Discharge device

Abstract

To generate silent discharge between a first electrode and a dielectric body in a wider range than before, in a discharge device including the rod-like first electrode arranged on the upper surface side of the dielectric body and a planar second electrode arranged on the lower surface side of the dielectric body.SOLUTION: A gap 110 as a non-conductive region is formed in a planar second electrode 32, and at least a part of the gap is positioned just under a rod-like first electrode 31. According to this, when a high AC voltage is applied to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32, more electric charges on the upper surface of a dielectric body 33 are collected on both sides of the first electrode 31 than directly below the first electrode 31, and as a result, discharge occurs in a wide range on the upper surface of the dielectric body 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge device in which a rod-shaped first electrode and a planar second electrode are arranged vertically with a dielectric interposed therebetween. This discharge device can be applied to an ozone generator (ozonizer) that generates ozone by discharge in air, an ion generator (ionizer) that generates various ions (negative ions, hydroxyl radicals, etc.), and the like.

Background Art

[0002] As a prior art document related to this type of discharge device, for example, Patent Document 1 can be cited. Patent Document 1 discloses a creeping discharge ozone generator that ozoneizes surrounding oxygen by creeping discharge. This creeping discharge ozone generator includes a ceramic plate as a dielectric, a rod-shaped first electrode disposed on the upper surface side of the plate, a thin plate-shaped second electrode disposed on the lower surface side of the plate, a high-voltage power source that applies a high voltage to both electrodes, and the like. Specifically, the ceramic plate is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape. The extending direction of the rod-shaped first electrode coincides with the longitudinal direction of the ceramic plate, and the first electrode is disposed above the center line that bisects the plate in the width direction. The thin plate-shaped second electrode is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape that is slightly smaller than the ceramic plate, and the second electrode is disposed so that the center lines of both overlap in a plan view.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a high voltage (AC voltage) is applied to both electrodes of the creepage ozone generator described in Patent Document 1, a silent discharge (dielectric barrier discharge) occurs between the upper surface of the dielectric covering the second electrode and the first electrode, and some of the oxygen in the surrounding air is converted into ozone. During this discharge, the charge on the upper surface of the dielectric is not evenly distributed directly above the second electrode, but rather most of it is concentrated near the first electrode, i.e., directly below it. In other words, almost all of the discharge occurs directly below the first electrode. In this type of ozone generator, it is important to expose the discharge to as much air as possible, and if the area where the discharge occurs is narrow, the amount of ozone generated will be reduced accordingly.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a discharge device that can perform silent discharge between a rod-shaped first electrode and a dielectric over a wider range than conventional devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The discharge device according to the present invention comprises a horizontal plate-shaped dielectric 33, a rod-shaped first electrode 31 disposed on the upper surface side of the dielectric 33, and a planar second electrode 32 disposed on the lower surface side of the dielectric 33. A gap 110 as a non-current-carrying region is formed in the second electrode 32, and at least a part of the gap 110 is located directly below the first electrode 31.

[0007] When the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first electrode 31 in the horizontal plane is defined as the width direction, the air gap 110 can be formed to be wider than the first electrode 31.

[0008] The dielectric 33 can be formed to be thinner than the vertical height of the first electrode 31, and the second electrode 32 can be formed to be thinner than the dielectric 33.

[0009] The second electrode 32 can be configured such that its longitudinal direction coincides with the elongation direction of the first electrode 31.

[0010] The void 110 can be formed in a band shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the second electrode 32.

[0011] The second electrode 32 can take the form of a first region 111 and a second region 112 separated by an air gap 110, and a bridging portion 113 connecting the two regions 111 and 112.

[0012] The bridging section 113 can be configured to be positioned so as to cross the longitudinal center of the gap 110.

[0013] In a plan view, the second electrode 32 can be formed to be smaller than the dielectric 33 and surrounded by a surrounding region 195 formed by the peripheral edge of the dielectric 33.

[0014] The surrounding region 195 that encloses the second electrode 32 is formed in a rectangular ring shape having a long side and a short side, and the longer side of the surrounding region 195 is set to be thicker than the short side.

[0015] The device includes a discharge case 34 that houses both electrodes 31 and 32 and a dielectric 33. A discharge opening 35 is formed on the upper surface of the discharge case 34, exposing the first electrode 31 and the dielectric 33 upwards. The peripheral edge of the discharge opening 35 can form an upper sealing portion 197 that is in close contact with the upper surface of the surrounding region 195 of the dielectric 33.

[0016] A configuration can be adopted in which a lower sealing portion 198 is provided inside the discharge case 34, which is in close contact with the lower surface of the surrounding region 195 of the dielectric 33.

[0017] A sheet-like cushioning material 58 is placed on the lower side of the second electrode 32, and the peripheral edge of the cushioning material 58 can constitute the lower sealing portion 198.

[0018] The discharge case 34 is constructed by joining an outer case 37 and an inner case 38 vertically, and the entire electrode unit 71, which consists of a first electrode 31, a dielectric 33, and a second electrode 32, can be sandwiched from above and below by the outer case 37 and the inner case 38.

[0019] The discharge case 34 is equipped with a pair of electrode support structures 64 that support both ends of the first electrode 31. Each electrode support structure 64 consists of an upper support portion 65 provided on the outer case 37 and a lower support portion 66 provided on the inner case 38, allowing the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31 to be held between the upper support portion 65 and the lower support portion 66 from above and below.

[0020] The second electrode 32 can be formed in a film-like manner on the lower surface of the dielectric 33.

[0021] The second electrode 32 can be formed from titanium. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] In the discharge device according to the present invention, a rod-shaped first electrode 31 and a planar second electrode 32 are arranged vertically with a dielectric 33 in between, and a gap 110 is formed in the second electrode 32 as a non-current-carrying region, with at least a part of the gap 110 located directly below the first electrode 31. As a result, when a high AC voltage is applied to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32, silent discharge between the upper surface of the dielectric 33 and the first electrode 31 can be made to occur over a wider area than in the conventional method. That is, because there is a gap 110 in the second electrode 32, the charge on the upper surface of the dielectric 33 tends to accumulate more on both sides of the first electrode 31 (both sides in the width direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first electrode 31 in the horizontal plane) rather than directly below it, and as a result, discharge occurs over a wide area of ​​the upper surface of the dielectric 33. In addition, the gap 110 makes it possible to avoid the concentration of discharge directly below the first electrode 31, where dust that hinders discharge tends to accumulate. By generating a discharge on both sides of the first electrode 31, where dust accumulation is relatively small, the discharge amount can be maintained for a relatively long period of time, thereby reducing the need to prompt the user to clean and remove dust.

[0023] By forming the air gap 110 wider than the first electrode 31, the amount of charge that accumulates directly below the first electrode 31 on the upper surface of the dielectric 33 can be reduced, and the discharge can be spread over a wider area.

[0024] When the dielectric 33 is formed thinner than the vertical height of the first electrode 31, the virtual lines connecting both edges in the width direction of the second electrode 32 and the first electrode 31 can be brought closer to horizontal from vertical, and the distribution of charges on the upper surface of the dielectric 33 can be brought closer to both edges, thereby spreading the discharge over a wider range. Also, when the second electrode 32 is formed thinner, the entire discharge device can be made more compact in the vertical direction, and the material cost of the second electrode 32 can be suppressed.

[0025] When the longitudinal direction of the second electrode 32 is made to coincide with the extending direction of the first electrode 31, the entire second electrode 32 can be arranged relatively close to the first electrode 31, and the entire surface of the second electrode 32 can be efficiently utilized for discharge.

[0026] When the gap 110 is formed in a strip shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the second electrode 32, the gap 110 can be positioned under most of the first electrode 31, reducing the occurrence of discharge directly under the first electrode 31 and spreading the range where discharge occurs.

[0027] When a bridging portion 113 connecting the first region 111 and the second region 112 separated by the gap 110 is provided, even if a current-carrying body is arranged in only one of the first region 111 and the second region 112, current can be conducted to the other region through the bridging portion 113 to supply voltage to the entire second electrode 32. That is, the number of current-carrying bodies can be reduced and the configuration of the discharge portion 16 can be simplified. Also, when current-carrying bodies are arranged in both the first region 111 and the second region 112, even if a connection failure occurs in one current-carrying body, voltage can be supplied to the entire second electrode 32 through the other current-carrying body. That is, the reliability of the discharge portion 16 can be enhanced.

[0028] When the bridging portion 113 is arranged at the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the gap 110, compared with the case where it is arranged at both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the gap 110, the risk of discharge occurring between the bridging portion 113 and the end portion of the first electrode 31 without passing through the dielectric 33 can be reduced.

[0029] In a plan view, if the second electrode 32 is formed to be smaller than the dielectric 33 and surrounded by a surrounding region 195 formed by the peripheral edge of the dielectric 33, the entire second electrode 32 is positioned inside the peripheral edge of the dielectric 33, thereby reliably preventing discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33 in between.

[0030] By forming the surrounding region 195 around the second electrode 32 in a rectangular ring shape, and setting its longer side to be thicker than its shorter side, if the second electrode 32 is displaced around an axis perpendicular to the dielectric 33, the end of the second electrode 32 will not approach the periphery of the dielectric 33, thereby effectively preventing electrodes 31 and 32 from discharging without the dielectric 33 in between.

[0031] If the peripheral edge of the discharge opening 35 of the discharge case 34 constitutes an upper sealing portion 197 that is in close contact with the upper surface of the surrounding region 195 of the dielectric 33, the first electrode 31 can be separated from the second electrode 32 not only by the dielectric 33 but also by the upper sealing portion 197, thereby more reliably preventing discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33 in between.

[0032] By providing a lower sealing portion 198 that is in close contact with the lower surface of the surrounding region 195 of the dielectric 33, the second electrode 32 can be surrounded by the lower sealing portion 198 and separated from the first electrode 31, thereby more reliably preventing discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33 in between.

[0033] By placing a sheet-like cushioning material 58 on the lower side of the second electrode 32, the second electrode 32 can be sandwiched between the dielectric 33 and the cushioning material 58 from above and below, protecting it from external impacts, and the cushioning material 58 can absorb the design tolerance of the thickness dimension of the dielectric 33 within the discharge case 34. Furthermore, if the peripheral edge of the cushioning material 58 forms a lower sealing portion 198 that is in close contact with the lower surface of the surrounding region 195 of the dielectric 33, the lower side of the dielectric 33 can be covered with the cushioning material 58, protecting it from external impacts.

[0034] By sandwiching the entire electrode unit 71, which consists of the first electrode 31, the dielectric 33, and the second electrode 32, from above and below with the outer case 37 and inner case 38 of the discharge case 34, the structure of the discharge case 34 and, consequently, the discharge device can be simplified compared to the case where support structures for each electrode 31, 32 and the dielectric 33 are provided individually.

[0035] By configuring the electrode support structure 64 with an upper support portion 65 and a lower support portion 66 that clamp the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31 from above and below, the first electrode 31 can be fixed to the discharge case 34 with a simple operation of clamping the first electrode 31 from above and below with the upper support portion 65 and the lower support portion 66.

[0036] By forming the second electrode 32 as a film on the lower surface of the dielectric 33, the second electrode 32 can be made thinner, making the entire discharge device more compact in the vertical direction, while also reducing the material cost of the second electrode 32.

[0037] By forming the second electrode 32 from titanium, the corrosion resistance of the second electrode 32 can be improved, thereby increasing the overall lifespan of the discharge device including the second electrode 32. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0038] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of the electrode pair of a discharge device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic longitudinal front view showing an ozonizer equipped with the discharge device. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the control system for an ozonizer. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the discharge device. [Figure 5] This is a disassembled perspective view of the discharge device. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the discharge unit and base unit that make up the discharge device. [Figure 7] This is a front cross-sectional view of the discharge device. [Figure 8] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view along line BB. [Figure 9]This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the components of the discharge section. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 7. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view of the separated discharge section and base section along line AA in Figure 7. [Figure 12] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along the CC line. [Figure 13] This is a cross-sectional view of the separated discharge section and base section along the CC line in Figure 7. [Figure 14] This is a plan view of the base and the inverted discharge section. [Figure 15] This is a time chart explaining the operation of the discharge device and notification means based on the detected values ​​of the light detection unit. [Figure 16] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional front view of a discharge device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the DD line. [Figure 18] This is a plan view of the electrode pair that constitutes the discharge section of the discharge device. [Figure 19] This is a plan view of the electrode pair of a discharge device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0039] (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 tabletop ozonizer (ozone generator) and is responsible for generating ozone by discharging electricity into the air. In this embodiment, front, back, left, right, and up and down refer to the intersecting arrows shown in Figures 2 and 4 and the front, back, left, right, and up and down indications written near each arrow. The same applies to the second embodiment and subsequent embodiments.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the casing 2 that forms the base of the ozonizer 1 consists of a main case 3 that occupies the majority of the casing and a sub-case 4 that is detachably joined to the upper surface of the main case 3. By joining the two cases 3 and 4, a roughly L-shaped air passage 5 is formed inside the casing 2. Inside the air passage 5, there is a discharge device 6 that generates ozone by discharge and a blower fan 7 for releasing the generated ozone from the air passage 5. The intake port 8 of the air passage 5 is located on the right side wall of the main case 3, and the blower fan 7 is positioned facing this intake port 8. The left side of the upper wall of the sub-case 4 is an inclined surface that slopes downward from right to left, and the outlet port 9 of the air passage 5 is located on this inclined surface. The blower fan 7 forms a leftward airflow inside the air passage 5 from the intake port 8 to the outlet port 9, and releases ozone-containing air from the outlet port 9.

[0041] The air passage 5 is divided into an upstream section 11 formed only by the main case 3, a middle section 12 formed by joining both cases 3 and 4 vertically, and a downstream section 13 formed only by the sub-case 4, from the intake port 8 (upstream side) to the outlet port 9 (downstream side). The blower fan 7 is located in the upstream section 11 together with the fan motor 14, which is the drive source, and the discharge device 6 is located in the middle section 12. The discharge device 6 consists of a lower base section 15 and an upper discharge section 16. The base section 15 is fixed to the lower half of the middle 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 Figure 3) for detecting whether or not the discharge section 16 is attached. Details of the discharge device 6 will be described later.

[0042] The lower half of the middle section 12 is partitioned by the main case 3, while the upper half is partitioned by the sub-case 4. Therefore, by separating the sub-case 4 from the main case 3, the upper surface of the discharge device 6 can be exposed, allowing for maintenance of the discharge device 6. Specifically, for example, the discharge section 16 can be separated from the base section 15, and the surface of the discharge section 16 can be cleaned. A safety switch 18 is provided at the joint surface between the main case 3 and the sub-case 4 to mechanically detect whether or not the sub-case 4 is connected.

[0043] 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 connected to a power supply unit 23 (see Figure 3), such as a commercial power supply, via a power cord, and a power switch 24 for powering on is provided on the front surface (left side) of the main case 3. The boost circuit 22 boosts the AC voltage supplied from the power supply unit 23, for example 100V, 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., 5V, 12V, 24V, etc.). This DC voltage serves as the driving source for the IC of the control unit 21 and the fan motor 14. The boost circuit 22 may also 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 a DC voltage, in which case the boost circuit 22 also boosts the DC voltage and applies it to the discharge device 6.

[0044] When the power switch 24 is turned on by the user, the control unit 21 first checks for the presence of the discharge unit 16 and the sub-case 4 based on the output of the mounting detection unit 17 and the safety switch 18. After confirming that the discharge unit 16 is mounted on the base unit 15 and that the sub-case 4 is connected to the main case 3, the control unit 21 starts supplying power 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 within the air passage 5 from the intake port 8 to the outlet port 9, and air containing ozone generated around the discharge device 6 is blown out from the outlet port 9. If the separation of the sub-case 4 or the discharge unit 16 is confirmed, the control unit 21 immediately cuts off power to the boost circuit 22, etc. This reliably prevents electric shock accidents caused by the user touching electrodes 31 and 32 (described later) or terminals 85 and 86 (described later) while high voltage is applied from the boost circuit 22.

[0045] Furthermore, when power is supplied to the fan motor 14 and the boost circuit 22, the control unit 21 may light up an indicator lamp 27, for example, in green, to inform the user that the ozonizer 1 is in operation. Also, if the presence of the discharge unit 16 and the sub-case 4 cannot be confirmed, the indicator lamp 27 may be lit up in red, for example, to inform the user of this fact.

[0046] Near the discharge device 6 in the airflow path 5, a photodetector 28 is provided to detect the blue light emitted by the discharge unit 16 during discharge. Specific examples of the photodetector 28 include a color sensor using a photodiode or a camera. The control unit 21 can determine the degree of contamination (accumulation of dust, etc.) of the discharge unit 16 based on the amount of blue light detected by the photodetector 28.

[0047] If the light detection unit 28 detects a value (amount of blue light) that is below a predetermined value, i.e., if it determines that the degree of contamination is high, the control unit 21 activates the notification means 27, for example by lighting it up yellow, to prompt the user to clean the discharge device 6 as soon as possible. At the same time, the voltage applied to the discharge device 6 may also be increased. This suppresses the decrease in ozone generation caused by contamination (accumulation of dust, etc.) in the discharge unit 16, and allows for the generation of an amount of ozone close to that of a clean unit. Specifically, for example, multiple boost circuits 22 with different transformation ratios can be installed in the ozonizer 1 and the discharge device 6, and the voltage applied to the discharge device 6 can be increased by switching the boost circuit 22 being used. Alternatively, the voltage applied to the discharge device 6 can be increased by controlling the duty cycle of the switching elements constituting the boost circuit 22. In addition, instead of increasing the voltage of the discharge device 6, power to the discharge device 6 (boost circuit 22) and the fan motor 14 may be stopped. Rather than continuing to operate the discharge device 6, etc., in situations where the amount of ozone generated may be insufficient, stopping it will prevent unnecessary power consumption.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, the discharge device 6 consists of a base portion 15 fixed within the air passage 5 and a discharge portion 16 detachably mounted on the upper side of the base portion 15. Since the discharge portion 16 is detachably mounted to the base portion 15, the discharge portion 16, which is relatively prone to soiling, can be easily cleaned while separated from the base portion 15. Furthermore, if the discharge portion 16 malfunctions, only the discharge portion 16 can be replaced, reducing repair costs compared to replacing the entire discharge device 6, including the base portion 15. Another advantage is that workers can easily attach the discharge portion 16 to the base portion 15 in the manufacturing line of the discharge device 6 or ozonizer 1. The entire discharge portion 16 is formed with rotational symmetry, or more precisely, twofold symmetry, around the vertical axis. That is, if we define the orientation of the discharge portion 16 shown in Figure 4 as the first position, and the state obtained by rotating the discharge portion 16 180° around the vertical axis from this first position as the second position, the discharge portion 16 can be properly mounted to the base portion 15 in either the first or second position.

[0049] The discharge section 16 consists of a first electrode 31 and a second electrode 32 facing each other vertically, a dielectric 33 interposed between the two electrodes 31 and 32, and a discharge case 34 that supports them. The upper first electrode 31 is formed in the shape of a round rod extending straight from side to side and is in contact with the upper surface of the dielectric 33. The lower second electrode 32 is made of a film formed on the lower surface of the dielectric 33 by a film deposition method such as sputtering. Each electrode 31 and 32 can be made 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 made of titanium, which has excellent corrosion resistance. The diameter of the round rod-shaped first electrode 31 is 1 mm, and the thickness of the film-like second electrode 32 is 50 to 150 nm. By making the second electrode 32 a thin film, the discharge section 16 can be made compact with a small vertical dimension.

[0050] The dielectric 33 is formed from an insulating material such as glass and is shaped like a long, horizontal rectangular plate. 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 on its upper surface to expose the first electrode 31 and the dielectric 33 upwards.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, the discharge case 34 consists 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 case 37 is closed by the inner case 38. The front and rear walls of both cases 37 and 38 are each provided with an engagement structure consisting of a projection 39 and a recess 40 (see Figure 12). In this embodiment, the projection 39 is provided on the outer surface of the front and rear walls of the inner case 38, and the recess 40 is provided on the inner surface of the front and rear walls of the outer case 37, but of course this arrangement can be reversed. The engagement structure can also be provided on the left and right walls of both cases 37 and 38.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6, the base case 42, which forms the base of the base portion 15, is made of insulating plastic molded product, similar to the outer case 37 and inner case 38 of the discharge case 34, and is formed in a rectangular, stepped stand shape with a relatively small upper portion 43 and a large lower portion 44 integrated into one unit. The lower portion 44 of the base case 42 is fixed to the main case 3 with a number of screws 45. Inside the inner case 38, there is a downward-facing mounting recess 46 that receives the upper portion 43 and surrounds it from the front, back and sides. A downward-facing engaging projection 47 is formed protruding from the center of the bottom surface of this mounting recess 46, and correspondingly, an upward-facing engaging recess 48 is formed as a recess in the center of the top surface of the upper portion 43 to receive the engaging projection 47. The engaging projection 47 consists of a flat projection with a rectangular cross-section, and the engaging recess 48 consists of a flat rectangular recess that is slightly larger than the engaging projection 47.

[0053] When the discharge unit 16 is mounted onto the base unit 15 from above, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the upper part 43 of the base case 42 fits into the inner case 38 of the discharge case 34 from below and engages with the mounting recess 46, while the engaging projection 47 engages with the engaging recess 48. These engagements restrict the horizontal displacement and rotation of the discharge unit 16 relative to the base unit 15. The planar shape of the engaging projection 47 and the engaging recess 48 is not limited to a rectangle; for example, if they are other polygons or non-circular shapes such as ovals, the engaging projection 47 can be completely surrounded by the wall surface of the engaging recess 48, thereby restricting the displacement and rotation of the discharge unit 16. Multiple sets of engaging projections 47 and engaging recesses 48 can also be provided, in which case the displacement and rotation of the discharge unit 16 can be restricted regardless of the planar shape of both 47 and 48.

[0054] When the discharge unit 16 is installed, 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 opposing wall 51, and the top wall of the upper section 43 will be referred to as the lower opposing wall 52. These opposing walls 51 and 52 are provided with mounting and holding means to prevent the discharge unit 16 from unintentionally separating upward from the base section 15 and to keep the discharge unit 16 in the installed state. This mounting and holding means consists of a rectangular parallelepiped magnet 53 attached to the upper opposing wall 51 of the inner case 38 and a rectangular plate-shaped magnetic body 54 attached to the lower opposing wall 52 of the upper section 43.

[0055] Specifically, an upper housing recess 55 is formed in the center of the upper surface of the upper opposing wall 51, opening upward to accommodate the magnet 53, and a lower housing recess 56 is formed in the center of the lower surface of the lower opposing wall 52, opening downward to accommodate the magnetic material 54. The upper surface of the magnet 53 housed in the upper housing recess 55 is substantially flush with the upper surface of the upper opposing wall 51. The aforementioned mounting detection unit 17, which consists of a magnetic sensor, is fixed to the lower surface of the magnetic material 54, and the mounting detection unit 17 is housed in the lower housing recess 56 together with the magnetic material 54.

[0056] The magnet 53, which constitutes the mounting and holding means, is positioned on the back side (upper side) of the engaging projection 47, with the upper opposing wall 51 in between, and the magnetic body 54 is positioned on the back side (lower side) of the engaging recess 48, with the lower opposing wall 52 in between. Therefore, when the engaging projection 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 mounting 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 mounted on the base unit 15. When the magnetic material 54 is placed on 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 material 54 compared to when it is placed on the lower part 44, and the discharge unit 16 is less likely to detach from the base unit 15.

[0057] The magnet 53 housed in the upper housing recess 55 is surrounded on all four sides (front, back, left, and right) by the walls of the upper housing recess 55, thereby restricting its horizontal displacement and rotation around its vertical axis. Similarly, the magnetic material 54 housed in the lower housing recess 56 is also surrounded on all four sides (front, back, left, and right) by the walls of the lower housing recess 56, thereby restricting its horizontal displacement and rotation around its vertical axis. Note that the planar shapes of the magnet 53 and magnetic material 54 are not limited to rectangles; for example, if they are other polygons or non-circular shapes such as ovals, their periphery can be surrounded by the walls of the housing recesses 55 and 56 to restrict their displacement and rotation. Conversely to this embodiment, the magnetic material may be placed in the discharge section 16 and the magnet in the base section 15, or magnets may be placed in both the discharge section 16 and the base section 15. However, if the magnet 53 is placed on the side of the discharge unit 16, the discharge unit 16 separated from the base unit 15 can be attracted and held in place by a stainless steel sink or the like, which is convenient when drying the discharge unit 16 after washing it with water.

[0058] The second electrode 32 and the dielectric 33 are bonded and fixed to the upper surface of the upper opposing wall 51 (and magnet 53) of the inner case 38 via a cushioning material 58 made of double-sided tape. The cushioning material 58 is formed in the shape of a rectangular sheet that is slightly larger than the dielectric 33, and the second electrode 32 is sandwiched from above and below by the dielectric 33 and the cushioning material 58. The peripheral edge of the cushioning material 58 is elastically deformed and adheres tightly to the dielectric 33. As shown in Figure 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 on the lower surface of this protrusion, an upper inner receiving portion 59 that receives the front and rear edges of the dielectric 33 and a lower outer receiving portion 60 that receives the front and rear edges of the cushioning material 58 are formed in a stepped manner.

[0059] The dielectric 33 is sandwiched from above and below by the outer case 37 (internal receiving portion 59) and the inner case 38 (upper opposing wall 51). The cushioning 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 outer receiving portion 60 and from below by the inner case 38, absorbing design tolerances such as the thickness dimension of the dielectric 33. The dielectric 33 is positioned in the front-rear direction by the vertical wall between the internal receiving portion 59 and the outer receiving portion 60 of the outer case 37. As shown in Figure 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-right direction by the mutually opposing end faces of both walls 61, 61.

[0060] 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 structure 64 consists of upper support parts 65 provided on both the left and right sides of the discharge opening 35 in the outer case 37, and lower support parts 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 parts 65 are formed as tunnel-shaped bulges extending left and right in the front-to-back center of each upper wall 61 of the outer case 37. On the inner surface of the upper support parts 65, upper semicircular receiving grooves 67 are recessed to receive the upper half of the first electrode 31, and relief recesses 68 are formed in the middle of each receiving groove 67 on both the left and right sides to receive the electrode connection part 90 of the first current-carrying body 87, which will be described later (see Figure 7). The outer end of each receiving groove 67 (the tip side of the first electrode 31) is positioned directly above the lower semicircular receiving portion 69 (see Figure 9) which is recessed into the protruding end surface of the lower support portion 66, and both 67 and 69 work together to clamp the first electrode 31 from above and below. On the inner surfaces of the left and right walls of the outer case 37, an introduction groove 70 (see Figure 9) is formed as a recess, extending downward in a manner continuous with the receiving groove 67. When assembling the discharge section 16, the first electrode 31 can be slid upward along this introduction groove 70 to a position where it can be received by the receiving groove 67.

[0061] In this embodiment, the electrode support structure 64 is composed of an upper support portion 65 (receiving groove 67) and a lower support portion 66 (receiving portion 69) that are in close contact with the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31, thereby restricting the vertical and horizontal movement of the first electrode 31. However, this is not essential in the present invention, and the electrode support structure 64 may allow some degree of movement of the first electrode 31. For example, the hole surrounded by the receiving groove 67 and the receiving portion 69 can be made into an oval shape in the vertical direction, allowing vertical movement of the first electrode 31 within the range of its length. In short, the electrode support structure 64 only needs to have the minimum function of supporting the first electrode 31. Furthermore, the electrode support structure 64 may be placed only at one end of the first electrode 31, providing cantilever support. This would allow for the omission of one of the left or right electrode support structures 64, simplifying the structure of the discharge case 34 and contributing to a cost reduction of the discharge device 6. In this case, the first electrode 31 can be formed in the shape of a straight rod, a zigzag, a crank, a meandering, a spiral, or the like.

[0062] When the set of the first electrode 31, the dielectric 33, and the second electrode 32 is defined as an electrode unit 71 (see Figure 8), the electrode unit 71 is sandwiched from above and below by the outer case 37 and the inner case 38 together with the cushioning material 58 within the discharge case 34. Specifically, the first electrode 31, which constitutes the upper part of the electrode unit 71, is supported from above by the upper support portion 65 of the outer case 37, and the second electrode 32 and the dielectric 33, which constitute 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 cushioning material 58.

[0063] It is not essential that the first electrode 31 contacts the upper surface of the dielectric 33; the two electrodes 31 and 33 may face each other vertically with a small gap between them. Specifically, for example, a support structure that supports the dielectric 33 (and the second electrode 32) at a position below the first electrode 31 can be provided separately from the electrode support structure 64. Alternatively, a spacer or bush can be interposed between the first electrode 31 and the dielectric 33. In this case, the first current-carrying element 87, described later, may be used to bias the first electrode 31 downwards and press it against the spacer or the like.

[0064] When the discharge device 6 is driven, i.e., when discharge occurs, white dust mainly composed of nitrates may accumulate on the upper surface of the discharge section 16, particularly on the surface of the first electrode 31 and the dielectric 33. During ozone generation, nitrogen, oxygen, and moisture in the air react to produce nitric acid, which causes the accumulation of nitrates, i.e., dust. Since this dust hinders discharge, it is desirable to remove it periodically, and in addition to washing with water, a cleaning brush can be used for this purpose.

[0065] The direction of movement of the cleaning brush is preferably the left-right direction, which coincides with 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, enabling simultaneous cleaning of the surfaces of the first electrode 31 and the dielectric 33. As shown in Figure 4, upward-facing grooves 73 are provided on the upper surface of the outer case 37 of the discharge case 34, adjacent to both the left and right sides of the dielectric 33 (discharge opening 35), in order to smoothly introduce the bristles of the cleaning brush onto the surface of the dielectric 33 and to smoothly guide out the bristles that have captured dust from the surface. The upper surface of the dielectric 33 and the bottom surface of the grooves 73 are flush. Therefore, dust can be easily swept away without being caught between the dielectric 33 and the grooves 73.

[0066] Furthermore, a pair of protrusions 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) in between. The left and right central sides of each protrusion 74 facing the dielectric 33 constitute a central guide surface 75, and the left and right continuous sides of the central guide surface 75 constitute end guide surfaces 76 that define the groove 73. In this embodiment, the groove 73 is defined by the protrusions 74 (end guide surfaces 76), the upper wall 61, and the upper support portion 65, and grooves 73 are formed on both the front and rear sides of each of the left and right upper support portions 65.

[0067] The central guide surface 75 of each ridge 74 guides the bristles of the cleaning brush in the left-right direction 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 are smoothly continuous with the central guide surface 75. These guide surfaces 75 and 76 allow the bristles of the cleaning brush to be smoothly introduced from one groove 73 to the surface of the dielectric 33 and smoothly guided from that surface to the other groove 73. For example, the user can introduce the cleaning brush from the left groove 73, move the brush straight to the right to capture dust, and sweep it out from the right groove 73. Performing this operation on both the front and rear sides of the first electrode 31 completes the removal of dust, i.e., cleaning.

[0068] The above cleaning procedure is performed with the discharge unit 16 separated from the base unit 15. When removing it, the left and right upper support parts 65 function as grips. To indicate to the user that these upper support parts 65 are grips, a marker 79 consisting of a projection is provided in the front-to-back center 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 marker 79 is a grip, and by, for example, placing their thumb on one upper support part 65 and their index finger on the other upper support part 65, they can grasp the discharge unit 16 from both sides with both fingers and pull it up to separate 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.

[0069] Using the upper support portion 65, which protrudes significantly above the first electrode 31, as a grip effectively prevents the user from touching the first electrode 31 or the dielectric 33 and causing sebum or other substances to adhere to them. Indicating that the upper support portion 65 is a grip with a marker 79 effectively prevents the user from gripping other parts, such as the front or rear walls of the discharge case 34, and accidentally touching the first electrode 31 or the dielectric 33. The marker 79 may be a mark printed on the discharge case 34, but by making it a protrusion, the marker 79 can also function as an anti-slip feature, allowing the user to firmly hold the discharge case 34.

[0070] Furthermore, the tunnel-shaped upper support portion 65 that covers the first electrode 31 from above protrudes significantly above the first electrode 31, so when the discharge portion 16 inverts and falls, it will hit 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. In addition, the pair of protrusions 74 provided on the front and rear of the outer case 37, although their protrusion dimensions are smaller than those of the first protective portion 81 (upper support portion 65), protrude above the first electrode 31 (see Figure 7), and can hit the floor or other surface first, similar to 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.

[0071] Next, the current supply structure to each electrode 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 the first current-carrying element 87, and the second electrode 32 is electrically connected to the second terminal 86 via the second current-carrying element 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 elements 87 and 88. The terminals 85 and 86 and the current-carrying elements 87 and 88 are made of a metal such as gold-plated stainless steel.

[0072] As shown in Figure 10, the first current-carrying body 87 is formed by bending a single conductor (metal wire), and integrally includes an electrode connection portion 90, a crimping portion 91, and a terminal connection portion 92, in order from the side of the first electrode 31, i.e., the top side. The electrode connection portion 90 is formed in a coil shape with the left-right direction as the axis direction, and is wound around the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31 so as to be in close contact (see Figure 7). The crimping portion 91 is formed in an L-shape having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion when viewed from the side, and biases one end of the electrode connection portion 90, which is continuous with the vertical portion, downward. By pulling one end of the electrode connection portion 90 downward with the crimping portion 91, the contact of the electrode connection portion 90 with the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31 can be increased. The reason why the crimping portion 91 exhibits spring properties in this way is that the horizontal portion of the crimping portion 91 is supported by the lower surface, i.e., the seat portion 94, of the upper wall 61 of the outer case 37.

[0073] In the present invention, the cross-sectional shape of the first electrode 31 is not limited to a perfect circle, but may be other shapes such as an ellipse, oblong, regular polygon, rhombus, cross, or D-shape. In these cases, the electrode connection portion 90 is formed in a shape that allows for close contact (line contact) with the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31. A D-cut or the like can be applied only to the end of the first electrode 31 around which the electrode connection portion 90 is wrapped, resulting in the various non-circular cross-sections mentioned above. By making the electrode connection portion 90 close contact (line contact) with the circumferential surface of the non-circular cross-sectional portion of the first electrode 31, the rotation of the first electrode 31 around its central axis can be restricted by the electrode connection portion 90. The first electrode 31 may also be formed in the shape of a hollow round pipe or a square pipe.

[0074] The terminal connection portion 92, which is continuous with the lower side of the crimping portion 91, is formed in the shape of a compression coil spring with the vertical direction as its axis. In the mounting state of the discharge portion 16 shown in Figure 10, the lower end of the terminal connection portion 92 elastically adheres to the upper surface of the first terminal 85, and the first current-carrying body 87 is electrically connected to the first terminal 85. At this time, the terminal connection portion 92 is compressed in the vertical direction, and its upper end is supported by the seat portion 94, similar to the horizontal portion of the crimping 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 inside the first contact 95 is formed protruding from the upper surface of the first terminal 85. When the spring-receiving portion 96 penetrates inside the first contact 95 and engages, the misalignment movement of the terminal connection portion 92 relative to the first terminal 85 is restricted, and the electrical connection between the two 85 and 92 is further stabilized.

[0075] The first current-carrying body 87, which integrates the electrode connection portion 90, the crimping portion 91, and the terminal connection portion 92 as described above, reduces the number of parts and thus the effort and cost of assembly during manufacturing. In the configuration in which the compressed terminal connection portion 92 elastically adheres to the first terminal 85, the electrical connection between the two 85 and 92 becomes stable and reliable, and in addition, it can absorb design tolerances for the vertical dimensions of the discharge case 34 (outer case 37) and the base case 42. Furthermore, the terminal connection portion 92 is spaced horizontally (front-to-back direction) from the vertical portion of the crimping portion 91 via the horizontal portion of the crimping portion 91. This prevents the downward biasing force acting on the electrode connection portion 90 from the vertical portion of the crimping portion 91 from being canceled out by the repulsive force of the terminal connection portion 92, and allows the electrode connection portion 90 to adhere well to the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31 with this biasing force.

[0076] On the lower surface of the upper wall 61 of the outer case 37, a substantially cylindrical storage boss 99 is provided projecting downward, surrounding the seat portion 94 and defining a storage hole 98 for the terminal connection portion 92 of the first energizing body 87. The upper half of the terminal connection portion 92 is housed in the storage hole 98, and by surrounding the upper half of the terminal connection portion 92 with the storage boss 99 in this way, the upper half can be protected from external forces and prevented from being damaged by deformation or other damage. A vertical groove is formed in a part of the peripheral wall of the storage boss 99, allowing the horizontal portion of the crimping portion 91 to pass through.

[0077] The top wall of the inner case 38 is provided with an insertion hole 100 that allows the storage boss 99 and the terminal connection portion 92 to pass through. The circumferential surface of the insertion hole 100 is close to and surrounds the outer surface of the protruding end (lower end) of the storage boss 99. In other words, the insertion hole 100 can protect the protruding end of the storage boss 99 from external forces and prevent damage such as deformation. A terminal block 101 is provided protruding from the upper surface of the lower section 44 of the base case 42, facing the storage boss 99 when the discharge section 16 is mounted. The terminal block 101 is formed in the shape of a rectangular tube that opens upward, and the spring receiving portion 96 of the first terminal 85 is arranged inside it.

[0078] 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, returning from the compressed state to the natural length L1. With respect to this natural length L1, the depth D1 of the storage hole 98 (the height of the storage boss 99) 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 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, which is relatively prone to buckling, can be surrounded by the storage boss 99 to accurately prevent its buckling. Also, since the terminal connection part 92 does not shrink beyond (become shorter than) the depth D1 of the storage hole 98, 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 overly compressed when the discharge part 16 is mounted, suppressing the deterioration of the terminal connection part 92 and extending the life of the first current conductor 87. 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 tabletop or the like, the terminal connection part 92 does not touch the tabletop, that is, is not compressed, suppressing the deterioration of the terminal connection part 92 and extending its life.

[0079] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the energization from the second terminal 86 to the second electrode 32 is performed via 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.

[0080] The upper end of the second current-carrying element 88 is formed in an annular shape and is in line contact with the lower surface of the second electrode 32. This reduces the contact pressure between the two elements 32 and 88, thereby suppressing wear on the second electrode 32. Furthermore, even when a portion of the surface of the second electrode 32 or the second current-carrying element 88 oxidizes over time, it is less likely to cause poor conductivity, and the voltage applied to the second electrode 32 can be maintained at a high level.

[0081] Cylindrical storage bosses 105 and 106 are provided projecting upward and downward from the lower opposing wall 52 of the base case 42, demarcating 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 in this way, the majority can be protected from external forces and prevented from being damaged, such as deformation. The projection (lower end) of the lower storage boss 106 abuts against the second terminal 86, surrounding the connection (crimping and fixing) portion between the second terminal 86 and the second current-carrying body 88. The projection (upper end) of the upper storage boss 105 is in close proximity to the lower surface of the second electrode 32 when the discharge section 16 is mounted on the base section 15, without making contact. At this time, the upper end of the second energizing body 88 protrudes from the tip of the upper storage boss 105, that is, from the upper opening of the storage hole 104, and comes into close contact with the lower surface of the second electrode 32.

[0082] The upper opposing wall 51 and cushioning material 58 of the inner case 38 of the discharge section 16 are provided with through holes 107 and 108, respectively, which allow the upper storage boss 105 to pass through. The inner circumferential surfaces of each through hole 107 and 108 are close to and surround the outer circumferential surface of the upper storage boss 105. These through holes 107 and 108 prevent horizontal displacement of the upper storage boss 105 relative to the second electrode 32, thereby ensuring that the second current-carrying body 88 contacts the appropriate location on the second electrode 32. Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the tip of the upper storage boss 105 is formed in a tapered shape that narrows upwards, and a tapered guide surface 109 that widens downwards is formed below the through hole 107 in the upper opposing wall 51 that allows its insertion. These tapered surfaces allow the upper storage boss 105 to be easily guided into the through hole 107 when the discharge section 16 is mounted on the base section 15. The guide surface 109 may be an inclined surface with a constant angle as in this embodiment, or it may be an inclined surface with a changing inclination or a curved surface, or it may be a chamfered or rounded surface created by the chamfering of the lower end of the insertion hole 107.

[0083] 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 its 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, which is relatively prone to buckling, can be surrounded by the storage hole 104 to accurately prevent its buckling. 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 attached, thereby suppressing the deterioration of the second current-carrying body 88 and extending its lifespan. 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 amount of protrusion 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.

[0084] 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 to prevent its deformation and the like. 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.

[0085] By electrically connecting the second electrode 32 and the second terminal 86 with 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 still be supplied through the other second current-carrying body 88, thereby improving the reliability of the discharge device 6. The spring constants of the pair of second current-carrying bodies 88 are the same, which ensures that the elastic force acting on the second electrode 32 is uniform without bias to either the front or back, allowing both second current-carrying bodies 88 to adhere properly to the second electrode 32 and stabilizing the electrical connection between them. Furthermore, the upward elastic force acting on the second electrode 32 from each second current-carrying body 88 also acts on the first electrode 31 via the dielectric 33. The synergistic effect of this upward elastic force and the elastic force exerted by the crimping portion 91 of the first current-carrying body 87 pulling one end of the electrode connection portion 90 downwards further improves the adhesion of the electrode connection portion 90 to the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31.

[0086] Of course, the vertical repulsive force exerted by the terminal connection portion 92 of the second current-carrying body 88 and the first current-carrying body 87 in a compressed state is sufficiently smaller than the attractive force between the magnet 53 and the magnetic material 54 that constitute the aforementioned mounting and holding means, and the discharge unit 16 will not separate from the base unit 15 solely by the repulsive force between the second current-carrying body 88 and the terminal connection portion 92. However, since a portion of the attractive force of the mounting and holding 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 unit 16 from the base unit 15 with less force when cleaning the discharge unit 16, etc.

[0087] As shown in Figure 14, the first terminal 85 (spring receiving portion 96) is located only at one end of the base portion 15 (in this case, the left end), while the first current-carrying body 87 is located at both ends of the first electrode 31. Of these, only one of the first current-carrying bodies 87 is in close contact with the first terminal 85 when the discharge portion 16 is installed, contributing to the conduction of current from the first terminal 85 to the first electrode 31. Furthermore, while the pair of second current-carrying bodies 88 are located only on one side of the base portion 15 (in this case, the right side), the through holes 107 and 108 that allow their insertion are located on both the left and right sides of the discharge portion 16. Of these, only one of the through holes 107 and 108 allows the second current-carrying body 88 to be inserted when the discharge portion 16 is installed, contributing to the conduction of current from the second terminal 86 to the second electrode 32.

[0088] The placement of the first current-carrying elements 87 on both the left and right sides of the first electrode 31, and the placement of through-holes 107 and 108 on both the left and right sides of the discharge section 16, is due to the fact that the discharge section 16 is twice symmetrical around the vertical axis, as mentioned above. When the discharge section 16 is mounted on the base section 15 in the first position, the left first current-carrying element 87 and the right through-holes 107 and 108 perform their functions, and when the discharge section 16 is mounted in the second position, the right first current-carrying element 87 and the left through-holes 107 and 108 perform their functions. In other words, whether the twice-symmetrical discharge section 16 is mounted on the base section 15 in the first or second position, each electrode 31 and 32 and each terminal 85 and 86 are electrically connected via the current-carrying elements 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 section 16 when mounting it.

[0089] Furthermore, no terminal block 101 or similar is provided at the 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-carrying body 87 is in close contact with the first terminal 85, the terminal connection portion 92 of the other first current-carrying body 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, the terminal connection portion 92 is not compressed, thereby suppressing its deterioration and extending its lifespan. In addition, the point at which the second electrode 32 is in close contact with the second current-carrying body 88 differs between the first and second positions of the discharge section 16. This suppresses wear on the second electrode 32 and extends its lifespan.

[0090] The spring receiving portion 96 of the first terminal 85 that receives the first current-carrying element 87 is located in the lower section 44 of the base case 42, while the second current-carrying element 88 extending from the second terminal 86 is located in the upper section 43 of the same case 42. In other words, the pair of terminals 85 and 86 and the current-carrying elements 87 and 88 are located separately in the upper and lower sections 43 and 44 of the base case 42.

[0091] As shown in Figure 1, the second electrode 32 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape, slightly smaller than the dielectric 33, and a gap 110, which is a non-current-carrying region, is provided in the center of the second electrode 32, that is, directly below the first electrode 31. This gap 110 is formed in a band shape that is parallel to the first electrode 31, that is, extends in the left-right direction. The second electrode 32 is divided into a front first region 111 and a rear second region 112 by the gap 110, and the two regions 111 and 112 are continuous only through three bridging portions 113 on the left and right sides. The bridging portions 113 are arranged to cross the longitudinal center and both ends of the gap 110. Each bridging portion 113 is formed (film-deposited) simultaneously with the first region 111 and the second region 112, but it may also be formed separately from these regions 111 and 112.

[0092] 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 surface (top surface) of the dielectric 33 covering the second electrode 32 and the first electrode 31, and some of the oxygen in the surrounding air is converted into ozone. In order to increase the amount of ozone generated by allowing this silent discharge to occur over a wide area, a gap 110 is provided in the center of the front and back of the second electrode 32, that is, directly below the first electrode 31. Due to the presence of this gap 110, the charge on the surface of the dielectric 33 tends to accumulate more in front of and behind the first electrode 31 (above the first region 111 and the second region 112) than directly below the first electrode 31, and as a result, discharge occurs over a wide area of ​​the surface of the dielectric 33. In addition, the gap 110 prevents the discharge from concentrating directly below the first electrode 31, where white dust (nitrates), which hinder discharge, tends to accumulate. By generating a discharge before and after the first electrode 31, where dust accumulation is relatively small, the discharge amount can be maintained for a relatively long period of time, and as a result, the need to prompt the user to clean the discharge unit 16 can be reduced.

[0093] The width W1 of the first electrode 31 in the front-to-back direction is 1 mm, which matches its diameter, while the width W2 of the air gap 110 in the same direction is set to 2 mm. Setting the width W2 of the air gap 110 to be larger than the width W1 of the first electrode 31 reduces the amount of 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 Figure 13, the height H1 of the first electrode 31 in the vertical direction is 1 mm, which matches 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 to be smaller than the height H1 of the first electrode 31 brings the imaginary line connecting the front and rear edges of the second electrode 32 and the first electrode 31 closer to horizontal than vertical, allowing the charge distribution on the surface of the dielectric 33 to be closer to its front and rear edges, thereby allowing the discharge to spread over a wider area.

[0094] As shown in Figure 1, of the pair of front and rear second current-carrying elements 88 extending from the second terminal 86, one 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 there is no bridging portion 113 and the two regions 111 and 112 are separated, it is possible to supply voltage to each region 111 and 112. However, if one of the second current-carrying elements 88 deteriorates and a connection failure occurs between it and the second electrode 32 or the second terminal 86, a disadvantage arises in that voltage can 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 a bridging portion 113. With this, even if a connection failure occurs in one of the second current-carrying elements 88, voltage can be supplied to the entire second electrode 32 via the other second current-carrying element 88.

[0095] In a plan view, the entirety of the second electrode 32 is positioned inside the periphery of the dielectric 33, which ensures that discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33 is prevented. In other words, the periphery of the dielectric 33 forms a rectangular annular surrounding region 195 that surrounds the second electrode 32 in a plan view, and the width W3 of the longer side of the surrounding region 195 is set to be larger than the width W4 of the shorter side. By setting the longer side of the surrounding region 195 to be wider than the shorter side, if the second electrode 32 is displaced around the perpendicular axis relative to the dielectric 33, the end of the second electrode 32 will not approach the periphery of the dielectric 33, thereby effectively preventing discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33.

[0096] As shown in Figure 8, the upper surface of the long side of the surrounding region 195 is received by the peripheral edge of the discharge opening 35 of the discharge case 34, i.e., the internal receiving portion 59. In other words, the internal receiving portion 59 constitutes an upper sealing portion 197 that is in close contact with the upper surface of the surrounding region 195. This upper sealing portion 197 allows the first electrode 31 to be separated from the second electrode 32 not only by the dielectric 33 but also by the upper sealing portion 197, thereby more reliably preventing discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33. Furthermore, the peripheral edge of the cushioning material 58, which is positioned on the lower side of the second electrode 32 and the dielectric 33, constitutes a lower sealing portion 198 that is in close contact with the lower surface of the surrounding region 195 around its entire circumference. This lower sealing portion 198 allows the second electrode 32 to be surrounded by the lower sealing portion 198 and separated from the first electrode 31, thereby more reliably preventing discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33.

[0097] Instead of arranging the rod-shaped first electrode 31 straight from left to right, it can be arranged at an angle in the horizontal plane, for example, along the diagonal of the discharge opening 35. This allows the overall length of the first electrode 31 to be increased and the discharge range to be widened compared to when the first electrode 31 is arranged straight from left to right. In this case, it is desirable that the gap 110 be formed parallel to the first electrode 31 along the diagonal of the discharge opening 35. The first electrode 31 (and gap 110) can also be bent, curved, or meandered, or two or more first electrodes 31 (and gap 110) can be provided, which also widens the discharge range. Widening the discharge range in this way increases the amount of ozone generated.

[0098] As described above, in the discharge device 6 according to this embodiment, a rod-shaped first electrode 31 and a planar second electrode 32 are arranged vertically with a dielectric 33 in between, and a gap 110 is formed in the second electrode 32 as a non-current-carrying region, with at least a part of the gap 110 located directly below the first electrode 31. As a result, when a high AC voltage is applied to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32, silent discharge between the upper surface of the dielectric 33 and the first electrode 31 can be made to occur over a wider area than in the conventional method. That is, because there is a gap 110 in the second electrode 32, the charge on the upper surface of the dielectric 33 tends to accumulate more on both sides of the first electrode 31 (both sides in the width direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first electrode 31 in the horizontal plane) rather than directly below it, and as a result, discharge occurs over a wide area of ​​the upper surface of the dielectric 33. In addition, the gap 110 makes it possible to avoid the concentration of discharge directly below the first electrode 31, where dust that hinders discharge tends to accumulate. By generating a discharge on both sides of the first electrode 31, where dust accumulation is relatively small, the discharge amount can be maintained for a relatively long period of time, thereby reducing the need to prompt the user to clean and remove dust.

[0099] If the gap 110 is formed wider than the first electrode 31, the amount of charge that accumulates directly below the first electrode 31 on the upper surface of the dielectric 33 can be reduced, and the discharge can be spread over a wider area. If the dielectric 33 is formed thinner than the vertical height of the first electrode 31, the imaginary line connecting both edges of the second electrode 32 in the width direction to the first electrode 31 can be brought closer to the horizontal than vertical, and the charge distribution on the upper surface of the dielectric 33 can be brought closer to these edges, thereby spreading the discharge over a wider area. In addition, if the second electrode 32 is formed thinly, the overall discharge device 6 can be made more compact in the vertical direction, and the material cost of the second electrode 32 can be reduced.

[0100] By aligning the longitudinal direction of the second electrode 32 with the elongation direction of the first electrode 31, the entire second electrode 32 can be positioned relatively close to the first electrode 31, allowing the entire surface of the second electrode 32 to be efficiently utilized for discharge. By forming the air gap 110 in a strip shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the second electrode 32, the air gap 110 can be positioned over most of the area directly beneath the first electrode 31, reducing the occurrence of discharge directly beneath the first electrode 31 and widening the area over which discharge occurs.

[0101] By providing a bridging portion 113 that connects the first region 111 and the second region 112 separated by an air gap 110, even if only the second current-carrying element 88 is placed in one of the first region 111 and the second region 112, current can be supplied to the other region via the bridging portion 113, thereby supplying voltage to the entire second electrode 32. In other words, the number of second current-carrying elements 88 can be reduced, simplifying the configuration of the discharge section 16. Furthermore, in the case where the second current-carrying elements 88 are placed in both the first region 111 and the second region 112, as in this embodiment, even if a connection failure occurs in one of the second current-carrying elements 88, voltage can be supplied to the entire second electrode 32 via the other second current-carrying element 88. In other words, the reliability of the discharge section 16 can be increased.

[0102] In a plan view, if the second electrode 32 is formed to be smaller than the dielectric 33 and surrounded by a surrounding region 195 formed by the peripheral edge of the dielectric 33, the entire second electrode 32 is positioned inside the peripheral edge of the dielectric 33, thereby reliably preventing discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33. If the surrounding region 195 is formed in a rectangular ring shape, and the width W3 of its long side is set to be larger than the width W4 of its short side (the long side is thicker than the short side), then if the second electrode 32 is displaced around the perpendicular axis to the dielectric 33, the end of the second electrode 32 will not approach the peripheral edge of the dielectric 33, thereby effectively preventing discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33.

[0103] If the peripheral edge of the discharge opening 35 of the discharge case 34 constitutes an upper sealing portion 197 that is in close contact with the upper surface of the surrounding region 195 of the dielectric 33, the first electrode 31 can be separated from the second electrode 32 not only by the dielectric 33 but also by the upper sealing portion 197, thereby more reliably preventing discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33 in between.

[0104] By providing a lower sealing portion 198 that is in close contact with the lower surface of the surrounding region 195 of the dielectric 33, the second electrode 32 can be surrounded by the lower sealing portion 198 and separated from the first electrode 31, thereby more reliably preventing discharge between electrodes 31 and 32 without the dielectric 33 in between. By placing a sheet-like cushioning material 58 on the lower side of the second electrode 32, the second electrode 32 can be sandwiched from above and below by the dielectric 33 and the cushioning material 58, protecting it from external impacts, and the design tolerance of the thickness dimension of the dielectric 33 within the discharge case 34 can be absorbed by the cushioning material 58. Furthermore, if the peripheral edge of the cushioning material 58 constitutes the lower sealing portion 198, the lower side of the dielectric 33 can be covered with the cushioning material 58, protecting it from external impacts.

[0105] When the entire electrode unit 71, consisting of the first electrode 31, the dielectric 33, and the second electrode 32, is sandwiched from above and below by the outer case 37 and inner case 38 of the discharge case 34, the structure of the discharge case 34 and, consequently, the discharge device 6 can be simplified compared to the case where support structures for each electrode 31, 32 and the dielectric 33 are provided individually. When the electrode unit 71 is sandwiched together with the cushioning material 58, the electrode unit 71 can be made to adhere closely to the cushioning material 58, and its movement can be effectively restricted. In addition, the design tolerances of the electrode unit 71 and the discharge case 34 can be absorbed by the elastic deformation of the cushioning material 58. When the electrode support structure 64 is configured with an upper support part 65 and a lower support part 66 that sandwich the circumferential surface of the first electrode 31 from above and below, the first electrode 31 can be fixed to the discharge case 34 with a simple operation of just sandwiching the first electrode 31 between the upper support part 65 and the lower support part 66 from above and below.

[0106] If the second electrode 32 is formed as a film on the lower surface of the dielectric 33, the second electrode 32 can be made thinner, making the entire discharge device 6 more compact in the vertical direction, and the material cost of the second electrode 32 can be reduced. If the second electrode 32 is made of titanium, the corrosion resistance of the second electrode 32 can be increased, improving the overall lifespan of the discharge device 6 including the second electrode 32. The second electrode 32 can also be made of a metal plate having a thickness similar to that of the dielectric 33, for example.

[0107] A discharge unit characterized by comprising a discharge device 6 having a dielectric 33 arranged between a pair of electrodes 31 and 32, a photodetector 28 for detecting light emission during discharge of the discharge device 6, and a notification means 27 for notifying the detection result by the photodetector 28. The photodetector 28 and the notification means 27 may be separate from the discharge device 6 or may be mounted on the discharge device 6. In a discharge unit comprising a discharge device 6, a photodetector 28, and a notification means 27, the degree of contamination (accumulation of dust, etc.) on the surface of the dielectric 33 of the discharge device 6 can be determined based on the detection value of the photodetector 28. This eliminates the possibility of subjective judgment by the user, as would occur if the user made a visual inspection, and allows for an accurate determination of the degree of contamination. In addition, by providing a notification means 27 that notifies the detection result from the photodetector 28, the decrease in the amount of light emitted during discharge by the discharge device 6, i.e., the progression of contamination on the surface of the dielectric 33, can be notified to the user, encouraging early cleaning of the discharge device 6. This surface contamination can hinder discharge, making it possible to avoid the inconvenience of continuing to operate the discharge device 6 with a reduced discharge amount.

[0108] The light detection unit 28 can be configured, for example, as a camera that photographs the discharge device 6. In this case, images taken during normal operation, i.e., when the discharge device 6 is within an acceptable range of contamination, and images taken during abnormal operation, i.e., when the discharge device 6 is beyond an acceptable range of contamination, are stored separately in a memory unit (not shown). Then, each time the camera photographs the discharge device 6, the AI ​​(control unit 21) determines whether the captured image is classified as normal or abnormal. Furthermore, the light detection unit 28 can be composed of a photodiode facing the discharge device 6. The magnitude of the current flowing through the photodiode is approximately proportional to the amount of light it receives. Therefore, based on the current value of the photodiode, the amount of light emitted during discharge by the discharge device 6, i.e., the degree of contamination on its surface, can be determined. Furthermore, the light detection unit 28 can be composed of a color sensor facing the discharge device 6. The 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. The light-receiving element of the color sensor outputs an electrical signal according to the amount of light received, similar to the photodiode described above, so it is possible to determine the amount of blue light emitted by the discharge device 6 during discharge, i.e., the degree of dirt on its surface, based on that.

[0109] A discharge unit characterized in that the light detection unit 28 consists of an element that outputs an electrical signal according to the amount of light received. If the light detection unit 28 is configured with an element that outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of light received, such as a photodiode or a color sensor, the light detection unit 28 can be constructed at a lower cost compared to when it is configured with a camera or the like.

[0110] A discharge unit characterized in that the discharge device 6 comprises a discharge section 16 including a pair of electrodes 31 and 32 and a dielectric 33, and a base section 15 to which the discharge section 16 is detachably mounted. If the discharge unit 16 of the discharge device 6 is detachable from the base unit 15, the discharge unit 16, which is relatively prone to getting dirty because it contains a pair of electrodes 31 and 32 and a dielectric 33, can be easily cleaned while separated from the base unit 15. In addition, if the discharge unit 16 malfunctions, only the discharge unit 16 can be replaced, which is more economical than replacing the entire discharge device 6 including the base unit 15.

[0111] A discharge unit characterized in that when the detected value of the photodetector 28 falls outside a predetermined normal range, the voltage applied to both electrodes 31 and 32 of the discharge device 6 is set higher than the voltage applied to both electrodes 31 and 32 when the detected value is within the normal range. The detected value of the photodetector 28 falling outside the normal range may be below a predetermined value (lower threshold), or conversely, above a predetermined value (upper threshold). When the detection value of the photodetector 28 falls outside the normal range, that is, when 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 to a higher level suppresses the decrease in discharge amount caused by the soiling and allows for the maintenance of a discharge amount close to that of when the soiling is minimal (when the detection value of the photodetector 28 is within the normal range).

[0112] A discharge unit characterized by stopping the discharge device 6 when the detected value of the light detection unit 28 falls outside the normal range. If the detection value of the photodetector 28 falls outside the normal range, that is, if the surface of the discharge device 6 is heavily soiled, the discharge device 6 can be stopped. Rather than continuing to operate the discharge device 6 in a situation where the discharge amount may be insufficient due to soiling, stopping it can avoid wasting power.

[0113] As shown in the time chart of Figure 15, a first normal range and a second normal range that is wider than the first normal range are set for the detection value of the light detection unit 28. A discharge unit characterized in that, when the detected value of the photodetector 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 detected value falls outside the second normal range as well, the discharge device 6 is stopped (time t2). The voltage when the detected value of the light detection unit 28, i.e., the amount of light received from the discharge device 6, falls within the second normal range (times t1 to t2), may be constant regardless of the amount of light received, or it may be increased linearly or stepwise as the amount of light received decreases. If the detection value of the photodetector 28 falls outside the first normal range and falls only within the second normal range, that is, if the degree of contamination on the surface of the discharge device 6 increases, increasing the voltage applied to both electrodes 31 and 32 of the discharge device 6 suppresses the decrease in discharge amount caused by the contamination and maintains a discharge amount close to that when there is little contamination (when the detection value of the photodetector 28 is within the first normal range). Furthermore, if the detection value of the photodetector 28 also falls outside the second normal range, that is, if the degree of contamination on the surface of the discharge device 6 becomes so great that the decrease in discharge amount cannot be suppressed even by increasing the voltage applied to both electrodes 31 and 32, stopping the discharge device 6 avoids unnecessary power consumption.

[0114] Based on the detection value of the photodetector 28, in addition to determining the degree of contamination on the surface of the discharge device 6 as described above, it is possible to determine whether or not there is a malfunction in the electrical system related to the electrodes 31 and 32 of the discharge device 6. For example, if the detection value of the photodetector 28 falls outside the normal range due to a decrease in the amount of light emitted during discharge of the discharge device 6, and the user cleans the surface of the discharge device 6 after becoming aware of this, but the problem persists (the amount of light emitted from the discharge device 6 remains low), it can be determined that there is a malfunction (voltage drop) in the electrical system related to the electrodes 31 and 32. Also, if the amount of light emitted during discharge of the discharge device 6 increases abnormally and the detection value of the photodetector 28 falls outside the normal range, it can be determined that there is a malfunction (voltage rise) in the same electrical system. In particular, in the case of the ozonizer 1, high concentrations of ozone are harmful to the human body, so detecting a voltage rise in electrodes 31 and 32 is of great significance, and the discharge device 6 can be immediately stopped after detection to ensure the safety of the user. In addition to the above, the presence or absence of a fault in the electrical system related to electrodes 31 and 32 can also be determined by measuring the current flowing through the discharge device 6. However, the current flowing through the discharge device 6 is very small, only a few mA, and it is not easy to accurately measure its fluctuations. In other words, compared to the above method which utilizes the detection value of the photodetector 28, the cost of constructing the system required to determine the fault may be higher.

[0115] A discharge unit characterized in that the first electrode 31, which is arranged on the surface side of the dielectric 33, is formed in the shape of a rod, and the second electrode 32, which is arranged on the back side of the dielectric 33, is formed in the shape of a plane. By forming the first electrode 31 on the surface side of the dielectric 33 in a rod shape, the portion of the dielectric 33's surface covered by the first electrode 31 is reduced, allowing most of the dielectric 33's surface to be exposed to the photodetector 28. In other words, the light emitted during discharge from the discharge device 6 can be easily detected by the photodetector 28. However, if the first electrode 31 is formed in a planar shape, most of the dielectric 33's surface will be covered by the first electrode 31, making it difficult for the photodetector 28 to detect the light emitted. By forming the second electrode 32 on the back side of the dielectric 33 in a planar shape, discharge and accompanying light emission can be generated over a wide area of ​​the surface of the dielectric 33. Combined with the fact that the first electrode 31 is formed in a rod shape as described above, detection of light emission by the photodetector 28 becomes even easier. This effect is further improved by forming a gap 110 as a non-current-carrying region in the second electrode 32. However, if both electrodes 31 and 32 are formed in a rod shape, the area over which discharge occurs becomes relatively narrower, making it difficult for the photodetector 28 to detect the accompanying light emission. Furthermore, if the first electrode 31 is formed in a rod shape and the second electrode 32 is formed in a planar shape, even if a misalignment occurs between the two electrodes 31 and 32 due to design tolerances of the support structures for both electrodes 31 and 32, discharge between the two electrodes 31 and 32 can be generated without problems. Therefore, more stable discharge can be achieved.

[0116] (Second Embodiment) Figures 16 to 18 show a second embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that a second current-carrying body 88 is arranged in the center of the base portion 15 in a plan view. The second electrode 32 is formed in a horizontal H shape as a whole, and a bridging portion 113 is provided only in the left and right center of the second electrode 32. The second current-carrying body 88 consists of an upper current-carrying pin 147 that elastically adheres to the lower surface of the bridging portion 113 of the second electrode 32, a lower current-carrying spring 148 that biases the current-carrying pin 147 upward toward the second electrode 32, and a current-carrying piece 149 that extends substantially horizontally in continuity 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, at least a part of the second current-carrying body 88 should be elastically deformable in the thickness direction, i.e., vertical direction, of the second electrode 32.

[0117] The current-carrying pin 147 and current-carrying spring 148 are housed in a storage hole 104 that runs vertically through the center of the base case 42, and the current-carrying pin 147 is guided to slide only vertically on the circumferential surface of the storage hole 104. The current-carrying pin 147 is formed in a cylindrical shape from any metal or other material with excellent conductivity, and 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 formed in the shape of a compression coil spring with the vertical direction as its axis, and its upper end is connected to the lower end of the current-carrying pin 147. When the tip of the current-carrying pin 147 is in surface contact with the second electrode 32, the contact pressure between the two 32 and 147 is reduced, suppressing wear of the second electrode 32, and also making it less likely for poor current to occur even when a part of the surface of the second electrode 32 or the current-carrying pin 147 oxidizes over time, thereby maintaining a high voltage applied to the second electrode 32.

[0118] The base portion 15 includes a bottom cover 145 that fits into the base case 42 from below, and the lower opening of the storage hole 104 is closed by the bottom cover 145. A circular engagement hole 153 is recessed in the center of the inner surface of the bottom cover 145 to receive the tip (lower end) of the lower storage boss 106, and a cylindrical engagement projection 154 is formed protruding from the center of the bottom surface of this engagement hole 153, which penetrates into the inside of the tip of the lower storage boss 106. The lower end of the conductive spring 148 is supported by the inner surface (upper surface) of the bottom cover 145, or more precisely, the tip surface (upper surface) of the engagement projection 154. In addition, a vertical groove 155 is formed in the tip of the lower storage boss 106 to allow the insertion of the conductive piece 149. By forming an engagement hole 153 and an engagement projection 154 on the inner surface of the bottom cover 145, the engagement projection 154 and the engagement hole 153 can be engaged with the tip of the lower storage boss 106 from both the inside and outside, thereby reliably restricting the misalignment of the bottom cover 145. Furthermore, by allowing the engagement projection 154 to penetrate the tip of the lower storage boss 106, the vertical dimension of the storage hole 104 is reduced accordingly, which allows for cost reduction by miniaturizing the conductive spring 148. Alternatively, one of the engagement hole 153 or the engagement projection 154 can be omitted, and only the engagement hole 153 or only the engagement projection 154 can be provided in the center of the inner surface of the bottom cover 145.

[0119] The electrode support structure 64 that supports both ends of the first electrode 31 consists only of an upper support portion 65 provided on the outer case 37 of the discharge case 34, and the lower support portion 66 of the inner case 38 is omitted. Each upper support portion 65 is provided with a vertically elongated guide hole 151 through which the first electrode 31 is inserted, and the first electrode 31 is able to move up and down relative to the dielectric 33 along the front and rear sides of the guide hole 151. In this way, since the first electrode 31 can move 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 when the first electrode 31 is separated from the dielectric 33. In the normal state, the first electrode 31 is biased downward by the crimping portion 91 and upper spring 157 of the first current-carrying body 87 and is in close contact with the upper surface of the dielectric 33.

[0120] The upper spring 157 is a compression coil spring with its axis oriented vertically and is positioned inside each of the left and right upper support portions 65. The inner surface of the upper support portion 65 is provided with a spring recess 158 that accommodates the upper part of the upper spring 157. The lower end of the upper spring 157 is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the electrode connection portion 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 portion 90. When the first electrode 31 is lifted against the biasing force of the crimping portion 91 and the upper spring 157, the area around the lower part of the first electrode 31 can be cleaned thoroughly with a cleaning brush. When using the upper spring 157 as in this embodiment, the crimping portion 91 may be omitted from the first current-carrying body 87. However, using both the crimping portion 91 and the upper spring 157 ensures that the first electrode 31 is securely in contact with the dielectric 33.

[0121] The terminal connection portion 92 of the first current-carrying body 87 is formed in the shape of a conical coil spring that widens at the bottom. This allows the lower end of the terminal connection portion 92 to contact the upper surface of the first terminal 85 over several turns when the terminal connection portion 92 is compressed vertically. In other words, the contact area between the two 85 and 92 can be increased, thereby reducing the electrical resistance between the two 85 and 92. The coil spring constituting the terminal connection portion 92 can be formed in other shapes, such as a bell mouth shape that widens at the bottom or a drum shape that widens both upwards and downwards, and the same effects as described above can be obtained in these cases as well. The lower part of the terminal connection portion 92 may be formed in a barrel shape that narrows at the bottom, and in this case as well, the lower end of the terminal connection portion 92 can contact the first terminal 85 over several turns, and the same effects as described above can be obtained. In this embodiment, the spring receiving portion 96 on the upper surface of the first terminal 85 is omitted.

[0122] In this embodiment, the mounting and holding means for holding the discharge unit 16 in the mounted state is composed of two sets of magnets 53 and a magnetic material 54. The inner case 38 of the discharge case 34 is provided with a pair of left and right engaging protrusions 47, and an upper housing recess 55 for housing the magnets 53 is formed on the back side (upper side) of each engaging protrusion 47, sandwiched between the upper opposing wall 51. Similarly, the base case 42 is provided with a pair of left and right engaging recesses 48, and a lower housing recess 56 for housing the magnetic material 54 is formed on the back side (lower side) of each engaging recess 48, sandwiched between the lower opposing wall 52. The lower opening of the lower housing recess 56 is closed by the bottom cover 145.

[0123] The terminal block 101 of the base case 42 is positioned horizontally (to the left) away from the upper section 43. A circumferential regulating rib 159 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the inner case 38 of the discharge section 16. A portion of this regulating rib 159 enters the space between the upper section 43 and the terminal block 101 when the discharge section 16 is installed, and contacts the inner surface of the terminal block 101 (the surface facing the upper section 43). In addition to the engagement of the aforementioned engaging projection 47 and engaging recess 48, contacting the regulating rib 159 with the inner surface of the terminal block 101 more reliably restricts the horizontal displacement and rotation of the discharge section 16 relative to the base section 15.

[0124] As in the second electrode 32 of this embodiment, by arranging the bridging portion 113 only in the longitudinal center of the gap 110, the risk of discharge occurring between the bridging portion 113 and the end of the first electrode 31 without the dielectric 33 can be reduced compared to when it is arranged at both longitudinal ends of the gap 110. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used for the same components and their descriptions are omitted. The same applies to the third embodiment and subsequent embodiments.

[0125] (Third Embodiment) Figure 19 shows a third embodiment of the discharge device according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that the second electrode 32 is formed in a U-shape overall (lying U-shape), that is, the bridging portion 113 is provided only at one end (in this case, the left end) of the second electrode 32. Alternatively, the second electrode 32 may be formed in a rectangular ring shape with bridging portions 113 at both the left and right ends.

[0126] The discharge device according to the present invention can be applied to ozonizers and ionizers, and can therefore contribute to Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, the discharge device can be incorporated into equipment such as air conditioners, humidifiers, and air purifiers that release treated air, and can be used for disinfecting the released air. Alternatively, it can be installed inside refrigerators, closets, toilets, etc., and used for deodorizing and disinfecting those spaces. In addition, the discharge device can be applied to ozone water generators that dissolve ozone in water. The generated ozone water can be used in washing machines, flush toilets, for washing food and dishes, and for cleaning medical equipment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0127] 6 Discharge device 31 1st electrode 32 2nd electrode 33 Dielectrics 34 Discharge Case 35 discharge aperture 37 Outer case 38 Inner case 58 Cushioning material 64 Electrode support structure 65 Upper support part 66 Lower support part 71 Electrode Unit 110 void 111 First area 112 Second area 113 Bridge 195 Encircled Area 197 Upper sealing part 198 Lower sealing part

Claims

1. It comprises a horizontal plate-shaped dielectric (33), a rod-shaped first electrode (31) positioned on the upper surface side of the dielectric (33), and a planar second electrode (32) positioned on the lower surface side of the dielectric (33). A gap (110) is formed in the second electrode (32) as a non-current-carrying region. At least a portion of the void (110) is located directly below the first electrode (31), The dielectric (33) is formed to be thinner than the vertical height of the first electrode (31). A discharge device characterized in that the second electrode (32) is formed to be thinner than the dielectric (33).

2. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein, when the direction perpendicular in the horizontal plane to the extension direction of the first electrode (31) is defined as the width direction, the gap (110) is formed to be wider than the first electrode (31).

3. The discharge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the longitudinal direction of the second electrode (32) coincides with the elongation direction of the first electrode (31).

4. The discharge apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the void (110) is formed in a strip shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the second electrode (32).

5. The device comprises a horizontal plate-shaped dielectric (33), a rod-shaped first electrode (31) disposed on the upper surface side of the dielectric (33), and a planar second electrode (32) disposed on the lower surface side of the dielectric (33), A gap (110) is formed in the second electrode (32) as a non-current-carrying region. At least a portion of the void (110) is located directly below the first electrode (31), In a plan view, the second electrode (32) is formed to be smaller than the dielectric (33) and is surrounded by a surrounding region (195) formed by the peripheral edge of the dielectric (33). It is equipped with a discharge case (34) that houses both electrodes (31 and 32) and a dielectric (33), A discharge opening (35) is formed on the upper surface of the discharge case (34) to expose the first electrode (31) and the dielectric (33) upwards. A discharge device characterized in that the peripheral edge of the discharge opening (35) forms an upper sealing portion (197) that is in close contact with the upper surface of the surrounding region (195) of the dielectric (33).

6. The surrounding region (195) surrounding the second electrode (32) is formed in the shape of a rectangular ring having a long side and a short side, The discharge device according to claim 5, wherein the longer side of the surrounding area (195) is set to be thicker than the shorter side.

7. The discharge device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a lower sealing portion (198) is provided inside the discharge case (34) that is in close contact with the lower surface of the surrounding region (195) of the dielectric (33).

8. A sheet-like cushioning material (58) is placed on the lower side of the second electrode (32), The discharge device according to claim 7, wherein the peripheral edge of the cushioning material (58) constitutes the lower sealing portion (198).

9. The discharge case (34) is constructed by joining an outer case (37) and an inner case (38) vertically, The discharge device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the entire electrode unit (71), which is composed of a first electrode (31), a dielectric (33), and a second electrode (32), is sandwiched from above and below by an outer case (37) and an inner case (38).

10. The discharge case (34) is provided with a pair of electrode support structures (64) that support both ends of the first electrode (31), Each electrode support structure (64) is composed of an upper support portion (65) provided on the outer case (37) and a lower support portion (66) provided on the inner case (38). The discharge device according to claim 9, wherein the circumferential surface of the first electrode (31) is held between an upper support portion (65) and a lower support portion (66) from above and below.

Images