Air conditioner

Abstract

Provided is an air conditioner in which water splashing therefrom can be prevented. This air conditioner comprises: a water storage unit that stores water; a humidification filter that is rotatably held and that has water absorbency and air permeability; a control unit that controls the rotation of the humidification filter; and a blower that generates an airflow that passes through the humidification filter. In the humidification filter, the portion immersed in water stored in the water storage unit changes according to the rotational position. The control unit sets the per-unit-time rotation amount of the humidification filter in a moistening preparation period following the start of humidification operation so as to be less than the per-unit-time rotation amount of the humidification filter after the lapse of the moistening preparation period following the start of the humidification operation.

Description

air conditioner

[0001] The following disclosure relates to an air conditioner. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-130840, filed on August 7, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Air conditioners with a humidifying function that blows out humidified air are known, and are also called "humidifiers." Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioner that includes a water tank, a blower, a disk-shaped filter that is rotatable about a horizontal rotation shaft in a ventilation path for the air generated by the blower, and a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the filter in a circumferential direction, wherein the filter has a submerged portion whose outer periphery is submerged in the water tank when rotating and a non-submerged portion that does not submerge, separated circumferentially, and when not rotating, the non-submerged portion is vertical and located at the lowest position.

[0003] JP 2009-85511 A

[0004] In air conditioners that rotate a water-absorbed filter, as in Patent Document 1, water can splash from the filter. One reason for this is that a dry filter has poor water absorption, so when the filter rotates, water that cannot be absorbed is scooped up while remaining attached to the surface of the filter or the hot melt adhesive that holds the filter shape, and is then scattered by the wind generated by the fan.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioner that can prevent water splashing.

[0006] The air conditioner of the present disclosure comprises a water storage section for storing water, a rotatably held humidifying filter that is absorbent and breathable, a control section for controlling the rotation of the humidifying filter, and a blower for generating an airflow that passes through the humidifying filter, wherein the portion of the humidifying filter that is immersed in the water stored in the water storage section changes depending on the rotation position, and the control section reduces the amount of rotation of the humidifying filter per unit time from the start of humidifying operation to the end of a wetting preparation period to be smaller than the amount of rotation of the humidifying filter per unit time during the humidifying operation after the wetting preparation period has elapsed.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an air conditioner that can prevent water splashing.

[0008] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an air conditioner of an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner of an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a water storage tray supporting a humidifying filter unit. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a water storage tray with the humidifying filter unit removed. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the state of the humidifying filter unit during a period when humidifying operation is stopped. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the state of the humidifying filter unit during a period when intermittent control is stopped. Fig. 7 is a flowchart explaining the operation of an air conditioner of embodiment 1. Fig. 8 is a flowchart explaining the operation of an air conditioner of embodiment 2.

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an air conditioner according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] In this disclosure, the term "air conditioner" refers to any device having a humidifying function that blows out humidified air. The temperature of the air blown out by the air conditioner is not particularly limited, and the air conditioner may have, for example, a cooling function that blows out cool air or a heating function that blows out warm air. Furthermore, the air conditioner may have a function other than the humidifying function in addition to the humidifying function, such as an "air purifier" that has an air cleaning function. The air cleaning function may simply remove dust and dirt from the air using a filter, or may sterilize and deodorize by blowing out air containing electrically charged particles. The air conditioner shown in the embodiment is an air purifier with a humidifying function that has both a humidifying function and an air cleaning function.

[0011] [Embodiment 1] The configuration of an air conditioner 100 of embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the air conditioner 100 of the embodiment, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner 100. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a water storage tray (water storage section) 20 supporting a humidifying filter unit F. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the water storage tray 20 with the humidifying filter unit F removed. Note that arrow D in Figure 2 indicates the direction of airflow (wind) of air before or after humidification.

[0012] As shown in the figure, the air conditioner 100 of the embodiment comprises a housing 10, a water storage tray 20, a water supply container 30, a humidifying filter unit F, a blower 40, a filter drive unit 50, a control unit 60, an operation panel 61, a dust collection filter 71, and a deodorizing filter 72.

[0013] The housing 10 includes a front air outlet 11 , a rear air outlet 12 , a humidifying filter accommodating space 13 , an air cleaning filter accommodating space 14 , an inner panel 15 , and a rear panel 16 .

[0014] The front air outlet 11 and the rear air outlet 12 are located at the top of the housing 10. The front air outlet 11 blows air humidified by the humidifying filter 1 toward the front of the housing 10. The rear air outlet 12 blows the humidified air toward the rear (back) surface of the housing 10.

[0015] The humidifying filter accommodating space 13 accommodates the water storage tray 20, the water supply container 30 and the humidifying filter unit F.

[0016] The air cleaning filter accommodating space 14 is formed between the inner panel 15 and the rear panel 16. The air cleaning filter accommodating space 14 accommodates a dust collecting filter 71 and a deodorizing filter 72. The dust collecting filter 71 and the deodorizing filter 72 are held in the air cleaning filter accommodating space 14 by the rear panel 16.

[0017] The water storage tray 20 is detachable. One side of the water storage tray 20 forms part of the housing 10, and can be slid out from the humidifying filter housing space 13 inside the housing 10 to the external space, and can be slid further to separate it separately.

[0018] The water storage tray 20 includes a water supply tray 21 , a support roller 22 , a water supply portion 23 , and a tray divider 24 .

[0019] The water supply container 30 is configured to be detachable. A user of the air conditioner 100 can attach or detach the water supply container 30 to or from the water storage tray 20 while the air conditioner 100 is pulled out from the humidifying filter housing space 13 to the exterior space.

[0020] The water container 30 includes a water tank 31 , a tank cap 32 , and a handle 33 .

[0021] A user of the air conditioner 100 pours water into the water tank 31 of the water supply container 30. The water supplied from the water tank 31 is stored in the water supply tray 21 of the water storage tray 20. The lower part of the humidifying filter 1 is immersed in the water stored in the water supply tray 21.

[0022] The water tank 31 of the water supply container 30 stores water to be supplied to the water storage tray 20. The tank cap 32 is fastened to a screw formed on the outer edge of the water supply opening of the water tank 31. The tank cap 32 has a check valve that prevents the stored water from leaking out. The handle 33 is used to carry the water tank 31.

[0023] When the water supply container 30 is accommodated in the humidifying filter accommodating space 13, the water tank 31 is inserted at its lower part into the water supply section 23 of the water storage tray 20, and is placed on top of the water supply section 23, and is then pushed into the humidifying filter accommodating space 13 together with the water storage tray 20 and accommodated therein.

[0024] Water supply unit 23 has a convex portion that pushes up the check valve of tank cap 32 when water tank 31 is placed on water supply unit 23. As a result, if the water level in water supply unit 23 drops, water from water tank 31 is automatically replenished to water supply unit 23.

[0025] The water storage tray 20 is capable of storing water at a predetermined level in the water supply tray 21, and water is supplied to the humidifying filter 1 in the water supply tray 21. A water supply port that penetrates the partition is provided in the wall (partition) that separates the water supply tray 21 from the water supply section 23. This allows water to be supplied from the water tank 31 to the water supply tray 21 via the water supply section 23 and the water supply port. The water level in the water supply section 23 is detected by detection means such as a float.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the water supply tray 21 has a step 21a in the middle of its height. The area above the step 21a is a wide section with a large opening area. The water supply tray 21 has support rollers 22 in the narrow section below the step 21a (towards the bottom 21b).

[0027] The support rollers 22 are disposed on the bottom 21b (bottom surface) inside the water supply tray 21. The support rollers 22 each rotatably support the humidifying filter unit F placed on the support roller 22 within the water supply tray 21, as shown in FIG.

[0028] A tray divider 24 is disposed on the upper part of the partition between the water supply section 23 and the water supply tray 21. The tray divider 24 prevents the airflow (wind) generated by the blower fan 42 from leaking out of the humidifying filter accommodating space 13.

[0029] The humidifying filter unit F includes a humidifying filter 1, a frame-shaped filter holding member (filter holder) 2, and a gear portion 3 formed on the outer periphery (outer periphery) of the filter holder 2. The humidifying filter unit F is rotatably held within the air conditioner 100, and as shown in Figure 4, is rotatably supported by two support rollers 22 within a water supply tray 21. The humidifying filter 1 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the humidifying filter unit F.

[0030] The humidifying filter 1 is a member made by folding a porous sheet made of absorbent material such as rayon or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in an accordion pattern. The accordion-folded folds are kept at a constant distance by hot melt adhesive 4, which is formed in stripes at regular intervals.

[0031] The humidifying filter 1 is absorbent and breathable, and is housed in the filter holder 2 with at least a portion exposed. The filter holder 2 is not absorbent or breathable. The humidifying filter 1 is absorbent and breathable, and will absorb water when the portion exposed from the filter holder 2 is immersed in water in the water supply tray 21 of the water storage tray 20. Even if the humidifying filter 1 is immersed in water in the water supply tray 21 of the water storage tray 20, it will not absorb water if only the portion not exposed from the filter holder 2 is immersed in water.

[0032] In the air conditioner 100 of embodiment 1, water is supplied to the humidifying filter 1 by immersing the humidifying filter 1 in water in the water supply tray 21 and having the humidifying filter 1 suck up the water from below. With this water absorption method, water droplets are less likely to adhere to the surface of the humidifying filter 1 and water splashing is less likely to occur than with a water absorption method in which water is sprayed onto the humidifying filter 1.

[0033] The blower 40 includes a blower motor 41 and a blower fan 42. The blower 40 generates an airflow that passes through the humidifying filter 1. The blower fan 42 is, for example, a sirocco fan. The blower motor 41 drives the blower fan 42 to rotate.

[0034] The blower fan 42 is rotated by the drive of the blower motor 41, and draws air from the rear side of the housing 10 through the deodorizing filter 72 and the dust collecting filter 71. The drawn air is humidified while passing through the humidifying filter 1, and is then sent out as humidified air from the front air outlet 11, the rear air outlet 12, or both.

[0035] The filter drive unit 50 includes a drive motor 51 and a drive gear 52 (transmission member). The filter drive unit 50 rotates the humidifying filter unit F. Specifically, the drive gear 52 rotates when driven by the drive motor 51. The drive gear 52 abuts against the gear portion 3 of the humidifying filter unit F and transmits the rotational drive of the drive motor 51 to the filter holder 2. This causes the humidifying filter 1 to rotate around a rotation axis (indicated by the dashed-dotted line Ax in FIG. 2 ) at the center in the height direction (up-down direction).

[0036] The rotation can be either clockwise or counterclockwise. The direction of rotation, rotation speed, rotation angle (phase), rotation stop position, etc. can be set arbitrarily by instructions or commands from the control unit 60.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 2, the air conditioner 100 has a control unit 60 and an operation panel 61. The control unit 60 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 60 controls each element of the air conditioner 100, such as the filter drive unit 50, by executing a computer program stored in a memory unit (not shown). The rotation of the humidifying filter 1 and the blower fan 42 is controlled by the control unit 60.

[0038] The operation panel 61 is disposed on the top surface of the housing 10. The operation panel 61 includes a display unit and a touch panel. The touch panel functions as an operation input unit.

[0039] In the air conditioner 100 configured as described above, when humidification operation is performed, a wetting preparatory period is set from the start of humidification operation until a certain time has elapsed, after which normal humidification operation is performed. During the wetting preparatory period, the control unit 60 controls the rotation of the humidifying filter 1 so that the amount of rotation of the humidifying filter 1 per unit time is smaller than during normal humidification operation (after the wetting preparatory period has elapsed). The unit time is not particularly limited and may be, for example, one minute. The amount of rotation of the humidifying filter 1 per minute during normal humidification operation is, for example, 360 degrees (one rotation). The amount of rotation of the humidifying filter 1 per minute during the wetting preparatory period may be adjusted, for example, between 6 degrees (one rotation per hour) and 90 degrees (one rotation per four minutes).

[0040] The length of the wetting preparation period may be set according to the water absorption properties of the humidifying filter 1, and is not particularly limited, but is, for example, between 30 and 60 minutes. By setting the period between 30 and 60 minutes, it becomes easier to achieve both rapid humidification and prevention of water splashing.

[0041] The portion of the humidifying filter 1 that is immersed in the water stored in the water supply tray 21 varies depending on the rotational position. Figure 5 shows the state of the humidifying filter unit F during a period when humidification operation is stopped. As shown in Figure 5, when humidification operation is stopped, rotation of the humidifying filter unit F is stopped, and only the portion of the humidifying filter 1 covered by the filter holder 2 is immersed in water. Therefore, before the start of humidification operation, the humidifying filter 1 is stopped in a state where water in the water supply tray 21 (water storage section) has not penetrated into it. When humidification operation is started, the control unit 60 starts rotation of the humidifying filter 1. Because the humidifying filter 1 is dry immediately after rotation begins and has poor water absorption, water scooped up from the water supply tray 21 as the humidifying filter 1 rotates is not absorbed by the humidifying filter 1, but rather remains on the surface of the humidifying filter 1 and in the hot melt adhesive that maintains the filter shape, and is lifted upward. If this water is scattered by the airflow (wind) passing through the humidifying filter 1, water splashes from the humidifying filter 1.

[0042] The air conditioner 100 is provided with a wetting preparation period in which the rotation amount of the humidifying filter 1 per unit time is reduced, so that the humidifying filter 1 can absorb water sufficiently early after the start of humidifying operation, thereby preventing water that is not absorbed by the humidifying filter 1 from being lifted upward and splashing from the humidifying filter 1.

[0043] In the first embodiment, intermittent operation, in which the humidifying filter 1 is repeatedly rotated and stopped, is used as a method for reducing the rotation amount of the humidifying filter 1 per unit time during the wetting preparation period. The control unit 60 performs intermittent control, which controls the intermittent operation of the humidifying filter 1 during the wetting preparation period. During the stop period of intermittent control, a portion of the humidifying filter unit F is immersed in water in the water supply tray 21 (water storage unit). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the state of the humidifying filter unit F during the stop period of intermittent control. During the stop period of intermittent control, the humidifying filter 1 is stopped in a different orientation (rotation angle) than when the humidifying operation is stopped, and the portion not covered by the filter holder 2 is immersed in water. As a result, the humidifying filter 1 absorbs water during the stop period of intermittent control, allowing the humidifying filter 1 to absorb water more quickly than when intermittent control is not performed.

[0044] The intermittent control stop period is not particularly limited, but may be set to be longer than the intermittent control rotation period, for example. This allows the humidifying filter 1 to absorb water quickly and effectively prevent water splashing. The intermittent control stop period and rotation period may be constant or variable within the wetting preparation period. When the stop period and rotation period are varied within the wetting preparation period, for example, the intermittent control stop period may be longer than the intermittent control rotation period in the first half of the wetting preparation period, and the intermittent control stop period may be the same as or shorter than the intermittent control rotation period in the second half of the wetting preparation period.

[0045] The lengths of the stop period and rotation period of the intermittent control are adjusted appropriately depending on the water absorption properties of the humidifying filter 1, and are not particularly limited, but the length of the stop period is, for example, at least 1 minute and not more than 5 minutes, and the length of the rotation period is, for example, at least 5 seconds and not more than 30 seconds.

[0046] The amount of rotation of the humidifying filter 1 during one continuous rotation period during the intermittent control is not particularly limited, but is, for example, less than 360 degrees (one rotation). A specific example of the rotation operation of the humidifying filter 1 is that in the first cycle, the humidifying filter 1 rotates 90 degrees (one-quarter rotation) from the start position of the humidifying operation and stops, and in the second and subsequent cycles, the humidifying filter 1 rotates 180 degrees (one-half rotation) from the previous stop position and stops again. Figure 6 shows the humidifying filter unit F rotated 90 degrees (one-quarter rotation) from the start position of the humidifying operation and stops, and the humidifying filter unit F rotated another 180 degrees (one-half rotation) and stops again is in substantially the same state. By keeping the amount of rotation of the humidifying filter 1 constant during the second and subsequent cycles, the entire humidifying filter 1 can absorb water uniformly.

[0047] The total rotation amount (number of rotations) of the humidifying filter 1 during the wetting preparation period is not particularly limited, but is preferably one rotation or more, for example, one rotation or more and 10 rotations or less.

[0048] When the above-mentioned intermittent operation is used, the rotation speed of the humidifying filter 1 during the rotation period of the wetting preparation period may be the same as the rotation speed during normal humidifying operation. By using intermittent operation, it is possible to vary the rotation amount of the humidifying filter 1 per unit time even in an air conditioner that does not have a configuration for changing the rotation speed of the humidifying filter 1.

[0049] The above-mentioned wetting preparation period is part of the humidification operation, and the blower 40 may generate an airflow during the wetting preparation period. This allows humidification to begin immediately after the user of the air conditioner 100 issues a command to start the humidification operation, without any waiting time. Since the air conditioner 100 of embodiment 1 can prevent water splashing, the airflow volume during the wetting preparation period can be the same as that during normal humidification operation (after the wetting preparation period has elapsed). As a result, the humidification rate after the start of the humidification operation can be improved. Furthermore, the airflow volume of the blower 40 during the wetting preparation period may be controlled by the control unit 60 to be smaller than that during normal humidification operation (after the wetting preparation period has elapsed). This makes it easier to suppress water splashing from the humidifying filter 1.

[0050] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the air conditioner of embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the start of humidification operation is selected in the air conditioner of embodiment 1, the control unit 60 reads setting information related to intermittent control to be performed during the wetting preparation period (S11). The control unit 60 may determine whether to set the wetting preparation period. For example, the control unit 60 may measure the time elapsed since the previous humidification operation, and if this time is less than a predetermined time, the control unit 60 may perform normal humidification operation without setting the wetting preparation period. This is because if the time elapsed since the previous humidification operation is short, the humidifying filter 1 has not yet dried.

[0051] When performing intermittent control, the drive motor 51 of the filter drive unit 50 is first driven based on information regarding the first cycle included in the setting information, and the humidifying filter 1 is rotated a predetermined angle (first angle) so that the humidifying filter 1 is immersed in the water in the water supply tray 21 and absorbs the water, and then stopped for a predetermined time (first time) (S12). The information regarding the first cycle includes the angle (first angle) at which the humidifying filter 1 is rotated and the time (first time) at which the humidifying filter 1 is stopped. For example, the first angle is 90 degrees and the first time is 3 minutes. The setting information may also include an angle that specifies the orientation of the humidifying filter 1 and the length of time the humidifying filter 1 rotates. The orientation of the humidifying filter 1 can be detected, for example, by attaching a magnet to the humidifying filter unit F and utilizing changes in magnetic force.

[0052] After the first time period has elapsed, the humidifying filter 1 is rotated a predetermined angle (second angle) based on information about the second or subsequent cycles included in the setting information, and then stopped for a predetermined time (second time) (S13). The information about the second or subsequent cycles includes the angle (second angle) by which the humidifying filter 1 is rotated and the time (second time) for which the humidifying filter 1 is stopped, and for example, the second angle is 180 degrees and the second time is 6 minutes. The setting information may include an angle that specifies the orientation of the humidifying filter 1 and the length of time for which the humidifying filter 1 rotates.

[0053] After the second time has elapsed, it is determined whether the wetting preparation period has ended based on information regarding the length of the wetting preparation period included in the setting information (S14). If the wetting preparation period has not ended, the humidifying filter 1 is rotated by a predetermined angle (second angle) and then stopped for a predetermined time (second time) again (S13). If the wetting preparation period has ended, the intermittent control is ended and normal humidification operation is started (S15). In normal humidification operation, the humidifying filter 1 is rotated continuously without any pauses, and the rotation amount of the humidifying filter 1 per unit time is greater than during the wetting preparation period.

[0054] [Embodiment 2] In Embodiment 2, the rotation speed of the humidifying filter 1 is slowed as a method for reducing the amount of rotation of the humidifying filter 1 per unit time during the wetting preparation period. The air conditioner of Embodiment 2 has the same configuration as the air conditioner 100 of Embodiment 1, except that the rotation speed of the humidifying filter 1 is adjusted by a control unit. Below, differences from Embodiment 1 will be described, and descriptions of the same aspects as in Embodiment 1 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0055] In this embodiment, the control unit 60 performs continuous control to keep the humidifying filter 1 rotating during the wetting preparation period and after the wetting preparation period has elapsed, and makes the rotation speed of the humidifying filter 1 during the wetting preparation period slower than the rotation speed of the humidifying filter 1 after the wetting preparation period has elapsed.

[0056] In this embodiment, the length of the wetting preparation period is not particularly limited and may be set depending on the water absorption properties of the humidifying filter 1, but is, for example, between 30 and 60 minutes. By setting the length to between 30 and 60 minutes, it becomes easier to achieve both rapid humidification and prevention of water splashing.

[0057] The rotation speed of the humidifying filter 1 during the wetting preparation period is not particularly limited, but for example, the rotation amount per minute is between 6 degrees (one rotation per hour) and 90 degrees (one rotation per four minutes). This prevents the humidifying filter 1 from rotating before it has sufficiently absorbed water, effectively preventing water splashing.

[0058] The total rotation amount (number of rotations) of the humidifying filter 1 during the wetting preparation period is not particularly limited, but is preferably at least one rotation, for example, at least one rotation and at most 10 rotations.

[0059] The rotation speed of the humidifying filter 1 after the wetting preparation period has elapsed can be adjusted as appropriate, but for example, the rotation amount of the humidifying filter 1 per minute is set to 360 degrees (one rotation).

[0060] Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the air conditioner of embodiment 2. As shown in Fig. 8, when the start of humidification operation is selected in the air conditioner of embodiment 2, the control unit 60 reads out setting information related to the rotation speed of the humidifying filter 1 during the wetting preparation period (S21).

[0061] Based on the setting information, the drive motor 51 of the filter drive unit 50 is driven to rotate the humidifying filter 1 at a predetermined rotation speed (first rotation speed) (S22).

[0062] The control unit 60 determines whether the wetting preparation period has ended based on the setting information (S24). If the wetting preparation period has not ended, the control unit 60 continues the process of rotating the humidifying filter 1 at the first rotation speed (S22). If the wetting preparation period has ended, the control unit 60 starts normal humidification operation and rotates the humidifying filter 1 at a predetermined rotation speed (second rotation speed) faster than the first rotation speed (S25).

[0063] [Modification] While the air conditioners of the first and second embodiments end the wetting preparation period when a certain amount of time has elapsed since the start of humidification operation, the length of the wetting preparation period may be determined by other methods in the present disclosure. For example, the air conditioner of the present disclosure may include a determination unit that determines whether the humidifying filter is in a wet state, and the control unit may determine the length of the wetting preparation period based on the determination result of the determination unit. For example, if the determination unit determines whether the humidifying filter is in a wet state using a binary option, the determination unit may determine that the wetting preparation period is "ended" if it determines that the humidifying filter is in a wet state, and may determine that the wetting preparation period is "continued" if it determines that the humidifying filter is not in a wet state. Furthermore, if the determination unit determines the wetting state of the humidifying filter by quantifying it, the remaining time of the wetting preparation period may be determined from the obtained measured value of the wetting state.

[0064] The method for determining the wetness state of the humidifying filter by the determination unit is not particularly limited, but examples include the following: (1) A method of photographing the humidifying filter with a camera and making a determination from the obtained image; (2) A method of measuring the water level in the water supply tray and making a determination from the obtained water level. For example, a humidifying filter is determined to be wet when the water level drops by a predetermined amount; (3) A method of measuring the humidity in the humidifying filter storage space and making a determination from the obtained humidity; (4) A method of measuring the surface temperature of the humidifying filter and making a determination from the obtained surface temperature (latent heat of vaporization).

[0065] The present disclosure is not limited to the contents described in the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without substantially departing from the gist of the present disclosure. Each drawing is shown schematically to the extent necessary to explain the invention, and the size, position, number, etc. of each component shown are examples.

Claims

1. An air conditioner comprising: a water storage section for storing water; a rotatably held humidifying filter that is absorbent and breathable; a control section for controlling the rotation of the humidifying filter; and a blower for generating an airflow that passes through the humidifying filter, wherein the portion of the humidifying filter that is immersed in the water stored in the water storage section changes depending on the rotation position, and the control section reduces the amount of rotation of the humidifying filter per unit time from the start of humidifying operation to the end of a wetting preparation period to be smaller than the amount of rotation of the humidifying filter per unit time during the humidifying operation after the wetting preparation period has elapsed.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the control unit performs intermittent control of the humidifying filter by repeatedly rotating and stopping the humidifying filter during the wetting preparation period, and during the stop period of the intermittent control, a portion of the humidifying filter is immersed in water in the water storage unit.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the stop period of the intermittent control is longer than the rotation period of the intermittent control.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the amount of rotation of the humidifying filter during one rotation period of the intermittent control is less than one rotation.

5. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the control unit performs continuous control to keep the humidifying filter rotating during the moistening preparation period and after the moistening preparation period has elapsed, and the rotation speed of the humidifying filter during the moistening preparation period is slower than the rotation speed of the humidifying filter after the moistening preparation period has elapsed.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the blower generates the airflow during the moistening preparation period.

7. An air conditioner as described in claim 1, further comprising a judgment unit that judges whether the humidifying filter is in a wet state, and the control unit determines the length of the wetting preparation period based on the judgment result of the judgment unit.

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