, taken by cutting along the DD line in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Common or corresponding elements in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are simplified or omitted. Furthermore, the configurations shown in the embodiments below are examples of the technical ideas related to this disclosure, and can be combined with other known technologies, or multiple technical ideas described in this disclosure can be combined. In addition, it is possible to omit or modify parts of the configuration without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0010] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dehumidifier 1 of Embodiment 1, viewed from the front. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the dehumidifier 1 of Embodiment 1, viewed from the rear. Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate storage space along line CC in Figure 1. For the sake of clarity, each figure shows a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system including the Z-axis, where the vertically upward direction is positive and the vertically downward direction is negative.

[0011] In the dehumidifier 1, the front case 2 and the rear case 3 are joined together to form the housing. The housing has an intake port 12 and an outlet port 5. The top of the housing has an upper case 8 and an operation notification unit 4 equipped with switches and an LED display for inputting the operation of the dehumidifier 1. As shown in Figure 3, the housing has a bottom plate 41 to which multiple wheels 40 are attached.

[0012] In front of the operation notification unit 4 is an air outlet 5. A louver 6 is attached to the air outlet 5 so as to be movable vertically by a stepping motor (not shown). A removable water storage tank 7 is located at the bottom of the dehumidifier 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, handles 14 are provided on the upper left and upper right sides of the housing.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, when the dehumidifier 1 is viewed from the rear direction, the suction port 12, the suction port cover 13, and the power cord 17 are provided. The suction port 12 is an inlet for sucking indoor air. As shown in Fig. 3, an air blowing duct 15 extending from the suction port 12 to the air outlet 5 is formed inside the housing.

[0014] The air blowing duct 15 is provided with an evaporator 9 serving as a heat exchanger, a first condenser 10, and a second condenser 11. Water droplets condensed on the evaporator 9 drop into a drain water receiver and are stored in the water storage tank 7 through a drain pipe.

[0015] A fan motor 22 serving as an air blowing means and a blowing fan 23 are arranged in front of the second condenser 11 in the air blowing duct 15. The fan motor 22 and the blowing fan 23 are supported by a fan case 24. The air sucked from the suction port 12 by the blowing fan 23 passes through the air blowing duct 15 and is discharged from the air outlet 5 above the housing. The air flow direction of the airflow discharged from the air outlet 5 can be changed by the louver 6.

[0016] A power control board 27 and a reactor 29 are provided at the upper part inside the housing. The power control board 27 and the reactor 29 are connected by wiring. The power control board 27 operates in conjunction with an operation display board 28 attached to the operation notification unit 4 to control the operation of a compressor (not shown) and the fan motor 22. The power control board 27, the operation display board 28, and the reactor 29 correspond to a control means for controlling the operations of the air blowing means and the dehumidifying means described later.

[0017] When the power cord 17 is connected to a power outlet and the operation switch of the operation notification unit 4 is turned on, the louver 6 opens, the blowing fan 23 rotates, and the compressor operates. By means of the blowing fan 23, indoor air containing moisture is sucked from the suction port 12 into the air blowing duct 15, passes through the HEPA filter 32 and the deodorizing filter 33, and flows to the evaporator 9.

[0018] The evaporator 9 is cooled by a refrigerant circulated from a compressor, and dehumidifies air containing moisture by condensing the moisture therein. The dehumidified air is returned to normal temperature by the first condenser 10 and the second condenser 11, sucked into the blower fan 23, and discharged from the air outlet 5. The evaporator 9, the first condenser 10, the second condenser 11, and the compressor correspond to a dehumidifying means that is disposed inside a housing and removes moisture from an airflow.

[0019] The louver 6 disposed at the air outlet 5 can be changed in angle in the vertical direction by a stepping motor (not shown) disposed on a side surface of the louver, and performs operations such as blowing air upward to generate a circulating airflow in the room to dehumidify the room, or blowing air to laundry to dry the laundry.

[0020] Water droplets condensed on the evaporator 9 drip into a drain water receiver due to gravity. The condensed water then passes through a drain pipe and is drained to the water storage tank 7.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 4, on the left and right sides of the HEPA filter 32 and the deodorizing filter 33, there are provided a bypass air passage 16 that bypasses the HEPA filter 32 and the deodorizing filter 33, and a shutter 43 capable of closing the bypass air passage 16.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 5, the power supply control board 27 and the reactor 29, which constitute one configuration of the control means, are disposed in a board storage space 25 different from the blower air passage 15. The first communication port 26 is connected to the board storage space 25 from an upstream side of the dehumidifying means in the blower air passage 15. The second communication port 30 is connected to a downstream side of the dehumidifying means in the blower air passage 15 from the board storage space 25. The first communication port 26 and the second communication port 30 are connected to each other via the board storage space 25.

[0023] Air that has flowed into the board storage space 25 from upstream of the dehumidifying means in the blower air passage 15 through the first communication port 26 cools the power supply control board 27 and the reactor 29, and then merges into the blower air passage 15 downstream of the dehumidifying means through the second communication port 30.

[0024] In this embodiment, by consolidating the external air intakes into one location, the dust-prevention filters can also be consolidated into one location, and filter maintenance only needs to be done in one place. By bypassing the air to the substrate storage space 25 from upstream of the dehumidification means, the air before it is heated by the dehumidification means can be used as cooling air. Connecting the substrate storage space 25 and the airflow path 15 downstream of the dehumidification means has the advantage that the air heated by the substrate cooling does not flow into the dehumidification means.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the circuit board storage space 25 is located at the top of the housing, and the first communication opening 26 and the second communication opening 30 are provided perpendicular to the horizontal plane. In other words, the circuit board storage space 25 is provided above the dehumidifying means. This allows for space saving.

[0026] It goes without saying that the dehumidification means is not limited to the refrigeration cycle type apparatus described above, but other types of apparatus may also be used. For example, the dehumidification means may be a desiccant type apparatus. In the case of a desiccant type apparatus, the dehumidification means comprises an adsorbent that adsorbs moisture from the air, a heater, and a heat exchanger. The moisture adsorbed by the adsorbent is heated by the heater. The moisture heated by the heater is cooled and condensed by the heat exchanger.

[0027] Embodiment 2. Next, with reference to Figure 6, Embodiment 2 will be described, focusing on the differences from Embodiment 1 described above, and simplifying or omitting common descriptions. Also, elements common to or corresponding to the elements described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0028] Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the circuit board storage space 25 of the dehumidifier 18 of Embodiment 2. In the dehumidifier 18, the power control board 27 is covered by a circuit board cover 21. The first communication port 26 is located below the circuit board cover 21 and is therefore not shown in Figure 6. The airflow that flows into the circuit board storage space 25 from the first communication port 26 branches into a first cooling bypass 19 and a second cooling bypass 20 that flow around the power control board 27 covered by the circuit board cover 21, merges again, and then passes through the second communication port 30. As the cooling air flows along the circuit board cover 21, the entire surrounding environment of the power control board 27 covered by the circuit board cover 21 can be cooled.

[0029] In the example shown in Figure 6, the reactor 29 is positioned in the middle of the second cooling bypass circuit 20. This makes it possible to reliably cool the reactor 29 at the same time as cooling the substrate. Alternatively, the reactor 29 may be positioned in the middle of the first cooling bypass circuit 19 instead of in the illustrated example.

[0030] Embodiment 3. Next, with reference to Figure 7, Embodiment 3 will be described, focusing on the differences from the previously described embodiment, and simplifying or omitting common descriptions. Furthermore, elements common to or corresponding to those described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0031] Figure 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the circuit board housing space 25 of the dehumidifier 31 of Embodiment 3. In the dehumidifier 31, the power control board 27 is equipped with a plurality of heat dissipation fins 34. The heat dissipation fins 34 are not covered by the circuit board cover 21 and are located in the first cooling bypass circuit 19. The gaps between the heat dissipation fins 34 are provided along the airflow of the first cooling bypass circuit 19 from upstream to downstream. This allows the entire power control board 27 to be cooled while the parts that become hotter are cooled by the heat dissipation fins 34. Alternatively, instead of the illustrated example, the heat dissipation fins 34 may be provided in the second cooling bypass circuit 20, and the gaps between the heat dissipation fins 34 may be provided along the airflow of the second cooling bypass circuit 20 from upstream to downstream.

[0032] Embodiment 4. Next, with reference to Figure 8, Embodiment 4 will be described, focusing on the differences from the previously described embodiment, and simplifying or omitting common descriptions. Furthermore, elements common to or corresponding to those described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0033] Figure 8 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the substrate storage space 25 of the dehumidifier 35 of Embodiment 4. In the dehumidifier 35, the downstream end of the heat dissipation fin 34 is positioned near the second communication opening 30. The hood 36 covers the heat dissipation fin 34 and is connected to the second communication opening 30. The hood 36 has a first opening 37 located upstream of the heat dissipation fin 34 and a second opening 38 located on the opposite side of the second communication opening 30.

[0034] In this embodiment, the cooling air passage cross-sectional area can be narrowed and the cooling air velocity increased by covering the heat dissipation fins 34 with the hood 36. Furthermore, by covering the second communication port 30 together with the heat dissipation fins 34 with the hood 36, the air that has passed through the heat dissipation fins 34 can be smoothly directed to the second communication port 30. In addition, by providing a second opening 38 on the opposite side of the heat dissipation fins 34, air can be directed to the second communication port 30 from either of the two cooling bypasses.

[0035] The second opening 38 may be configured to have a smaller opening area than the first opening 37. This allows air to flow more easily on the side of the heat dissipation fins 34, thereby increasing the cooling airflow to the heat dissipation fins 34.

[0036] Embodiment 5. Next, with reference to Figure 9, Embodiment 5 will be described, focusing on the differences from the previously described embodiment, and simplifying or omitting common descriptions. Furthermore, elements common to or corresponding to those described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0037] Figure 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the dehumidifier 39 of Embodiment 5, cut along the DD line in Figure 1. In the dehumidifier 39, a third communication port 42 connected to the air blower 15 is provided at the bottom of the reactor 29. The third communication port 42 connects the substrate storage space 25 and the air blower 15. A portion of the air flowing through the substrate storage space 25 flows into the air blower 15 through the third communication port 42. In this embodiment, the provision of the third communication port 42 increases the amount of air available to cool the reactor 29, allowing the reactor 29 to be cooled more efficiently.

[0038] Furthermore, two or more features from the multiple embodiments described above that can be combined may be implemented in combination.

[0039] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0040] (Note 1) A housing having an intake port and an outlet port formed therein, A duct for airflow from the intake port to the outlet port, A blowing means provided within the aforementioned airflow passage for generating airflow, A dehumidifying means disposed inside the housing to remove moisture from the airflow, A dehumidifier comprising a control means disposed inside the housing for controlling the operation of the blowing means and the dehumidifying means, The control means includes a substrate and a reactor, The substrate and the reactor are arranged in a substrate housing space different from the air duct. A first communication opening connected to the substrate housing space is located upstream of the dehumidifying means in the aforementioned airflow path, The substrate storage space is further provided with a second communication port that connects downstream of the dehumidifying means in the air duct, A dehumidifier in which the first communication port and the second communication port are connected by the circuit board storage space. (Note 2) The circuit board storage space is located at the top of the housing, and the first and second communication openings are provided perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The dehumidifier described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The dehumidifier described in Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein the airflow that flows into the substrate storage space from the first communication port branches into a first cooling bypass and a second cooling bypass that flow around the substrate covered by the substrate cover, and then rejoins before passing through the second communication port. (Note 4) The dehumidifier according to Appendix 3, wherein the reactor is arranged in the first cooling bypass or the second cooling bypass. (Note 5) The dehumidifier according to Appendix 3 or Appendix 4, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of heat dissipation fins, the heat dissipation fins are not covered by the substrate cover, are arranged in the first cooling bypass or the second cooling bypass, and the gaps between the heat dissipation fins are provided along the airflow of the first cooling bypass or the second cooling bypass from the upstream to the downstream side. (Note 6) The downstream end of the heat dissipation fin is positioned near the second communication opening. A hood is provided that covers the heat dissipation fins and is connected to the second communication port. The dehumidifier according to Appendix 5, wherein the hood comprises a first opening located upstream of the heat dissipation fins and a second opening located on the opposite side of the second communication opening. (Note 7) The dehumidifier described in Appendix 6, wherein the opening area of ​​the second opening is smaller than that of the first opening. (Note 8) A dehumidifier according to any one of the appendices 1 to 7, wherein a third communication port connected to the air duct is provided at the lower part of the reactor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Dehumidifier, 2 Front case, 3 Rear case, 4 Operation notification unit, 5 Air outlet, 6 Louver, 7 Water storage tank, 8 Upper case, 9 Evaporator, 10 First condenser, 11 Second condenser, 12 Intake, 13 Intake cover, 14 Handle, 15 Air duct, 16 Bypass air duct, 17 Power cord, 18 Dehumidifier, 19 First cooling bypass, 20 Second cooling bypass, 21 Circuit board cover, 22 Fan motor, 23 Blower fan, 24 Fan case, 25 Circuit board storage space, 26 First communication port, 27 Power control board, 28 Operation display board, 29 Reactor, 30 Second communication port, 31 Dehumidifier, 32 HEPA filter, 33 34 Deodorizing filter, 35 Heat dissipation fins, 36 Dehumidifier, 37 First opening, 38 Second opening, 39 Dehumidifier, 40 Wheels, 41 Bottom plate, 42 Third communication opening, 43 Shutter

Claims

1. A housing having an intake port and an outlet port formed therein, A duct for airflow from the intake port to the outlet port, A blowing means provided within the aforementioned airflow passage for generating airflow, A dehumidifying means disposed inside the housing to remove moisture from the airflow, A dehumidifier comprising a control means disposed inside the housing for controlling the operation of the blowing means and the dehumidifying means, The control means includes a substrate and a reactor, The substrate and the reactor are arranged in a substrate housing space different from the air duct. A first communication opening connected to the substrate housing space is located upstream of the dehumidifying means in the aforementioned airflow path, The substrate storage space is further provided with a second communication port that connects downstream of the dehumidifying means in the airflow passage, A dehumidifier in which the first communication port and the second communication port are connected by the circuit board storage space.

2. The circuit board storage space is located at the top of the housing, and the first and second communication openings are provided perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The dehumidifier according to claim 1.

3. The dehumidifier according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the airflow that flows into the substrate storage space from the first communication port branches into a first cooling bypass and a second cooling bypass that flow around the substrate covered by the substrate cover, merges again, and then passes through the second communication port.

4. The dehumidifier according to claim 3, wherein the reactor is arranged in the first cooling bypass or the second cooling bypass.

5. The dehumidifier according to claim 3, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of heat dissipation fins, the heat dissipation fins are not covered by the substrate cover, are arranged in the first cooling bypass circuit or the second cooling bypass circuit, and the gap between the heat dissipation fins is provided along the airflow of the first cooling bypass circuit or the second cooling bypass circuit from the upstream to the downstream side.

6. The downstream end of the heat dissipation fin is positioned near the second communication opening. A hood is provided that covers the heat dissipation fins and is connected to the second communication port. The dehumidifier according to claim 5, wherein the hood comprises a first opening located upstream of the heat dissipation fins and a second opening located on the opposite side of the second communication opening.

7. The dehumidifier according to claim 6, wherein the opening area of ​​the second opening is smaller than that of the first opening.

8. The dehumidifier according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a third communication port connected to the air duct is provided at the lower part of the reactor.

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