humidifier

Abstract

We provide a humidifier that can suppress the growth of bacteria. [Solution] The humidifier 10 comprises a housing 20 equipped with a water storage tank 22, a vaporization device 30 that vaporizes the water stored in the water storage tank 22, and a discharge mechanism 40 that takes in air into the housing 20 and discharges the vaporized water along with the air to the outside of the housing 20. An antibacterial member having an antibacterial film formed on its surface is placed on at least one of the water storage tank 22, the vaporization device 30, or the discharge mechanism 40.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a humidifier. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a humidifier that atomizes water using an ultrasonic vibrator. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0003] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-127635 Summary of the Invention Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In ultrasonic humidifiers and evaporative humidifiers like the one disclosed in Patent Document 1, water is not heated, so bacteria are prone to propagate.

[0005] In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a humidifier capable of suppressing propagation of bacteria. Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The humidifier according to claim 1 comprises: a housing provided with a water tank; an evaporator that evaporates water stored in the water tank; and a discharge mechanism that takes air into the housing and discharges water evaporated together with the air to the outside of the housing, wherein an antibacterial member having an antibacterial film formed on the surface thereof is disposed in at least any one of the water tank, the evaporator or the discharge mechanism.

[0007] According to the humidifier of claim 1, propagation of various bacteria can be suppressed by the antibacterial film of the antibacterial member compared to a configuration without the antibacterial member.

[0008] For example, when an antibacterial member is disposed in the water tank, propagation of various bacteria in water can be suppressed.

[0009] Furthermore, by using an ultrasonic transducer from an ultrasonic humidifier as the vaporization device, and by using an antibacterial material for this ultrasonic transducer, it is possible to suppress the growth of bacteria in the water that comes into contact with the ultrasonic transducer. Alternatively, by using a filter and fan from an evaporative humidifier as the vaporization device, and by using an antibacterial material for the filter, it is possible to suppress the growth of bacteria in the water that permeates the filter. Alternatively, by using an antibacterial material for the fan, it is possible to suppress the growth of bacteria in the air and mist inside the casing.

[0010] Furthermore, by incorporating antibacterial materials into the discharge mechanism, it is possible to suppress the growth of bacteria in the air and mist discharged to the outside of the casing.

[0011] The humidifier of claim 2 is the humidifier of claim 1, wherein the antibacterial film has a thickness of 2 nm or more and 100 nm or less and is made of copper or copper oxide.

[0012] According to the humidifier of claim 2, the antibacterial effect is higher compared to when the film thickness is less than 2 nm, and the amount of metal used can be reduced compared to when the film thickness is greater than 100 nm.

[0013] The humidifier of claim 3 is the humidifier of claim 1 or 2, wherein the antibacterial member is disposed inside the water storage tank and includes a decorative member that comes into contact with the water stored in the water storage tank.

[0014] According to the humidifier of claim 3, it is possible to suppress the growth of bacteria in the water stored in the water tank. Furthermore, it can combine the effect of suppressing bacterial growth with the effect of decorative enhancement.

[0015] The humidifier of claim 4 is the humidifier of claim 3, wherein the decorative member has a specific gravity equal to that of water.

[0016] According to the humidifier of claim 4, since the decorative member floats in the water, it is not kept in a floating or submerged state, and uneven distribution of the antibacterial effect can be suppressed.

[0017] The humidifier according to claim 5 is the humidifier according to claim 3, further comprising an irradiation device that irradiates the decorative member with ultraviolet rays.

[0018] According to the humidifier of claim 5, the antibacterial activity is improved by ultraviolet rays, the effect of suppressing the propagation of various bacteria can be enhanced, and furthermore, the presentation effect of the decorative member can be enhanced.

[0019] The humidifier according to claim 6 is the humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the discharge mechanism comprises: a filter serving as the antibacterial member and a blower fan, which are disposed in a ventilation hole that takes air into the interior of the housing; and a discharge hole through which water vaporized together with the air taken into the interior of the housing is discharged to the outside of the housing.

[0020] According to the humidifier of claim 6, propagation of various bacteria in the air inside the housing can be suppressed, and furthermore, propagation of various bacteria in mist that has come into contact with air taken in by the blower fan can be suppressed. Effects of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, propagation of various bacteria can be suppressed. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional view showing an example where a decorative member is disposed in a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] (A) is a cross-sectional view showing an example where another decorative member is disposed in a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the decorative member. [Figure 4] It is a graph showing the relationship between the film thickness of an antibacterial film and the antibacterial activity value. Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Components indicated by the same reference numerals in each drawing are considered to be the same component. However, unless otherwise specified in the specification, each component is not limited to one, and there may be multiple such components.

[0024] Furthermore, explanations of redundant components and reference numerals in each drawing may be omitted. This disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the purpose of this disclosure, such as omitting components, substituting them with different components, or combining one embodiment with various modifications.

[0025] <humidifier> (Basic configuration) As shown in Figure 1, the humidifier 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing 20, a vaporizer 30, a discharge mechanism 40, and a control device 50.

[0026] Humidifier 10 is an ultrasonic humidifier that atomizes water using ultrasonic vibrations and diffuses it into the air. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this, and the main components of the present invention may also be applied to an evaporative humidifier that vaporizes water by blowing air onto a water-soaked filter with a fan. In the present invention, the term "evaporation" includes atomizing water using the vaporization device 30.

[0027] The housing 20 is equipped with a water tank 22 for storing water to be vaporized. The housing 20 also has an exhaust passage 26 that sends the air taken into the housing 20 upwards. Furthermore, an exhaust hole 24 is formed at the upper end of the housing 20 for discharging the vaporized water (mist) along with the air taken into the housing 20.

[0028] The upper end of the housing 20, where the discharge hole 24 is formed, is shaped like a removable lid, and water can be supplied to the water storage tank 22 with this upper end removed. However, the structure for supplying water to the water storage tank 22 is not limited to this, and various methods can be employed. For example, the upper end of the housing 20 may be fixed, and water may be supplied directly to the water storage tank 22 from the discharge hole 24.

[0029] The vaporizer 30 is, for example, an ultrasonic transducer installed at the bottom of the water storage tank 22 that comes into contact with the water stored in the water storage tank 22 and vaporizes the water.

[0030] The discharge mechanism 40 is a mechanism that takes in air into the housing 20 and discharges the vaporized water along with the taken-in air to the outside of the housing 20. The discharge mechanism 40 is equipped with a filter 42 and a blower fan 44 at the bottom of the housing 20. The exhaust passage 26 and discharge hole 24 of the housing 20 described above are also included in the discharge mechanism.

[0031] The filter 42 is a component positioned in a ventilation hole that draws air into the interior of the housing 20, and it collects dust and dirt. The blower fan 44 operates inside the filter 42, thereby drawing air into the interior of the housing 20 through the filter 42.

[0032] Furthermore, the blower fan 44 sends the air drawn into the housing 20 to the space inside and above the housing 20. The air sent to the space above the housing 20 is then discharged to the outside of the housing 20 through the exhaust port 24, accompanied by vaporized water.

[0033] The control device 50 is electrically connected to a power switch (not shown) and drives the vaporizer 30 and the blower fan 44 in response to input to the power switch by the user. However, the control device 50 is not necessarily required, and the vaporizer 30 and the blower fan 44 may be driven directly in response to input to the power switch.

[0034] (Antibacterial material) In the humidifier 10, an antibacterial member having an antibacterial film formed on its surface is placed in at least one of the water storage tank 22, the vaporization device 30, or the discharge mechanism 40.

[0035] The antibacterial film is formed from copper, copper oxide, silver, or silver oxide, and is deposited on the surface of the substrate by vapor deposition or sputtering. The substrate used has a heat resistance temperature higher than the film deposition temperature.

[0036] For example, the base material can be fabric, nonwoven fabric, plastic, glass, or metal, as described later. Furthermore, when forming the antibacterial film with copper or copper oxide, the film thickness is preferably between 2 nm and 100 nm.

[0037] (Example 1 of antibacterial material) If the housing 20 and the water tank 22 are made of a transparent material such as glass or plastic, an antibacterial component such as a decorative component 60 as shown in Figure 2 can be applied. This decorative component 60 is an artificial flower that is placed inside the water tank 22 and comes into contact with (is submerged in) the water stored in the water tank 22.

[0038] The decorative member 60 can be formed using various fabrics such as satin, poplin, velvet, silk, and cotton. Then, an antibacterial film is formed on these fabrics as a base material.

[0039] Furthermore, the decorative elements installed on the water storage tank 22 are not limited to artificial flowers; they can be arbitrarily selected as objects such as animals or dolls.

[0040] In addition, an irradiation device 62 may be used in conjunction with the decorative member 60 to irradiate the decorative member 60 with ultraviolet light. The start and stop of ultraviolet irradiation by the irradiation device 62 may be performed automatically by the control device 50, or it may be performed by the user's instruction.

[0041] (Example 2 of antibacterial materials) As an antibacterial component, a decorative component 64 as shown in Figures 3(A) and (B) may be used. The decorative component 64 is a spherical plastic, and the antibacterial film 64B is formed on this plastic as a base material 64A. The size of the decorative component 64 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it be large enough to be visible to the user as a spherical object (for example, 5 mm or more).

[0042] It is preferable that the decorative member 64, with the antibacterial film 64B formed on it, has a specific gravity equal to that of water. For example, it is preferable that the specific gravity be 0.9 or more and less than 1.1, and more preferably 0.95 or more and less than 1.05. This allows the decorative member 64 to float in water.

[0043] The specific gravity of the decorative member 64 can be adjusted by the specific gravity of the base material 64A and the film thickness of the antibacterial film 64B. If the specific gravity of the base material 64A is high, the film thickness of the antibacterial film 64B can be relatively reduced to adjust the specific gravity of the decorative member 64.

[0044] Such decorative members 64 can also be irradiated with ultraviolet light using the irradiation device 62. Furthermore, the shape of the decorative members 64 floating in water is not particularly limited and can be arbitrarily set to polyhedrons, sheets, strings, etc.

[0045] (Example 3 of antibacterial materials) As yet another example of an antibacterial component, the filter 42 may be used as an antibacterial component. In this case, for example, an antibacterial film is formed on a base material such as a nonwoven fabric that makes up the filter 42. Alternatively, the blower fan 44 or the vaporizer 30 may also be used as antibacterial components.

[0046] Alternatively, the housing 20 may be made of an antibacterial material. In this case, for example, an antibacterial film can be formed at locations where water stored in the water tank 22 comes into contact, at locations where air taken into the housing 20 comes into contact, and at locations where vaporized water inside the housing 20 comes into contact.

[0047] Thus, in the present invention, "an antibacterial member is arranged in at least one of the water storage tank 22, the vaporization device 30, or the discharge mechanism 40" includes a configuration in which these components themselves are antibacterial members. Furthermore, these various antibacterial members may be used individually or in combination.

[0048] <Mechanism and Effects> According to the humidifier 10 of the present invention, the antibacterial film in the antibacterial member can suppress the growth of bacteria compared to a configuration without an antibacterial member.

[0049] For example, by placing antibacterial members in the water storage tank 22, such as the decorative member 60 shown in Figure 2 or the decorative member 64 shown in Figure 3, it is possible to suppress the growth of bacteria in the water. Furthermore, it is possible to combine the effect of suppressing bacterial growth with the effect of decoration.

[0050] Furthermore, the decorative member 64 has the same specific gravity as water. As a result, the decorative member 64 floats in water, so it does not maintain a floating or sinking state, which helps to prevent uneven distribution of the antibacterial effect.

[0051] Furthermore, the humidifier 10 does not necessarily need to be equipped with decorative members 60 or 64; it is sufficient for the humidifier 10 to have an antibacterial film in a place where it comes into contact with the water stored in the water tank 22, the vaporized water, or the air taken into the housing 20.

[0052] By irradiating the decorative member 60 or 64 and the housing 20 with ultraviolet light using the irradiation device 62, the effect of suppressing the growth of bacteria and the effect of creating a visual effect can be enhanced.

[0053] Furthermore, the humidifier 10 does not necessarily need to be equipped with an irradiation device 62. Even without the irradiation device 62, the effect of suppressing the growth of bacteria and the effect of creating a visual atmosphere can be obtained.

[0054] Furthermore, by using an antibacterial material as the vaporizer 30, it is possible to suppress the growth of bacteria in the water that comes into contact with the vaporizer 30.

[0055] Alternatively, although not shown in the diagram, if a filter and fan from an evaporative humidifier are used as the vaporization device, and an antibacterial material is used for the filter, the growth of bacteria in the water permeated by the filter can be suppressed. Or, if an antibacterial material is used for the fan, the growth of bacteria in the air and mist inside the casing of the evaporative humidifier can be suppressed.

[0056] Furthermore, if the inside of the housing 20, including the filter 42, blower fan 44, and exhaust passage 26, is made of antibacterial material, it is possible to suppress the growth of bacteria in the air and mist discharged to the outside of the housing 20.

[0057] Furthermore, if copper or copper oxide with a film thickness of 2 nm to 100 nm is used as the antibacterial film, the antibacterial activity value will be 2 or higher, as shown in Figure 4. Generally, an antibacterial activity value of 2 or higher indicates an antibacterial effect. Therefore, the antibacterial effect is higher compared to cases where the film thickness is less than 2 nm, and the amount of metal used can be reduced compared to cases where the film thickness is greater than 100 nm. In addition, as shown in this figure, the antibacterial effect can be further enhanced by irradiating the antibacterial film with ultraviolet light. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 10 Humidifier 20. Housing (antibacterial material) 22. Water storage tank (antibacterial material) 24 Discharge hole (discharge mechanism) 26. Exhaust passage (discharge mechanism) 30. Vaporizer (antibacterial component) 40. Discharge mechanism (antibacterial component) 42. Filter (discharge mechanism, antibacterial component) 44. Blower fan (exhaust mechanism, antibacterial component) 50 Control device 60 Decorative components (antibacterial components) 62 Irradiation device 64 Decorative materials (antibacterial materials) 64A Base material 64B Antibacterial membrane

Claims

1. A housing equipped with a water storage tank, A vaporization device for vaporizing the water stored in the aforementioned water tank, A discharge mechanism that takes in air into the housing and discharges water vaporized with the air to the outside of the housing, Equipped with, An antibacterial member having an antibacterial film formed on its surface is placed in at least one of the water storage tank, the vaporization device, or the discharge mechanism. Humidifier.

2. The antibacterial film is made of copper or copper oxide with a film thickness of 2 nm or more and 100 nm or less. The humidifier according to claim 1.

3. The antibacterial member is The decorative member is placed inside the water storage tank and comes into contact with the water stored in the water storage tank, A humidifier according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The decorative member has a specific gravity equal to that of water. The humidifier according to claim 3.

5. The decorative member is equipped with an irradiation device that irradiates it with ultraviolet light. The humidifier according to claim 3.

6. The aforementioned discharge mechanism is The filter and blower fan, which serve as antibacterial components, are arranged in a ventilation hole that takes in air inside the housing. A discharge hole through which water vaporized together with the air taken into the interior of the housing is discharged to the outside of the housing, Equipped with, The humidifier according to claim 1.

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