Dehumidification device

Abstract

To provide a dehumidifier used for drying clothes, which facilitates generation of dew condensation water in a circulation air passage and is improved in dehumidification performance.SOLUTION: A dehumidifier includes: a blower 9 exhausting air sucked through a suction port 2 of a body case 1 to the outside of the body case 1 through a blowout port 4 via a dehumidification air passage 22 after passing through a dehumidification area 10a of a dehumidification rotor 10; a circulation air passage 13 provided in the body case 1; and a water storage tank 6 storing water condensed in the dehumidification air passage 22 and the circulation air passage 13. The blower 9 includes a fan 9b, and a fan casing 9c including the fan 9b. The dehumidification rotor 10 is provided above the water storage tank 6, a part of the circulation air passage 13 is provided between the dehumidification rotor 10 and the water storage tank 6. An air suction port 18 of the fan casing 9c faces the dehumidification rotor 10 and the circulation air passage 13, and the lower end of the fan casing 9c is below the top end of the water storage tank 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dehumidifier used, for example, for drying clothes. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, this type of dehumidifier is known to include a blower that draws air from an inlet and exhausts it from an outlet, a dehumidifying rotor that absorbs moisture from the air supplied by the blower, a timing motor that rotates the dehumidifying rotor, a circulation air duct and circulation blower that circulate regenerated air to a part of the dehumidifying rotor, a heat generating section that releases moisture from the dehumidifying rotor in the circulation air duct, and a heat exchanger that cools and condenses the regenerated air containing moisture released by the dehumidifying rotor with air supplied by the blower, and collects dew water generated in the circulation air duct and condensed water generated in the heat exchanger in a water storage tank (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The blower also includes a fan motor, a fan that rotates by the fan motor, and a fan casing that contains the fan, and the lower end of the fan casing is above the upper end of the water storage tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-98264 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such conventional dehumidifiers, there is a demand for improved dehumidification performance, and the dehumidification performance depends on the total amount of dew condensation water generated in the circulating air duct and condensation water produced in the heat exchanger.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to promote the generation of condensation water in the circulating air duct and to improve the dehumidifying performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, the present invention comprises a main body case having an intake port and an exhaust port, a dehumidifying rotor provided within the main body case and having a moisture absorption region and a moisture release region, a support frame that rotatably supports the dehumidifying rotor, a timing motor that rotates the dehumidifying rotor, a blower that exhausts air drawn in through the intake port of the main body case from the exhaust port to the outside of the main body case after the air has passed through the moisture absorption region of the dehumidifying rotor via a dehumidifying air duct, a circulation air duct provided within the main body case, and a water storage tank that stores water that has condensed within the dehumidifying air duct and the circulation air duct, The dehumidification system comprises a heat generating section provided on the upwind side of the area, a heat exchanger provided on the downwind side of the moisture release area, and a circulation blower for circulating air in the circulation air duct, the blower comprising a fan motor, a fan rotated by the fan motor, and a fan casing containing the fan, the dehumidification rotor is provided above the water tank, a part of the circulation air duct is provided between the dehumidification rotor and the water tank, the air intake of the fan casing faces the dehumidification rotor and the circulation air duct, and the lower end of the fan casing is below the upper end of the water tank, thereby achieving the desired purpose. Effect of the Invention

[0007] As described above, the present invention promotes the generation of condensation water in the circulating air duct, and can provide a dehumidifier with improved dehumidifying performance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dehumidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] Schematic cross-sectional view of the dehumidifier [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the dehumidifier. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating a lower space of the dehumidifier. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a water tank of the dehumidifier. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dehumidifier in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration, FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken on a horizontal plane, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the dehumidifier of this embodiment has an intake port 2 on the front of a main body case 1 shaped like a vertically long box, an operation unit 3 on the side of the top surface of the main body case 1, and an air outlet 4 on the rear side of the top surface of the main body case 1. A user can operate the dehumidifier and check the operation mode by operating the operation unit 3. A freely rotatable louver 5 is provided above the air outlet 4. A water tank 6 is provided below the front side of the main body case 1 so as to be able to freely appear and disappear, and stores the dehumidified water generated within the main body case 1.

[0012] The main body case 1 contains a dehumidifying rotor section 7, a regeneration unit 8, and a blower 9.

[0013] The dehumidification rotor unit 7 includes a dehumidification rotor 10 , a support frame 11 , and a timing motor 12 .

[0014] The dehumidifying rotor 10 is disk-shaped and rotatably mounted on a support frame 11 so that the rotation axis extends horizontally. The dehumidifying rotor 10 is configured in a honeycomb shape that supports an adsorbent and allows ventilation in the axial direction. This adsorbent has the property that it can hold a lot of moisture if the relative humidity of the air it is exposed to is high, and the amount of moisture it can hold decreases as the relative humidity decreases. In this way, if the rotor is repeatedly contacted with multiple air streams with different relative humidities, moisture is adsorbed and desorbed according to the difference in the amount of moisture the adsorbent can hold at each relative humidity. The dehumidifying rotor 10 has a moisture absorption area 10a that adsorbs moisture in the air to the dehumidifying rotor 10, and a moisture release area 10b that releases the moisture adsorbed to the dehumidifying rotor 10. The outer periphery of the dehumidifying rotor 10 has a large number of teeth 10c.

[0015] The support frame 11 is disposed so as to separate the front side and the back side of the main body case 1, and has a circular opening 11a in the center. The dehumidification rotor 10 is disposed between the back side of the main body case 1 and the support frame 11, and is provided rotatably so as to close the opening 11a of the support frame 11. The lower part of the support frame 11 is provided with a lid-shaped lower surface part 11b that opens downward.

[0016] Timing motor 12 is fixed to support frame 11 and has a gear 12a, which comes into contact with a large number of teeth 10c protruding from the outer periphery of dehumidification rotor 10. When timing motor 12 is driven, gear 12a rotates, which in turn rotates dehumidification rotor 10.

[0017] The regeneration unit 8 has a circulation air duct 13 that communicates with one side (the front side of the main body case) of the moisture discharge area 10b of the dehumidification rotor 10 and the other side (the rear side of the main body case) of the moisture discharge area 10b of the dehumidification rotor 10, and a heat generating section 14, a heat exchanger 15, and a circulation blower 16 provided within the circulation air duct 13.

[0018] The circulation air duct 13 is disposed so as to cover a portion of the dehumidification rotor 10, and includes an upper circulation air duct 13a that connects the heat generating section 14 and the heat exchanger 15, a lower circulation air duct 13b that connects the heat exchanger 15 and the circulation blower 16, and a circulation air blowing air duct 13c that connects the circulation blower 16 and the heat generating section 14. Hot and humid air circulates in the circulation air duct 13, and condensation occurs on the wall surface of the circulation air duct 13, generating condensed water.

[0019] The upper circulation air passage 13a is provided above the dehumidification rotor 10, and is an air passage that connects the heat generating unit 14 and the heat exchanger 15. The upper circulation air passage 13a has a hollow cylindrical shape that can blow the hot and humid regeneration air released from the dehumidification rotor 10 in the horizontal direction.

[0020] The lower circulation air passage 13b is provided between the dehumidification rotor 10 and the water tank 6, and is an air passage that communicates between the heat exchanger 15 and the circulation blower 16. The lower circulation air passage 13b is a hollow space that can blow the high-temperature, humid air that has been heat exchanged in the heat exchanger 15 in the horizontal direction, and is formed by the lower surface portion 11b of the support frame 11 and a water collection portion, which will be described later.

[0021] The circulation air passage 13c is a hollow tube provided on the other side (the rear side of the main body case) of the moisture discharging area 10b of the dehumidification rotor 10, capable of blowing air vertically within the circulation air passage, and is an air passage connecting the circulation blower 16 and the heat generating section 14.

[0022] The heating section 14 is disposed on one side (the rear side of the main body case) of the moisture discharging area 10b of the dehumidifier rotor 10. The heating section 14 is made of a material that generates heat when electricity is applied thereto, such as a nichrome wire, and generates heat to cause moisture to be discharged from the dehumidifier rotor 10 in the moisture discharging area 10b of the dehumidifier rotor 10.

[0023] The heat exchanger 15 exchanges heat between the regeneration air containing moisture released from the moisture release region 10b of the dehumidification rotor 10 and the indoor air supplied by the blower 9, condensing the moisture and generating condensed water. The heat exchanger 15 is disposed between the front surface of the main body case 1 and the support frame 11 so as to be adjacent to the dehumidification rotor 10 in the horizontal direction.

[0024] The circulation fan 16 is configured as a so-called sirocco fan that combines a motor 16a and an impeller 16b, and circulates air in the circulation air passage 13. The circulation fan 16 is disposed between the heat generating unit 14 and the heat exchanger 15 in the circulation air passage 13. The air blown from the circulation fan 16 passes through the heat generating unit 14, the moisture releasing region 10b of the dehumidification rotor 10, and the heat exchanger 15 in this order, and is then sucked into the circulation fan 16.

[0025] The blower 9 is disposed between the rear surface of the main body case 1 and the support frame 11. The blower 9 includes a fan motor 9a, a fan 9b rotated by the fan motor 9a, and a scroll-shaped fan casing 9c that surrounds them.

[0026] The fan motor 9a is fixed to a fan casing 9c.

[0027] The fan 9b is a sirocco fan, and is fixed to a rotating shaft (not shown) that extends horizontally from the fan motor 9a. The rotating shaft of the fan motor 9a extends from the front side to the rear side of the main body case 1.

[0028] The fan casing 9c is provided with a discharge port 17 and an intake port 18. The discharge port 17 is provided on the upper surface side of the main body case 1 of the fan casing 9c. The intake port 18 is provided on the front surface side of the main body case 1 of the fan casing 9c. The fan casing 9c has a suction surface portion 19 to which the fan motor 9a is fixed and in which the intake port 18 is provided, a suction opposing surface portion 20 opposed to the suction surface portion 19, and a scroll-shaped scroll surface portion 21 connecting the suction surface portion 19 and the suction opposing surface portion 20. When the fan motor 9a rotates the fan 9b, air is sucked into the fan casing 9c through the intake port 18 of the fan casing 9c, and the sucked air is blown out of the fan casing 9c through the discharge port 17.

[0029] The water tank 6 has a deep-bottomed dish shape, and is disposed below the heat exchanger 15 and the dehumidification rotor unit 7 so as to be detachable from the main body case 1. The water tank 6 collects condensed water and dew that drips from communication holes, which will be described later, and has an opening 6a on the top surface.

[0030] The opening 6a is a substantially square opening for collecting condensed water and dew water dripping onto the top surface of the water storage tank 6 from a communication hole, which will be described later, inside the water storage tank 6.

[0031] Further, within the main body case 1, there are a dehumidifying air passage 22, a cooling air passage 23, and a water collecting section 24.

[0032] The dehumidification air passage 22 is an air passage that communicates between the suction port 2 of the main body case 1, the moisture absorption area 10a of the dehumidification rotor 10, and the blower 9. Moisture in the air sucked in through the suction port 2 of the main body case 1 is adsorbed by the dehumidification rotor 10 in the moisture absorption area 10a of the dehumidification rotor 10 and dehumidified.

[0033] Cooling air passage 23 is an air passage that communicates between suction port 2 of main body case 1, heat exchanger 15, and blower 9. Heat exchanger 15 is cooled by air sucked in from suction port 2 of main body case 1. The air that has passed through dehumidification air passage 22 and cooling air passage 23 is mixed in blower 9 and blown out of the main body case from air outlet 4.

[0034] The water collection section 24 is generally funnel-shaped and is provided below the heat exchanger 15. The water collection section 24 has a cylindrical communication hole 25 with a horizontal central axis on its bottom surface. The water collection section 24 collects condensed water dripping from the heat exchanger 15 and condensed water generated in the circulation air duct 13, and the collected condensed water and condensed water drip from the communication hole 25 into the water storage tank 6. The water collection section 24 covers the heat exchanger 15 and the lower side of the lower surface portion 11b of the lower part of the support frame 11, and forms part of the lower circulation air duct 13b.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a dehumidifier in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, the fan casing 9c is arranged so that the air intake 18 is located opposite the dehumidification rotor 10 and the lower circulation air duct 13b, and the lower end of the fan casing 9c is located below the upper end of the water tank 6.

[0037] That is, the present invention includes a main body case 1 having an intake port 2 and an exhaust port 4, a dehumidifying rotor 10 provided within the main body case 1 and having a moisture absorption region 10a and a moisture release region 10b, a support frame 11 that rotatably supports the dehumidifying rotor 10, a timing motor 12 that rotates the dehumidifying rotor 10, a blower 9 that exhausts air drawn in through the intake port 2 of the main body case 1 from the exhaust port 4 to the outside of the main body case 1 after passing through the moisture absorption region 10a of the dehumidifying rotor 10 via a dehumidifying air duct 22, a circulation air duct 13 provided within the main body case 1, and a water storage tank 6 that stores water condensed within the dehumidifying air duct 22 and the circulation air duct 13. The circulation air duct 13 is provided in the main body case 1 and has a moisture absorption region 10a and a moisture release region 10b. The dehumidifier comprises a heat generating section 14 provided on the windward side of the moisture release area 10b, a heat exchanger 15 provided on the downwind side of the moisture release area 10b, and a circulation blower 16 for circulating air in the circulation air duct 13. The blower 9 comprises a fan motor 9a, a fan 9b rotated by the fan motor 9a, and a fan casing 9c containing the fan 9b. The dehumidifier rotor 10 is provided above the water tank 6, a part of the circulation air duct 13 is provided between the dehumidifier rotor 10 and the water tank 6, an air intake 18 of the fan casing 9c faces the dehumidifier rotor 10 and the circulation air duct 13, and the lower end of the fan casing 9c is below the upper end of the water tank 6.

[0038] The dehumidification operation in the above configuration will be described. The blower 9 draws indoor air from the inlet 2, absorbs moisture in the moisture absorption area 10a of the dehumidification rotor 10, and blows the dehumidified air into the room as dry air from the outlet 4 (dehumidification air passage 22). The moisture absorbed by the dehumidification rotor 10 moves to the moisture release area 10b by the rotational drive of the dehumidification rotor 10, and is released to the upper circulation air passage 13a by heating of the heat generating part 14. In the upper circulation air passage 13a, the high-temperature and humid air sent out from the moisture release area 10b of the dehumidification rotor 10 is blown to the heat exchanger 15 by the blowing of the circulation blower 16 in the heat exchanger 15. In the heat exchanger 15, the high-temperature and humid air passing through the heat exchanger 15 exchanges heat with the air in the cooling air passage 23 that cools the heat exchanger 15. At this time, the high-temperature and humid air in the heat exchanger 15 is cooled and the moisture is condensed to become condensed water. Next, the air after heat exchange that has moved to the lower circulation air duct 13b moves toward the circulation blower 16. Hot and humid air circulates in the circulation air duct 13, and condensation occurs on the wall surface of the circulation air duct 13, generating condensed water. The condensed water and condensed water are collected in the water storage tank 6 through the communication hole 25 of the water collection section 24 in the lower circulation air duct 13b. The air in the cooling air duct 23, which has cooled the heat exchanger 15 and has increased in temperature, is mixed with the air in the dehumidification air duct 22 by the blower 9 and is blown into the room from the air outlet 4. In this way, the indoor air is dehumidified.

[0039] The feature of the present invention is that the intake port 18 is provided so as to face the dehumidification rotor 10 and the lower circulation air passage 13b. As a result, the wall surface of the lower circulation air passage 13b is cooled by contact with the air passing through the dehumidification air passage 22 and the cooling air passage 23, and the generation of condensation water is promoted by contacting the cooled wall surface with the air after heat exchange flowing in the lower circulation air passage 13b. Note that the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 15 and moved into the lower circulation air passage 13b is close to saturated air because it has finished condensation due to temperature change, and condensation occurs even with a slight temperature change. Therefore, by configuring the lower circulation air passage 13b of the circulation air passage 13 to be able to be cooled, condensation water can be obtained more efficiently. As a result, it is possible to promote the generation of condensation water in the circulation air passage 13, and a dehumidifier with improved dehumidification performance can be obtained.

[0040] Also, in order to provide the intake port 18 at a position facing the dehumidification rotor 10 and the lower circulation air passage 13b, it is possible to reduce the size of the fan 9b to reduce the size of the fan casing 9c and adjust the position of the intake port 18. In this case, the reduction in size of the fan 9b reduces the air volume in the dehumidification air passage 22 and the cooling air passage 23, resulting in a decrease in dehumidification performance, and further reduces the air volume contacting the lower circulation air passage 13b, thereby reducing the efficiency of obtaining condensation water in the lower circulation air passage 13b. In the present invention, the lower end of the fan casing 9c is adjusted to be lower than the upper end of the water tank 6 without adjusting the sizes of the fan 9b and the fan casing 9c, which is also a beneficial effect.

[0041] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a lower space of a dehumidifier in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a water storage tank of a dehumidifier in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] In the prior art, the bottom end of the fan casing 9c was located above the top end of the water tank 6. The water tank 6 was also generally rectangular, was provided from the front to the back of the main body case 1, and stored condensed water and dew condensation water. In the present invention, the bottom end of the fan casing 9c is located below the top end of the water tank 6, so the water tank 6 is no longer provided from the front to the back of the main body case 1, and this raises concerns about a decrease in the amount of condensed water and dew condensation water stored in the water tank 6.

[0043] Therefore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, it is desirable that the main body case 1 has a lower space 26, which is a hollow space, below the fan casing 9c, and that the water tank 6 is shaped so that a portion of the area capable of storing water fits into the lower space 26.

[0044] The lower space 26 is a hollow space extending from the lower part of the fan casing 9c to the bottom of the main body case 1, and its upper surface is substantially arc-shaped to fit the shape of the fan casing 9c.

[0045] The water tank 6 has a shape including a recess 27 that is shaped to fit along the upper surface of the substantially arc-shaped lower space 26, and water can be stored inside the recess 27. The recess 27 is disposed in the lower space 26.

[0046] With the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to effectively use the lower space 26, and the decrease in the amount of water stored in the water tank 6 can be suppressed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0047] The present invention relates to a dehumidifier, and is expected to be used as a dehumidifier with improved dehumidifying performance for the space in which it is used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Main unit case 2 Intake port 3 Control section 4 Air outlet 5 Louvers 6. Water Tank 6a aperture 7 Dehumidification rotor section 8 Regeneration Unit 9. Blower 9a Fan motor 9b Fan 9c Fan casing 10 Dehumidification rotor 10a Moisture absorption area 10b Moisture release area 10c Tooth 11 Support Frame 11a opening 11b Bottom part 12 Timing motor 12a Gears 13 Circulation air duct 13a Upper circulation air passage 13b Downward circulation air passage 13c Circulating air duct 14 Heating part 15 Heat exchanger 16 Circulating blower 16a Motor 16b Impeller 17 Outlet 18 Air Intake 19 Suction surface 20 Suction facing surface 21 Scroll surface part 22 Dehumidifying air path 23 Cooling air passage 24 Water catchment area 25 Communication hole 26 Lower space 27 Recess

Claims

1. a main body case having an inlet and an outlet; a dehumidifying rotor provided in the main body case and having a moisture absorbing region and a moisture releasing region; a support frame that rotatably supports the dehumidification rotor; A timing motor that rotates the dehumidification rotor; a blower that draws in air from the suction port of the main body case, passes through the moisture absorbing region of the dehumidification rotor through a dehumidification air passage, and then exhausts the air to the outside of the main body case through the air outlet; A circulation air passage provided in the main body case; a water storage tank that stores water condensed in the dehumidifying air duct and the circulating air duct, The circulation air duct is The moisture releasing region of the dehumidifying rotor; A heating section provided on the windward side of the moisture releasing area; A heat exchanger provided on the leeward side of the moisture releasing area; A circulation fan that circulates air in the circulation air duct, The blower includes a fan motor, a fan rotated by the fan motor, and a fan casing containing the fan, The dehumidification rotor is provided above the water tank, a portion of the circulating air passage is provided between the dehumidification rotor and the water tank, an intake port of the fan casing faces the dehumidification rotor and the circulating air passage; A dehumidifier, wherein a lower end of the fan casing is located below an upper end of the water tank.

2. The main body case includes a lower space that is a hollow space below the fan casing, The water tank is 2. The dehumidifier according to claim 1, wherein the lower space is shaped so that a part of the area capable of storing water fits into the lower space.

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