Humidifier

Abstract

To provide a humidifier capable of simply and safely supplying water to a water supply tank.SOLUTION: One end of a water supply hose 23 on the side of a water supply tank 9 is detachably connected on an upper surface of the water supply tank 9 and near a door panel 41 that can be opened and closed, one end of an overflow pipe 34 on the side of the water supply tank 9 is located above a drain socket 44, and the water supply tank 9 can be taken out of a device body 1, so that it is possible to take the water supply tank 9 in and out by simply opening and closing the door panel 41 and simply and reliably attaching and detaching the water supply hose 23, and it is possible to carry out water supply work simply and safely.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a humidifier that supplies humidified air to a room. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, this type of humidifier has a small humidifier with a housing (main body) that houses a humidifier unit and a storage chamber that detachably houses a water tank that stores water to be supplied to the humidifier unit, and includes a handle that protrudes from the water tank and a water passage that connects the water tank and the humidifier unit, the water passage being formed integrally with the handle and configured to be connectable / separable from the humidifier unit, so that the water passage can be connected / separated from the humidifier unit by a single operation of attaching and detaching the water tank (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-019527 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in this conventional system, when connecting the water passage on the water tank side to the water passage on the humidifier unit side, dimensional accuracy is required so that the two match, but there is a risk that the tank will deform in the direction of expanding its width after water is poured into it, which could cause the connection position of the water passage to shift and make it impossible to connect. Therefore, deformation can be suppressed by giving the water tank rigidity and strength, but this increases the problem of increased costs.

[0005] In addition, because the connection point of the water passage of the water storage tank is at the rear of the water storage tank, it is difficult to visually check whether the water passage is connected when inserting the water storage tank, and if a mistake in the water passage connection occurs due to the deformation of the tank as mentioned above, it cannot be confirmed, and there is a risk that it will not be possible to confirm if a water leak occurs.

[0006] Furthermore, in the case of large humidifiers for commercial use, etc., where the main body of the appliance is made of sheet metal, when the water storage tank is separated to supply water to it, the sheet metal parts inside the water storage tank's chamber become exposed, which can make the appearance unsightly and raise the risk of injury from the edges of the sheet metal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the humidifying device of claim 1 of the present invention comprises an appliance body, a water storage chamber located within the appliance body for storing water, a water supply tank located within the appliance body for storing water to be supplied to the water storage chamber, a water supply hose connected at one end to the water storage chamber and through which water to be supplied to the water storage chamber flows, an overflow pipe connected to a wall of the water storage chamber for draining water that exceeds a predetermined water level into the water supply tank, a drain receiving port installed on the upper surface of the water supply tank for guiding water drained from the overflow pipe to the water supply tank, and a door panel located on either side of the appliance body and having a pivot at one end that can be opened and closed. a water supply opening having a cylindrical edge, the water supply opening being located on an upper surface of the water supply tank and in the vicinity of the door panel; and a water supply receiving tube inserted into the water supply opening. one end of the water supply hose on the water supply tank side is detachably connected to an upper surface of the water supply tank and in the vicinity of the door panel, and one end of the overflow pipe on the water supply tank side is located above the drain receiving port, A peripheral rib portion is provided on the outer periphery of the water supply receiving tube so as to abut against the inner wall of the edge portion, The water tank is characterized in that it can be removed from the main body of the appliance.

[0008] The humidifying device of claim 2 comprises a water supply pump installed midway through the water supply hose to supply water to the water storage chamber, ion elution means installed midway through the water supply hose to elute silver ions, a control unit to control the ion elution means, and open / close detection means to detect the open / closed state of the door panel, wherein the ion elution means elutes silver ions from a pair of electrodes arranged in a water flow path midway through the water supply hose by applying a constant current between the electrodes while the water supply pump is operating, and when the open / close detection means detects that the door panel is open, the control unit stops operation of the water supply pump and stops the flow of electricity to the electrodes.

[0010] In addition, claims 3 The humidifier is characterized in that an air vent hole is provided on the top surface of the water tank.

[0011] In addition, claims 4 The humidifier comprises a mist generating means which generates mist from the water in the water storage chamber, and a blower fan which blows humidified air containing the mist generated by the mist generating means through an air outlet, and the mist generating means is characterized in that it is composed of a rotating body which draws up the water in the water storage chamber by rotation and scatters it in an outer circumferential direction, a mist motor connected to a drive shaft which is journalled so that the rotating body can rotate, and a collision body against which the water scattered by the rotating body collides. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to this invention, one end of the water supply hose on the water supply tank side is detachably connected to the top surface of the water supply tank near the openable and closable door panel, one end of the overflow pipe on the water supply tank side is located above the drain receiving port, and the water supply tank is removable outside the appliance body. Therefore, the water supply tank can be inserted and removed by simply opening and closing the door panel and simply and reliably attaching and detaching the water supply hose, and water supply work can be carried out easily and safely.

[0013] In addition, the ion elution means elutes silver ions from a pair of electrodes arranged in the water flow path midway through the water supply hose by applying a constant current between the electrodes while the water supply pump is operating, and when the open / close detection means detects that the door panel is open, the control unit stops the operation of the water supply pump and stops the flow of electricity to the electrodes.This makes it possible to prevent electric shock from touching water when opening the door panel and removing the water supply hose for water supply work.

[0014] In addition, a peripheral rib portion is provided on the outer periphery of the water supply receiving tube, which abuts against the inner wall of the edge, so that when the water supply tank is carried, the rib acts as a dam to prevent water from splashing out due to rippling.

[0015] In addition, since an air vent hole is provided on the top surface of the water supply tank, even if the air inside is pressed due to deformation of the tank when the water supply tank is placed, the pressed air can be released through the air vent hole, preventing water from overflowing from the drain receiving port.

[0016] In addition, the mist generating means is composed of a rotating body that pumps up the water in the water storage chamber by rotating and scatters it toward the outer periphery, a mist motor connected to a drive shaft that supports the rotating body so that it can rotate, and a collision body against which the water scattered by the rotating body collides, making it possible to generate humidified air containing mist with a simple structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] Schematic diagram of the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] A flowchart explaining the operation from the start to the end of the operation of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a water supply tank and a door panel according to the embodiment; [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the water supply tank, the water supply hose, and the overflow pipe according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a water supply hose connection portion according to the embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a structure near a drain receiving port according to the embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a structure of an ion elution unit according to the embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a right side view of the water supply tank according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a rib structure of the water supply receiving tube according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Next, a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] In the following description, "front (front face)", "rear (back face)", "upper", "lower", "right" and "left" follow the definitions in Fig. 1 and Figs. 6 to 11. The up-down direction corresponds to the vertical direction when the device body 1 is installed. The front-rear direction and the left-right direction correspond to the horizontal direction when the device body 1 is installed. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the device body 1, and the front-rear and left-right arrangement of each component in Fig. 2 differs from the actual one.

[0020] Reference numeral 1 denotes the main body of the fixture which is roughly box-shaped and surrounded on all sides by various panels; 2 denotes an air outlet formed on the top of the main body 1 and equipped with louvers 3; 4 denotes an operation section which is equipped with multiple switches and issues various operating commands; 5 denotes multiple suction holes formed in the roughly central front part of the main body 1 and having a shutter structure which draws air into the main body 1; 6 denotes a drainage tank storage door which is installed on the bottom of the main body 1 and which allows the drainage tank 7 installed inside to be removed by pulling a handle; 8 denotes a water supply port door which is located next to the drainage tank storage door 6 and which stores the water supply port 43 of the water supply tank 9 installed inside; 10 denotes a water level window formed on the bottom of the water supply port door 8 which allows the amount of water remaining in the water supply tank 9 to be visually observed; and 11 denotes a tire section which is installed on the bottom of the main body 1 and allows the main body 1 to be moved.

[0021] Reference numeral 12 denotes a water storage chamber that is installed within the device body 1 and stores a predetermined amount of water. Within this water storage chamber 12 is provided a cylindrical rotor 13 whose lower end is submerged in water and which is journalled on a drive shaft 15.

[0022] The rotor 13 is a hollow inverted cone whose diameter gradually expands upward. When a mist motor 14 connected to a drive shaft 15 is driven to rotate the rotor 13, the centrifugal force of the rotation of the rotor 13 draws up water from the water storage chamber 12 and pushes the water up along the outer and inner walls of the rotor 13, scattering the water that has been pushed up along the outer wall of the rotor 13 into the surrounding area. The water that has been pushed up along the inner wall of the rotor 13 is also scattered into the surrounding area from multiple scattering ports (not shown) formed at the upper end of the rotor 13.

[0023] Reference numeral 16 denotes a cylindrical porous body that is positioned at a specified interval on the upper outer periphery of rotor 13 and rotates together with rotor 13, and porous body 16 has a porous section 17 formed on its entire circumferential wall as an impact body and made of a number of slits, wire mesh, punched metal, etc. The mist generator is made up of rotor 13, mist motor 14, and porous section 17, and can generate large amounts of humidified air containing mist with a simple configuration. As it is only necessary to assemble mist motor 14 and drive shaft 15, assembly is easy and low cost.

[0024] When the mist motor 14 that constitutes the mist generating section is driven and the rotor 13 is rotated, centrifugal force is generated, which draws up the water in the water storage chamber 12 and scatters the air. The water droplets that pass through the porous section 17 are crushed, and the water is atomized to produce a large amount of mist with a particle size of nanometers (nm) (hereinafter referred to as fine mist), as well as water droplets with a relatively large particle size (hereinafter referred to as large mist). Due to the Leonard effect caused by the atomization of the water, the fine mist becomes charged with negative ions, and the large mist becomes charged with positive ions.

[0025] Reference numeral 18 denotes a blower fan that is driven at a predetermined rotation speed to suck in dry air from within the room and blow it upward toward the appliance body 1. When the blower fan 18 is driven, dry air that has flowed into the blower box 80 from outside the appliance body 1 through the suction hole 5 is discharged from the blower exhaust port 81, circulates through the blower passage 79, and flows into the water storage chamber 12 through the air inlet 83 of the air tunnel 82. The air passes through the water storage chamber 12 and the air-water separation case 19 and is blown out from the blower port 2, thereby supplying humidified air containing the fine mist and negative ions generated in the water storage chamber 12 into the room.

[0026] The air-water separation case 19 is connected to the other upper end (left side) of the water storage chamber 12 so that the flow path faces vertically upward, and serves as an air-water separation air passage through which humidified air containing fine mist and large-diameter mist generated in the water storage chamber 12 flows.

[0027] Reference numeral 20 denotes a heater installed in the water storage chamber 12 to heat the stored water, and is switched ON / OFF as appropriate so that the temperature detected by a water storage temperature sensor 21 installed on the outer wall of the water storage chamber 12 to detect the stored water temperature becomes a predetermined temperature.

[0028] Reference numeral 22 denotes a water level sensor that is installed in the water storage chamber 12 and detects the water level by the up and down movement of a float. When the water level in the water storage chamber 12 drops below a predetermined water level, it outputs an OFF signal, when the water level rises and exceeds the predetermined water level, it outputs an ON signal, and when the water level rises further and the water storage chamber 12 becomes full, it outputs a full water signal.

[0029] Reference numeral 23 denotes a water supply hose having one end connected to the water storage chamber 12 and the other end detachably connected to the upper surface of the water supply tank 9. A self-priming water supply pump 24 for causing the water in the water supply tank 9 to flow into the water storage chamber 12, a flow rate sensor 25 for detecting the flow rate of water flowing through the water supply hose 23, and an ion elution unit 71 as ion elution means are installed midway along the piping of the water supply hose 23. In other words, the water stored in the water storage chamber 12 is supplied from the water supply tank 9 by the water supply pump 24 installed midway along the piping of the water supply hose 23.

[0030] When the water supply pump 24 is driven, the ion elution unit 71 applies a predetermined constant current to the electrode 74 in the ion elution unit 71, thereby eluting silver ions, which are metal ions, from the electrode 74 into the water in the water supply hose 23. The water into which the silver ions have been eluted is then supplied into the water storage chamber 12, thereby suppressing slime around the water storage chamber.

[0031] The water supply hose connection 26, which is the connection between the water supply hose 23 and the water supply tank 9, is made up of a joint such as a coupler, and can be easily attached and detached with a single touch.

[0032] Reference numeral 23a denotes a suction hose that is installed with a predetermined clearance from the water supply hose connection portion 26 to the bottom of the water supply tank 9. The suction hose 23a extends to near the bottom of the water supply tank 9 in order to suck up the water in the water supply tank 9 with the water supply pump 24 and supply the water to the water storage chamber 12 via the water supply hose 23.

[0033] 28 is a drain pipe having one end connected to the bottom of the water storage chamber 12 and the other end installed above the drain inlet 27 of the drain tank 7, and a drain valve 29 is provided in the middle of the drain pipe 28 to open and close an electromagnetic valve to control the drainage of water from the water storage chamber 12.

[0034] Reference numeral 30 denotes a blower temperature sensor installed on the wall surface of the air outlet 2 and detects the temperature of the humidified air being blown into the room. Reference numeral 31 denotes an intake air temperature sensor installed near the blower fan 18 and detects the temperature of the indoor air sucked in through the suction hole 5. Reference numeral 32 denotes a humidity sensor installed near the intake air temperature sensor 31 and detects the humidity in the room in which the appliance main body 1 is installed. Based on the temperature and humidity detected by each sensor, the rotation speed of the mist motor 14 and the blower fan 18 is changed and the ON / OFF state of the heater 20 is switched.

[0035] Reference numeral 33 denotes a baffle plate serving as an air-water separation means, which is provided in a plurality of locations midway within the air-water separation case 19 and has an inclined surface that slopes vertically upward. When humidified air flows into the air-water separation case 19, the humidified air flows in a serpentine manner around the baffle plate 33, causing large-diameter mist in the humidified air to be separated by the inclined surface. When the separated large-diameter mist gathers together, it flows under the influence of gravity along the inclined surface to the lower end of the baffle plate 33 and falls into the water storage chamber 12. This reduces the amount of large-diameter mist guided to the air outlet 2 and also guides humidified air containing a large amount of fine mist to the air outlet 2.

[0036] Reference numeral 34 denotes an overflow pipe having one end connected to the wall surface of the water storage chamber 12 and the other end installed above the drain receiving port 44 of the water supply tank 9. In the unlikely event that the water level sensor 22 malfunctions and is unable to detect a full water level, water can be returned to the water supply tank 9 through the overflow pipe 34 even if the water supply pump 24 continues to operate and the water supply to the water storage chamber 12 does not stop, thereby preventing water from overflowing from the water storage chamber 12.

[0037] Reference numeral 35 denotes a drain float that is installed in the drain tank 7 and rises as the water level in the drain tank 7 rises, 36 denotes a magnet installed at the top end of the drain float 35, and 37 denotes a proximity sensor that is installed in a position facing the magnet 36 and determines the ON / OFF state based on the presence or absence of magnetic force. As the water in the drain tank 7 increases and the drain float 35 rises, the location where the magnet 36 is installed gradually drops and gradually moves away from the proximity sensor 37, weakening the magnetic force that can be detected by the proximity sensor 37, and when the drain tank 7 is nearly full, the proximity sensor 37 can no longer detect the magnetic force and outputs an OFF signal, closing the drain valve 29 to prevent water from leaking from the drain tank 7.

[0038] Reference numeral 38 denotes a louver motor which is connected to a support shaft (not shown) of the louver 3 and rotates the louver 3 to a predetermined angle, and rotates the louver 3 to the predetermined angle when the humidification operation is started or stopped.

[0039] Reference numeral 39 denotes a front panel that is installed so as to cover the upper front surface of the instrument body 1, and can be removed when maintenance of the operating unit 4 becomes necessary.

[0040] Reference numeral 40 denotes an outer panel that is installed so as to cover the front center portion of the fixture body 1 and has a suction hole 5 formed therein. Although not shown in the figure, the outer panel 40 is provided inside with a priming port for supplying priming water to the water supply pump 24 and an air purification filter for collecting and purifying dust in the air that flows into the fixture body 1.

[0041] Reference numeral 41 denotes a door panel provided on the front of the drain tank 7 and the water supply tank 9 of the appliance body 1. One right end of the door panel 41 is fixed by a hinge 41a, and the door panel can be opened and closed by a door panel handle 41b provided on one left end. With the door panel 41 open, the water supply tank 9 can be pulled out forward and removed.

[0042] Reference numeral 42 denotes a door panel detection sensor serving as an open / close detection means composed of a microswitch, which outputs an OFF signal when the door panel 41 is open, and detects the presence of the door panel 41 and outputs an ON signal when the door panel 41 is closed.

[0043] The operation unit 4 includes an operation switch 45 for instructing the start and stop of operation, a quiet operation switch 46 for executing quiet operation to reduce the operating noise by reducing the rotation speed of the mist motor 14 by a predetermined value, a timer on / off switch 47 for setting whether or not to implement a timer operation for starting or stopping the humidification operation for supplying humidified air to the room, a clock setting switch 48 for setting the current time, a timer setting switch 49 for setting the start time and stop time of the humidification operation for supplying humidified air to the room, and a humidification switch 49 for selecting the amount of humidified air to be supplied to the room from three humidification levels. the humidification switch 50, an air volume switch 51 for selecting from three air volume levels the volume of humidified air to be supplied to the room, a level display unit 52 for displaying the humidification level and air volume level set by the humidification switch 50 or the air volume switch 51, a display changeover switch 53 for changing the display items on the level display unit 52 from humidification and air volume level to humidity, current time, etc., a drain switch 54 which opens the drain valve 29 when the switch is pressed for three seconds to forcibly drain water from the water storage chamber 12, and a child lock switch 55 which prohibits any operation other than stopping the operation.

[0044] The operation unit 4 is also provided with lamps corresponding to each switch, such as an operation lamp 56 that lights up when the operation switch 45 is operated, a timer lamp 57 that lights up the lamp of the mode set by either timer on control or timer off control when the timer on / off switch 47 is operated, a display item lamp 58 that lights up a specified lamp corresponding to the detected humidity displayed on the level display unit 52 and the current time (am or pm), a drain lamp 59 that lights up when the drain switch 54 is operated and the drain valve 29 is opened, and a child lock lamp 60 that lights up when the child lock switch 55 is operated and the child lock is set.

[0045] Reference numeral 61 denotes a control unit constituted by a microcomputer that controls the operation contents and the opening and closing of valves based on the detection values ​​detected by each sensor and the settings of each switch provided on the operation unit 4. The control unit 61 includes mist motor control means 62 that drives the mist motor 14 at a predetermined rotation speed, ventilation fan control means 63 that drives the ventilation fan 18 at a predetermined rotation speed, heater control means 64 that controls the water temperature in the water storage chamber 12 by changing the ON / OFF state of the heater 20, timing means 65 that counts the time that has elapsed since the start of a specific operation, and ion elution control means 69 that elutes silver ions from the electrode 74.

[0046] Reference numeral 79 denotes an air passage formed in the appliance body 1 through which air blown by the blower fan 18 flows, reference numeral 80 denotes an air box installed so as to cover the blower fan 18 and guiding air sucked in from the intake port 68 to the air outlet port 81, and reference numeral 82 denotes an air tunnel installed above the water storage chamber 12 and directing air flowing in the air passage 79 into the water storage chamber 12 via an air inlet port 83. The air passage 79 is formed by partition walls forming the inside of the appliance body 1 such as the inner panel 66 from the air outlet port 81 to the air inlet port 83, and when the blower fan 18 is driven, air passes near the partition walls such as the inner panel 66 and flows into the air inlet port 83 of the air tunnel 82.

[0047] Next, the operation from the start to the end of operation in one embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0048] First, when the operation switch 45 of the operating unit 4 is operated or the operation start time set by the timer on / off switch 47 arrives, the control unit 61 opens the drain valve 29 to drain the water in the water storage chamber 12, and when it determines that the water level sensor 22 has output an OFF signal, it starts operating the water supply pump 24 to drain the water in the water supply hose 23, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, it closes the drain valve 29, entering the water replacement mode (step S101).

[0049] When the water replacement mode of step S101 is completed, the control unit 61 supplies water from the water supply tank 9 into the water storage chamber 12 via the water supply hose 23, and when it determines that the water level sensor 22 has output an ON signal, it stops driving the water supply pump 24, assuming that a predetermined amount of water has been supplied into the water storage chamber 12, and then operates the blower fan 18 for a predetermined period of time to perform a start-up mode in which large water droplets adhering to the rotor 13 are removed (step S102).

[0050] When the start-up mode of step S102 is completed, the control unit 61 drives the louver motor 38 to stop the louver 3 at a position perpendicular to the top surface of the appliance body 1, and controls the rotation speed of the mist motor 14 and the blower fan 18 using the mist motor control means 62 and the blower fan control means 63 so that they are driven at predetermined rotation speeds based on the humidification level and air volume level set by the humidification switch 50 and the air volume switch 51, and controls the ON / OFF state of the heater 20 by the heater control means 64 based on the detection value of the water storage temperature sensor 21, thereby performing a normal operation mode in which humidification operation is performed to keep the water temperature in the water storage chamber 12 within a predetermined temperature range corresponding to the humidification level and air volume level (step S103).

[0051] Describing the normal operation mode in detail, the mist motor control means 62 changes the rotation speed of the mist motor 14 within the range of 800 to 1400 rpm, and the blower fan control means 63 changes the rotation speed of the blower fan 18 within the range of 400 to 800 rpm, thereby performing humidification operation with a rotation speed that suits the air volume level, and furthermore, the water temperature in the water storage chamber 12 is changed so that the temperature detected by the blower temperature sensor 30 becomes a value that suits the humidification level, and the heater control means 64 switches and controls the ON / OFF state of the heater 20 so that the temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 21 remains within the range of approximately 30 to 40°C.

[0052] In this normal operation mode, when the water level in the water storage chamber 12 drops and an OFF signal is detected by the water level sensor 22, the control unit 61 starts driving the water supply pump 24 and applies a predetermined constant current value to the electrode 74 in the ion elution unit 71 to supply water containing a predetermined concentration of silver ions into the water storage chamber 12. This provides an antibacterial effect to the water in the water storage chamber 12, making it possible to suppress the occurrence of slime around the water storage chamber 12.

[0053] If, after starting the normal operation mode in step S103, the operation switch 45 is turned OFF during the normal operation mode, or the time to stop the humidification operation set by the timer on / off switch 47 arrives, the control unit 61 drives the louver motor 38 to stop the louver 3 in an open position of approximately 20° relative to the top surface of the appliance body 1, turns the heater 20 ON to heat the water, switches the heater 20 ON / OFF so that the detection value of the water storage temperature sensor 21 varies between 63°C and 65°C, and performs a sterilization operation for 10 minutes to sterilize the water in the water storage chamber 12, and after the 10 minutes have elapsed, performs a cooling operation to cool the water storage chamber 12, and then opens the drain valve 29 to perform a cleaning mode to drain the water in the water storage chamber 12 (step S104).

[0054] When the cleaning mode of step S104 is completed, the control unit 61 operates the mist motor 14 and the blower fan 18 at a predetermined rotation speed for a predetermined time using the mist motor control means 62 and the blower fan control means 63, thereby implementing a drying mode to dry the inside of the water storage chamber 12 (step S105), and after the predetermined time has elapsed, the mist motor 14 and the blower fan 18 are stopped to end the drying mode, and the louver motor 38 is operated to close the louvers 3, thereby terminating operation.

[0055] Next, details of a structure that enables the water supply tank 9 to be easily and safely supplied with water in one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9. Figs.

[0056] Methods for supplying water into the water tank 9 include opening the water inlet door 8 and supplying water from the water inlet 43 using a container such as a plastic mug, or directly supplying tap water using a hose or the like. However, since the capacity of a plastic mug is at most about 5 L and the capacity of the water tank 9 is about 20 L, this method is inefficient because it requires the water supply operation at least four times. Also, if there is no water faucet nearby, the method of directly supplying tap water requires a long hose, which is not easy.

[0057] In this case, in order to supply water efficiently, the water supply tank 9 must be removed and carried to a water faucet, but it is required that the water supply tank 9 be easily removed from the appliance body 1 and stored.

[0058] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a door panel 41 having an openable door structure is provided on the front of the appliance body 1 in which the water supply tank 9 is stored, so that the water supply tank 9 can be easily removed. The door panel 41 is pivotally supported at one right end by a hinge 41a, and can be opened to the right by a door panel handle 41b provided at one left end. Since the water supply tank 9 is disposed on the left side of the appliance body 1, the door panel 41 is structured to open to the right, so that the water supply tank 9 can be more easily removed. The door panel 41 is held in a closed state by a catch 76 on the appliance body 1 side. In addition, in order to maintain the pull-out structure of the drain tank storage door 6 that allows the drain tank 7 to be removed, the door panel 41 is structured not to come into contact with the drain tank storage door 6 when opening or closing.

[0059] Furthermore, in order to remove the water supply tank 9, the water supply hose 23 needs to be removed from the water supply tank 9. However, by using a joint (joint) such as a coupler for the water supply hose connection part 26 as shown in FIG. 7, the water supply hose connection part 26 can be easily attached and detached with one touch. As shown in FIG. 8, the water supply hose connection part 26 is composed of a male plug 26a on the water supply hose 23 side and a female socket 26b on the water supply tank 9 side, and has a locking mechanism when connected. The plug 26a has a shutoff valve so that the remaining water in the water supply hose 23 does not flow out when it is removed from the socket 26b. In addition, by arranging the water supply hose connection part 26 on the upper surface and the front right part of the water supply tank 9, it is easy to attach and detach the water supply hose 23 because it is close to the door panel 41, and it is easy to visually check whether the water supply hose 23 has been securely attached or detached, so that water leakage due to incomplete attachment can be prevented. The water supply hose connection part 26 may be configured to connect and fix the plug 26a and the socket 26b with a fastener such as a quick fastener.

[0060] In addition, by indirectly draining the water from the overflow pipe 34 and the drain receptacle 44 as shown in Fig. 7, it is possible to eliminate the need to detach the overflow pipe 34 when removing the water supply tank 9. The details of the overflow pipe 34 and the drain receptacle 44 are as shown in Fig. 9, and the overflow pipe 34 and the water supply tank 9 or the drain receptacle 44 do not interfere with each other when removing or storing the water supply tank 9. In addition, the outer diameter of the overflow pipe 34 is larger than the inner diameter of the drain receptacle 44 and has a sufficient margin, so that even if the drain receptacle 44 is misaligned due to variations in the installation position of the water supply tank 9, the drainage water from the overflow pipe 34 is prevented from coming off the drain receptacle 44 and leaking.

[0061] To remove the water tank 9 from the appliance body 1, the water tank handle 78 is held and the tank is pulled out in the water tank pull-out direction shown in Fig. 6 along the water tank guide 77, which is made of a plate extending vertically. The water tank guides 77 are provided on the left and right sides of the water tank 9, which allow the water tank 9 to be smoothly removed and stored, and also regulate the position of the water tank 9 in the left and right directions. By closing the door panel 41 after removing the water tank 9, the inside of the appliance body 1 is not exposed, the appearance is not marred, and the user is prevented from accidentally putting his or her hand inside the appliance body 1 and getting injured.

[0062] When storing the water supply tank 9 in the appliance body 1 after supplying tap water to the water supply tank 9, the water supply tank handle 78 is held in the same manner as when pulling out the water supply tank, and the water supply tank is stored in the appliance body 1 along the water supply tank guide 77.

[0063] Since the water supply tank 9 is made of a resin container such as a polyethylene tank, the container may be deformed depending on the presence or absence of water inside. Therefore, the shape of the container may be deformed before and after supplying water to the water supply tank 9, causing the position of the water supply hose connection part 26 to shift, but by making the length of the water supply hose 23 sufficiently long, the water supply hose 23 can be connected to the water supply hose connection part 26 without any problem even if some shift occurs. In other words, as long as there is no water leakage when the water supply tank 9 is full and the deformation is to the extent that it can be stored in the appliance body 1 along the water supply tank guide 77, the rigidity and strength of the water supply tank 9 do not need to be higher than necessary, so that the water supply tank 9 can be a versatile and low-cost container. Note that the water supply hose 23 is made of a flexible rubber hose at least in the part shown in FIG. 7, so that some shift can be tolerated in the connection to the water supply hose connection part 26 as described above.

[0064] In this embodiment, the installation surface of the door panel 41 is the front surface, but it may be the left side surface, right side surface, or rear surface of the appliance body 1 as long as there are no restrictions or obstacles on the installation direction of the humidifier in one embodiment of the present invention or the removal direction of the water tank 9.

[0065] In addition, in this embodiment, the hinge 41a is pivoted at the right end of the door panel 41, but as long as there is no interference with the operation of removing or storing the water supply tank 9, or the operation of removing the water supply hose 23 from the water supply tank 9, the hinge 41a may be at the left end, upper end, or lower end of the door panel 41.

[0066] Further, the catch 76 is a push-in type spring catch in this embodiment, but may be another catch mechanism such as a magnet catch, a push catch, a roller catch, or a duracon catch.

[0067] In addition, in this embodiment, the location of the water supply hose connection part 26 is the front part on the right side of the water supply tank 9, but this is because the water supply hose 23 can be easily attached and detached regardless of the operator's dominant hand as long as it is near the center of the appliance body 1 in the left-right direction, and it may also be located in the center or the front part on the left side of the water supply tank 9 as long as it does not interfere with the attachment and detachment work.

[0068] In addition, in this embodiment, the water supply tank guide 77 is composed of a plate extending vertically, but it may also be, for example, a tray on which the water supply tank 9 is placed and a slide mechanism that forms a guide when the tray is pulled out or pushed in.

[0069] Next, details of the operational control of the ion elution unit 71 in response to the open / closed state of the door panel 41 and the resulting effects will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0070] The ion elution unit 71 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 10. The ion elution unit 71 is composed of a Tees-shaped case 72, a water flow path 73 that is located within the case 72 and through which water flows from an inlet 73a to an outlet 73b, an electrode 74 that is disposed on the water flow path 73 and is composed of two opposing silver plates, and a terminal 75 that is located outside the water flow path 73 and has one end connected to an end of the electrode 74 and the other end protruding outside the case 72.

[0071] A predetermined constant current is applied to the electrode 74 via a lead wire (not shown) connected to the other end of the terminal 75, whereby silver ions, which are metal ions, are dissolved into water from the electrode 74. The water into which the silver ions have been dissolved is supplied to the water storage chamber 12, whereby the silver ion concentration in the water storage chamber 12 is maintained at a predetermined target value.

[0072] Please refer to Fig. 3. The electrode 74 in the ion elution unit 71 is controlled by an ion elution control means 69 in the control unit 61. The ion elution control means 69 applies a predetermined constant current to the electrode 74 in the ion elution unit 71 while the water supply pump 24 is operating, thereby eluting silver ions into the water supply hose 23. Thereafter, when the water level in the water storage chamber 12 rises and the water level sensor 22 detects that the water is full, the control unit 61 stops driving the water supply pump 24, and at that time, the supply of electricity to the electrode 74 is also stopped, thereby stopping the elution of silver ions into the water supply hose 23.

[0073] On the other hand, if one attempts to open door panel 41 and remove water supply tank 9 while silver ions are eluting from electrode 74, and if water supply pump 24 continues to be driven and electricity continues to flow to electrode 74, there is a risk of water leakage when removing water supply hose 23 from water supply hose connection portion 26, or electric shock from touching water that is still electrified.

[0074] Therefore, by detecting the open state of the door panel 41 using the door panel detection sensor 42 shown in Figure 6, the control unit 61 stops driving the water supply pump 24 and stops the flow of electricity to the electrode 74, thereby preventing water leakage from the water supply hose 23 and electric shock to the user when he or she touches the water.

[0075] The door panel detection sensor 42 is installed on the device body 1 in contact with the door panel 41, and is composed of a mechanical microswitch. When the door panel is closed, the switch is turned on and outputs an ON signal, and when the door panel is open, the switch is turned off and outputs an OFF signal.

[0076] In this embodiment, the door panel detection sensor 42 is a contact sensor such as a microswitch, but it may be a non-contact sensor such as a photoelectric sensor or a proximity sensor.

[0077] Next, the details of the structure of the water supply port 43 and the actions and effects resulting from it will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0078] The water supply port 43 is located in front of the water supply tank 9, and is used by opening the water supply port door 8 to supply water into the water supply port 43 using a container such as a plastic mug, or to supply tap water directly using a hose or the like.

[0079] The water supply port 43 is composed of a water supply opening 43a that opens into the water supply tank 9 and has a cylindrical edge, and a water supply receiving tube 43b that is inserted into the water supply opening 43a and has a cylindrical shape with a funnel-shaped upper part. The water supply receiving tube 43b can be removed from the water supply opening 43a for cleaning.

[0080] If the water supply tank 9 is moved back and forth vigorously when transporting or storing it in the appliance body 1 after supplying tap water to the water supply tank 9 and filling it with water, the water in the water supply tank 9 may ripple, causing water to splash out and leak from the gap between the water supply opening 43a and the water supply receiving tube 43b. Also, if a packing or seal is provided in the gap to prevent water leakage, it may come off or peel off when the water supply receiving tube 43b is removed or installed.

[0081] Therefore, as shown in Figure 12, a peripheral rib 43c is provided on the outer periphery of the water supply receiving tube 43b so as to abut against the edge of the water supply opening 43a, so that the rib 43c acts as a dam to prevent turbulent water from leaking out of the water supply tank 9.

[0082] Next, the effect of providing air vent hole 84 on the top surface of water supply tank 9 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0083] After supplying tap water to the water supply tank 9 until it is full, if the water supply tank 9 is then lifted up and placed on the floor or the like, the bottom of the water supply tank 9 will be pushed back, causing slight deformation of the container, and the internal volume will compress, which may cause the water inside to overflow from the drain receiving port 44.

[0084] Therefore, by providing an air vent hole 84 on the top surface of the water supply tank 9 as shown in FIG. 7, air can flow out through the air vent hole 84 even if the internal volume is compressed, thereby preventing water from overflowing from the drain receiving port 44.

[0085] In this embodiment, the humidifier is described as pumping water in the water storage chamber 12 by rotating the rotor 13, and breaking it up in the porous section 17 to generate fine mist and negative ions, which are then released into the room as humidified air. However, the humidifier may be an evaporative type, in which air is blown over a filter saturated with water to release humidified air into the room.

[0086] In addition, the other configurations used in the present embodiment are presented as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 9. Water tank 12 Water Storage Room 13 Rotating Body 14 Mist Motor 15 Drive shaft 17 Porous part (collision body) 18 Blower fan 23 Water supply hose 24 Water Pump 34 Overflow pipe 41 Door Panel 42 Door panel detection sensor (opening / closing detection means) 43 Water inlet 43a Water supply opening 43b Water supply receiving tube 44 Drain port 61 Control section 71 Ion elution unit (ion elution means) 74 electrode 84 Air Vent Hole

Claims

1. The instrument body, A water storage chamber is provided in the main body of the device and stores water; a water supply tank disposed within the appliance body for storing water to be supplied to the water storage chamber; a water supply hose having one end connected to the water storage chamber and through which water to be supplied to the water storage chamber flows; an overflow pipe connected to a wall surface of the water storage chamber for draining water exceeding a predetermined water level into the water supply tank; a drain receiving port provided on an upper surface of the water supply tank for guiding water drained from the overflow pipe to the water supply tank; A door panel that is provided on any side surface of the device body and has a pivot at one end so as to be openable and closable; a water supply opening having a cylindrical edge on an upper surface of the water supply tank and adjacent to the door panel; a water supply receiving tube that is inserted into the water supply opening; One end of the water supply hose on the water supply tank side is detachably connected to an upper surface of the water supply tank and in the vicinity of the door panel, One end of the overflow pipe on the water supply tank side is located above the drain receiving port, A peripheral rib portion is provided on the outer periphery of the water supply receiving tube so as to abut against the inner wall of the edge portion, The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the water tank is removable from the main body.

2. a water supply pump provided in the middle of the water supply hose and supplying water to the water storage chamber; an ion elution means disposed midway along the water supply hose for eluting silver ions; A control unit for controlling the ion elution means; and an opening / closing detection means for detecting an opening / closing state of the door panel, The ion elution means elutes silver ions from a pair of electrodes disposed in a water flow path midway through the water supply hose by applying a constant current between the electrodes while the water supply pump is operating, 2. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops operation of the water supply pump and stops the supply of electricity to the electrodes when the open / close detection means detects that the door panel is open.

3. 3. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein an air vent hole is provided on an upper surface of the water supply tank.

4. The device is provided with a mist generating means for generating mist from the water in the water storage chamber, and a blower fan for blowing humidified air containing the mist generated by the mist generating means through a blower port, The humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mist generating means is composed of a rotating body that draws up the water in the water storage chamber by rotating and scatters it in an outer circumferential direction, a mist motor connected to a drive shaft that supports the rotating body so that the rotating body can rotate, and a collision body against which the water scattered by the rotating body collides.

Images