Discharge device

Abstract

To provide a discharge device capable of omitting the labor for confirming its direction when mounting a discharge part to a base part by a user without an error mounting.SOLUTION: A discharge part 16 containing a first electrode 31 and a second electrode 32, is attachably formed to a base part 15 in a plurality of mounting postures of which a phase surrounding a vertical shaft V different. Each of a first power conduction structure carrying a power conduction to the first electrode 31 and / or a second power conduction structure carrying a power conduction to the second electrode 32 contains one of regular use contacts 171 and 173 provided to one of the discharge part 16 and the base part 15 and a plurality of selection contact points 172 and 174 provided to the other one, and the plurality of selection contact points 172 and 174 is arranged to a circumference of the vertical shaft V in a rotation symmetry. In each mounting posture of the discharge part 16, any one of the regular use contacts 171 and 173 is contacted to any one of the selection contact points 172 and 174, and the first and / or second power conduction structure(s) become(s) a conductive state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge device comprising a discharge unit including a pair of electrodes and a base unit to which the discharge unit is detachably attached. This discharge device can be used as an ozone generator (ozonizer) that generates ozone by discharging in the air, or an ion generator (ionizer) that generates various ions (negative ions, hydroxyl radicals, etc.). [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1, for example, is an example of a prior art document relating to this type of discharge device. The ozone sterilization and deodorization device of Patent Document 1 is composed of a base unit (control box) and a discharge unit (output unit) arranged above and below a partition wall. The discharge unit, which includes an ozone generation mechanism, is detachably attached to the base unit, which also includes a power supply unit. The discharge unit includes a pair of electrodes serving as the ozone generation mechanism, a base supporting the electrodes, and pin-shaped terminals extending from each electrode. A pair of left and right terminals protrude outward from the surface of the base. Correspondingly, the base unit is provided with a pair of left and right connectors into which terminals can be inserted. When the pair of terminals of the discharge unit are inserted into the connectors of the base unit through the partition wall, the discharge unit is attached to the base unit, and the pair of electrodes and the power supply unit of the base unit are electrically connected. In this way, the detachable discharge unit from the base unit allows only the discharge unit (ozone generation mechanism), which is relatively susceptible to deterioration, to be replaced, which is more economical than replacing the entire device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-73846 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The ozone sterilization and deodorization device of Patent Document 1 has a pair of pin-shaped terminals on the discharge unit and a pair of connectors on the base unit. Specifically, a pair of identically shaped terminals is symmetrically arranged on the discharge unit, and a pair of identically shaped connectors is symmetrically arranged on the base unit. If the terminals and connectors are identically shaped and symmetrically arranged, a user may mistakenly install the discharge unit in the wrong orientation when reattaching it after separating it from the base unit. Installing the discharge unit in the wrong orientation could reverse the polarity of the pair of electrodes, potentially causing the ozone generation mechanism to malfunction. One possible solution to this problem would be to display a warning on the surface of the discharge unit to warn the user of the correct orientation when installing it. However, this would require the user to take the time to check the warning and still leave the risk of the user overlooking the warning and installing the discharge unit in the wrong orientation.

[0005] To provide a user-friendly discharge device that can omit the user's trouble of checking the orientation of a discharge part when attaching the discharge part to a base part and that eliminates the risk of incorrect attachment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The discharge device according to the present invention comprises an upper discharge unit 16 including a pair of first and second electrodes 31 and 32, and a lower base unit 15 to which the discharge unit 16 is detachably attached. The discharge unit 16 is configured so that it can be attached to the base unit 15 in a plurality of mounting positions that differ in phase around a vertical axis V extending in the up-down direction. The discharge device is provided with a first current-carrying structure that conducts current from the base unit 15 to the first electrode 31, and a second current-carrying structure that conducts current from the base unit 15 to the second electrode 32, and the first current-carrying structure and / or the second current-carrying structure includes one normal contact 171 / 173 provided on one of the discharge unit 16 and the base unit 15, and a plurality of selective contacts 172 / 174 provided on the other. The multiple selective contacts 172, 174 are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the vertical axis V, and in each mounting position of the discharge unit 16, the normal contacts 171, 173 come into contact with one of the selective contacts 172, 174, causing the first current-carrying structure and / or the second current-carrying structure to be in a conducting state.

[0007] The first current-carrying structure includes one first normal contact 171 provided on the base portion 15 and multiple first selective contacts 172 provided on the discharge portion 16, and each first selective contact 172 is composed of a conductive spring electrically connected to the first electrode 31, so that in each mounting position of the discharge portion 16, one of the first selective contacts 172 can be elastically attached to the first normal contact 171 of the base portion 15.

[0008] The first current-carrying structure includes one first normal contact 171 provided in the discharge section 16 and a plurality of first selective contacts 172 provided in the base section 15, and the first normal contact 171 is composed of a conductive spring electrically connected to the first electrode 31, and in each mounting position of the discharge section 16, the first normal contact 171 can be configured to elastically adhere to any one of the first selective contacts 172 on the base section 15.

[0009] The second current-carrying structure includes one second normal contact 173 provided on the base portion 15 and a plurality of second selective contacts 174 provided on the discharge portion 16, and the second normal contact 173 is made of a conductive spring, so that in each mounting position of the discharge portion 16, the second normal contact 173 can be elastically brought into close contact with any of the second selective contacts 174 of the discharge portion 16.

[0010] The second current-carrying structure includes one second normal contact 173 provided in the discharge unit 16 and a plurality of second selective contacts 174 provided in the base unit 15, and each second selective contact 174 is made of a conductive spring, so that in each mounting position of the discharge unit 16, one of the second selective contacts 174 can be elastically attached to the second normal contact 173 of the discharge unit 16.

[0011] A configuration can be adopted in which the remaining first selection contacts 172, except for one first selection contact 172 that is in close contact with the first normal contact 171, are surrounded by a first contact protection portion 177 provided on the base portion 15.

[0012] A configuration can be adopted in which a first contact protection portion 177 consisting of a protrusion provided on the discharge portion 16 faces the remaining first selection contacts 172 except for one first selection contact 172 that can receive the first normal contact 171.

[0013] A configuration can be adopted in which a second contact protection portion 178 consisting of a protrusion provided on the base portion 15 faces the remaining second selection contacts 174 except for one second selection contact 174 that can receive the second normal contact 173.

[0014] A configuration can be adopted in which the remaining second selection contacts 174, except for one second selection contact 174 that is in close contact with the second normal contact 173, are surrounded by a second contact protection part 178 provided in the discharge part 16.

[0015] The base case 42, which forms the base of the base portion 15, is formed in a stepped shape having an upper step portion 43 and a lower step portion 44, and the discharge portion 16 can be provided with a downward-facing mounting recess 46 that engages with the upper step portion 43.

[0016] A configuration may be adopted in which an attachment / holding means for holding the discharge unit 16 in an attached state is provided between the upper stage portion 43 of the base case 42 and the discharge unit 16 .

[0017] The first current-carrying structure includes one first normal contact 171 provided on the lower section 44 of the base case 42 of the base section 15 and a plurality of first selective contacts 172 provided on the discharge section 16, and each first selective contact 172 is composed of a conductive spring electrically connected to the first electrode 31, so that in each mounting position of the discharge section 16, one of the first selective contacts 172 can be elastically attached to the first normal contact 171 of the base section 15.

[0018] The second current-carrying structure includes one second normal contact 173 provided on the upper stage 43 of the base case 42 of the base portion 15 and a plurality of second selective contacts 174 provided on the discharge portion 16, and the second normal contact 173 is made of a conductive spring, so that in each mounting position of the discharge portion 16, the second normal contact 173 can be configured to elastically come into close contact with any of the second selective contacts 174 of the discharge portion 16.

[0019] A configuration may be adopted in which an attachment detector 17 is provided to detect whether or not the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15.

[0020] The discharge unit 16 is provided with a magnet 53 , and the attachment detection unit 17 can be configured as a magnetic sensor provided on the base unit 15 .

[0021] The attachment detection unit 17 is composed of a microswitch provided on the base unit 15, and when the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15, the discharge unit 16 comes into contact with the passive pin 133 of the microswitch.

[0022] The attachment detection unit 17 may be configured as a camera that detects light emitted when the discharge unit 16 discharges.

[0023] The attachment detector 17 may be configured to be a photodiode that detects light emitted when the discharger 16 discharges.

[0024] The first electrode 31 is formed in a rod shape, and an electrode support structure 64 that covers and supports both ends of the first electrode 31 is provided in the discharge case 34, which serves as the base of the discharge section 16, and a mark 79 consisting of a protrusion is provided near the electrode support structure 64 on the outer surface of the discharge case 34.

[0025] The discharge part 16 may have a handle 181 spaced apart from the electrodes 31 and 32.

[0026] An operating lever 129 for separating the discharge part 16 from the base part 15 is supported on the base part 15 so as to be able to swing up and down freely around a fulcrum 130, and the operating lever 129 can have an operating part 131 at one end facing the underside of the discharge part 16 and an operating part 132 at the other end.

[0027] A plate-shaped dielectric 33 is arranged between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32, and an electrode support structure 64 is provided to support the first electrode 31 so that it can be moved toward and away from the dielectric 33.

[0028] A configuration can be adopted in which the first current-carrying structure is configured to be in a non-conductive state when the first electrode 31 is separated from the dielectric 33.

[0029] The first current-carrying structure may include an intermediate terminal 191 provided in the discharge section 16 and supplied with power from the base section 15, and an upper current-carrying body 190 electrically connecting the first electrode 31 to the intermediate terminal 191, and may be configured such that when the first electrode 31 moves away from the dielectric 33, the upper current-carrying body 190 moves together with the first electrode 31 and moves away from the intermediate terminal 191.

[0030] One end of the upper current-carrying body 190 may be in contact with the intermediate terminal 191 and housed in a vertical hole 186 provided in the discharge part 16 .

[0031] A configuration can be adopted in which the vertical hole 186 is spaced apart from the dielectric 33 in a plan view of the discharge part 16 .

[0032] The first current-carrying structure may include a first terminal 85 provided on the base portion 15 and a first current-carrying body 87 that electrically connects the first electrode 31 to the first terminal 85, and may be configured such that when the first electrode 31 moves away from the dielectric 33, the first current-carrying body 87 moves together with the first electrode 31 and moves away from the first terminal 85.

[0033] The first current-carrying body 87 includes a terminal connection portion 92 that contacts the first terminal 85, the discharge portion 16 is provided with a vertical hole 186 that accommodates the terminal connection portion 92, and an upwardly expanding guide surface 187 is formed at the top of the vertical hole 186.

[0034] A plate-shaped dielectric 33 is arranged between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32, and the first electrode 31 is formed in a round rod shape and can be configured to be rotatable around its central axis.

[0035] A configuration can be adopted in which the wiping body 168 extending parallel to the first electrode 31 is disposed in contact with the first electrode 31. [Effects of the Invention]

[0036] In the discharge device according to the present invention, the discharge unit 16, which includes a pair of electrodes 31 and 32, is configured to be mountable on the base unit 15 in a plurality of mounting positions that differ in phase around the vertical axis V. The first current-carrying structure for supplying current to the first electrode 31 and / or the second current-carrying structure for supplying current to the second electrode 32 includes one normal contact 171 and 173 provided on one of the discharge unit 16 and the base unit 15, and a plurality of selective contacts 172 and 174 arranged rotationally symmetrically on the other. In each mounting position of the discharge unit 16, the normal contact 171 and 173 contact one of the selective contacts 172 and 174, thereby bringing the first current-carrying structure and / or the second current-carrying structure into a conducting state. Since the normal contacts 171 and 173 contact one of the selective contacts 172 and 174 to conduct current regardless of the mounting position of the discharge unit 16, the user can mount the discharge unit 16 on the base unit 15 without worrying about the orientation of the discharge unit 16. In other words, the present invention can provide a user-friendly discharge device that eliminates the need for the user to check the orientation of the discharge unit 16 when attaching it, and also eliminates the risk of incorrect attachment.

[0037] According to a configuration in which the first current-carrying structure includes one first normal contact 171 provided on the base portion 15 and a plurality of first selective contacts 172 made of conductive springs provided on the discharge portion 16, and any one of the first selective contacts 172 elastically contacts the first normal contact 171, it is possible to switch the first selective contact 172 to be used (to be brought into close contact with the first normal contact 171), thereby suppressing the decrease in elastic force that accompanies use of each first selective contact 172 and improving the overall lifespan of the discharge portion 16 including the first selective contact 172.

[0038] The first current-carrying structure includes one first normal contact 171 made of a conductive spring provided in the discharge section 16 and multiple first selective contacts 172 provided in the base section 15, and the first normal contact 171 elastically adheres to one of the first selective contacts 172. This allows for switching of the first selective contact 172 to be used (receiving the first normal contact 171), thereby suppressing wear associated with use of each first selective contact 172 and improving the overall lifespan of the base section 15 including the first selective contacts 172.

[0039] The second current-carrying structure includes one second normal contact 173 made of a conductive spring provided on the base portion 15 and multiple second selective contacts 174 provided on the discharge portion 16, and the second normal contact 173 elastically adheres to one of the second selective contacts 174. This allows for switching the second selective contact 174 to be used (receiving the second normal contact 173), thereby suppressing wear associated with use of each second selective contact 174 and improving the overall lifespan of the discharge portion 16 including the second selective contacts 174.

[0040] According to a configuration in which the second current-carrying structure includes one second normal contact 173 provided in the discharge section 16 and a plurality of second selective contacts 174 made of conductive springs provided in the base section 15, and any one of the second selective contacts 174 elastically contacts the second normal contact 173, it is possible to switch the second selective contact 174 to be used (to be brought into close contact with the second normal contact 173), thereby suppressing the decrease in elastic force that accompanies use of each second selective contact 174 and improving the overall lifespan of the base section 15 including the second selective contacts 174.

[0041] If a first contact protection portion 177 is provided on the base portion 15 to surround the remaining first selection contacts 172 that are not in use, the first selection contacts 172 can be protected from external forces and prevented from being damaged, such as by deformation.

[0042] If the discharge section 16 is provided with a first contact protection section 177 directly facing the remaining first selection contacts 172 that are not in use, the first selection contacts 172 can be protected from external forces and prevented from being damaged, such as by deformation.

[0043] If second contact protection parts 178 facing the remaining second selection contacts 174 that are not in use are provided on the base part 15, these second selection contacts 174 can be protected from external forces and prevented from being damaged, such as by deformation.

[0044] If the discharge section 16 is provided with a second contact protection section 178 that surrounds the remaining second selection contacts 174 that are not in use, the second selection contacts 174 can be protected from external forces and prevented from being damaged, such as by deformation.

[0045] The base case 42, which forms the base of the base portion 15, is formed in a stepped shape having an upper step portion 43 and a lower step portion 44, and the discharge portion 16 is provided with a downward mounting recess 46 that engages with the upper step portion 43.When the mounting portion 16 is attached to the base portion 15, the engagement between the upper step portion 43 and the mounting recess 46 can regulate horizontal positional deviation of the discharge portion 16.

[0046] Providing an attachment / retention means between the upper stage 43 of the base case 42 and the discharge unit 16 can prevent the discharge unit 16 from unintentionally separating from the base unit 15. Furthermore, compared to when the attachment / retention means is disposed in the lower stage 44, it is less likely that an impact will reach the attachment / retention means when the discharge device is subjected to an external force, making it less likely that the discharge unit 16 will come off the base unit 15.

[0047] By providing the first normal contact 171 constituting the first current-carrying structure in the lower stage 44 of the base case 42, avoiding the upper stage 43 of the base case 42 where the mounting and holding means is provided, it is possible to prevent many components from being crowded together in the upper stage 43, thereby facilitating the assembly work of the base part 15.

[0048] By providing the first normal contact 171 constituting the first current-carrying structure in the lower part 44 of the base case 42 and the second normal contact 173 constituting the second current-carrying structure in the upper part 43 of the same case 42, the two current-carrying structures can be spaced apart vertically and horizontally, thereby avoiding the inconvenience of the elastic force of the conductive springs contained in the two current-carrying structures affecting one another, and also reliably preventing short circuits between the current-carrying structures.

[0049] By providing an attachment detection unit 17 that detects whether or not the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15, it is possible to perform control such as not passing electricity to the base unit 15 if the discharge unit 16 is not attached based on the output of the attachment detection unit 17, or immediately interrupting the passage of electricity after detecting that the discharge unit 16 is not attached.This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary power consumption caused by continuing to pass electricity to a base unit 15 that does not have the discharge unit 16 attached.

[0050] The attachment detection unit 17, which is made up of a magnetic sensor provided on the base unit 15, can determine whether the discharge unit 16 is attached or not before starting to energize the base unit 15, based on whether or not the magnetic field emitted by the magnet 53 provided on the discharge unit 16 is detected. Therefore, it is possible to completely prevent the energization of a base unit 15 to which the discharge unit 16 is not attached, and it is possible to reliably prevent an electric shock accident in the unlikely event that a user touches the energized base unit 15.

[0051] The attachment detection unit 17, which is made up of a microswitch provided on the base unit 15, can determine whether the discharge unit 16 is attached or not, based on whether the discharge unit 16 is in contact with the passive pin 133, before starting to energize the base unit 15. Therefore, it is possible to completely prevent electricity from being passed through a base unit 15 to which the discharge unit 16 is not attached, and it is possible to reliably prevent an electric shock accident should a user touch the energized base unit 15.

[0052] If the attachment detection unit 17 is configured as a camera that detects the light emitted when the discharge unit 16 discharges, it can be determined whether the discharge unit 16 is attached or not based on the presence or absence of the light emission immediately after starting to pass electricity to the base unit 15. Furthermore, the attachment detection unit 17 made up of a camera can also be used as a means for determining the dirtiness of the discharge unit 16. Generally, the amount of light emitted decreases as the dirt on the discharge unit 16 increases (accumulation of dust, etc.), so it is possible to determine the degree of dirtiness of the discharge unit 16 based on the amount of light emitted. This can reduce the production costs of the discharge device compared to when a dirt determination means is provided separately from the attachment detection unit 17.

[0053] If the attachment detection unit 17 is configured with a photodiode that detects light emitted when the discharge unit 16 discharges, it can be determined whether the discharge unit 16 is attached or not based on the presence or absence of this light emission immediately after starting to pass current through the base unit 15. Furthermore, the attachment detection unit 17 made of a photodiode can also be used as a means for determining the dirtiness of the discharge unit 16. Generally, the amount of light emitted decreases as the dirt on the discharge unit 16 increases (accumulation of dust, etc.), so it is possible to determine the degree of dirtiness of the discharge unit 16 based on the amount of light emitted. This can reduce the production costs of the discharge device compared to when a dirt determination means is provided separately from the attachment detection unit 17.

[0054] By providing marks 79 near the electrode support structures 64 that cover and support both ends of the first electrode 31, a user attempting to separate the discharge unit 16 from the base unit 15 can recognize the electrode support structures 64 near the marks 79 as knobs. For example, the user can place their thumb on one electrode support structure 64 and their index finger on the other electrode support structure 64, and then grasp and pull up the discharge unit 16 with both fingers from both sides to separate it from the base unit 15. Indicating that the electrode support structures 64 are knobs using the marks 79 effectively prevents the user from grasping a part other than the electrode support structures 64 and accidentally touching the first electrode 31, resulting in the transfer of sebum or the like. Furthermore, by making the marks 79 protruding, they also function as anti-slip devices, allowing the user to hold the discharge case 34 securely.

[0055] If the discharge unit 16 is provided with a handle 181 spaced apart from the electrodes 31 and 32, a user who wishes to separate the discharge unit 16 from the base unit 15 can grasp this handle 181 and pull up the discharge unit 16 to separate it from the base unit 15. This effectively prevents the user from grasping any part other than the handle 181 when separating the discharge unit 16 and accidentally touching the electrodes 31 and 32 and getting oils or the like on them.

[0056] If the operating lever 129 for separating the discharge unit 16 is supported by the base unit 15 so as to be able to swing up and down around a fulcrum 130, the user can swing the operating part 132 of the operating lever 129 downward, thereby applying a force in the opposite direction, i.e., an upward force from the acting part 131 to the discharge unit 16 and separating it from the base unit 15. In other words, the discharge unit 16 can be separated from the base unit 15 without touching it, which effectively prevents the fingertip from accidentally touching the first electrode 31 and getting oils on it when separating it.

[0057] If the first electrode 31 can be moved toward and away from the dielectric 33, the first electrode 31 and its surroundings can be cleaned with a cleaning brush or the like while the first electrode 31 is separated from the dielectric 33.

[0058] If the first current-carrying structure is configured to be in a non-conductive state when the first electrode 31 moves away from the dielectric 33, high voltage is not applied to the first electrode 31 during the cleaning, making it possible to perform the cleaning safely.

[0059] The first current-carrying structure includes an intermediate terminal 191 provided in the discharge section 16 and supplied with power from the base section 15, and an upper current-carrying body 190 connecting the first electrode 31 to the intermediate terminal 191. When the first electrode 31 moves away from the dielectric 33, the upper current-carrying body 190 moves away from the intermediate terminal 191. This configuration prevents a high voltage from being applied to the first electrode 31 during the cleaning, allowing the cleaning to be performed safely.

[0060] When one end of upper current-carrying body 190 is in contact with intermediate terminal 191 and is housed in vertical hole 186 provided in discharge unit 16, during the process of returning first electrode 31, which has been separated from dielectric 33 for cleaning or the like, to its original position, one end of upper current-carrying body 190 can be guided toward intermediate terminal 191 by the circumferential surface of vertical hole 186, ensuring contact between the two 190 and 191. Furthermore, by positioning intermediate terminal 191 at the back of vertical hole 186, the user's fingertips and other parts will not accidentally come into contact with intermediate terminal 191, thereby preventing the user from getting an electric shock and protecting intermediate terminal 191.

[0061] When the vertical hole 186 is spaced apart from the dielectric 33 in a plan view, the upper current conductor 190 is prevented from coming close to the dielectric 33, which would otherwise cause a discharge between the upper current conductor 190 and the second electrode 32.

[0062] The first current-carrying structure includes a first terminal 85 provided on the base portion 15 and a first current-carrying body 87 that connects the first electrode 31 to the first terminal 85, and the first current-carrying body 87 moves away from the first terminal 85 when the first electrode 31 moves away from the dielectric 33.This configuration prevents high voltage from being applied to the first electrode 31 during the cleaning, allowing the cleaning to be performed safely.

[0063] By forming an upwardly expanding guide surface 187 at the top of the vertical hole 186 that accommodates the terminal connection portion 92 of the first current-carrying body 87, the terminal connection portion 92 can be easily guided into the interior of the vertical hole 186 when returning the first electrode 31 to its original position after cleaning, etc.

[0064] If the rod-shaped first electrode 31 is configured to be rotatable around its central axis, its entire surface can be easily cleaned. Even if part of the surface of the first electrode 31 is contaminated with dirt that cannot be completely removed, discharging can be performed without any problems by placing the clean surface facing the dielectric 33.

[0065] When the wiping body 168 extending parallel to the first electrode 31 is placed in contact with the first electrode 31, the user can easily clean the first electrode 31 by simply rotating it, without using tools such as a cleaning brush. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0066] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a base portion and an inverted discharge portion that constitute the discharge device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional front view schematically showing an ozonizer equipped with the discharge device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the ozonizer. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a discharge unit and a base unit that constitute the discharge device. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of components of the discharge unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 11] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the separated discharge part and base part taken along line AA in FIG. 7. [Figure 12] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 7. [Figure 13] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the separated discharge part and base part taken along line CC in FIG. 7. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an electrode pair that constitutes a discharge unit. [Figure 15] 6 is a time chart illustrating the operation of the discharge device and the notification means based on the detection value of the light detection unit. [Figure 16] FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional front view of a discharge device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an electrode pair that constitutes the discharge unit of the discharge device. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a discharge part and a base part according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a discharge part and a base part according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing a discharge device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the base portion of the discharge device. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a front view schematically showing a discharge device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24]FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the discharge unit of the discharge device. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a front view schematically showing a discharge device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a front view schematically showing a discharge device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a current-carrying structure of a discharge device according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 22 is a front view schematically showing a discharge device according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] FIG. 22 is a front view schematically showing a discharge device according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 30] FIG. 26 is a front view schematically showing a discharge device according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 31] FIG. 22 is a front view schematically showing a discharge device according to a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 32] FIG. 26 is a front view schematically showing a discharge device according to a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0067] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 14. The discharge device of this embodiment is built into a desktop ozonizer (ozone generator) and serves to generate ozone by discharging electricity in the air. In this embodiment, the terms front, back, left, right, and top and bottom refer to the crossed arrows shown in Figures 2 and 4 and the indications of front, back, left, right, and top and bottom written near each arrow. The same applies to the second and subsequent embodiments.

[0068] As shown in Figure 2, the casing 2, which forms the base of the ozonizer 1, consists of a main case 3, which occupies the majority of the casing, and a sub-case 4, which is detachably attached to the top surface of the main case 3. Joining the two cases 3 and 4 forms a roughly L-shaped air passage 5 within the casing 2. Air passage 5 contains a discharge device 6 that generates ozone by electrical discharge and a blower fan 7 that releases the generated ozone from the air passage 5. An intake port 8 for the air passage 5 is located on the right wall of the main case 3, and the blower fan 7 is positioned facing this intake port 8. The left portion of the top wall of the sub-case 4 forms a slope that slopes downward from right to left, and an outlet port 9 for the air passage 5 is located on this slope. The blower fan 7 generates a leftward airflow within the air passage 5, from the intake port 8 to the outlet port 9, and the ozone-containing air is released from the outlet port 9.

[0069] The air passage 5 is divided, from the air inlet 8 (upstream side) to the air outlet 9 (downstream side), into an upstream section 11 formed solely by the main case 3, a midstream section 12 formed by joining the two cases 3 and 4 vertically, and a downstream section 13 formed solely by the sub-case 4. The blower fan 7 is disposed in the upstream section 11 together with a fan motor 14, which serves as its driving source, and the discharge device 6 is disposed in the midstream section 12. The discharge device 6 is composed of a lower base section 15 and an upper discharge section 16. The base section 15 is fixed to the lower half of the midstream section 12, i.e., the main case 3, and the discharge section 16 is detachably attached to the base section 15. The base section 15 is provided with an attachment detection section 17 (see FIG. 3) that detects whether the discharge section 16 is attached. Details of the discharge device 6 will be described later.

[0070] The lower half of the midstream section 12 is defined by the main case 3, while the upper half is defined by the sub-case 4. Therefore, when the sub-case 4 is separated from the main case 3, the top surface of the discharge device 6 is exposed, allowing maintenance of the discharge device 6 to be performed. Specifically, for example, after separating the discharge unit 16 from the base section 15, the surface of the discharge unit 16 can be cleaned. A safety switch 18 is provided on the joint surface of the main case 3 with the sub-case 4 to mechanically detect whether the sub-case 4 is joined.

[0071] The main case 3 houses a control unit 21 that controls the entire ozonizer 1 and a boost circuit (transformer) 22. The main case 3 is also connected to a power supply unit 23 (see FIG. 3 ), such as a commercial power source, via a power cord, and a power switch 24 for turning the power on is provided on the front (left) surface of the main case 3. The boost circuit 22 boosts the AC voltage, for example, 100 V, supplied from the power supply unit 23 to several kV and applies this high voltage to the discharge device 6. The main case 3 also houses a switching power supply (not shown) that converts the AC voltage supplied from the power supply unit 23 into a DC voltage of a predetermined value (e.g., 5 V, 12 V, 24 V, etc.). This DC voltage serves as a drive source for the ICs in the control unit 21 and the fan motor 14. The boost circuit 22 may boost the DC voltage output from the switching power supply and apply it to the discharge device 6. The power supply unit 23 may be a power adapter that outputs DC voltage. In this case, the boost circuit 22 also boosts the DC voltage and applies it to the discharge device 6.

[0072] When the user turns on the power switch 24, the control unit 21 first checks whether the discharge unit 16 and sub-case 4 are present based on the output of the attachment detection unit 17 and the safety switch 18. After confirming that the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15 and that the sub-case 4 is connected to the main case 3, the control unit 21 starts supplying electricity from the power supply unit 23 to the fan motor 14 and the boost circuit 22. When power is supplied to the fan motor 14 and the boost circuit 22, the blower fan 7 and the discharge device 6 are driven. This creates an airflow in the air passage 5 from the intake port 8 to the outlet 9, and air containing ozone generated around the discharge device 6 is blown out through the outlet 9. When the separation of the sub-case 4 or the discharge unit 16 is confirmed, the control unit 21 immediately stops supplying electricity to the boost circuit 22 and other components. This reliably prevents electric shock accidents that could occur if the user were to touch electrodes 31 and 32 (described below) or terminals 85 and 86 (described below) to which high voltage is being applied from the boost circuit 22.

[0073] When starting to energize the fan motor 14 and the boost circuit 22, the control unit 21 may light the notification means 27, which is a lamp, for example, in green to notify the user that the ozonizer 1 is running. If the presence of the discharge unit 16 and the sub-case 4 cannot be confirmed, the notification means 27 may light up in red, for example, to notify the user of this.

[0074] A light detection unit 28 is provided in the air passage 5 near the discharge device 6 to detect the blue light emitted by the discharge unit 16 during discharge. Specific examples of the light detection unit 28 include a color sensor using a photodiode and a camera. The control unit 21 can determine the degree of contamination (accumulation of dust, etc.) on the discharge unit 16 based on the amount of blue light detected by the light detection unit 28.

[0075] If the detection value (the amount of blue light) of the light detection unit 28 is less than a predetermined value, i.e., if the controller 21 determines that the level of contamination is high, the controller 21 activates the notification unit 27, for example, by illuminating it in yellow, to prompt the user to promptly clean the discharge device 6. At the same time, the controller 21 may increase the voltage applied to the discharge device 6. This suppresses a decrease in the amount of ozone generated due to contamination (accumulation of dust, etc.) on the discharge unit 16, enabling the generation of ozone at a level close to that of an uncontaminated environment. Specifically, for example, the ozonizer 1 or the discharge device 6 may be equipped with multiple boost circuits 22 with different transformation ratios, and the voltage applied to the discharge device 6 may be increased by switching between the boost circuits 22. Alternatively, the voltage applied to the discharge device 6 may be increased by controlling the duty ratio of the switching elements constituting the boost circuit 22. Instead of increasing the voltage of the discharge device 6, the controller 21 may stop powering the discharge device 6 (boost circuit 22) or the fan motor 14. In a situation where there is a risk that the amount of ozone generated will be insufficient, it is possible to avoid unnecessary power consumption by stopping the discharge device 6 and the like rather than continuing to drive them.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 4, the discharge device 6 is composed of a base unit 15 that is fixed within the air passage 5, and a discharge unit 16 that is detachably attached to the top of the base unit 15. Because the discharge unit 16 is detachable from the base unit 15, the discharge unit 16, which is relatively prone to getting dirty, can be easily cleaned while separated from the base unit 15. Furthermore, if the discharge unit 16 breaks down, only the discharge unit 16 can be replaced, reducing repair costs compared to replacing the entire discharge device 6, including the base unit 15. Another advantage is that workers can easily attach the discharge unit 16 to the base unit 15 on the production line for the discharge device 6 or the ozonizer 1. The entire discharge unit 16 is rotationally symmetrical, or more precisely, two-fold symmetrical, around a vertical axis V that passes through the front-to-back and left-to-right centers of the discharge device 6 (base unit 15 and discharge unit 16). In other words, if the orientation of the discharge unit 16 shown in Figure 4 is defined as the first posture, and the state in which the discharge unit 16 is rotated 180 degrees around the vertical axis V from this first posture is defined as the second posture, the discharge unit 16 can be properly attached to the base unit 15 in either the first posture or the second posture.

[0077] The discharge unit 16 is composed of a first electrode 31 and a second electrode 32 facing each other from top to bottom, a dielectric 33 interposed between the electrodes 31 and 32, and a discharge case 34 supporting these. The upper first electrode 31 is formed in a straight rod shape extending laterally and abutting the upper surface of the dielectric 33. The lower second electrode 32 is formed of a film formed on the lower surface of the dielectric 33 by a film-forming method such as sputtering. Each electrode 31 and 32 can be formed of any metal or alloy, such as silver, copper, or stainless steel. In this embodiment, the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 are formed of titanium, which has excellent corrosion resistance. The diameter of the rod-shaped first electrode 31 is 1 mm, and the thickness of the film-shaped second electrode 32 is 50 to 150 nm. By using a thin film for the second electrode 32, the discharge unit 16 can be made compact with small vertical dimensions.

[0078] The dielectric 33 is made of an insulating material such as glass and is formed into a horizontal rectangular plate that is long in the left-right direction. Specific examples of insulating glass include borosilicate glass and quartz glass. In this embodiment, the thickness of the dielectric 33 is 0.7 mm. The discharge case 34 is made of insulating plastic, and a rectangular discharge opening 35 is formed in the upper surface thereof, exposing the first electrode 31 and the dielectric 33 upward.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 5, the discharge case 34 is composed of a rectangular frame-shaped outer case 37 with openings at the top and bottom, and a rectangular dish-shaped inner case 38 with a downward opening. The inner case 38 is fitted inside the outer case 37 from below. The upper opening of the outer case 37 functions as the discharge opening 35, and the lower opening of the outer case 37 is closed by the inner case 38. An engagement structure consisting of a protrusion 39 and a recess 40 is provided on each of the front and rear walls of both cases 37 and 38 (see FIG. 12). In this embodiment, the protrusions 39 are provided on the outer surfaces of the front and rear walls of the inner case 38, and the recesses 40 are provided on the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls of the outer case 37, but of course this arrangement may be reversed. An engagement structure may also be provided on the left and right walls of both cases 37 and 38.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 6 , the base case 42, which forms the base of the base portion 15, is made of insulating plastic molding, similar to the outer case 37 and inner case 38 of the discharge case 34. It is formed in a rectangular, stepped platform shape, with a relatively small upper section 43 and a large lower section 44 integrated into one unit. The lower section 44 of the base case 42 is fixed to the main case 3 with a plurality of screws 45. A downward-facing mounting recess 46 is provided inside the inner case 38, receiving the upper section 43 and surrounding it from the front, rear, left, and right. A downward-facing engaging protrusion 47 is formed in the center of the bottom surface of this mounting recess 46. Correspondingly, an upward-facing engaging recess 48 is formed in the center of the top surface of the upper section 43, receiving the engaging protrusion 47. The engaging protrusion 47 is a flat protrusion with a rectangular cross section, and the engaging recess 48 is a flat, rectangular recess slightly larger than the engaging protrusion 47.

[0081] When the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15 from above, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the upper step 43 of the base case 42 fits into the inner case 38 of the discharge case 34 from below and engages with the attachment recess 46, and the engaging protrusion 47 engages with the engaging recess 48. This engagement restricts horizontal displacement and rotation of the discharge unit 16 relative to the base unit 15. The planar shapes of the engaging protrusion 47 and the engaging recess 48 are not limited to rectangular. For example, if they are other non-circular shapes such as polygonal or elliptical, the periphery of the engaging protrusion 47 can be tightly surrounded by the wall surface of the engaging recess 48, thereby restricting displacement and rotation of the discharge unit 16. Multiple pairs of engaging protrusions 47 and engaging recesses 48 can also be provided. In this case, displacement and rotation of the discharge unit 16 can be restricted regardless of the planar shapes of the engaging protrusions 47 and engaging recesses 48.

[0082] When the discharge unit 16 is attached, the horizontal top walls of the inner case 38 and the upper section 43 face each other vertically. Hereinafter, the portion of the top wall of the inner case 38 that faces the upper section 43 (excluding both left and right ends) will be referred to as the upper facing wall 51, and the top wall of the upper section 43 will be referred to as the lower facing wall 52. These facing walls 51 and 52 are provided with attachment / retention means for preventing the discharge unit 16 from unintentionally separating upward from the base section 15 and for maintaining the discharge unit 16 in the attached state. This attachment / retention means is composed of a rectangular parallelepiped magnet 53 attached to the upper facing wall 51 of the inner case 38 and a rectangular plate-shaped magnetic body 54 attached to the lower facing wall 52 of the upper section 43.

[0083] Specifically, an upper accommodating recess 55 that opens upward and accommodates the magnet 53 is formed in the center of the upper surface of the upper opposing wall 51, and a lower accommodating recess 56 that opens downward and accommodates the magnetic body 54 is formed in the center of the lower surface of the lower opposing wall 52. The upper surface of the magnet 53 accommodated in the upper accommodating recess 55 is substantially flush with the upper surface of the upper opposing wall 51. The lower accommodating recess 56 is formed inside a rectangular surrounding frame 57 that protrudes from the lower surface of the lower opposing wall 52. The base end (upper portion) of the surrounding frame 57 is formed thicker than the tip end (lower portion). The aforementioned attachment detection unit 17, which is made up of a magnetic sensor, is fixed to the lower surface of the magnetic body 54, and the attachment detection unit 17 is accommodated in the lower accommodating recess 56 together with the magnetic body 54.

[0084] The magnet 53 constituting the attachment / retention means is disposed on the rear side (upper side) of the engaging protrusion 47, with the upper opposing wall 51 sandwiched therebetween, and the magnetic body 54 is disposed on the rear side (lower side) of the engaging recess 48, with the lower opposing wall 52 sandwiched therebetween. Therefore, when the engaging protrusion 47 is engaged with the engaging recess 48, the magnet 53 is positioned directly above and close to the magnetic body 54, and the magnetic body 54 is reliably attracted to the magnet 53. This attractive force prevents the discharge unit 16 from unintentionally separating upward from the base unit 15. The attachment detection unit 17, located below the magnetic body 54, outputs a signal to the control unit 21 when it detects the magnetic field emitted by the magnet 53. By receiving this signal, the control unit 21 can determine that the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15. When the magnetic body 54 is arranged in the upper part 43 of the base case 42, the impact when the discharge device 6 is subjected to an external force is less likely to reach the magnetic body 54, and the discharge part 16 is less likely to come off the base part 15, compared to when it is arranged in the lower part 44.

[0085] The magnet 53 accommodated in the upper accommodating recess 55 is surrounded on all four sides (front, back, left, and right) by the walls of the upper accommodating recess 55, thereby restricting horizontal displacement and rotation about the vertical axis V. Similarly, the magnetic body 54 accommodated in the lower accommodating recess 56 is also restricted on all four sides (front, back, left, and right) by the walls of the lower accommodating recess 56, thereby restricting horizontal displacement and rotation about the vertical axis V. The planar shapes of the magnet 53 and the magnetic body 54 are not limited to rectangular. For example, if the shape is a non-circular shape such as a polygon or an ellipse, the magnet 53 and the magnetic body 54 can be restricted from being displaced or rotated by surrounding it with the walls of the accommodating recesses 55 and 56. Furthermore, contrary to this embodiment, the magnetic body may be arranged in the discharge unit 16 and the magnet may be arranged in the base unit 15, or magnets may be arranged in both the discharge unit 16 and the base unit 15. However, if a magnet 53 is placed next to the discharge part 16, the discharge part 16 separated from the base part 15 can be attracted and held on a stainless steel sink or the like, which is convenient when drying the discharge part 16 after washing it with water.

[0086] The second electrode 32 and the dielectric 33 are adhesively fixed to the upper surfaces of the upper opposing walls 51 (and magnet 53) of the inner case 38 via cushioning material 58 made of double-sided tape. The cushioning material 58 is formed in a rectangular shape that is slightly larger than the dielectric 33, and the second electrode 32 is sandwiched between the dielectric 33 and the cushioning material 58 from above and below. The peripheral edge of the cushioning material 58 elastically deforms and is in close contact with the dielectric 33. As shown in FIG. 8, the upper ends of the front and rear walls of the outer case 37 protrude inward toward the rod-shaped first electrode 31, and the underside of this protrusion is formed in a stepped shape with an upper internal receiving portion 59 that receives the front and rear edges of the dielectric 33 and a lower external receiving portion 60 that receives the front and rear edges of the cushioning material 58.

[0087] The dielectric 33 is sandwiched from above and below between the outer case 37 (internal receiving portion 59) and the inner case 38 (upper opposing wall 51). The cushion material 58 located between the dielectric 33 and the inner case 38 is elastically deformed by being pressed from above by the dielectric 33 and the external receiving portion 60 and from below by the inner case 38, thereby absorbing design tolerances such as the thickness of the dielectric 33. The dielectric 33 is positioned in the front-to-rear direction by the vertical wall between the internal receiving portion 59 and the external receiving portion 60 of the outer case 37. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper part of the outer case 37 is provided with a pair of left and right upper walls 61 that form the left and right edges of the discharge opening 35, and the dielectric 33 is positioned in the left-to-right direction by the opposing end faces of both walls 61.

[0088] The rod-shaped first electrode 31 is supported by a pair of left and right electrode support structures 64 provided on the discharge case 34. The electrode support structures 64 are composed of upper support portions 65 provided on both the left and right sides of the discharge opening 35 in the outer case 37 and lower support portions 66 protruding from both the left and right ends of the top wall of the inner case 38 (both the left and right sides of the upper opposing wall 51). The upper support portions 65 are formed in the front-to-rear center of each top wall 61 of the outer case 37, protruding in a tunnel-like shape extending left and right. An upper semicircular receiving groove 67 is recessed into the inner surface of the upper support portion 65 to receive the upper half of the first electrode 31, and a relief recess 68 is formed in the left and right midpoints of each receiving groove 67 to receive an electrode connection portion 90 of a first current conductor 87 (described later) (see FIG. 7). The outermost of the left and right ends of each receiving groove 67 (the end closest to the tip of the first electrode 31) is located directly above a lower semicircular receiving portion 69 (see Figure 9) recessed into the tip surface of the lower support portion 66, and these two portions 67, 69 cooperate to hold the first electrode 31 from above and below. A guide groove 70 (see Figure 9) extending downward and continuing from the receiving groove 67 is recessed into the inner surface of the left and right walls of the outer case 37. When assembling the discharge unit 16, the first electrode 31 can be slid upward along this guide groove 70 until it is positioned so that it can be received in the receiving groove 67.

[0089] When a set of the first electrode 31, the dielectric 33, and the second electrode 32 is defined as an electrode unit 71 (see FIG. 8 ), the electrode unit 71 is sandwiched from above and below by the outer case 37 and the inner case 38 together with the cushion material 58 inside the discharge case 34. Specifically, the first electrode 31 constituting the upper part of the electrode unit 71 is supported from above by the upper support part 65 of the outer case 37, and the second electrode 32 and the dielectric 33 constituting the lower part of the electrode unit 71 are supported from below by the upper opposing wall 51 of the inner case 38 via the cushion material 58. The upper opposing wall 51 constitutes a lower support part 72 that supports the surface of the dielectric 33 facing the second electrode 32, or the lower support part 72 that supports the second electrode 32 from the back side of the dielectric 33.

[0090] As the discharge device 6 operates, i.e., discharges, white dust, primarily composed of nitrates, may accumulate on the upper surface of the discharge unit 16, particularly on the surfaces of the first electrode 31 and dielectric 33. When ozone is generated, nitrogen, oxygen, and moisture in the air may react to produce nitric acid, which causes the accumulation of nitrates, i.e., dust. This dust interferes with discharge, so it is desirable to remove it regularly; this can be done by washing with water or using a cleaning brush.

[0091] The cleaning brush desirably moves left and right, corresponding to the extension direction of the first electrode 31. This allows the bristles of the cleaning brush to move from one end of the first electrode 31 to the other, cleaning the surfaces of the first electrode 31 and the dielectric 33 simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 4, the top surface of the outer case 37 of the discharge case 34 is provided with upward grooves 73 adjacent to both the left and right sides of the dielectric 33 (discharge opening 35) to smoothly guide the bristles of the cleaning brush onto the surface of the dielectric 33 and to smoothly remove the bristles that have captured dust on the surface. The top surface of the dielectric 33 and the bottom surface of the grooves 73 are flush with each other. This prevents dust from getting caught between the dielectric 33 and the grooves 73, allowing it to be easily swept away without leaving any residue.

[0092] Furthermore, a pair of ridges 74 extending parallel to the first electrode 31 are provided on the upper surface of the outer case 37 of the discharge case 34, with the dielectric 33 (discharge opening 35) between them. The side surfaces of each ridge 74 facing the dielectric 33 at the left and right center form a central guide surface 75, and the side surfaces continuing on both the left and right sides of the central guide surface 75 form end guide surfaces 76 that define the groove 73. In this embodiment, the groove 73 is defined by the ridges 74 (end guide surfaces 76), the upper wall 61, and the upper support portion 65, and the groove 73 is formed on both the front and rear sides of each of the left and right upper support portions 65.

[0093] The central guide surface 75 of each protrusion 74 guides the bristles of the cleaning brush left and right and keeps them on the surface of the dielectric 33, contributing to accurate cleaning of the surface. The left and right end guide surfaces 76 smoothly connect to the central guide surface 75. These guide surfaces 75 allow the bristles of the cleaning brush to smoothly enter the surface of the dielectric 33 from one groove 73 and exit smoothly from that surface to the other groove 73. For example, a user can insert the cleaning brush into the left groove 73, move the brush straight to the right to capture dust, and then sweep it out through the right groove 73. Performing this procedure on both the front and rear sides of the first electrode 31 completes dust removal, i.e., cleaning.

[0094] The above cleaning work is performed with the discharge unit 16 separated from the base unit 15. When removing the discharge unit 16, the left and right upper support parts 65 function as knobs. To indicate to the user that these upper support parts 65 are knobs, marks 79 consisting of protrusions are provided at the front-to-back centers of the left and right outer surfaces of the discharge case 34 (outer case 37). This allows the user to recognize that the upper support part 65 directly above the marks 79 is the knob. For example, the user can place their thumb on one upper support part 65 and their index finger on the other upper support part 65, and then pick up and pull up the discharge unit 16 with both fingers from both the left and right sides, thereby separating it from the base unit 15. The left-to-right dimension of the discharge unit 16 (discharge case 34) according to this embodiment is approximately 45 mm, and the front-to-back dimension is approximately 16 mm.

[0095] Using the upper support part 65, which protrudes significantly above the first electrode 31, as a knob effectively prevents the user from touching the first electrode 31 or the dielectric 33 and getting sebum or the like on them. Indicating that the upper support part 65 is a knob with a mark 79 effectively prevents the user from accidentally touching the first electrode 31 or the dielectric 33 by gripping parts other than the upper support part 65, such as the front or rear walls of the discharge case 34. The mark 79 may be a mark printed on the discharge case 34, but by making it a protrusion, the mark 79 can also function as an anti-slip material, allowing the user to hold the discharge case 34 firmly.

[0096] Furthermore, the tunnel-shaped upper support portion 65 that covers the first electrode 31 from above protrudes farther upward than the first electrode 31, so that when the discharge portion 16 is dropped upside down, it will strike the floor or other surface first, preventing a direct impact on the first electrode 31. In other words, the upper support portion 65 also serves as a first protective portion 81 that protects the first electrode 31 from impact when dropped. Furthermore, although a pair of protrusions 74 provided on the front and rear of the outer case 37 protrude less than the first protective portion 81 (upper support portion 65), they protrude upward from the first electrode 31 (see FIG. 7) and can strike the floor or other surface first, just like the first protective portion 81. In other words, the protrusions 74 constitute a second protective portion 82 that protects the first electrode 31 from impact when dropped.

[0097] Next, the current-carrying structure for the electrodes 31 and 32 will be described. As shown in Figure 7, the base portion 15 is provided with a first terminal 85 and a second terminal 86 to which an AC voltage of several kV is supplied from the boost circuit 22. The first electrode 31 is electrically connected to the first terminal 85 via a first current-carrying body 87, and the second electrode 32 is electrically connected to the second terminal 86 via a second current-carrying body 88. In other words, the boost circuit 22 applies a high AC voltage to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 via the terminals 85 and 86 and the current-carrying bodies 87 and 88. The terminals 85 and 86 and the current-carrying bodies 87 and 88 are formed of a metal such as gold-plated stainless steel.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 10 , the first current-carrying body 87 is formed by bending a single conductive wire (metal wire) and includes, in order from the top side of the first electrode 31, an electrode connection portion 90, a seaming portion 91, and a terminal connection portion 92. The electrode connection portion 90 is formed in a coil shape with its axis in the left-right direction and is wound around the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31 so as to closely contact the electrode connection portion 90 (see FIG. 7 ). The seaming portion 91 is L-shaped in side view, having vertical and horizontal portions, and biases one end of the electrode connection portion 90, which is continuous with the vertical portion, downward. Pulling one end of the electrode connection portion 90 downward with the seaming portion 91 enhances the tightness of contact between the electrode connection portion 90 and the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31. The seaming portion 91 exhibits spring properties because the horizontal portion of the seaming portion 91 is received by the underside of the top wall 61 of the outer case 37, i.e., the seat portion 94.

[0099] The terminal connection portion 92, which is continuous with the lower side of the seaming portion 91, is formed as a compression coil spring with its axis extending vertically. When the discharge unit 16 is attached as shown in FIG. 10 , the lower end of the terminal connection portion 92 elastically contacts the upper surface of the first terminal 85, electrically connecting the first conductive body 87 to the first terminal 85. At this time, the terminal connection portion 92 is compressed vertically, and its upper end is received by the seat 94, similar to the horizontal portion of the seaming portion 91. The lower end of the terminal connection portion 92, i.e., the first contact 95, is formed in an annular shape, and a spring receiving portion 96 that fits into the first contact 95 is formed on the upper surface of the first terminal 85. The spring receiving portion 96 penetrates into and engages with the inside of the first contact 95, thereby restricting misalignment of the terminal connection portion 92 relative to the first terminal 85 and further stabilizing the electrical connection between the terminals 85 and 92.

[0100] The first current-carrying body 87, which integrally includes the electrode connection portion 90, seaming portion 91, and terminal connection portion 92, reduces the number of parts and reduces assembly labor and costs during manufacturing. The compressed terminal connection portion 92 resiliently contacts the first terminal 85, ensuring stable and reliable electrical connection between them. Additionally, it can accommodate vertical dimensional design tolerances of the discharge case 34 (outer case 37) and base case 42. Furthermore, the terminal connection portion 92 is spaced horizontally (front-to-back) from the vertical portion of the seaming portion 91 via the horizontal portion. This prevents the downward biasing force acting on the electrode connection portion 90 from the vertical portion of the seaming portion 91 from being counteracted by the repulsive force of the terminal connection portion 92, allowing the electrode connection portion 90 to be tightly attached to the peripheral surface of the first electrode 31.

[0101] A generally cylindrical storage boss 99 projects downward from the underside of the upper wall 61 of the outer case 37, surrounding the seat 94. The storage boss 99 defines a storage hole 98 for the terminal connection portion 92 of the first current-carrying body 87. The upper half of the terminal connection portion 92 is stored in the storage hole 98, and by surrounding the upper half of the terminal connection portion 92 with the storage boss 99 in this manner, the upper half can be protected from external forces and prevented from deformation or other damage. A vertical groove is formed in part of the peripheral wall of the storage boss 99, allowing the horizontal portion of the seaming portion 91 to pass through.

[0102] An insertion hole 100 is provided in the top wall of the inner case 38, allowing the insertion of the storage boss 99 and the terminal connection portion 92. The peripheral surface of the insertion hole 100 is close to and surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the tip (lower end) of the storage boss 99. In other words, the insertion hole 100 protects the tip of the storage boss 99 from external forces, preventing damage such as deformation. A terminal block 101 protrudes from the upper surface of the lower section 44 of the base case 42, and faces the storage boss 99 when the discharge unit 16 is attached. The terminal block 101 is formed in the shape of a square tube that opens upward, and the spring bearing portion 96 of the first terminal 85 is disposed inside it.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 11, when the discharge part 16 is separated from the base part 15, the first current conductor 87 moves integrally with the discharge part 16, and the terminal connection part 92 is separated from the first terminal 85, so that it returns from the compressed state to the natural length L1. With respect to this natural length L1, the depth of the storage hole 98 (the height of the storage boss 99) D1 is set to a dimension that satisfies the inequality (L1 / 2 < D1 < L1). When the depth D1 of the storage hole 98 is greater than half of the natural length L1 of the terminal connection part 92, that is, when the upper half part of the terminal connection part 92 is stored in the storage hole 98, the upper and lower central part of the terminal connection part 92 that is relatively easy to buckle is surrounded by the storage boss 99, and its buckling can be accurately prevented. Also, since the terminal connection part 92 does not shrink beyond the depth D1 of the storage hole 98 (so as to be shorter than the depth D1), by setting this depth D1 to be greater than half of the natural length L1 of the terminal connection part 92, the terminal connection part 92 is not excessively compressed when the discharge part 16 is mounted, the deterioration of the terminal connection part 92 can be suppressed, and the life of the first current conductor 87 can be extended. The lower end of the terminal connection part 92 at the natural length L1 is located above the lower end of the discharge case 34. According to this, when the discharge part 16 separated from the base part 15 is placed on a table or the like, the terminal connection part 92 does not touch the table, that is, is not compressed, the deterioration of the terminal connection part 92 can be suppressed, and the life can be extended.

[0104] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the energization from the second terminal 86 to the second electrode 32 is performed through a pair of front and rear second current conductors 88. Each second current conductor 88 is formed in a compressed coil spring shape with the vertical direction as the axial direction using a single wire (metal wire) as the material. While the previous first current conductor 87 is connected to the first electrode 31 of the discharge part 16 and can be separated from the first terminal 85 of the base part 15, this second current conductor 88 is connected to the second terminal 86 of the base part 15 and can be separated from the second electrode 32 of the discharge part 16. The lower end of the second current conductor 88 is caulked and fixed to the second terminal 86, whereby the second current conductor 88 is supported in a self-standing state by the second terminal 86. In the mounted state of the discharge part 16 shown in FIG. 12, each second current conductor 88 is compressed in the vertical direction, and its upper end elastically adheres to the lower surface of the second electrode 32.

[0105] Cylindrical storage bosses 105 and 106 protrude upward and downward from the lower opposing wall 52 of the base case 42, defining a storage hole 104 for the second current-carrying body 88. The lower majority of the second current-carrying body 88, excluding its upper end, is housed in the storage hole 104. By surrounding the lower majority of the second current-carrying body 88 with the storage bosses 105 and 106, this majority is protected from external forces, preventing deformation and other damage. The protruding end (lower end) of the lower storage boss 106 abuts against the second terminal 86 and surrounds the connecting (crimped) portion between the second terminal 86 and the second current-carrying body 88. The protruding end (upper end) of the upper storage boss 105 is in close proximity to, but not in contact with, the underside of the second electrode 32 when the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15. At this time, the upper end of the second current-carrying body 88 protrudes from the tip of the upper housing boss 105 , that is, from the upper opening of the housing hole 104 , and comes into close contact with the lower surface of the second electrode 32 .

[0106] The upper opposing wall 51 and cushion material 58 of the inner case 38 of the discharge unit 16 are each provided with insertion holes 107 and 108 that allow the upper storage boss 105 to pass through. The inner peripheral surface of each insertion hole 107 and 108 is closely spaced from and surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the upper storage boss 105. These insertion holes 107 and 108 prevent horizontal misalignment of the upper storage boss 105 relative to the second electrode 32, thereby ensuring that the second current-carrying body 88 abuts the appropriate location on the second electrode 32. The outer peripheral surface of the tip of the upper storage boss 105 is tapered, narrowing upward, and the lower portion of the insertion hole 107 in the upper opposing wall 51 that allows the upper storage boss 105 to pass through is tapered, widening downward. These tapered surfaces allow the upper storage boss 105 to be easily guided into the insertion hole 107 when attaching the discharge unit 16 to the base unit 15.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 13, when the discharge part 16 is separated from the base part 15, the second current-carrying body 88 is separated from the second electrode 32 and returns from the compressed state to the natural length L2. With respect to this natural length L2, the depth D2 of the storage hole 104 is set to a dimension that satisfies the inequality (L2 / 2 < D2 < L2). When the depth D2 of the storage hole 104 is greater than half of the natural length L2 of the second current-carrying body 88, that is, when the lower over half part of the second current-carrying body 88 is stored in the storage hole 104, the upper and lower central part of the second current-carrying body 88 that is relatively prone to buckling can be surrounded by the storage hole 104, and its buckling can be accurately prevented. Furthermore, since the second current-carrying body 88 does not shrink beyond the depth D2 of the storage hole 104 (so as to be shorter than the depth D2), by setting this depth D2 to be greater than half of the natural length L2 of the second current-carrying body 88, the second current-carrying body 88 is not overly compressed when the discharge part 16 is mounted, the deterioration of the second current-carrying body 88 can be suppressed, and its lifespan can be extended. Also, the height T of the upper storage boss 105 is set to be smaller than half of the depth D2 of the storage hole 104 (T < D2 / 2). According to this, the protrusion amount of the upper storage boss 105 from the lower opposing wall 52 can be reduced, and deformation and breakage of the upper storage boss 105 when it receives an external force can be well prevented.

[0108] According to the form in which the second current-carrying body 88 in the compressed state elastically adheres to the second electrode 32, the electrical connection between the two 32 and 88 becomes stable and reliable. In addition, design tolerances such as the vertical dimension of the base case 42 and the vertical thickness of the dielectric 33 can be absorbed. By supporting the back side, that is, the upper surface of the surface of the second electrode 32 that receives the second current-carrying body 88 with the dielectric 33 made of a glass plate, the second electrode 32 can be reinforced and its deformation and the like can be prevented. Since the dielectric 33 is sufficiently thicker than the second electrode 32, the second electrode 32 can be firmly reinforced. The upward elastic force acting on the dielectric 33 from the second current-carrying body 88 via the second electrode 32 is firmly received by the inner receiving part 59 of the outer case 37.

[0109] When the second electrode 32 and the second terminal 86 are electrically connected by a pair of second current-carrying bodies 88, even if a connection failure occurs between one of the second current-carrying bodies 88 and the second electrode 32 or the second terminal 86, current can be passed through the other second current-carrying body 88, improving the reliability of the discharge device 6. The pair of second current-carrying bodies 88 have the same spring constant. This allows the elastic force acting on the second electrode 32 to be uniform, without bias toward either the front or rear, thereby ensuring appropriate contact between both second current-carrying bodies 88 and the second electrode 32 and stabilizing the electrical connection therebetween. Furthermore, the upward elastic force acting from each second current-carrying body 88 on the second electrode 32 also acts on the first electrode 31 via the dielectric 33. The synergistic effect of this upward elastic force and the elastic force of the seaming portion 91 of the first current-carrying body 87 pulling one end of the electrode connection portion 90 downward further improves the contact of the electrode connection portion 90 with the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31.

[0110] Of course, the vertical repulsive force exerted by the second current-carrying body 88 and the terminal connection portion 92 of the first current-carrying body 87 in a compressed state is sufficiently smaller than the attractive force between the magnet 53 and the magnetic body 54 that constitute the aforementioned attachment and retention means, and the discharge portion 16 will not be separated from the base portion 15 solely by the repulsive force between the second current-carrying body 88 and the terminal connection portion 92. However, since part of the attractive force of the attachment and retention means is offset by the repulsive force between the second current-carrying body 88 and the terminal connection portion 92, the user can separate the discharge portion 16 from the base portion 15 with less force when cleaning the discharge portion 16, for example.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 1 , the first terminal 85 (spring receiving portion 96) is disposed at only one left or right end (here, the left end) of the base portion 15, whereas the first current-carrying body 87 is disposed at both left and right ends of the first electrode 31. Of these, only one first current-carrying body 87 comes into close contact with the first terminal 85 when the discharge unit 16 is attached, contributing to the conduction of electricity from the first terminal 85 to the first electrode 31. Furthermore, a pair of second current-carrying bodies 88 are disposed at only one left or right side (here, the right side) of the base portion 15, whereas insertion holes 107 and 108 that allow the second current-carrying bodies 88 to pass through are disposed on both left and right sides of the discharge unit 16. Of these, only one insertion hole 107 and 108 allows the second current-carrying body 88 to pass through when the discharge unit 16 is attached, contributing to the conduction of electricity from the second terminal 86 to the second electrode 32.

[0112] The first current-carrying bodies 87 are disposed on both the left and right sides of the first electrode 31, and the insertion holes 107 and 108 are disposed on both the left and right sides of the discharge unit 16 because the discharge unit 16 has two-fold symmetry about the vertical axis V, as described above. When the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15 in the first position, the left-side first current-carrying body 87 and the right-side insertion holes 107 and 108 perform their functions, and when the discharge unit 16 is attached in the second position, the right-side first current-carrying body 87 and the left-side insertion holes 107 and 108 perform their functions. In other words, whether the two-fold symmetric discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15 in the first position or the second position, the electrodes 31 and 32 and the terminals 85 and 86 are electrically connected via the current-carrying bodies 87 and 88. This makes the discharge device 6 user-friendly, as the user does not need to worry about the orientation of the discharge unit 16 when attaching it.

[0113] In addition, no terminal block 101 or the like is provided at a diagonal position of the first terminal 85 (spring receiving portion 96) in a plan view of the base case 42. Therefore, when the terminal connection portion 92 of one first current conductor 87 is in close contact with the first terminal 85, the terminal connection portion 92 of the other first current conductor 87 is extended to its natural length and faces the upper surface of the lower portion 44 of the base case 42. In other words, by preventing the terminal connection portion 92 from being compressed, its deterioration can be suppressed and its lifespan can be extended. Furthermore, the location where the second electrode 32 is in close contact with the second current conductor 88 differs between the first and second positions of the discharge unit 16. This suppresses wear on the second electrode 32 and extends its lifespan.

[0114] The spring bearing portion 96 of the first terminal 85 that receives the first current-carrying body 87 is disposed in the lower portion 44 of the base case 42, whereas the second current-carrying body 88 extending from the second terminal 86 is disposed in the upper portion 43 of the same case 42. In other words, the pair of terminals 85 and 86 and the current-carrying bodies 87 and 88 are disposed separately in the upper and lower portions 43 and 44 of the base case 42.

[0115] As shown in Figure 14, the second electrode 32 is formed in a rectangular shape that is slightly smaller than the dielectric 33 and is elongated from side to side. A gap 110 is provided in the front-to-rear center, i.e., directly below the first electrode 31, extending parallel to the first electrode 31. In other words, the second electrode 32 is divided by the gap 110 into a first region 111 on the front side and a second region 112 on the rear side, and the two regions 111 and 112 are continuous only via three bridge portions 113 on the left and right. The bridge portions 113 are located in the left-to-right center and at both ends of the second electrode 32. Each bridge portion 113 is formed (deposited) simultaneously with the first region 111 and the second region 112, but may be formed separately from these regions 111 and 112.

[0116] When a high AC voltage is applied to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32, a silent discharge (dielectric barrier discharge) occurs between the first electrode 31 and the surface (upper surface) of the dielectric 33 covering the second electrode 32, converting some of the oxygen in the surrounding air into ozone. In a plan view, the entire second electrode 32 is disposed inside the periphery of the dielectric 33, which reliably prevents discharge between the electrodes 31 and 32 without passing through the dielectric 33. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the periphery of the cushion material 58 is in close contact with the dielectric 33, and the entire periphery of the second electrode 32 is sealed between the dielectric 33 and the cushion material 58. This more reliably prevents discharge between the periphery of the second electrode 32 and the first electrode 31 without passing through the dielectric 33.

[0117] To generate this silent discharge over a wide area and increase the amount of ozone generated, a gap 110 is provided in the center between the front and rear of the second electrode 32, i.e., directly below the first electrode 31. The presence of this gap 110 causes the charge on the surface of the dielectric 33 to concentrate more in front of and behind the first electrode 31 (above the first region 111 and the second region 112) than directly below it, resulting in discharge occurring over a wide area on the surface of the dielectric 33. In addition, the gap 110 makes it possible to prevent the discharge from concentrating directly below the first electrode 31, where white dust (nitrates) that hinders discharge is likely to accumulate. By generating discharges in front of and behind the first electrode 31, where dust accumulation is relatively small, the amount of discharge can be maintained for a relatively long period of time, thereby reducing the number of times the user needs to clean the discharge unit 16.

[0118] The width W1 of the first electrode 31 in the front-to-rear direction is 1 mm, which corresponds to its diameter, while the width W2 of the gap 110 in the same direction is set to 2 mm. Setting the width W2 of the gap 110 larger than the width W1 of the first electrode 31 reduces the charge that accumulates directly below the first electrode 31 on the surface of the dielectric 33, allowing the discharge to spread over a wider area. Also, as shown in FIG. 13 , the height H1 of the first electrode 31 in the vertical direction is 1 mm, which corresponds to its diameter, while the thickness H2 of the dielectric 33 in the vertical direction is set to 0.7 mm. Setting the thickness H2 of the dielectric 33 smaller than the height H1 of the first electrode 31 moves the imaginary line connecting the front and rear edges of the second electrode 32 and the first electrode 31 closer to horizontal than vertical, thereby moving the charge distribution on the surface of the dielectric 33 closer to the front and rear edges, allowing the discharge to spread over a wider area.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 14 , one of a pair of front and rear second current-carrying bodies 88 extending from the second terminal 86 is connected to the first region 111 of the second electrode 32, and the other is connected to the second region 112. Therefore, even if the bridge portion 113 is not present and the regions 111 and 112 are separated from each other, it is possible to supply voltage to each of the regions 111 and 112. However, if one of the second current-carrying bodies 88 deteriorates and a connection failure occurs between the second electrode 32 and the second terminal 86, this would result in a disadvantage in that voltage could only be supplied to half of the region of the second electrode 32. To avoid this disadvantage, in this embodiment, the first region 111 and the second region 112 are connected by the bridge portion 113. As a result, even if a connection failure occurs in one of the second current-carrying bodies 88, voltage can be supplied to the entire second electrode 32 via the other second current-carrying body 88.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 1 , in the discharge device 6 according to this embodiment, the first current-carrying structure, which conducts current from the base 15 to the first electrode 31, is composed of one first terminal 85 provided on the base 15 and two first current-carrying bodies 87 connected to the first electrode 31. The first terminal 85 constitutes one first normal contact 171 that is used for current conduction regardless of the mounting position (first position or second position) of the discharge unit 16, and the terminal connection portion 92 of each first current-carrying body 87 constitutes a first selective contact 172 that is selectively used for current conduction depending on the mounting position of the discharge unit 16. That is, in each mounting position of the discharge unit 16, the first normal contact 171 contacts one of the first selective contacts 172, and the first current-carrying structure is in a conducting state. The two first selective contacts 172 are arranged rotationally symmetrically (dyad-symmetrically) around the vertical axis V.

[0121] The second current-carrying structure, which conducts current from the base 15 to the second electrode 32, is composed of one second terminal 86 and one set of second current-carrying bodies 88 provided on the base 15, and two sets of exposed portions of the second electrode 32, one on the left and one on the right, facing the insertion holes 107 and 108. One set of second current-carrying bodies 88 constitutes one second normal contact 173 that is used for current conduction regardless of the mounting position of the discharge unit 16, and each set of exposed portions of the second electrode 32 constitutes second selective contacts 174 that are selectively used for current conduction depending on the mounting position of the discharge unit 16. In other words, in each mounting position of the discharge unit 16, the second normal contact 173 comes into contact with one of the second selective contacts 174, and the second current-carrying structure is in a conducting state. The two second selective contacts 174 are also arranged rotationally symmetrically (dyad-symmetrically) around the vertical axis V.

[0122] In this way, regardless of the mounting orientation of the discharge unit 16, the normal contacts 171 and 173 come into contact with either of the selective contacts 172 and 174, and each current-carrying structure is in a conducting state, so that the user can mount the discharge unit 16 on the base unit 15 without worrying about the orientation of the discharge unit 16. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a user-friendly discharge device 6 that does not require the user to check the orientation of the discharge unit 16 when mounting it, and that does not involve the risk of incorrect mounting.

[0123] According to a configuration in which any one of the first selected contacts 172 made of a conductive spring elastically contacts the first normal contact 171, it is possible to switch the first selected contact 172 to be used (to be brought into close contact with the first normal contact 171), thereby suppressing a decrease in elastic force that accompanies use of each first selected contact 172, and improve the overall lifespan of the discharge unit 16 including the first selected contact 172. Furthermore, according to a configuration in which the second normal contact 173 made of a conductive spring elastically contacts any one of the second selected contacts 174, it is possible to switch the second selected contact 174 to be used (to receive the second normal contact 173), thereby suppressing wear that accompanies use of each second selected contact 174, and improve the overall lifespan of the discharge unit 16 including the second selected contact 174, i.e., the second electrode 32.

[0124] If the base case 42, which forms the base of the base unit 15, is formed in a stepped shape having an upper step portion 43 and a lower step portion 44, and the discharge unit 16 is provided with a downward mounting recess 46 that engages with the upper step portion 43, when the mounting unit 16 is mounted on the base unit 15, horizontal positional deviation of the discharge unit 16 can be restricted by the engagement between the upper step portion 43 and the mounting recess 46. If a mounting and holding means is provided between the upper step portion 43 of the base case 42 and the discharge unit 16, unintentional separation of the discharge unit 16 from the base unit 15 can be restricted. Furthermore, compared to when the mounting and holding means is disposed on the lower step portion 44, an impact when the discharge device 6 is subjected to an external force is less likely to reach the mounting and holding means, making it less likely that the discharge unit 16 will come off the base unit 15.

[0125] If the first normal contact 171 constituting the first current-carrying structure is provided in the lower stage 44 of the base case 42, avoiding the upper stage 43 of the base case 42 where the mounting and holding means is provided, it is possible to prevent many components from being concentrated in the upper stage 43, and to facilitate the assembly work of the base part 15. If the first normal contact 171 constituting the first current-carrying structure is provided in the lower stage 44 of the base case 42 and the second normal contact 173 constituting the second current-carrying structure is provided in the upper stage 43 of the same case 42, the two current-carrying structures can be separated vertically and horizontally, which avoids the problem of the elastic forces of the conductive springs included in the two current-carrying structures affecting each other, and also reliably prevents short circuits between the current-carrying structures.

[0126] The attachment detection unit 17, which is made up of a magnetic sensor provided on the base unit 15, can determine whether the discharge unit 16 is attached or not before starting to energize the base unit 15, based on whether or not the magnetic field emitted by the magnet 53 provided on the discharge unit 16 is detected. Therefore, it is possible to completely prevent the energization of a base unit 15 to which the discharge unit 16 is not attached, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption and further reliably preventing electric shock accidents in the unlikely event that a user touches the energized base unit 15.

[0127] By providing marks 79 near the electrode support structures 64 that cover and support both ends of the first electrode 31, a user attempting to separate the discharge unit 16 from the base unit 15 can recognize the electrode support structures 64 near the marks 79 as knobs. For example, the user can place their thumb on one electrode support structure 64 and their index finger on the other electrode support structure 64, and then grasp and pull up the discharge unit 16 with both fingers from both sides to separate it from the base unit 15. Indicating that the electrode support structures 64 are knobs using the marks 79 effectively prevents the user from grasping a part other than the electrode support structures 64 and accidentally touching the first electrode 31, resulting in the transfer of sebum or the like. Furthermore, by making the marks 79 protruding, they also function as anti-slip devices, allowing the user to hold the discharge case 34 securely.

[0128] A discharge unit comprising a discharge device 6 having a dielectric 33 disposed between a pair of electrodes 31 and 32, a light detection section 28 that detects light emitted by the discharge device 6 during discharge, and notification means 27 that notifies the detection result by the light detection section 28. The light detection section 28 and the notification means 27 may be separate from the discharge device 6, or may be mounted on the discharge device 6. The discharge unit, which includes the discharge device 6, the light detector 28, and the notification means 27, can first determine the degree of contamination (accumulation of dust, etc.) on the surface of the dielectric 33 of the discharge device 6 based on the detection value of the light detector 28. Unlike when a user visually determines the degree of contamination, there is no room for user subjectivity, and the degree can be accurately determined. In addition, by providing the notification means 27 that notifies the detection results by the light detector 28, the user can be notified of a decrease in the amount of light emitted by the discharge device 6 during discharge, i.e., the progression of contamination on the surface of the dielectric 33, etc., and can be encouraged to clean the discharge device 6 promptly. This makes it possible to avoid the inconvenience of continuing to operate the discharge device 6 when the surface contamination hinders discharge and the amount of discharge has decreased.

[0129] The light detection unit 28 can be configured, for example, with a camera that photographs the discharge device 6. In this case, images taken when the discharge device 6 is normal, i.e., when the contamination of the discharge device 6 is within the allowable range, and images taken when the discharge device 6 is abnormal, i.e., when the contamination of the discharge device 6 exceeds the allowable range, are stored in a storage unit (not shown). Then, each time the camera photographs the discharge device 6, the AI ​​(control unit 21) determines whether the photographed image is classified as normal or abnormal. The light detection unit 28 can also be configured with a photodiode facing the discharge device 6. The magnitude of the current flowing through the photodiode is approximately proportional to the amount of light received. Therefore, the amount of light emitted by the discharge device 6 during discharge, i.e., the degree of contamination on its surface, can be determined based on the current value of the photodiode. Furthermore, the light detection unit 28 can be configured with a color sensor facing the discharge device 6. A color sensor is a type of photoelectric sensor equipped with a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and can detect the amount of light received from each of the three primary colors of light, namely red, blue, and green, and determine the color of the object based on that information. Similar to the photodiode described above, the light-receiving element of the color sensor outputs an electrical signal according to the amount of light received, and based on that, it is possible to determine the amount of blue light emitted by the discharge device 6 when it discharges, i.e., the degree of contamination on the surface.

[0130] A discharge unit characterized in that the light detection section 28 is composed of an element that outputs an electrical signal according to the amount of received light. If the light detection unit 28 is configured using an element that outputs an electrical signal according to the amount of light received, such as a photodiode or a color sensor, the light detection unit 28 can be configured more inexpensively than if it were configured using a camera or the like.

[0131] A discharge unit characterized in that the discharge device (6) comprises a discharge section (16) including a pair of electrodes (31, 32) and a dielectric (33), and a base section (15) to which the discharge section (16) is detachably attached. If the discharge section 16 of the discharge device 6 is detachable from the base section 15, the discharge section 16, which is relatively prone to getting dirty because it includes a pair of electrodes 31 and 32 and a dielectric 33, can be easily cleaned while separated from the base section 15. Furthermore, if the discharge section 16 breaks down, only the discharge section 16 can be replaced, which is more economical than replacing the entire discharge device 6 including the base section 15.

[0132] A discharge unit characterized in that the voltage applied to both electrodes 31 and 32 of the discharge device 6 when the detection value of the light detection unit 28 is outside a predetermined normal range is set to be higher than the voltage applied to both electrodes 31 and 32 when the detection value is within the normal range. If the detection value of the optical detection unit 28 is outside the normal range, i.e., if the surface of the discharge device 6 is heavily soiled, setting the voltage applied to both electrodes 31 and 32 of the discharge device 6 high will suppress the decrease in the discharge amount caused by the soiling and will make it possible to maintain a discharge amount close to that when there is little soiling (when the detection value of the optical detection unit 28 is within the normal range).

[0133] A discharge unit characterized in that the discharge device is stopped when the detection value of the light detection section is outside the normal range. If the detection value of the light detection unit 28 is outside the normal range, that is, if the surface of the discharge device 6 is heavily soiled, the discharge device 6 can be stopped. By stopping the discharge device 6 rather than continuing to operate it under conditions where the amount of discharge may be insufficient due to soiling, it is possible to avoid unnecessary power consumption.

[0134] As shown in the time chart of FIG. 15, a first normal range and a second normal range wider than the first normal range are set for the detection value of the light detection unit 28, When the detection value of the optical detection unit 28 falls outside the first normal range and falls only within the second normal range, the voltage applied to both electrodes 31 and 32 of the discharge device 6 is increased (time t1), and when the detection value also falls outside the second normal range, the discharge device 6 is stopped (time t2). The voltage when the detection value of the light detection unit 28, i.e., the amount of light received from the discharge device 6, falls only within the second normal range (times t1 to t2), may be constant regardless of the amount of light received, or may increase linearly or stepwise as the amount of light received decreases. If the detection value of the optical detection unit 28 falls outside the first normal range and falls solely within the second normal range, i.e., if the degree of contamination on the surface of the discharge device 6 has increased, increasing the voltage applied to both electrodes 31 and 32 of the discharge device 6 can suppress the decrease in the discharge amount due to the contamination and maintain a discharge amount close to that when the contamination is small (i.e., when the detection value of the optical detection unit 28 is within the first normal range).Furthermore, if the detection value of the optical detection unit 28 also falls outside the second normal range, i.e., if the degree of contamination on the surface of the discharge device 6 has increased to the point where the decrease in the discharge amount cannot be suppressed even by increasing the voltage applied to both electrodes 31 and 32, stopping the discharge device 6 can avoid unnecessary power consumption.

[0135] A discharge unit characterized in that a first electrode (31) arranged on the front side of a dielectric (33) is formed in a rod shape, and a second electrode (32) arranged on the back side of the dielectric (33) is formed in a flat shape. If the first electrode 31 is formed in a rod shape and the second electrode 32 is formed in a flat shape, discharge can be generated between the electrodes 31 and 32 without any problems even if there is a deviation in the relative positions of the electrodes 31 and 32 due to, for example, design tolerances in the support structures of the electrodes 31 and 32. Therefore, discharge can be generated more stably.

[0136] Second Embodiment FIGS. 16 to 18 show a second embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a single second current-carrying body 88 is disposed in the center of the base 15 in a plan view. The second electrode 32 is generally shaped like a recumbent H, and a bridge portion 113 is provided only in the center of the second electrode 32. The second current-carrying body 88 includes an upper current-carrying pin 147 that elastically contacts the lower surface of the bridge portion 113 of the second electrode 32, a lower current-carrying spring 148 that urges the current-carrying pin 147 upward toward the second electrode 32, and a current-carrying piece 149 that extends substantially horizontally and is continuous with the lower end of the current-carrying spring 148. The tip of the current-carrying piece 149 is connected to the boost circuit 22 via a conductor or the like. As is clear from this embodiment, it is sufficient that at least a portion of the second current-carrying body 88 is elastically deformable in the thickness direction of the second electrode 32, i.e., in the vertical direction.

[0137] The current-carrying pin 147 and the current-carrying spring 148 are housed in a housing hole 104 that penetrates the center of the base case 42 vertically. The current-carrying pin 147 is slidably guided along the periphery of the housing hole 104 so as to be movable only up and down. The current-carrying pin 147 is cylindrical and made of any metal or other material with excellent conductivity. Its tip (upper end) has a circular horizontal surface that makes surface contact with the lower surface of the second electrode 32. The current-carrying spring 148 is shaped like a compression coil spring with its axis extending vertically, and its upper end is connected to the lower end of the current-carrying pin 147. Bringing the tip of the current-carrying pin 147 into surface contact with the second electrode 32 reduces the contact pressure between the two electrodes 32 and 147, suppressing wear on the second electrode 32. This also reduces the likelihood of electrical conductivity failure even when parts of the surfaces of the second electrode 32 and the current-carrying pin 147 oxidize over time, making it possible to maintain a high level of voltage applied to the second electrode 32.

[0138] The base portion 15 includes a bottom cover 145 that fits into the base case 42 from below, and the bottom opening of the storage hole 104 is closed by the bottom cover 145. A circular engagement hole 153 that receives the tip (lower end) of the lower storage boss 106 is recessed in the center of the inner surface of the bottom cover 145, and a cylindrical engagement protrusion 154 that fits inside the tip of the lower storage boss 106 is protruded from the center of the bottom surface of this engagement hole 153. The lower end of the conductive spring 148 is supported by the inner surface (upper surface) of the bottom cover 145, or more precisely, by the tip surface (upper surface) of the engagement protrusion 154. In addition, a vertical groove 155 that allows the conductive piece 149 to be inserted is formed in the tip of the lower storage boss 106. By forming engagement hole 153 and engagement protrusion 154 on the inner surface of bottom cover 145, engagement protrusion 154 and engagement hole 153 can be engaged from the inside and outside with the tip of lower storage boss 106, reliably preventing misalignment of bottom cover 145. Furthermore, by inserting engagement protrusion 154 into the tip of lower storage boss 106, the vertical dimension of storage hole 104 is reduced accordingly, which allows for the miniaturization of current-carrying spring 148 and therefore cost reduction. Note that it is also possible to omit either engagement hole 153 or engagement protrusion 154, and provide only engagement hole 153 or only engagement protrusion 154 in the center of the inner surface of bottom cover 145.

[0139] The electrode support structure 64 that supports both ends of the first electrode 31 is composed only of upper support parts 65 provided on the outer case 37 of the discharge case 34, and the lower support parts 66 of the inner case 38 are omitted. Each upper support part 65 has a vertically long guide hole 151 through which the first electrode 31 is inserted, and the first electrode 31 can move up and down relative to the dielectric 33 along the front and rear side surfaces of the guide hole 151. In the normal state, the first electrode 31 is urged downward by the winding part 91 of the first current-carrying body 87 and the upper spring 157, and is in close contact with the upper surface of the dielectric 33.

[0140] The upper spring 157 is a compression coil spring with its axis aligned vertically and is disposed inside each of the left and right upper support members 65. A spring recess 158 is provided on the inner surface of the upper support member 65 to accommodate the upper portion of the upper spring 157. The lower end of the upper spring 157 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the electrode connection member 90 of the first current-carrying body 87, thereby causing the downward biasing force of the upper spring 157 to act on the first electrode 31 via the electrode connection member 90. By lifting the first electrode 31 against the biasing forces of the seaming member 91 and the upper spring 157, the area around the lower portion of the first electrode 31 can be cleaned with a cleaning brush. When the upper spring 157 is used as in this embodiment, the seaming member 91 may be omitted from the first current-carrying body 87. However, using both the seaming member 91 and the upper spring 157 can more reliably bring the first electrode 31 into close contact with the dielectric 33.

[0141] The terminal connection portion 92 of the first current-carrying body 87 is formed as a downwardly expanding conical coil spring. This allows the lower end of the terminal connection portion 92 to contact the upper surface of the first terminal 85 over several revolutions when compressed vertically. This increases the contact area between the first terminal 85 and the second terminal 85, thereby reducing the electrical resistance between the first terminal 85 and the second terminal 85. The coil spring constituting the terminal connection portion 92 can also be formed into a downwardly expanding bell-mouth shape or an hourglass shape that expands both upward and downward. These shapes also achieve the same effects as described above. The terminal connection portion 92 may also be formed into a barrel shape, with the lower end tapering downward. In this case, the lower end of the terminal connection portion 92 can contact the first terminal 85 over several revolutions, achieving the same effects as described above. In this embodiment, the spring seat 96 on the upper surface of the first terminal 85 is omitted.

[0142] In this embodiment, the attachment / retention means for holding the discharge unit 16 in an attached state is composed of two sets of magnets 53 and a magnetic body 54. A pair of left and right engagement protrusions 47 is provided on the inner case 38 of the discharge case 34, and an upper accommodating recess 55 for accommodating the magnet 53 is formed on the back side (upper side) of each engagement protrusion 47, with the upper opposing wall 51 in between. Similarly, a pair of left and right engagement recesses 48 is provided on the base case 42, and a lower accommodating recess 56 for accommodating the magnetic body 54 is formed on the back side (lower side) of each engagement recess 48, with the lower opposing wall 52 in between. The lower opening of the lower accommodating recess 56 is closed by the bottom cover 145.

[0143] The terminal block 101 of the base case 42 is disposed horizontally (to the left) away from the upper stage portion 43. A circular restricting rib 159 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the inner case 38 of the discharger 16, and a portion of this restricting rib 159 enters between the upper stage portion 43 and the terminal block 101 and abuts against the inner surface of the terminal block 101 (the surface facing the upper stage portion 43) when the discharger 16 is attached. In addition to the engagement between the engaging protrusions 47 and engaging recesses 48 described above, abutting the restricting rib 159 against the inner surface of the terminal block 101 more reliably restricts horizontal displacement of the discharger 16 relative to the base portion 15 and rotation about the vertical axis V.

[0144] In this embodiment, the first current-carrying structure, which conducts current from the base unit 15 to the first electrode 31, is composed of one first terminal 85 provided on the base unit 15 and two first current-carrying bodies 87 connected to the first electrode 31. The first terminal 85 constitutes one first normal contact 171 that is used for current conduction regardless of the mounting position (first position or second position) of the discharge unit 16, and the terminal connection portion 92 of each first current-carrying body 87 constitutes a first selective contact 172 that is selectively used for current conduction depending on the mounting position of the discharge unit 16 (see FIG. 18 ). That is, in each mounting position of the discharge unit 16, the first normal contact 171 contacts one of the first selective contacts 172, and the first current-carrying structure is in a conducting state. The two first selective contacts 172 are arranged rotationally symmetrically (dyad-symmetrically) around the vertical axis V.

[0145] On the other hand, the second current-carrying structure, which is responsible for conducting current from the base portion 15 to the second electrode 32, is composed of one second current-carrying body 88 provided on the base portion 15 and one exposed portion of the second electrode 32 facing an insertion hole 107 provided in the center of the upper opposing wall 51 of the discharge portion 16. The one second current-carrying body 88 and the one exposed portion of the second electrode 32 come into contact with each other regardless of the mounting position of the discharge portion 16, thereby bringing the second current-carrying structure into a conducting state. As the rest is the same as in the first embodiment, the same members are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. The same applies to the following third and subsequent embodiments.

[0146] As described above, in this embodiment as well, each current-carrying structure is in a conducting state regardless of the mounting position of the discharge unit 16, so the user can mount the discharge unit 16 on the base unit 15 without worrying about the orientation of the discharge unit 16. Furthermore, according to the embodiment in which any of the first selective contacts 172 made of a conductive spring elastically contacts the first normal contact 171, it is possible to switch the first selective contact 172 to be used (to be brought into close contact with the first normal contact 171), thereby suppressing a decrease in elastic force due to use of each first selective contact 172 and improving the overall lifespan of the discharge unit 16 including the first selective contact 172.

[0147] 19 shows a third embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that the base portion 15 is provided with contact protection portions 177 and 178 that protect the selective contacts 172 and 174. The first contact protection portion 177 is an upwardly opening circular cylinder provided on the upper surface of the lower portion 44 of the base case 42, and is disposed symmetrically with the first terminal 85 or the terminal block 101 across the vertical axis V. The second contact protection portion 178 is a pair of front and rear cylindrical protrusions provided on the upper surface of the upper portion 43 of the base case 42, and is disposed symmetrically with the second current-carrying body 88 or the upper housing boss 105 across the vertical axis V.

[0148] When the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base portion 15, one of the first selective contacts 172 (terminal connection portion 92 of the first current-carrying body 87) is in close contact with the first normal contact 171 (first terminal 85), and the other first selective contact 172 enters the inside of the first contact protection portion 177 and is surrounded and protected by the peripheral wall of the first contact protection portion 177. Furthermore, when the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base portion 15, one of the second selective contacts 174 (a pair of front and rear exposed portions of the second electrode 32) receives the second normal contact 173 (a pair of front and rear second current-carrying bodies 88), and the other second selective contact 174 is protected by facing directly against the upper wall of the second contact protection portion 178 that enters the insertion hole 107 of the upper opposing wall 51. In the present invention, the phrase "the second contact protection portion 178 directly facing the second selective contact 174" refers to both a configuration in which the two contacts 174, 178 face each other with a gap between them, and a configuration in which the two contacts 174, 178 abut against each other. By providing contact protection portions 177, 178 that surround or face the remaining selective contacts 172, 174 that are not in use, these selective contacts 172, 174 can be protected from external forces and prevented from being damaged, such as by deformation. The second contact protection portion 178 may also be configured to cover the lower opening of the insertion hole 107 in the upper opposing wall 51 without entering it.

[0149] (Fourth Embodiment) Figure 20 shows a fourth embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that one first normal contact 171 constituting the first current-carrying structure is provided in the discharge unit 16, and two first selective contacts 172 are provided in the base unit 15. Specifically, a first current-carrying body 87 is provided on only one side (here, the left side) of the first electrode 31, and a terminal connection portion 92 of the first current-carrying body 87 constitutes the first normal contact 171. Two first terminals 85 are provided in the base unit 15, and each constitutes a first selective contact 172. The two first selective contacts 172 are arranged in rotational symmetry (dyad symmetry) around the vertical axis V. The first contact protection portion 177 is a rectangular prism-shaped protrusion that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the inner case 38 of the discharge unit 16, and is arranged symmetrically with the terminal connection portion 92, i.e., the first normal contact 171, across the vertical axis V. When the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15, one first selective contact 172 receives the first normal contact 171, and the other first selective contact 172 is protected by facing directly to the lower wall of the first contact protection unit 177 that closes the top opening of the terminal block 101. In the present invention, the concept of the first contact protection unit 177 facing directly to the first selective contact 172 includes both a configuration in which the two contacts 172 and 177 face each other with a gap between them, and a configuration in which the two contacts 172 and 177 abut against each other. Note that the first contact protection unit 177 may also be one that enters the inside of the terminal block 101 and faces directly to the top surface of the first selective contact 172 (first terminal 85).

[0150] According to a configuration in which the first current-carrying structure includes one first normal contact 171 made of a conductive spring provided in the discharge unit 16 and multiple first selective contacts 172 provided in the base unit 15, and the first normal contact 171 elastically contacts one of the first selective contacts 172, it is possible to switch the first selective contact 172 to be used (receive the first normal contact 171), suppress wear that occurs with use of each first selective contact 172, and improve the overall life of the base unit 15 including the first selective contacts 172. If a first contact protection unit 177 is provided in the discharge unit 16 facing the remaining first selective contacts 172 that are not in use, it is possible to protect these first selective contacts 172 from external forces and prevent damage such as deformation.

[0151] The discharge unit 16 also incorporates a power receiver 161 below the second electrode 32, and has the same potential as the second electrode 32. The power receiver 161 is made of a metal piece that is sufficiently thicker than the second electrode 32 and is electrically connected to the second electrode 32 by any means. A pair of front and rear insertion holes 107 that expose the underside of the power receiver 161 are provided on one of the left and right sides (the right side in this case) of the upper opposing wall 51, and the pair of front and rear exposed portions of the power receiver 161 that face the insertion holes 107 form one second regular contact 173. The base unit 15 also has a pair of front and rear second current-carrying bodies 88 provided on both the left and right sides of the upper stage portion 43 of the base case 42, and each set of left and right second current-carrying bodies 88 forms a second selective contact 174. The two second selective contacts 174 are arranged rotationally symmetrically (dyad-symmetrically) around the vertical axis V. That is, in this embodiment, one second normal contact 173 constituting the second current-carrying structure is provided in the discharge portion 16, and two second selective contacts 174 are provided in the base portion 15.

[0152] The second contact protection part 178 is composed of a pair of bottomed recesses, one at the front and one at the back, that are provided below the discharge part 16 and open downward. The second contact protection part 178 is disposed symmetrically with the second normal contact 173 or the insertion hole 107 across the vertical axis V. When the discharge part 16 is attached to the base part 15, one of the second selected contacts 174 is in close contact with the second normal contact 173, while the other second selected contact 174 enters the interior of the second contact protection part 178 and is surrounded and protected by its peripheral wall. The depth of the bottomed recesses that constitute the second contact protection part 178 is set to be larger than the vertical dimension from the lower end of the insertion hole 107 to the lower surface of the second normal contact 173 (power receiver 161). Therefore, the second selected contact 174 that enters the second contact protection part 178 is compressed less than the second selected contact 174 that is in close contact with the second normal contact 173, or is accommodated in the second contact protection part 178 without being compressed.

[0153] If the second current-carrying structure includes one second normal contact 173 provided in the discharge unit 16 and multiple second selective contacts 174 made of conductive springs provided in the base unit 15, and any of the second selective contacts 174 elastically contacts the second normal contacts 173, the second selective contact 174 to be used (brought into close contact with the second normal contact 173) can be switched to suppress a decrease in elastic force due to use of each second selective contact 174, and the overall life of the base unit 15 including the second selective contacts 174 can be improved. If a second contact protection unit 178 is provided in the discharge unit 16 to surround the remaining second selective contacts 174 that are not in use, the second selective contacts 178 can be protected from external forces to prevent damage such as deformation.

[0154] 21 and 22 show a fifth embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that a first normal contact 171 and a second normal contact 173 are provided in the discharge unit 16. The second electrode 32 here is formed in the shape of a round rod with the same diameter as the first electrode 31. The electrodes 31 and 32 are arranged in parallel and face each other vertically with the dielectric 33 interposed therebetween. The second current-carrying body 88 has a structure similar to that of the first current-carrying body 87, and specifically includes a coil-shaped electrode connection portion 90 wound around the circumferential surface of the second electrode 32, a substantially L-shaped winding portion 91 that urges one end of the electrode connection portion 90 downward, and a compression coil spring-shaped terminal connection portion 92 that elastically contacts the upper surface of the second terminal 86.

[0155] The first current conductor 87 is provided only at one end of the first electrode 31 and constitutes a first normal contact 171. Similarly, the second current conductor 88 is provided only at one end of the second electrode 32 and constitutes a second normal contact 173. Correspondingly, two first terminals 85 and two second terminals 86 are arranged in rotational symmetry (two-fold symmetry) around the vertical axis V on the base portion 15. Each first terminal 85 constitutes a first selective contact 172, and each second terminal 86 constitutes a second selective contact 174.

[0156] 23 and 24 show a sixth embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that a first normal contact 171 and a second normal contact 173 are provided on the base portion 15. Here, both a first current conductor 87 and a second current conductor 88 are formed in the shape of a compression coil spring with the vertical axis as the axis center, and the lower end of the first current conductor 87 is fixed to the first terminal 85, and the lower end of the second current conductor 88 is fixed to the second terminal 86. The first current conductor 87 constitutes the first normal contact 171, and the second current conductor 88 constitutes the second normal contact 173.

[0157] The first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 of the discharge unit 16 are formed from metal plates having a predetermined thickness, and the first electrode 31 is adhesively fixed to the upper surface of the dielectric 33, and the second electrode 32 is adhesively fixed to the lower surface of the dielectric 33 so as to be in close contact with each other. Two through-holes 165 that allow the first current-carrying body 87 to pass through are provided in the second electrode 32 and the dielectric 33 in a vertically penetrating manner at two locations, and the exposed portion of the first electrode 31 facing each through-hole 165 constitutes a first selective contact 172. In addition, second selective contacts 174 that receive the second current-carrying body 88 are provided at two locations on the lower surface of the second electrode 32. The pair of first selective contact 172 and second selective contact 174 are each arranged rotationally symmetrically (dyad-symmetrically) around the vertical axis V.

[0158] 25 shows a seventh embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the sixth embodiment in the configuration of the second electrode 32 and the second current-carrying body 88. The second electrode 32 here is formed in a round rod shape and is in close contact with the lower surface of the dielectric 33. A second current-carrying body 88 having the same structure as that of the fifth embodiment is provided at one end (here, the right end) of the second electrode 32, and this second current-carrying body 88 constitutes the second normal contact 173. Two second terminals 86 constituting the second selective contact 174 are arranged on the base portion 15 in rotational symmetry (dyad symmetry) around the vertical axis V.

[0159] Eighth Embodiment FIG. 26 shows an eighth embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the sixth embodiment in that the discharge unit 16 includes a power receiver 161 having the same potential as the first electrode 31. The power receiver 161 is made of a metal piece that is thicker than the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 and is electrically connected to the first electrode 31 by any means. The power receivers 161 are arranged on the left and right outer sides of the dielectric 33 in rotational symmetry (dyad symmetry) around the vertical axis V, and each constitutes a first selective contact 172. In this embodiment, a second current conductor 88 that constitutes a second normal contact 173 is arranged on the discharge unit 16 side. Specifically, the upper end of the second current conductor 88, which has a compression coil spring shape, is fixed to the lower surface of the second electrode 32. Two second terminals 86 that constitute a second selective contact 174 are arranged on the base unit 15 in rotational symmetry (dyad symmetry) around the vertical axis V. As is clear from this embodiment and the previous fourth embodiment, in the present invention, the discharge unit 16 can be provided with a receiver 161 having the same potential as the electrodes 31 and 32, and this can be used as the normal contacts 171 and 173 or the selective contacts 172 and 174.

[0160] 27 shows a ninth embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that the discharge unit 16 is formed in quadrilateral symmetry around the vertical axis V (excluding parts such as electrodes 31 and 32 that are not involved in mounting to the base unit 15). The discharge unit 16 here can be mounted to the base unit 15 in four different mounting positions, each with a phase difference of 90° around the vertical axis V.

[0161] The discharge unit 16 illustrated in FIG. 1(a) is provided with four first selection contacts 172 (terminal connection portions 92 of the first current-carrying bodies 87) electrically connected to the first electrode 31, which are arranged at the four corners of the discharge unit 16 in rotational symmetry (four-fold symmetry) around the vertical axis V. One first terminal 85, i.e., a first normal contact 171, is provided at one corner of the base unit 15, and in each mounting position of the discharge unit 16, one of the first selection contacts 172 comes into contact with the first normal contact 171, bringing the first current-carrying structure into a conducting state. The second current-carrying structure is similar to that of the previous second embodiment, with one second current-carrying body 88 provided at the center of the base unit 15 and one insertion hole 107 provided at the center of the discharge unit 16 through which the second electrode 32 is exposed.

[0162] The base portion 15 illustrated in (b) is provided with four first terminals 85, i.e., first selective contacts 172, which are arranged at the four corners of the base portion 15 in a rotational symmetry (four-fold symmetry) around the vertical axis V. One first current-carrying body 87 is electrically connected to the first electrode 31 of the discharge portion 16, and in each mounting position of the discharge portion 16, the terminal connection portion 92 of the first current-carrying body 87, i.e., the first normal contact 171, comes into contact with one of the first selective contacts 172, bringing the first current-carrying structure into a conducting state. Furthermore, the discharge portion 16 in (b) is provided with four second selective contacts 174 formed from exposed portions of the second electrodes 32, which are arranged in a rotational symmetry (four-fold symmetry) around the vertical axis V. The base portion 15 is provided with one second conductive body 88, i.e., a second normal contact 173, and in each mounting position of the discharge portion 16, the second normal contact 173 comes into contact with one of the second selective contacts 174, and the second conductive structure is in a conductive state.

[0163] 28 shows a tenth embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that it includes an operating lever 129 for separating the discharge unit 16 from the base unit 15. The operating lever 129 is supported by the base unit 15 so as to be able to swing up and down around a fulcrum 130 formed by a horizontal axis. One end of the operating lever 129 is provided with an action unit 131 that faces the underside of the discharge unit 16, and the other end is provided with an operating unit 132. When the operating unit 132 is swung downward, a force in the opposite direction, i.e., an upward force, acts from the action unit 131 on the discharge unit 16. When this force exceeds the attractive force between the magnet 53 and the magnetic body 54, the discharge unit 16 separates from the base unit 15. By using this operating lever 129, the discharge unit 16 can be separated from the base unit 15 without touching it, which reliably prevents the fingertips from accidentally touching the first electrode 31 or the dielectric 33 during separation. In addition, by positioning the fulcrum 130 closer to the action part 131 than to the operation part 132, the force required to separate the discharge part 16 can be reduced by using the principle of leverage. In other words, the user can apply a sufficient force from the action part 131 to the discharge part 16 to separate it from the base part 15 simply by pressing down the operation part 132 with a relatively small force.

[0164] In this embodiment, the attachment detection unit 17 is configured with a microswitch provided on the base unit 15, and its passive pin 133 is arranged to face the underside of the discharge unit 16. In addition, a boost circuit (transformer) 22 is built into the base unit 15. When the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15 and the passive pin 133 is pressed into the underside of the discharge unit 16, the attachment detection unit 17 outputs a signal to the control unit 21. In the ON state where the control unit 21 receives this signal, the control unit 21 determines that the discharge unit 16 is attached to the base unit 15 and supplies voltage to the boost circuit 22. On the other hand, when the control unit 21 switches to the OFF state where it cannot receive a signal from the attachment detection unit 17, the control unit 21 determines that the discharge unit 16 has been detached from the base unit 15 and immediately stops supplying voltage to the boost circuit 22.

[0165] The attachment detection unit 17, which is made up of a microswitch provided on the base unit 15, can determine whether the discharge unit 16 is attached or not before starting to pass current to the base unit 15, based on whether the discharge unit 16 abuts against the passive pin 133. This completely prevents current from passing through the base unit 15 to which the discharge unit 16 is not attached, reliably preventing electric shock accidents should the user touch the energized first terminal 85 or second current-carrying body 88. Furthermore, when the attachment detection unit 17 is made up of a microswitch as in this embodiment, the attachment detection unit 17 can operate properly even when a magnet is provided instead of the magnetic body 54 on the base unit 15.

[0166] The attachment detection unit 17 can be configured with a magnetic sensor or a microswitch, or with the aforementioned light detection unit 28 that detects light emitted by the discharge unit 16 when discharging. When the attachment detection unit 17 is configured with the light detection unit 28, it is possible to determine whether the discharge unit 16 is attached or not based on whether or not the discharge unit 16 emits light immediately after starting to pass electricity to the base unit 15. If the light detection unit 28, which determines the degree of contamination of the discharge unit 16, is also used as the attachment detection unit 17 that detects whether or not the discharge unit 16 is attached, the production costs of the discharge device 6 can be reduced compared to when the two are provided separately.

[0167] 29 shows an eleventh embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that it includes a handle 181 for separating the discharge unit 16 from the base unit 15. The handle 181 is fixed to the upper surface of the outer case 37 of the discharge case 34 and is spaced upward from the electrodes 31 and 32. The user can separate the discharge unit 16 from the base unit 15 by grasping the handle 181 and pulling it up. This embodiment effectively prevents the user from accidentally touching the electrodes 31 and 32 by grasping a part other than the handle 181 during separation, resulting in the transfer of sebum and the like.

[0168] 30 shows a twelfth embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that the first electrode 31 can be moved toward and away from the dielectric 33. The discharge unit 16 here includes an upper case 183 that holds the first electrode 31, and a lower case 184 that holds the second electrode 32 and the dielectric 33. The upper case 183 is connected to the top of the lower case 184 via a swing shaft 185 in the front-to-rear direction, and can swing up and down about the swing shaft 185 between a lower discharge position where the first electrode 31 is in close contact with the upper surface of the dielectric 33, and an upper retracted position where the first electrode 31 is moved upwardly away from the dielectric 33.

[0169] The first current-carrying structure is the same as that of the fourth embodiment, with one first current-carrying body 87 connected to the first electrode 31 and two first terminals 85 provided on the base portion 15. The lower case 184 is provided with a vertical hole 186 that houses a terminal connection portion 92 of the first current-carrying body 87. The first current-carrying body 87 moves together with the first electrode 31. When the upper case 183 is in the retracted position, the terminal connection portion 92 (first normal contact 171) comes out of the vertical hole 186 and separates from the first terminal 85 (first selective contact 172), bringing the first current-carrying structure into a non-conductive state. When the upper case 183 is returned from the retracted position to the discharge position, the terminal connection portion 92 enters the vertical hole 186 from above, and eventually its lower end reaches the upper surface of the first terminal 85. An upwardly expanding guide surface 187 is formed at the top of the vertical hole 186 to assist the insertion of the terminal connection portion 92. The vertical hole 186 is spaced apart in the horizontal direction (to the left) from the dielectric 33, which prevents the terminal connection portion 92 from coming close to the dielectric 33 and causing a discharge between the terminal connection portion 92 and the second electrode 32. The second current-carrying structure is the same as that of the second embodiment, and therefore its description will be omitted.

[0170] If the first electrode 31 can be moved toward and away from the dielectric 33, the first electrode 31 and its surroundings can be cleaned thoroughly with a cleaning brush or the like while the first electrode 31 is separated from the dielectric 33. If the first current-carrying body 87 separates from the first terminal 85 and the first current-carrying structure is de-energized when the first electrode 31 separates from the dielectric 33, high voltage is not applied to the first electrode 31 during cleaning, allowing for safe cleaning. If the lower case 184 has a vertical hole 186 for accommodating the terminal connection part 92, the peripheral surface of the vertical hole 186 can guide the terminal connection part 92 toward the first terminal 85 during the process of returning the first electrode 31 to its original position after cleaning, ensuring reliable contact between the terminal connection part 92 and the first terminal 85. If an upwardly expanding guide surface 187 is formed at the top of the vertical hole 186, the terminal connection part 92 can be more easily guided into the vertical hole 186. By making the vertical hole 186 the only path for accessing the first terminal 85 from above, the user's fingertips and other parts of the body will not accidentally come into contact with the first terminal 85, thereby preventing the user from getting an electric shock and protecting the first terminal 85.

[0171] 31 shows a thirteenth embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the twelfth embodiment in that an upper case 183 is detachably attached to the top of a lower case 184 and in the configuration of a first current conductor 87. The first current conductor 87 here is made up of three components, arranged in this order from the top: an upper current conductor 190, an intermediate terminal 191, and a lower current conductor 192, and electricity can be passed from the first terminal 85 to the first electrode 31 via the lower current conductor 192, the intermediate terminal 191, and the upper current conductor 190 in this order.

[0172] Like the first current conductor 87 in each of the above embodiments, the upper current conductor 190 integrally comprises an electrode connection portion, a seaming portion, and a terminal connection portion, and the electrode connection portion is connected to one end of the first electrode 31. The intermediate terminal 191 is made of a metal plate fixed to the vertical middle portion of the vertical hole 186, and the terminal connection portion of the upper current conductor 190 is in close contact with its upper surface. The lower current conductor 192 is shaped like a compression coil spring with its axis in the vertical direction, and constitutes the first normal contact 171. The upper end of the lower current conductor 192 is inseparably connected to the lower surface of the intermediate terminal 191, and the lower end of the lower current conductor 192 is in close contact with the upper surface of the first terminal 85, i.e., the first selective contact 172.

[0173] The upper current-carrying body 190 moves together with the first electrode 31, and when the upper case 183 is separated from the lower case 184, the terminal connection portion of the upper current-carrying body 190 comes out of the vertical hole 186 and moves away from the intermediate terminal 191, and the first current-carrying structure enters a non-conductive state. Also, by separating the discharge unit 16, which is formed by integrating the upper case 183 and the lower case 184, from the base unit 15, the lower current-carrying body 192 moves away from the first terminal 85, and the first current-carrying structure enters a non-conductive state.

[0174] If the first electrode 31 can be moved toward and away from the dielectric 33, the first electrode 31 and its surroundings can be cleaned thoroughly with a cleaning brush or the like while the first electrode 31 is separated from the dielectric 33. If the upper current-carrying body 190 is separated from the intermediate terminal 191 and the first current-carrying structure is in a non-conductive state when the first electrode 31 is separated from the dielectric 33, high voltage is not applied to the first electrode 31 during the cleaning, and cleaning can be performed safely.

[0175] When one end (terminal connection portion) of the upper current-carrying body 190 is in contact with the intermediate terminal 191 and is housed in the vertical hole 186 provided in the lower case 184 (discharge portion 16), when the first electrode 31 is returned to its original position after being separated from the dielectric 33 for cleaning or the like, the circumferential surface of the vertical hole 186 guides the one end of the upper current-carrying body 190 toward the intermediate terminal 191, ensuring contact between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32. Positioning the intermediate terminal 191 at the back of the vertical hole 186 also prevents the user's fingertips from accidentally touching the intermediate terminal 191, thereby preventing electric shock to the user and protecting the intermediate terminal 191. The vertical hole 186 is spaced horizontally (to the left) from the dielectric 33, preventing the one end of the upper current-carrying body 190 from approaching the dielectric 33 and causing discharge between the second electrode 32 and the upper current-carrying body 190.

[0176] (Fourteenth Embodiment) Figure 32 shows a fourteenth embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the rod-shaped first electrode 31 is rotatable around its central axis. One end of the first electrode 31 is connected to an operating dial 167 for rotation, which is located on the outside of the discharge case 34. The electrode connector 90 of the first current-carrying body 87 is simply wrapped around the first electrode 31 without being fixed thereto. Friction between the electrode connector 90 and the first electrode 31 is sufficiently small, so the first current-carrying body 87 does not rotate along with the first electrode 31. A wiping body 168 extending parallel to the first electrode 31 is disposed in contact with the first electrode 31. This wiping body 168 allows the user to easily clean the first electrode 31 by simply rotating it, without using a tool such as a cleaning brush.

[0177] If the rod-shaped first electrode 31 is configured to be rotatable around its central axis, its entire surface can be easily cleaned. Even if part of the surface of the first electrode 31 is contaminated with dirt that cannot be completely removed, discharging can be performed without any problems by placing the clean surface facing the dielectric 33.

[0178] In the present invention, the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 may have any shape. In addition to the rod and film shapes described in the above embodiments, electrode pairs formed in needle, plate, cylindrical, annular, and other shapes, and appropriate combinations of these shapes, can be used. The discharge device according to the present invention can be applied to ozonizers and ionizers, contributing to Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, the discharge device can be incorporated into devices that emit treated air, such as air conditioners, humidifiers, and air purifiers, and can be used to disinfect the emitted air. Alternatively, the discharge device can be installed inside refrigerators, closets, toilets, and other spaces to deodorize and disinfect them. Furthermore, the discharge device can also be used in ozone water generators that dissolve ozone in water. The generated ozone water can be used in washing machines, flush toilets, food and dishwashing, and medical equipment cleaning. [Explanation of symbols]

[0179] 6 Discharge device 15 Base 16 Discharge section 17 Wearing detection unit 31 1st electrode 32 2nd electrode 33 Dielectric 42 Base Case 43 Upper section 44 Lower section 46 Mounting recess 53 Magnet 64 Electrode support structure 79 Landmark 92 Terminal connection part 129 Operating lever 130 Fulcrum 131 Working part 132 Operation section 133 passive pins 168 Wiping Body 171 1st regular contact 172 First selection contact 173 2nd regular contact 174 Second selection contact 177 1st contact protection section 178 2nd contact protection section 181 Handle 186 Vertical hole 187 Guide surface 190 Upper conductive body 191 Intermediate terminal V vertical axis

Claims

1. A discharge device comprising an upper discharge section (16) including a pair of a first electrode (31) and a second electrode (32), and a lower base section (15) to which the discharge section (16) is detachably attached, The discharge section (16) is formed so as to be mountable on the base section (15) in a plurality of mounting positions having different phases around a vertical axis (V) extending in the up-down direction, a first current-carrying structure for conducting current from the base portion (15) to the first electrode (31) and a second current-carrying structure for conducting current from the base portion (15) to the second electrode (32); the first and second current-carrying structures each include a normal contact (171, 173) provided on one of the discharge portion (16) and the base portion (15), and a plurality of selective contacts (172, 174) provided on the other; The plurality of selection contacts (172, 174) are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the vertical axis (V), A discharge device characterized in that, in each mounting position of the discharge section (16), the normal contacts (171, 173) come into contact with either of the selective contacts (172, 174), causing the first current-carrying structure and / or the second current-carrying structure to be in a conducting state.

2. The first current-carrying structure includes one first normal contact (171) provided on the base portion (15) and a plurality of first selective contacts (172) provided on the discharge portion (16), Each first selection contact (172) is comprised of a conductive spring electrically connected to a first electrode (31); 2. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein in each mounting position of the discharge portion (16), any one of the first selective contacts (172) elastically contacts the first normal contact (171) of the base portion (15).

3. The first current-carrying structure includes one first normal contact (171) provided in the discharge portion (16) and a plurality of first selective contacts (172) provided in the base portion (15); The first normal contact (171) is composed of a conductive spring electrically connected to the first electrode (31); 2. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the first normal contact (171) elastically contacts any one of the first selective contacts (172) of the base portion (15) in each mounting position of the discharge portion (16).

4. The second current-carrying structure includes one second normal contact (173) provided on the base portion (15) and a plurality of second selective contacts (174) provided on the discharge portion (16), The second normal contact (173) is made of a conductive spring, 4. A discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the second normal contact (173) is elastically brought into close contact with any one of the second selective contacts (174) of the discharge unit (16) in each mounting position of the discharge unit (16).

5. The second current-carrying structure includes one second normal contact (173) provided in the discharge portion (16) and a plurality of second selective contacts (174) provided in the base portion (15); Each second selective contact (174) is comprised of a conductive spring; 4. A discharge device according to claim 1, wherein in each mounting position of the discharge unit (16), any of the second selective contacts (174) elastically contacts the second normal contacts (173) of the discharge unit (16).

6. 3. The discharge device according to claim 2, wherein the remaining first selection contacts (172) except for one first selection contact (172) in close contact with the first normal contact (171) are surrounded by a first contact protection portion (177) provided on the base portion (15).

7. 4. The discharge device according to claim 3, wherein a first contact protection portion (177) consisting of a protrusion provided on the discharge portion (16) directly faces the remaining first selection contacts (172) except for one first selection contact (172) that can receive the first normal contact (171).

8. 5. The discharge device according to claim 4, wherein a second contact protection portion (178) consisting of a protrusion provided on the base portion (15) directly faces the remaining second selection contacts (174) except for one second selection contact (174) that can receive the second normal contact (173).

9. 6. The discharge device according to claim 5, wherein the remaining second selective contacts (174) except for one second selective contact (174) in close contact with the second normal contact (173) are surrounded by a second contact protection portion (178) provided in the discharge portion (16).

10. The base case (42) that forms the base of the base part (15) is formed in a stepped shape having an upper step part (43) and a lower step part (44), 2. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge portion (16) is provided with a downwardly facing mounting recess (46) that engages with the upper step portion (43).

11. 11. The discharge device according to claim 10, further comprising a mounting and holding means for holding the discharge part (16) in a mounted state, provided between the upper stage (43) of the base case (42) and the discharge part (16).

12. The first current-carrying structure includes one first normal contact (171) provided in the lower portion (44) of the base case (42) of the base portion (15) and a plurality of first selective contacts (172) provided in the discharge portion (16), Each first selection contact (172) is comprised of a conductive spring electrically connected to a first electrode (31); 12. The discharge device according to claim 11, wherein in each mounting position of the discharge portion (16), any one of the first selective contacts (172) elastically contacts the first normal contact (171) of the base portion (15).

13. The second current-carrying structure includes one second normal contact (173) provided on the upper stage (43) of the base case (42) of the base portion (15) and a plurality of second selective contacts (174) provided on the discharge portion (16), The second normal contact (173) is made of a conductive spring, 13. The discharge device according to claim 12, wherein the second normal contact (173) elastically contacts any one of the second selective contacts (174) of the discharge unit (16) in each mounting position of the discharge unit (16).

14. 2. The discharge device according to claim 1, further comprising an attachment detector (17) for detecting whether or not the discharge part (16) is attached to the base part (15).

15. A magnet (53) is provided in the discharge section (16), 15. The discharge device according to claim 14, wherein the attachment detection unit (17) comprises a magnetic sensor provided on the base unit (15).

16. The attachment detection unit (17) is composed of a microswitch provided on the base unit (15), 15. The discharge device according to claim 14, wherein when the discharge part (16) is attached to the base part (15), the discharge part (16) abuts against the passive pin (133) of the microswitch.

17. 15. The discharge device according to claim 14, wherein the attachment detection unit (17) is configured with a camera that detects light emitted when the discharge unit (16) discharges.

18. 15. The discharge device according to claim 14, wherein the attachment detection section (17) is composed of a photodiode that detects light emitted when the discharge section (16) discharges.

19. The first electrode (31) is formed in a rod shape, An electrode support structure (64) that covers and supports both ends of the first electrode (31) is provided in a discharge case (34) that serves as a base of the discharge section (16), 2. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein a mark (79) consisting of a protrusion is provided on the outer surface of the discharge case (34) near the electrode support structure (64).

20. 2. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge portion (16) has a handle (181) spaced apart from both electrodes (31, 32).

21. An operating lever (129) for separating the discharge part (16) from the base part (15) is supported by the base part (15) so as to be able to swing up and down around a fulcrum (130), 2. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the operating lever (129) has an operating portion (131) at one end facing the underside of the discharge portion (16), and an operating portion (132) at the other end.

22. A plate-shaped dielectric (33) is disposed between the first electrode (31) and the second electrode (32), 2. The discharge device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrode support structure (64) for supporting the first electrode (31) so that the first electrode (31) can be moved toward and away from the dielectric (33).

23. The first current-carrying structure includes an intermediate terminal (191) provided in the discharge portion (16) and supplied with power from the base portion (15), and an upper current-carrying body (190) electrically connecting the first electrode (31) to the intermediate terminal (191), The discharge device according to claim 22, wherein when the first electrode (31) moves away from the dielectric (33), the upper conductive body (190) moves together with the first electrode (31) and moves away from the intermediate terminal (191), so that the first conductive structure is in a non-conductive state.

24. A discharge device as described in Claim 23, wherein one end of the upper conductive body (190) contacts the intermediate terminal (191) and is housed in a vertical hole (186) provided in the discharge section (16).

25. A discharge device as described in Claim 24, wherein the vertical hole (186) is spaced apart from the dielectric (33) when viewed in a plane of the discharge section (16).

26. The first current-carrying structure includes a first terminal (85) provided on the base portion (15) and a first current-carrying body (87) electrically connecting the first electrode (31) to the first terminal (85), The discharge device according to claim 22, wherein when the first electrode (31) moves away from the dielectric (33), the first current-carrying body (87) moves together with the first electrode (31) and moves away from the first terminal (85), so that the first current-carrying structure is in a non-conductive state.

27. ​​The first current-carrying body (87) includes a terminal connection portion (92) that contacts the first terminal (85), The discharge part (16) is provided with a vertical hole (186) for accommodating the terminal connection part (92), 27. The discharge device according to claim 26, wherein an upwardly expanding guide surface (187) is formed at the top of the vertical hole (186).

28. A plate-shaped dielectric (33) is disposed between the first electrode (31) and the second electrode (32), 2. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode (31) is formed in a round rod shape and is configured to be rotatable around its central axis.

29. A discharge device as described in Claim 28, wherein a wiping body (168) extending parallel to the first electrode (31) is arranged in contact with the first electrode (31).

Images