Air purification device and method

Abstract

To provide an air cleaning device that can inexpensively and efficiently sterilize air by applying ultraviolet rays.SOLUTION: An air cleaning device 1 comprises: a casing 10 comprising a suction port 11 and a discharge port 13; a fan 16 provided in the casing 10, and for discharging air sucked from the suction port 11, from the discharge port 13; and a sterilization device 30 comprising an ultraviolet light source 32 on an upper surface of a case-like main body 31. The suction port 11 is covered with a grille 20 in which a plurality of opening parts 21 is formed. The sterilization device 30 comprises two leg parts 33 and 34 rotatably attached to the bottom surface of the main body 31. In the leg parts 33 and 34, attachment holes 33b and 34b are formed on the tip sides thereof respectively. Fixing tools inserted into the attachment holes 33b and 34b of the two leg parts 33 and 34 respectively are engaged with the opening parts 21, and thereby the sterilization device 30 is fixed to the inner surface side of the grille 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purification device and method, and more particularly to an air purification device and method that sterilizes and purifies air by irradiating it with ultraviolet light. [Background technology]

[0002] For the purpose of purifying indoor air, etc., sterilization by irradiating the air with ultraviolet rays while circulating it has been conventionally practiced. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioning system that purifies the circulating air by irradiating ultraviolet rays into the inside of a duct or chamber made of a material with high ultraviolet reflectivity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-146013 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional air purification methods that irradiate the inside of a duct or chamber with ultraviolet light have the problem that it is difficult to irradiate the entire air passing through with ultraviolet light, making it difficult to achieve a sufficient sterilization effect. The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 also discloses placing a light guide plate or the like inside the ultraviolet sterilization chamber to emit ultraviolet light as diffused light, but this method has the problem of high manufacturing costs.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an air purification device and method that can sterilize air by irradiating it with ultraviolet light at low cost and efficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The object of the present invention is achieved by an air purifying device comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a fan provided within the casing for sucking air through the inlet and discharging it through the outlet, and a sterilizer having an ultraviolet light source on the top surface of a housing-like main body, wherein the inlet is covered by a grill having a plurality of openings, and the sterilizer has two legs rotatably attached to the bottom surface of the main body, the legs having mounting holes formed at their tip ends, and the sterilizer is fixed to the inner surface of the grill by inserting fixing devices into the mounting holes of the two legs and engaging them with the openings.

[0007] The ultraviolet light source is preferably an ultraviolet LED, the sterilization device is preferably equipped with a PWM adjustment unit that adjusts the light emission state of the ultraviolet light source, and the fan is preferably made of aluminum or stainless steel, or has a surface coated with a silica film.

[0008] Furthermore, the above-mentioned object of the present invention can be achieved by a method for purifying indoor air using the above-mentioned air purification device, which comprises sucking indoor air through the air inlet, irradiating it with ultraviolet light using the ultraviolet light source, and discharging the air into the room through the air outlet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air purification device and method that can sterilize air by irradiating it with ultraviolet light at low cost and efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an air purification device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a side view, partly in cross section, showing the main part of the air purification device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing other main parts of the air purification device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 1. FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing still another main part of the air purification device shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 1. FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing still another main part of the air purification device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of an air purification device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the main parts of the air purification device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an air purifier according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a side view, partially in cross section, showing the main parts of the air purifier shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the air purifier 1 of this embodiment includes a housing-like casing 10, a fan 16 provided within the casing 10, and a sterilizer 30 having an ultraviolet light source 32, and is installed in the ceiling of a building, vehicle, or the like.

[0012] Casing 10 has air inlet 11 formed on its underside. Air inlet 11 is disposed so as to face the interior of the room through an opening formed in ceiling 50, and is covered by grill 20 that is detachably attached to casing 10 from the interior side. As shown in the plan view from above in FIG. 3, grill 20 has a plurality of openings 21 formed therein, and air is drawn in through openings 21.

[0013] A cylindrical connecting portion 12 is provided on the side of the casing 10, and an air outlet 13 is formed at the tip of the connecting portion 12. The connecting portion 12 is connected to an indoor introduction portion 60 provided in another location on the ceiling 50 via a duct 70, and air discharged from the air outlet 13 is supplied from the indoor introduction portion 60 into the room. The indoor introduction portions 60 may be provided in multiple locations on the ceiling 50, and the duct 70 connected to the connecting portion 12 can be branched and connected to each indoor introduction portion 60. The indoor introduction portion 60 may be provided on a wall surface, floor surface, etc. inside the room.

[0014] A housing 14 having an opening 15 formed on the underside is provided inside the casing 10, and a fan 16 is disposed inside the housing 14. In this embodiment, the fan 16 is a sirocco fan that is rotationally driven by a motor 17. The fan 16 may also be a propeller fan, a turbo fan, or the like. The housing 14 is in communication with the connection part 12, and air is sucked in from the intake port 11 through the opening 15 by operation of the fan 16, and is discharged from the outlet 13.

[0015] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, sterilization device 30 has an ultraviolet light source 32 on the top surface of a housing-like main body 31. UV light source 32 is composed of an ultraviolet LED, ultraviolet lamp, or the like that emits ultraviolet light with strong sterilizing properties, and its output is controlled by a control circuit provided within main body 31. Mounting legs 33 and 34 are provided on the bottom surface of main body 31. In addition, a power supply connection part 35 that is connected to a power supply (not shown) and a PWM adjustment part 36 that adjusts the light emission state of UV light source 32 are provided on the side of main body 31. PWM adjustment part 36 can be rotated to adjust the duty ratio of the pulse signal that drives UV light source 32; for example, both the on time and off time can be set to 0.1 seconds. The PWM adjustment unit 36 ​​may be provided on a wall or the like inside the room together with a switch for the fan 16, etc., so that the user can easily operate it. When the degree of pollution in the room is low or the room will not be used for a while, the off time can be made longer than the on time (for example, on time 0.1 seconds, off time 0.2 seconds), thereby extending the life of the ultraviolet light source 32.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the sterilizer 30. As shown in FIG. 4, the base ends of the legs 33 and 34 are rotatably attached to the bottom surface of the main body 31 by pivots 33a and 34a. Mounting holes 33b and 34b are formed at the distal ends of the legs 33 and 34. By rotating the legs 33 and 34 as shown by the dashed lines, the mounting holes 33b and 34b can be positioned on both sides of the main body 31. Fasteners such as wire ties or wires can be inserted into the mounting holes 33b and 34b. As shown in FIG. 3, the sterilizer 30 is fixed to the inner surface of the grill 20 by engaging the fasteners 22 and 23 with the openings 21 of the grill 20. A lamp 37 indicating the operating status of the sterilizer 30 is provided on the bottom surface of the main body 31. The user can visually check the lamp 37 through the openings 21 of the grill 20 to determine the operating status of the sterilizer 30.

[0017] 5 is a bottom view of the fan 16 inside the casing 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the ultraviolet light source 32 is disposed on the axis R of the rotation shaft of the fan 16, and irradiates ultraviolet light toward the fan 16. The ultraviolet light source 32 preferably has a wide beam angle (for example, approximately 110 degrees) so that the entire fan 16 or a wide range of the fan 16 can be irradiated with ultraviolet light.

[0018] The air purifier 1 having the above configuration can sterilize indoor air by operating the fan 16 to draw it into the casing 10 through the air inlet 11 and irradiating it with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 32 of the sterilizer 30. The sterilized air is discharged from the air outlet 13 and supplied into the room from the indoor introduction part 60 via the duct 70.

[0019] In the air purifying device 1 of this embodiment, the ultraviolet light source 32 is provided in the casing 10 so as to irradiate ultraviolet light toward the fan 16, and the ultraviolet light reflected from the surface of the fan 16 is scattered in various directions within the casing 10 as the fan 16 rotates. This makes it possible to efficiently irradiate ultraviolet light onto all of the air introduced into the casing 10 and purify the air in the room with an inexpensive configuration.

[0020] The fan 16 is preferably made of a material with high UV reflectivity, such as aluminum or stainless steel, so as to efficiently diffuse and reflect UV rays, or the fan 16 may be preferably coated with a UV-reflecting film, such as a silica film. To further scatter the UV rays reflected from the surface of the fan 16, it is also preferable to increase the UV reflectivity of the surfaces of the casing 10 and the grill 20, as with the fan 16.

[0021] The ultraviolet light source 32 is preferably disposed on the axis R of the rotation shaft of the fan 16 so that ultraviolet light can be easily applied to a wide area of ​​the fan 16, but other positions are also possible as long as ultraviolet light can be directly applied to the fan 16. The mounting position of the ultraviolet light source 32 relative to the casing 10 is not necessarily limited, but by fixing it to the upper surface (inner surface) of the grill 20 that covers the air intake 11, as in this embodiment, ultraviolet light can be easily applied to the fan 16.

[0022] The air purification device 1 of this embodiment can be easily constructed, for example, by using an existing duct ventilation fan and attaching the sterilization device 30 to the grill 20, so that manufacturing and installation can be carried out quickly and inexpensively.

[0023] Figure 6 is a bottom view of an air purifying device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The air purifying device 101 shown in Figure 6 is configured by attaching the above-mentioned sterilizing device 30 to an existing ceiling-embedded air conditioning device 200 suspended from a ceiling in a room using a mounting stay 40, and is shown as viewed from below. In Figure 6, the same components as those in Figure 1 etc. are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0024] The ceiling-mounted air conditioner 200 has a rectangular air inlet 11 formed at the bottom of a casing 10, and an air inlet grille is removably attached to the air inlet 11. Figure 6 shows the air conditioner with the air inlet grille removed.

[0025] A fan 16 is provided above the suction port 11 inside the casing 10 via a bell mouth 18. A space 201 is formed between the suction port 11 and an opening 18a at the lower end of the bell mouth 18. The center of the opening 18a of the bell mouth 18 coincides with the rotation axis of the fan 16.

[0026] On the underside of casing 10, air outlets 13 are formed along each of the four sides of air inlet 11. Air drawn in from air inlet 11 by operation of fan 16 passes upward through bell mouth 18, is diffused horizontally, is heated or cooled in a heat exchanger (not shown), and is then discharged into the room from each air outlet 13.

[0027] Figure 7 is a plan view of the sterilizer 30 and mounting stay 40 shown in Figure 6, viewed from above. As shown in Figure 7, the mounting stay 40 is configured to be extendable and contractible, with a band-shaped movable member 42 housed in a flat, cylindrical main body 41 so that it can move longitudinally. When mounting the sterilizer 30 to an existing ceiling-mounted air conditioner 200, first, only the mounting stay 40 is fully extended between a pair of opposing inner walls of the space 201 shown in Figure 6, and the length of the space 201 at the mounting position of the mounting stay 40 is measured by, for example, marking the boundary between the main body 41 and the movable member 42.

[0028] Next, while holding the mounting stay 40 at the measured length, the sterilizer 30 is fixed to the mounting stay 40 with screws 43, 44, using mounting holes such as pilot holes formed in the legs 33, 34 of the sterilizer 30. The mounting position of the sterilizer 30 is preferably such that the ultraviolet light source 32 coincides with the rotation axis of the fan 16, as with the configuration shown in Figure 5, and in this embodiment this is the longitudinal center of the mounting stay 40.

[0029] Next, the mounting stay 40 with the sterilizer 30 attached is set in the mounting position of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 200 shown in Figure 6, and pilot holes are drilled in both longitudinal ends of the mounting stay 40 and fixed with screws 45, 46. As a result, the sterilizer 30 is supported in the center of the opening 18a of the bell mouth 18, and the upper ultraviolet light source 32 is positioned inside the bell mouth 18. Thereafter, the necessary wiring is done, and the light emission of the lamp 37 is confirmed, completing the installation work.

[0030] According to the air purifier 101 shown in Fig. 6, the ultraviolet light source 32 is arranged on the axis of the rotation shaft of the fan 16, so that ultraviolet light can be easily irradiated over a wide area of ​​the fan 16, similar to the air purifier shown in Fig. 1 etc., and the ultraviolet light source 32 is arranged inside the bell mouth 18, so that most of the irradiated ultraviolet light can be reliably reflected by the surface of the fan 16. As a result, the sterilizing effect of the air can be further improved.

[0031] Furthermore, by mounting the sterilization device 30 using the extendable mounting stay 40, the ultraviolet light source 32 can be easily and accurately aligned with the center of the opening of the bell mouth 18. However, the method of mounting the sterilization device 30 is not necessarily limited, and for example, the ultraviolet light source 32 may be disposed inside the bell mouth 18 using a bracket or the like that protrudes upward from an intake grill (not shown) that covers the intake port 11. The ultraviolet light source 32 and the rotation axis of the fan 16 do not need to be perfectly aligned, and the ultraviolet light source 32 may be disposed in a position within the bell mouth 18 that is slightly offset from the rotation axis. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1,101 air purifiers 10 Casing 11 Intake port 13 Air outlet 16 Fans 18 Bellmouth 20 Grill 30 Sterilizer 32 UV light source 40 Mounting stay

Claims

1. a casing having an inlet and an outlet; a fan provided in the casing for drawing in air through the air inlet and discharging the air through the air outlet; a sterilization device having an ultraviolet light source on the top surface of a housing-like main body, The air inlet is covered with a grill having a plurality of openings formed therein, The sterilizer includes two legs rotatably attached to the bottom surface of the main body, The leg portion has a mounting hole formed at the tip end thereof, The air purifying device has fasteners inserted into the mounting holes of the two legs, respectively, which are engaged with the openings, thereby fixing the sterilizing device to the inner surface side of the grill.

2. The ultraviolet light source is an ultraviolet LED, The sterilization device includes a PWM adjustment unit that adjusts the light emission state of the ultraviolet light source, 2. The air purifying device according to claim 1, wherein the fan is made of aluminum or stainless steel, or the surface of the fan is coated with a silica film.

3. A method for purifying indoor air using the air purifying device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: The air purification method includes sucking indoor air through the air inlet, irradiating it with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source, and discharging it into the room through the air outlet.

Images