Water storage device and humidifier equipped with same

Abstract

To provide a water storage device capable of clearly distinguishing a state or change of a water level in a water storage tank, and a humidification device comprising the water storage device.SOLUTION: In a water storage device, when uppermost illumination means and lowest illumination means have the same hue A, intermediate illumination means has a hue B different from the hue A, the uppermost illumination means is located above a full water level of a water storage tank, and the lowest illumination means is located above a lowest water level of the water storage tank, so that using two-color illumination means, which is the minimum number of colors, it is possible to clearly distinguish a state and change of a water level from the lowest water level to the full water level.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water storage device capable of storing water, and a humidifier that generates humidified air using the water in the water storage device and supplies the humidified air to a room. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, this type of device has been used to check the remaining amount of water in the water bottle by illuminating the bottle with a light-emitting diode to check the water level. Also, some devices have used multiple light-emitting diodes with different light-emitting colors as the illumination device, allowing changes in the water level to be distinguished by color (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-110020 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with this conventional technology, when multiple light-emitting diodes with different light-emitting colors are arranged, all of the light appears to be a mixed color, so depending on the individual hues and arrangement, it may be difficult to distinguish the appearance even when the water level changes. Also, there is the issue that the number of types of light-emitting diodes required to emit multiple light colors increases, which increases costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the water storage device of claim 1 of the present invention comprises a water storage tank for storing water, and three or more lighting means arranged vertically on the rear side of the water storage tank and irradiating light from the rear to the front of the water storage tank, The water tank is transparent or translucent, the uppermost lighting means and the lowermost lighting means have the same hue A, the intermediate lighting means between the uppermost and lowermost lighting means has a different hue B from hue A, the uppermost lighting means is located above the full water level of the water tank, and the lowermost lighting means is located above the minimum water level of the water tank.

[0006] In addition, the water storage device of claim 2 is characterized in that the sum of the brightnesses of the uppermost and lowermost lighting means is greater than the sum of the brightnesses of the middlemost lighting means, and the sum of the brightnesses of the middlemost lighting means is greater than the brightness of the lowermost lighting means.

[0007] In addition, in the water storage device of claim 3, the hue A and the hue B are colors opposite to each other on a color wheel.

[0008] In addition, the humidifying device of claim 4 comprises the water storage device of any one of claims 1 to 3, a water storage chamber for storing water supplied from the water storage tank, mist generating means for generating mist from the water in the water storage chamber, a blower fan for blowing humidified air containing the mist generated by the mist generating means through an air outlet, and a control unit for controlling mist operation in which the humidified air containing the mist generated in the water storage chamber is blown through the air outlet by the air blower fan, and is characterized in that the mist generating means is composed of a rotor that draws up water in the water storage chamber by rotation and scatters it in an outer circumferential direction, a mist motor connected to a drive shaft that supports the rotor so that it can rotate, and a collision body against which the water scattered by the rotor collides. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this invention, the highest lighting means and the lowest lighting means have the same hue A, the middle lighting means have a different hue B from hue A, the highest lighting means is located above the full water level of the water tank, and the lowest lighting means is located above the minimum water level of the water tank.Therefore, by using lighting means with two colors, which is the minimum number of colors, it is possible to clearly distinguish changes in water level from full to intermediate water level, from intermediate water level to minimum water level, and below the minimum water level.

[0010] Furthermore, the sum of the brightness of the top and bottom lighting means is greater than the sum of the brightness of the middle lighting means, which in turn is greater than the brightness of the bottom lighting means. Therefore, by creating differences in light intensity, changes in water level can be more clearly distinguished.

[0011] Furthermore, since hue A and hue B are opposite each other on the color wheel, the difference in color is highlighted, making it possible to more clearly distinguish changes in water level.

[0012] In addition, the mist generating means is composed of a rotating body that draws up 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 explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Schematic diagram of the embodiment [Figure 3] Control block diagram of the embodiment [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating the operation from the start to the end of operation of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the water supply tank and the door panel according to the embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 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 water storage device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a water storage device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a water storage device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the display of a water level window according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Next, a humidifier equipped with a water storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] In the following description, "front (front face)," "rear (rear face)," "upper," "lower," "right," and "left" follow the definitions in Fig. 1 and Figs. 6 to 10. The up-down direction corresponds to the vertical direction when the device main body 1 is installed. The front-rear direction and the left-right direction correspond to the horizontal direction when the device main body 1 is installed. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the device main body 1, and the front-rear and left-right arrangement of each component in Fig. 2 differs from the actual arrangement.

[0016] 1 is the device body which is roughly box-shaped and surrounded on all sides by various panels, 2 is an air outlet formed on the top of the device body 1 and equipped with louvers 3, 4 is an operation unit equipped with multiple switches and issuing various operation commands, 5 is a plurality of intake holes formed in the center of the front of the device body 1 and having a shutter structure that draws air into the device body 1, 6 is a drainage tank storage door installed at the bottom of the device body 1 and which allows the drainage tank 7 installed inside to be removed by pulling the handle, 8 is a water supply port door located next to the drainage tank storage door 6 and which stores the water supply port 43 of the water supply tank 9 (corresponding to the water storage tank in this invention) installed inside, 10 is a water level window formed at the bottom of the water supply port door 8 and which allows the amount of water remaining in the water supply tank 9 to be visually observed, and 11 is a tire part installed at the bottom of the device body 1 and which allows the device body 1 to be moved.

[0017] Here, a water storage device 72 according to one embodiment of the present invention is constructed by arranging a water supply tank 9 and a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) 73 as lighting means vertically on the back side of the water supply tank 9. Light emitted from the LEDs 73 passes through the water supply tank 9 and can be seen through a water level window 10 in front of the water supply tank 9. Three or more LEDs 73 can be arranged, but in this embodiment, four are arranged. Details of the water storage device 72 will be described later.

[0018] Reference numeral 12 denotes a water storage chamber installed inside the appliance body 1 for storing a predetermined amount of water, and this water storage chamber 12 is provided with a cylindrical rotor 13 whose lower end is submerged in water and is journaled on a drive shaft 15.

[0019] 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, pushes the water up along the outer and inner walls of the rotor 13, and scatters the water that has pushed up along the outer wall of the rotor 13 into the surrounding area. The water that has 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.

[0020] Reference numeral 16 denotes a cylindrical porous body located at a predetermined distance from the upper outer periphery of rotor 13 and rotating together with rotor 13. Porous body 16 has 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 rotor 13, mist motor 14, and porous section 17 form a mist generator that can generate large amounts of humidified air containing mist with a simple configuration, and because it only requires assembling mist motor 14 and drive shaft 15, assembly is easy and low cost.

[0021] The mist motor 14 that constitutes the mist generating section is driven, and the centrifugal force generated by rotating the rotor 13 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, which breaks down the water into fine particles, generating 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 Lenard effect caused by the water being broken down into fine particles, the fine mist becomes charged with negative ions, and the large mist becomes charged with positive ions.

[0022] Reference numeral 18 denotes a blower fan that is driven at a predetermined rotation speed to suck in dry air from the room and blow it upward toward the device body 1. When the blower fan 18 is driven, dry air that has flowed into the blower box 80 from outside the device body 1 through the suction hole 5 is discharged from the blower outlet 81, flows 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 outlet 2, supplying humidified air containing the fine mist and negative ions generated in the water storage chamber 12 into the room.

[0023] 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 within the water storage chamber 12 flows.

[0024] Reference numeral 20 denotes a heater installed in the water storage chamber 12 to heat the stored water, and switches ON / OFF as appropriate so that the temperature detected by the water storage temperature sensor 21, which is installed on the outer wall of the water storage chamber 12 and detects the stored water temperature, becomes a predetermined temperature.

[0025] Reference numeral 22 denotes a water level sensor installed in the water storage chamber 12 that 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 level, it outputs an OFF signal, when the water level rises above the predetermined 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.

[0026] 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 top surface of the water supply tank 9. Installed midway along the piping of the water supply hose 23 are a self-priming water supply pump 24 that causes water in the water storage tank 9 to flow into the water storage chamber 12, a flow rate sensor 25 that detects the flow rate of water flowing through the water supply hose 23, and an ion elution unit 70 as ion elution means. In other words, the water stored in the water storage chamber 12 is supplied from the water storage tank 9 by the water supply pump 24 installed midway along the piping of the water supply hose 23.

[0027] When the water supply pump 24 is driven, the ion elution unit 70 applies a predetermined constant current to the electrode 71 in the ion elution unit 70, causing silver ions, which are metal ions, to elute from the electrode 71 into the water in the water supply hose 23. The water into which the silver ions have eluted is then supplied into the water storage chamber 12, thereby preventing slime from forming around the water storage chamber.

[0028] 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.

[0029] Reference numeral 23a denotes a suction hose that is installed with a predetermined clearance from the water supply hose connection part 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 so that the water in the water supply tank 9 is sucked up by the water supply pump 24 and supplied to the water storage chamber 12 via the water supply hose 23.

[0030] 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 midway along the drain pipe 28 to open and close an electromagnetic valve to control the drainage of water from the water storage chamber 12.

[0031] Reference numeral 30 denotes a blown air temperature sensor installed on the wall surface of the air outlet 2 to detect the temperature of the humidified air being blown into the room, 31 denotes an intake air temperature sensor installed near the blower fan 18 to detect the temperature of the room air sucked in through the intake hole 5, and 32 denotes a humidity sensor installed near the intake air temperature sensor 31 to detect the humidity in the room where 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.

[0032] Numeral 33 denotes a plurality of baffle plates as air-water separation means, which are installed midway within the air-water separation case 19 and have inclined surfaces that slope vertically upward. When humidified air flows into the water-air 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, thereby reducing the amount of large-diameter mist guided to the air outlet 2 and guiding humidified air containing a large amount of fine mist to the air outlet 2.

[0033] Reference numeral 34 denotes an overflow pipe having one end connected to the wall 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, the water supply pump 24 continues to operate and the water supply to the water storage chamber 12 does not stop, but water can be returned to the water supply tank 9 through the overflow pipe 34, thereby preventing water from overflowing from the water storage chamber 12.

[0034] 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 opposite 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. 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 and preventing water from leaking from the drain tank 7.

[0035] Reference numeral 38 denotes a louver motor that 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.

[0036] Reference numeral 39 denotes a front panel installed to cover the upper front surface of the instrument body 1, which can be removed when maintenance of the operating unit 4 is required.

[0037] Reference numeral 40 denotes an outer panel that is installed to cover the central part of the front surface of the fixture body 1 and has a suction hole 5 formed therein. Although not shown, the interior of the outer panel 40 is equipped with a priming port for supplying priming water to the water supply pump 24 and an air filter that captures and purifies dust in the air that flows into the fixture body 1.

[0038] Reference numeral 41 denotes a door panel provided on the front of the drain tank 7 and water supply tank 9 of the appliance body 1. One end on the right side of the door panel 41 is fixed with a hinge 41a, and the door panel can be opened and closed using a door panel handle 41b provided on one end on the left side, and with the door panel 41 open, the water supply tank 9 can be pulled out forward and removed.

[0039] Reference numeral 42 denotes a door panel detection sensor 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.

[0040] The operation unit 4 has an operation switch 45 for instructing the start and stop of operation, a low-noise 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 perform timer operation to start or stop the humidification operation to supply humidified air into the room, a clock setting switch 48 for setting the current time, a timer setting switch 49 for setting the start time or stop time of the humidification operation to supply humidified air into the room, and a humidification switch 49 for selecting the amount of humidified air to be supplied into the room from three humidification levels. the humidification switch 50, an air volume switch 51 for selecting the volume of humidified air to be supplied to the room from three air volume levels, a level display unit 52 for displaying the humidification level or 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 for opening the drain valve 29 and forcibly draining the water in the water storage chamber 12 when the switch is pressed for three seconds, and a child lock switch 55 for prohibiting any operation other than stopping the operation.

[0041] The operation unit 4 is also provided with lamps corresponding to each switch, including an operation lamp 56 that lights up when the operation switch 45 is operated, a timer lamp 57 that lights up the lamp for the mode set to 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 depending on 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.

[0042] Reference numeral 61 denotes a control unit made up of a microcomputer that controls operation and valve opening / closing 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 is equipped with mist motor control means 62 that drives the mist motor 14 at a predetermined rotation speed, air blower control means 63 that drives the air blower 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 71.

[0043] Reference numeral 79 denotes an air passage formed inside the appliance body 1 through which air blown by the blower fan 18 flows, 80 denotes an air blower box installed so as to cover the blower fan 18 and guiding air drawn in through the intake port 68 to the air outlet port 81, and 82 denotes an air tunnel installed above the water storage chamber 12 and allowing air circulating inside the air passage 79 to flow into the water storage chamber 12 via an air inlet 83. The air passage 79 is formed by partition walls that form the interior of the appliance body 1, such as the inner panel 66, from the air outlet port 81 to the air inlet 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 83 of the air tunnel 82.

[0044] Next, the operation from the start to the end of operation in one embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0045] 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 driving 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 a water replacement mode (step S101).

[0046] 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).

[0047] 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 using the heater control means 64 based on the detection value of the water 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 that matches the humidification level and air volume level (step S103).

[0048] To explain the normal operation mode in more 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 matches 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 matches 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 storage temperature sensor 21 remains within the range of approximately 30 to 40°C.

[0049] 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 71 in the ion elution unit 70, supplying water containing a predetermined concentration of silver ions into the water storage chamber 12. This causes an antibacterial effect on the water in the water storage chamber 12, making it possible to prevent slime from forming around the water storage chamber 12.

[0050] If the operation switch 45 is turned OFF during the normal operation mode after starting the normal operation mode in step S103, or if 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 keep the louver 3 open at an angle of approximately 20° relative to the top surface of the appliance body 1, turns the heater 20 ON to heat the water, switches the ON / OFF state of the heater 20 so that the detection value of the water storage temperature sensor 21 fluctuates 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 10 minutes has 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).

[0051] When the cleaning mode of step S104 is completed, the control unit 61 causes the mist motor control means 62 and the blower fan control means 63 to drive the mist motor 14 and the blower fan 18 at a predetermined rotation speed for a predetermined time, thereby implementing a drying mode to dry the inside of the water storage chamber 12 (step S105).After the predetermined time has elapsed, the mist motor 14 and the blower fan 18 are stopped, thereby terminating the drying mode, and the louver motor 38 is driven to close the louver 3, thereby terminating operation.

[0052] Next, the configuration of the water storage device 72 in one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0053] 8, four LEDs (light emitting diodes) 73 serving as lighting means are arranged vertically on the back side of a water supply tank 9 serving as a water storage tank, and these LEDs are a red LED 73a, a blue LED 73b, a green LED 73c, and a red LED 73d. These LEDs are arranged vertically from the top to the bottom of the water supply tank 9.

[0054] The red LED 73 a is the topmost LED arranged at the top, and is located above the full water level 74 of the water supply tank 9.

[0055] The red LED 73d is the lowest LED arranged at the bottom, and is located above the minimum water level 75 of the water tank 9 and near the bottom end of the water level window 10. The top red LED 73a and the bottom red LED 73d are both red and have the same hue.

[0056] The blue LED 73b and the green LED 73c are intermediate LEDs disposed between the red LED 73a and the red LED 73d, and have a different hue from the red LED 73a and the red LED 73d.

[0057] The LEDs 73a to 73d are mounted on an LED mounting substrate 76, and light up in a predetermined hue when power is supplied to the LEDs 73a to 73d via lead wires (not shown) connected to the LED mounting substrate 76. The turning on and off of the LEDs 73a to 73d is controlled by an LED lighting control means 77 provided in the control unit 61.

[0058] The water supply tank 9 is made of a transparent or translucent material such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). As a result, the light emitted by the LEDs 73a to 73d passes through the water supply tank 9 and can be seen in front of the water supply tank 9, and can also be seen through the water level window 10 on the door panel 41.

[0059] Next, the details of clearly distinguishing changes in water level using the configuration of the water storage device 72 in one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11. FIG.

[0060] First, in the water storage device 72 shown in Figure 8, the water level in the water supply tank 9 is located above the mid-level (approximately above halfway) from full, and the red LED 73a is located above the water surface, while the blue LED 73b, green LED 73c, and red LED 73d are located below the water surface.

[0061] Here, the light from the red LED 73a that is above the water surface, i.e., that passes through the air, travels toward the front of the water supply tank 9, but is diffused above the water supply tank 9 and enters the water, so the intensity of the light that reaches the front of the water supply tank 9 and the water level window 10 is relatively small. On the other hand, the light from the blue LED 73b, green LED 73c, and red LED 73d that is below the water surface, i.e., that passes through the water, has some light reflected from the water surface, so the intensity of the light that reaches the front of the water supply tank 9 and the water level window 10 is relatively large.

[0062] In other words, the intensity of light that reaches the front of the water tank 9 and the water level window 10 is greater for the light from the blue LED 73b, green LED 73c, and red LED 73d that pass through the water than for the light from the red LED 73a that passes through the air. That is, in actual appearance, as shown in Figure 11(a), the color of the portion a1 below the water surface appears strong and clear, and the red of the portion a2 above the water surface appears faint, so the state and changes in the water level can be clearly distinguished. The color of the portion below the water surface is a mixture of the colors of the blue LED 73b, green LED 73c, and red LED 73d (here, a blue-based color).

[0063] Furthermore, since the red LED 73a is located above the full water level 74 of the water tank 9, the contrast between the strong, clear color in the water and the faint red color in the air is stronger than when the red LED 73a is not present or is located below the full water level 74, making it possible to more clearly determine the state and changes in the water level.

[0064] Next, in the water storage device 72 shown in Figure 9, the water level in the water supply tank 9 is located below the intermediate water level but above the lowest water level (approximately below halfway), and the red LED 73a, blue LED 73b, and green LED 73c are located above the water surface, and the red LED 73d is located below the water surface.

[0065] Here, the light from the red LED 73a, blue LED 73b, and green LED 73c passing through the air above the water surface, i.e., the light intensity becomes relatively weak due to the diffusion of light as described in Figure 8, while the light from the red LED 73d passing through the water becomes relatively strong due to reflection on the water surface.

[0066] 11(b), the red color of the portion b1 below the water surface is clearly visible, and the color of the portion b2 above the water surface is lighter, so the state and change of the lowered water level can be clearly identified. The color of the portion above the water surface is a mixture of the red LED 73a, blue LED 73b, and green LED 73c (light blue in this case).

[0067] Next, in the water storage device 72 shown in Fig. 10, the water level in the water supply tank 9 is at its lowest level, and the light from LEDs 73a to 73d is all above the water surface. In this case, the actual appearance is that the color c1 (reddish purple in this case) obtained by mixing the LEDs 73a to 73d appears faint, as shown in Fig. 11(c), so it is possible to visually determine that the water level is almost zero.

[0068] Furthermore, by making the top red LED 73a and the bottom red LED 73d different hues from the middle LEDs, blue LED 73b and green LED 73c, as shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b), the color of the part below the water surface and the color of the part above the water surface can be distinguished at any water level, so that the state and changes of the water level can be clearly determined by the difference in color.

[0069] Furthermore, by making the total brightness of the blue LED 73b and green LED 73c, which are the intermediate LEDs, greater than the brightness of the lowest red LED 73d, it is possible to make the color (a1 in FIG. 11(a)) that is a mixture of the blue LED 73b, green LED 73c, and red LED 73d, which are the colors of the portion below the water surface, a blue hue at a water level above the full to intermediate water level shown in FIG. 8. In other words, by increasing the intensity of the light below the water surface and strengthening the contrast between the water and the air, it is possible to more clearly distinguish the state and changes in the water level.

[0070] Furthermore, by making the total brightness of the top red LED 73a and the bottom red LED 73d greater than the total brightness of the blue LED 73b and green LED 73c, which are the middle LEDs, the color of the mixed LEDs 73a to 73d can be displayed as a light reddish hue in the water level window 10 in the lowest water level state shown in Fig. 10. In other words, c1 in Fig. 11(c) is displayed as a light reddish hue.

[0071] On the other hand, when the water level is full, the light a1, which is a mixture of the blue LED 73b, green LED 73c, and red LED 73d passing through the water, is seen in the water level window 10 as a whole, resulting in a display as shown in Figure 11(d). Here, at the lowest water level and at the full water level, the hue seen in the water level window 10 is almost the same color, but Figure 11(c) is a light reddish hue and Figure 11(d) is a blueish hue, so there is a difference between the two, making it easy to tell whether the water level is at the lowest water level or the full water level by the difference in color and light intensity.

[0072] Furthermore, by selecting the red hue of the top LED 73a and the bottom LED 73d and the blue and green hue of the middle LEDs 73b and 73c to be opposite colors (opposite colors) on the color wheel, the difference in color can be made more prominent, and the contrast between underwater and in air as described above can be made stronger, making it possible to more clearly distinguish the state and changes in the water level.

[0073] In this embodiment, two types of LEDs, blue LED 73b and green LED 73c, are used as the middle LEDs, but only one type of LED may be used. For example, a total of three LEDs may be used as a two-color illumination means, with the top LED 73a and the bottom LED 73d being red and the middle LED 73b being blue.

[0074] In addition, the hue of the top LED 73a and the bottom LED 73d is red in this embodiment, but this is because they are highly conspicuous hues to alert the user to the risk of running out of water when the water level drops as shown in Figure 11(b), and other conspicuous hues such as yellow and orange may also be used.

[0075] Furthermore, the turning on and off of the LEDs 73a to 73d is controlled by an LED lighting control means 77 provided in the control unit 61, and the method for this may be to keep them on all the time, or to switch them on / off by pressing an LED lighting switch (not shown) provided in the operation unit 4, or to automatically switch them on / off by a detector such as a human sensor, or to switch them on / off at a predetermined timing.

[0076] Furthermore, the other configurations used in the present embodiment are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and the invention can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can 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 also included in the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 9 Water tank (storage tank) 73 LED (lighting means) 12 Water Chamber 13 Rotating body 14 Mist Motor 15 Drive shaft 17 Porous part (collision body) 18 Blower fan 72 Water storage device

Claims

1. A water storage tank, three or more lighting means arranged vertically on the rear side of the water storage tank and irradiating light from the rear side to the front side of the water storage tank; The water storage tank is transparent or translucent, the highest lighting means and the lowest lighting means have the same hue A; The intermediate lighting means between the uppermost and lowermost lighting means has a hue B different from the hue A, The uppermost lighting means is located above the full water level of the water storage tank, The lowest lighting means is located above the lowest water level of the water tank. A water storage device characterized by:

2. the sum of the luminances of the uppermost and lowermost lighting means is greater than the sum of the luminances of the middle lighting means; The sum of the brightnesses of the middle-ranking lighting means is greater than the brightness of the lowest-ranking lighting means.

2. The water storage device according to claim 1.

3. 3. The water storage device according to claim 2, wherein the hue A and the hue B are opposite colors on a color wheel.

4. A water storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a water storage chamber for storing water supplied from the water storage tank; 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 an air outlet. a control unit that controls a mist operation in which the humidified air containing mist generated in the water storage chamber is blown from the air outlet by the blower fan, The mist generating means is a humidifier characterized in that it is composed of a rotating body that draws up water in the water storage chamber by rotation and scatters it in the 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.

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