Dehumidifier

Abstract

Provided is a dehumidifier that can minimize degradation in dehumidifying performance of the dehumidifier without impairing the design of the dehumidifier at the rear face side.　This dehumidifier comprises: a housing which has an inlet port and an outlet port; an air blowing means for generating an air flow from the inlet port to the outlet port; an air purifying means; a dehumidifying means having a heat exchanger for removing moisture in the air flow; a main air passage in which air taken in from the inlet port flows through the air purifying means to reach the heat exchanger; a bypass air passage in which air taken in from the inlet port flows to the heat exchanger without passing through the air purifying means; and an open / close means which can open and close the bypass air passage. The inlet port is formed on the rear face of the housing such that the inlet port is bilaterally symmetric with respect to a first central line which bisects the housing widthwise into left and right halves and which extends in the front-rear direction. The dehumidifying means has refrigerant piping provided at one side of the heat exchanger in the left-right direction. The heat exchanger is disposed so as to be bilaterally symmetric with respect to a second central line which deviates to the other side in the left-right direction from the first central line. The bypass air passage is provided at the other side of the main air passage in the left-right direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dehumidifier.

Background Art

[0002] The dehumidifier disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a main body case as a housing, suction ports formed on both side surfaces of the housing, and an air outlet formed on the upper part of the housing. An air passage that communicates the suction port and the air outlet is formed inside the housing. In the air passage, a heat exchanger that constitutes a dehumidifying means and a blowing means that generates an air current in the air passage are disposed, and the air current from the suction port is passed through the heat exchanger to be dehumidified. Further, a filter is provided in the air passage on the upstream side of the heat exchanger so as not to cover the lower part of the heat exchanger, and a shutter that opens and closes the lower part of this air passage is provided in the lower part of the air passage not covered by the filter. When the shutter is opened, a large amount of air current is ventilated through the heat exchanger without passing through the filter, so that a dehumidifying operation focusing on dehumidification is performed. On the other hand, when the shutter is closed, most of the air current passes through the filter and is purified, and the purified air current is ventilated through the heat exchanger, so that an air purification operation focusing on air purification is performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There may be a case where the suction port is formed on the back surface of the housing instead of the side surface of the housing. In this case, considering the design property on the back side of the dehumidifier, it is conceivable to arrange the suction ports symmetrically with respect to the center line extending in the front-rear direction by bisecting the housing in the width direction.

[0005] Here, refrigerant pipes are installed on one side in the left - right direction of the heat exchanger. The refrigerant pipes are composed of a plurality of pipe portions connected to the refrigerant inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger. Since it is necessary to ensure a clearance so that these pipe portions do not contact each other, the heat exchanger has to be arranged with its center shifted to the other side in the left - right direction from the center line of the housing. That is, the center line extending in the front - rear direction passing through the center of the heat exchanger is offset to the side opposite to the refrigerant pipes with respect to the center line of the housing. Then, the end on the other side in the left - right direction of the heat exchanger cannot face the air passage, and it becomes difficult for the air flow to ventilate the end portion. As a result, the air flow ventilating the heat exchanger is biased in the left - right direction. That is, it becomes difficult for the air flow to ventilate the entire surface of the heat exchanger. As a result, there is a problem that the dehumidifying performance of the dehumidifier deteriorates.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above - mentioned problems. The object of the present disclosure is to provide a dehumidifier that can suppress a decrease in the dehumidifying performance of the dehumidifier without impairing the design property on the back side of the dehumidifier.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The dehumidifier according to the present disclosure includes a housing having a suction port and a blow - out port, a blowing means for generating an air flow from the suction port to the blow - out port, an air - cleaning means disposed inside the housing, a dehumidifying means having a heat exchanger for removing moisture in the air flow, a main air passage through which the air sucked from the suction port passes through the air - cleaning means and reaches the heat exchanger, a bypass air passage through which the air sucked from the suction port reaches the heat exchanger without passing through the air - cleaning means, and an opening - closing means that can be opened and closed between a closed position for shielding the bypass air passage and an open position for opening the bypass air passage. The suction port is formed on the back surface of the housing so as to be symmetric with respect to a first center line that bisects the housing in the left - right direction in the width direction and extends in the front - rear direction. The dehumidifying means has refrigerant pipes provided on one side in the left - right direction of the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is A second center line passing through the center of the heat exchanger and extending in the front-rear direction is shifted to the other side in the left - right direction from able toA dehumidifier arranged such that the bypass air passage is provided on the other side in the left - right direction of the main air passage.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, since the other end of the heat exchanger in the left - right direction can face the bypass air passage, during the dehumidification operation when the bypass air passage is opened, the airflow passing through the bypass air passage is also ventilated to the other end of the heat exchanger in the left - right direction. Therefore, the airflow can be ventilated to the heat exchanger without bias in the left - right direction, and as a result, a decrease in the dehumidification performance of the dehumidifier can be suppressed. Moreover, since the suction ports are arranged symmetrically with respect to the first center line, the design on the back side of the dehumidifier is not impaired.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts. Also, in the present disclosure, duplicate descriptions will be appropriately simplified or omitted. Note that the present disclosure describes the configuration of a dehumidifier having both a dehumidifying function and an air cleaning function as a representative example, but is not limited to the dehumidifier. The technical idea according to the present disclosure is also applicable to an air conditioner or an air cleaner having the same configuration. Also, the present disclosure may include any combination of configurable configurations among the configurations described in the following embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dehumidifier 1 according to an embodiment as viewed from the front side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dehumidifier 1 as viewed from the back side. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the dehumidifier 1 cut along line A-A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the dehumidifier 1 cut along line B-B in FIG. 1. The A-A line and the B-B line are set to pass through the rotation centers of the sirocco fan 32 described later, respectively. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the dehumidifier 1 as viewed from the back side with the suction port cover 13, the HEPA filter 45, and the activated carbon filter 46, which will be described later, removed. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for briefly explaining the flow of air when the shutter 5, which will be described later, opens the bypass air passage 44. In FIG. 6, the illustration of the shutter 5 and the storage space 44a is omitted. FIG. 7 is a simplified diagram showing the configuration of the shutter 5. FIG. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a main part in a state where the shutter 5 shields the bypass air passage 44, and FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a main part in a state where the shutter 5 opens the bypass air passage 44.

[0012] In this embodiment, the front-rear direction of the dehumidifier 1 is the X-axis direction, the width direction is the Y-axis direction or the left-right direction, and the up-down direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is the Z-axis direction. In FIG. 3, the left side is the front side and the front surface side, and the right side is the rear side and the back surface side. Also, in FIG. 4, the left side is the left side and the right side is the right side.

[0013] The dehumidifier 1 includes a case 10 as a housing. The case 10 has a front case 10a forming the front portion and a rear case 10b forming the rear portion. By fixing the front case 10a and the rear case 10b in an aligned state front and rear with, for example, screws, a self-standing box-shaped case 10 is formed.

[0014] The case 10 is formed with a suction port 11 and a blowout port 12. The suction port 11 is an opening for taking in air from the outside to the inside of the case 10. The blowout port 12 is an opening for sending out air from the inside to the outside of the case 10. The suction port 11 is formed in a suction port cover 13 detachably provided on the rear case 10b. That is, a plurality of openings formed in the suction port cover 13 correspond to the suction port 11. The suction port 11 is arranged symmetrically with respect to a first center line C1 that bisects the case 10 left and right in the width direction and extends in the front-rear direction, considering the design on the back side of the dehumidifier 1. The planar shape of the suction port 11 is not limited to a rectangle and may be circular.

[0015] Around the suction port 11, the suction port cover 13 is provided with an opening 13a smaller than the suction port 11 and a hose connection hole 13b. A humidity sensor Sm is arranged at a position facing the opening 13a inside the rear case 10b. The humidity sensor Sm measures the humidity of the indoor air. A drainage hose (not shown) connected to a drainage pipe 18b described later is inserted into the hose connection hole 13b so that drain water can be continuously drained outside the dehumidifier 1. Also, the hose connection hole 13b communicates with a storage portion 48 described later. When the dehumidifier 1 is not in use, a power cable Cp can be inserted into the hose connection hole 13b and stored in the storage portion 48.

[0016] Note that the suction port cover 13 may be formed of a plastic material in a net shape by integral molding. The suction port cover 13 can prevent, for example, large foreign matters (such as pieces of paper and pieces of fiber) floating in the air from entering the inside of the dehumidifier 1. However, since the suction port cover 13 has a small pressure loss and poor air purification effect on fine particles and the like, it does not constitute the air purification means described later. In the present embodiment, the HEPA filter 45 and the activated carbon filter 46 described later correspond to the air purification means.

[0017] The air outlet 12 is formed on the upper surface of the front case 10a. Near the air outlet 12, a louver 14 for adjusting the direction in which air is sent out from the air outlet 12 is provided. As the louver 14, a known one having a plate-like member movable in the vertical direction can be used. A motor for driving the louver (not shown) is attached to the louver 14. This motor is composed of, for example, a stepping motor. Thereby, the inclination angle of the louver 14 with respect to the air outlet 12 can be changed in several steps or more.

[0018] An operation display unit 15 is provided at the upper part of the case 10. An operation display board described later is attached to the operation display unit 15. The operation display unit 15 includes a switch for the user to operate the operation of the dehumidifier 1, a display unit for displaying the operation state and operation mode of the dehumidifier 1, and an audio notification unit for notifying the user of the state of the dehumidifier 1 and the like. The switch includes, for example, an operation switch for turning on / off the operation of the dehumidifier 1 and an operation mode changeover switch for switching the operation mode. Although details will be described later, the operation mode can be switched between a dehumidification operation with emphasis on dehumidification and an air purification operation with emphasis on air purification by the operation mode changeover switch. Note that the control means Cm described later may be configured to automatically control the switching of the operation mode based on the humidity measured by the humidity sensor Sm.

[0019] A base 16 is provided at the bottom of the case 10, and universal casters 16a, which are wheels for moving the dehumidifier 1, are provided at the four corners of the base 16. When the dehumidifier 1 is not to be moved, the universal casters 16a may not be provided. On the base 16, a water storage tank 17 is stored in a positioned state. A front panel 17a that forms a part of the front case 10a is fixed to the front of the water storage tank 17. When the water storage tank 17 is full, the water storage tank 17 can be pulled forward together with the front panel 17a to discard the drain water in the water storage tank 17.

[0020] Above the water storage tank 17, a drain water receiver 18 is arranged. A drain water stopper 18a for temporarily stopping the drainage of the drain water to the water storage tank 17 is rotatably attached to the drain water receiver 18, and is normally biased in the water-stopping direction by a spring. Then, with the water storage tank 17 stored in the storage position, by rotating the drain water stopper 18a in a direction opposite to the biasing direction of the spring, the drain water can be drained into the water storage tank 17. Above the drain water receiver 18, a dehumidifying means 2 for removing moisture in the air flow is arranged.

[0021] As the dehumidifying means 2, for example, a heat pump type one can be used, but other types can also be used. The dehumidifying means 2 includes a heat exchanger 20, a compressor 21 for compressing the refrigerant, and a decompression device (not shown) for decompressing the refrigerant.

[0022] The heat exchanger 20 includes an evaporator 20a, a main condenser 20b as a first condenser, and a sub condenser 20c as a second condenser. On the left side of the heat exchanger 20, a refrigerant pipe 20d for circulating the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 21 is arranged. On the other hand, on the right side of the heat exchanger 20, a hairpin portion 20e for turning back the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 20 is arranged.

[0023] Here, the refrigerant pipe 20d includes the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant provided in the evaporator 20a and the condensers 20b and 20c, respectively, and a plurality of pipe portions connected to the compressor 21 or the pressure reducing device. These plurality of pipe portions need to be arranged while ensuring a clearance so as not to contact each other. In order to provide the refrigerant pipe 20d, it is necessary to secure a region having a dimension s1 on the left side of the heat exchanger 20 in the Y-axis direction. The dimension s1 is, for example, 50 to 60 mm. On the other hand, in order to provide the hairpin portion 20e, it is sufficient to secure a region having a dimension s2 smaller than the dimension s1 on the left side on the right side of the heat exchanger 20 in the Y-axis direction. The dimension S2 is, for example, 15 to 20 mm. Considering these dimensions s1 and s2, the heat exchanger 20 is arranged symmetrically with respect to a second center line C2 shifted by an arbitrary distance d to the right side in the Y-axis direction with respect to the first center line C1. That is, a second center line C2 extending in the front-rear direction through the center of the heat exchanger 20 is offset to the right side in the Y-axis direction with respect to the first center line C1 passing through the left-right center of the case 10, that is, on the side opposite to the refrigerant pipe 20d. The left-right distance d, which is the offset amount between the first center line C1 and the second center line C2, is set to be smaller than the left-right width of the bypass air passage 44 described later, and is set to, for example, 15 mm. By arranging the refrigerant pipes 20d together on the left side in the Y-axis direction, the configuration can be made more compact compared to the case where they are arranged separately on both the left and right sides in the Y-axis direction, and the dehumidifier 1 can be made smaller.

[0024] The evaporator 20a is configured to dehumidify by condensing the moisture contained in the air passing through the evaporator 20a, that is, generating dew condensation, by heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating from the compressor 21 through the refrigerant pipe 20d. As the compressor 21, for example, a reciprocating or rotary electric compressor can be used. The compressor 21 is configured to forcibly circulate the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe 20d connected to the evaporator 20a and the condensers 20b and 20c. That is, the compressor 21 supplies the compressed refrigerant to a refrigeration cycle configured by connecting the evaporator 20a, the condensers 20b and 20c, etc. with the refrigerant pipe 20d. Further, the pressure reducing device is composed of, for example, an expansion valve or a capillary tube.

[0025] The water droplets condensed on the evaporator 20a drip into the drain water receiver 18 and are drained into the water storage tank 17 through the drain pipe 18b. The air dehumidified by passing through the evaporator 20a is returned to room temperature in the main condenser 20b and the sub-condenser 20c, and then sent out from the air outlet 12 through the scroll space 35 described later. Note that a drain hose (not shown) may be directly connected to the drain pipe 18b. In this case, continuous drainage is possible by inserting the drain hose through the hose connection hole 13b and pulling it out of the case 10.

[0026] A blowing means 3 is arranged in front of the heat exchanger 20. The blowing means 3 includes a fan motor 31 and a sirocco fan 32. The sirocco fan 32 is rotatably arranged in a scroll space 35 defined by a casing 33 and a partition plate 34. A circular opening in the form of a bellmouth-shaped hole 34a is formed in the partition plate 34 so that the air passing through the condenser 20c can be smoothly sucked in. The air sucked in from the bellmouth-shaped hole 34a by the rotation of the sirocco fan 32 is blown out from the air outlet 12 located above the casing 33, and the blowing direction is changed by the louver 14.

[0027] Above the heat exchanger 20, a heat exchanger presser 22 that holds the heat exchanger 20 and also functions as a power supply board case is arranged. A power supply board unit 23 is provided on the heat exchanger presser 22. The power supply board unit 23 includes a power supply board and a control board (not shown). In the present embodiment, the power supply board unit 23 and the operation display board 24 constitute a control means Cm. The control means Cm controls the driving of a motor for the louver 14, the compressor 21, the fan motor 31, and a stepping motor 6 for driving the shutter 5 described later. In addition, the control means Cm controls not only the display on the operation display unit 15 but also the notification by voice.

[0028] In the rear case 10b, an air passage forming frame 41 is attached so as to face the suction port 11. Inside the air passage forming frame 41, two air passage partition plates 42 that are long in the vertical direction are arranged at intervals in the left - right direction. By these two air passage partition plates 42, the inside of the air passage forming frame 41 is partitioned into a main air passage 43 and a bypass air passage 44, which will be described later. That is, a main air passage 43 is defined at the center in the left - right direction of the air passage forming frame 41 by the two air passage partition plates 42 and the upper and lower walls of the air passage forming frame 41. By each air passage partition plate 42 and the upper, lower, and side walls of the air passage forming frame 41, two bypass air passages 44 are respectively defined adjacent to both sides in the left - right direction of the main air passage 43. In this way, since the main air passage 43 and the bypass air passage 44 partitioned by the air passage partition plate 42 are adjacent to each other on the left and right, these main air passage 43 and bypass air passage 44 can be configured compactly, and the dehumidifier 1 can be miniaturized. The height of the air passage forming frame 41, and thus the bypass air passage 44, is set to be equal to the height of the portion where the suction port 11 of the suction port cover 13 is formed. Thereby, the bypass air passage 44 is arranged to face across the entire height direction of the intake port 11.

[0029] In this embodiment, the bypass air passages 44 are arranged on both the left and right sides of the main air passage 43. However, if the bypass air passages 44 are provided at least on the right side of the main air passage 43 in the Y - axis direction, that is, on the opposite side of the refrigerant pipe 20d, the airflow that has passed through the bypass air passage 44 can be ventilated to the right - hand end of the heat exchanger 20 in the Y - axis direction as described later.

[0030] An air cleaning filter as an air cleaning means is detachably arranged in the main air passage 43. The air cleaning filter has, for example, a HEPA filter 45 and a deodorizing filter 46. These filters 45, 46 are also arranged symmetrically with respect to the first center line C1, similar to the suction port 11. The HEPA filter 45 is an air filter having a particle collection rate of 99.97% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.3 μm. Instead of the HEPA filter 45, a ULPA filter having a particle collection rate of 99.99% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.15 μm can also be used. As the deodorizing filter 46, for example, an activated carbon filter can be used.

[0031] A lattice part 47 as a rectifying member is arranged at an interval on the downstream side of the deodorizing filter 46. The lattice part 47 has a plurality of openings 47a as ventilation windows opened in a lattice shape. An evaporator 20a is arranged at an interval on the downstream side of the lattice part 47. In the space before and after the lattice part 47, that is, on the upstream side of the evaporator 20a, the air flow Af flowing through the main air passage 43 and the air flow Ab flowing through the bypass air passage 44 are configured to merge. And since the lattice part 47 has the same cross-sectional area as the evaporator 20a, the air flow can be evenly sent to the evaporator 20a. Further, by providing the lattice part 47, when the air cleaning filters 45, 46 are removed, the user is prevented from touching the evaporator 20a.

[0032] The bypass air passage 44 is provided with a shutter 5 as opening and closing means for opening and closing the bypass air passage 44. The shutter 5 corresponds to air flow restricting means for restricting the air flow in the bypass air passage 44. The shutter 5 has a plate-shaped shielding wall 51 that is long in the vertical direction, upper and lower plates 52 and 53 that are fan-shaped in plan view and are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the shielding wall 51, an upper rotation shaft 52a provided on the upper surface of the upper plate 52, and a lower rotation shaft 53a provided on the lower surface of the lower plate 53. The upper rotation shaft 52a and the lower rotation shaft 53a are respectively inserted and fitted into through holes 41a and 41b serving as bearings provided on the upper wall and the lower wall of the air passage forming frame 41. Thereby, the shutter 5 is rotatably supported around the rotation shafts 52a and 53a. A stepping motor 6 is directly attached to the upper rotation shaft 52a. By driving and controlling the stepping motor 6, the rotation position of the shutter 5 is controlled. Specifically, in the air purification operation mode described later, as shown in Fig. 8(a), the shielding wall 51 is rotated to a closed position where it shields the bypass air passage 44 and blocks the flow of the air flow in the bypass air passage 44. On the other hand, in the dehumidification operation mode described later, as shown in Fig. 8(b), the shielding wall 51 is rotated to an open position where it opens the bypass air passage 44 and permits the air flow in the bypass air passage 44. The opening and closing of the shutter 5 are detected by an opening and closing detection unit 54. The opening and closing detection unit 54 has a magnet 54a provided on the lower plate 53 of the shutter 5 and an opening and closing detection sensor 54b provided on the lower wall of the air passage forming frame 41 that faces the magnet 54a at the open position of the shutter 5. The opening and closing detection sensor 54b outputs an ON or OFF signal according to the presence or absence of detecting magnetism, and is composed of, for example, a Hall IC or a reed switch. It should be noted that the shutter 5 can also be rotated to an intermediate position between the closed position and the open position. That is, by controlling the opening degree of the shutter 5, the opening degree of the bypass air passage 44 can be adjusted.

[0033] A storage space 44a that bulges outward in the left-right direction is formed in the bypass air passage 44, and the shielding wall 51 is stored in the storage space 44a when the shutter 5 is rotated to the open position. Thereby, the pressure loss of the bypass air passage 44 during the dehumidification operation can be reduced.

[0034] Figure 9 is a control block diagram of the dehumidifier 1. In the present embodiment, the control means Cm is constituted by the power supply board unit 23 and the operation display board 24. The power supply board unit 23 has a function as a main control unit. The power supply board unit 23 includes a power supply unit to which a power cable Cp is connected, a CPU, a drive circuit, and a storage unit. The CPU has a timer as a timekeeping unit inside, and can perform the dehumidification operation described later for a set time. In the example shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of drive circuits are respectively provided corresponding to the compressor 21, the motor for the louver 14, the fan motor 31, and the motor for the shutter 6, but it may be configured to be driven in an integrated manner by one drive circuit.

[0035] The dehumidifier 1 includes a wireless communication module as a wireless communication unit 25 inside the case 10. The wireless communication unit 25 is configured to be capable of wireless communication with local network facilities such as a wireless router (not shown) installed in the home or company where the dehumidifier 1 is placed. The wireless communication unit 25 can be connected to an Internet line (not shown) via the local network facilities. In this case, the wireless communication unit 25 can exchange information with an information processing terminal (not shown) such as a smartphone at a remote location and other communication devices through the Internet line. Note that the local network facilities may be a command device for controlling the total power consumption in the home or company, or an integrated management device for collecting and coordinating information of a plurality of electric devices, and may also be called an access point.

[0036] Next, the operation of the dehumidifier 1 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the dehumidifier 1. When the dehumidification operation mode is selected by the switching operation of the user's operation mode switch in a state where the main power switch as an operation switch is turned on by the user, the control means Cm starts the routine shown in FIG. 10.

[0037] First, the control means Cm drives the louver motor so as to open the louver 14 to a specified angle (step S11). The angle of the louver 14 can be specified, for example, from 45 degrees, 60 degrees, and 75 degrees.

[0038] Next, the control means Cm drives the motor 6 so that the shutter 5 rotates to the open position (step S12). As a result, the bypass air passage 44 is opened. Since the magnet 54a is positioned at a position facing the opening / closing detection sensor 54b as the shutter 5 rotates to the open position, an ON signal is generated from the opening / closing detection sensor 54b to the control means Cm.

[0039] When the control means Cm receives an ON signal from the opening / closing detection sensor 54b, the control means Cm rotationally drives the fan motor 31 to rotate the sirocco fan 32 at a preset rotational speed (step S13). As a result, an air flow from the suction port 11 to the blowout port 12 is generated. Then, by driving the motor of the compressor 21 (step S14), the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 21, and the compressed refrigerant circulates through the heat exchanger 20 via the refrigerant pipe 20d.

[0040] Since the bypass air passage 44 is opened in step S12 above, the air flow purified by passing through the main air passage 43 and the air flow passing through the bypass air passage 44 merge on the upstream side of the lattice portion 47 of the heat exchanger 20, and the merged air flow flows into the evaporator 20a. At this time, since the right end portion of the evaporator 20a of the heat exchanger 20 in the Y-axis direction can face the bypass air passage 44 via the lattice portion 47, the air flow passing through the bypass air passage 44, specifically, the air flow after merging, is ventilated to the right end portion of the evaporator 20a in the Y-axis direction.

[0041] Since the evaporator 20a is cooled by the refrigerant circulating from the compressor 21, the air passing through the evaporator 20a is condensed and dehumidified. The dehumidified air is returned to room temperature by the condensers 20b and 20c and then blown out from the air outlet 12 through the scroll space 35. At this time, according to the angle of the louver 14 opened in the step S11, the air can be blown upward to generate a circulating air flow in the room to dehumidify the room or blow air on the laundry to dry it. The water droplets condensed on the evaporator 20a drip onto the drain water receiver 18 by gravity and are drained into the water storage tank 17 through the drain pipe 18b. Also, when a drain hose is attached to the drain pipe 18b, the drain water can continuously drain outside the case 10 through the drain hose.

[0042] After the step S14, the control means Cm determines whether the humidity measured by the humidity sensor Sm is 50% or more (step S15). If the humidity is 50% or more, the motor of the compressor 21 is continuously driven to perform the dehumidification operation (step S16). Note that although the humidity threshold in the step S14 is set to 50%, other values may also be used.

[0043] On the other hand, if the humidity is less than 50%, the process proceeds to step S17, and the control means Cm stops driving the motor of the compressor 21. Subsequently, the control means Cm drives the motor 6 so that the shutter 5 rotates to the closed position (step S18) and performs the air purification operation (step S19). As a result, almost all of the air sucked in from the suction port 11 passes through the main air passage 43 and is purified by the air purification filters 45 and 46. Therefore, the air blown out from the air outlet 12 becomes clean air.

[0044] According to this embodiment, since the right end of the heat exchanger 20 in the Y-axis direction can face the bypass air passage 44, during the dehumidification operation when the bypass air passage 44 is opened, the air flow passing through the bypass air passage 44 is ventilated to the right end of the heat exchanger 20 in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the air flow can be evenly ventilated in the left-right direction with respect to the heat exchanger 20, that is, across the entire surface of the heat exchanger 20. As a result, a decrease in the dehumidification performance of the dehumidifier 1 can be suppressed. Moreover, since the suction port 11 is arranged symmetrically with respect to the first center line C1, the design of the back side of the dehumidifier 1 is not impaired.

[0045] Also, by arranging the rotation axis of the sirocco fan 32 on the second center line C2, that is, by arranging the sirocco fan 32 symmetrically with respect to the second center line C2 in the same way as the heat exchanger 20, the air flow can be more evenly ventilated in the left-right direction with respect to the heat exchanger 20.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0046] 1 Dehumidifier, 10 Case (housing), 11 Suction port, 12 Air outlet, 2 Dehumidifying means, 20 Heat exchanger, 3 Air blowing means, 43 Main air passage, 44 Bypass air passage, 45 HEPA filter (air cleaning means), 46 Deodorizing filter (air cleaning means), 5 Shutter (opening / closing means)

Claims

1. A housing having a suction port and a blowout port, Blowing means for generating an air flow from the suction port to the blowout port, Air cleaning means disposed inside the housing, Dehumidifying means having a heat exchanger for removing moisture in the air flow, A main air passage through which the air sucked from the suction port passes through the air cleaning means and reaches the heat exchanger, A bypass air passage through which the air sucked from the suction port reaches the heat exchanger without passing through the air cleaning means, Opening and closing means that can be opened and closed between a closed position for shielding the bypass air passage and an open position for opening the bypass air passage, The suction port is formed on the back surface of the housing so as to be symmetric with respect to a first center line that bisects the housing in the left - right direction in the width direction and extends in the front - rear direction, The dehumidifying means has a refrigerant pipe provided on one side in the left - right direction of the heat exchanger, The heat exchanger is arranged such that a second center line passing through the center of the heat exchanger and extending in the front - rear direction is displaced to the other side in the left - right direction from the first center line, The bypass air passage is a dehumidifier provided on the other side in the left - right direction of the main air passage.

2. The blowing means has a rotatable fan, The dehumidifier according to claim 1, wherein a rotation axis of the fan is arranged on the second center line.

3. The dehumidifier according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a displacement amount in the left - right direction between the first center line and the second center line is smaller than a width in the left - right direction of the bypass air passage.

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