air purifier

Abstract

To obtain an air cleaner which can prevent static build-up on an installation surface while reducing costs to prevent the installation surface from getting dirty due to dust adhering to the installation surface.SOLUTION: An air cleaner 1 is installed on an indoor installation surface and purifies indoor air. The air cleaner 1 includes: a non-conductive housing 10 provided with an inlet port 13 for suctioning air and an outlet port for blowing air; an air blower 200 which is housed in the housing 10 and generates airflow suctioned from the inlet port 13 and blown out from the outlet port; a discharge type electrical dust collector 120 which is housed in the housing 10 and removes impurities in the airflow; a conductive part provided in an air channel ranging from the electrical dust collector 120 to the air outlet in the housing 10 and having conductivity; and a control unit 310 configured to control the electrical dust collector 120. The control unit 310 temporarily stops the electrical dust collector 120 during operation of the air cleaner 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air cleaner aimed at purifying indoor air.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a method of collecting impurities in the air by using ions generated by discharge has been used. Patent Document 1 discloses an air cleaner having a pre-charging unit to which a high voltage is applied, a dust collecting unit provided downstream of the pre-charging unit, and a main body case incorporating the pre-charging unit and the dust collecting unit. In the air cleaner disclosed in Patent Document 1, by painting the entire surface of the main body case with a conductive paint, it is disclosed that charging of the wall surface where the air cleaner is installed is prevented, and dirt on the wall surface due to adhesion of dust to the wall surface is prevented. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses that by forming the entire main body case of a synthetic resin containing a conductive resin, charging of the wall surface where the air cleaner is installed is prevented, and dirt on the wall surface due to adhesion of dust to the wall surface is prevented.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the air cleaner described in Patent Document 1 above, when the entire surface of the main body case is painted with a conductive paint, there is a problem that the amount of expensive conductive resin material used increases and the cost of the air cleaner becomes high. Also, when the entire main body case is constituted by a synthetic resin containing a conductive resin, there is a problem that the amount of expensive conductive resin material used increases and the cost of the air cleaner becomes high.

[0005] This disclosure is made in view of the above, and aims to provide an air purifier that can prevent static electricity buildup on the installation surface and prevent dirt from accumulating on the installation surface due to dust accumulation, while keeping costs down. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the air purifier according to this disclosure is an air purifier that is installed on a mounting surface in a room and purifies the air in the room. The air purifier comprises a non-conductive housing provided with an air intake port and an air outlet port, a blower housed in the housing that generates an airflow that draws in air from the intake port and blows air out from the outlet, a discharge-type electrostatic precipitator housed in the housing that removes impurities from the airflow, and a conductive material provided inside the housing in the air passage from the electrostatic precipitator to the outlet. The ions attached to the casing are discharged into the air. It comprises a conductive part and a control unit that controls the electrostatic precipitator. The control unit temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator when the air purifier is in operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The air purifier described herein has the effect of preventing static electricity buildup on the installation surface while suppressing costs, thereby preventing dirt from accumulating on the installation surface due to dust accumulation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows the external appearance of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1, and is a perspective view of the air purifier seen from below. [Figure 2] This figure shows the external appearance of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1, and is a perspective view of the air purifier seen from above. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1, and corresponds to the cross-section along line III-III in Figure 1. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of electrostatic precipitation in the electrostatic precipitator of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5]This figure shows the external appearance of an air purifier according to Embodiment 1, and is a perspective view from below of the air purifier with louvers installed at the air outlet. [Figure 6] A first schematic diagram illustrating the louvers provided at the air outlet of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] A second schematic diagram illustrating the louvers provided at the air outlet of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates an example of a discharge path in the conductive part of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] Diagram showing the louvers of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] This figure shows a conductive part provided in the fan casing of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11] A perspective view illustrating the configuration of the blower of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates the linear convex shape of the conductive part provided on the fan casing of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1, and the fan blades. [Figure 13] This figure shows a conductive part provided on the fan of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] This figure shows the functional configuration related to the temporary suspension control of the electrostatic precipitator in the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 15] A flowchart showing an example of the procedure for temporarily controlling the electrostatic precipitator in an air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 16] A flowchart illustrating another example of the procedure for temporarily controlling the electrostatic precipitator in the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 17] This diagram illustrates an example of a conductive part included in the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 18] This diagram illustrates an example of a conductive part included in the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 19] This diagram shows the configuration in which each function of the control unit according to Embodiment 1 is implemented in hardware. [Figure 20]A diagram showing a configuration in which each function of the control unit according to Embodiment 1 is realized by software

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, an air purifier according to an embodiment will be described in detail based on the drawings. In the drawings shown below, for ease of understanding, the scales of each member may be different from the actual ones. The same applies to between the drawings.

[0010] Embodiment 1. (Overall Configuration of the Air Purifier) FIG. 1 is a view showing the appearance of an air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1, and is a perspective view of the air purifier 1 as seen from below. FIG. 2 is a view showing the appearance of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1, and is a perspective view of the air purifier 1 as seen from above. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1, and corresponds to a cross-section along line III-III in FIG. 1. In FIG. 3, for ease of understanding, a part is shown as a side view and a part of the hatching is omitted.

[0011] First, the basic structure of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. The air purifier 1 can be installed on the wall surface 500 and the ceiling surface of the wall 501, and is an air purifier that removes indoor air pollution and purifies the indoor air environment. The wall surface 500 and the ceiling surface are installation surfaces on which the air purifier 1 is installed. The air purifier 1 has a housing 10 that constitutes the outer shell of the air purifier 1. The housing 10 is composed of a housing main body 11 and a front panel 12 and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 10 is made of a resin that does not have conductivity and has non-conductivity, and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the dimension in the depth direction is smaller than the dimensions in the width direction and the height direction.

[0012] The width direction of the air purifier 1 corresponds to the width direction of the housing 10 and corresponds to the X-axis direction in Figures 1 to 3. The width direction of the air purifier 1 can also be described as the left-right direction. The depth direction of the air purifier 1 corresponds to the depth direction of the housing 10 and corresponds to the Y-axis direction in Figures 1 to 3. The depth direction of the air purifier 1 can also be described as the thickness direction of the air purifier 1 or the thickness direction of the housing 10. The height direction of the air purifier 1 corresponds to the height direction of the housing 10 and corresponds to the Z-axis direction in Figures 1 to 3. When the air purifier 1 is installed on a wall surface 500, the height direction of the air purifier 1 is the up-down direction and is parallel to the vertical direction. When the air purifier 1 is installed on a ceiling surface, the height direction of the air purifier 1 corresponds to the direction parallel to the horizontal direction. In addition, in the air purifier 1, the side where the front panel 12 is located in the depth direction is the front side, and the side opposite to the side where the front panel 12 is located in the depth direction is the rear side. The left-right direction is defined as the left-right direction when viewing the air purifier 1 from the front side.

[0013] The housing body 11 is the first component of the housing 10, having a rectangular parallelepiped shape with one side open. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the housing 10 has a top surface 10a, a bottom surface 10b, a first side surface 10c, a second side surface 10d, a front surface 10e, and a rear surface 10f. The first side surface 10c is the left side when viewed from the front. The second side surface 10d is the right side when viewed from the front. The first side surface 10c and the second side surface 10d are a pair of sides that face each other in the width direction of the housing 10. The front surface 10e is formed by the front panel 12. The housing body 11 has an opening on one side on the front side, that is, the side corresponding to the front surface 10e of the housing 10. Furthermore, the top surface 10a, bottom surface 10b, first side surface 10c, second side surface 10d, and rear surface 10f can also be considered as the top surface, bottom surface, first side surface, second side surface, and rear surface of the housing body 11, respectively.

[0014] The air purifier 1 is installed on the wall 500 with its rear surface 10f facing the wall 500. Specifically, the air purifier 1 has its top surface 10a facing vertically upward, its bottom surface 10b facing vertically downward, its front surface 10e and rear surface 10f parallel to the vertical, and is installed on the wall 500 with its rear surface 10f facing the wall 500. Therefore, when the air purifier 1 is installed on the wall 500, the rear surface 10f of the housing 10 that faces the front panel 12 is the opposing surface that faces the wall 500.

[0015] The housing 10 has an intake port 13 formed on its first side surface 10c, which is an opening for taking in indoor air into the housing 10. That is, the housing body 11 has an intake port 13 formed on the first side surface of the housing body 11, which is the side adjacent to the left side of the open surface. The housing 10 also has an outlet port 14 formed on its bottom surface 10b, which is an opening for blowing the air inside the housing 10 out of the housing 10. That is, the housing body 11 has an outlet port 14 formed on the second side surface of the housing body 11, which is the side adjacent to the bottom side of the open surface, and the outlet port 14 is formed to open vertically downward when the housing is installed on the wall surface 500.

[0016] The front panel 12 is a cover that covers one open side of the housing body 11 and is a second component of the housing 10. That is, the front of the air purifier 1 and the front 10e of the housing 10 are made up of the front panel 12. The air purifier 1 is designed so that the front panel 12 can be opened to the front, allowing access to the components housed inside the housing 10, and enabling regular cleaning and maintenance of the components housed inside the housing 10 in case of malfunction.

[0017] The air purifier 1 is mounted to the wall 500, which is the mounting surface, via a metal mounting bracket 400, which is a mounting component for mounting the housing 10 to the wall 500. The reasons why the mounting bracket 400 is necessary for mounting the air purifier 1 to the wall 500 are as follows: The first reason is to distribute the load applied to the back 10f by widening the fixing range between the back 10f and the wall 500, thereby reducing the stress applied to the fastening part and ensuring the safe installation of the air purifier 1. The second reason is that in order to mount the air purifier 1 to the wall 500 in the correct position without tilting, it is necessary to precisely screw-fix the air purifier 1, but it is difficult to determine the screw fixing position while supporting the mass of the air purifier 1 during the installation work, so a lightweight component is used to precisely determine the fixing position of the air purifier 1. In other words, the reason why mounting brackets 400 are necessary for installing the air purifier 1 on the wall surface 500 is to facilitate safe and precise installation of the air purifier 1 without any concerns about wobbling or coming loose, and without any misalignment of the installation position or angle.

[0018] (Internal components of an air purifier) The air purifier 1 comprises a dust collection unit 100, a blower 200, and a circuit unit 300 inside the housing 10. The dust collection unit 100, the blower 200, and the circuit unit 300 are housed in this order in the width direction of the housing 10, starting from the first side surface 10c where the intake port 13 is formed. That is, the dust collection unit 100, the blower 200, and the circuit unit 300 are housed in this order in the direction from the first side surface 10c to the second side surface 10d.

[0019] The air purifier 1 has several electrical components inside its casing 10, including a light-emitting diode (LED), an operation switch, an on / off timer, a remote control receiver, a sensor, and a power supply for an electrostatic precipitator. Each of these electrical components is connected by electrical wiring to the low-voltage circuit board 302 of the circuit section 300, which will be described later.

[0020] The display LED functions as a display unit that shows various information related to the operation of the air purifier 1, such as the operating airflow rate of the air purifier 1 and the level of indoor air pollution. The operation switch is an operation unit for turning the power of the air purifier 1 on or off, adjusting the operating airflow rate of the air purifier 1, and switching between the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode of the air purifier 1.

[0021] The operation on / off switching timer measures the duration of the pause period, which is the period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped. Details of the operation on / off switching timer will be described later.

[0022] The sensor is a detection unit that detects the conditions inside the room. The sensor includes sensors that detect indoor air quality, such as indoor air humidity, indoor air dust, indoor air odor, and indoor air carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration. In addition, the sensor includes a motion sensor that uses infrared light to detect people present in the room. The electrostatic precipitator power supply is a power supply unit that supplies high-voltage power to discharge the electrostatic precipitator 120, which will be described later, from the dust collection unit 100.

[0023] The dust collection unit 100 is located inside the housing 10, on the first side surface 10c in the width direction of the housing 10. That is, the dust collection unit 100 is housed inside the housing 10, on the side of the intake port 13 in the width direction of the housing 10. The dust collection unit 100 comprises a mesh filter 110, an electrostatic precipitator 120, and a deodorizing filter 130. The mesh filter 110, the electrostatic precipitator 120, and the deodorizing filter 130 are housed in this order in the width direction of the housing 10, starting from the first side surface 10c where the intake port 13 is formed. That is, the mesh filter 110, the electrostatic precipitator 120, and the deodorizing filter 130 are housed in this order in the direction from the first side surface 10c toward the second side surface 10d. Furthermore, it can be said that the mesh filter 110, the electrostatic precipitator 120, and the deodorizing filter 130 are housed in this order starting from the upwind side of the airflow drawn into the air purifier 1.

[0024] The mesh filter 110 removes dust and other impurities from the air drawn into the air purifier 1, and filters and purifies the air drawn into the air purifier 1. When considering the pressure loss of the mesh filter 110, it is preferable to use a material with a coarse mesh. On the other hand, when considering the periodic maintenance of the downstream electrostatic precipitator 120, the mesh opening size of the mesh filter 110 is preferably about 0.5 mm in order to prevent electrical short circuits caused by dust bridging between the opposite electrodes of the electrostatic precipitator 120.

[0025] The electrostatic precipitator 120 removes dust and other impurities from the air drawn into the housing 10, thereby purifying the air drawn into the housing 10. The electrostatic precipitator 120 collects the fine particles by charging them with electric charge and attracting them to the dust collection electrode, thereby purifying the air drawn into the housing 10. Specifically, the electrostatic precipitator 120 generates ions by discharge through the application of a high voltage between the discharge electrode and the dust collection electrode, thereby charging the fine particles passing between the electrodes. The electrostatic precipitator 120 then collects the fine particles by attracting them to the dust collection electrode through the Coulomb force caused by the electric field between the electrodes.

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of electrostatic precipitation in the electrostatic precipitator 120 of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. The electrostatic precipitator 120 has a discharge electrode positive electrode 121 which is a discharge electrode, a discharge electrode negative electrode 122 which is a dust collection electrode, and an electrostatic precipitator power supply (not shown). In one example, the dust collection device power supply is located in the area where the circuit section 300 is located inside the housing body 11 and is connected to the discharge electrode positive electrode 121 and the discharge electrode negative electrode 122 via wiring (not shown). In the electrostatic precipitator 120, when a high voltage is applied from the electrostatic precipitator power supply between the discharge electrode positive electrode 121 and the discharge electrode negative electrode 122, positively charged ions are generated by corona discharge in the discharge region 123, which is the region between the discharge electrode positive electrode 121 and the discharge electrode negative electrode 122. These positively charged ions combine with the surrounding dust particles 124, which then acquire a positive charge. These particles are then attracted to the negative electrode 122 of the low-potential discharge section, where they adhere and accumulate, thereby purifying the air. Therefore, the electrostatic precipitator 120 according to Embodiment 1 is a positive discharge type electrostatic precipitator.

[0027] The deodorizing filter 130 adsorbs and decomposes odors in the air drawn into the air purifier 1, thereby reducing the concentration of odor components in the air and deodorizing them through chemical changes in odor components into low-odor substances.

[0028] The blower 200 generates an airflow 45 that is drawn into the housing 10 from the intake port 13, passes through the dust collection section 100, and is blown out to the outside of the housing 10 from the outlet port 14. A centrifugal blower is used for the blower 200. The blower 200 houses a fan 202 and a motor 203 inside a fan casing 201. In order to achieve the slim product shape of the air purifier 1, a centrifugal fan suitable for forming an airflow path from the intake port 13 through the dust collection section 100 to the outlet port 14 is used for the fan 202.

[0029] The blower 200 is positioned downwind of the electrostatic precipitator 120 in the airflow path from the intake port 13 to the outlet port 14 inside the housing 10. The blower 200 draws air in from an intake port provided on the fan 202 side of the fan casing 201. On the surface of the fan casing 201 facing the front panel 12, there is a bell mouth 204 which constitutes the fan casing intake port 205 for the blower 200 and guides the airflow from the dust collection section 100 toward the fan 202 of the blower 200. On the blower 200 side of the dust collection section 100, there is an airflow path wall 150 which guides the airflow from the dust collection section 100 toward the bell mouth 204 and is connected to the surface of the fan casing 201 toward the dust collection section 100. The bell mouth 204 can be described as an air guide that directs the airflow 45, which is drawn in from the intake port 13 and flows through the dust collection section 100, to the blower 200. In the air purifier, air flows into the housing 10 from the intake port 13. The air that has flowed into the housing 10 is drawn into the fan 202 from the intake port of the blower 200 and blown out towards the outlet 14.

[0030] The circuit unit 300 is a component for controlling the operation of the air purifier 1. The circuit unit 300 is located inside the housing 10, on the second side 10d side in the width direction of the housing 10. That is, the circuit unit 300 is housed inside the housing 10, on the side opposite the intake port 13, with the blower 200 in the width direction of the housing 10. The circuit unit 300 controls the operation of the electrical components mounted on the air purifier 1. The circuit unit 300 includes a control circuit for controlling the operation of the air purifier 1, i.e., a control circuit for controlling the motor 203 of the blower 200 and other electrical components, which are electrical components mounted on the air purifier 1. The circuit unit 300 includes a high-voltage circuit board 301, a low-voltage circuit board 302, a sheet metal case 303, and a control unit 310.

[0031] The high-voltage circuit board 301 is a board on which a high-voltage circuit is mounted. The high-voltage circuit board 301 according to Embodiment 1 is connected to a power supply connection section and power is supplied from an external power supply. The power supply connection section is the part to which a cable that draws power from an external power supply outside the air purifier 1 is connected. The power supply connection section and the external power supply are connected using a cable such as a VVF (Vinyl insulated Vinyl sheathed Flat-type) cable.

[0032] The high-voltage circuit board 301 functions as a power generation device that generates a power supply from an external power source to drive the motor 203 of the blower 200, which has a relatively large drive current value among the electrical components mounted on the air purifier 1. The high-voltage circuit board 301 supplies the generated power supply to the motor 203.

[0033] The low-voltage circuit board 302 is a board on which low-voltage circuits are mounted. The low-voltage circuit board 302 according to Embodiment 1 is connected to a power supply connection section via a transformer (not shown), and power is supplied from an external power source. The low-voltage circuit board 302 functions as a power generation device that generates drive power for electrical components mounted on the air purifier 1, such as the display LED, operation switch, on / off switch timer, sensor, and electrostatic precipitator 120, which have relatively small drive current values, using power supplied from an external power source. In other words, the low-voltage circuit board 302 functions as a power generation device that generates drive power for electrical components with a smaller drive current than the motor 203, using power supplied from an external power source. The low-voltage circuit board 302 supplies the generated drive power to electronic components such as the display LED, operation switch, on / off switch timer, sensor, and electrostatic precipitator 120.

[0034] A high-voltage circuit is defined in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard IEC-60335 as a circuit with a voltage exceeding 42.4V. A low-voltage circuit is defined in the IEC-60335 standard as a circuit with a voltage of 42.4V or less.

[0035] The sheet metal case 303 is made of metal plates and covers the front and sides of the high-voltage circuit board 301, protecting the high-voltage circuit board 301. It is also possible to cover the sheet metal case 303 from the front, back, and sides.

[0036] The control unit 310 is located in the control circuit and controls the operation of electrical components mounted on the air purifier 1, such as display LEDs, operation switches, on / off timers, sensors, and electrostatic precipitator 120.

[0037] Next, the features of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1 configured as described above will be explained. The air purifier 1 has a conductive part inside the housing 10 in the air passage from the electrostatic precipitator 120 to the outlet 14, so that the discharge of ions in the conductive part can prevent dirt from accumulating on the surface of the air purifier 1 and on the wall surface 500 caused by the charging of the air purifier 1. In addition, the air purifier 1 in which a conductive part is provided in the air passage inside the housing 10 from the electrostatic precipitator 120 to the outlet 14 can prevent dirt from accumulating on the surface of the air purifier 1 and on the wall surface 500 caused by the charging of the air purifier 1 by temporarily stopping the operation of the electrostatic precipitator 120 when the air purifier 1 is in operation.

[0038] (Conductive part formed in the louver) First, the airflow configuration of the air purifier 1 will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the external appearance of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1, and is a perspective view from below of the air purifier 1 with the louvers 15 provided at the outlet 14. Figure 5 corresponds to Figure 1. Figure 6 is a first schematic diagram illustrating the louvers 15 provided at the outlet 14 of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 7 is a second schematic diagram illustrating the louvers 15 provided at the outlet 14 of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 6, attention is paid to the housing 10, the outlet 14, and the louvers 15 provided at the outlet 14, and other components of the air purifier 1 are omitted from the illustration.

[0039] As described above, in the air purifier 1, an air outlet 14, which is an opening for blowing air from inside the housing 10 to the outside of the housing 10, is formed on the bottom surface 10b of the housing 10. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a louver 15 can be provided on the air outlet 14 to change the direction of the airflow blown from inside the housing 10 into the room. The louver 15 changes the direction of the airflow blown from inside the housing 10 into the room in the depth direction of the air purifier 1.

[0040] The louvers 15 are flat and made of a non-conductive resin, and are positioned so that their longitudinal direction is parallel to the width direction of the air purifier 1. The louvers 15 are rotated by a louver drive unit, such as a motor (not shown), with a pivot point on a rotation axis (not shown) provided along the longitudinal direction. The louver drive unit drives the louvers 15 according to commands from the control unit 310.

[0041] The air purifier 1 has a conductive part inside the housing 10 in the air passage from the electrostatic precipitator 120 to the air outlet 14. By discharging ions in the conductive part, it is possible to prevent dirt from accumulating on the surface of the air purifier 1 and on the wall surface 500 caused by the static charge of the air purifier 1. The louver 15 has a conductive part 21 on the contact surface, which is the surface that is hit by the air blown out into the room from the air outlet 14.

[0042] As described above, the air purifier 1 is equipped with an electrostatic precipitator 120 inside the housing 10 that collects impurities from the air using ions generated by electrical discharge. When the air purifier 1 equipped with the electrostatic precipitator 120 is installed on a wall surface 500, if the housing 10 of the air purifier 1 is made of a general resin that does not have conductivity, the surface of the housing 10 will become charged, and an electric field will be generated between the housing 10 and the wall surface 500 on which the housing 10 is installed. This will cause dust to be attracted to and adhere to the wall surface 500 around the housing 10, resulting in the wall surface 500 becoming dirty.

[0043] One reason the housing 10 becomes charged is that some of the ions generated by the corona discharge in the electrostatic precipitator 120 are carried inside the housing 10 by the airflow 45 and blown out to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14. These ions blown out to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 may adhere to the outer surface of the housing 10. The housing 10 becomes charged when these ions blown out to the outside adhere to the outer surface of the housing 10.

[0044] Indoor air is drawn into the housing 10 from the intake port 13, and dust or other impurities are removed in the dust collection unit 100. Relatively large particles of impurities in the air are removed by the mesh filter 110, and relatively small particles of impurities in the air are removed by the electrostatic precipitator 120. The cleaned air that has passed through the dust collection unit 100 is returned to the room from the outlet 14, carried by the airflow 45 generated by the blower 200. During this indoor air purification process, in the electrostatic precipitator 120, dust becomes charged as air flows through the discharge region 123, which is the region between the positive electrode 121 and the negative electrode 122 of the discharge unit. The electric field between the negative electrode 122 of the discharge unit and the electrostatic precipitator power supply causes the charged dust to be captured by the electrode due to the electric Coulomb force generated in the dust.

[0045] The airflow 45 flows across the discharge region 123, which is the area between the positive electrode 121 and the negative electrode 122 of the discharge section. Some of the discharge charge may be carried by the airflow 45 and released to the outside of the electrostatic precipitator 120. The charge released to the outside of the electrostatic precipitator 120 then adheres to the outer surface of the housing 10, thereby charging the housing 10 and the air purifier 1. When the air purifier 1 is charged, it attracts dust floating in the room that carries the opposite charge, and over time, the surface of the air purifier 1 becomes covered with dust and becomes dirty. In addition, the charged air purifier 1 may also pollute the wall on which it is fixed by polarizing it, similar to the surface of the air purifier 1.

[0046] Here, if the ions generated by the corona discharge in the electrostatic precipitator 120 are positively charged ions, the housing 10 becomes positively charged. The wall surface 500 on which the air purifier 1 is installed is on the low-potential side connected to the earth, but if the housing 10 is made of a typical resin that does not conduct electricity, it is difficult for charge to be discharged from the housing 10 to the wall surface 500 which is the ground, and the charge of the housing 10 is maintained. Therefore, an electric field is generated from the positively charged housing 10 toward the wall surface 500, and impurities such as dust charged by the positive ions generated by the corona discharge adhere to the wall surface 500 by Coulomb force, causing the wall surface 500 to become dirty.

[0047] Therefore, in the air purifier 1 having a non-conductive housing 10 made of a non-conductive resin, a conductive part 21 is formed on the contact surface of the louver 15 provided at the air outlet 14, which is made of a non-conductive resin. By providing the conductive part 21 on the contact surface of the louver 15, the air purifier 1 discharges positive ions attached to the housing 10 into the air from the conductive part 21, preventing the generation of an electric field extending from the housing 10 to the wall surface 500. This prevents dirt from accumulating on the surface of the air purifier 1 and on the wall surface 500 caused by the charging of the air purifier 1.

[0048] Furthermore, in the air purifier 1, the conductive part 21 can be formed only on the contact surface of the louver 15 provided on the air outlet 14. Conductive material is a relatively expensive material among the materials that make up the air purifier 1. In the air purifier 1, by limiting the formation of the conductive part 21 to the contact surface of the louver 15, the amount of expensive conductive material used can be reduced, and the formation of the conductive part 21 can be made in a place that has frequent contact with the airflow 45 blown out from the air outlet 14 into the room from inside the housing 10, thereby efficiently discharging positive ions attached to the air purifier 1.

[0049] In other words, by providing a conductive part 21 on the contact surface of the louvers 15, the air purifier 1 can reduce the amount of conductive material used to form the conductive part 21, thereby preventing dirt on the wall surface 500 caused by dust accumulation at a low cost. For example, if the conductive part is formed by painting the entire outer surface of the housing 10 with conductive material, the amount of conductive material used will be large, increasing the cost of the air purifier 1. On the other hand, in the air purifier 1, by forming the conductive part 21 only on the contact surface of the louvers 15, the amount of conductive material used for the conductive part 21 can be reduced.

[0050] Furthermore, it is preferable that the conductive part 21 has a convex shape. Figures 6 and 7 show a conductive part 21 having a convex shape with a convex part 21a protruding from a flat part 21b. The convex shape of the conductive part 21 allows for a larger surface area of ​​the conductive part 21. A larger surface area of ​​the conductive part 21 increases the contact area between the conductive part 21 and the airflow 45 blown into the room from the outlet 14, thus increasing the contact efficiency between the conductive part 21 and the airflow, and increasing the probability that positive ions carried by the airflow will adhere to the conductive part 21. As a result, the conductive part 21 can discharge positive ions carried by the airflow more efficiently, improving the long-term reliability of preventing surface contamination of the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 caused by static charge on the air purifier 1.

[0051] Here, the higher the height of the convex shape, the higher the contact efficiency between the conductive part 21 and the blown air. On the other hand, if the height of the convex shape is too high, it can lead to an increase in the pressure loss of the blown air. For this reason, the convex shape is preferably a shape in which multiple protrusions are arranged, for example, like the inner wall of the small intestine, so that the surface area of ​​the conductive part 21 is large. In other words, the convex shape portion 21a is preferably a shape in which multiple protrusions are arranged, for example, like the inner wall of the small intestine, so that the surface area of ​​the conductive part 21 is large.

[0052] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the discharge path of the conductive part 21 provided in the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. It is preferable that the conductive part 21 provided on the contact surface of the louver 15 is electrically connected to the discharge part negative electrode 122, which is the dust collection electrode of the electrostatic precipitator 120. That is, it is preferable that it is electrically connected to the discharge part negative electrode 122, which is the low-potential electrode of the electrostatic precipitator 120. As a result, the discharge of positive ions in the conductive part 21 is always carried out to the earth through a path from the conductive part 21 to the discharge part negative electrode 122, the power supply of the electrostatic precipitator 120, and the ground of the air purifier 1. This allows for efficient discharge of positive ions attached to the housing 10 at the conductive part 21, improving the reliability of preventing dirt from accumulating on the surface of the air purifier 1 and on the wall surface 500. In this case, the power supply of the electrostatic precipitator 120 corresponds to the low-voltage circuit board 302 of the circuit section 300.

[0053] Furthermore, the conductive part 21 provided on the contact surface of the louver 15 may be directly electrically connected to the ground of the air purifier 1. This ensures that the discharge of positive ions from the conductive part 21 is always carried out to the earth via a path from the conductive part 21 through the ground, thereby efficiently discharging positive ions attached to the housing 10 from the conductive part 21 and improving the reliability of preventing dirt from accumulating on the surface of the air purifier 1 and on the wall surface 500. In this case, the conductive part 21 provided on the contact surface of the louver 15 and the ground of the electrostatic precipitator 120 can be connected by wiring.

[0054] Furthermore, it is preferable that the conductive part 21 is formed only on the inner side of the housing 10 on the contact surface of the louver 15. By forming the conductive part 21 only on the inner side of the housing 10 on the contact surface of the louver 15, the conductive part 21 does not impair the appearance of the air purifier 1. Also, by forming the conductive part 21 only on the inner side of the housing 10 on the contact surface of the louver 15, the user does not come into contact with the conductive part 21, and it becomes less likely for oils and other substances from the human body to adhere to the conductive part 21. As a result, the reliability of the function of the conductive part 21 during long-term use of the air purifier 1 is increased, and the long-term reliability of preventing surface contamination of the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 caused by static electricity of the air purifier 1 is improved.

[0055] Figure 9 shows a louver 15 provided in the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. The louver 15 has a rotation axis 16 and rotates around the rotation axis 16 as a pivot point. In the air purifier 1, the rotation axis 16 of the louver 15 may be a conductive part 21 that has electrical conductivity. Figure 9 shows a louver 15 equipped with a conductive rotation axis 16. That is, in Figure 9, the rotation axis 16 forms a convex shape of the conductive part 21.

[0056] By making the rotation axis 16 of the louver 15 a conductive part 21, the contact efficiency between the blown air and the conductive part 21 is increased without adding new parts or changing the shape of the louver 15. As a result, the conductive part 21 can discharge positive ions carried by the blown air more efficiently, preventing dirt from accumulating on the surface of the air purifier 1 and on the wall surface 500 caused by static electricity in the air purifier 1.

[0057] The direction of the airflow blown into the room from the air purifier 1 depends on the design of the installation location of the air purifier 1 and the direction of the space to be purified in the room, and may also need to be changed depending on conditions such as the presence or absence of people in the room. For this reason, having a movable louver 15 is convenient for the user. The movable structure of the louver 15 is generally based on a rotating shaft, and since a rod-shaped metal is readily available, the rotating shaft 16 of the louver 15 can be made into a conductive part 21, which can be constructed inexpensively.

[0058] (Conductive portion formed in the fan casing) Next, we will describe the case in which the conductive part is provided on the fan casing 201, which is the scroll casing of the blower 200. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the conductive part 22 provided on the fan casing 201 of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 10 shows the state in which the conductive part 22 is provided on a part of the fan casing 201 in Figure 3. Note that in Figure 10, a part is shown as a side view and some hatching has been omitted for ease of understanding. In the air purifier 1, as shown in Figure 10, the conductive part 22 can be provided on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201, which is the scroll casing of the blower 200. The fan casing 201 is a resin molded product that does not have conductivity.

[0059] In the air purifier 1, by providing the conductive part 22, which is a conductive part, on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201 of the blower 200, the location where the conductive part 22 is formed can be made to be a part that frequently comes into contact with the blown airflow 45, which passes through the electrostatic precipitator 120 and flows through the air passage inside the air purifier 1 toward the outlet 14. As a result, in the air purifier 1, positive ions contained in the airflow 45 can adhere to the conductive part 22, and positive ions can be efficiently discharged from the conductive part 22.

[0060] Specifically, the conductive portion 22 is provided on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201, which is a resin molded product that does not have conductivity, as well as on the inner surface 201b and the inner bottom surface 201c of the fan casing 201.

[0061] Furthermore, conductive materials are relatively expensive among the materials that make up the air purifier 1. In the air purifier 1, by limiting the conductive part 22 to the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201 of the blower 200, the amount of conductive material used in the conductive part 22 can be reduced.

[0062] Therefore, in the air purifier 1, by providing the conductive part 22 only on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201, it is possible to suppress the amount of conductive material used to form the conductive part 22, while preventing dirt on the surface of the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 caused by the static charge of the air purifier 1 resulting from positive ions contained in the airflow 45 flowing downwind from the electrostatic precipitator 120 inside the housing 10 adhering to the surfaces of the components of the air purifier 1, including the surface of the housing 10.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, it is preferable to electrically connect the conductive part 22 to the ground wire 17. In Figure 10, the electrical connection path connecting the ground wire 17 of the air purifier 1 and the conductive part 22 is shown by a medium-thick dashed line. By electrically connecting the conductive part 22 to the ground wire 17, the conductive part 22 is grounded, and the positive ions discharged in the conductive part 22 are discharged to the earth through the ground wire 17, so that the discharge of positive ions charged on the air purifier 1 is performed efficiently. This improves the reliability of the air purifier 1's effectiveness in preventing dirt on the surface of the air purifier 1 and dirt on the wall surface 500 caused by the charging of the air purifier 1.

[0064] Grounding of the conductive part 22 can be achieved by electrically connecting the conductive part 22 to an earth wire 17, which is connected to a metal mounting bracket 400 via a metal motor mounting plate 210. In other words, the conductive part 22 is connected to the motor mounting plate 210 and is grounded by being electrically connected to the earth wire 17 via the motor mounting plate 210 and the mounting bracket 400.

[0065] The motor mounting plate 210 is a metal mounting component used to attach the motor 203 to the housing 10. As shown in Figure 10, the motor mounting plate 210 penetrates the back surface 10f of the housing 10 and is electrically connected to a mounting bracket 400 located between the wall surface 500 and the back surface 10f. An earth wire 17 is also connected to the mounting bracket 400. The motor mounting plate 210 is made of a metal material, which has relatively high mechanical strength among materials, in order to have strength to withstand the vibration of the motor 203 and to also serve the function of supporting the weight of the air purifier 1. In addition, since the motor mounting plate 210 may be touched by the user, an earth wire 17 is connected to it and grounded to the earth by the earth wire 17.

[0066] Since the conductive part 22 is electrically connected to the ground wire 17 via the metal motor mounting plate 210 and the metal mounting bracket 400, there is no need to provide additional dedicated conductive material components for grounding the conductive part 22, thus reducing the manufacturing cost of the air purifier 1. Therefore, by bringing the conductive part 22 formed on the fan casing 201 into contact with the motor mounting plate 210, the conductive part 22 can be grounded without providing additional dedicated conductive material components.

[0067] In this description, the conductive portion 22 is provided on the inner surface 201b and the inner bottom surface 201c of the fan casing 201. However, the conductive portion 22 may be provided on either the inner surface 201b or the inner bottom surface 201c of the fan casing 201. In this case as well, the conductive portion 22 should be electrically connected to the metal motor mounting plate 210.

[0068] Furthermore, it is preferable that the conductive part 22 has a convex shape. Figure 10 shows a conductive part 22 having a convex shape with a convex part 22a protruding from a flat part 22b. By having a convex shape, the surface area of ​​the conductive part 22 can be increased. As the surface area of ​​the conductive part 22 increases, the area in contact between the discharged airflow 45, which is the air blown into the room from the outlet 14, and the conductive part 22 increases, so the contact efficiency between the conductive part 22 and the discharged airflow increases, and the probability that positive ions carried by the discharged airflow will adhere to the conductive part 22 increases. As a result, the conductive part 22 can discharge positive ions carried by the discharged airflow more efficiently, improving the long-term reliability of preventing dirt on the surface of the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 caused by static charge on the air purifier 1.

[0069] Here, the higher the height of the convex shape, the higher the contact efficiency between the conductive part 22 and the blown air. On the other hand, if the height of the convex shape is too high, it can lead to an increase in the pressure loss of the blown air. For this reason, the convex shape is preferably a shape in which multiple protrusions are arranged, for example, like the inner wall of the small intestine, so that the surface area of ​​the conductive part 22 is increased. In other words, the convex shape portion 22a is preferably a shape in which multiple protrusions are arranged, for example, like the inner wall of the small intestine, so that the surface area of ​​the conductive part 22 is increased.

[0070] Figure 11 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the blower 200 of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 11 shows the air purifier 1 with the front 10e of the housing 10 removed. Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 and the blade 202a of the fan 202, which are provided on the fan casing 201 of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 12 schematically shows a part of the linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 formed on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201, as seen when the outer surface of the fan casing 201 is seen through. In Figure 12, the longitudinal direction of the blade 202a is indicated by a dashed line. The fan 202 of the blower 200, which is a centrifugal blower, is a multi-blade fan in which a plurality of blades 202a are arranged in a ring. The fan 202 rotates clockwise around the motor rotation axis 203a of the motor 203 as its central axis.

[0071] As shown in Figure 12, when the convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 is formed in a linear shape on the inner surface 201b of the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201, the noise during operation of the blower 200 can be reduced if the number of convex portions 22a of the conductive portion 22 and the number of blades 202a of the fan 202 are relatively prime. When the inner surface 201b of the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201 has a convex shape, that is, when the conductive portion 22 formed on the inner surface 201b of the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201 has a convex portion 22a, noise is generated when the blades 202a of the rotating fan 202 pass through the space opposite the linear convex portion 22a inside the fan casing 201. In this case, if the number of linear convex portions 22a and the number of blades 202a of the fan 202 are not relatively prime, noise will be generated simultaneously at multiple points where the rotating blades 202a of the fan 202 face the linear convex portions 22a, resulting in a louder noise.

[0072] In contrast, if the number of linear convex portions 22a formed on the inner surface 201b of the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201 and the number of blades 202a of the fan 202 are relatively prime, it is possible to avoid the simultaneous generation of noise at multiple locations where the rotating blades 202a of the fan 202 face the convex portions 22a.

[0073] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, by setting the longitudinal direction of the linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 to a different direction from the longitudinal direction of the blade 202a, the noise generated at the point where the rotating fan blade 202a faces the convex portion 22a can be reduced. The longitudinal direction of the convex portion 22a can be rephrased as the extension direction of the convex portion 22a. The longitudinal direction of the blade 202a can be rephrased as the extension direction of the blade 202a.

[0074] As mentioned above, noise is generated because pressure is created when the blades 202a of the rotating fan 202 pass through the space opposite the convex shape. At this time, if the longitudinal direction of the linear convex portion 22a formed on the inner surface 201b of the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201 and the longitudinal direction of the blade 202a are in the same direction, the total area where the linear convex portion 22a and the blade 202a face each other at the same time becomes larger overall, and noise is generated simultaneously, resulting in loud noise.

[0075] In contrast, by making the longitudinal direction of the linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 formed on the inner surface 201b of the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201 different from the longitudinal direction of the blade 202a, the total area in which the linear convex portion 22a and the blade 202a face each other at the same time can be reduced overall, thereby avoiding the generation of loud noise.

[0076] Furthermore, it is preferable that the linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 be provided on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201, limited to half of the area on the outlet side of the airflow 45 from the fan casing 201. Specifically, it is preferable that the convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 be provided on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201, limited to half of the area on the outlet side of the fan casing 14 in the circumferential direction coaxial with the rotation direction of the fan 202. That is, it is preferable that the convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 be provided on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201, limited to half of the area on the outlet side of the fan casing 14 in the circumferential direction coaxial with the central axis of the motor rotation shaft 203a of the motor 203.

[0077] As described above, the fan 202 rotates clockwise around the motor rotation axis 203a of the motor 203 as its central axis. Furthermore, the half of the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201 on the outlet 14 side in the circumferential direction coaxial with the rotation direction of the fan 202 corresponds to the area of ​​the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201 that corresponds to the area indicated by the arc-shaped bidirectional arrow in Figure 12.

[0078] By forming the linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 within the above-mentioned range on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the airflow performance of the blower 200 caused by providing the linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201. The linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 provided on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201 is a cause of deterioration of the airflow performance of the blower 200. Therefore, in order to suppress the deterioration of the airflow performance of the blower 200, it is better to have as little linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 as possible.

[0079] Furthermore, a bell mouth 204 is provided on the surface of the fan casing 201 facing the front panel 12. This bell mouth 204 forms the intake port 205 of the fan casing, which is the intake port of the blower 200, i.e., the intake port of the fan casing, and guides the airflow that passes through the dust collection unit 100 toward the fan 202 of the blower 200. The airflow 45 that passes through the electrostatic precipitator 120 and flows through the air passage inside the air purifier 1 toward the outlet 14 is taken into the fan casing 201 from the fan casing intake port 205. The air taken into the fan casing 201 flows outside the fan 202 inside the fan casing 201 from the scroll start point to the scroll end point, and is blown out from the outlet of the blower 200, i.e., the fan casing outlet 206 toward the outlet 14 of the housing 20.

[0080] Therefore, by limiting the formation of the linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22 to the range described above, which is closer to the scroll end point than the scroll start point on the inner surface 201a of the fan casing 201, it is possible to bring more air from the airflow 45 into contact with the linear convex portion 22a of the conductive portion 22. As a result, more positive ions contained in the airflow 45 can adhere to the conductive portion 22, and positive ions can be discharged efficiently from the conductive portion 22.

[0081] (When conductive parts are formed on the fan) Next, we will describe the case in which the conductive part is provided on the fan 202 of the blower 200. Figure 13 is a diagram showing the conductive part 23 provided on the fan 202 of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 13 shows the state in which the conductive part 23 is provided on a part of the fan 202 in Figure 3. Note that in Figure 13, a part is shown as a side view and some hatching has been omitted for ease of understanding. In the air purifier 1, as shown in Figure 13, the conductive part 23 can be provided on the inner surface of the fan 202 of the blower 200. The fan 202 is a resin molded product that does not have conductivity.

[0082] In the air purifier 1, by providing the conductive part 23 on the inner surface of the fan 202 of the blower 200, the location where the conductive part 23 is formed can be made a part that frequently comes into contact with the blown airflow 45, which passes through the electrostatic precipitator 120 and flows through the air passage inside the air purifier 1 toward the outlet 14. As a result, in the air purifier 1, positive ions contained in the airflow 45 can adhere to the conductive part 22, and positive ions can be efficiently discharged from the conductive part 23.

[0083] Specifically, the conductive portion 23 is provided on the inner surface of the fan 202, which is a resin molded product that does not have conductivity, specifically on the inner surface of the non-conductive blade 202a and the inner surface of the non-conductive main plate 202b.

[0084] Furthermore, in the air purifier 1, by limiting the conductive part 23 to the inner surface of the fan 202 of the blower 200, the amount of conductive material used in the conductive part 23 can be reduced.

[0085] Therefore, in the air purifier 1, by providing the conductive part 23 only on the inner surface of the fan 202, the amount of conductive material used to form the conductive part 23 can be suppressed, while preventing at low cost the dirt on the surface of the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 caused by the static charge of the air purifier 1 resulting from positive ions contained in the airflow 45 flowing downwind from the electrostatic precipitator 120 inside the housing 10 adhering to the surfaces of the components of the air purifier 1, including the surface of the housing 10.

[0086] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, it is preferable to electrically connect the conductive part 23 to the ground wire 17. In Figure 13, the electrical connection path connecting the ground wire 17 of the air purifier 1 and the conductive part 23 is shown by a medium-thick dashed line. By electrically connecting the conductive part 22 to the ground wire 17, the conductive part 23 is grounded, and the positive ions discharged in the conductive part 23 are discharged to the earth through the ground wire 17, so that the discharge of positive ions charged on the air purifier 1 is performed efficiently. This improves the reliability of the air purifier 1's effectiveness in preventing dirt on the surface of the air purifier 1 and dirt on the wall surface 500 caused by the charging of the air purifier 1.

[0087] Grounding of the conductive part 23 can be achieved by electrically connecting the conductive part 23 to an earth wire 17 connected to a metal mounting bracket 400 via a metal blade boss 203b, a metal motor rotating shaft 203a, a metal bearing 203c, a conductive component (not shown) electrically connected between the bearing 203c and the mounting flange portion 203d in the motor 203, the metal mounting flange portion 203d, and a metal motor mounting plate 210. In other words, the conductive part 23 is connected to the blade boss 203b and is grounded by being electrically connected to the earth wire 17 via the motor rotating shaft 203a, the bearing 203c, the conductive component, the mounting flange portion 203d, and the motor mounting plate 210.

[0088] The conductive part 23 is in contact with the metal blade boss 203b and is electrically connected to the blade boss 203b. The fan 202 is fixed to the metal motor rotating shaft 203a at the center of the fan 202 by the metal blade boss 203b which penetrates the motor rotating shaft 203a. The motor rotating shaft 203a is in contact with and supported by the metal bearing 203c. The bearing 203c is electrically connected to the metal mounting flange portion 203d provided on the outer casing of the motor 203. That is, the bearing 203c is electrically connected to the mounting flange portion 203d via the conductive components of the motor 203. The mounting flange portion 203d is in contact with the metal motor mounting plate 210 and is electrically connected to the motor mounting plate 210. As shown in Figure 13, the motor mounting plate 210 penetrates the rear surface 10f of the housing 10 and is electrically connected to the mounting bracket 400 located between the wall surface 500 and the rear surface 10f. An earth wire 17 is also connected to the mounting bracket 400.

[0089] Since the conductive part 23 is electrically connected to the ground wire 17 through the above conductive path, there is no need to provide additional dedicated conductive material components for grounding the conductive part 23, thus reducing the manufacturing cost of the air purifier 1. Therefore, by bringing the conductive part 23 formed on the fan 202 into contact with the blade boss 203b, the conductive part 23 can be grounded without providing additional dedicated conductive material components.

[0090] In this description, the conductive portion 23 is provided on the inner surface of the blade 202a and the inner surface of the main plate 202b. However, the conductive portion 23 may be provided on either the inner surface of the blade 202a or the inner surface of the main plate 202b. In this case as well, the conductive portion 23 should be electrically connected to the metal blade boss 203b.

[0091] Furthermore, it is preferable that the conductive part 23 has a convex shape. Figure 13 shows a conductive part 23 having a convex shape with a convex part 23a protruding from a flat part 23b. The convex shape of the conductive part 23 allows for a larger surface area of ​​the conductive part 23. A larger surface area of ​​the conductive part 23 increases the contact area between the conductive part 23 and the airflow 45 blown into the room from the outlet 14, thus increasing the contact efficiency between the conductive part 23 and the airflow, and increasing the probability that positive ions carried by the airflow will adhere to the conductive part 23. As a result, the conductive part 23 can discharge positive ions carried by the airflow more efficiently, improving the long-term reliability of preventing surface contamination of the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 caused by static charge on the air purifier 1.

[0092] Here, the higher the height of the convex shape, the higher the contact efficiency between the conductive part 23 and the blown air. On the other hand, if the height of the convex shape is too high, it can lead to an increase in the pressure loss of the blown air. For this reason, the convex shape is preferably a shape in which multiple protrusions are arranged, for example, like the inner wall of the small intestine, so that the surface area of ​​the conductive part 23 is large. In other words, the convex shape portion 23a is preferably a shape in which multiple protrusions are arranged, for example, like the inner wall of the small intestine, so that the surface area of ​​the conductive part 23 is large.

[0093] (Temporary shutdown of the electrostatic precipitator) Next, a control mechanism for temporarily stopping the operation of the electrostatic precipitator 120 during the operation of the air purifier 1 will be described. In the air purifier 1, a temporary stop period is provided during the operation of the air purifier 1, during which the operation of the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped. This allows for the discharge of positive ions from the conductive part into the air while the electrostatic precipitator 120 is stopped, thereby reducing the amount of charge on the air purifier 1. Furthermore, while the electrostatic precipitator 120 is stopped during the operation of the air purifier 1, the airflow 45 that passes through the electrostatic precipitator 120 and flows through the air passage inside the air purifier 1, as well as the airflow 45 blown out from the outlet 14, does not contain positive ions generated by corona discharge in the electrostatic precipitator 120. Therefore, there is no increase in the amount of charge on the housing 10 caused by new positive ions contained in the airflow 45 adhering to the surfaces of the components of the air purifier 1, including the surface of the housing 10.

[0094] Therefore, by providing a period during the operation of the air purifier 1 in which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped, the amount of charge on the air purifier 1 caused by positive ions generated by corona discharge in the electrostatic precipitator 120 can be reduced. This makes it possible to reliably prevent dirt from accumulating on the surface of the air purifier 1 and on the walls 500, which is caused by the charge on the air purifier 1 resulting from positive ions contained in the airflow 45 flowing through the air passage from the electrostatic precipitator 120 to the outlet 14 and the airflow 45 blown out from the outlet 14 adhering to the surfaces of the components of the air purifier 1, including the surface of the housing 10.

[0095] The period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped when the air purifier 1 is in operation is preferably during times when there are no people in the room, or at night when there is little activity among those in the room, or other times when indoor air purification is not required. This prevents a decrease in the indoor air purification performance of the air purifier 1 due to the stopping of the electrostatic precipitator 120.

[0096] The temporary shutdown of the electrostatic precipitator 120 in the air purifier 1 is controlled by the control unit 310. Furthermore, the control unit 310 can control the temporary shutdown of the electrostatic precipitator 120 by setting a timer for the period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 should be temporarily shut down.

[0097] Furthermore, the control unit 310 may perform the temporary shutdown of the electrostatic precipitator 120 when the air purifier 1 is in operation, and the pollution sensor detects the pollution concentration of the indoor air, and the pollution concentration of the indoor air is lower than a predetermined concentration standard value.

[0098] Furthermore, the control unit 310 may perform the temporary shutdown of the electrostatic precipitator 120 when the motion sensor detects a person in the room while the air purifier 1 is in operation and it is detected that there is no one in the room.

[0099] Furthermore, when the humidity of the indoor air is relatively high, the surface resistance of the conductive material becomes relatively small, and the natural discharge of the conductive part becomes relatively large. As a result, the amount of charge on the air purifier 1 becomes relatively small, and dirt on the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 due to the attraction of dust caused by the charge on the air purifier 1 is less likely to occur. Conversely, when the humidity of the indoor air is relatively low, the surface resistance of the conductive material becomes relatively large, and the natural discharge of the conductive part becomes relatively small. As a result, the amount of charge on the air purifier 1 becomes relatively large, and dirt on the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 due to the attraction of dust caused by the charge on the air purifier 1 is more likely to occur.

[0100] Therefore, when the humidity of the indoor air in the room where the air purifier 1 is installed is relatively low, the amount of charge on the air purifier 1 can be further reduced by setting the stopping frequency, which is the frequency at which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is stopped in a predetermined unit time, to a relatively high level. This further improves the effect of preventing dirt on the surface of the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 caused by the charge on the air purifier 1 resulting from the charge on the air purifier 1 caused by positive ions contained in the airflow 45 flowing through the air passage from the electrostatic precipitator 120 to the outlet 14 and the airflow 45 blown out from the outlet 14 adhering to the surface of the components of the air purifier 1, including the surface of the housing 10.

[0101] Furthermore, when the humidity of the indoor air in the room where the air purifier 1 is installed is relatively low, the amount of charge on the air purifier 1 can be further suppressed by setting a longer stop time, which is the time for which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is stopped in a predetermined unit time. This further improves the effect of preventing dirt on the surface of the air purifier 1 and dirt on the wall surface 500 caused by the charge on the air purifier 1 resulting from the accumulation of positive ions contained in the airflow 45 flowing through the air passage from the electrostatic precipitator 120 to the outlet 14 and the airflow 45 blown out from the outlet 14, which adheres to the surface of the components of the air purifier 1, including the surface of the housing 10.

[0102] Next, the temporary suspension control of the electrostatic precipitator 120 in the air purifier 1 will be described. Figure 14 is a diagram showing the functional configuration related to the temporary suspension control of the electrostatic precipitator 120 in the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. The control unit 310 is connected to the operation unit 321, the on / off switching timer 322, the human presence sensor 323, the dust sensor 324, and the humidity sensor 325, which are provided in the air purifier 1, and controls their operation. Hereafter, the on / off switching timer 322 may be simply referred to as timer 322.

[0103] Timer 322 measures the time period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped. The user sets the time for setting the pause period, that is, the time for setting the time period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped, via the operation unit 321. In other words, the user sets the start time and end time for the time period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped in Timer 322.

[0104] When the timer 322 reaches the start time of the period in which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped, it transmits a start time arrival information to the control unit 310 indicating that the temporary stop start time has been reached. When the timer 322 reaches the end time of the period in which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped, it transmits an end time arrival information to the control unit 310 indicating that the temporary stop end time has been reached.

[0105] The motion sensor 323 detects a person present in the room where the air purifier 1 is installed. The motion sensor 323 transmits the detection result, which is information about the occupancy status of the room, to the control unit 310.

[0106] Based on the detection results from the motion sensor 323, the control unit 310 temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator 120 for a predetermined period of time when there are no people in the room. In other words, if the information received from the motion sensor 323 regarding the occupancy status of the room indicates that there are no people in the room, the control unit 310 temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator 120 for a predetermined period of time.

[0107] The dust sensor 324 is a pollution sensor that detects the concentration of pollution in the indoor air in the room where the air purifier 1 is installed, and detects the concentration of dust in the indoor air at predetermined intervals. The dust sensor 324 transmits the detected dust concentration information to the control unit 310.

[0108] The control unit 310 temporarily stops the operation of the electrostatic precipitator 120 for a predetermined time if the dust concentration in the indoor air detected by the dust sensor 324 is below a predetermined dust concentration threshold. The dust concentration threshold is predetermined and stored in the control unit 310.

[0109] The humidity sensor 325 detects the humidity of the indoor air in the room where the air purifier 1 is installed at predetermined intervals. The humidity sensor 325 transmits the detected indoor air humidity information to the control unit 310.

[0110] The control unit 310 extends the time for temporarily stopping the electrostatic precipitator 120 when the humidity of the indoor air detected by the humidity sensor 325 is below a predetermined indoor humidity threshold.

[0111] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for temporarily controlling the electrostatic precipitator 120 in the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 15 shows an example of a procedure for temporarily controlling the electrostatic precipitator 120 using a timer 322.

[0112] First, in step S110, the power to the air purifier 1 is turned on. Once the power to the air purifier 1 is turned on, the control unit 310 starts the operation of the electrostatic precipitator 120. Then, the process proceeds to step S120.

[0113] In step S120, when the pause start time, which is the start time for the period in which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped, arrives, the timer 322 transmits start time arrival information to the control unit 310 indicating that the pause start time has been reached. The control unit 310 receives the start time arrival information. Then, the process proceeds to step S130.

[0114] In step S130, the control unit 310 temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator 120. Then, the process proceeds to step S140.

[0115] In step S140, when the pause end time, which is the end time for the period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped, is reached, the timer 322 transmits an end time arrival information to the control unit 310 indicating that the pause end time has been reached. The control unit 310 receives the end time arrival information. Then, the process proceeds to step S150.

[0116] In step S150, the control unit 310 restarts the operation of the electrostatic precipitator 120. Then, when a new pause start time is reached, steps S120 to S150 are repeated.

[0117] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing another example of the procedure for temporarily controlling the electrostatic precipitator 120 in the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 16 shows an example of the procedure for temporarily controlling the electrostatic precipitator 120 using a timer 322 when humidity is low.

[0118] First, in step S210, the power to the air purifier 1 is turned on. When the power to the air purifier 1 is turned on, the control unit 310 starts the operation of the electrostatic precipitator 120. The control unit 310 also starts the operation of the humidity sensor 325. When the humidity sensor 325 starts operating, it detects the humidity of the indoor air in the room where the air purifier 1 is installed at predetermined intervals. The humidity sensor 325 then transmits the detected indoor air humidity information to the control unit 310. After that, the process proceeds to step S220.

[0119] In step S220, when the pause start time, which is the start time for the period in which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped, arrives, the timer 322 transmits start time arrival information to the control unit 310, indicating that the pause start time has been reached. The control unit 310 receives the start time arrival information. Then, the process proceeds to step S230.

[0120] In step S230, the control unit 310 temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator 120. Then, the process proceeds to step S240.

[0121] In step S240, it is determined whether the current humidity of the indoor air is low. Specifically, the control unit 310 determines whether the current humidity of the indoor air is low. The control unit 310 determines whether the current humidity of the indoor air is low based on the indoor air humidity information transmitted from the humidity sensor 325 and a predetermined indoor humidity threshold. The control unit 310 determines that the current humidity of the indoor air is low if the indoor air humidity is less than or equal to the indoor humidity threshold. The control unit 310 determines that the current humidity of the indoor air is not low if the indoor air humidity is greater than the indoor humidity threshold. The indoor humidity threshold is, for example, 50%RH.

[0122] If it is determined that the current humidity of the indoor air is not low, the response in step S240 is No, and the process proceeds to step S250. In this case, the control unit 310 transmits first humidity information to the timer 322 indicating that the current humidity of the indoor air is not low. If it is determined that the current humidity of the indoor air is low, the response in step S240 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S270. In this case, the control unit 310 transmits second humidity information to the timer 322 indicating that the current humidity of the indoor air is low.

[0123] In step S250, when the first end time, which is the end time of the period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped, is reached, the timer 322 transmits end time arrival information to the control unit 310, indicating that the temporary stop end time has been reached. That is, if the timer 322 receives the first humidity information, it transmits end time arrival information to the control unit 310 when the first end time is reached. The control unit 310 receives the end time arrival information. Then, the process proceeds to step S260.

[0124] In step S270, when the second end time, which is the end time of the period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped, is reached, the timer 322 transmits end time arrival information to the control unit 310 indicating that the temporary stop end time has been reached. That is, if the timer 322 receives the second humidity information, it transmits end time arrival information to the control unit 310 when the second end time is reached. The control unit 310 receives the end time arrival information. Then, the process proceeds to step S260.

[0125] The first end time is the end time of the period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped when the current humidity of the indoor air is not low, i.e., the end time of the pause. The second end time is the end time of the period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped when the current humidity of the indoor air is low, i.e., the end time of the pause. The second end time is later than the first end time. The first and second end times are set on the timer by the user.

[0126] Alternatively, the user may set only the start time information for the period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped in the timer 322. In this case, the timer 322 calculates the first end time by adding a predetermined first hour to the start time of the period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped. The timer 322 also calculates the second end time by adding a predetermined second hour to the start time of the period during which the electrostatic precipitator 120 is temporarily stopped. The second hour is longer than the first hour.

[0127] In step S260, the control unit 310 restarts the operation of the electrostatic precipitator 120. Then, when a new pause start time is reached, steps S220 to S260 are repeated.

[0128] (Conductive material for conductive parts) Next, the conductive material constituting the conductive part described above will be explained. Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conductive part 24 provided in the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 17, the conductive part 24 is shown as a conductive part composed of a metal plating film. In Figure 17, the conductive part 24 made of a metal plating film is formed on the surface of a component 30 of the air purifier 1, which is made of a resin material and is provided in the air passage inside the air purifier 1 through which the airflow 45 that has passed through the electrostatic precipitator 120 flows. The component 30 is a resin product that does not have conductivity. The conductive part 24 is formed by covering a protrusion 30a formed on the surface of the resin component 30, thereby forming a convex shape 24a. That is, the conductive part 24 is formed in a shape having a convex shape that protrudes from the flat part 24b of the conductive part 24.

[0129] The conductive part 24 is preferably a metal plating film, which is a thin metal film plated onto the surface of a resin component 30. The conductive part 24, which is made of a metal plating film, is formed on the surface of a component 30 made of resin material, which is a component of the air purifier 1. By using such a metal plating film, the conductive part 24 is formed in a part of the air passage inside the air purifier 1 through which the airflow 45 that has passed through the electrostatic precipitator 120 flows, as described above, thereby reducing the amount of metal material used as the conductive material for the conductive part 24. This reduces the amount of expensive conductive material used, and thus reduces the cost of the air purifier 1 when a conductive part 24 is provided in the air purifier 1.

[0130] When the conductive part 24 is made of a metal plating film, the increase in weight of the air purifier 1 due to the conductive part 24 is reduced compared to when the conductive part 24 is made of sheet metal. This suppresses the increase in weight of the air purifier 1 due to the conductive part 24, while also preventing dirt from accumulating on the surface of the air purifier 1 and on the wall surface 500.

[0131] Furthermore, when the conductive portion 24 is made of a metal plating film, even if it has a complex shape that is difficult to process with sheet metal, the surface of the resin can be easily and uniformly covered due to the characteristics of the manufacturing method of the metal plating film. As a result, for example, when the conductive portion 24 is provided on the louver 15, even if the louver 15 has a complex shape, the conductive portion 24 can be easily and uniformly formed on the surface of the louver 15.

[0132] Figure 18 illustrates an example of a conductive part 25 provided in the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 18 shows a conductive part made of a carbon particle-reinforced resin material. Figure 18 shows a state in which the component of the air purifier 1, which is provided in the air passage inside the air purifier 1 through which the airflow 45 that has passed through the electrostatic precipitator 120 flows, is made of a resin material and has the function of a conductive part. The conductive part 25 has a convex shape by forming a protrusion 25a that protrudes from the flat part 25b of the conductive part 25. In other words, the conductive part 25 has a convex shape by forming a protrusion on the surface of the component.

[0133] A carbon particle-reinforced resin material can be used as the conductive material for the conductive part 25. The carbon particle-reinforced resin material has conductive particles 25d kneaded into a non-conductive resin 25c. For example, carbon particles can be used for the conductive particles 25d. When the conductive part 25 is formed from the carbon particle-reinforced resin material, for example, the conductive part 25 can be resin-molded together with the louver 15, and the louver 15 and the conductive part 25 can be made into an integrally molded product. That is, in this case, the conductive part 25 is a carbon particle-reinforced resin molded product provided inside the housing 10 in the air passage from the electrostatic precipitator 120 to the outlet 14.

[0134] In this case, additional processing is not required to form the conductive part on the resin molded product of the louver 15, making the formation of the conductive part easier. In other words, when a carbon particle-reinforced resin material is used as the conductive material for the conductive part, the additional processing step required to form the conductive part 24 on the resin molded product is not required, as is the case when the conductive part 24 is formed by metal plating.

[0135] Furthermore, compared to surfactant-containing materials that arrange surfactants on the resin surface to distribute moisture from the air in a film-like manner on the resin surface and exhibit conductivity, carbon particle-infused resin materials can be obtained with high reliability because they are not dependent on the humidity environment.

[0136] Furthermore, when the humidity of the indoor air in the room where the air purifier 1 is installed is relatively low, the discharge current of the electrostatic precipitator 120 can be reduced to suppress the amount of charge on the air purifier 1, thereby significantly improving the effectiveness of preventing dirt buildup on the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500.

[0137] As described above, when the humidity of the indoor air is relatively high, the surface resistance value becomes relatively small due to the properties of conductive materials, and the natural discharge of the conductive parts becomes relatively large. As a result, the amount of charge on the air purifier 1 becomes relatively small, and dirt on the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 due to the attraction of dust caused by the charge on the air purifier 1 is less likely to occur. Conversely, when the humidity of the indoor air is relatively low, the surface resistance value becomes relatively large due to the properties of conductive materials, and the natural discharge of the conductive parts becomes relatively small. As a result, the amount of charge on the air purifier 1 becomes relatively large, and dirt on the air purifier 1 and the wall surface 500 due to the attraction of dust caused by the charge on the air purifier 1 is more likely to occur.

[0138] Therefore, in the air purifier 1, it is preferable that the humidity of the indoor air is measured by the humidity sensor 325, and the control unit 310 reduces the discharge current of the electrostatic precipitator 120 when the humidity of the indoor air is low. In the air purifier 1, when the humidity of the indoor air is below a predetermined indoor humidity threshold, it is preferable to make the discharge current of the electrostatic precipitator 120 relatively smaller than a predetermined discharge current threshold. Specifically, many conductive materials have a surface resistance that increases when the humidity of the indoor air is around 50%RH. Therefore, in the air purifier 1, when the humidity of the indoor air is 50%RH or less, it is preferable to make the discharge current of the electrostatic precipitator 120 relatively smaller than a predetermined discharge current threshold. Accordingly, it is preferable that the indoor humidity threshold be 50%RH.

[0139] When the humidity of the indoor air is low, the dust contained in the indoor air is also dry. Therefore, the ion charging efficiency of the dust passing through the discharge region 123 of the electrostatic precipitator 120 is good, and reducing the discharge current of the electrostatic precipitator 120 does not significantly reduce the dust collection performance of the electrostatic precipitator 120.

[0140] The indoor humidity threshold here is a reference value for indoor humidity used by the control unit 310 to determine whether or not the humidity of the indoor air is low. The indoor humidity threshold is predetermined and stored in the control unit 310.

[0141] The discharge current threshold is the discharge current value of the electrostatic precipitator 120 that is set in advance for normal operation of the air purifier 1. Therefore, in the air purifier 1, when the humidity of the indoor air is 50%RH or less, it is desirable that the discharge current of the electrostatic precipitator 120 be made smaller than the discharge current threshold set for normal operation. In other words, when the humidity of the indoor air detected by the humidity sensor 325 is 50%RH or less, the control unit 310 should control the discharge current of the electrostatic precipitator 120 to be made smaller than the discharge current threshold set for normal operation of the electrostatic precipitator 120.

[0142] When the control unit 310 controls the discharge current of the electrostatic precipitator 120 to be reduced when the humidity of the indoor air is low, the humidity sensor 325 detects the humidity of the indoor air in the room where the air purifier 1 is installed at predetermined intervals. The humidity sensor 325 transmits the detected information of the indoor air humidity to the control unit 310.

[0143] The control unit 310 reduces the discharge current of the electrostatic precipitator 120 to a predetermined discharge current threshold when the humidity of the indoor air detected by the humidity sensor 325 is below a predetermined indoor humidity threshold.

[0144] As described above, the air purifier according to Embodiment 1 has the effect of preventing static electricity buildup on the installation surface while suppressing costs, thereby preventing dirt from accumulating on the installation surface due to dust accumulation.

[0145] Next, the hardware configuration of the control unit 310 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. The functions of the control unit 310 according to Embodiment 1 are realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware, or it may be a processing unit that executes a program stored in a memory device.

[0146] When the processing circuit is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit may be a single circuit, a complex circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or a combination thereof. Figure 19 shows a configuration in which each function of the control unit 310 according to Embodiment 1 is realized in hardware. The processing circuit 311 incorporates a logic circuit 311a that realizes the functions of the control unit 310.

[0147] If the processing circuit 311 is a processing unit, the functions of the control unit 310 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware.

[0148] Figure 20 shows a configuration in which each function of the control unit 310 according to Embodiment 1 is implemented by software. The processing circuit 311 includes a processor 3111 that executes program 311b, a random access memory 3112 used by the processor 3111 as a work area, and a storage device 3113 that stores program 311b. The functions of the control unit 310 are realized when the processor 3111 loads program 311b stored in the storage device 3113 onto the random access memory 3112 and executes it. The software or firmware is written in a programming language and stored in the storage device 3113. The processor 3111 can be a central processing unit, but is not limited to that. The storage device 3113 can be a semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). The semiconductor memory may be non-volatile memory or volatile memory. Furthermore, the storage device 3113 can be a magnetic disk, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, minidisc, or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) in addition to semiconductor memory. The processor 3111 may output data such as calculation results to the storage device 3113 for storage, or it may store such data in an auxiliary storage device (not shown) via the random access memory 3112. By integrating the processor 3111, random access memory 3112, and storage device 3113 onto a single chip, the functions of the control unit 310 can be realized by a microcomputer.

[0149] The processing circuit 311 realizes the functions of the control unit 310 by reading and executing the program 311b stored in the memory device 3113. The program 311b can also be described as instructing the computer to execute the procedures and methods for realizing the functions of the control unit 310.

[0150] Furthermore, the processing circuit 311 may implement some of the functions of the control unit 310 using dedicated hardware, and some of the functions of the control unit 310 using software or firmware.

[0151] Thus, the processing circuit 311 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions through hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0152] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and can be combined with other known technologies, or the technologies described in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Furthermore, parts of the configuration can be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0153] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0154] (Note 1) An air purifier that is installed on a mounting surface inside a room and purifies the air inside the room, A non-conductive housing provided with an air intake port for drawing in air and an air outlet for blowing out the air, A blower housed in the aforementioned casing generates an airflow that draws in the air from the intake port and blows the air out from the outlet, A discharge-type electrostatic precipitator housed in the aforementioned casing to remove impurities from the airflow, A conductive part is provided inside the housing in the air passage from the electrostatic precipitator to the outlet, and has electrical conductivity. The control unit for controlling the electrostatic precipitator, Equipped with, The control unit temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator when the air purifier is in operation. An air purifier characterized by [feature]. (Note 2) The electrostatic precipitator is equipped with a timer that measures the duration of the temporary shutdown period, which is the period during which the electrostatic precipitator is temporarily stopped. The control unit, When the timer receives information indicating that the start time of the aforementioned suspension period has been reached, the operation of the electrostatic precipitator is temporarily stopped. When the timer receives information indicating that the end time of the aforementioned suspension period has been reached, the operation of the electrostatic precipitator shall be restarted. An air purifier as described in Appendix 1, characterized by the following: (Note 3) The room is equipped with a motion sensor that detects people inside the room, The control unit, based on the detection result of the human presence sensor, temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator when there is no human presence in the room. An air purifier as described in Appendix 1 or 2, characterized by the above. (Note 4) The system includes a dust sensor that detects the concentration of dust in the air inside the room. The control unit temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator when the concentration of dust in the indoor air detected by the dust sensor is below a predetermined dust concentration threshold. An air purifier characterized by any one of the following features, as described in Appendix 1 to 3. (Note 5) The room is equipped with a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity inside the room. The control unit extends the time for temporarily stopping the electrostatic precipitator when the humidity of the indoor air detected by the humidity sensor is below a predetermined indoor humidity threshold. An air purifier characterized by any one of the following features, as described in Appendix 1 to 4. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0155] 1 Air purifier, 10 Housing, 10a Top, 10b Bottom, 10c First side, 10d Second side, 10e Front, 10f Rear, 11 Main housing, 12 Front panel, 13 Intake, 14 Outlet, 15 Louver, 16 Rotating shaft, 17 Ground wire, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 Conductive parts, 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a Convex parts, 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b, 25b Flat parts, 25a, 30a Convex parts, 25c Resin, 25d Conductive particles, 30 Components, 45 Airflow, 100 Dust collection part, 110 Mesh filter, 120 Electrostatic precipitator, 121 Positive electrode of discharge part, 122 Negative electrode of discharge part, 123 Discharge area, 124 Dust, 130 Deodorizing filter, 150 Air passage wall, 200 Blower, 201 Fan casing, 201a Inner surface, 201b Inner side surface, 201c Inner bottom surface, 202 Fan, 202a Blade, 202b Main plate, 203 Motor, 203a Motor rotating shaft, 203b Blade boss, 203c Bearing, 203d Mounting flange, 204 Bell mouth, 205 Fan casing intake, 206 Fan casing outlet, 210 Motor mounting plate, 300 Circuit section, 301 High-voltage circuit board, 302 Low-voltage circuit board, 303 Sheet metal case, 310 Control section, 311 Processing circuit, 311a Logic circuit, 311b Program, 321 Operation section, 322 Operation on / off switching timer, 323 Human presence sensor, 324 Dust sensor, 325 humidity sensor, 400 mounting hardware, 500 wall mount, 501 wall, 3111 processor, 3112 random access memory, 3113 storage device.

Claims

1. An air purifier that is installed on a mounting surface inside a room and purifies the air inside the room, A non-conductive housing provided with an air intake port for drawing in air and an air outlet for blowing out the air, A blower housed in the aforementioned casing generates an airflow that draws in the air from the intake port and blows the air out from the outlet, A discharge-type electrostatic precipitator housed in the aforementioned casing to remove impurities from the airflow, A conductive part is provided inside the housing in the air passage from the electrostatic precipitator to the outlet, which has conductivity and discharges ions attached to the housing into the air, The control unit for controlling the electrostatic precipitator, Equipped with, The control unit temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator when the air purifier is in operation. An air purifier characterized by [feature].

2. The electrostatic precipitator is equipped with a timer that measures the duration of the temporary shutdown period, which is the period during which the electrostatic precipitator is temporarily stopped. The control unit, When the timer receives information indicating that the start time of the aforementioned suspension period has been reached, the operation of the electrostatic precipitator is temporarily stopped. When the timer receives information indicating that the end time of the aforementioned suspension period has been reached, the operation of the electrostatic precipitator shall be restarted. An air purifier according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. The room is equipped with a motion sensor that detects people inside the room, The control unit, based on the detection result of the human presence sensor, temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator when there is no human presence in the room. An air purifier according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

4. The system includes a dust sensor that detects the concentration of dust in the air inside the room. The control unit temporarily stops the electrostatic precipitator when the concentration of dust in the indoor air detected by the dust sensor is below a predetermined dust concentration threshold. An air purifier according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

5. The room is equipped with a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity inside the room. The control unit extends the time for temporarily stopping the electrostatic precipitator when the humidity of the indoor air detected by the humidity sensor is below a predetermined indoor humidity threshold. An air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the above.

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