Charging device

Abstract

This electrification device comprises: an electrification unit on which an object is to be placed; and an output circuit which boosts voltage and outputs an output voltage. The electrification unit causes the placed object to be electrified, while being electrified by the output voltage outputted from the output circuit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, masks with holes of 10 μm or less in size have been used by medical professionals treating patients with coronavirus, etc. These masks are charged with static electricity, which allows aerosols to be captured in the holes of the mask (Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] H. Ding, Proc. SPIE, 1991, 1519, 847-856. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a mask is washed with alcohol or the like in order to reuse it, the static electricity applied to the mask decreases. For this reason, there is a need for a technology that can re-apply static electricity to a mask after washing.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its exemplary objects is to provide a charging device that can easily charge various objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a charging device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a charging section on which an object is placed, and an output circuit that boosts the voltage and outputs an output voltage, and the charging section charges the placed object while it is in a charged state due to the output voltage output from the output circuit.

[0007] Any combination of the above components and any conversion of the present invention between methods, systems, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a charging device that can easily charge various objects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the measurement conditions of Experiment 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the measurement conditions of Experiment 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a flat plate used in Experiment 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the positions at which the charging voltage of the charged plate was measured in Experiment 1. [Figure 6] 1 is a graph showing the measurement results in Experiment 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the measurement conditions of Experiment 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the measurement conditions of Experiment 2. [Figure 9] 10 is a graph showing the measurement results in Experiment 2. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing an output circuit provided in the electrostatic gun. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the measurement conditions of Experiment 3. [Figure 12] 10 is a graph showing the measurement results in Experiment 3. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the measurement results in Experiment 4. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the positions at which the charging voltage was measured in Experiment 5. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 shows the lid used in Experiment 5. [Figure 16] 10 is a graph showing the measurement results in Experiment 5. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the experimental conditions of Experiment 6. [Figure 18] Fig. 18(a) is a diagram for explaining the conditions for the first lid in Experiment 6. Fig. 18(b) is a diagram for explaining the conditions for the second lid in Experiment 6. Fig. 18(c) is a diagram for explaining the conditions for the third lid in Experiment 6. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing measurement results according to lid conditions. [Figure 20] 1 is an external view of a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 21] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of how the charging device according to the present embodiment is used. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the function of the charging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is an external view of a charging device according to a modified example. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the charging device according to the modified example is open. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the configurations described below are examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way.

[0011] [Charging device] 1 is a schematic diagram of a charging device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The charging device 1 is a device that charges various objects. The detailed configuration of the charging device 1 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 20 to 22, but here, the configuration of the charging device 1 will be briefly described.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the charging device 1 includes a housing 10 and a lid 12. The lid 12 is rotatably connected to the housing 10. A flat plate 4 is disposed on the upper surface of the housing 10. A gap may be formed between the flat plate 4 and the housing 10 so that the flat plate 4 does not come into direct contact with the housing 10. The flat plate 4 is electrically connected to an output circuit (not shown in Fig. 1) disposed inside the housing 10.

[0013] A user of the charging device 1 places the object 2 to be charged on the flat plate 4. In this embodiment, the object 2 is a mask, but it may be any object, including a cloth article such as a mask. When the user activates the charging device 1, the flat plate 4 placed on the top surface of the housing 10 is charged by a voltage output from an output circuit arranged inside the housing 10. The charging device 1 can charge the object 2 using the charged flat plate 4.

[0014] [experiment] The following describes experiments (Experiments 1 to 6) conducted by the present inventors to verify the optimum conditions for the charging device.

[0015] (Experiment 1) 2 and 3 are diagrams for explaining the measurement conditions of Experiment 1.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, a flat plate 20 with four legs 22 was placed on a laboratory table 30. An insulating sheet 32 ​​was placed between the legs 22 and the surface of the laboratory table 30. Here, the flat plate 20 is assumed to be the flat plate 4 placed on the housing 10 of the charging device 1 shown in FIG. 1. In other words, the flat plate 20 is assumed to be used as a component for charging an object such as a mask.

[0017] In this experiment, the flat plate 20 was charged using an electrostatic gun (commonly referred to as a "charging gun") with a voltage amplifier circuit function, and the distribution of the charged voltage on the upper surface of the flat plate 20 was measured. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , an electrostatic gun 40 and a voltage meter 52 were arranged, and the distribution of the charged voltage on the upper surface of the charged flat plate 20 was measured. The electrostatic gun 40 was supported by a gun support 50 arranged on the laboratory table 30. The voltage meter 52 was supported by a meter support 54 arranged on the laboratory table 30. The electrostatic gun 40 had a pointed end 44 and a housing 42 equipped with a circuit for charging the end 44. In this experiment, the tip of the electrostatic gun 40 was charged while in contact with the side of the flat plate 20, thereby charging the flat plate 20. The voltage meter 52 was then used to measure the distribution of the charged voltage on the surface of the charged flat plate 20.

[0018] 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the flat plate 20 used in this experiment. The flat plate 20 has a metal plate 200 and an insulating plate 202 provided thereon. In this experiment, the flat plate 20 was charged with the tip of an electrostatic gun 40 in contact with the side surface of the metal plate 200. In addition to the case where the flat plate 20 has a two-layer structure of the metal plate 200 and the insulating plate 202 as shown in FIG. 4, measurements were also taken when the flat plate was composed of only an insulating plate.

[0019] If the flat plate were made of only a metal plate, the metal plate charged to a high voltage would discharge into the air. If this flat plate were used in the charging device shown in Figure 1, discharge from the charged flat plate would be undesirable for the user. As in this experiment, by making the flat plate include at least an insulating plate, discharge from the flat plate can be suppressed.

[0020] 5 is a diagram showing the positions where the charge voltage of the charged plate 20 was measured in this experiment. In this experiment, the charge voltage was measured at positions numbered 1 to 7 as shown in FIG. 5. The triangle shown in FIG. 5 indicates the end 44 of the electrostatic gun 40.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the measurement results of this experiment. The horizontal axis of the graph indicates the measurement locations, and the values ​​correspond to the numbers of each position on the flat plate 20 shown in FIG. 5. The vertical axis of the graph indicates the charge voltage at the measurement locations. Note that the charge voltage values ​​are not absolute values, but relative values ​​obtained by multiplying the actual value by a certain coefficient. In the graph shown in FIG. 6, the solid line indicates the measurement results when the flat plate has a two-layer structure of an insulating plate and a metal plate as shown in FIG. 4, and the dashed line indicates the measurement results when the flat plate consists of only an insulating plate. As shown in FIG. 6, the measurement results for the two-layer structure showed a more uniform distribution of charge voltage than the measurement results for the case with only an insulating plate. This is thought to be because the metal plate homogenizes the charge voltage on the insulating plate.

[0022] (Experiment 2) In Experiment 2, measurements were performed under two measurement conditions. Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams for explaining the respective measurement conditions. In Experiment 2, the voltage of the flat plate 20 was measured using the gun support 50 and voltage measuring instrument 52 shown in Figure 1, but the gun support 50 and voltage measuring instrument 52 are not shown in Figures 7 and 8. Here, the flat plate 20 is a flat plate having a two-layer structure of a metal plate and an insulator.

[0023] 7, an insulating fixing member 46 was provided at the tip of the end 44 of the electrostatic gun 40, and the flat plate 20 was fixed to this fixing member 46. As a result, the flat plate 20 was supported by the tip of the electrostatic gun 40 in the air, i.e., so as not to come into contact with any object other than the fixing member 46 (such as the laboratory table 30). In other words, the flat plate 20 was supported only by the electrostatic gun 40.

[0024] Under the second measurement condition, as shown in Fig. 8, a fixing member is provided at the tip of the electrostatic gun 40, and the flat plate 20 is fixed to this fixing member 46, as in Fig. 7. Furthermore, under the second measurement condition, as shown in Fig. 8, four legs 22 similar to the legs 22 shown in Fig. 2 are provided on the underside of the flat plate 20, and the legs 22 are in direct contact with the laboratory bench 30. Therefore, under the second measurement condition, the flat plate 20 is supported by the laboratory bench 30 and the electrostatic gun 40.

[0025] FIG. 9 is a graph showing the measurement results of Experiment 2. In Experiment 2, the input to the electrostatic gun 40 was turned ON to charge the flat plate 20, and the input to the electrostatic gun 40 was turned OFF after a predetermined time had passed. FIG. 9 shows the measurement of the charged voltage on the surface of the flat plate from the timing just before the input to the electrostatic gun 40 was turned ON until a certain time had passed after the input to the electrostatic gun 40 was turned OFF. The horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 9 represents the elapsed time (seconds), and the vertical axis of the graph represents the charged voltage on the surface of the flat plate 20. Note that, like the graph shown in FIG. 6, this charged voltage value is not an absolute value.

[0026] In the graph shown in Fig. 9, the solid line indicates the measurement results when the flat plate 20 is supported only by the electrostatic gun 40, as shown in Fig. 7. In addition, in the same graph, the dashed line indicates the measurement results when the flat plate is provided with feet 22 and the flat plate 20 is supported by the laboratory table 30 and the electrostatic gun 40, as shown in Fig. 8.

[0027] As shown in the graph, in all measurement results, the charging voltage increased two seconds after the electrostatic gun 40 was turned on, indicating that the surface of the plate was charged. When the electrostatic gun 40 was turned off after approximately 65 seconds had passed, the charging voltage dropped rapidly, as shown by the dashed line in the measurement results. This is thought to be because the charge accumulated on the surface of the plate 20 flowed to the ground (experiment table 30) via the feet 22. If a mask or the like was placed on the surface of the plate 20 and the mask was charged, it is thought that some of the charge on the mask would also flow to the ground.

[0028] On the other hand, in the measurement results shown by the solid line, the charged voltage gradually decreases after the input to the electrostatic gun 40 is turned off, but the rapid decrease in charged voltage as seen in the measurement results shown by the dashed line is suppressed. This is thought to be because the flat plate 20 is supported only by the electrostatic gun 40, which prevents the flat plate 20 from discharging to other objects such as the laboratory table 30. The reason why the discharge of the flat plate 20 is suppressed in this way will be explained with reference to FIG. 10.

[0029] 10 is a circuit diagram showing the output circuit 48 provided in the electrostatic gun 40. The output circuit is a circuit that boosts an input voltage and outputs an output voltage. The output circuit 48 in this experiment transforms the input voltage input to input terminals 482 and 484, boosts the transformed input voltage, and outputs an output voltage from output terminal 492. The output output voltage is transmitted to the tip of the electrostatic gun 40, and the flat plate 20 is charged by this output voltage.

[0030] The output circuit 48 of the electrostatic gun 40 used in this experiment includes a transformer T that transforms the input voltage and a boost circuit 480 that boosts the input voltage transformed by the transformer T. The transformer T has a first coil L1, a second coil L2, and a third coil L3. The first coil L1 is the primary coil of the transformer T, and an AC voltage is applied to it from input terminals 482 and 483. The second coil L2 and the third coil L3 are secondary coils of the transformer T. When an AC voltage is applied to the first coil L1, AC voltages corresponding to the number of turns of the first coil L1, the second coil L2, and the third coil L3 are generated at terminals 486 and 488 and terminals 488 and 490. This voltage is boosted by the boost circuit 480, and an output voltage is output from output terminal 492.

[0031] At this time, the second coil L2 or the third coil L3 is not connected to the first coil L1. Therefore, when the input terminals 482 and 484 are grounded, the terminals 486 and 488 and the terminals 488 and 490 are not grounded. Therefore, even after the input is turned OFF, the tip of the electrostatic gun 40 remains charged. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 9, when the flat plate 20 is supported only by the electrostatic gun 40, it is believed that a decrease in the charged voltage of the flat plate 20 is suppressed even after the input of the electrostatic gun 40 is turned OFF.

[0032] The boost circuit 480 is a combination of diodes and capacitors so as to boost the AC voltages generated at terminals 486, 488 and terminals 488, 490.

[0033] (Experiment 3) Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the measurement conditions of Experiment 3. In Experiment 3, as shown in Fig. 11, the charged voltage at the tip of the electrostatic gun 40 was measured without providing a flat plate at the tip of the electrostatic gun 40. Note that in Experiment 3, the charged voltage was measured using a voltage measuring device, but the voltage measuring device is not shown in Fig. 11.

[0034] In Experiment 3, the input to the electrostatic gun 40 was turned ON to charge the tip of the electrostatic gun 40, and then the input to the electrostatic gun 40 was turned OFF to measure the charged voltage at the tip of the electrostatic gun 40. In this experiment, the charged voltage was measured while changing the distance between the tip of the electrostatic gun 40 and the test table 30. Furthermore, in Experiment 3, the charged voltage was measured under the following two measurement conditions.

[0035] In the first measurement condition, the tip of the electrostatic gun 40 was charged and the charging voltage was measured with the insulator sheet 32 ​​placed on the test bench 30 so as to be positioned below the end 44 of the electrostatic gun 40, as shown in Figure 11. In the second measurement condition, the tip of the electrostatic gun 40 was charged and the charging voltage was measured with the insulator sheet 32 ​​not placed on the test bench 30.

[0036] FIG. 12 is a graph showing the measurement results of Experiment 3. In the graph shown in FIG. 12, the horizontal axis represents the distance between the tip of the electrostatic gun 40 and the test bench 30, and the vertical axis represents the charged voltage at the tip of the electrostatic gun 40. In this graph, the solid line represents the results of measurements taken with the insulator sheet 32 ​​placed on the test bench 30, and the dashed line represents the results of measurements taken without the insulator sheet 32 ​​placed on the test bench 30. Note that, like the graph shown in FIG. 6, the charged voltage values ​​are not absolute values.

[0037] As shown in the graph, the value of the charging voltage is higher when the insulator sheet 32 ​​is placed than when the insulator sheet 32 ​​is not placed. This is thought to be because placing the insulator sheet 32 ​​on the laboratory bench 30 prevents the electrostatic gun 40 from discharging onto the laboratory bench 30.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in the graph, in both cases where the insulating sheet 32 ​​was placed and where the insulating sheet 32 ​​was not placed, the greater the distance between the tip of the electrostatic gun 40 and the laboratory bench 30, the higher the value of the charging voltage. This is thought to be because the greater the distance between the tip of the electrostatic gun 40 and the laboratory bench 30, the more suppressed the discharge from the electrostatic gun 40 to the laboratory bench 30.

[0039] (Experiment 4) In Experiment 4, as shown in FIG. 7, the flat plate 20 was fixed to the electrostatic gun 40 and supported in the air, and the material used for the flat plate 20 was changed to various materials, and the charged voltage of the flat plate 20 was measured. Note that, as with the graph shown in FIG. 6, this charged voltage value is not an absolute value. Here, the flat plate 20 has a two-layer structure of a metal plate and an insulator. In this experiment, a polypropylene sheet was placed on the flat plate 20 made of various materials, charged, and the charged voltage of the polypropylene sheet was measured.

[0040] Figure 13 shows the measurement results of Experiment 4. The horizontal axis represents the charging voltage, and the vertical axis represents the type of plate material. Measurements of the charging voltage of the polypropylene sheet showed no significant changes in charging voltage due to differences in the plate material. However, polypropylene sheets charged with a silicone rubber plate showed relatively low charging voltages. Measurements of the charging voltage of the plate 20 also showed some differences in charging voltage due to differences in the material of the plate 20. While plastics generally showed low values, the material of the plate 20 is not thought to have a significant effect on the charging voltage. However, plastic is considered preferable as the insulating material for the plate 20 due to its high manufacturing reproducibility and output stability independent of the surrounding environment.

[0041] (Experiment 5) Since the mask has a three-dimensional structure, it is possible that the contact between the mask and the flat plate 20 is inappropriate, making it impossible to uniformly charge the mask. The inventors came up with the idea of ​​using a lid to hold the mask down in order to uniformly charge the mask. Therefore, in Experiment 5, the charging voltage of the polypropylene sheet was measured when a lid was used.

[0042] In Experiment 5, as shown in FIG. 7, a fixing member 46 was attached to the tip of the electrostatic gun 40, and the flat plate 20 was fixed to the fixing member 46, thereby supporting the flat plate 20 in the air. Here, the flat plate 20 had a two-layer structure consisting of a metal plate and an insulator. In Experiment 5, a polypropylene sheet was placed on the top surface of the flat plate 20, and a lid was placed on top of that, and the polypropylene sheet was pressed against the flat plate 20 by the lid. In this state, the input to the electrostatic gun 40 was turned ON, thereby charging the flat plate 20 and the polypropylene sheet. Thereafter, the input to the electrostatic gun 40 was turned OFF, and the charged voltage of the polypropylene sheet was measured at locations numbered 1 to 3 on the polypropylene sheet 24 shown in FIG. 14.

[0043] FIG. 15 shows the lids used in Experiment 5. In Experiment 5, three lids shown in FIGS. 15(a) to 15(c) were used. The lid 60 shown in FIG. 15(a) has an insulating plate 600 and a handle 602 provided on the upper surface of the plate 600. In the measurement, the lid 60 was placed on a polypropylene sheet so that the underside of the plate 600 pressed against the polypropylene sheet. The lid 62 shown in FIG. 15(b) has an insulating plate 620, a handle 622 provided on the upper surface of the plate 620, and four feet 624 provided on the underside of the plate 620. In the measurement, the four feet 624 pressed against the polypropylene sheet, and the lid 62 was placed on the polypropylene sheet so that the feet 624 did not come into contact with the flat plate 20. 15(c) has an insulating plate portion 640, a handle 642 provided on the upper surface of the plate portion 640, and a connection wire 644 connecting the plate portion 640 and the flat plate 20. The connection wire 644 is made of a conductive material.

[0044] FIG. 16 is a graph showing the measurement results in Experiment 5. The horizontal axis of the graph indicates the measurement location, and the values ​​correspond to the numbers of each position shown in FIG. 14. The vertical axis of the graph indicates the charge voltage at the measurement location. In the graph, the measurement results when lid 60 shown in FIG. 15(a) was used are shown by a dashed line, the measurement results when lid 62 shown in FIG. 15(b) was used are shown by a solid line, the measurement results when lid 64 shown in FIG. 15(c) was used are shown by a dashed line, and the measurement results when no lid was used are shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0045] When the lid 64 connected to the flat plate 20, as shown in Figure 15(c), was used, the charging voltage of the polypropylene sheet was the lowest. This is thought to be because when an attempt was made to push a charge from the flat plate 20 onto the polypropylene sheet, the charge repelled because there was a charged object on the opposite side, reducing the efficiency of charging. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 16, when the lid 62 with feet 624, as shown in Figure 15(b), was used, the polypropylene sheet was able to be charged to the highest charging voltage. This is thought to be because the lid 62 pressed the polypropylene sheet against the flat plate 20, making it easier to charge the polypropylene sheet, and because the lid 62 did not come into contact with the flat plate 20, the charge on the polypropylene sheet was prevented from flowing from the lid 62 to the flat plate 20.

[0046] (Experiment 6) Figure 17 illustrates the experimental conditions for Experiment 6. In Experiment 6, a polypropylene sheet removed from an N95 mask was used as the object to be charged. In Experiment 6, an electrostatic gun 68 was supported in midair using a support 69 fixed to the experimental table 30. A flat electrode was placed at its tip 682, a polypropylene sheet was placed on top of it, and a lid was placed on the polypropylene sheet according to the experimental conditions. In this experiment, the electrode was positioned as shown by the dotted line in Figure 17 so that the height of the electrode from the experimental table 30 was h (= 5 cm). The polypropylene sheet was placed in hot water to remove static electricity, then placed on the electrode. The electrostatic gun 68 was then turned on. The polypropylene sheet was then placed on a wooden board, and the charges on the front side (electrode side) and back side (opposite the electrode) of the polypropylene sheet were measured using an electrostatic sensor.

[0047] In Experiment 6, the conditions of the lid placed on the polypropylene sheet were changed. Figures 18(a) to 18(c) are diagrams for explaining the first to third lid conditions in Experiment 6. In all lid conditions, the electrode 654 connected to the tip 682 of the electrostatic gun 68 had a two-layer structure consisting of an aluminum sheet 658 and a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet 656 placed on top of it, and a polypropylene sheet 652 was placed on top of the electrode 654.

[0048] For the first lid condition, the experiment was conducted without using a lid, as shown in Figure 18(a). For the second lid condition, the experiment was conducted with a polypropylene lid 662 that was not connected to earth placed on a polypropylene sheet 652, as shown in Figure 18(b). For the third lid condition, the experiment was conducted with a lid 662 that was connected to earth placed on a polypropylene sheet 652, as shown in Figure 18(c). For the third lid condition, the experiment was conducted with lids 662 made of three different materials: polypropylene, wood, and aluminum.

[0049] FIG. 19 shows the measurement results for various lid conditions. FIG. 19 shows the results of measuring the charge on the front side and back side of polypropylene sheet 652. FIG. 19 also shows the results of measurements before charging (Not-charged), under the first lid condition (No lids), under the second lid condition (Polypropylene lid, not grounded) and under the third lid condition (Polypropylene lid, not grounded). Under the third lid condition, lids made of three different materials were used, as described above. FIG. 19 shows the results using a polypropylene lid (Polypropylene lid, grounded), a wooden lid (Wooden lid, grounded), and an aluminum lid (Aluminum lid, grounded).

[0050] As shown in Figure 19, in both the first lid condition (no lid used) and the second lid condition (an electrically floating lid not connected to ground) the polypropylene sheet 652 was hardly charged (* in Figure 19). On the other hand, in the third lid condition (a lid connected to ground), the charging effect was dramatically improved compared to the first and second lid conditions (** in Figure 19). This is thought to be because the presence of the grounded lid allowed a larger electric field to be applied to the polypropylene sheet 652.

[0051] As shown in Figure 19, under the third lid condition, the effect on charging of the lid material (polypropylene, wood, aluminum) connected to the earth was small. For aluminum, the size of the lid was an important parameter. It was found that a large lid had a negative effect on charging, as discharge to the atmosphere and between the electrode and the lid occurred at the edges.

[0052] [Embodiment] 20 is an external view of a charging device 7 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The charging device 7 according to this embodiment includes a housing 70, a lid 72, and an operation unit 74. The lid 72 and the operation unit 74 are connected via connectors 76, 77, and 78, and can operate as a unit.

[0053] 21 is a diagram showing an example of how the charging device 7 according to this embodiment is used. As shown in FIG. 21, a user can open the cover 72 by pressing the operating unit 74. In this state, the user can place an object such as a mask 8 on the top surface of the housing 70 and drive the charging device 7 to charge the mask 8.

[0054] 22 is a block diagram for explaining the function of the charging device 7 according to this embodiment. The housing 70 of the charging device 7 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 700, an output circuit 702, a support 704, and a charging unit 706.

[0055] The control unit 700 controls the driving of the output circuit 702. Specifically, the control unit 700 may have a drive circuit that inputs a voltage based on a power supply voltage supplied from a power supply (not shown) to the output circuit 702 to drive the output circuit 702.

[0056] The output circuit 702 is a circuit that boosts a voltage and outputs an output voltage. The output circuit 702 may have a configuration similar to that of the output circuit 48 shown in FIG. 10 . The boost circuit included in the output circuit 48 may include a voltage amplifier circuit such as a Cockcroft-Walton circuit. In this case, the input terminals 482 and 484 of the output circuit 702 may be connected to the drive circuit of the control unit 700, and the output terminal 492 of the output circuit 702 may be connected to the support 704. The output circuit 702 receives an input voltage from the control unit 700 at the input terminals 482 and 484, transforms the input voltage using a transformer T, and boosts the transformed voltage. The output circuit 702 outputs an output voltage from the output terminal 492 and can transmit the output voltage to the charging unit 706 via the support 704. The output circuit 702 is not limited to this and may include various known boosting circuits. Furthermore, the output circuit 702 does not need to be mounted on a structure having a gun shape like the electrostatic gun described above, but may be mounted on a structure of any shape.

[0057] The support 704 supports the charging portion 706 and can transmit the output voltage output from the output circuit 702 to the charging portion 706. The support 704 may support the charging portion 706 in the air, similar to the fixing member 46 described with reference to Fig. 7. This prevents the electrically charged charging portion 706 from discharging to the ground.

[0058] The charging unit 706 charges various objects, such as masks, placed on it by the output voltage output from the output circuit 702. The charging unit 706 may form the upper surface of the housing 70 on which the object is placed. The charging unit 706 may have an electrode made of various materials, such as an insulator or a metal. The charging unit 706 may have an insulating plate that is charged by the output voltage output from the output circuit 702. This suppresses discharge from the charged charging unit 706. Furthermore, the charging unit 706 may further have a metal plate arranged in contact with the insulating plate. This allows the insulating plate to be charged more uniformly, thereby enabling the object to be charged more uniformly.

[0059] The lid portion 72 is arranged to cover the object, and more specifically, may be configured to press the object against the charging portion 706 while the object is placed on the charging portion 706. This prevents the object from being exposed during charging, allowing the user to use the charging device 7 with greater peace of mind. Furthermore, the lid portion 72 may be configured to press the object against the charging portion 706 so as not to come into contact with the charging portion 706. This makes it possible to apply a high voltage to the object while preventing the lid portion 72 and the charging portion 706 from short-circuiting.

[0060] The lid 72 may also be connected to a predetermined reference potential, more specifically, to earth. That is, the lid 72 may function as an earth. The charging unit 706 charges the object while the object is placed between the lid 72 and the charging unit 706. This generates a stronger electric field between the charging unit 706 and the lid 72, making it easier to charge the object. When the object is charged, the smaller the distance between the lid 72 and the charging unit 706, the stronger the electric field that can be generated. On the other hand, if the distance is too small and the contact area between the lid 72 and the object is large, the charge on the charged object will easily escape. The distance between the lid 72 and the charging unit 706 may be, for example, approximately 1 cm.

[0061] Furthermore, the charging device 7 may further include an insulator spaced apart from the charging portion 706 and disposed between the ground surface of the charging device 7 and the charging portion 706. This prevents the electrically charged charging portion 706 from discharging to the ground or the like.

[0062] The configuration of the charging device 7 according to this embodiment has been described above. According to the charging device 7 according to this embodiment, it is possible to charge various objects, such as cloth articles including masks, using the charging unit 706. Furthermore, by supporting the charging unit 706 in the air or by placing an insulator between the charging unit 706 and the ground surface, it is possible to prevent the charging unit 706 from discharging, making it easier to charge the object.

[0063] [Variations] 23 is an external view of a charging device 9 according to a modified example. The charging device 9 according to the modified example includes a housing 90, a first flat plate 92, and a second flat plate 94. In the charging device 9 according to the modified example, an object such as a mask is sandwiched between the first flat plate 92 and the second flat plate 94, and the mask is charged in this state.

[0064] 24 is a diagram showing a state in which the charging device 9 according to the modified example is open. Here, the internal plate 940 connected to the second plate 94 may function as a charging unit. In the state shown in FIG. 24, the user places an object such as a mask on the internal plate 940 and closes the charging device 9 as shown in FIG. 23. In this state, the user can charge the mask by turning on the input of the charging device 9.

[0065] [supplement] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of the components and treatment processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the object to be charged is primarily a mask. However, the object may be a mop string attached to a mop or a duster used as a replacement sheet for a floor cleaning tool. Static electricity is used in the mop string and the duster, but this static electricity decreases as these cleaning tools are used. By using the charging device according to the above embodiment, the decreased static electricity can be recharged.

[0067] When the target object is mop thread, the configuration of the charging unit may be adapted to the shape of the mop thread as necessary, and more specifically, the shape and size of the electrodes constituting the charging unit may be adjusted to match the shape of the mop thread. For example, the electrodes may be curved to match the shape of the mop thread. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1, 7, 9 charging device, 2 object, 4 flat plate, 8 mask, 10 housing, 12 cover, 32 insulating sheet, 40 electrostatic gun, 42 housing, 44 end, 46 fixing member, 48 output circuit, 50 gun support, 52 voltage measuring device, 70 housing, 72 cover, 74 operation unit, 76 connection unit, 200 metal plate, 202 insulating plate, 480 boost circuit, 482 input terminal, 492 output terminal, 700 control unit, 702 output circuit, 704 support 704, charging unit 706

Claims

1. a charging unit on which an object is placed; an output circuit that boosts the voltage and outputs an output voltage, the charging unit has a metal plate and an insulating plate overlaid on the metal plate, and charges the object placed on the insulating plate in a state in which the metal plate is charged by the output voltage output from the output circuit. Charging device.

2. a support portion that supports the charging portion in the air, the support portion is arranged to transmit the output voltage output from the output circuit to the charging portion. The charging device according to claim 1 .

3. The charging device further includes an insulator disposed between the charging unit and the ground surface of the charging device, the insulator being spaced apart from the charging unit. The charging device according to claim 2 .

4. The output circuit includes a transformer that transforms an input voltage, and a boost circuit that boosts the input voltage transformed by the transformer. The charging device according to claim 1 .

5. a cover portion that presses the object against the charging portion; the lid portion presses the object against the charging portion without contacting the charging portion when the object is placed on the charging portion; The charging device according to claim 1 .

6. The lid portion is connected to earth, The charging unit charges the object while the object is disposed between the lid unit and the charging unit. The charging device according to claim 5 .

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