Air purifier and heat exchange type ventilation system with air purification function using the same

Abstract

To provide an air cleaner capable of suppressing increase in humidity according to the discharge of hypochlorous acid, and to provide a heat exchange type ventilation device with air cleaning function using the same.SOLUTION: An air cleaner 10 includes: a suction port 2 for sucking air 8; a blowout port 3 for blowing out the air 8 sucked from the suction port 2; a first air passage 5a which is provided between the suction port 2 and the blowout port 3, and in which air 8a sucked from the suction port 2 circulates; a second air passage 5b which is provided between the suction port 2 and the blowout port 3, and in which air 8b sucked from the suction port 2 circulates bypassing the first air passage 5a; and a humidifier 11 provided at the first air passage 5a, for atomizing water, and for adding an air cleaning component to the air 8a containing the water. Then, the air 8 sucked from the suction port 2 is distributed to the first air passage 5a and the second air passage 5b to circulate them respectively, and then the air is merged and blown out from the blowout port 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purifier that atomizes water, sucks in air that is saturated with the atomized water and blows it out, and also releases the atomized water that is saturated with hypochlorous acid, and to a heat exchange type ventilation device with air purification function that uses the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of air purification device, an air conditioning system has been known that sterilizes a space by bringing air supplied indoors into contact with a gas-liquid contact member containing hypochlorous acid and releasing the air (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-133521 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional air conditioning systems, hypochlorous acid is released using a humidifier or a two-fluid nozzle, which releases hypochlorous acid along with moisture. This causes the humidity in the space where the hypochlorous acid is released to rise, which can lead to a decrease in comfort, especially in the summer when relative humidity is high.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide an air purifier that can suppress the increase in humidity that accompanies the release of hypochlorous acid, and a heat exchange type ventilation device with air purification function that uses the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, the air purifying device according to the present invention comprises an inlet for sucking in air, an outlet for blowing out the air sucked in through the inlet, a first air passage provided between the inlet and the outlet and through which a portion of the air sucked in through the inlet flows, a second air passage provided between the inlet and the outlet and through which the other portion of the air sucked in through the inlet bypasses the first air passage, and an air purifying section provided in the first air passage for atomizing water and adding an air purifying component to the air containing the water.The air sucked in through the inlet is distributed to the first air passage and flows through each of the first air passage and then merges and is blown out through the outlet.

[0007] The heat exchange type ventilator with air purification function according to the present invention includes the above-mentioned air purification device, and a heat exchange type ventilator that exchanges heat between an exhaust air flow that flows through an exhaust air duct for discharging indoor air to the outdoors and an intake air flow that flows through an intake air duct for supplying outdoor air to the indoors. The air purification unit adds an air purification component to the intake air flow from the heat exchange type ventilator. This achieves the intended purpose. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air purifier capable of suppressing an increase in humidity accompanying the release of hypochlorous acid, and a heat exchange type ventilation device with an air purification function using the same. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air purification device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a heat exchange type ventilation device with air purification function according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air purification device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air purification device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The air purifying device according to the present invention includes an inlet for sucking in air, an outlet for blowing out the air sucked in through the inlet, a first air passage provided between the inlet and the outlet and through which a portion of the air sucked in through the inlet flows, a second air passage provided between the inlet and the outlet and through which another portion of the air sucked in through the inlet bypasses the first air passage, and an air purifying section provided in the first air passage for atomizing water and adding an air purifying component to the air containing the water. The air sucked in through the inlet is distributed to the first air passage and flows through each of the first air passage and then merges and is blown out from the outlet.

[0011] According to this configuration, the air humidified by the air purifying unit after flowing through the first air passage is mixed with the air (non-humidified air) that has flowed through the second air passage, so that the amount of humidification contained in the air blown out from the air outlet is reduced. At this time, by increasing the concentration of the air purifying component contained in the water that is atomized by the air purifying unit, the amount of the air purifying component added to the air flowing through the first air passage can be increased even if the amount of humidification to the air flowing through the first air passage is the same. Therefore, in the air purifying device, the amount of the air purifying component added to the air blown out from the air outlet can be controlled to the same target concentration as in a conventional air purifying device in which the entire amount of air sucked through the intake port is circulated through the air purifying unit. In other words, the air purifying device can impart a necessary amount of air purifying component to the air while suppressing an increase in humidity of the air blown out from the air outlet. In other words, the air purifying device can be an air purifying device that can suppress an increase in humidity accompanying the release of the air purifying component.

[0012] In the air purifier according to the present invention, the air purifier preferably adds the air purifying component to a portion of the air introduced therein by centrifugally crushing water containing the air purifying component. In this way, by changing the rotation speed during centrifugal crushing, the particle size or amount of the crushed water can be controlled, and thus the amount of the air purifying component added to the portion of the air can be easily controlled.

[0013] The air purifier according to the present invention further includes an electrolysis unit that generates hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing a chloride aqueous solution. The air purifier is preferably supplied with hypochlorous acid water from the electrolysis unit as water containing an air purifying component. In this way, hypochlorous acid water having bactericidal or deodorizing properties is atomized and blown out from the blowing outlet as air containing hypochlorous acid water, so that the space to which the blown air is supplied can be sterilized or deodorized.

[0014] The air purifying device according to the present invention further includes a water storage section that stores the water atomized in the air purifying section, and a water receiving section that collects the water discharged from the water storage section in order to discharge it outside the device. The water receiving section is preferably provided in the second air duct. In this way, after the water collected in the water receiving section is discharged outside the device, the water receiving section can be dried by the air flowing through the second air duct. This suppresses the proliferation of bacteria caused by the remaining water in the water receiving section, and suppresses the risk that bacteria generated in the water receiving section will be scattered indoors together with the air flowing through the second air duct.

[0015] The air purifier according to the present invention may further include a flow rate adjustment unit that adjusts the flow rate ratio between the flow rate of a portion of the air introduced into the first air duct and the flow rate of another portion of the air introduced into the second air duct. In this way, the air purifier can impart a required amount of air purifying components to the air while effectively suppressing an increase in humidity in the air (a mixture of the two) blown out of the air outlet by the flow rate adjustment unit.

[0016] The heat exchange type ventilator with air purification function according to the present invention includes the above-mentioned air purification device, and a heat exchange type ventilator that exchanges heat between an exhaust air flow that flows through an exhaust air duct for discharging indoor air to the outdoors and an intake air flow that flows through an intake air duct for supplying outdoor air to the indoors. The air purification unit adds an air purification component to the intake air flow from the heat exchange type ventilator. This makes it possible to enjoy the effects of the above-mentioned air purification device, and improves the comfort of the indoor space by using the heat exchange type ventilator with air purification function.

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example of the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the same parts are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and the explanation is omitted. Furthermore, the details of each part that is not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the explanation for each drawing to avoid duplication.

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] (Embodiment 1) First, an air purifying device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the air purifying device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] 1, the air purifying device 10 is a device that, when circulating air in an indoor space 18 (hereinafter simply referred to as "indoors"), performs cooling (dehumidification) or heating treatment on air 8 (RA) from the indoor space 18 as necessary, and also imparts components that purify the air (hereinafter simply referred to as "air purification components") together with finely divided water to the air 8 circulating within the device. The air purifying device 10 sterilizes and deodorizes the indoor space 18 by supplying air 9 (SA) that has circulated within the device to the indoor space 18.

[0021] Specifically, the air purifier 10 includes an inlet 2, an outlet 3, a humidifier 11, a purification component supply unit 12, a blower 13, and a refrigerant coil 14.

[0022] The air purifying device 10 includes a housing 1 that constitutes the outer frame of the device, and an inlet 2 and an outlet 3 are formed on a pair of opposing side surfaces of the housing 1, respectively.

[0023] The air inlet 2 is an intake port through which air 8 from an indoor space 18 is taken into the air purifying device 10. The air inlet 2 is connected to an indoor air inlet 16a provided on the ceiling or the like of the indoor space 18 via a duct 16. This allows the air inlet 2 to be drawn into the device from the indoor air inlet 16a.

[0024] The air outlet 3 is an outlet that discharges air 9 (SA) that has circulated inside the device into the indoor space 18. The air outlet 3 is in communication with an indoor air outlet 17a provided on the ceiling or the like of the indoor space 18 via a duct 17. This allows the air outlet 3 to blow out the air 9 that has circulated inside the device from the indoor air outlet 17a toward the indoor space 18.

[0025] Inside the air purifying device 10, air passages (front air passage 4, first air passage 5a, second air passage 5b, rear air passage 6) that connect the inlet 2 and the outlet 3 are formed.

[0026] The front-stage air passage 4 is an air passage adjacent to the suction port 2, and in the front-stage air passage 4, a blower 13 and a refrigerant coil 14 are provided.

[0027] First air passage 5a is an air passage adjacent to front-stage air passage 4, through which a part (air 8a) of air 8 that has flowed through front-stage air passage 4 flows. First air passage 5a has humidifier 11 provided therein. Second air passage 5b is an air passage adjacent to front-stage air passage 4, through which another part (air 8b) of air 8 that has flowed through front-stage air passage 4 flows. That is, first air passage 5a and second air passage 5b are arranged in parallel to each other. In this embodiment, the air passage dimensions (flow path area) are set so that the flow rate of air 8a flowing through first air passage 5a and the flow rate of air 8b flowing through second air passage 5b are approximately the same.

[0028] In addition, the first air passage 5a is provided between the intake port 2 and the exhaust port 3, and is an air passage through which a portion of the air 8 (air 8a) sucked in through the intake port 2 flows, while the second air passage 5b is provided between the intake port 2 and the exhaust port 3, and is an air passage through which the other portion of the air 8 (air 8b) sucked in through the intake port 2 flows, bypassing the first air passage 5a.

[0029] Rear-stage air passage 6 is an air passage adjacent to air outlet 3, and in rear-stage air passage 6, air 8a that has flowed through first air passage 5a and air 8a that has flowed through second air passage 5b join together and are mixed.

[0030] In the air purifying device 10, air 8 sucked in through the intake port 2 flows through the front air duct 4, branches into two systems, the first air duct 5a and the second air duct 5b, joins together in the rear air duct 6, and is blown out from the exhaust port 3 as air 9.

[0031] Next, a description will be given of the humidifier 11. The humidifier 11 corresponds to the "air purifying section" in the claims.

[0032] The humidifier 11 is a unit for humidifying the air (air 8a) taken in, and during humidification, the air is made to contain air purifying components together with finely divided water. More specifically, the humidifier 11 has a humidifying motor 11a and a humidifying nozzle 11b. The humidifier 11 rotates the humidifying nozzle 11b using the humidifying motor 11a, and sucks up water (water containing air purifying components) stored in the water storage section of the humidifier 11 by centrifugal force, scattering, colliding, and crushing it in the surroundings (centrifugal direction), and moisture is contained in the air passing through. The humidifier 11 changes the number of rotations (hereinafter, rotation output value) of the humidifying motor 11a in response to an output signal from a control section (not shown) to adjust the humidifying capacity (amount of humidification). The amount of humidification can also be said to be the amount of air purifying components added to the air.

[0033] The purification component supply unit 12 is a unit for adding air purification component tablets or the like to water supplied from a water supply pipe such as a waterworks to generate water containing the air purification component. The purification component supply unit 12 supplies the water containing the air purification component to the water storage unit of the humidifier 11. Here, for example, hypochlorous acid having sterilizing or deodorizing properties is used as the air purification component. As a result, hypochlorous acid water is contained in the circulating air 8a as the water containing the air purification component and supplied to the indoor space 18, so that the indoor space 18 can be sterilized or deodorized.

[0034] More specifically, the purification component supply unit 12 is configured to have an electrolytic cell 12a therein, stores a certain amount of hypochlorous acid water generated by the electrolytic cell 12a, and supplies it to the humidifier 11 in response to an output signal from a control unit (not shown).

[0035] The electrolytic cell 12a generates hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing an aqueous chloride solution (e.g., salt water) as an electrolyte between a pair of electrodes. A general device is used for the electrolytic cell 12a, so a detailed description is omitted. The electrolytic cell 12a corresponds to the "electrolysis unit" in the claims.

[0036] Here, the electrolyte is an electrolyte capable of generating hypochlorous acid water, and is not particularly limited as long as it contains a small amount of chloride ions, and for example, an aqueous solution in which sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, etc. are dissolved as a solute can be mentioned. Hydrochloric acid is also acceptable. In this embodiment, an aqueous chloride solution (salt water) in which sodium chloride is added to water supplied from a water supply pipe such as a tap is used as the electrolyte.

[0037] In addition, the concentration of hypochlorous acid water supplied to the humidifier 11 is increased compared to the case where the entire flow rate is circulated through the humidifier as in the conventional air purifier. In this embodiment, the flow rate of air 8a circulating through the first air passage 5a is approximately equal to the flow rate of air 8b circulating through the second air passage 5b, so the concentration of hypochlorous acid water is approximately doubled. As a result, even if the amount of humidification of the air circulating through the first air passage 5a is the same, the amount of hypochlorous acid water contained in the circulating air 8a, that is, the amount of air purification component added, is increased by approximately double.

[0038] Next, the blower 13 will be described.

[0039] The blower 13 is a device for transporting air 8 (RA) from the indoor space 18 into the device from the inlet 2. The blower 13 is installed in the front-stage air duct 4, upstream of the refrigerant coil 14. The operation of the blower 13 is controlled to be on / off in accordance with air output information from the control unit. When the blower 13 operates, the air 8 from the indoor space 18 circulates while passing through the air purifying device 10. The blower 13 does not necessarily have to be installed inside the air purifying device 10, and may be installed, for example, in the duct 16. The blower 13 may also be installed independently, separate from the air purifying device 10.

[0040] Next, the refrigerant coil 14 will be described.

[0041] The refrigerant coil 14 is disposed downstream of the blower 13 in the front-stage air passage 4, and is a member for cooling or heating the introduced air 8. The refrigerant coil 14 changes its output state (cooling, heating, or off) in response to an output signal from the control unit, and adjusts the cooling capacity (amount of cooling) or heating capacity (amount of heating) for the introduced air 8. Note that when the refrigerant coil 14 cools the introduced air 8, the introduced air 8 is dehumidified, so the cooling capacity (amount of cooling) for the air 8 can also be said to be the dehumidification capacity (amount of dehumidification) for the air 8.

[0042] The refrigerant coil 14 functions as a heat absorber or a heat radiator in a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a radiator, an expander, and a heat absorber, and is configured to absorb (cool) or radiate (heat) heat when the refrigerant introduced from the air conditioner (outdoor unit 20) flows inside. More specifically, the refrigerant coil 14 is connected to the outdoor unit 20 via a refrigerant circuit 21 through which the refrigerant flows. The outdoor unit 20 is an outdoor unit installed in an outdoor space 19, and is configured to have a compressor 20a, an expander 20b, an outdoor heat exchanger 20c, a blower fan 20d, and a four-way valve 20e. Since the outdoor unit 20 has a general configuration, detailed explanations of each device (compressor 20a, expander 20b, outdoor heat exchanger 20c, blower fan 20d, and four-way valve 20e) will be omitted.

[0043] A four-way valve 20e is connected to the refrigeration cycle including the refrigerant coil 14, so that the air purification device 10 can be switched between a cooling mode (dehumidification mode) state in which the refrigerant flows in a first direction through the four-way valve 20e to cool and dehumidify the air (air 8), and a heating mode state in which the refrigerant flows in a second direction through the four-way valve 20e to heat the air (air 8).

[0044] Here, the first direction is the direction in which the refrigerant flows through the compressor 20a, the outdoor heat exchanger 20c, the expander 20b, and the refrigerant coil 14, in that order. The second direction is the direction in which the refrigerant flows through the compressor 20a, the refrigerant coil 14, the expander 20b, and the outdoor heat exchanger 20c, in that order.

[0045] The refrigerant coil 14 is capable of cooling or heating the air (air 8) being introduced, but in this embodiment, since the Japanese summer is assumed, it is used as a component that cools (dehumidifies) the air being introduced in the cooling mode.

[0046] As described above, the air purifying device 10 is configured by including each of the components.

[0047] Next, there will be described the flow of air passing through the air purifying device 10. In the following, it is assumed that it is summer in Japan, when it is desired to cool (dehumidify) the air 8 in the indoor space 18.

[0048] In the air purifying device 10, air 8 in an indoor space 18 is drawn from an indoor inlet 16a through a duct 16 to an inlet 2. The air 8 drawn from the inlet 2 first flows through the front-stage air duct 4. The air 8 flowing through the front-stage air duct 4 is cooled (dehumidified) by the refrigerant coil 14 and adjusted to a target temperature and humidity.

[0049] Thereafter, air 8 flowing through front-stage air passage 4 is divided into two: air 8a (a part of air 8) flowing through first air passage 5a, and air 8b (the other part of air 8) flowing through second air passage 5b. Air 8a flowing through first air passage 5a is adjusted by humidification in humidifier 11 so that an air purifying component is added at a predetermined concentration. Air 8a flowing through humidifier 11 is then guided to rear-stage air passage 6.

[0050] On the other hand, air 8b flowing through second air passage 5b flows directly within the passage and is guided to rear-stage air passage 6. This can also be said to mean that air 8b flowing through second air passage 5b is guided to rear-stage air passage 6 without passing through humidifier 11.

[0051] Then, air 8a flowing through first air passage 5a and air 8a flowing through second air passage 5b join and mix in rear air passage 6. Then, air 9 flowing through rear air passage 6 is blown out from air outlet 3. Thereafter, air 9 blown out from air outlet 3 is blown out through duct 17 into indoor space 18 from indoor air outlet 17a.

[0052] In this manner, the air purifying device 10 sterilizes and deodorizes the indoor space 18 while circulating the air in the indoor space 18.

[0053] As described above, according to the air purifying device 10 of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0054] (1) An air purifier 10 includes an inlet 2 for sucking in air 8, an outlet 3 for blowing out the air 8 sucked in through the inlet 2, a first air passage 5a provided between the inlet 2 and the outlet 3 and through which a portion (air 8a) of the air 8 sucked in through the inlet 2 flows, a second air passage 5b provided between the inlet 2 and the outlet 3 and through which the other portion (air 8b) of the air 8 sucked in through the inlet 2 flows bypassing the first air passage 5a, and a humidifier 11 provided in the first air passage 5a for atomizing water and adding an air purifying component to the air 8a containing the water. The air 8 sucked in through the inlet 2 is distributed to the first air passage 5a and the second air passage 5b and flows through each of them, and then the two air passages join together and are blown out from the outlet 3.

[0055] According to this configuration, the air 8a humidified by the humidifier 11 through the first air passage 5a is mixed with the air 8b (non-humidified air 8b) through the second air passage 5b, so that the amount of humidification contained in the air 9 blown out from the outlet 3 is reduced. At this time, by increasing the concentration of the air purifying component (e.g., hypochlorous acid) contained in the water atomized by the humidifier 11, the amount of the air purifying component added to the air 8a can be increased even if the amount of humidification to the air 8a flowing through the first air passage 5a is the same. Therefore, in the air purifying device 10, the amount of the air purifying component added to the air 9 blown out from the outlet 3 can be controlled to the same target concentration as in the conventional air purifying device that flows the entire amount of the air 8 sucked in from the intake port 2 to the humidifier 11. In other words, in the air purifying device 10, the humidity of the air 9 blown out from the outlet 3 can be suppressed from increasing, while the necessary amount of the air purifying component can be added to the air 9. In other words, the air purifier 10 can suppress an increase in humidity that accompanies the release of air purifying components.

[0056] (2) In air purification device 10, humidifier 11 centrifugally crushes water containing the air purification component, thereby adding the air purification component to a portion (air 8a) of air 8 introduced inside. This makes it possible to control the particle size or amount of the crushed water by changing the rotation speed during centrifugal crushing, and thus to control the amount of the air purification component added to the portion (air 8a) of air 8.

[0057] (3) The air purifier 10 further includes a purification component supply unit 12 (electrolysis tank 12a) that generates hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing an aqueous chloride solution. Hypochlorous acid water is supplied to the humidifier 11 from the purification component supply unit 12 (electrolysis tank 12a) as water containing an air purifying component. This causes the hypochlorous acid water with sterilizing or deodorizing properties to be atomized and blown out of the outlet 3 as air 9 containing hypochlorous acid water, thereby sterilizing or deodorizing the indoor space 18 to which the blown out air 9 is supplied.

[0058] (Embodiment 2) Next, a heat exchanger-type ventilation device with air purification function 40 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a heat exchanger-type ventilation device with air purification function 40 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the airflow (exhaust airflow 22, intake airflow 23, and intake airflow 24) or air duct (exhaust airflow duct 25, intake airflow duct 26) after heat exchange refers to the airflow or air duct after passing through the heat exchange element 30e in the heat exchanger-type ventilation device 30.

[0059] The heat exchange type ventilation device 40 with air purification function according to the second embodiment is configured to include an air purification device 10a and a heat exchange type ventilation device 30. The intake port 2 of the air purification device 10a is configured to introduce the heat-exchanged intake airflow 23 from the heat exchange type ventilation device 30 through a duct 24. The air purification device 10a differs from the air purification device 10 of the first embodiment in that it does not have a built-in blower 13. The rest of the configuration of the air purification device 10a is the same as that of the air purification device 10 of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the contents already explained in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchange type ventilation device 30 includes a main body case 30f, an inside air port 30a, an exhaust port 30b, an outside air port 30c, an intake port 30d, a heat exchange element 30e, an exhaust fan 30g, an intake fan 30h, an exhaust air passage 25, and an intake air passage 26. The main body case 30f is an outer frame of the heat exchange type ventilation device 30. The inside air port 30a, the exhaust port 30b, the outside air port 30c, and the intake air port 30d are formed on the outer periphery of the main body case 30f. The inside air port 30a is an intake port that draws the exhaust air flow 22 into the heat exchange type ventilation device 30, and is connected to an indoor exhaust port (not shown) via a duct or the like. The exhaust port 30b is an exhaust port that discharges the exhaust air flow 22 from the heat exchange type ventilation device 30 to the outdoors, and is connected to an outdoor exhaust port (not shown) via a duct or the like. The outside air port 30c is an intake port that draws the supply air flow 23 (OA) into the heat exchange type ventilation device 30, and is connected to an outdoor air supply port (not shown) via a duct or the like. The supply air port 30d is an exhaust port that expels the supply air flow 23 from the heat exchange type ventilation device 30 to the indoors, and is connected to the indoor air outlet 17a via the duct 24, the air purifier 10a, and the duct 17.

[0061] A heat exchange element 30e, an exhaust fan 30g, and an intake fan 30h are attached inside the main body case 30f. An exhaust air passage 25 and an intake air passage 26 are also configured inside the main body case 30f. The heat exchange element 30e is a total heat type heat exchange element, and is a member for performing heat exchange (sensible heat and latent heat) between the exhaust air flow 22 flowing through the exhaust air passage 25 and the intake air flow 23 flowing through the intake air passage 26. The exhaust fan 30g is a blower installed near the exhaust port 30b, and sucks the exhaust air flow 22 from the inside air port 30a and discharges it from the exhaust port 30b. The intake fan 30h is a blower installed near the intake port 30d, and sucks the intake air flow 23 from the outside air port 30c and discharges it from the intake port 30d. The exhaust air passage 25 is configured to include an air passage that communicates between the inside air port 30a and the exhaust port 30b. The intake fan 30h corresponds to the blower 13 of the first embodiment. The intake air passage 26 includes an air passage that connects the outside air port 30c and the intake air port 30d. The exhaust air flow 22 sucked in from the inside air port 30a by the exhaust fan 30g being driven passes through the heat exchange element 30e and the exhaust fan 30g in the exhaust air passage 25, and is discharged from the exhaust air port 30b to the outdoors. The intake air flow 23 sucked in from the outside air port 30c by the intake fan 30h being driven passes through the heat exchange element 30e and the intake fan 30h, and is supplied from the intake air port 30d to the indoors (air purifying device 10a).

[0062] When performing heat exchange ventilation, the heat exchange type ventilation device 30 operates the exhaust fan 30g and the intake fan 30h, and exchanges heat in the heat exchange element 30e between the exhaust airflow 22 flowing through the exhaust airflow 25 and the intake airflow 23 flowing through the intake airflow 26. As a result, when performing ventilation, the heat exchange type ventilation device 30 transfers the heat of the exhaust airflow 22 discharged outdoors to the intake airflow 23 that is taken indoors, suppressing the discharge of unnecessary heat and recovering heat indoors. As a result, when performing ventilation in the Japanese winter, the air with a low outdoor temperature can suppress a drop in the indoor temperature. On the other hand, when performing ventilation in the Japanese summer, the air with a high outdoor temperature can suppress a rise in the indoor temperature.

[0063] The air purifier 10a is installed in the intake air duct 26 after heat exchange of the heat exchange type ventilation device 30. Specifically, the intake port 2 of the air purifier 10a is connected to the intake port 30d of the heat exchange type ventilation device 30 via a duct 24. Then, the intake air flow 23 after heat exchange is introduced into the intake port 2.

[0064] In the air purifying device 10a, the intake air flow 23 sucked in through the intake port 2 flows through the front air duct 4, branches into two systems, the first air duct 5a and the second air duct 5b, joins together in the rear air duct 6, and is supplied to the indoor space 18 through the air outlet 3 as the intake air flow 23.

[0065] As described above, according to the heat exchanger type ventilator 40 with air purification function according to the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0066] (4) The heat exchange type ventilator with air purification function 40 includes the air purifier 10a, and a heat exchange type ventilator 30 that exchanges heat between an exhaust airflow 22 flowing through an exhaust airflow duct 25 for discharging indoor air to the outdoors, and an intake airflow 23 flowing through an intake airflow duct 26 for supplying outdoor air to the indoors. The humidifier 11 is configured to add an air purification component to the intake airflow 23 from the heat exchange type ventilator 30. This makes it possible to enjoy the effects (1) to (3) of the air purifier described above, and the heat exchange type ventilator with air purification function 40 can improve the comfort of the indoor space 18.

[0067] (Embodiment 3) Next, an air purifying device 10b according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of air purifying device 10b according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Here, air purifying device 10b according to the third embodiment differs from air purifying device 10 according to the first embodiment mainly in that a water receiving portion 11e is provided in second air duct 5b for temporarily collecting water discharged from humidifier 11 in order to discharge the water outside the device.

[0068] 3, the air purifying device 10b is a device that, when circulating air in an indoor space 18, performs cooling (dehumidification) or heating treatment on air 8 (RA) from the indoor space 18 as necessary, and also causes the air 8 circulating within the device to contain air purifying components together with finely divided water. The air purifying device 10b sterilizes and deodorizes the indoor space 18 by supplying air 9 (SA) that has circulated within the device to the indoor space 18.

[0069] Specifically, the air purifier 10b includes an inlet 2, an outlet 3, a humidifier 11, a purification component supply unit 12, a blower 13, a refrigerant coil 14, and a connecting duct 27.

[0070] The air purifying device 10b is configured to have, as housings constituting the outer frame of the device, a housing 1a equipped with an air inlet 2, a blower 13, and a refrigerant coil 14, and a housing 1b equipped with an air outlet 3 and a humidifier 11. The housings 1a and 1b are connected in communication with each other via a connecting duct 27.

[0071] The air inlet 2 is an intake port through which air 8 from the indoor space 18 is taken into the air purifying device 10b. The air inlet 2 is connected to an indoor air inlet 16a provided on the ceiling or the like of the indoor space 18 via a duct 16. This allows the air inlet 2 to be drawn into the device from the indoor air inlet 16a.

[0072] The air outlet 3 is an outlet that discharges air 9 (SA) that has circulated inside the device into the indoor space 18. The air outlet 3 is in communication with an indoor air outlet 17a provided on the ceiling or the like of the indoor space 18 via a duct 17. This allows the air outlet 3 to blow out the air 9 that has circulated inside the device from the indoor air outlet 17a toward the indoor space 18.

[0073] Additionally, within the air purifying device 10b, air passages (front air passage 4, connecting duct 27, first air passage 5a, second air passage 5b, rear air passage 6) are configured to connect the intake port 2 of the housing 1a and the exhaust port 3 of the housing 1b.

[0074] The front-stage air passage 4 is an air passage formed inside the housing 1a, and in the front-stage air passage 4, a blower 13 and a refrigerant coil 14 are provided.

[0075] The connecting duct 27 is a duct that connects the housing 1a and the housing 1b in communication with each other. The connecting duct 27 allows air 8 (air 8a, air 8b) to flow from the housing 1a to the housing 1b.

[0076] First air passage 5a is an air passage formed in housing 1b, and is an air passage through which a part (air 8a) of air 8 that has flowed through connecting duct 27 flows. Humidifier 11 is provided in first air passage 5a. On the other hand, second air passage 5b is an air passage formed in housing 1b, and is an air passage through which the other part (air 8b) of air 8 that has flowed through connecting duct 27 flows. Water receiving section 11e that collects water discharged from humidifier 11 (water storage section 11c) in order to discharge the water outside the device is provided in second air passage 5b. That is, first air passage 5a and second air passage 5b are arranged in parallel with each other. In this embodiment, the air passage dimensions (flow path area) are set so that the ratio between the flow rate of air 8a flowing through first air passage 5a and the flow rate of air 8b flowing through second air passage 5b is 2:1.

[0077] In addition, the first air passage 5a is provided between the intake port 2 and the exhaust port 3, and is an air passage through which a portion of the air 8 (air 8a) sucked in through the intake port 2 flows, while the second air passage 5b is provided between the intake port 2 and the exhaust port 3, and is an air passage through which the other portion of the air 8 (air 8b) sucked in through the intake port 2 flows, bypassing the first air passage 5a.

[0078] The rear-stage air passage 6 is an air passage adjacent to the air outlet 3 in the housing 1b, and in the rear-stage air passage 6, the air 8a that has flowed through the first air passage 5a and the air 8a that has flowed through the second air passage 5b join together and are mixed.

[0079] That is, in air purifier 10b, air 8 sucked in through intake port 2 flows through front air duct 4, is divided into two systems, first air duct 5a and second air duct 5b, merges at rear air duct 6, and is blown out from outlet 3 as air 9. Then, in first air duct 5a, air 8a flows through humidifier 11, and in second air duct 5b, air 8b flows through water receiving section 11e.

[0080] Next, the humidifier 11 will be described.

[0081] The humidifier 11 is a unit for humidifying the air (air 8a) taken in, and during humidification, the air is made to contain air purifying components along with finely divided water. More specifically, the humidifier 11 has a humidification motor 11a, a humidification nozzle 11b, a water storage section 11c, a drain pipe 11d, a water receiving section (drain pan) 11e, and a drain pump (drain pump) 11f.

[0082] The humidifier 11 is a centrifugal crushing type that uses a humidifying motor 11a to rotate a humidifying nozzle 11b, sucking up water (water containing air purifying components) stored in a water storage unit 11c by centrifugal force, scattering, colliding, and crushing it in the surroundings (centrifugal direction), and moistening the air (air 8a) passing through. The humidifier 11 changes the number of rotations (hereinafter, rotation output value) of the humidifying motor 11a in response to an output signal from a control unit (not shown) to adjust the humidifying capacity (amount of humidification). The amount of humidification can also be said to be the amount of air purifying components added to the air.

[0083] Here, water storage section 11c is located vertically below humidifying nozzle 11b and stores the water (water containing air purifying components) that is sucked up by humidifying nozzle 11b. Water is supplied to water storage section 11c by purification component supply section 12. In addition, a drain pipe 11d is provided at the bottom of water storage section 11c for discharging the water in water storage section 11c.

[0084] The drain pipe 11d is a pipe that is installed at the bottom of the water storage section 11c and connects the water storage section 11c to the water receiving section 11e. The drain pipe 11d drains the water stored in the water storage section 11c to the water receiving section 11e by an opening / closing means (not shown) such as an electromagnetic valve.

[0085] The water receiving portion 11e is provided over the entire bottom surface of the humidifier 11. The water receiving portion 11e is a member that temporarily collects water discharged from the water storage portion 11c in order to discharge it outside the device. The water receiving portion 11e also serves to temporarily store water leaking from the humidifier 11 when an abnormality occurs in the humidifier 11 and water leaks. A drainage pump 11f is provided in the water receiving portion 11e, so that the water collected in the water receiving portion 11e can be drained outside the device.

[0086] The drain pump 11f is a pump for sucking the water collected in the water receiving portion 11e and discharging it to the outside of the device. The drain pump 11f is connected to a drainage facility such as a drain outlet provided in a house or facility via a pipe (not shown).

[0087] Here, the purification component supply unit 12, the blower 13, and the refrigerant coil 14 have the same configurations and functions as those in the above-mentioned first embodiment, and therefore their explanation will be omitted.

[0088] As described above, the air purification device 10b is configured by including each of the components.

[0089] Next, the flow of air passing through the air purification device 10b will be described. In the following, it is assumed that it is summer in Japan, when it is desired to cool (dehumidify) the air 8 in the indoor space 18.

[0090] In air purifier 10b, air 8 in indoor space 18 is drawn from indoor inlet 16a through duct 16 to inlet 2. Air 8 drawn from inlet 2 first flows through front-stage air duct 4. Air 8 flowing through front-stage air duct 4 is cooled (dehumidified) by refrigerant coil 14 to adjust the air to the target temperature and humidity.

[0091] Thereafter, air 8 that has flowed through front-stage air passage 4 flows through connecting duct 27 and is divided into two: air 8a (a part of air 8) that flows through first air passage 5a, and air 8b (the other part of air 8) that flows through second air passage 5b. Air 8a that flows through first air passage 5a is adjusted by humidification in humidifier 11 so that an air purifying component is added at a predetermined concentration. Air 8a that has flowed through humidifier 11 is then led to rear-stage air passage 6.

[0092] Meanwhile, air 8b flowing through second air passage 5b flows through water receiving portion 11e installed in second air passage 5b and is guided to rear air passage 6. At this time, air 8b dries the small amount of water (residual water) remaining in water receiving portion 11e. This suppresses the growth of bacteria caused by the residual water in water receiving portion 11e, and suppresses the risk that bacteria generated in water receiving portion 11e will be scattered into indoor space 18 together with air 8a.

[0093] Then, air 8a flowing through first air passage 5a and air 8a flowing through second air passage 5b join and mix in rear air passage 6. Then, air 9 flowing through rear air passage 6 is blown out from air outlet 3. Thereafter, air 9 blown out from air outlet 3 is blown out through duct 17 into indoor space 18 from indoor air outlet 17a.

[0094] In this manner, the air purification device 10b sterilizes and deodorizes the indoor space 18 while circulating the air in the indoor space 18.

[0095] As described above, according to the air purifying device 10b of the third embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0096] (5) The air purifier 10b includes a water storage section 11c that stores the water atomized in the humidifier 11, and a water receiver 11e that collects the water discharged from the water storage section 11c to be discharged outside the device. The water receiver 11e is provided in the second air passage 5b. This allows the water collected in the water receiver 11e to be discharged outside the device by the drain pump 11f, and then the water receiver 11e can be dried by the air 8a flowing through the second air passage 5b. This suppresses the proliferation of bacteria caused by the remaining water in the water receiver 11e, and suppresses the risk of bacteria generated in the water receiver 11e scattering into the room together with the air 8b flowing through the second air passage 5b.

[0097] Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and it can be easily assumed that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the numerical values ​​given in the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples, and it is of course possible to adopt other numerical values.

[0098] In air purifying device 10 according to the first embodiment, the air passage dimensions (flow path area) of first air passage 5a and second air passage 5b are fixed so that the flow rate ratio between the flow rate of air 8a introduced into first air passage 5a and the flow rate of air 8b introduced into second air passage 5b is 1:1, but this is not limited to this. As a modified example of air purifying device 10, for example, it may be configured to include a flow rate adjustment unit that adjusts the flow rate ratio between the flow rate of air 8a introduced into first air passage 5a and the flow rate of air 8b introduced into second air passage 5b.

[0099] The flow rate adjuster 15 provided in the air purifying device 10c according to the modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the air purifying device 10c according to the modified example.

[0100] Air purifying device 10c according to the modified example differs from air purifying device 10 according to embodiment 1 in that a flow rate adjustment unit 15 is provided upstream of second air passage 5b. Other than this, the configuration of air purifying device 10c is similar to that of air purifying device 10 according to embodiment 1. Below, the details that have already been explained in embodiment 1 will not be explained again as appropriate, and differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly explained.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 4, an air purification device 10c according to a modified example is provided with a flow rate regulator 15 on the upstream side of second air passage 5b.

[0102] Flow rate adjustment unit 15 is configured to have a rotatably driven damper, and can change the flow path area of ​​second air passage 5b according to the position (angle) of the damper. That is, flow rate adjustment unit 15 controls the position (angle) of the damper to control the flow rate of air 8b that can be introduced into second air passage 5b, thereby increasing or decreasing the flow rate of air 8b that can be introduced into second air passage 5b relative to the flow rate of air 8a that can be introduced into first air passage 5a. Flow rate adjustment unit 15 may be provided in first air passage 5a, or may be provided in both first air passage 5a and second air passage 5b.

[0103] In the air purifier 10c, it is necessary to adjust the concentration of the air purifying component (hypochlorous acid water) supplied to the humidifier 11 in accordance with the fluctuation of the flow rate ratio by the flow rate adjustment unit 15. Specifically, when the flow rate of air 8b introduced into the second air duct 5b is increased relative to the flow rate of air 8a introduced into the first air duct 5a (i.e., the humidified air 8a is diluted by the air 8b), the concentration of the air purifying component (hypochlorous acid water) supplied to the humidifier 11 is increased. In the opposite case, the concentration of the air purifying component (hypochlorous acid water) supplied to the humidifier 11 is decreased.

[0104] In this way, in air purifier 10c, a necessary amount of air purifying components can be added to the air while effectively suppressing an increase in humidity in air 9 (mixed air 9) blown out from air outlet 3 by flow rate adjustment unit 15. Note that flow rate adjustment unit 15 may be provided in air purifier 10a in embodiment 2 or air purifier 10b in embodiment 3.

[0105] Moreover, the air purifying device 10b in the third embodiment may be applied in place of the air purifying device 10a of the heat exchanger-type ventilator with air purification function 40 according to the second embodiment. This makes it possible to obtain the effect (4) of the heat exchanger-type ventilator with air purification function described above. [Industrial Applicability]

[0106] The air purifier and the heat exchange type ventilation device with air purification function using the same according to the present invention relate to an air purification system that sterilizes or disinfects a target space, typically an indoor space, and are useful in that they can adjust the humidity in the target space to achieve both the sterilization and disinfection effects and comfort. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1 Case 1a Housing 1b Case 2 Intake port 3 Air outlet 4 Front air passage 5a First wind path 5b Second wind path 6 Rear air passage 8. Air 8a Air 8b Air 9. Air 10. Air Purifier 10a Air Purifier 10b Air Purifier 10c Air Purifier 11 Humidifier 11a Humidification motor 11b Humidification nozzle 11c Water storage section 11d Drain pipe 11e Water receiving part 11f Drainage pump 12 Purification component supply section 12a Electrolytic cell 13 Blower 14 Refrigerant coil 15 Flow rate adjustment section 16 Duct 16a Indoor intake port 17 Duct 17a Indoor air outlet 18 Indoor Spaces 19 Outdoor Space 20 Outdoor unit 20a Compressor 20b Expander 20c outdoor heat exchanger 20d Blower Fan 20e Four-way valve 21 Refrigerant circuit 22 Exhaust flow 23 Intake air flow 24 Duct 25 Exhaust duct 26 Air supply duct 27 Connecting Duct 30 Heat exchange type ventilation system 30a Inner air vent 30b Exhaust port 30c Outside air vent 30d air supply port 30e Heat exchange element 30f Main unit case 30g Exhaust Fan 30h Intake fan 40 Heat exchange type ventilation system with air purification function

Claims

1. An intake port for sucking in air, an air outlet for blowing out the air sucked in through the air inlet; a first air passage provided between the air inlet and the air outlet, through which a portion of the air sucked through the air inlet flows; a second air passage provided between the suction port and the air outlet, through which another portion of the air sucked through the suction port flows while bypassing the first air passage; an air purification unit provided in the first air passage for atomizing water and adding an air purification component to the air containing the water; a water storage section for storing the water atomized in the air purification section; a water receiving section for collecting water discharged from the water storage section so as to discharge the water outside the device; Equipped with This air purifying device is characterized in that the air sucked in through the suction port is distributed to the first air duct and the second air duct, circulates through each of them, and then joins together and is blown out from the outlet, and the water receiving section is provided in the second air duct.

2. 2. The air purifying device according to claim 1, wherein the air purifying section adds the air purifying component to a portion of the air introduced therein by centrifugal crushing water containing the air purifying component.

3. Further provided is an electrolysis unit which generates hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing the chloride aqueous solution, The air purifying device according to claim 2, wherein the hypochlorous acid water is supplied to the air purifying section from the electrolysis section as the water containing the air purifying component.

4. 4. The air purifying device according to claim 1, further comprising a flow rate adjusting unit that adjusts a flow rate ratio between a flow rate of a portion of the air introduced into the first air duct and a flow rate of another portion of the air introduced into the second air duct.

5. An air purifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; An exhaust airflow that flows through an exhaust air duct for discharging the indoor air to the outdoors, and a heat exchange type ventilation device that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and a supply air flow that flows through a supply air duct for supplying the refrigerant to the indoor space; Equipped with A heat exchange type ventilation device with an air purification function, wherein the air purification section adds the air purification component to the supply air flow from the heat exchange type ventilation device.

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