Air Purifier

Abstract

To provide an air cleaner capable of gently dropping and sedimenting aerosol, dust, debris or other foreign matters containing viruses or bacteria floating in an indoor space to remove them, without violating the low of gravity, while avoiding fluttering about or agitating them.SOLUTION: An air cleaner comprises at least one or more air inlets 10 for supplying air into a room, one or more air outlets 20 for discharging air from a room, one or more fans 30 for generating laminar airflow from one side of the room to the other side, one or more upper layer air pressure sensors 40 for detecting air pressure in the upper layer of an indoor space S, and one or more lower layer pressure sensors 50 for detecting air pressure in the lower layer of the indoor space S. The air cleaner is configured to control the fan 30 to constantly form an air pressure gradient in which the air pressure in the indoor space S is high in the upper layer and low in the lower layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purifying device, and more particularly to an air purifying device that purifies the air by removing aerosols containing viruses, bacteria, etc., dust, dirt, and other foreign matter floating in a room or indoor space. [Background technology]

[0002] Indoor spaces (hereafter, indoors includes indoors) contain aerosols that contain pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, as well as small pieces of garbage, dust, dirt, and other foreign matter. In particular, in environments where pathogens are airborne in some form, they can become a source of infection, so it is important to remove these from indoor spaces. Conventionally, ventilation has been a common method for purifying indoor air. However, this method can only ventilate a portion of the indoor air, depending on how the windows are opened and how the ventilation fan is installed, and it is difficult to quickly ventilate and replace the entire amount of indoor air. In addition, there is a problem that the indoor air becomes cold when the windows are opened widely in winter. On the other hand, there are many air purifiers (including air conditioners) that take in indoor air and use a filter to remove foreign matter and sterilize it. However, in order to purify the entire indoor air using these air purifiers, it is necessary to take in all of the indoor air evenly into the device itself, which is a difficult task. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-21759 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-243419 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2013-2416 A [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 2021-501 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 relates to an air purifier, and in paragraph 0026, it discloses that, regarding a device that purifies air by utilizing a pressure difference, "the negative pressure generated by the difference in flow speed between the air flow passing through the intake air duct 22 and the air flow passing through the exhaust air duct 11 causes the dust collected in the dust collection section 4 to be sucked up to the exhaust air duct 11 side of the outer pipe 1 and discharged and removed to the outside together with the polluted air in the room." However, this air purifier is merely a device that uses a pressure difference to suck and remove dust in the inner pipe that has been centrifuged by the cyclone flow in the inner pipe in an air intake and exhaust double pipe structure, and its purpose, use, and structure are significantly different from devices that are intended to purify the air in the entire indoor space of a building. The above-mentioned Patent Document 2 relates to an ion generating unit and an ion blower, and in paragraph 0043, it discloses the following regarding the release of ions: "When this air flows between the ion generating section 10 and the wind direction plate 8 (particularly the bulge at the front edge of the wind direction plate 8), the cross-sectional area through which the air should flow is narrower than the cross-sectional area through which the air should flow in the scroll section 42, so the wind speed increases. At this time, the air pressure decreases according to Bernoulli's theorem. As a result, the ions generated in the ion generating section 10 are efficiently sucked out to the floating space 11 due to the difference in air pressure, and are further accelerated and efficiently sent to the blowing section 43 and further to the outside of the device along with the air whose wind direction is regulated by the wind direction plate 8." However, this device is merely a device that efficiently sends out ions using Bernoulli's theorem, and is significantly different from a device that purifies air by removing foreign objects floating in an indoor space. The above-mentioned Patent Document 3 relates to a blower and an air conditioner, and in paragraph 0017, it is disclosed that "Due to such a difference in air pressure, an air current B is generated from the extension area 93c of the boss portion 101 toward the peripheral portion of the ventilation passage 93. The faster the flow speed of the blown air current, the larger the pressure difference becomes, and the faster the flow speed of the reverse air current B becomes." Also, in paragraph 0048, it is disclosed that "Due to the difference in air pressure between this blown air current area and an area where there is no blown air current, an air current B is generated from the extension area of ​​the partition wall 5 toward the blown air current A in the area outside the air straightening body 7." However, this device is merely a device that can increase the blowing efficiency of a blower device that has an axial flow fan arranged inside a cylinder, and is not a device that purifies the air by removing foreign objects floating in the entire indoor space.

[0005] The above-mentioned Patent Document 4 relates to an indoor sterilization device and an indoor sterilization system, and in paragraph 0066 it discloses that "By the fan 11 blowing out or sucking in air, convection currents and air pressure differences can be generated in the room 100. Due to this convection current and air pressure difference, the bacteria, etc. 50 inside the room 100 are transported spatially. Due to this spatial transport, the bacteria, etc. 50 tend to pass through the upper part of the room 100. Alternatively, the bacteria, etc. 50 that were at the lower part of the room 100 tend to remain at the upper part of the room 100." Also, in paragraph 0069 it discloses that "The bacteria, etc. 50 transported upwards come within the ultraviolet irradiation range, and are sterilized by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the indoor sterilization device 1." In other words, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 4 is intended to sterilize by ultraviolet irradiation, and in order to ensure that danger to people caused by ultraviolet irradiation is avoided, the basic premise is that the indoor sterilization device 1 is installed in the upper part of the room, and it discloses a technology that causes upward convection by a fan or reduces the air pressure in the upper part of the room, thereby moving bacteria, etc. upward with the air current and making them available for sterilization. However, the indoor sterilization device and indoor sterilization system disclosed in Patent Document 4 have a problem in that, because they are aimed at sterilization at an upper part, the bacteria, etc. 50 fall to the floor surface below, contrary to the law of gravity (law of attraction), and the bacteria, etc. 50 that are settling are lifted up again and agitated.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks and problems of the conventional technology and provide an air purifying device that can remove aerosols, dust, garbage, and other foreign matter containing viruses, bacteria, etc. floating in indoor spaces by allowing them to gently drop and settle downwards without violating the laws of gravity, while avoiding re-floating or agitating them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the air purifying device of the present invention is an air purifying device that removes foreign matter floating in an indoor space and purifies the air, An air intake port is provided in each of the lower and upper parts of at least one side wall of the indoor space, and an exhaust port and an exhaust fan are provided in the side wall opposite to the one side wall of the indoor space, and an air pressure sensor detects the air pressure in the upper and lower parts of the indoor space. Air pressure data from the exhaust fan and speed data from the exhaust fan and a control unit that controls the exhaust fan based on the By controlling an exhaust fan provided on a side wall portion opposite to the side wall portion on one side where the air intake port is located, air is taken in from the air intake port provided on one side of the room, and the flow of the taken in air becomes a laminar airflow that flows in layers from the side wall portion on one side of the indoor space to the side wall portion on the opposite side, The first feature of this system is that by controlling the exhaust fan, the speed of the stratified air current flowing through the indoor space is made faster in the lower part than in the upper part, thereby applying a pressure gradient force from the upper part to the lower part of the stratified air current to foreign objects floating in the indoor space, causing them to fall and sink. In addition to the first feature, the air purifying device of the present invention has a second feature in that the air intake port and the air exhaust port are elongated in the horizontal direction. In addition to the first or second feature, the air purifying device of the present invention has a third feature in that the exhaust fan provided at the exhaust port is an exhaust fan whose rotation speed can be increased or decreased. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The air purifying device described in claim 1 is an air purifying device that purifies the air by removing foreign matter suspended in an indoor space. An air intake port is provided in the lower and upper parts of at least one side wall of the indoor space, and an exhaust port and an exhaust fan are provided in the side wall opposite to the one side wall of the indoor space. Air pressure data from the exhaust fan and speed data from the exhaust fan The exhaust fan is controlled based on the control unit.

[0009] Also, claim 1 According to the air purifying device described in By controlling an exhaust fan provided on the side wall opposite to the side wall on one side where the air intake is located, air is taken in from the air intake provided on one side of the room and the flow of the taken in air is made to be a laminar airflow flowing in layers from the side wall on one side of the indoor space to the side wall on the opposite side. In addition, by controlling the exhaust fan, the speed of the laminar air current flowing through the indoor space is made faster in the lower part than in the upper part, so that a pressure gradient force from the upper part to the lower part of the laminar air current is applied to the foreign objects floating in the indoor space, causing them to fall and sink.

[0010] Claim 2 According to the air purifying device described in Claim 1 In addition to the advantageous effects of the configuration described above, the air intake and exhaust ports are elongated in the horizontal direction, so the air flow entering the room can be made to have a wide horizontal width, and the air flow leaving the room can be made to have a wide horizontal width. Create a horizontally wide layered airflow In indoor spaces, Changes in flow rate and the resulting It becomes possible to easily and favorably form the pressure gradient or pressure gradient force.

[0011] Claim 3 According to the air purifying device described in Claim 1 or 2 In addition to the advantageous effects of the configuration described above, the rotation speed of the exhaust fan provided at the exhaust port can be increased or decreased. Because it is an exhaust fan, the speed of the laminar airflow flowing through the indoor space can be easily changed and adjusted by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the exhaust fan, and the change in air pressure from the upper to lower layers of the laminar airflow can be easily adjusted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an entire air purifying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of the air purifying device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control of the air purifying device according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an air purifying device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings to facilitate understanding of the present invention. However, the following description does not limit the present invention described in the claims.

[0014] First, referring to Fig. 1, an air purifying device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device that purifies the air by removing aerosols, dust, garbage, and other foreign matter, including viruses and bacteria, floating in an indoor space S of a building. The building includes small buildings such as houses, as well as large buildings such as gymnasiums, movie theaters, large banquet halls and assembly halls within buildings. The indoor space is a concept that includes the interior of a room, and can be configured, for example, by being surrounded by a ceiling C, a floor F, and a side wall W. The indoor space S includes spaces ranging from small to large.

[0015] Referring also to FIG. 2, the air purifying device includes at least an air intake 10, an exhaust 20, a fan 30, an upper air pressure sensor 40, a lower air pressure sensor 50, and a control unit 60 for controlling the operation of the device.

[0016] In this embodiment, the air supply port 10 is provided in a lower layer and an upper layer of the side wall portion W on one side, with air supply ports 10a, 10b being provided respectively. In this embodiment, the exhaust port 20 is provided in a lower layer of the side wall portion W opposite to the side wall portion W on one side. In this embodiment, the fan 30 is an exhaust fan 30a provided at an exhaust port 20a provided in a lower layer of the side wall portion W on the opposite side. In this embodiment, the upper level air pressure sensor 40 is provided in the upper level of the indoor space S to detect the air pressure in the upper level of the indoor space S. In this embodiment, the lower level air pressure sensor 50 is disposed in the lower level of the indoor space S to detect the air pressure in the lower level of the indoor space S.

[0017] The control unit 60 can be configured with a microcomputer equipped with a CPU 61, a RAM 62, a ROM 63, a peripheral circuit 64, and an input / output port 65. The control unit 60 is preloaded with a control program for the air purifier, and controls the air purifier according to this control program. The control unit 60 receives detection data from the upper air pressure sensor 40 and the lower air pressure sensor 50 in accordance with a control program, and also receives rotation speed data from the exhaust fan 30a. The necessary control amount is calculated from the input data and output to the exhaust fan 30a.

[0018] The control of air purification by the air purification device according to this embodiment will be described together with its operation with reference to the flowchart in FIG. Now, when the operation switch of the air purifier is turned ON (YES in step 1), the exhaust fan 30a is turned ON and first starts rotating at the base rotation speed (step 2). When operation is started, the control unit 60 inputs air pressure data from the air pressure sensors (upper air pressure sensor 40, lower air pressure sensor 50) at regular intervals, and also inputs the rotation speed data of the exhaust fan 30a (step 3). Then, the control unit 60 calculates the pressure difference ΔP between the upper layer pressure and the lower layer pressure from the input pressure data at a fixed timing (step 4). Then, the control unit 60 determines whether the calculated pressure difference ΔP satisfies the relationship shown in the following formula 1 (step 5). ΔP2≧ΔP≧ΔP1>0...Equation 1 Here, ΔP1 is the lower limit of the pressure difference required to generate a good pressure gradient and pressure gradient force from the upper to the lower layers. Also, ΔP2 is the upper limit of the pressure difference to generate a good pressure gradient force from the upper to the lower layers, but to prevent the indoor ventilation volume from increasing too much and damaging the environment. The reason why the pressure difference is set to ΔP>0 is because when the pressure difference ΔP=0, no pressure gradient force is generated from the upper to the lower layers. The above-mentioned ΔP1 and ΔP2 can be set to values ​​appropriate for the indoor size, shape, and other conditions of the room in which the device is installed by preparing preferred values ​​of ΔP1 and ΔP2 in advance, and can be set to values ​​appropriate for the indoor conditions during installation. Of course, it is also possible to use a mechanism that allows the device to learn the preferred values ​​of ΔP1 and ΔP2 through operation.

[0019] If the answer is YES in step 5, the process proceeds to step 6, where the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 30a is maintained at the current level. If ΔP<ΔP1 in step 5, the process proceeds to step 7, where the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 30a is increased. If ΔP>ΔP2 in step 5, the process proceeds to step 8, where the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 32a is reduced. In steps 7 and 8, the rotation speed may be increased or decreased stepwise or continuously. The increase or decrease in the rotation speed includes the stopping and starting of the exhaust fan 30a.

[0020] When the operation switch is turned OFF during operation of the apparatus (YES in step 9), the exhaust fan 30a is turned OFF (step 10), and the operation of the apparatus ends. On the other hand, if the operation switch is not turned off (NO in step 9), the process returns to step 3 and operation continues. By operating the device in the manner described above, the air pressure difference ΔP between the upper and lower parts of the indoor space S is maintained within a specified range during operation, allowing foreign objects to fall and settle smoothly due to the air pressure gradient force caused by the air pressure gradient.

[0021] In the above, the exhaust port 20a may be elongated in the horizontal direction. By making the exhaust port 20a elongated, the air in the lower part of the indoor space S can be received by the exhaust port 20a in a state of a wider laminar flow in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, only one exhaust port 20 is provided as an exhaust port 20a in the lower layer of the side wall W on the opposite side to the one side of the side wall W. However, the number of exhaust ports 20 is not limited to one, and a plurality of exhaust ports 20 can be provided in the side wall W or the like in consideration of their appropriate arrangement so that the airflow flowing through the indoor space S becomes a more laminar flow. The air intakes 10a, 10b can also be elongated in the horizontal direction. By making the air intakes 10a, 10b elongated, the air flow entering the indoor space S from the air intakes 10a, 10b can be made into a laminar flow that is wider in the horizontal direction. In addition to the air intakes 10a and 10b already described, multiple air intakes 10 can be provided in the side wall portion W or the like with appropriate arrangement taken into consideration so that the airflow flowing through the indoor space S becomes more laminar.

[0022] In this embodiment, the fan 30 is provided as a single exhaust fan 30a provided at the exhaust port 20a in the lower part of the side wall part W. However, the number of exhaust fans 30a is not limited to one, and exhaust fans 30a can be selectively arranged at other exhaust ports 20 so that the airflow flowing through the indoor space S becomes a more laminar flow and so that the air pressure in the indoor space S can be reduced at a more preferable air pressure gradient from the upper part to the lower part. Furthermore, the fan 30 can be selectively arranged not only in the exhaust port 20 but also in the intake port 10 as an intake fan. By selectively installing an intake fan in the intake port 10, it becomes possible to add the air pressure adjustment of the indoor space S by the intake fan to the air pressure adjustment by the exhaust fan, and the air pressure in the indoor space S can be easily adjusted to a more preferable air pressure gradient from the upper part to the lower part.

[0023] A plurality of upper air pressure sensors 40 and a plurality of lower air pressure sensors 50 can be provided. By distributing a plurality of upper air pressure sensors 40, appropriate values ​​can be obtained as air pressure data even in a wide upper space, and appropriate control can be provided. Similarly, by distributing a plurality of lower air pressure sensors, appropriate values ​​can be obtained as air pressure data, and appropriate control can be provided. [Industrial Applicability]

[0024] The present invention can be used industrially as an air purifying device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 10 Air supply port 10a Air supply port 10b Air supply port 20 Exhaust port 20a Exhaust port 30 Fans 30a exhaust fan 40 Upper air pressure sensor 50 Lower air pressure sensor 60 Control section 61 CPU 62 RAM 63 ROM 64 Peripheral circuits 65 I / O ports S Indoor space C Ceiling F Floor W Side wall

Claims

1. An air purifying device that removes foreign objects floating in an indoor space and purifies the air, The air conditioner is provided with an air intake port in a lower part and an upper part of at least one side wall part of an indoor space, and an exhaust port and an exhaust fan in a side wall part opposite to the one side wall part of the indoor space, and further includes an air pressure sensor that detects air pressure in the upper and lower parts of the indoor space, and a control unit that controls the exhaust fan based on air pressure data from the air pressure sensor and rotation speed data from the exhaust fan, By controlling an exhaust fan provided on a side wall portion opposite to the side wall portion on one side where the air intake port is located, air is taken in from the air intake port provided on one side of the room, and the flow of the taken in air becomes a laminar airflow that flows in layers from the side wall portion on one side of the indoor space to the side wall portion on the opposite side, This air purifying device is characterized in that by controlling the exhaust fan, the speed of the stratified air current flowing through the indoor space is made faster in the lower part than in the upper part, thereby applying a pressure gradient force from the upper part to the lower part of the stratified air current to foreign objects floating in the indoor space, causing them to fall and sink.

2. 2. The air purifying device according to claim 1, wherein the air inlet and the air outlet are elongated in the horizontal direction.

3. 3. The air purifying device according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust fan provided at the exhaust port is an exhaust fan whose rotation speed can be increased or decreased.

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