Flow path switching mechanism and negative / positive pressure switching device

Abstract

To provide a flow passage switching mechanism which is achieved in space saving and a simple constitution, and a negative / positive pressure switching device using the same.SOLUTION: A flow passage switching mechanism 1 includes a housing 10 having a plurality of air supply ports 11 and a plurality of exhaust ports 12, a bulkhead 30 arranged in the housing 10 and vertically partitioning a space in the housing 10 into a first space 31 and a second space 32, and a circular columnar-shaped or conical hollow selector valve 20 arranged in the housing 10 so as to be connected to the air supply port 11 and / or the exhaust port 12 at an opened bottom face, the selector valve 20 having an opening portion 21 in which air passes at a sidewall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flow path switching mechanism and a negative / positive pressure switching device using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART For example, the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known as techniques for changing the direction of air flow in an air conditioning air duct or the like in order to maintain an appropriate indoor air-conditioning environment.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an air intake / exhaust port switching unit that aims to switch the air blowing direction in a small space without switching the rotation direction of a fan. This air intake and exhaust port switching unit separates a partial space into a first air intake and exhaust port side and a second air intake and exhaust port side by a partition plate perpendicular to the partition wall, and within the partial space separated by the partition plate, a pair of dampers sandwiching the partition plate are attached so as to be able to swing on the edge of the partition wall facing the partial space. Also, damper motors that swing the pair of dampers in directions opposite to each other are connected to the pair of dampers, and by swinging the pair of dampers in directions opposite to each other, when the first chamber and the first air intake and exhaust port are connected, the second chamber and the second air intake and exhaust port are connected, and when the first chamber and the second air intake and exhaust port are connected, the second chamber and the first air intake and exhaust port are connected.

[0004] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 describes a flow path switching device for air conditioning equipment. The flow path switching device of this air conditioner has a duct (4) connected to an air outlet, and the duct has branch ducts (4a, 4b) that branch into multiple flow paths midway (see Figure 1 of Patent Document 2). At the branch point of the duct, multiple louvers (9A, 9B) are provided in parallel at different angles, and the multiple louvers (9A, 9B) are rotated (turned) by a motor (11) to switch the flow paths (see Figures 1 and 2 of Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-300354 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-029644 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, what is required in technology for changing the direction of air flow in air conditioning ducts, etc., is space-saving and a simple configuration. The air intake / exhaust port switching unit described in Patent Document 1 switches the air intake / exhaust port using a damper motor, which poses problems such as the need for a power supply, noise generation, and a complex configuration. Furthermore, the flow path switching device for air conditioning equipment described in Patent Document 2 also has a complex configuration in which multiple louvers are arranged in parallel at different angles inside the duct, and it also uses a motor, which, in addition to the above problems, makes it difficult to achieve space-saving.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a flow path switching mechanism that achieves space saving and a simple configuration, and a negative / positive pressure switching device that uses the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The flow path switching mechanism of the present invention includes a housing having a plurality of air intake ports and a plurality of exhaust ports, a partition wall provided within the housing that separates the space within the housing into a first space and a second space, and a cylindrical or conical hollow switching valve provided within the housing so that its open bottom surface connects to the air intake ports and / or exhaust port, and which has an opening on the side through which air passes. As a result, air flowing in from the air inlet flows from the bottom surface of the switching valve connected to the air inlet to the first or second space through an opening provided on the side surface, and the air that has flowed into the first or second space flows from the opening provided on the side surface of the switching valve connected to the exhaust port through the bottom surface and is discharged from the exhaust port.

[0009] Furthermore, it is desirable that the switching valve has a stop plate on the side that abuts against the partition wall, and is configured so that the position of the opening can be switched to either the first space side or the second space side by rotating around the axial direction. This allows the opening of the switching valve to be positioned on either the first space side or the second space side by rotating the switching valve, so that an opening used as an air intake port can be changed into an exhaust port, or an opening used as an exhaust port can be changed into an air intake port.

[0010] The negative / positive pressure switching device according to the present invention includes the flow path switching mechanism described above, a filter provided in the partition wall, and a fan provided within the housing. In particular, it is desirable that the negative / positive pressure switching device be configured so that air that flows in through multiple air intake ports and passes through a filter is branched off in multiple directions by multiple exhaust ports before flowing out. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] With this configuration of the flow path switching mechanism according to the present invention, air flowing in from the air intake port flows from the bottom surface of the switching valve connected to the air intake port to the first or second space through an opening provided on the side surface. The air flowing into the first or second space then flows from the bottom surface of the switching valve connected to the exhaust port through an opening provided on the side surface, and is then discharged from the exhaust port. Therefore, for example, if cold air is to be supplied, a connection configuration can be realized between the air conditioner (duct) and multiple air intake ports so that air flows into the first space (above) and is discharged from the second space (below). For example, if warm air is to be supplied, the opposite configuration can be used.

[0012] Furthermore, the switching valve is provided with a stop plate on its side that abuts against the partition wall, and is configured so that the position of the opening can be switched between the first space side and the second space side by rotating it about its axial direction.By rotating the switching valve, it is possible to change whether the opening of the switching valve is located on the first space side or the second space side, so that an opening used as an air intake port can be changed to an exhaust port, and an opening used as an exhaust port can be changed to an air intake port.Therefore, with the simple operation of rotating the switching valve, it is possible to arbitrarily switch the exhaust destination of air that has flowed into the housing and the source of air that flows into the housing.

[0013] Furthermore, as will be described later, the negative / positive pressure switching device of the present invention can be effectively used in facilities such as hospitals where there are rooms that require positive pressure and rooms that require negative pressure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating the configuration of a flow path switching mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is an overall view and (B) is a partially enlarged view. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating a switching valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a flow path switching mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a flow path switching mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a negative / positive pressure switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the negative / positive pressure switching device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing an example of installation of a negative / positive pressure switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention. However, the description of the constituent elements described below is an example (representative example) of an embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following content as long as it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0016] [Flow path switching mechanism] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a flow path switching mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is an overall view thereof and (B) is an enlarged view of a portion enclosed by a dashed rectangular frame in FIG. 1, the flow path switching mechanism 1 includes a housing 10 having a plurality of air intake ports 11 and a plurality of exhaust ports 12. The housing 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped, and it is desirable that the height of the housing 10 be such that it can be placed between beams in the ceiling or under the floor (for example, about 100 mm to 700 mm).

[0017] An air conditioner or AC (air conditioner) that sends out the incoming air is connected to the air intake 11 via a duct (flexible duct). The destination of the exhaust air from the exhaust vent 12 is selected, and the exhaust air is either exhausted indoors or outdoors via a duct.

[0018] A partition wall (upper and lower partition plate) 30 is provided inside the housing 10. The partition wall 30 divides the space inside the housing 10 into upper and lower spaces (a first space 31 and a second space 32) (see FIG. 1(B)).

[0019] Furthermore, a switching valve 20 is provided inside the housing 10 so as to connect to the air inlet 11 and the air outlet 12. The housing 10 and the switching valve 20 are made of metal such as iron or aluminum, or made of resin. 2 is a diagram for explaining the switching valve according to the embodiment of the present invention. The switching valve 20 will be explained below with reference to FIGS.

[0020] The switching valve 20 is a hollow cylinder or cone extending in the axial direction. When the switching valve 20 is cylindrical, both bottom surfaces are open, and when the switching valve 20 is conical, only the bottom surface is open. Furthermore, the switching valve 20 has an opening 21 on its side surface through which air passes. Here, Fig. 1(B) shows an example in which the switching valve 20 has a cylindrical shape. Explaining based on this example, a part of the side of the cylindrical shape (in this embodiment, half (180 degrees)) is open (has no side). The other part has a side. Hereinafter, this part will be referred to as side portion 22.

[0021] 1(B), the switching valve 20 is provided with a stop plate 20S on its side that abuts against the partition wall 30. When this stop plate 20S abuts against the partition wall 30, the opening portion 21 of the switching valve 20 is positioned on the first space 31 side. On the other hand, the side portion 22 is positioned on the second space 32 side. Therefore, the air flowing in from the air intake port 11 shown in FIG. 1(B) flows into the first space due to the presence of the opening portion 21, but does not flow into the second space 32 due to the presence of the side portion 22.

[0022] 1(A), the housing 10 has a plurality of air inlets 11 and a plurality of exhaust outlets 12, each of which is provided with a switching valve 20. Some of the switching valves 20 connected to the exhaust outlets 12 have a configuration opposite to that of the switching valve 20 shown in FIG. 1(B), i.e., an opening 21 is located on the second space 32 side and a side surface 22 is located in the first space 31. Therefore, air in the first space 31 moves from the open bottom surface of the switching valve 20 (see the dashed circle in FIG. 1(A)) to the second space 32, and is discharged from the exhaust outlet 12 connected to the switching valve 20 having such a configuration (an opening 21 is located on the second space 32 side and a side surface 22 is located in the first space 31).

[0023] Since the switching valve 20 has a cylindrical or conical shape, it can be rotated about its axial direction (see FIG. 1(B)). Therefore, by rotating the switching valve 20 180 degrees about its axial direction, the position of the opening 21 can be switched to the second space 32 side.

[0024] Such switching can be performed manually or automatically (for example, by a motor, etc.) The positions of the opening 21 and the side surface 22 can also be fixed by welding the switching valve 20 and the partition wall 30 together or by integrally molding the switching valve 20 and the partition wall 30.

[0025] Furthermore, the design of the switching valve 20 can be modified as needed. For example, when the shape of the switching valve 20 is cylindrical, and the air inlet 11 and the air outlet 12 are positioned opposite each other in the center of the flow path switching mechanism 1 shown in Fig. 1(A), the switching valve 20 connected to the air inlet 11 and the switching valve 20 connected to the air outlet 12 can be integrally molded as shown in Fig. 2(A).

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2(B), the shape and area of ​​the opening 21 and side surface 22 of the switching valve 20 can be changed as appropriate. In addition, as shown in Fig. 2(C), when the switching valve 20 is conical, the switching valves 20 that face each other can be integrally molded, and as shown in Fig. 2(D), the shape and area of ​​the stop plate 12S can be changed as appropriate.

[0027] In particular, when the switching valve 20 has a conical shape, it is possible to reduce the resistance of the air flowing inside the housing 10. By reducing the resistance (i.e., obstacles) of the air flowing inside the housing 10, the flow path switching mechanism 1 can smoothly discharge the outflowing air.

[0028] [Another embodiment] 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams of a flow path switching mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 3 and 4, solid arrows indicate air flowing through the upper side (first space 31) of the housing 10, and dashed arrows indicate air flowing through the lower side (second space 32) of the housing 10.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 3, the flow path switching mechanism 1 can also be configured so that switching valves 20 are not provided in some of the air inlets 11 and exhaust ports 12. Furthermore, as can be seen by comparing with the example shown in Fig. 1, the flow path switching mechanism 1 can be designed with appropriate changes to the number and ratio of air inlets 11 and exhaust ports 12, and the shape of switching valves 20. Furthermore, check valves can also be provided in the housing 10 and switching valves 20 depending on the application.

[0030] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the configuration may be such that the inlets and outlets of the air inlet 11 and the air outlet 12 do not face each other (the switching valves 20 are not integrally molded but are provided independently).

[0031] With the configuration shown in FIG. 4, as can be seen from the arrows indicating the flow of air, it is possible to reduce the resistance of the air flowing inside the housing 10 (first space 31, second space 32).

[0032] In this way, flow path switching mechanism 1 of the present invention has a simple configuration and can achieve space-saving enough to fit in a ceiling beam, under a floor, etc. Furthermore, air taken in through any of the multiple air inlets 11 can be discharged from any of the exhaust outlets 12, so that flow paths can be formed to suit the air-conditioning environment required for a room, building, etc. in which flow path switching mechanism 1 of the present invention is used.

[0033] In particular, by rotating the switching valve 20, it is possible to change whether the opening 21 of the switching valve 20 is positioned on the first space 31 side or the second space 32 side, making it possible to change (switch) an air intake port to an exhaust port, or an exhaust port to an air intake port. Therefore, air flowing in from a duct attached to a certain air intake port can be sent to any exhaust port (to the end of the duct connected to that exhaust port), and the destination can be switched.

[0034] The flow path switching mechanism 1 (housing 10) of the present invention can be designed so that it can be stored in the beams above the ceiling or under the floor, and can be configured to be placed horizontally or vertically.

[0035] [Negative and positive pressure switching device] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a negative / positive pressure switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 5(A) is a schematic perspective view illustrating the internal configuration of negative / positive pressure switching device 100, and Figure 5(B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of negative / positive pressure switching device 100, with arrows indicating the air flow. As shown in FIG. 5, the negative / positive pressure switching device 100 includes a flow path switching mechanism 1, and also includes a filter 110 provided in the partition wall 30, and a fan 120 provided inside the housing .

[0036] The filter 110 is, for example, an air filter. If a HEPA filter is used as the filter 110, it can capture particles of 0.3 μm or larger in the air, and can purify the air that is taken in.

[0037] 5, filter 110 does not directly face the air intake port, and is not directly hit by the air flowing in from the air intake port. Therefore, an ultraviolet irradiation device (not shown) can be provided in front of filter 110 (on the surface facing it), and ultraviolet light can be irradiated onto filter 110 from this ultraviolet irradiation device, thereby further suppressing bacteria and viruses.

[0038] By providing the fan 120, it is possible to realize and accelerate intake of air from the outside and exhaust of air to the outside.

[0039] 5(B), air that flows in from an air intake port (not shown) through switching valve 20 moves from above housing 10 (first space 31) through filter 110 to below housing 10 (second space 32).The air then flows from second space 32 through switching valve 20 and is exhausted from an exhaust port (not shown).

[0040] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the negative / positive pressure switching device according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the flow path switching mechanism 1 can switch between an inlet (air supply port) for incoming air and an outlet (exhaust port) for outgoing air (air that has passed through the filter 110).

[0041] For example, the air conditioning in hospital operating rooms aims to maintain a highly clean environment and create a space to prevent postoperative infections. Therefore, the air pressure in the operating room is kept positive (2.5 Pa or higher) to prevent the inflow of dust. Therefore, according to the negative-positive pressure switching device 100 of the present invention, since the air pressure inside the operating room needs to be higher than the outdoor air pressure (outside the operating room), air from outside the operating room can be taken in through the air intake port, its cleanliness increased by the filter 110, and then sent into the operating room through the exhaust port.

[0042] Additionally, even within the same hospital, rooms where infection control measures are required (such as negative pressure infection isolation rooms) are required to be negative pressure, while rooms for patients with weak immune systems (such as those with leukemia or burns) are required to be positive pressure.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of installation of a negative / positive pressure switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, the air that flows in through the air intake port and passes through the filter 110 can be branched off in multiple directions through multiple exhaust ports, so the negative-positive pressure switching device 100 can be configured in a variety of ways to suit the air conditioning environment required by the facility in which it is used, such as a hospital, nursing home, animal testing facility, medical facility set up in the event of a disaster, or a tent used by the Self-Defense Forces.

[0044] Furthermore, the negative / positive pressure switching device 100 can be unitized and used as an outdoor device, or can be installed in the ceiling, under the floor, or hidden in a wall, etc.

[0045] The embodiment of the flow path switching mechanism described above is merely an example. For example, although the shape of the housing 10 in this embodiment is a rectangular parallelepiped, it may have any other shape. [Industrial Applicability]

[0046] The present invention is industrially useful because it is a flow path switching mechanism that achieves space saving and simple configuration, and a negative / positive pressure switching device using the same that can be used in various facilities such as hospitals. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1. Flow path switching mechanism 10. Cabinet 11 Air supply port 12 exhaust port 20 Switching valve 21 Opening part 22 Side part 30 Partition wall (upper and lower partition board) 100 Negative / positive pressure switching device 110 filters 120 fans

Claims

1. a housing having a plurality of air inlets and a plurality of air outlets; a partition wall provided within the housing, the partition wall dividing the space within the housing into a first space and a second space in an upper and lower direction; a cylindrical or conical hollow switching valve provided in the housing with an open bottom surface connected to the air inlet and / or the air outlet, the switching valve having an opening on a side surface through which air passes; The switching valve has a stop plate on its side that abuts against the partition wall, and by rotating around its axial direction, the position of the opening portion is switched to either the first space side or the second space side.

2. The flow path switching mechanism according to claim 1 is provided, a filter provided on the partition wall; A negative / positive pressure switching device having a fan provided within the housing.

3. The negative / positive pressure switching device according to claim 2, wherein the air that flows in through the plurality of air intake ports and passes through the filter is branched in multiple directions by the plurality of exhaust ports and discharged.

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