Air purifier

Abstract

Provided is an air purifier capable of appropriately sterilizing a filter by using visible light. This air purifier includes: a housing having an air suction port; a filter unit 5 accommodated inside the housing and including a filter 5A for cleaning air suctioned through the suction port; and an optical unit accommodated inside the housing and including a light source for emitting specific visible light that is visible light having a peak wavelength of 405-600 nm. The filter 5A is curved in a direction away from the suction port. The optical unit is disposed at least partially on the opposite side to the suction port across the filter 5A.

Description

air purifier

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purifier.

[0002] It is generally known that ultraviolet light has a sterilizing effect. Furthermore, a technique for sterilizing a filter used in an air purifier by irradiating the filter with ultraviolet light is known. Meanwhile, from the viewpoints of cost and safety, a method for sterilization using visible light, which has a longer wavelength than ultraviolet light, has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for sterilization using visible light with a peak wavelength of 405 nm.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-178490

[0004] The sterilizing effect of electromagnetic waves weakens as the wavelength increases, so when visible light with a peak wavelength of 405 nm is used, it may not be possible to sufficiently sterilize the filter compared to when ultraviolet light is used.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an air purifier that can properly sterilize a filter using visible light.

[0006] The air purifier of the present invention is an air purifier having a housing with an air intake port, a filter unit housed inside the housing and including a filter that purifies the air drawn in through the intake port, and an optical unit housed inside the housing and including a light source that emits specific visible light, which is visible light with a peak wavelength of 405 nm or more and 600 nm or less, wherein the filter is curved in a direction away from the intake port and is positioned between the intake port and at least a portion of the optical unit.

[0007] In the air purifier according to the present invention, by disposing at least a portion of the light unit on the opposite side of the air inlet, the specific visible light emitted from the light unit can be efficiently irradiated onto the filter, and therefore the air purifier can appropriately sterilize the filter even when visible light with a longer wavelength than ultraviolet light is used.

[0008] 8 is a perspective view of the air purifier 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the air purifier 1 as viewed from below. FIG. 10 is a front view of the air purifier 1. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the housing 3 with the housing upper wall 30U detached. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the housing 3 with the housing upper wall 30U detached. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of the arrows. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 8 as viewed from the direction of the arrows, with the front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S positioned in the separated position. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the first housing portion 4 and the second housing portion 6 as viewed from above. FIG. 16 is a plan view of the first housing portion 4 and the second housing portion 6. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the second housing portion 6 as viewed from above. FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the optical unit 8. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the filter unit 5 as viewed from above. FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of the filter unit 5. FIG. 19 is a right side view of the filter unit 5, the fan 7, and the optical unit 8. 1 is a front view of a filter unit 5, a fan 7, and an optical unit 8. FIG. 2 is a front view of a filter 5A and a right light guide 83 in a first modified example. FIG. 3 is a front view of a filter 5A and a right light guide 83 in a second modified example. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a filter 5A and a light guide 85 in a third modified example.

[0009] An embodiment of an air purifier 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings are used to explain technical features that may be adopted by the present invention. The configurations of the device described in the drawings are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to be limiting. The top, bottom, bottom right, top left, top right, and bottom left in FIG. 1 respectively correspond to the top, bottom, front, back, right, and left of the air purifier 1. The up and down direction is referred to as the "vertical direction."

[0010] <Overview of Air Purifier 1> Air purifier 1 draws air into the interior and removes substances to be removed, such as dust, allergens such as mold and pollen, viruses, bacteria, and odors, from the air. Air purifier 1 then blows the air from which the substances to be removed have been removed to the outside. In this way, air purifier 1 purifies the surrounding air. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , air purifier 1 has a base 2A, a support 2B, and a main body 2C.

[0011] <Base 2A, Support 2B> When the air purifier 1 is installed, the base 2A is placed on a placement surface. The base 2A supports the support 2B and main body 2C (described below) from below. When viewed from above, the base 2A has a square shape with curved corners. A power button 21 is provided in the center in the left-right direction on the front surface of the base 2A. A plurality of operation buttons 22 are provided near the front end of the top surface of the base 2A.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 3 , the support 2B has a right support 20R and a left support 20L. The right support 20R and the left support 20L each have a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the vertical direction. The right support 20R is connected to the right end of the base 2A. The left support 20L is connected to the left end of the base 2A. The right support 20R and the left support 20L extend upward from the base 2A. The right support 20R and the left support 20L face each other and are spaced apart in the left-right direction. A right handle 25R is provided near the upper end of the right surface of the right support 20R. A left handle 25L is provided near the upper end of the left surface of the left support 20L. The right handle 25R and the left handle 25L are gripped by a user when carrying the air purifier 1.

[0013] <Main body 2C> The main body 2C draws air into the interior to remove the substances to be removed, and then blows the air from which the substances have been removed to the exterior. The main body 2C is rotatably supported by the support body 2B. The orientation of the main body 2C changes as the main body 2C rotates relative to the support body 2B. The main body 2C includes a housing 3 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, a first storage section 4 shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, a second storage section 6 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a filter unit 5 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a fan 7 shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 14, and 15, and an optical unit 8 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0014] <Housing 3> As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the housing 3 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 3 has an upper housing wall 30U, a lower housing wall 30B, a front housing wall 30F, a rear housing wall 30S, a right housing wall 30R, and a left housing wall 30L. The upper housing wall 30U and the lower housing wall 30B are perpendicular to the vertical direction. The front housing wall 30F and the rear housing wall 30S are perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. The right housing wall 30R and the left housing wall 30L are perpendicular to the left-to-right direction. The first housing section 4, the second housing section 6, the filter unit 5, the fan 7, and the optical unit 8 are housed in spaces surrounded by the upper housing wall 30U, the lower housing wall 30B, the front housing wall 30F, the rear housing wall 30S, the right housing wall 30R, and the left housing wall 30L, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, the space surrounded by the housing upper wall 30U, housing lower wall 30B, housing front wall 30F, housing rear wall 30S, housing right wall 30R, and housing left wall 30L is referred to as the "housing space 300."

[0015] The housing 3 is disposed inside the right support body 20R and the left support body 20L in the left-right direction. The housing 3 is supported by the right support body 20R and the left support body 20L so as to be rotatable about an axis C1 shown in FIGS.

[0016] 4, the housing upper wall 30U is detachable from the housing front wall 30F, the housing rear wall 30S, the housing right wall 30R, and the housing left wall 30L. When the housing upper wall 30U is detached, the housing opening 30 is formed in a portion surrounded by the upper ends of the housing front wall 30F, the housing rear wall 30S, the housing right wall 30R, and the housing left wall 30L.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, a first air inlet 35 is provided across the entire upper wall 30U of the housing. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a second right air inlet 36R is provided above the vertical center of the right wall 30R of the housing. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, a second left air inlet 36L is provided above the vertical center of the left wall 30L of the housing. As shown in Figure 2, an air outlet 37 is provided across the entire lower wall 30B of the housing.

[0018] The first suction port 35, the second right suction port 36R, the second left suction port 36L, and the outlet 37 include a plurality of through holes formed by gaps between a plurality of ribs. The first suction port 35, the second right suction port 36R, and the second left suction port 36L are suction ports that draw air from outside the housing 3 into the interior. The outlet 37 is an outlet that blows air from inside the housing 3 to the outside.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 5, a right protrusion 31R that protrudes to the right is provided on the right wall 30R of the housing. A left protrusion 31L that protrudes to the left is provided on the left wall 30L of the housing. As shown in Fig. 6, the right protrusion 31R is inserted from the left into a right through-hole 26R provided on the left surface of the right support body 20R. The left protrusion 31L is inserted from the right into a left through-hole 26L provided on the right surface of the left support body 20L. A straight line extending in the left-right direction through the centers of the right protrusion 31R and the left protrusion 31L coincides with an axis C1 that is the center of rotation of the housing 3 relative to the right support body 20R and the left support body 20L.

[0020] 4 , the first storage section 4 is stored in a position above the axis C1 in the vertical direction within the housing space 300 surrounded by the housing 3. The first storage section 4 stores a filter unit 5.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the first storage section 4 has a first bottom wall 40B, a first front wall 40F, a first rear wall 40S, a first right wall 40R, and a first left wall 40L. The first bottom wall 40B is a square plate and is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The first front wall 40F, the first rear wall 40S, the first right wall 40R, and the first left wall 40L extend upward from the front, rear, right, and left ends of the first bottom wall 40B. The first front wall 40F and the first rear wall 40S are perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. The first right wall 40R and the first left wall 40L are perpendicular to the left-to-right direction. The first front wall 40F is adjacent to the rear of the front wall 30F of the housing 3. The first rear wall 40S is adjacent to the front of the rear wall 30S of the housing 3. The first right wall 40R is adjacent to the left side of the right housing wall 30R of the housing 3. The first left wall 40L is adjacent to the right side of the left housing wall 30L of the housing 3.

[0022] A first opening 40 is formed in a portion surrounded by the upper ends of the first front wall 40F, the first rear wall 40S, the first right wall 40R, and the first left wall 40L. The first opening 40 is located below the housing opening 30 of the housing 3 shown in FIG. 4 and opens through the housing opening 30.

[0023] 4 and 5 , the filter unit 5 is housed in a space surrounded by the first bottom wall 40B, the first front wall 40F, the first rear wall 40S, the first right wall 40R, and the first left wall 40L. The space surrounded by the first bottom wall 40B, the first front wall 40F, the first rear wall 40S, the first right wall 40R, and the first left wall 40L is referred to as a “first space 400.”

[0024] 8, a first right through-portion 46R is provided in the first right wall 40R. A first left through-portion 46L is provided in the first left wall 40L. The first right through-portion 46R and the first left through-portion 46L include a plurality of through-holes formed by gaps between a plurality of ribs.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 9 , a second through-hole 47 is provided in the first bottom wall 40B. The second through-hole 47 is a rectangular through-hole. The second through-hole 47 is covered by a mesh panel 47M. A rib 48 is provided on the upper surface of the first bottom wall 40B. The rib 48 has a square ring shape and surrounds the second through-hole 47. The rib 48 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the first bottom wall 40B. The width of the rib 48 is uniform over the entire area. The width of the rib 48 is denoted as "D1".

[0026] As shown in Figure 8, the front surface of the first rear wall 40S, excluding its upper end, protrudes forward. This forms a rear step 41S near the upper end of the front surface of the first rear wall 40S. The rear step 41S is perpendicular to the vertical direction. A rear recess 42S recessed downward is formed in the center of the upper surface of the rear step 41S in the left-right direction.

[0027] A rear fixing portion 43S is provided in the rear stage 41S to the right of the rear recess 42S. The rear fixing portion 43S has a rectangular plate shape. The front-to-rear width of the rear fixing portion 43S is approximately the same as the front-to-rear width of the rear stage 41S. The rear fixing portion 43S has a first fixing portion 430 and a second fixing portion 431. The first fixing portion 430 is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The second fixing portion 431 extends diagonally upward and to the left from the left end of the first fixing portion 430.

[0028] The rear fixing portion 43S is movable left and right along the rear step 41S. Figures 8 and 9 show the rear fixing portion 43S when it has moved to the far right. In this state, the rear fixing portion 43S does not cover the upper part of the rear recess 42S. On the other hand, Figure 5 shows the rear fixing portion 43S when it has moved to the far left. In this state, the rear fixing portion 43S covers the upper part of the rear recess 42S.

[0029] The front step 41F shown in FIG. 9 is formed on the rear surface of the first front wall 40F, excluding the upper end. A downwardly recessed front recess 42F is formed in the center of the front step 41F in the left-right direction. A front fixing portion 43F is provided on the front step 41F to the left of the front recess 42F. The shape of the front fixing portion 43F is the same as that of the rear fixing portion 43S, and includes a first fixing portion 430 and a second fixing portion 431. The front fixing portion 43F is movable left and right along the front step 41F. FIG. 9 shows the front fixing portion 43F moved to the leftmost position. In this position, the upper portion of the front recess 42F is not covered by the front fixing portion 43F. On the other hand, FIG. 5 shows the front fixing portion 43F moved to the rightmost position. In this position, the upper portion of the front recess 42F is covered by the front fixing portion 43F.

[0030] Hereinafter, the position of the front fixing portion 43F covering the upper part of the front recess 42F and the position of the rear fixing portion 43S covering the upper part of the rear recess 42S are referred to as the "contact position." The position of the front fixing portion 43F that does not cover the upper part of the front recess 42F and the position of the rear fixing portion 43S that does not cover the upper part of the rear recess 42S are each separated from the contact position. Hereinafter, the position of the front fixing portion 43F separated from the contact position and the position of the rear recess 42S separated from the contact position are referred to as the "separated position." The front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S move between the contact position and the separated position in response to an operation by the user. The distance in the direction between the upper surface of the first bottom wall 40B of the first storage portion 4 and the lower surfaces of the front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S is denoted as "L1" as shown in FIG. 7 . The distance L1 is equal to the vertical distance between the upper surface of the first bottom wall 40B of the first storage section 4 and the front and rear step portions 41F and 41S.

[0031] <Filter unit 5> The filter unit 5 removes the target substance from the air. As shown in Fig. 4 , the filter unit 5 is housed in the first space 400 of the first housing portion 4. As shown in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 , the filter unit 5 has a filter 5A, a support plate 5B, a cover 5C, and an elastic body 5D.

[0032] The filter 5A is a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. The filter 5A purifies the air by removing substances to be removed from the air drawn in through the first suction port 35, the second right suction port 36R, and the second left suction port 36L. The filter 5A has a shape in which mountain folds and valley folds are repeatedly formed on a thick filter substrate, i.e., a bellows-folded shape. The folds of the filter 5A extend in the front-to-rear direction.

[0033] The filter 5A has a first section 51U, a right curved section 510R, a second section 51R, a left curved section 510L, and a third section 51L. The first section 51U is perpendicular to the vertical direction and extends in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. The right curved section 510R is connected to the right end of the first section 51U and extends while curving downward. The second section 51R extends downward from the lower end of the right curved section 510R. The left curved section 510L is connected to the left end of the first section 51U and extends while curving downward. The third section 51L extends downward from the lower end of the left curved section 510L. The second section 51R and the third section 51L face each other in the left-to-right direction. Hereinafter, the space surrounded by the first portion 51U, the right curved portion 510R, the second portion 51R, the left curved portion 510L, and the third portion 51L will be referred to as the "filter space 500."

[0034] The accordion-folded creases are arranged at equal intervals in each of the first part 51U, the second part 51R, and the third part 51L. The intervals between the accordion-folded creases are different between the first part 51U and the second part 51R and the third part 51L. The intervals between the accordion-folded creases in the first part 51U are smaller than the intervals between the accordion-folded creases in the second part 51R and the third part 51L. The intervals between the accordion-folded creases in the second part 51R and the third part 51L are equal.

[0035] The support plate 5B has a front support plate 53F and a rear support plate 53S. The front support plate 53F is connected to and supports the front end of the filter 5A. The rear support plate 53S is connected to and supports the rear end of the filter 5A. The shapes of the front support plate 53F and the rear support plate 53S are bilaterally symmetrical to each other.

[0036] The front support plate 53F has a front support portion 530F and a front protrusion 54F. The front support portion 530F is plate-shaped and perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The front support portion 530F is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped that is elongated in the left-right direction, with the upper right and upper left corners curved. The front support portion 530F connects to the front ends of the first portion 51U, right curved portion 510R, second portion 51R, left curved portion 510L, and third portion 51L of the filter 5A. The front support portion 530F covers the front ends of the first portion 51U, left curved portion 510L, second portion 51R, left curved portion 510L, and third portion 51L, as well as the filter space 500, from the front. The front protrusion 54F is located at the top end of the front support portion 530F and in the left-right center. The front protrusion 54F is plate-shaped and protrudes forward from the front surface of the front support portion 530F.

[0037] The rear support plate 53S has a rear support portion 530S and a rear protrusion 54S. The rear support portion 530S is connected to the rear ends of the first portion 51U, the right curved portion 510R, the second portion 51R, the left curved portion 510L, and the third portion 51L of the filter 5A. The rear support portion 530S covers the rear ends of the first portion 51U, the right curved portion 510R, the second portion 51R, the left curved portion 510L, and the third portion 51L and the filter space 500 from behind. The rear protrusion 54S protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the rear support portion 530S.

[0038] The cover 5C has a right cover 55R and a left cover 55L. The right cover 55R and the left cover 55L are each a rectangular parallelepiped plate that is long in the front-to-rear direction. The right cover 55R and the left cover 55L are perpendicular to the vertical direction. The right cover 55R is connected to the lower end of the second part 51R and covers the lower end of the second part 51R from below. The left cover 55L is connected to the lower end of the third part 51L and covers the lower end of the third part 51L from below.

[0039] The elastic body 5D has a square ring shape. The elastic body 5D is elastic. The elastic body 5D contacts the filter unit 5. More specifically, the elastic body 5D is adhered to the lower ends of the front support portion 530F and the rear support portion 530S of the support plate 5B and the right cover 55R and the left cover 55L of the cover 5C. The width of the elastic body 5D is uniform throughout. The width of the elastic body 5D is denoted as "D2." The width D2 of the elastic body 5D is greater than the width D1 of the rib 48 provided on the first bottom wall 40B of the first storage section 4 shown in FIG. 9 .

[0040] In the filter unit 5, the vertical distance between the lower end of the elastic body 5D, when no external force is acting, and the upper ends of the front protrusion 54F and the rear protrusion 54S is denoted as "L2" as shown in Fig. 14. Distance L2 corresponds to the vertical length from the upper end to the lower end of the filter unit 5. Distance L2 is greater than distance L1 between the first bottom wall 40B of the first storage section 4 and the lower ends of the front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S.

[0041] 6 , when the filter unit 5 is housed in the first housing portion 4 within the housing 3, the first portion 51U of the filter 5A faces the upper housing wall 30U and extends parallel to the upper housing wall 30U. The second portion 51R faces the right housing wall 30R of the housing 3 and the first right wall 40R of the first housing portion 4 and extends parallel to the right housing wall 30R and the first right wall 40R. The third portion 51L faces the left housing wall 30L of the housing 3 and the third portion 51L of the first housing portion 4 and extends parallel to the left housing wall 30L and the first left wall 40L.

[0042] The first portion 51U is disposed below the first suction port 35 of the upper housing wall 30U of the housing 3. The second portion 51R is disposed to the left of a portion of the right housing wall 30R of the housing 3 where the second right suction port 36R is provided and to the left of the first right through-portion 46R of the first storage unit 4. The third portion 51L is disposed to the left of a portion of the left housing wall 30L of the housing 3 where the second left suction port 36L is provided and to the left of the first left through-portion 46L of the first storage unit 4. The right curved portion 510R of the filter 5A curves in a direction away from the first suction port 35 of the upper housing wall 30U of the housing 3. The second portion 51R and the third portion 51L extend from the first portion 51U in a direction away from the upper housing wall 30U.

[0043] 6, 7, and 8, the second housing section 6 is housed below the first housing section 4 in the vertical direction within the housing space 300 surrounded by the housing 3. The second housing section 6 houses a fan 7 and an optical unit 8. As shown in FIG. 10, the second housing section 6 has a fan housing section 61 and an optical unit housing section 62.

[0044] The fan accommodating section 61 has a main body section 61A and a connecting section 61B. The main body section 61A is cylindrical and extends vertically. Bearings 60 extend inward from both front-to-rear end sections of the inner wall of the main body section 61A. The bearings 60 hold the fan 7. The connecting section 61B is provided at the lower end of the main body section 61A and protrudes in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. The connecting section 61B is connected to the housing bottom wall 30B of the housing 3 shown in Figure 2. Hereinafter, the space surrounded by the main body section 61A of the fan accommodating section 61 will be referred to as the "fan space 601."

[0045] The optical unit housing 62 is provided at the upper end of the main body 61A of the fan housing 61. The optical unit housing 62 has a unit bottom wall 62B, a unit front wall 62F, a unit rear wall 62S, a unit right wall 62R, and a unit left wall 62L. The unit bottom wall 62B is plate-shaped and perpendicular to the vertical direction. When viewed from above, the unit bottom wall 62B has a square shape. The unit bottom wall 62B extends in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions from the upper end of the main body 61A of the fan housing 61. The unit front wall 62F, the unit rear wall 62S, the unit right wall 62R, and the unit left wall 62L extend upward from the front, rear, right, and left ends of the unit bottom wall 62B. The first housing 4 is connected to the upper ends of the unit front wall 62F, the unit rear wall 62S, the unit right wall 62R, and the unit left wall 62L. Hereinafter, the space surrounded by the unit bottom wall 62B, unit front wall 62F, unit rear wall 62S, unit right wall 62R, and unit left wall 62L of the optical unit housing section 62 will be referred to as the "unit space 602." The fan space 601 and the unit space 602 will be collectively referred to as the "second space 600."

[0046] A front holder 63 is provided on the rear surface of the unit front wall 62F and in the center in the left-right direction. A rear holder 64 is provided on the front surface of the unit rear wall 62S and in the center in the left-right direction. The front holder 63 and the rear holder 64 are arranged in the unit space 602. The optical unit 8 is held in the second storage section 6 by the front holder 63 and the rear holder 64. The shapes of the front holder 63 and the rear holder 64 are symmetrical to each other.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 11 , the front holder 63 includes a rear partition wall 63S, an upper partition wall 63U, a lower partition wall 63B, a right partition wall 63R, and a left partition wall 63L. The rear partition wall 63S is perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and is spaced rearward from the unit front wall 62F of the optical unit housing section 62. The upper partition wall 63U, the lower partition wall 63B, the right partition wall 63R, and the left partition wall 63L extend forward from near the upper end, lower end, right end, and left end of the rear partition wall 63S. The upper partition wall 63U and the lower partition wall 63B are perpendicular to the vertical direction. The right partition wall 63R and the left partition wall 63L are perpendicular to the left-to-right direction. The front ends of the upper partition wall 63U, the lower partition wall 63B, the right partition wall 63R, and the left partition wall 63L contact the rear surface of the unit front wall 62F of the optical unit accommodating section 62. The space surrounded by the rear partition wall 63S of the front holder 63, the upper partition wall 63U, the lower partition wall 63B, the right partition wall 63R, the left partition wall 63L, and the unit front wall 62F of the optical unit accommodating section 62 is referred to as the "holder space 603."

[0048] A plurality of first holes 631 are formed in the rear partition wall 63S. Each of the plurality of first holes 631 is a through-hole that is elongated in the vertical direction. The plurality of first holes 631 are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction. A second right hole 632R is formed at the lower end of the right partition wall 63R. A second left hole 632L is formed at the lower end of the left partition wall 63L. The second right hole 632R and the second left hole 632L are rectangular through-holes.

[0049] A right recess 633R and a left recess 633L that are recessed downward are formed in the upper partition wall 63U. The right recess 633R is located to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the upper partition wall 63U. The left recess 633L is located to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the upper partition wall 63U. The right recess 633R and the left recess 633L are spaced apart in the left-right direction. A right fixing jig 634R is fixed to the bottom of the right recess 633R with a screw. A left fixing jig 634L is fixed to the bottom of the left recess 633L with a screw.

[0050] The rear holder 64 has a front partition wall 64F, an upper partition wall 64U, a lower partition wall 64B, a right partition wall 64R, and a left partition wall 64L. The front partition wall 64F is spaced forward from the unit rear wall 62S of the optical unit accommodating section 62. The rear ends of the upper partition wall 64U, the lower partition wall 64B, the right partition wall 64R, and the left partition wall 64L contact the front surface of the unit rear wall 62S of the optical unit accommodating section 62. A plurality of first holes 641 are formed in the front partition wall 64F. A second right hole 642R is formed at the lower end of the right partition wall 64R. A second left hole 642L is formed at the lower end of the left partition wall 64L. A right recess 643R and a left recess 643L are formed in the upper partition wall 64U, recessed downward. A right fixing jig 644R is fixed to the bottom of the right recess 643R with screws, and a left fixing jig 644L is fixed to the bottom of the left recess 643L with screws.

[0051] <Fan 7> The fan 7 forms an air flow toward the inside of the housing 3 so that the filter unit 5 can remove the substances to be removed from the air. The fan 7 is a so-called counter-rotating axial flow fan. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , the fan 7 is housed in the fan space 601 of the fan housing section 61 of the second housing section 6. As shown in FIG. 6 , the fan 7 is disposed below the filter unit 5 housed in the first housing section 4. The fan 7 has a base shaft 7A, an upper boss 7B, a lower boss 7C, a first propeller 7D, and a second propeller 7E.

[0052] The base shaft 7A is cylindrical. The base shaft 7A is supported by a bearing 60 provided in the fan housing portion 61 of the second housing portion 6. A rotation axis C2 passing through the center of the base shaft 7A extends vertically. The position of the rotation axis C2 in the front-rear and left-right directions coincides with the center position of the filter 5A in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0053] The upper boss 7B is provided at the upper end of the base shaft 7A and is located on the rotation axis C2. The upper boss 7B is rotatable clockwise relative to the base shaft 7A when viewed from above. The first propeller 7D is provided on the upper boss 7B. The first propeller 7D has a plurality of first blades 71. The plurality of first blades 71 protrude radially outward from the rotation axis C2.

[0054] The lower boss 7C is provided at the lower end of the base shaft 7A and is located on the rotation axis C2. The lower boss 7C is rotatable counterclockwise relative to the base shaft 7A when viewed from above. The second propeller 7E is provided on the lower boss 7C. The second propeller 7E has a plurality of second blades 72. The plurality of second blades 72 protrude radially outward from the rotation axis C2.

[0055] When the upper boss 7B and the lower boss 7C rotate relative to the base axis 7A, air flows into the second space 600 of the second storage unit 6. The direction of the air flow coincides with the direction from the second through-hole 47 in the first bottom wall 40B of the first storage unit 4 in which the filter unit 5 is housed toward the outlet 37 in the housing bottom wall 30B of the housing 3. The direction of the air flow is parallel to the rotation axis C2. Hereinafter, the direction of the air flow in the second space 600 of the second storage unit 6 will be referred to as the "air flow direction B." Of the air flow direction B, the direction that overlaps with the rotation axis C2 will be specifically referred to as the "specific air flow direction B0."

[0056] In the second space 600 of the second storage unit 6, air flows in the airflow direction B, and thus air is drawn from the first suction port 35, the second right suction port 36R, and the second left suction port 36L of the housing 3 toward the first space 400 of the first storage unit 4. The drawn air passes through the second space 600 of the second storage unit 6 and is blown out from the outlet 37.

[0057] <Light unit 8> The light unit 8 sterilizes the filter 5A by irradiating the filter 5A with visible light. As shown in Fig. 10 , the light unit 8 is housed in the light unit housing portion 62 of the second housing portion 6. As shown in Fig. 11 , the light unit 8 has a right LED board 81, a left LED board 82, a right light guide 83, and a left light guide 84. The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 are examples of optical components.

[0058] The right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 are perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. The right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 are aligned in the left-to-right direction. The right LED board 81 is disposed to the right of the left LED board 82. LEDs that emit visible light with a peak wavelength of 405 nm or more and 600 nm or less are mounted on the rear surface of each of the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82. Hereinafter, visible light with a peak wavelength of 405 nm or more and 600 nm or less will be referred to as "specific visible light."

[0059] The right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 are fixed with screws to the rear surface of the rear partition wall 63S of the front holder 63. The right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 are arranged in a holder space 603 surrounded by the unit front wall 62F of the optical unit housing section 62 of the second housing section 6 and the front holder 63. The LEDs mounted on the right LED board 81 are located forward and near the bottom of the right recess 633R of the front holder 63 and are exposed through the right recess 633R. The LEDs mounted on the left LED board 82 are located forward and near the bottom of the left recess 633L of the front holder 63 and are exposed through the left recess 633L.

[0060] The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 each have a rod shape and extend between the front holder 63 and the rear holder 64. The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 have an inner layer made of acrylic resin and an outer layer made of fluorine-based resin. However, the material of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 is not limited to this and may be any resin that is light-transmitting.

[0061] The front end of the right light guide 83 contacts the bottom of the right recess 633R of the front holder 63 and is fixed to the front holder 63 by the right fixing jig 634R. The front end of the right light guide 83 is disposed rearward of the LEDs of the right LED board 81 fixed to the front holder 63. The rear end of the right light guide 83 contacts the bottom of the right recess 643R of the rear holder 64 and is fixed to the rear holder 64 by the right fixing jig 644R. The right light guide 83 extends linearly in the front-to-rear direction between the right recess 633R of the front holder 63 and the right recess 643R of the rear holder 64.

[0062] The front end of the left light guide 84 contacts the bottom of the left recess 633L of the front holder 63 and is fixed to the front holder 63 by the left fixing jig 634L. The front end of the left light guide 84 is disposed rearward of the LEDs of the left LED board 82 fixed to the front holder 63. The rear end of the left light guide 84 contacts the bottom of the left recess 643L of the rear holder 64 and is fixed to the rear holder 64 by the left fixing jig 644L. The left light guide 84 extends linearly in the front-to-rear direction between the left recess 633L of the front holder 63 and the left recess 643L of the rear holder 64.

[0063] The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 are aligned in the left-right direction and extend parallel to each other. The extending direction of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 coincides with the extending direction of the folds of the filter 5A of the filter unit 5. The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 are disposed in the unit space 602 of the optical unit housing portion 62.

[0064] The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 are connected to the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 via the front holder 63. As shown in Fig. 6 , the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 are provided on the opposite side of the filter 5A of the filter unit 5 from the first suction port 35. The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 are disposed below the filter space 500 of the filter 5A.

[0065] The fan 7 is disposed on the opposite side of the filter 5A of the filter unit 5 with respect to the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84. The right light guide 83 is located to the right of the rotation axis C2 of the fan 7 and to the left of the right end of the upper boss 7B of the fan 7. The left light guide 84 is located to the left of the rotation axis C2 of the fan 7 and to the right of the left end of the upper boss 7B of the fan 7. Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, portions of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84, including their centers in the front-to-rear direction, are disposed in positions that overlap with the upper boss 7B in the direction perpendicular to the airflow direction B, i.e., in the radial direction centered on the rotation axis C2.

[0066] As shown in Figure 11, the side surfaces of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 have a flat portion H and a curved portion R. The flat portion H is the lower end portion of each side surface of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84, and is flat. The flat portion H is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The flat portion H is an example of a downstream side surface of a light guide. The curved portion R is the portion of each side surface of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 excluding the flat portion H, and is curved convexly upward. The curved portion R is an example of an upstream side surface of a light guide.

[0067] The curved portion R is located upstream of the flat portion H in the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 in the air blowing direction B. The curved portion R is also closer to the filter 5A of the filter unit 5 than the flat portion H. An imaginary plane is defined that is tangent to the curved portion R except for the vertex P that is located most upstream in the air blowing direction B. The imaginary plane is not perpendicular to the air blowing direction B but is inclined.

[0068] The flat portion H is located downstream of the curved portion R in the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 in the air blowing direction B. The flat portion H is further from the filter 5A of the filter unit 5 than the curved portion R. The flat portion H is perpendicular to the air blowing direction B. A reflecting portion 830 that reflects light is provided on the flat portion H and the rear end of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84. The material of the reflecting portion 830 is not particularly limited, and for example, a resin layer that has been subjected to a mirror finish can be used.

[0069] <Operation Overview: Installing the Filter Unit 5> As shown in Fig. 4 , the user removes the housing upper wall 30U from the housing 3 of the air purifier 1. Next, as shown in Fig. 8 , the user moves the front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S of the first housing portion 4 to their respective separated positions. Next, the user inserts the filter unit 5 from above into the first space 400 through the housing opening 30 of the housing 3 and the first opening 40 of the first housing portion 4. As a result, the filter unit 5 is housed in the first housing portion 4.

[0070] 6, the elastic body 5D of the filter unit 5 contacts a portion of the first bottom wall 40B of the first storage section 4, including a portion where the rib 48 is provided. The rib 48 contacts the lower surface and the inner side in the width direction of the elastic body 5D.

[0071] The rear protrusion 54S of the filter unit 5 is disposed inside the rear recess 42S of the first storage section 4. The front protrusion 54F of the filter unit 5 is disposed inside the front recess 42F of the first storage section 4. With the front fixing section 43F and the rear fixing section 43S disposed in the separated position, the tops of the front protrusion 54F and the rear protrusion 54S of the filter unit 5 are open.

[0072] The distance L2 between the lower end of the elastic body 5D when no external force is acting and the upper ends of the front protrusion 54F and the rear protrusion 54S is greater than the distance L1 between the first bottom wall 40B of the first storage section 4 and the lower ends of the front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S. The front fixing portion 43F protrudes slightly upward relative to the front step 41F of the first storage section 4. The rear fixing portion 43S protrudes slightly upward relative to the rear step 41S of the first storage section 4.

[0073] Next, as shown in FIG. 5 , the user moves the front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S of the first storage unit 4 from the separated position to the contact position. As the front fixing portion 43F moves from the separated position to the contact position, the second fixing portion 431 of the front fixing portion 43F contacts the front protrusion 54F of the filter unit 5 from the left and pushes it downward until the upper surface of the front protrusion 54F is positioned below the front step 41F of the first storage unit 4. As the rear fixing portion 43S moves from the separated position to the contact position, the second fixing portion 431 of the rear fixing portion 43S contacts the rear protrusion 54S of the filter unit 5 from the right and pushes it downward until the upper surface of the rear protrusion 54S is positioned below the rear step 41S of the first storage unit 4. As a result, the filter unit 5 is pushed downward. The elastic body 5D of the filter unit 5 is pressed against the first bottom wall 40B of the first storage unit 4 and compressed. The portion of the elastic body 5D that comes into contact with the rib 48 receives an upward force and is depressed upward.

[0074] The first fixing portion 430 of the front fixing portion 43F arranged at the contact position covers the top of the front protrusion 54F of the filter unit 5 and comes into contact with the upper surface of the front protrusion 54F. The first fixing portion 430 of the rear fixing portion 43S arranged at the contact position covers the top of the rear protrusion 54S of the filter unit 5 and comes into contact with the upper surface of the rear protrusion 54S. When arranged at the contact position, the front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S continuously apply a downward force to the filter unit 5 via the front protrusion 54F and the rear protrusion 54S. This causes the elastic body 5D of the filter unit 5 to closely contact the first bottom wall 40B.

[0075] 1, the user attaches the housing upper wall 30U to the housing opening 30 of the housing 3 of the air purifier 1. This completes the installation of the filter unit 5.

[0076] <Operation Overview: Air Purification> When a user inputs an operation to drive the air purifier 1 via the multiple operation buttons 22, power supply to the fan 7 begins. The first propeller 7D and second propeller 7E of the fan 7 rotate. The fan 7 draws air through the first suction port 35, the second right suction port 36R, and the second left suction port 36L. The drawn air flows toward the first space 400 via the first opening 40, the first right penetration 46R, and the first left penetration 46L of the first housing 4. Furthermore, the air passes through the filter 5A of the filter unit 5 within the first space 400 and flows into the filter space 500 of the filter 5A. As a result, substances to be removed from the air are removed by the filter 5A.

[0077] The fan 7 flows the air purified by the filter 5A from the first space 400 of the first storage unit 4 toward the second space 600 of the second storage unit 6, and further toward the outlet 37. The purified air is blown out from the outlet 37.

[0078] A portion of the air flowing from the first space 400 of the first housing unit 4 toward the second space 600 of the second housing unit 6 flows into the holder space 603 in which the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 are arranged, via the plurality of first holes 631 of the front holder 63, in the unit space 602 of the optical unit housing unit 62. The air that flows into the holder space 603 cools the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82. The air that has cooled the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 is discharged to the outside of the holder space 603 via the second right hole 632R and the second left hole 632L of the front holder 63.

[0079] <Outline of Operation: Sterilization of Filter 5A> When a user inputs an operation to sterilize filter 5A via the multiple operation buttons 22, power starts to be supplied to the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82. The LEDs on the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 each emit specific visible light.

[0080] The specific visible light emitted from the LEDs on the right LED board 81 is incident on the front end of the right light guide 83. The specific visible light emitted from the LEDs on the left LED board 82 is incident on the front end of the left light guide 84. The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 guide the light incident from the front ends toward the rear ends.

[0081] The reflecting portions 830 on the flat portions H of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 reflect the specific visible light guided toward the rear ends upward. As shown in Fig. 14 , the specific visible light reflected by the reflecting portions 830 is radiated from the entire front-to-rear areas of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 toward the filter space 500 of the filter 5A located above. As a result, the specific visible light is irradiated over the entire front-to-rear area of ​​the filter 5A. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 15 , the specific visible light radiated from the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 is irradiated onto the inner regions of the first portion 51U, the right curved portion 510R, the second portion 51R, the left curved portion 510L, and the third portion 51L of the filter 5A, which face the filter space 500.

[0082] The specific visible light that reaches the rear ends of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 is reflected forward by the reflecting portions at the rear ends. The reflected specific visible light is reflected by the flat portion H while being guided forward, and is then emitted toward the filter space 500 of the filter 5A.

[0083] As a result, the specific visible light incident on the front ends of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 is radiated from the entire area in the front-to-rear direction toward the filter space 500 of the filter 5A. The portion of the filter 5A irradiated with the specific visible light is sterilized.

[0084] The sterilization of the filter 5A by the optical unit 8 may be performed continuously during air purification. In this case, the supply of power to the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 may be started in response to a user inputting an operation to drive the air purifier 1 via the plurality of operation buttons 22.

[0085] <Actions and Effects of the Present Embodiment> The air purifier 1 has the right light guide 83 and left light guide 84 of the light unit 8 on the opposite side of the filter 5A from the first suction port 35. In other words, the filter 5A is disposed between the first suction port 35 and the right light guide 83 and left light guide 84 of the light unit 8. This allows the air purifier 1 to efficiently irradiate the filter 5A with specific visible light emitted from the right light guide 83 and left light guide 84. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can appropriately sterilize the filter 5A even when visible light with a longer wavelength than ultraviolet light is used.

[0086] For example, to uniformly irradiate the entire area of ​​a flat filter having the same surface area as filter 5A with specific visible light, it is necessary to increase the light intensity of the LEDs or the number of light guides. In contrast, filter 5A has a shape that is bent downward at both left and right ends. The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 of the optical unit 8 are disposed below filter 5A. In this case, even with, for example, one light guide, it is possible to irradiate the entire area of ​​filter 5A with specific visible light. In other words, it is possible to irradiate the entire area of ​​filter 5A with a smaller number of light guides.

[0087] Furthermore, in order to irradiate the entire area of ​​the filter 5A with specific visible light by disposing the light guides of the optical unit 8 above the filter 5A, i.e., in positions opposite the bending direction of both left and right ends, at least two light guides must be disposed in positions facing the right curved portion 510R and the left curved portion 510L of the filter 5A. In contrast, in the air purifier 1, the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 of the optical unit 8 are disposed below the filter 5A, i.e., in positions in the bending direction of both left and right ends. In this case, even with a single light guide, for example, it is possible to irradiate the entire area of ​​the filter 5A with specific visible light. In other words, it is possible to irradiate the entire area of ​​the filter 5A with a smaller number of light guides.

[0088] As described above, the air purifier 1 can irradiate a wide area of ​​the filter 5A with specific visible light using fewer light guides, thereby reducing the space required for arranging the optical unit 8 including the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84.

[0089] The air purifier 1 can radiate the specific visible light emitted from the LEDs mounted on the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 over a wide range using the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can sterilize a wider area of ​​the filter 5A with the specific visible light.

[0090] The second portion 51R and the third portion 51L of the filter 5A extend downward from the first portion 51U. The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 are each rod-shaped and extend in the front-to-rear direction below the filter 5A. The air purifier 1 can sterilize a wider area of ​​the filter space 500 surrounded by the first portion 51U, the second portion 51R, and the third portion 51L by using specific visible light emitted from the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84.

[0091] The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 are made of resin and are flexible. Therefore, the air purifier 1 makes it easier for the user to handle the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 and reduces the possibility of breakage. Furthermore, the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 can be manufactured inexpensively.

[0092] The accordion-folded folds of the filter 5A extend in the front-to-rear direction. In contrast, the rod-shaped right light guide 83 and left light guide 84 extend in the front-to-rear direction along the accordion-folded folds of the filter 5A. In this case, the air purifier 1 can allow the specific visible light emitted from the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 to reach deep within the accordion-folded grooves. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can sterilize the deep within the accordion-folded grooves of the filter 5A using the specific visible light.

[0093] Portions of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84, including the center in the front-to-rear direction, are positioned so as to overlap with the upper boss 7B in the radial direction centered on the rotation axis C2. Note that, in the radial direction centered on the rotation axis C2, the amount of air flowing through the region overlapping with the upper boss 7B is less than the amount of air flowing through the region not overlapping with the upper boss 7B. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can prevent the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 from obstructing the air flow generated by driving the fan 7.

[0094] An imaginary plane tangent to the curved portions R of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84, excluding the vertex located most upstream in the air blowing direction, is inclined and not perpendicular to the air blowing direction. In this case, the air blown in the air blowing direction by the fan 7 flows smoothly along the curved portions R of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can prevent the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 from obstructing the air flow generated by the fan 7.

[0095] The light unit housing 62 of the second housing 6 has a front holder 63 and a rear holder 64. The right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 are fixed to the front holder 63. In this way, the air purifier 1 can hold the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 in the second housing 6 using the front holder 63. Furthermore, the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 are connected to the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 via the front holder 63. In this case, when the light unit 8 is manufactured by assembling the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 to the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82, it is possible to prevent the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 from being misaligned with the LEDs of the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82.

[0096] A portion of the air circulated by the fan 7 flows into the holder space 603 of the front holder 63 through the plurality of first holes 631 of the front holder 63. This allows the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 to be cooled. The air that has cooled the right LED board 81 and the left LED board 82 can be discharged to the outside through the second right hole 632R and the second left hole 632L of the front holder 63.

[0097] A reflector 830 that reflects upward the specific visible light guided from the front end to the rear end is provided on the flat portion H at the lower end of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84. In this case, the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 can radiate the specific visible light toward the filter 5A above, thereby increasing the intensity of the specific visible light irradiated onto the filter 5A. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can efficiently sterilize the filter 5A using the specific visible light.

[0098] The filter unit 5 has a front protrusion 54F that protrudes forward from the front end and a rear protrusion 54S that protrudes rearward from the rear end. A user can easily replace the filter unit 5, which is detachable from the first storage section 4, by grasping the front protrusion 54F and the rear protrusion 54S. When the filter unit 5 is stored in the first storage section 4, the upper surface of the front protrusion 54F contacts from below the front fixing portion 43F positioned at the contact position, and the upper surface of the rear protrusion 54S contacts from below the rear fixing portion 43S positioned at the contact position. At this time, the upper side of the front protrusion 54F is covered by the front fixing portion 43F positioned at the contact position, and the upper side of the rear protrusion 54S is covered by the rear fixing portion 43S positioned at the contact position. Therefore, the front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S can prevent impurities from adhering to the front protrusion 54F and the rear protrusion 54S, thereby preventing the user's hands from getting dirty when gripping the front protrusion 54F and the rear protrusion 54S.

[0099] The filter unit 5 housed in the first housing portion 4 is pressed against the first bottom wall 40B of the first housing portion 4 by the front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S, which are in the contact position. At this time, the elastic body 5D of the filter unit 5 is compressed, and the elastic force causes it to adhere to the first bottom wall 40B. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can prevent a gap from forming between the filter unit 5 and the first bottom wall 40B of the first housing portion 4. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can prevent air from leaking from the gap between the filter unit 5 and the first bottom wall 40B of the first housing portion 4.

[0100] The ribs 48 provided on the bottom wall of the first housing portion 4 locally compress the elastic body 5D. Note that the force required to press the filter unit 5 against the bottom wall of the first housing portion 4 to house the filter unit 5 in the first housing portion 4 is smaller when the ribs 48 are provided than when the ribs 48 are not provided. Therefore, the user can use the front fixing portion 43F and the rear fixing portion 43S to press the filter unit 5 against the first bottom wall 40B of the first housing portion 4 with less force, thereby housing the filter unit 5 in the first housing portion 4. This allows the air purifier 1 to facilitate the user's replacement of the filter unit 5.

[0101] When the spacing between the accordion-folded folds of the filter 5A is the same for the first, second, and third portions 51U, 51R, and 51L of the filter 5A, the flow velocity of air passing through the first portion 51U of the filter 5A is faster than the flow velocity of air passing through the second and third portions 51R and 51L. In contrast, the spacing between the accordion-folded folds of the first portion 51U of the filter 5A is smaller than the spacing between the accordion-folded folds of the second and third portions 51R and 51L. Note that the smaller the spacing between the accordion-folded folds, the greater the attenuation of the flow velocity of air passing through the filter 5A. In other words, the flow velocity of air passing through the first portion 51U is slower than the flow velocity of air passing through the second and third portions 51R and 51L, and the two flow velocities change to be similar. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can equalize the flow rate of the air passing through the first portion 51U of the filter 5A and the flow rate of the air passing through the second portion 51R and the third portion 51L.

[0102] <Modifications> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. It is sufficient that at least the first suction port 35 is provided in the housing 3. In this case, at least one of the second right suction port 36R and the second left suction port 36L does not have to be provided in the housing 3. The shape of the filter 5A is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the filter 5A may have an arc shape when viewed from the front. Furthermore, for example, the filter 5A may have a hemispherical shape.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 16 , the light guide 183 may extend linearly in the left-right direction in the unit space 602 of the optical unit housing portion 62 .

[0104] 17 , the light guide 283 may be bent upward. In this case, a portion of each light guide 283, including its center in the left-right direction, may be disposed in a filter space 500 surrounded by the first portion 51U, the right curved portion 510R, the second portion 51R, the left curved portion 510L, and the third portion 51L of the filter 5A. By disposing each portion of the light guide 283 in the filter space 500, each portion of the light guide 283 is in close proximity to the filter 5A. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can efficiently sterilize the filter 5A using specific visible light emitted from the light guide 283 located in close proximity to the filter 5A. Note that the upwardly bent light guide 283 may extend in the left-right direction or the front-to-back direction.

[0105] The optical unit 8 may have one or more light guides. When there is only one light guide, as shown in FIG. 18 , the light guide 85 may be positioned so that it passes through a position overlapping the rotation axis C2 of the fan. Since the rotation axis C2 of the fan coincides with the center of the filter 5A in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, the position of the light guide 85 overlaps the center position of the filter 5A in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. In this case, the air purifier 1 can uniformly irradiate the filter 5A with the specific visible light emitted from the light guide in both the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can efficiently sterilize the filter 5A using fewer light guides. The light guide 85 that passes through the position overlapping the rotation axis C2 may extend in the front-to-back direction or the left-to-right direction.

[0106] The optical unit 8 may emit the specific visible light from a light source other than an LED, and radiate the specific visible light from the left light guide 84 and the right light guide 83 toward the filter 5A. For example, the optical unit 8 may emit the specific visible light from a fluorescent lamp or an electroluminescence (EL) element. The optical unit 8 may not be provided with a light guide. In this case, the optical unit 8 may radiate the specific visible light emitted from the light source directly toward the filter 5A.

[0107] The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 may be disposed so as not to overlap with the upper boss 7B in the radial direction centered on the rotation axis C2. For example, the right light guide 83 may be disposed to the right of the upper boss 7B, and the left light guide 84 may be disposed to the left of the upper boss 7B.

[0108] The cross-sectional shapes of the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 may be circular or polygonal. The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 are not limited to being rod-shaped and may be plate-shaped. The right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 may be formed of a material other than resin. For example, the right light guide 83 and the left light guide 84 may be made of glass. The filter 5A does not need to have an accordion-folded shape. For example, the filter 5A may be formed by bending a thick plate-shaped filter substrate at two points to form the first portion 51U, the second portion 51R, and the third portion 51L.

[0109] The optical unit 8 may radiate specific visible light emitted from a light source such as an LED toward the filter 5A using optical components other than a light guide. Examples of optical components include optical lenses, optical mirrors, prisms, and diffraction gratings, which may be used alone or in any combination. For example, the optical unit may be configured by arranging multiple LEDs at equal intervals on an elongated substrate extending in the front-to-rear direction, and installing an optical lens on the substrate so as to cover the LEDs.

[0110] The front holder 63 may not be provided with the upper partition wall 63U and the lower partition wall 63B. In this case, openings may be provided above and below the front holder 63. The air flowing by the fan 7 may enter the holder space 603 from the upper opening and cool the left LED board 82 and the right LED board 81. In this case, the front holder 63 may not be provided with the plurality of first holes 631, the second right hole 632R, and the second left hole 632L.

[0111] The filter unit 5 may have only one of the front protrusion 54F and the rear protrusion 54S. In this case, the first storage section 4 may have only a fixing portion that fixes either the front protrusion 54F or the rear protrusion 54S. Alternatively, the filter unit 5 may have a right protrusion that protrudes to the right and a left protrusion that protrudes to the left. In this case, the first storage section 4 may further have a right fixing portion that fixes the right protrusion and a left fixing portion that fixes the left protrusion.

[0112] Instead of the elastic body 5D adhered to the underside of the filter unit 5, an elastic body may be adhered to a portion of the bottom wall of the first accommodating section 4 that faces the underside of the filter unit 5. In this case, a rib 48 that protrudes downward may be provided on the underside of the filter unit 5.

[0113] The intervals between the accordion-like folds of the filter unit 5 may be the same in the first portion 51U, the second portion 51R, and the third portion 51L.

[0114] The front-rear direction is an example of a "first direction" in the present invention. The left-right direction is an example of a "second direction" in the present invention. The up-down direction is an example of a "third direction" in the present invention. The upper side is an example of a "one side of the third direction" in the present invention. The lower side is an example of a "other side of the third direction" in the present invention. The first front wall 40F is an example of a "side wall" in the present invention. The housing 3, the first storage section 4, and the second storage section 6 are the locations of the "housing" in the present invention. The first suction port 35 is an example of an "suction port" in the present invention. The housing upper wall 30U of the housing 3 is an example of a "first wall" in the present invention. The left recess 633L, the right recess 633R, the left fixing jig 634L, and the right fixing jig 634R are examples of a "connecting portion" in the present invention. The first storage section 4 is an example of a "storage section" in the present invention. The second right hole 632R and the second left hole 632L are examples of a "second hole" in the present invention.

[0115] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Air purifier 3: Housing 4: First storage section 5: Filter unit 5A: Filter 5D: Elastic body 6: Second storage section 7: Fan 7B: Upper boss 8: Optical unit 30U: Housing upper wall 35: First intake port 43F: Front fixing section 43S: Rear fixing section 48: Rib 51L: Third section 51R: Second section 51U: First section 54F: Front protrusion 54S: Rear protrusion 63: Front holder 63B: Lower partition wall 63L: Left partition wall 63R: Right partition wall 63S: Rear partition wall 63U: Upper partition wall 83: Right light guide 84: Left light guide 631: First hole 632L : Second left hole 632R : Second right hole 633L : Left recess 633R : Right recess 634L : Left fixing jig 634R : Right fixing jig

Claims

1. An air purifier comprising: a housing having an air intake port; a filter unit housed inside the housing and including a filter that purifies the air drawn in through the intake port; and an optical unit housed inside the housing and including a light source that emits specific visible light having a peak wavelength of 405 nm or more and 600 nm or less, wherein the filter is curved in a direction away from the intake port and is positioned between the intake port and at least a part of the optical unit.

2. The air purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical unit includes an optical component that radiates the specific visible light emitted from the light source toward the filter, and the filter is disposed between the air intake and the optical component.

3. The air purifier according to claim 2, wherein the light source has an LED, and the optical component has a light guide that guides the specific visible light emitted from the LED.

4. The air purifier described in claim 3, characterized in that the filter has a first part that faces a first wall of the housing where the intake port is provided and extends in a first direction parallel to the first wall, and a second part and a third part that extend from the first part in a direction away from the first wall and face each other in a second direction that is parallel to the first wall and perpendicular to the first direction, and the light guide has a rod shape and extends along the first direction or the second direction.

5. The air purifier according to claim 3, wherein the light guide is made of resin.

6. The air purifier according to claim 3, wherein the filter has an accordion-folded shape, and the light guide is rod-shaped and extends along the accordion-folded folds of the filter.

7. The air purifier described in claim 3, characterized in that the filter has a first part that faces a first wall of the housing where the intake port is provided and extends in a first direction parallel to the first wall, and a second part and a third part that extend from the first part in a direction away from the first wall and face each other in a second direction that is parallel to the first wall and perpendicular to the first direction, and at least a part of the light guide is positioned in a position that overlaps with the center position of the filter in the second direction.

8. An air purifier as described in claim 3, characterized in that it has an axial fan that flows air in a predetermined blowing direction, located opposite the filter with the optical unit in between, the axial fan including: a boss located on a predetermined rotation axis; and a plurality of blades that rotate around the rotation axis and protrude from the boss in a radial direction around the rotation axis; and at least a portion of the light guide is positioned in a position that overlaps with the boss in the radial direction.

9. An air purifier as described in claim 3, characterized in that it has a fan that flows air in a predetermined air flow direction, located opposite the filter across the optical unit, and the light guide has an upstream side that intersects with the air flow direction and a downstream side that is located downstream of the upstream side in the air flow direction and intersects with the air flow direction, and the upstream side is inclined with respect to the air flow direction.

10. The air purifier according to claim 9, wherein the light guide has a reflecting portion on the downstream side that reflects the specific visible light guided from the LED toward the filter.

11. The air purifier of claim 1, further comprising: a storage section in which the filter unit is detachably stored; and a fixing section that fixes the filter unit stored in the storage section, wherein the filter has: a first section that faces a first wall of the housing where the intake port is provided and extends in a first direction parallel to the first wall; and a second section and a third section that extend from the first section in a direction away from the first wall and face each other in a second direction that is parallel to the first wall and perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the storage section has: a bottom wall; and a side wall that extends from the bottom wall in a third direction that is perpendicular to the first and second directions and faces one end of the filter in the first direction, and wherein the filter unit has: a support plate that supports the one end of the filter; and a protrusion that protrudes from the support plate toward the side wall, and wherein the fixing section is movable between a contact position in the third direction where it contacts the protrusion and a separated position away from the contact position.

12. The air purifier according to claim 11, further comprising an elastic body disposed between the filter unit and the bottom wall in the third direction and in contact with the filter unit and the bottom wall.

13. An air purifier as described in claim 12, characterized in that the elastic body is provided on the filter unit, the bottom wall has a rib protruding in the third direction on a part of the portion that contacts the elastic body when the filter unit is accommodated in the accommodation section, and the width of the rib is smaller than the width of the elastic body.

14. The air purifier described in claim 1, characterized in that the filter has an accordion-folded shape and comprises a first part facing a first wall of the housing where the intake port is provided and extending in a first direction parallel to the first wall, and a second part and a third part extending from the first part in a direction away from the first wall and facing each other in a second direction parallel to the first wall and perpendicular to the first direction, and the spacing between the accordion-folded folds of the first part is smaller than the spacing between the folds of the second part and the third part.

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