JP3584192B2 - Dehumidifier - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a dehumidifier having a function of detecting whether a water storage tank is attached or detached or full.
[0002]
[Prior art]
BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as a dehumidifier provided with a water storage tank, for example, a dehumidifier having the following configuration has been proposed.
[0003]
In the first dehumidifier, a part of the water storage tank is held by magnetic force, and the rotation position of the water storage tank when the water is full and the detached state of the water storage tank are detected by a microswitch, and the driving is stopped. (See Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-42416).
[0004]
In the second dehumidifier, the main switch is turned on via an operation piece when the tank is full of water by a float provided in the water storage tank, and the driving is stopped (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 3-20672, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 2-20672). No. 93224).
[0005]
In the third dehumidifier, a water receiving tray is provided below the heat exchanger, and its drain port is closed by a stopper provided on a pivotable lever by removing a water storage tank (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 9-260,009). 6-34158).
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the dehumidifier, even if the driving is stopped, the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger does not always disappear. Therefore, in the first and second dehumidifiers, when the water storage tank is removed immediately after the drive is stopped, the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger scatters to the storage chamber of the water storage tank and its surroundings.
[0007]
In addition, the third dehumidifier merely provides a structure that prevents leakage of condensed water when the water storage tank is removed from the dehumidifier. Therefore, a switch such as the first or second dehumidifier and a means for driving this switch when water is full are required separately in order to stop the dehumidification process when the water is full.
[0008]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a dehumidifier that enables or prohibits the flow of condensed water and the execution of a dehumidification process with a single member.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, as a means for solving the above problems, a dehumidification rotor is rotatably provided across a dehumidification passage and a regeneration passage formed in a casing, and the dehumidification rotor absorbs moisture from air passing through the dehumidification passage. In a dehumidifier that performs a dehumidification process in which steam is generated by hot air circulating in the regeneration passage and then condensed in a heat exchanger and collected in a water storage tank,
Arranging a guide tank in the middle of the route until collecting the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger in the water storage tank,
The guide tank is provided with a rotatable operating plate having a sealing portion for opening and closing the communication hole to the water storage tank, and a switch for turning on / off by turning the operating plate to execute / stop the dehumidification process. Is provided.
[0010]
With this configuration, it is possible to adjust not only whether or not the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger flows down to the water storage tank but also whether or not to execute the dehumidification process by only the guide tank having the operation plate. .
[0011]
The heat exchanger forms a drainage channel that guides the generated condensed water to a predetermined position in the guide tank, while the guide tank covers the drainage channel with the condensed water flowing in through the drainage channel. It is preferable to form a water storage recess for storing the hot air circulating in the regeneration passage in that it can be prevented from leaking out.
[0012]
The water storage tank is provided with a float portion that receives a buoyancy from the collected condensed water, and a rotatable float member including a pressing portion that presses and rotates the operating plate to open a communication hole,
The guide tank is provided with biasing means for biasing to seal the communication hole with the sealing portion of the operation plate,
What is necessary is just to form in the said operation plate the press receiving part pressed by the press part of a float member, and the press part which turns on the said switch by being pressed and rotated.
[0013]
If the float portion of the float member is opened downward and divided into a plurality of air tanks by a partition plate parallel to the rotation axis, even if the float member is tilted by rotation, the amount of air leaking from the float portion is reduced. It is preferable because it can be suppressed.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0015]
1 and 2 show a dehumidifier according to the present embodiment. This dehumidifier has a configuration in which a dehumidification rotor 2, a main fan 3, a heater 4, a heat exchanger 5, and a water storage tank 6 are arranged in a casing 1 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.
[0016]
A housing chamber 7 is formed in the casing 1 on the lower front side to removably house the water storage tank 6. A drain hole 8 is formed in a front part of an upper wall constituting the accommodation room 7. In the casing 1, an intake hole 9 is formed on the lower rear surface by a plurality of slits arranged in parallel, and an exhaust hole 10 is formed on the upper surface. Further, a dehumidifying passage 12 and a regeneration passage 13 are formed in the casing 1 by a partition wall 11. The dehumidifying passage 12 communicates the intake hole 9 and the exhaust hole 10, and the high-temperature air circulates in the regeneration passage 13.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 3, the dehumidifying rotor 2 has zeolite or silica gel bonded to a doughnut-shaped ceramic honeycomb rotor 14, covers 15 are arranged on the front and back surfaces, and the cover 15 is held by a holding member 16. is there. The cover 15 is a thin-walled mesh-like material made of a metal such as stainless steel or a synthetic resin and having excellent rust resistance. The holding member 16 has a configuration in which the intermediate portions of the radially extending bars are connected only by circumferentially extending bars so as not to increase the ventilation resistance in the dehumidifying rotor 2 and the cover 15. The cover 15 is covered and the peripheral edge of the other cover 15 is held. A bearing 17 is formed at the center of the holding member 16, and a rotating shaft 19 a of a motor 19 is fitted therein. The dehumidifying rotor 2 is disposed so as to straddle both the passages 12 and 13, and about ／ of the rotor 2 is located in the dehumidifying passage 12, and about １ ／ is located in the regeneration passage 13. Then, the motor 19 rotates at a predetermined speed (for example, one rotation for two minutes) by the driving of the motor 19. The ratio between the dehumidifying passage 12 and the regeneration passage 13 is preferably changed according to various conditions such as the material of the dehumidifying rotor 2, the rotation speed, and the sealing property between the passages. It is also possible to improve the dehumidification ability.
[0018]
The front and back surfaces of the dehumidifying rotor 2 come into contact with a seal piece 18 provided on a partition wall 11 that partitions both passages 12 and 13. Thus, the flow of air between the two passages 12 and 13 is prevented. The seal piece 18 is made of a material having excellent wear resistance and heat resistance, for example, a flame-retardant polyester film.
[0019]
The main fan 3 is constituted by a sirocco fan disposed in a space above the casing 1, and is rotated by driving a motor 19.
[0020]
The heater 4 is arranged in the middle of the regeneration passage 13 near the dehumidification rotor 2 and generates heat by power supplied from a power supply circuit (not shown). The air heated by the heater 4 is blown to the dehumidifying rotor 2 by a sub-fan 21 rotated by the drive of a motor 20, and circulates through the regeneration passage 13.
[0021]
The heat exchanger 5 penetrates and holds a plurality of pipes 23 arranged side by side in two rows up and down on a rectangular plate-shaped support wall 22 facing at a predetermined interval, and forms a large number of fins 24 on the surface of the pipe 23. In addition, the entire outer surfaces of both support walls 22 are covered with a duct member 25. Since the pipes 23 and the fins 24 are made of a copper alloy, an aluminum alloy, or the like having high thermal conductivity, the heat exchanger 5 is very compact. At the center of each duct member 25, air passages 26a and 26b extending upward and drain passages 27a and 27b extending downward are formed, respectively. The flow path cross-sectional areas of the air flow paths 26a and 26b are larger than the total flow path cross-sectional area of each pipe 23. This is to make the air flow in the pipe 23 smooth.
[0022]
The heat exchanger 5 constitutes a part of the regeneration passage 13 by the duct member 25 and the pipe 23 and is located in the middle of the dehumidification passage 12 so that the downstream side of the air flow is directed obliquely downward. ing. The inclination angle of the heat exchanger 5 is set in the range of 5 to 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, so that the condensed water can flow down smoothly in the pipe 23.
[0023]
A guide tank 28 for guiding condensed water to the water storage tank 6 is provided below the heat exchanger 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the guide tank 28 has a substantially box structure in which an upper case 29 and a lower case 30 are fitted and integrated.
[0024]
At both ends of the upper case 29, through holes 31a, 31b into which the respective drain passages 27a, 27b of the duct member 25 fit are respectively formed. A housing recess 32 protruding upward is formed on the lower surface on one end side of the upper case 29, and a spring 33 is provided therein. A slit 34 communicating between the front and back surfaces is formed in the vicinity of the accommodation recess 32, and a limit switch 35 is provided in the vicinity of the upper surface. Then, when the limit switch 35 is turned on / off, the dehumidifier is driven / stopped.
[0025]
At both ends of the lower case 30, water storage recesses 36a and 36b projecting downward are formed, and the level of the condensed water flowing down by the inner standing walls 37a and 37b closes the opening end of the drain passage 27. It is possible to raise up to. This prevents the air flowing through the regeneration passage 13 from leaking from the drain passage 27 to the water storage tank 6 side. A communication hole 38 is formed at one end of the lower case 30. The communication hole 38 has an opening edge projecting downward in a cylindrical shape, and is fitted into the drain hole 8 of the casing 1. An operating plate 39 is provided on the upper surface on one end side of the lower case 30 so as to be rotatable about a support shaft 39a. In the operation plate 39, a pressing piece 40 is formed on the upper surface opposite to the support shaft 39a, and a cylindrical pressing receiving portion 41 is formed on the lower surface. The pressing piece 40 projects upward through the slit 34 of the upper case 29, and turns the limit switch 35 on and off. The press receiving portion 41 protrudes into the storage chamber 7 through the communication hole 38 fitted into the drain hole 8 of the casing 1. An annular packing 42 is fixed around the press receiving portion 41. The operating plate 39 is urged downward by a spring 33 housed in the housing recess 32 on the upper surface on the tip side of the pressing piece 40. Therefore, unless the force acts on the press receiving portion 41 as described later, the operating plate 39 presses the packing 42 against the upper opening edge of the communication hole 38 of the lower case 30, and moves from the guide tank 28 to the housing chamber 7 side. To prevent condensed water from leaking into That is, the operating plate 39 not only turns on and off the limit switch 35 but also opens and closes the communication hole 38, and one member performs two roles.
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 1, the water storage tank 6 has a box shape with an open top surface, and a float member 43 is disposed inside. The float member 43 is rotatable around a rotation shaft 44 spanned between both side walls. A pressing part 45 is formed on the front side from the rotating shaft 44, and a float part 46 is formed on the back side. The pressing portion 45 is inclined such that the upper surface gradually protrudes upward as approaching the front end. The float part 46 includes an air tank 47 that opens downward. Thereby, when the water level in the water storage tank 6 rises, the air is trapped in the air tank 47, the float part 46 floats, and the float member 43 rotates. The inside of the air tank 47 is divided by a plurality of (two in this case) partition plates 48 parallel to the rotating shaft 44. For this reason, even if the inclination angle of the lower surface of the float part 46 changes with the rotation of the float member 43 until the water storage tank 6 becomes full, the amount of air leaking from the air tank 47 is suppressed, and the floating The force hardly drops. Incidentally, the rotating shaft 44 is located on the pressing portion 45 side, and the float portion 46 is heavier than the pressing portion 45. For this reason, when the water storage tank 6 is empty, the float member 43 rotates clockwise about the rotation shaft 44 in FIG. 1 and the pressing portion 45 projects upward. However, a float support 6a protrudes inward from the back surface of the water storage tank 6, and prevents the float 46 from moving downward from a substantially horizontal position. This is to ensure that air can be trapped in the air tank 47 as the water level rises. FIG. 1 shows a state where the water storage tank 6 is full and the float portion 46 floats.
[0027]
Next, the operation of the dehumidifier configured as described above will be described.
[0028]
The dehumidifier is driven based on an ON signal from a limit switch 35 when a power switch (not shown) is turned on. The limit switch 35 is turned on when the water storage tank 6 is set in the storage chamber 7 of the casing 1 and the water tank is not full. That is, when the water storage tank 6 is set and the amount of stored water is small, the float member 43 rotates clockwise around the rotation shaft 44, and becomes substantially horizontal. For this reason, the pressing portion 45 of the float member 43 pushes up the pressing receiving portion 41 of the operating plate 39, the operating plate 39 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 around the support shaft 39a, and the pressing piece 40 moves upward. As a result, the limit switch 35 is turned on.
[0029]
As a result, the main fan 3 is driven to rotate, and the air outside the casing 1 is sucked from the intake holes 9. The sucked air flows upward in the dehumidifying passage 12, and passes through the outside of the heat exchanger 5 and about 3/4 of the region located in the dehumidifying passage 12 of the dehumidifying rotor 2. When passing through the dehumidification rotor 2, the dehumidified and dried air is discharged to the surroundings through the exhaust holes 10.
[0030]
At the same time, power is supplied to the heater 4 and the sub-fan 21 and the dehumidifying rotor 2 are driven to rotate. As a result, the air heated by the heater 4 passes through about a quarter of the area located in the regeneration passage 13 of the dehumidification rotor 2, and evaporates water collected when the dehumidification rotor 2 passes through the dehumidification passage 12. To form steam. Thereby, the dehumidifying rotor 2 is regenerated. After the steam enters the duct member 25 of the heat exchanger 5 and passes through the pipe 23, the steam exchanges heat with the air passing through the dehumidifying passage 12 outside and condenses. The flow path cross-sectional areas of the air flow paths 26a and 26b are larger than the total flow path cross-sectional area of each pipe 23. In the heat exchanger 5, the downstream side of the air flow is inclined downward. Therefore, the condensed water flows smoothly without blocking the inside of the pipe 23. The condensed water that has flowed down is temporarily stored in the water storage recesses 36a and 36b of the guide tank 28, and raises the water level to close the drain passages 27a and 27b. Therefore, the air circulating in the regeneration passage 13 does not leak through the drain passages 27a and 27b.
[0031]
By the way, a seal piece 18 is provided at the edge of the partition wall 11 that separates the regeneration passage 13 and the dehumidification passage 12, and is in contact with the covers 15 provided on the front and back surfaces of the dehumidification rotor 2. Therefore, even if the dehumidifying rotor 2 is rotationally driven, the seal piece 18 does not directly slide on the front and back surfaces, and the damage is prevented. Further, since the cover 15 is a thin-walled member formed in a mesh shape, no gap is formed between the seal pieces 18 and the dehumidifying rotor 2 such that air flows between the passages. Therefore, there is no problem that the air heated by the heater 4 or the water vapor after passing through the dehumidification rotor 2 leaks to the dehumidification passage 12 side, thereby deteriorating the dehumidification ability. It is preferable that the size of the mesh of the cover 5 be larger than each air passage of the ceramic honeycomb rotor 14.
[0032]
Further, as described above, since the communication hole 38 (the drain hole 8) is opened by the rotation of the operation plate 39 by the float member 43, the condensed water that sequentially flows into the guide tank 28 is It flows down to the water storage tank 6 through the communication hole 38.
[0033]
When the amount of water stored in the water storage tank 6 gradually increases, the air is trapped in the float portion 46 of the float member 43 due to the rise of the water surface. As a result, the floating force of the float portion 46 increases, and the float member 43 rotates around the rotation shaft 44 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. At this time, the float portion 46 is slightly inclined, but the inside of the float portion 46 is divided into a plurality of spaces parallel to the rotation shaft 44 by the partition plate 48, so that air leaking is suppressed. Therefore, the rotation of the float member 43 is performed smoothly.
[0034]
Further, with the rotation of the float member 43, the pressing portion 45 is separated from the pressing receiving portion 41 of the operating plate 39, and the operating plate 39 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1 around the support shaft 39 a according to the urging force of the spring 33. Rotate in the direction. As a result, the pressing piece 40 turns off the limit switch 35, and stops the dehumidifier (the main motor 19, the sub motor 20, the heater 4, etc.). By the way, even if the dehumidifier stops, the generation of condensed water is not stopped immediately. However, since the packing 42 is pressed against the peripheral portion of the communication hole 38 by the rotation of the operation plate 39, the condensed water does not flow down from the guide tank 28 to the water storage tank 6.
[0035]
When the water storage tank 6 is removed from the dehumidifier for reasons such as discarding the water in the water storage tank 6, only the urging force of the spring 33 acts on the operation plate 39. Therefore, the operation plate 39 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1 around the support shaft 39a, and the pressing piece 40 is separated from the limit switch 35 to be turned off. Therefore, the dehumidifier does not operate with the water storage tank 6 removed. Further, the packing 42 is pressed against the peripheral portion of the communication hole 38 to prevent the condensed water from flowing down from the guide tank 28. Therefore, the condensed water does not flow down from the guide tank 28 to the storage chamber 7 of the casing 1 with the water storage tank 6 removed.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, since the guide tank provided with the operation plate is provided, the flow of the condensed water and the execution of the dehumidification processing can be permitted only by this member.
[0037]
Further, since the drainage passage and the water storage recess are provided, exposure of hot air circulating in the regeneration passage can be prevented, and a desired dehumidifying ability can be maintained.
[0038]
Further, since the float portion is divided into a plurality of air tanks by the partition plate parallel to the rotation axis, even if the float member rotates and tilts, air leakage from the air tank is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly rotate the float member.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a dehumidifier according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a front view (a), a bottom view (b), and a cross-sectional view taken along line AA (c) of the dehumidification rotor shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is an exploded sectional view of the guide tank shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Casing 2 ... Dehumidification rotor 4 ... Heater 5 ... Heat exchanger 6 ... Water storage tank 7 ... Storage chamber 11 ... Partition wall 12 ... Dehumidification passage 13 ... Regeneration passage 14 ... Ceramic honeycomb rotor 15 ... Cover 16 ... Holding member 18 ... Seal Piece 25 duct member 28 guide tank 35 limit switches 36a and 36b water storage recess 38 communication hole 39 operating plate 40 pressing piece 41 press receiving part 42 packing 43 float member 45 pressing part 46 floating Part 47: Air tank 48: Partition plate

Claims (4)

A dehumidification rotor is rotatably provided across the dehumidification passage and the regeneration passage formed in the casing, the dehumidification rotor absorbs moisture from the air passing through the dehumidification passage, and is converted into steam by hot air circulating through the regeneration passage. In a dehumidifier that performs a dehumidification process of condensing in an exchanger and collecting it in a water storage tank,
Arranging a guide tank in the middle of the route until collecting the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger in the water storage tank,
The guide tank is provided with a rotatable operating plate having a sealing portion for opening and closing a communication hole to the water storage tank, and a switch for turning on / off by turning the operating plate to execute / stop the dehumidification process. A dehumidifier comprising: The heat exchanger forms a drainage channel that guides the generated condensed water to a predetermined position in the guide tank, while the guide tank covers the drainage channel with the condensed water flowing in through the drainage channel. The dehumidifier according to claim 1, wherein a water storage recess for storing the water to a position is formed. The water storage tank is provided with a float portion that receives a buoyant force from the collected condensed water, and a rotatable float member including a pressing portion that presses and rotates the operation plate to open a communication hole,
The guide tank is provided with biasing means for biasing to seal the communication hole with the sealing portion of the operation plate,
The operating plate, wherein a pressing receiving portion pressed by a pressing portion of the float member and a pressing portion for turning on the switch by being pressed and rotated are formed. The dehumidifier according to claim 1. The dehumidifier according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the float portion of the float member is opened downward and divided into a plurality of air tanks by a partition plate parallel to a rotation axis.

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