Mist generator and fan equipped with it

Abstract

To provide a mist generator that is easy to install and capable of spraying over a wide area, and a fan equipped with the same. [Solution] The mist generator (100) comprises a main body (1), a plurality of columnar parts (2) extending outward from the outer circumference of the main body and spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the main body, and a spray nozzle part (5) provided at the tip of each of the columnar parts. The main body has a liquid pump (3) that draws up liquid from an external liquid storage container (9) via a suction tube (T1), and a distributor (4) connected to the liquid pump via a pressure supply tube (T2), through which the liquid drawn up by the liquid pump is sent. A plurality of distribution tubes (T3) are connected to the distributor, and each of the distribution tubes is connected to a spray nozzle part.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0001] This invention relates to a mist generator and a fan equipped with the same.

Background Art

[0002] Mist generators that utilize the air blown from a fan have been proposed conventionally. For example, Patent Document 1 (Utility Model Registration No. 3068525) discloses a mist fan in which a ring-shaped liquid supply pipe having four ejection ports is installed on the front surface of a fan frame provided with a blower fan, and the mist sprayed from the ejection ports is diffused into the room by the wind pressure from the blower fan.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the mist fan of Patent Document 1, it is troublesome to attach the ring-shaped liquid supply pipe to the fan frame. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a mist generator that is easy to install and capable of spraying mist over a wide range, and a fan equipped with the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A mist generator according to a certain aspect of the present invention comprises a main body, a plurality of columnar sections extending outward from the outer circumference of the main body and spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the main body, and spray nozzle sections provided at the ends of each of the columnar sections. The main body includes a liquid pump that draws up liquid from an external liquid storage container via a suction tube, and a distributor connected to the liquid pump via a pressure supply tube, through which the liquid drawn up by the liquid pump is supplied. A plurality of distribution tubes are connected to the distributor, and each of the distribution tubes is connected to a spray nozzle section.

[0006] Preferably, the multiple columnar sections are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the main body.

[0007] Preferably, there are three columns.

[0008] Preferably, the distributor is cross-shaped, with one end connected to the pressure tube and the other three ends connected to the distribution tube.

[0009] Preferably, the main body is attached to the center of the front guard of the fan.

[0010] Preferably, the back surface of the column facing the front guard is formed in a convex shape towards the rear to smoothly guide the airflow passing through the front guard.

[0011] Preferably, the main body is detachably attached to the center of the front guard by magnetic force or fastening member.

[0012] The mist generator preferably further comprises a ring member connected to the main body and a hook member, one end of which is connected to the ring member and the other end of which is hooked onto a wire of the front guard. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the mist generator of this invention, by positioning the main unit on the front side of the fan (for example, in the center of the front guard of the fan), it is possible to spray mist over a wide area while being easy to install. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the usage state of a mist generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic perspective view of the mist generator. [Figure 3] This is a schematic front view showing the inside of the mist generator. [Figure 4] This is a schematic front view showing the inside of the mist generator. [Figure 5] This is a schematic rear view of the mist generator. [Figure 6] This is a schematic plan view of the mist generator. [Figure 7] (a) to (c) are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the mist generator in sequence. [Figure 8] This is a schematic perspective view showing mist being sprayed from the mist generator. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0016] (Regarding usage) A mist generator 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. As illustrated in Figure 1, the mist generator 100 may be attached to the front guard 81 of the fan 8. The fan 8 is, for example, a large fan such as an industrial fan. In Figure 1, the direction of airflow from the fan 8 indicated by reference numeral A1 is referred to as the front side of the mist generator 100, and the opposite direction indicated by reference numeral A2 is referred to as the rear side.

[0017] The mist generator 100 is attached to the central portion of the front guard 81 via an attachment member (described later) so as to be on the same axis as the rotating shaft portion 83 of the blower 8, and is also hooked to the wire material 82 of the front guard 81 via a hanging member 7.

[0018] The mist generator 100 is connected to an external liquid storage container 9 via a suction tube T1. The external liquid storage container 9 is, for example, a commercially available plastic bottle. In the present embodiment, the plastic bottle contains water (an example of a fluid). Note that the fluid may be a disinfectant solution or the like.

[0019] (Regarding the configuration) Referring to FIG. 2, the mist generator 100 includes a substantially cylindrical main body portion 1, a plurality of column portions 2 that extend radially outward from the outer peripheral portion of the main body portion 1 and are arranged at intervals from each other in the circumferential direction of the main body portion 1, and spray nozzle portions 5 provided at the tip ends of the plurality of column portions 2, respectively.

[0020] The main body portion 1 is made of, for example, resin, is divided into front and rear parts, and is composed of a front-side main body portion 11 and a rear-side main body portion 12. The front-side main body portion 11 and the rear-side main body portion 12 are joined by a fastening member (such as a screw) not shown.

[0021] The front-side main body portion 11 has a substantially cylindrical front outer edge portion 111 and a substantially cylindrical front accommodation portion 112 located inside the front outer edge portion 111. The front side of the front accommodation portion 112 is closed by a lid portion 1121. The front outer edge portion 111 and the front accommodation portion 112 are integrally formed via a front connection portion 131.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 5, the rear-side main body portion 12 has a substantially cylindrical rear outer edge portion 121 joined to the front outer edge portion 111 and a substantially cylindrical rear accommodation portion 122 located inside the rear outer edge portion 121 and joined to the front accommodation portion 112. The rear side of the rear accommodation portion 122 is closed by a bottom portion 1221. The rear outer edge portion 121 and the rear accommodation portion 122 are integrally formed via a rear connection portion 132. A liquid pump 3 or the like is accommodated in the space formed by the front accommodation portion 112 and the rear accommodation portion 122.

[0023] In this embodiment, three column sections 2 are provided and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction R of the main body section 1. Referring to Figure 2, the column sections 2 are made of resin, for example, and, like the main body section 1, are divided into front and rear sections, consisting of a front column section 21 and a rear column section 22. In this embodiment, the column sections 2 are formed separately from the main body section 1 and assembled to the main body section 1. However, the column sections 2 and the main body section 1 may be formed integrally.

[0024] Figure 6 is a plan view of the mist generator 100. The back surface of the column 2 facing the front guard 81 of the fan 8 (the surface of the rear column 22) is formed in a convex shape towards the rear to smoothly guide the airflow passing through the front guard 81. In other words, the back surface of the rear column 22 is a sloping surface that widens from the windward side to the leeward side.

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic front view showing the interior of the rear main body 12 and rear column 22, with the front main body 11 and front column 21 removed from the rear main body 12 and rear column 22, respectively. In Figure 3 and other figures, the symbol Y indicates the vertical direction when the mist generator 100 is attached to the fan 8.

[0026] As shown in the figure, a liquid pump 3 and a distributor 4 are located at the bottom 1221 to draw water from the external liquid storage container 9. The liquid pump 3 and distributor 4 are fixed to the rear main body 12 (bottom 1221) by fixing means (fixing devices or fixing frames) not shown.

[0027] The liquid pump 3 is for drawing water from an external liquid storage container 9 via a suction tube T1, and comprises an impeller 31, a casing 32 housing the impeller 31, and a motor 33 for rotating the impeller 31. The impeller 31 may be multi-stage. The motor 33 is electrically connected to a power switch 34 (Figure 2) provided on the lid 1121 of the front housing 112. The power switch 34 is electrically connected to a power supply unit (for example, a USB port) provided on the main body 1 (not shown). In this embodiment, the motor 33 is a DC motor and can be operated with a dry cell mobile charger.

[0028] A main body-side suction tube T12, which communicates with the inside of the casing 32, is connected to the lower surface of the casing 32. The receiving port C2 on the upstream side of the main body-side suction tube T12 is fixed to the rear side main body 12. The insertion port C1 of the detachable suction tube T11 is detachably attached to the receiving port C2. The detachable suction tube T11 and the main body-side suction tube T12 constitute the suction tube T1 in this embodiment. Since a one-touch fitting is used for the insertion port C1, the detachable suction tube T11 can be easily attached and detached, and replacement and maintenance are easy. The suction tube T1 may also be made transparent so that the water flow can be visually observed.

[0029] Furthermore, a pressure tube T2, which communicates with the inside of the casing 32, is connected to the lower surface of the casing 32. The inside of the casing 32 is configured so that water flowing into the casing 32 from the main body side suction tube T12 is guided toward the pressure tube T2. In other words, as shown by the arrows in the figure, the flow path inside the casing 32 is formed so that water drawn into the casing 32 from the main body side suction tube T12 by the negative pressure caused by the rotation of the impeller 31 is pushed out of the casing 32 toward the pressure tube T2 by the water pressure from the impeller 31.

[0030] The pressurized tube T2 is connected to the distributor 4 at its downstream end. In other words, the liquid pump 3 and the distributor 4 are connected to each other via the pressurized tube T2. Water drawn up by the liquid pump 3 is sent to the distributor 4 through the pressurized tube T2.

[0031] The shape of the distributor 4 will be described with reference to Figure 4. Note that the liquid pump 3 is not shown in Figure 4. The distributor 4 is a cross-shaped hollow container, one end 4a of which is detachably connected to the pressure tube T2, and the other three ends 4b are detachably connected to the distribution tube T3. The distributor 4 is configured so that the water flowing in from the pressure tube T2 is branched in three directions, as indicated by the arrows in the figure.

[0032] The distribution tube T3 is positioned in the space between the front column 21 and the rear column 22, extends along the column 2, and is connected to the spray nozzle 5 at its downstream end. As shown in Figure 2, the spray nozzle 5 protrudes from an opening 2a formed at the tip of the front column 21 and is exposed to the outside. The nozzle is detachable.

[0033] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the mist generator 100 as viewed from the rear. Four magnets 6 are provided on the bottom 1221. The magnets 6 constitute a mounting member and are for attaching the mist generator 100 to the central part of the front guard 81 of the fan 8 (for example, a magnetic metal plate) by magnetic force. The shape, dimensions, and number of magnets 6 are not particularly limited and can be determined as appropriate. Alternatively, the mist generator 100 may be attached to the fan 8 using fastening members (for example, hook-and-loop fasteners) instead of (or in combination with) the magnets 6.

[0034] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, a suspension member 7 is connected to the rear main body portion 12. The suspension member 7 consists of a ring member 71 connected to the rear main body portion 12 (rear outer edge portion 121) and a hook member 72 connected to the ring member 71. As shown in Figure 6, the ring member 71 passes through two through holes 121a spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the rear outer edge portion 121. Note that in Figure 5, a part of the ring member 71 passes through the recess 1211.

[0035] The hook member 72 has one end connected to the ring member 71, and the other end is hooked onto the wire 82 of the front guard 81, as shown in Figure 1. This prevents the mist generator 100 from falling to the floor even if it unexpectedly detaches from the front guard 81.

[0036] Furthermore, the ring member 71 is positioned such that its widthwise spread is greater than the spacing between adjacent wires 82 in the circumferential direction of the front guard 81. This prevents the ring member 71 from getting caught in the gaps between adjacent wires 82 (i.e., from hitting the blades of the fan 8).

[0037] (Regarding operation) The operation of the mist generator 100 will be explained with reference to Figures 7 and 8. In Figure 7, the flow of water W is shown by dot hatching.

[0038] When the power switch 34 is pressed to operate the liquid pump 3, the negative pressure created by the impeller 31 draws water W from the external liquid storage container 9 through the suction tube T1 towards the casing 32 (Figure 7(a)). The water that flows into the casing 32 is sent to the distributor 4 through the pressure tube T2, as shown in Figure 7(b). The water that flows into the distributor 4 is distributed in three directions, as shown in Figure 7(c), and sent to each spray nozzle section 5 through the distribution tube T3.

[0039] As shown in Figure 8, the water sent to the spray nozzle section 5 is sprayed forward from the spray nozzle section 5 in the form of a mist (symbol M). As described above, since the rear column section 22 is formed in a convex shape towards the rear (it has a sloping surface that widens from the upwind side to the downwind side), the column section 2 does not easily resist the airflow from the fan 8, and the mist M can be delivered over a long distance. The nozzle diameter of the spray nozzle section 5 is determined considering the time required for suction, etc., and may be, for example, around 200 to 300 μm.

[0040] According to this embodiment, only the main body 1 of the mist generator 100 is attached to the fan 8 (the column 2 does not need to be attached), making installation easy. Also, since the water is distributed in three directions by the distributor 4, even if one of the spray nozzles 5 becomes clogged, spray can still be emitted from the other two spray nozzles 5. Furthermore, the nozzles are detachable, making replacement easy.

[0041] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described illustratively with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structure of the illustrated embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the same scope as the present invention or within an equivalent scope.

[0042] For example, the mist generator 100 is not limited to being attached to the fan 8; it may also be installed slightly in front of the fan 8 using a support that supports the main body 1. Furthermore, the number of column sections 2 is not limited to three; for example, there may be four. [Industrial applicability]

[0043] This invention can be advantageously used as a mist generator and a fan equipped therewith. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1 Main unit, 11 Front main unit, 12 Rear main unit, 100 Mist generator, 2 Column, 21 Front column, 22 Rear column, 3 Liquid pump, 31 Impeller, 32 Casing, 33 Motor, 34 Power switch, 4 Distributor, 5 Spray nozzle, 6 Magnet, 7 Hanging member, 71 Ring member, 72 Hook member, 8 Fan, 81 Front guard, 82 Wire, 9 External liquid storage container, T1 Suction tube, T2 Pressure tube, T3 Distribution tube

Claims

1. The main body and A plurality of columnar portions extending outward from the outer periphery of the main body and arranged spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the main body, Each of the aforementioned columnar sections is equipped with a spray nozzle section, The main body is, A liquid pump that draws liquid from an external storage container via a suction tube, It has a distributor that is connected to the liquid pump via a pressure tube, and through which the liquid drawn up by the liquid pump is supplied via the pressure tube, A mist generator in which a plurality of distribution tubes are connected to the distribution device, and each of the plurality of distribution tubes is connected to the spray nozzle section.

2. The mist generator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of columnar sections are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the main body.

3. The mist generator according to claim 2, wherein three of the aforementioned columnar sections are provided.

4. The mist generator according to claim 3, wherein the distributor is cross-shaped, with one end connected to the pressure tube and the other three ends connected to the distribution tube.

5. The mist generator according to claim 1, wherein the main body is attached to the central part of the front guard of a fan.

6. The mist generator according to claim 5, wherein the back surface of the column facing the front guard is formed in a convex shape toward the rear so as to smoothly guide the airflow passing through the front guard.

7. The mist generator according to claim 5, wherein the main body is detachably attached to the central part of the front guard by magnetic force or a fastening member.

8. A ring member connected to the main body, The mist generator according to claim 5, further comprising a hook member whose one end is connected to the ring member and whose other end is hooked onto the wire of the front guard.

9. A fan equipped with a mist generator according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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