Partition panel

Abstract

Provided is a partition panel having a high air cleaning effect.　A partition panel (10) according to the present invention includes a housing (12) and a body (15), wherein: the housing (12) has a recess (13) that accommodates the body (15); the body (15) is accommodated in the recess (13) in the housing (12); the body (15) is provided with a blower unit (70), an intake port (31), a flow path (18), an exhaust port (35), and an air cleaning unit (50); the blower unit (70) is provided to the inside of the flow path (18), suctions in outside air from the intake port (31), and discharges the air from the exhaust port (35) to the outside via the flow path (18); the air cleaning unit (50) comprises a light source unit (53) and a photocatalyst member (55); and the light source unit (53) emits light toward the photocatalyst member (55).

Description

Partition Panel

[0001] The present invention relates to a partition panel equipped with an air cleaning device.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a technology relating to an air purifier that generates ozone by irradiating air with ultraviolet light, and that sterilizes, deodorizes, and reduces noise using the ozone (for example, Patent Document 1). Also, there has been known a technology relating to a sterilization panel that aims to improve the sterilization and disinfection power of indoor air (for example, Patent Document 2).

[0003] JP 2007-135677 A JP 2022-029379 A

[0004] However, the device in Patent Document 1 is used as a standalone air purifier device and is not built into a panel on a wall or the like, but is placed in an empty space in an office, etc., which causes problems such as getting in the way of work and hindering work efficiency, etc. Also, the device in Patent Document 2 is a thin air sterilization and disinfection panel that is installed on a wall or embedded in a wall or ceiling, etc., and circulates sterilized indoor air throughout the room, but it is basically used by being mounted on a wall or by other means, and is not specialized for use on partitions.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a partition panel that has a good appearance and a high air purification effect that can disinfect, fight viruses, deodorize, prevent mold, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "disinfection, etc.") without interfering with business operations in offices, etc., by incorporating an air purification device into the partition panel used to divide a large room into smaller rooms such as conference spaces.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the partition panel of the present invention has an air intake port, a flow path, an exhaust port, a blower unit, and an air purifier unit, wherein the air intake port and the exhaust port are provided at the inlet and outlet of the flow path, respectively, the blower unit and the air purifier unit are provided inside the flow path, the blower unit draws in outside air through the air intake port and discharges it to the outside through the exhaust port through the inside of the flow path, and the air purifier unit purifies the air passing through the inside of the flow path.

[0007] According to the present invention, by incorporating an air purifying device into some of the multiple partition panels that make up a partition in an office or the like, it is possible to provide a partition panel that looks good and has a high air purifying effect without causing any disruption to business operations.

[0008] FIG. 3B is a schematic perspective view showing the entire partition according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3C is a schematic perspective view showing the entire partition according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the inside. FIG. 3D is a schematic front view of a partition panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3E is a schematic cross-sectional view of the partition panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, cut vertically along line A-A in FIG. 3A. FIG. 3F is a schematic exploded view of the partition panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the front side, with a photocatalytic member on one side removed. FIG. 3G is a schematic exploded perspective view of the partition panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the back side. FIG. 3H is a schematic view showing the flow of air in a blower section according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3I is a schematic view showing the flow of air near a runner in a blower section according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3I is a schematic front view showing an example of a display operation section of a partition panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Next, a partition panel according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below shows a specific example of the present invention, and the arrangement, functions, and numerical values ​​of the components described in the embodiment are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. In addition, in the present invention, a direction horizontal to the ground (floor surface) (e.g., a lateral direction) is referred to as a lateral direction, and a direction forming a certain angle with the ground (floor surface) (e.g., a vertical direction) is referred to as an up-down direction.

[0010] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the entire partition 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A partition panel 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is connected together with three partition panels 5 of the same shape and assembled to serve as a partition (room divider) 1, dividing a large room into smaller rooms such as a conference space.

[0011] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the partition 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention as seen from the inside. This figure shows the state in which the first wall portion 20 (see Figure 3), which is a decorative panel covering the surface of the air purifying device main body 15 (also referred to as "main body 15") built into the partition panel 10, has been removed so that the main body 15 can be seen. The partition panel 10 is assembled by connecting three partition panels 5 of the same shape together.

[0012] The partition panel 10 is composed of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 12. The housing 12 is provided with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped recess 13, and a main body 15 having a frame body of substantially the same shape as the recess 13 is housed within the recess 13. The back surface of the housing 12 is a second wall portion 25 made of a decorative plate.

[0013] An air intake cover 32 is located at the bottom of the main body 15, and an air exhaust cover 36 is located at the top of the main body 15. An air purifier 50 and a blower 70 are also located inside the main body 15 and fixed to the frame of the main body 15. The air intake cover 32 and the air exhaust cover 36 both function as air filters, absorbing and filtering dust and other particles in the air, thereby contributing to air purification. Depending on the air conditions within the partition, the air intake cover 32 and the air exhaust cover 36 can be selected from a variety of filters, including a HEPA filter (high-performance filter) capable of absorbing 99.97% or more of 0.3 μm particles in the air, a MEPA filter (medium-performance filter) capable of absorbing 50-95% or more of 0.4-0.7 μm particles in the air, and an air filter with deodorizing capabilities such as activated carbon. Depending on the air environment, a chemical filter or other filter may also be used to remove toxic gases and odors from the air. The air filter may be provided in the air purifying unit 50 .

[0014] 3A is a schematic front view of the partition panel 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the partition panel 10 is made up of the housing 12 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the main body 15 is removably fixed to the housing 12.

[0015] A first wall portion 20 is detachably fixed to the front surface of the main body 15. The first wall portion 20 is made of a material such as a decorative panel that harmonizes with the housing 12 and the other partition panels 5 in terms of color, material, etc.

[0016] An exhaust port cover 36 is detachably fixed to the upper part of the first wall 20, and an intake port cover 32 is detachably fixed to the lower part. In addition, a display / operation unit 80 is provided on the surface of the first wall 20, which displays the operating status and allows the operator to turn the power on / off.

[0017] FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the partition panel 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, taken along line AA in FIG. 3A in the vertical direction.

[0018] 3B shows that the main body 15 is housed in the recess 13 of the housing 12, and that both the main body 15 and the housing 12 have a generally rectangular cross section. The first wall 20 is detachably disposed on the main body 15. The space between the first wall 20 and the second wall 25, a cavity formed inside the main body 15 between the first wall 20 and the second wall 25, is a flow path 18 through which air flows, and an air intake port 31 and an air exhaust port 35 are provided at the bottom and top of the main body 15, respectively. The air blower 70 is disposed inside the air intake port 31, draws air from the outside through the air intake port 31, and exhausts the air to the outside through the flow path 18 from the air exhaust port 35. In this embodiment, a crossflow fan is used for the air blower 70 (see FIGS. 6A and 6B ).

[0019] An air purifying unit 50 is disposed in the flow path 18 between the blower unit 70 and the exhaust port 35. The air purifying unit 50 has functions such as sterilizing and disinfecting the air flowing in from the air intake port 31, deodorizing and eliminating odors, eliminating viruses, and preventing mold. The air inside the partition 1 drawn in from the air intake port 31 is sterilized by passing through the air purifying unit 50, and the purified air is discharged again into the partition 1 from the exhaust port 35. In the figure, the air flow is indicated by arrows.

[0020] 3B , the air purification unit 50 is made up of a light source 52 and a photocatalytic member 55. The light source 52 is a straight-tube LED lamp, and a plurality of light sources 52 are placed horizontally along the flow path 18. Photocatalytic members 55 are arranged vertically around the plurality of light sources 52 along the inside of the flow path 18 so as to sandwich the light sources 52 from both sides. The rear surface of the housing 12 is a second wall portion 25 made of a decorative plate.

[0021] In this embodiment, four LED lamps emitting straight-tube ultraviolet light are used as the light source 52. The ultraviolet light preferably ranges from UV-C to UV-A and has a wavelength of 150 nm to 400 nm. However, LED lamps emitting visible light in the blue range, for example, 400 nm to 500 nm, or infrared light may also be used, including those that cooperate with the photocatalytic member 55 to sterilize the air. Light-emitting means other than LED lamps, such as low-pressure mercury UV lamps, may also be used. Furthermore, the shape of the light source 52 may be straight-tube or annular, as long as it enhances the air purification effect.

[0022] Figure 4 is a schematic exploded view of the partition panel 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the state in which one of the photocatalytic members 55 arranged on both sides of the plurality of light sources 52 has been removed (front side).

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, near the center of the main body 15, there is disposed a light source unit 53 consisting of a plurality of light sources 52, and an air purifying unit 50 consisting of a photocatalytic member 55. The light source unit 53 has four light sources 52, each consisting of a straight tube LED lamp, arranged horizontally in the longitudinal direction and aligned vertically. Behind the light source unit 53, there are four rectangular sheet-like photocatalytic members 55 arranged in a grid pattern with their sides closely spaced from one another.

[0024] The photocatalytic member 55 decomposes oxygen and moisture in the air adsorbed on its surface through a photoreaction, generating highly reactive superoxide anions and OH radicals. The superoxide anions and OH radicals can decompose odor-causing substances, eliminate bacteria and viruses, and suppress mold growth. For example, the photocatalytic member 55 may be a sheet made of woven glass fiber. Titanium oxide is added to the glass fiber as a photocatalyst. In addition to titanium oxide, other metal oxides such as titanium dioxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, cadmium oxide, tungsten trioxide, strontium titanate, iron oxide, and bismuth oxide can also be used as photocatalysts. The photocatalytic member 55 may also be formed, for example, in a mesh shape. This increases the surface area of ​​the photocatalytic member 55, which is expected to improve sterilization and other effects.

[0025] A cross-flow fan is used for the blower 70, but air purification may be performed using natural convection by operating only the air purifying unit 50 without operating the blower 70.

[0026] 5 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the partition panel 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the rear side. The surface of the first wall portion 20 is flush with the surface of the housing 12, and the surface of the partition panel 10 is made of the same material, color scheme, etc. as the surfaces of the other partition panels 5. This prevents problems such as the first wall portion 20 protruding from the housing 12, and does not create a sense of incongruity with the other partition panels 5.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, the photocatalytic member 55 is a set of four rectangular photocatalytic sheets, and two sets are arranged parallel to each other with the light source 52 sandwiched between them.

[0028] In this embodiment, the air purifying unit 50 has four light sources 52 and the photocatalyst member 55 is a set of four sheets, but at least one light source 52 and one photocatalyst member 55 may be provided. Furthermore, in a photocatalyst member 55 having a photocatalyst applied or added to only one surface, the photocatalyst members 52 may be arranged in the center of the flow path with the surfaces not coated or added with the photocatalyst in close contact with each other, and multiple light sources 52 may be arranged along the flow path direction on both sides of the photocatalyst member 55 so as to face the photocatalyst member 55. The multiple light sources 52 may be arranged in a row vertically with their longitudinal direction horizontal, as in the embodiment, or they may be arranged in a row horizontally with their longitudinal direction oriented vertically.

[0029] The light source unit 53, the air blower unit 70, and the display / operation unit 80 operate by receiving power from a commercial power source, and are supplied with power by connecting a power plug (not shown) provided on the partition panel 10 to an outlet or the like located on the floor of an office, etc. Alternatively, the air purifier may be operated without receiving power from an external power source by receiving power from the commercial power source via an AC adapter, or by installing a rechargeable battery or dry cell battery inside the partition panel 10.

[0030] The air purifying unit 50 is not limited to a combination of the photocatalytic member 55 and the light source 52, but may also include at least one of an ozone generator and an ion generator. The ion generator is a device that generates negative or positive ions, and the ozone generator may be of the silent discharge type or UV lamp type.

[0031] FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram showing the air flow in the blower 70 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram showing the air flow near the runner 75 in the blower 70 according to the embodiment.

[0032] As shown in Figure 6A, when a crossflow fan is used as the blower 70, when the motor 74 rotates, the runner 75 arranged inside the casing 72 rotates clockwise, and air is drawn in from the direction of the arrow. The flowing-in air is then redirected between the casing 72 and the straightening plate 76 and discharged in the direction of the arrow.

[0033] 6B illustrates the state in which air is drawn into the rotating runner 75, passes between the casing 72 and the straightening plate 76, and is discharged in the direction of the arrow. By using the blower unit 70 of this embodiment, air can be efficiently introduced. Furthermore, instead of a crossflow fan, other blowers, such as a sirocco fan or a propeller fan, may be used as long as they are capable of blowing air. Furthermore, air purification by the air purifying unit 50 is also achieved by air circulation due to natural convection caused by heat and other factors within the space within the partition panel 5. Therefore, if the air purification effect can be expected even when the blower unit 70 is not driven, it is not necessary to use or install the blower unit 70.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a schematic front view showing an example of the display operation unit 80 of the partition panel 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] The display operation unit 80 is provided on the surface of the first wall portion 20 of the partition panel 10. The display operation unit 80 includes a temperature display unit 82 that displays the room temperature, a humidity display unit 83 that displays the humidity, a clock display unit 84 that displays the current time, a timer, etc., a power switch 87 that turns the power on and off, a pilot lamp 86 that lights up when the power is on, and an operation unit 88 that includes operation switches for turning the power on and off and setting the timer, etc. The operator can turn the power on and off from a nearby location and can easily grasp the temperature state inside the partition 1, thereby improving comfort and convenience.

[0036] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention.

[0037] According to the present invention, by arranging a partition panel with an air purifying device as part of a partition panel made up of multiple panels in an office or the like, it is possible to provide a partition panel that looks good and has a high air purifying effect without interfering with business operations.

[0038] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Partition 5 Partition panel 10 Partition panel (equipped with air purifier) ​​12 Housing 13 Recess 15 Air purifier main body (main body) 18 Flow path 20 First wall 25 Second wall 31 Air intake 32 Air intake cover 35 Exhaust outlet 36 Exhaust outlet cover 50 Air purifier section 52 Light source 53 Light source section 55 Photocatalytic member 70 Air blower section 72 Casing 74 Motor 75 Runner 76 Rectifier plate 80 Display and operation section 82 Humidity display section 83 Temperature display section 86 Pilot lamp 87 Power switch 88 Operation section 84 Clock display section

Claims

1. A partition panel having an air intake port, a flow path, an exhaust port, and an air purifying unit, wherein the air intake port and the exhaust port are respectively provided at the inlet and outlet of the flow path air, the air purifying unit is provided inside the flow path, external air is drawn in through the air intake port and passed through the flow path and discharged to the outside from the exhaust port, and the air purifying unit purifies the air passing through the inside of the flow path.

2. The partition panel according to claim 1, wherein the air intake and the air exhaust are provided with at least one of a mesh cover, a louver, a HEPA filter, and a medium-efficiency filter.

3. A partition panel as described in claim 1, further comprising a blower section, the blower section being provided inside the flow path and operating upon receiving power from an external power source, drawing in outside air through the air intake port, passing the air through the inside of the flow path and discharging it to the outside through the air exhaust port, and purifying the air passing through the inside of the flow path.

4. The partition panel according to claim 1, wherein the air purifying unit includes a light source unit that receives power from an external power source and emits at least one of ultraviolet light in the UV-C to UV-A range and visible light in the blue range.

5. The partition panel according to claim 1, wherein the air purifying section comprises at least one of an ozone generator and an ion generator.

6. The partition panel according to claim 1, wherein the air purifying section comprises at least one of a HEPA filter, a medium-efficiency filter, and an activated carbon filter.

7. A partition panel as described in claim 4, further comprising a photocatalytic member, wherein the light source unit and the photocatalytic member are arranged to face each other, and the flow path is formed between the light source unit and the photocatalytic member.

8. The partition panel according to claim 4, wherein the ultraviolet light has a wavelength range of 150 nm to 400 nm.

9. The partition panel according to claim 5, wherein the ion generating device is a device that generates negative or positive ions, and the ozone generating device is a silent discharge type or a UV lamp type.

10. The partition panel according to claim 7, wherein the light source section is a light source consisting of a straight tube LED lamp, and the photocatalytic member is a photocatalytic sheet.

11. The partition panel according to claim 3, wherein the blower section comprises a cross-flow fan.

12. A partition panel as described in claim 3, comprising a housing and a main body, the housing having a recess for accommodating the main body, the main body having the air intake port, the flow path, the exhaust port, the blower section, and the air purifier section, and being accommodated in the recess of the housing.

13. The partition panel according to claim 12, wherein the housing and the main body are both substantially rectangular parallelepiped in shape.

14. A partition panel as described in claim 12, further comprising a first wall portion, the first wall portion having the same shape as the recess of the housing in a plan view, formed to cover the main body, and having the same height as the surface of the housing when installed on the main body, and the first wall portion having an exhaust port cover at its upper part that covers the exhaust port, and an air intake port cover at its lower part that covers the air intake port.

15. A partition panel as described in claim 14, further comprising a display / operation unit provided on the surface of the first wall portion, the display / operation unit being provided with a power switch and a pilot lamp indicating the ON / OFF state of the power supply.

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