JP4540424B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner for sterilizing indoor air.

  Conventionally, an ion generator for ionizing water vapor existing in a space is known. Some ion generators use a creeping discharge method. In the conventional ion generator, when an AC voltage is applied to the ion generating element, positive ions and negative ions are generated. It is known that the generated positive and negative ions remove mold, airborne bacteria or viruses in the air.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-83593 (Patent Document 1) describes a technique for suppressing mold by applying this ion generator to an air conditioner. The air conditioner described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-83593 generates positive and negative ions from an ion generator and determines whether to dehumidify according to the detected indoor temperature or humidity, or whether to perform air conditioning. To decide.

  The air conditioner described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-83593 always generates positive and negative ions from an ion generator while being driven. For this reason, a certain amount of positive and negative ions is generated regardless of the room temperature or humidity.

In order to remove viruses floating in the room, it is preferable that the air conditioner is always operated. However, if it is operated when a person is not in the room, power is consumed. For this reason, when a person is not in the room, it is desirable to sterilize indoor air with low power consumption.
JP 2003-83593 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of efficiently sterilizing airborne bacteria in a room.

In order to achieve the above-described object, according to one aspect of the present invention, the air conditioner is arranged on a path from the suction port to the blowout port, and generates ion generation means for generating ions, and air sucked from the suction port. Air blowing means for blowing air from the air outlet, dirt detecting means for detecting air dirt, temperature / humidity detecting means for detecting temperature and humidity, and air blowing means and ion generating means are controlled. An intermittent operation mode that repeats a control period, a first period for stopping the blowing means and the ion generating means, and a second period for driving the blowing means, and a continuous operation mode for continuously driving the blowing means and the ion generating means Switching means for switching between, and the control means, when in the intermittent operation mode, the dirt is not detected by the dirt detection means, and the temperature detected by the temperature and humidity detection means On condition that humidity and is not in a predetermined state, the blowing means and the ion generating means is stopped, the contamination detection means or dirt is detected, or the temperature and humidity temperature and humidity detected by the detection means a predetermined state On the condition that it exists, it is set as the specific drive state which driven the ventilation means and the ion generation means continuously .

  According to this invention, in the intermittent operation mode, the air blowing means and the ion generating means are stopped on condition that the room is not dirty and the temperature and humidity are not in a predetermined state. For this reason, the air conditioner which can disinfect indoor air with little power consumption can be provided.

  In the intermittent operation, the air blowing means is driven in the second period, so that the air in the vicinity of the dirt detecting means and the temperature / humidity detecting means moves. As a result, erroneous detection by the dirt detection means and the temperature / humidity detection means can be prevented.

Preferably, when the control means is in a specific drive state, when the dirt is not detected by the dirt detection means, and the temperature and humidity detected by the temperature / humidity detection means are not in a predetermined state, the blower means and the ion The generating means is stopped to start the first period.
Preferably, the control means reduces the air volume sent from the blower means when the voltage duty applied to the ion generating means is small, and increases the air volume when the voltage duty is large.

  Preferably, the control unit causes the air blowing unit to generate a predetermined air volume in the second period.

  Preferably, the predetermined air volume is larger than the smallest air volume.

  Preferably, the apparatus further includes a tray that holds water, and a filter that is disposed on the side of the suction port with respect to the ion generating means on the path and that is partially immersed in water held in the tray.

  According to this invention, the moisture retained by the filter is vaporized and supplied to the ion generating means. For this reason, the remaining period of the ion which generate | occur | produces with an ion generator can be lengthened.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

  1 is an exploded perspective view of an air cleaner equipped with an ion generator, FIG. 2 is a front view of the main body of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main body of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an air cleaner equipped with an ion generator includes a main body 1 of the air cleaner, a front plate 2 of the main body, a filter unit 3 composed of a plurality of types of filters, a motor 4 for a fan, The turbo fan 5, the tank 44, the humidification filter 41, the 1st blower outlet 6a, the 2nd blower outlet 6b, the ion generator 10, the operation part 103 which has a display function of an operation state, the suction inlet 2a of the front board 2, and air purification A remote controller (abbreviated as a remote controller) 130 that is operated to instruct the operation unit 103 of a signal for remotely controlling the operation of the machine is provided.

  The main body 1 of the air cleaner has a structure in which a front plate 2 is provided so as to cover a part of the front surface of the main body 1.

  The main body 1 has a rectangular opening, which is a storage portion including a recess for storing the filter portion 3 when viewed from the front side. Holes 24 through which room air that has passed through the filter unit 3 is passed are formed radially on the bottom surface of the opening. A turbo fan 5 and a fan motor 4 for rotating the turbo fan 5 are arranged on the back surface of the radial hole 24. A first air outlet 6 a and a second air outlet 6 b for blowing air into the room are provided above the turbo fan 5. The ion generator 10 is disposed in the middle of the air blowing path 25 above the turbofan 5.

  The front plate 2 is attached to the main body 1 so as to be locked to the main body 1 with a certain space, and a suction port 2a for sucking indoor air is formed vertically at the center. The front plate 2 may be attached to the main body 1 so that indoor air is also sucked from the gap between the front plate 2 and the main body 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the filter unit 3 is composed of three types of a pre-filter 3a, a deodorizing filter 3b, and a dust collection filter 3c, which are housed in a filter frame 34 in order from the suction port 2a side, It is stored in the recess. The prefilter 3a collects dust and large particles of dust, the deodorizing filter 3b adsorbs odorous components such as acetaldehyde, ammonia, and acetic acid, and the dust collecting filter 3c collects dust and dust in the air with a HEPA sheet. .

  By making the filter unit 3 such a filter configuration, the pre-filter 3a collects dust and dirt in the air sucked from the room, and the deodorizing filter 3b collects acetaldehyde and ammonia as odor components in the air. Then, acetic acid and the like are adsorbed, and fine dust and dust that have finally passed through the pre-filter 3a are collected by the dust collecting filter 3c, so that the air that has exited the filter unit 3 is air from which odors, dust, and dust have been removed It becomes.

  The fan motor 4 that rotates the turbo fan 5 that sucks in indoor air is disposed on the downstream side of the filter unit 3, and the form of the turbo fan 5 has long wings in the radial direction of the back bend, and has the highest static pressure. Demonstrates a silent effect. As the fan motor 4, a direct current motor that emphasizes controllability is used. The fan motor 4 in the present embodiment is capable of switching the air volume in six stages.

  A detachable tank 44 for storing water is accommodated in one side of the air cleaner body 1. A water supply port below the tank 44 is coupled to the tray 43. The water stored in the tank 44 flows out from the water supply port to the tray 43 and is supplied to the tray 43. The water stored in the tray 43 has a structure in which the water surface is maintained at a predetermined height.

  The humidifying filter 41 is supported by an upper lid 42 that covers the upper surface of the receiving tray 43, and a part below the humidifying filter 41 is immersed in water stored in the receiving tray 43. The humidifying filter 41 is disposed on the downstream side of the filter unit 3 and on the upstream side of the turbo fan 5. The humidifying filter 41 is disposed closer to the suction port 2a than the ion generator 10.

  The humidifying filter 41 sucks up the water stored in the tray 43 and enters a state containing moisture. When wind is sent to the humidifying filter 41 in this state, water contained in the humidifying filter 41 is vaporized. When the turbo fan 5 rotates, the air flows, and part of the air that is sucked from the suction port 11a and passes through the filter unit 3 passes through the humidifying filter 41 and is directed to the ion generating device 10 to be conveyed. Is done. Then, it discharge | releases indoors from the 1st blower outlet 6a or the 2nd blower outlet 6b.

  The main body 1 of the air purifier includes a temperature sensor 151, a humidity sensor 152, a dust sensor 153, and an odor sensor 154 in the upper part of the storage unit that stores the filter unit 3. The dust sensor 153 is a particle sensor that detects particles floating in the air. The odor sensor 154 is a well-known sensor utilizing the fact that the resistance value changes when a gas component is adsorbed on the sensor surface made of a metal oxide semiconductor.

  Next, the operation mode of the air cleaner will be described. The air purifier can be driven in six operation modes: automatic mode, strong 15 minute mode, pollen mode, silent mode, rapid mode, and outing mode. In the automatic mode, the ion generator 10 and the fan motor 4 are controlled based on the temperature, humidity, and contamination level detected by the temperature sensor 151, the humidity sensor 152, the dust sensor 153, and the odor sensor 154. It is an operation mode. This will be described in more detail later.

  The 15-minute strong mode, the pollen mode, the silent mode, and the rapid mode indicate driving modes of the fan motor 4 and are operation modes in which the fan motor 4 is controlled to change the air volume with time. The 15-minute high mode is a mode in which the turbo fan 5 is driven for 15 minutes (air volume 5) and then switched to the automatic mode. In the pollen mode, for example, for 10 minutes, the turbo fan 5 is repeatedly operated with the air volume “medium (air volume 4)” and “strong (air volume 5)” after the operation with the air volume “strong (air volume 5)”. In the silent mode, the turbo fan 5 performs quiet operation with a light breeze. In the rapid mode, the turbo fan 5 is operated with the air volume “rapid (air volume 6)”. The outing mode is an operation mode in which a first period in which the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are stopped and a second period in which the fan motor 4 is driven with a standard air volume (air volume 4) are repeated. More details will be described later.

  The driving mode of the ion generator 10 includes an ion control mode and a clean mode. The ion control mode refers to a mode for generating more negative ions than positive ions from the ion generator 10 or a mode for generating only negative ions. The clean mode refers to a mode in which approximately the same amount of positive and negative ions are generated from the ion generator 10.

  In the automatic mode, the contamination level is calculated based on the outputs of the dust sensor 153 and the odor sensor 154, and the air volume is determined based on the contamination level. Further, it is determined whether or not the temperature and humidity detected by the temperature sensor 151 and the humidity sensor 152 are in a specific state, and the driving mode of the ion generator 10 is determined based on whether or not it is in the specific state and the degree of contamination. It is determined. When the dirt is the lowest and not in the specific state, the ion control mode is set, and in other cases, the clean mode is set. Further, when in a specific state, the pick-up mode is set.

  Of the drive modes of the ion generator 10, the clean mode includes the brush mode. Mihari mode is a part of clean mode. The beam cleaning mode is a driving mode of the ion generator 10 when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 151 and the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 152 are in a specific state. Here, a state where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 151 and the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 152 are not in a specific state is referred to as a normal state. When the indoor temperature and humidity are in a specific state, the ion generating apparatus 10 is set to the driving mode, and generates more positive and negative ions than in the normal state.

  In the outing mode, the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are stopped for 45 minutes, and then the intermittent operation in which the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 4 for 15 minutes is repeated. During the period when the fan motor 4 is driven, the ion generator 10 is stopped. Note that the ion generator 10 may be driven while the fan motor 4 is being driven. In this case, the driving mode of the ion generator 10 may be an ion control mode or a clean mode.

  However, the intermittent operation is performed when the outing mode is set when the following two conditions are satisfied.

  (1) The degree of contamination calculated based on the outputs of the dust sensor 153 and the odor sensor 154 is “0”.

  (2) The temperature and humidity are not in a specific state.

  When these two conditions are not satisfied, the vehicle is operated in the automatic mode. However, when the indoor environment is improved and the above two conditions are satisfied during operation in the automatic mode, intermittent operation is performed.

  That is, in the outing mode, the air purifier operates intermittently while the above two conditions are satisfied, and operates in the automatic mode while the two conditions are not satisfied. Here, in the outing mode, the period during which the automatic mode is operated is particularly referred to as a specific drive state. That is, in the outing mode, the air cleaner is normally in an intermittent operation state, but is in a specific driving state depending on the indoor environment.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the specific state. With reference to FIG. 4A, the vertical axis indicates temperature, the horizontal axis indicates humidity, and a region determined by temperature and humidity is shown. The specific state includes a first region having a temperature of 24 ° C. to 34 ° C. and a humidity of 0% to 25%, a second region having a temperature of 0 ° C. to 24 ° C. and a humidity of 0% to 40%, It includes a third region having a temperature of 0 ° C. or higher and 13 ° C. or lower and a humidity of 40% or higher and 100% or lower. The first region to the third region are regions where viruses are likely to be active. In particular, the second region is an environment in which allergens easily float.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contamination degree evaluation table. This contamination degree evaluation table is stored in advance in a read-only memory (ROM) of the air cleaner. Referring to FIG. 5, the contamination level evaluation table is a table that stores the odor sensor output level, the dust sensor output level, both sensor addition values, and the contamination level in association with each other. In the present embodiment, the output level of the odor sensor 154 is 0 to 3, and the output level of the dust sensor 153 is 0 to 3. The amount of odor and the amount of dust are output in 4 stages each. The greater the value of the odor sensor output level, the greater the amount of substance that generates odor in the air. The greater the value of the dust sensor output level, the greater the amount of dust in the air. The added value is the sum of the odor sensor output level and the dust sensor output level. The added value is a value between 0 and 6.

  The degree of contamination is associated with the odor sensor output level and the dust sensor output level. Even if the added value is the same value, the degree of contamination may be different. For example, when the odor sensor output level is 1 and the dust sensor output level is 2, the added value is 3, and the contamination level is associated with 1. On the other hand, when the odor sensor output level is 3 and the dust sensor output level is 0, the contamination level is associated with 2 although the added value is 3. Since the odor sensor output level is 3 indicating that the amount of the substance that generates the odor is the largest, in this case, the degree of contamination is set to 2 instead of 1. .

  Here, the level of contamination is set to three levels of 0, 1, and 2. However, the level of contamination is not limited to this, and a higher level of contamination may be set. It may be a level. In the present embodiment, the degree of contamination is detected based on the output values of the two sensors, the odor sensor 154 and the dust sensor 153, but the degree of contamination is detected using one of the sensor outputs. You may do it.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the fan motor output and the voltage applied to the ion generator for each drive mode of the ion generator. Here, the voltage applied to the ion generator 10 shows an example in which the duty is changed. Referring to FIG. 6, when the drive mode is the clean mode, comparing the case where the drive mode is not with the case where the drive mode is not, the duty is large even when the air volume is the same, so the positive and negative ions Is generated more than when not in the Mihari mode. When the driving mode of the ion generator is the clean mode, ions generated from the ion generator 10 are positive and negative ions, and in the ion control mode, the ions generated from the ion generator 10 are negative ions from positive ions. Will also increase.

  The amount of ions generated by the ion generator 10 in the present embodiment refers to the proportion of positive and negative ions in the air, and is related to the output of the fan motor 5. Here, the output of the fan motor 5 is indicated by the air volume, and the air volume is classified into 6 levels from 1 to 6. The wind speed of the air volume 6 is faster than the air volume 1.

  In addition, when the applied voltage duty increases, the generated discharge noise also increases. Therefore, when the output of the fan motor is small and the wind noise is small, it is preferable that the discharge noise generated from the ion generator is also small. By changing the applied voltage duty according to the output, it is possible to realize a quiet operation as a whole product.

  In addition, when the wind speed is slow, the wind noise is small, and in order to reduce the overall operation sound, it is preferable that the discharge sound generated by the ion generator is small, and the voltage duty is small. Conversely, when the wind speed is fast, the wind noise increases, so even if the discharge noise generated by the ion generator is large, the influence on the overall driving sound is small and not bothering. Therefore, by setting the duty to 100% with the air volume of 5 or 6, it is possible to obtain a desired ion concentration while realizing quietness without greatly affecting the operation sound of the entire product.

  Next, the air volume in the automatic mode and the driving mode of the ion generator will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an air volume determination table in the automatic mode. In the automatic mode, the air volume is determined based on the degree of dirt.

  When the degree of contamination is “0”, the air volume is 1 in both the normal state and the specific state. When the degree of contamination is “1”, the air volume is 3 in the normal state and the air volume is 4 in the specific state. When the degree of contamination is “2”, the air volume is 5 in the normal state and the air volume is 6 in the specific state.

  When dirt is detected, here, when the degree of dirt is 1 or more, the air volume in the specific state is made larger than the air volume in the normal state. This is because as the amount of water supplied to the ion generator 10 increases, the period during which the generated cluster ions remain is prolonged. If the air volume is increased, the amount of air passing through the humidifying filter 41 increases, so that more water is vaporized. For this reason, the amount of water supplied to the ion generator 10 increases.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the air volume and the humidification volume. As shown in FIG. 8, it can be seen that the humidification amount (the amount of water to be vaporized) increases as the air volume increases.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the residual rate of airborne bacteria in time series. Referring to FIG. 9, a dotted line 301A indicates the residual rate of floating bacteria in a natural state, a solid line 301B indicates a residual rate of floating bacteria when positive and negative ions are generated by the ion generator 10, and a solid line 301C indicates The remaining rate of airborne bacteria when positive and negative ions are generated in a state where humidified air is supplied to the ion generator 10 is shown.

  The effect of generating positive and negative ions when humidified air is supplied to the ion generator 10 is more effective than the case of generating positive and negative ions from the ion generator 10 without being humidified. Is high.

  10-13 is a figure which shows the test result of a deodorizing test. FIG. 10 shows the comprehensive test results, FIG. 11 shows the residual rate of ammonia, FIG. 12 shows the residual rate of acetaldehyde, and FIG. 13 shows the residual rate of acetic acid. A solid line 302A indicates a residual ratio of odor components when positive and negative ions are generated by the ion generator 10, and a solid line 302B indicates a case where positive and negative ions are generated in a state where humidified air is supplied to the ion generator 10. Indicates the residual rate of odor components.

  The case where positive and negative ions are generated in a state where the humidified air is supplied to the ion generator 10 as described above is compared with the case where positive and negative ions are generated from the ion generator 10 without being humidified. It turns out that the effect to extinguish is high.

  FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the operation unit 103 of the air cleaner. The operation unit 103 is used to notify the user of a power button 106 for turning on / off the power of the main body 1, a light receiving unit 105 for receiving infrared rays from the remote controller 130, and a magnetism necessary for the line of the humidifying filter. Mist unit maintenance lamp 111, deodorizing filter cleaning lamp 112 for notifying the user when the filter unit 3 needs to be cleaned, mist lamp 113 for displaying the operation mode of the air purifier, and indoor air A clean sign lamp 114 for displaying the degree of soiling, a beam lamp 115 for displaying the temperature and humidity conditions in the room, a cluster ion lamp 116 for displaying the driving state of the ion generator 10, and air conditioning Automatic lamp 117a for indicating the operation mode of the apparatus 100, 15 minute strong lamp 117b Pollen lamp 117c, silent lamp 117d, rapid ramp 117e, includes a going out lamp 117f, and the operation switch button 104 for switching the operation mode, the switching timer times lamp 120 indicating the setting time of the switching timer.

  The operation switching button 104 is operated to switch the operation mode of the main body 1. When the power button 105 is pressed, the operation is started and the operation is performed in the automatic operation mode, and the automatic lamp 117a is turned on.

  Each time the operation switching button 104 is pressed, the operation mode is switched in order of automatic mode ⇒ strong mode for 15 minutes ⇒ pollen mode ⇒ silent mode ⇒ rapid mode ⇒ outing mode ⇒ automatic mode, and automatic lamp 117a ⇒ The lamp corresponding to the operation mode switched from strong lamp 117b → pollen lamp 117c → silent lamp 117d → rapid lamp 117e → outing lamp 117f → automatic lamp 117a →...

  The deodorizing filter cleaning lamp 112 is turned on when the integrated value of the operating time of the air purifier exceeds a predetermined deodorizing filter cleaning time, and is turned off otherwise. Thereby, a user can be notified of the timing which wash | cleans the deodorizing filter 3b. The integrated value of the deodorizing filter cleaning lamp 112 is reset to zero by a reset button provided on the side thereof.

  In the mist unit maintenance lamp 111, the operating time of the air cleaner in a state where water is contained in the tank 44 and the receiving tray 43, that is, the integrated value of the humidifying operation time exceeds the predetermined humidifying filter cleaning time. Turns on sometimes and turns off otherwise. Thereby, it is possible to inform the user of the timing for cleaning the humidifying filter 41. The integrated value of the mist unit maintenance lamp 111 is reset to zero by a reset button provided on the side thereof.

  The off timer lamp 120 is a lamp for displaying a timer time according to an instruction from the user, and one of the two off timer time lamps 120 is turned on according to the number of instructions by the user.

  The mist lamp 113 is turned on when water is collected in the tray 43.

  The clean sign lamp 114 indicates the degree of air pollution in the room. The clean sign lamp 114 is lit in green when the dirt level is “0” with the least dirt, and is lit in orange when the dirt level is “1” indicating medium dirt, and the dirt level “2” is the worst. ”Lights up in red.

  The cluster ion lamp 116 is a lamp for indicating a driving mode of the ion generator 10. The cluster ion lamp 116 lights in green when the driving mode of the ion generator 10 is in the ion control mode. When in the clean mode, it flashes in blue for a period of 5 seconds in the Mihari mode, and lights in blue when not in the Mihari mode. When the ion generator 10 is not driven, the cluster ion lamp 116 is turned off.

  Mihari lamp 115 is lit when the temperature and humidity are in a specific state. For this reason, the user is notified that the room has become an environment where viruses can easily propagate. At this time, the user operates the operation switching button 104 to switch the operation mode to the automatic mode, whereby the drive mode of the ion generator 10 is switched to the clean mode of the brush mode, and the air volume increases. For this reason, positive and negative ions generated from the ion generator 10 increase, and moisture supplied to the ion generator 10 increases, so that the remaining period of the generated positive and negative ions becomes short. Thereby, more ions can be released into the room, and the concentration of positive and negative ions in the room can be increased.

  FIG. 15 is a plan view of the remote controller 130. The remote controller 130 is a power switch 106A for switching on / off the power of the air purifier, a filter reset button 129 for resetting the accumulated operation time after cleaning the deodorizing filter, and an automatic mode of the operation mode of the air purifier. An automatic button 116A for specifying the air volume, an air volume button 119A for switching to the manual mode, an air volume button 119A for specifying the air volume of the fan motor 4, a pollen button 118A for setting the pollen mode, and a cutoff time for setting the off timer time. Timer button 122A, daily mode button 121 for setting daily mode, automatic holiday button 122 for setting automatic sleep mode, rush button 123 for setting urgent mode, and operation unit A display changeover switch 124 for switching on / off of the display 103; The driving mode on generator 10 and a setting button 125 to 128 for setting manually.

  The remote controller 130 outputs an infrared light signal corresponding to the pressed switch. When the infrared light signal is received by the light receiving unit 105 in the air cleaner, it is driven according to the received infrared light signal.

  In addition, although the remote controller 130 using infrared light will be described as an example, communication between the remote controller 130 and the air cleaner is not limited to using infrared light, and uses, for example, electromagnetic waves and sound waves. As long as it can communicate wirelessly, it is not limited to infrared light.

  When the automatic button 116A is pressed, the air cleaner is operated with the operation mode set to the automatic mode. When the air volume button 119A is pressed, the air cleaner changes the air volume every time the air volume button 119A is pressed, in the order of silent, standard, and rapid. When pollen button 118A is pressed, the air cleaner operates with the operation mode set to pollen mode. Each time the off timer button 122A is pressed, the off timer time is set in the order of 1 to 4 hours.

  When the daily mode button 121 is pressed, the air cleaner operates with the operation mode stored in advance. When the automatic vacation button 122 is pressed, the air cleaner operates with the operation mode set to the silent mode. When the urgent button 123 is pressed, the air cleaner operates with the operation mode set to the urgent mode.

  When any of the setting buttons 125 to 128 is pressed, the driving mode of the ion generator 10 is switched. When the setting button 126 is pressed, the voltage applied to the ion generator 10 is stopped, and the driving of the ion generator 10 is stopped. When the setting button 125 is pressed, the ion generator 10 is driven in the clean mode. When the setting button 127 is pressed, the air cleaner 100 drives the ion generator 10 in the ion control mode. When the setting button 128 is pressed, the air cleaner 100 is operated in the automatic mode.

  FIG. 16 is a circuit block diagram of the air purifier in the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 16, control unit 150 for controlling the entire air purifier includes temperature sensor 151, humidity sensor 152, dust sensor 153, odor sensor 154, and temperature for setting the temperature. A setting unit 155, a humidity setting unit 156 for setting the humidity, a voltage application circuit 20 for applying a voltage to the ion generator 10, and a motor drive circuit 31 for controlling the drive of the fan motor 4 are connected. Is done. The ion generator 10 is connected to a voltage application circuit 20, and the fan motor 4 is connected to a motor drive circuit 31.

  As described above, when the operation mode is the automatic mode, the air cleaner switches the drive mode of the ion generator 10 to the monitor mode when the indoor temperature and humidity are in a specific state. The temperature setting unit 155 and the humidity setting unit 156 are input units for setting a threshold value for determining this specific state. The temperature setting unit 155 and the humidity setting unit 156 are, for example, button switches or slide switches provided inside the main body 1 and set the temperature and humidity. Further, the temperature setting unit 155 and the humidity setting unit 156 may be provided in the remote controller 130, and the set temperature and humidity may be transmitted from the remote controller 130 to the air cleaner.

  The motor drive circuit 31 switches the number of rotations of the fan motor 4 in six steps according to an instruction from the control unit 150. Further, the voltage application circuit 20 drives the ion generator 10 according to an instruction from the control unit 150.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ion generator. FIG. 17A is a plan view of the ion generator 10, and FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional view of the ion generator 10 as viewed from the side. The ion generator 10 includes a dielectric 11, a discharge electrode 12a, an induction electrode 12b, and a coating layer 13. When a voltage is applied to the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b, positive and negative ions or negative ions are generated by a discharge generated between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b.

  The dielectric 11 has a flat plate shape in which an upper dielectric 11a and a lower dielectric 11b are bonded together. The discharge electrode 12a is formed integrally with the upper dielectric 11a on the surface of the upper dielectric 11a. The induction electrode 12b is formed between the upper dielectric 11a and the lower dielectric 11b, and is disposed to face the discharge electrode 12a. The insulation resistance between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b is preferably uniform, and the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b are preferably parallel.

  In the ion generator 10, the distance between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b can be made constant by disposing the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b so as to face the front and back surfaces of the upper dielectric 11a. . For this reason, the discharge state between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b is stabilized, and positive and negative ions or negative ions can be suitably generated.

  The discharge electrode contact 12e is a contact that is electrically connected to the discharge electrode 12a via a connection terminal 12c provided on the same surface as the discharge electrode 12a. By connecting one end of the conductive lead wire to the discharge electrode contact 12e and connecting the other end to the voltage application circuit 20, the discharge electrode 12a and the voltage application circuit 20 can be made conductive. The induction electrode contact 12f is a contact that is electrically connected to the induction electrode 12b via a connection terminal 12d provided on the same surface as the induction electrode 12b. By connecting one end of a lead wire made of a copper wire to the induction electrode contact 12 f and connecting the other end to the voltage application circuit 20, the induction electrode 12 b and the voltage application circuit 20 can be made conductive.

  FIG. 18 is a circuit diagram of the voltage application circuit. Referring to FIG. 18, the voltage application circuit 20 includes an AC power supply 201, a switching transformer 202, a switching relay 203, a resistor 204, diodes 205 a to 205 d, a capacitor 206, and Sidac (registered trademark) 207. Including. Sidac (registered trademark) 207 is a kind of silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) SCR, and is a product of Shindengen Electric Co., Ltd.

  One end of the AC power supply 201 is connected to the anode of the diode 205 a and the cathode of the diode 205 c, and the other end is connected to the common terminal 203 a of the switching relay 203. The cathode of the diode 205a is connected to one end of the resistor 204 and the cathode of the diode 205d. The other end of the resistor 204 is connected to one end of the primary coil L1 of the transformer 202 and one end of the capacitor 206, respectively. The other end of the primary coil L1 is connected to the anode of Sidac (registered trademark) 207. The other end of the capacitor 206 and the cathode of Sidac (registered trademark) 207 are connected to each other, and the connection node is connected to one selection terminal 203b of the switching relay 203 and each anode of the diodes 205b and 205c. . The cathode of the diode 205 b and the anode of the diode 205 d are connected to each other, and the connection node is connected to the selection terminal 203 c of the switching relay 203. One end of the secondary coil L2 of the transformer 202 is connected to the discharge electrode contact 12e of the ion generator 10. The other end of the secondary coil L2 is connected to the common terminal 208a of the relay 208. One selection terminal 208c of the relay 208 is connected to the anode of the diode 209, and the cathode of the diode 209 is connected to the dielectric electrode contact 12f. The dielectric electrode contact 12 f of the ion generator 10 is connected to the other selection terminal 208 b of the relay 208 and the anode of the diode 209.

  In the voltage application circuit 20 configured as described above, when the driving mode of the ion generator 10 is in the clean mode in the normal state, the selection terminal 203b is selected for the switching relay 203 and the selection terminal 208b is selected for the switching relay 208. Is done.

  At this time, the output voltage of the AC power supply 201 is half-wave rectified by the diode 205 a, dropped by the resistor 204, and applied to the capacitor 206. When charging of the capacitor 206 proceeds and the voltage at both ends reaches a predetermined threshold value, Sidac (registered trademark) 207 is turned on, and the charging voltage of the capacitor 206 is discharged. Therefore, a current flows through the primary coil L1 of the transformer 202, energy is transmitted to the secondary coil L2, and a pulse voltage is applied to the ion generator 10. Immediately thereafter, Sidac (registered trademark) 207 is turned off, and charging of the capacitor 206 is started again.

By repeating the above charging / discharging, an AC impulse voltage (for example, a pp (Peak-to-Peak) value of FIG. 19A) between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b of the ion generating device 10: 3. 5 [kV], number of discharges: 120 [times / second]) is applied. At this time, corona discharge occurs in the vicinity of the ion generator 10 and the surrounding air is ionized, generating positive ions H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m when a positive voltage is applied, and negative ions when a negative voltage is applied. O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n (m, n is 0 or any natural number) is generated. More specifically, by applying an AC voltage between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b of the ion generator 10, oxygen or moisture in the air is ionized by receiving energy by ionization, and H ⁺ ( Ions mainly composed of H ₂ O) _m (m is 0 or an arbitrary natural number) and O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n (n is 0 or an arbitrary natural number) are generated. These H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m and O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n are released into the space by a fan or the like, adhere to the surface of airborne bacteria, and chemically react with H ₂ O ₂ which is an active species or Generate OH. Since H ₂ O ₂ or .OH exhibits a very strong activity, they can surround and inactivate airborne bacteria in the air. Here, .OH is a kind of active species and represents radical OH.

Positive and negative ions react chemically on the cell surface of airborne bacteria as shown in formulas (1) to (3) to generate hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) or hydroxyl radical (.OH) as active species. To do. Here, in Formula (1)-Formula (3), m, m ', n, and n' are 0 or arbitrary natural numbers.

  Thereby, floating bacteria are discarded by the action of decomposing active species. Therefore, airborne bacteria in the air can be inactivated and removed efficiently.

H ₃ O ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n → OH + _1/2 O ₂ + (m + n + 1) H ₂ O (1)
H ₃ O ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m + H ₃ O ⁺ (H ₂ O) _{m ′} + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _{n ′} → 2.OH + O ₂ + (m + m ′ + n + n '+2) H ₂ O (2)
H ₃ O ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m + H ₃ O ⁺ (H ₂ O) _{m ′} + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _{n ′} → H ₂ O ₂ + O ₂ + (m + m '+ N + n' + 2) H ₂ O (3)
With the above mechanism, the inactivation effect of floating bacteria and the like can be obtained by the release of the positive and negative ions.

In addition, since the above formulas (1) to (3) can produce the same action even on the surface of harmful substances in the air, hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) or hydroxyl radical (. OH) can be rendered substantially harmless by oxidizing or decomposing harmful substances to convert chemical substances such as formaldehyde and ammonia into harmless substances such as carbon dioxide, water and nitrogen.

  Therefore, by driving the fan motor 4, positive ions and negative ions generated by the ion generator 10 can be sent out of the main body. And by the action of these positive ions and negative ions, it is possible to inactivate mold and fungi in the air and suppress their growth.

  In addition, positive ions and negative ions have a function to inactivate viruses such as Coxsackie virus and polio virus, and can prevent contamination due to contamination of these viruses. It has also been confirmed that positive ions and negative ions have a function of decomposing molecules that cause odors, and can be used for deodorizing spaces.

  In addition, as a result of measuring the amount of each of positive ions and negative ions arriving at the ion counter at a distance of about 25 cm, the wind was sent from the turbofan 5 toward the ion generator 10. About 30 (10,000 / cc) were measured.

  On the other hand, in the specific state, the driving mode of the ion generator 10 is always the clean mode. At this time, the selection terminal 203c is selected for the switching relay 203, and the selection terminal 208b is selected for the switching relay 208.

  As a result, the output voltage of the AC power supply 201 is full-wave rectified by a diode bridge composed of the diodes 205 a to 205 d, then dropped by the resistor 204 and applied to the capacitor 206. Accordingly, between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b of the ion generator 10, as shown in FIG. 19B, an AC impulse voltage (for example, pp value: 3) having a higher discharge frequency than when not in a specific state. 0.5 [kV], number of discharges: 240 [times / second]).

  At this time, as a result of measuring the amount of ions under the above-described conditions, the ion counter measured about 500,000 positive ions and negative ions / cc each. That is, the amount of ions about 1.7 times that in the normal state not in the specific state was measured.

  Instead of the switching relay 203, a connection node between the cathode of the diode 205b and the anode of the diode 205d is connected to the other end of the AC power supply 201, and an open / close switch is connected in series to the anode or cathode of the diode 205c or the diode 205d. Even when the open / close switch is controlled according to the drive mode, the same operation as described above can be realized.

  Further, when the ion generator 10 is in the ion control mode, the selection terminal 203b is selected for the switching relay 203, and the selection terminal 208c is selected for the switching relay 208.

As a result, half-wave rectification is performed by the diode 209, so that only the negative voltage pulse is applied to the ion generator 10 among the voltage application pulses shown in FIG. As a result, corona discharge occurs in the vicinity of the ion generator 10 and the surrounding air is ionized. However, since only a negative voltage is applied, negative ions O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n are generated.

<First Modification of Voltage Application Circuit>
FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a circuit diagram of a modification of the voltage application circuit. Referring to FIG. 20, the difference between voltage application circuit 20 shown in FIG. 18 is a circuit between AC power supply 201 and primary coil L <b> 1 of switching transformer 202. Since other circuits are the same, description thereof will not be repeated here. One end of the AC power supply 201 is connected to one end of the resistor 214, and the other end of the resistor 214 is connected to the anode of the capacitor 215. The other end of the AC power supply 201 is connected to the cathode of Sidac (registered trademark) 207, one end of the capacitor 106 a, and one end of the relay 213. The cathode of the diode 215 is connected to the capacitors 206a and 206b and one end of the primary coil L1. The other end of the capacitor 206b is connected to the other end of the relay 213.

  When the deformed voltage application circuit 20a configured as described above is not in a specific state, the relay 213 is closed. The output voltage of AC power supply 201 is half-wave rectified by diode 215 and then applied to capacitors 206a and 206b. When charging of the capacitors 206a and 206b proceeds and the both-ends voltage reaches a predetermined threshold value, Sidac (registered trademark) 207 is turned on, and the charging voltages of the capacitors 206a and 206b are discharged. Therefore, a current flows through the primary coil L1 of the transformer 202, energy is transmitted to the secondary coil L2, and a pulse voltage is applied to the ion generator 10. Immediately thereafter, Sidac (registered trademark) 207 is turned off, and charging of capacitors 206a and 206b is started again.

  On the other hand, when in a specific state, the relay 213 opens. The output voltage of the AC power supply 201 is half-wave rectified by the diode 215 and then applied only to the capacitor 206a. When charging of the capacitor 206a proceeds and the voltage at both ends reaches a predetermined threshold value, Sidak (registered trademark) 207 is turned on, and the charging voltage of the capacitor 206a is discharged. Therefore, a current flows through the primary coil L1 of the transformer 202, energy is transmitted to the secondary coil L2, and a pulse voltage is applied to the ion generator 10. Immediately thereafter, Sidac (registered trademark) 207 is turned off, and charging of the capacitor 206a is started again.

  When the relay 213 is open, the voltage applied to the Sidac (registered trademark) 207 reaches the threshold earlier than when the relay 213 is closed. For this reason, the discharge frequency of the voltage pulse applied to the ion generator 10 is higher when the relay 213 is opened than when the relay 213 is closed. The higher the discharge frequency of pulses applied to the ion generator 10, the greater the amount of ions generated. Therefore, the amount of ions generated from the ion generator 10 can be switched simply by switching the relay 213.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a voltage waveform output from the modified voltage application circuit 20a. FIG. 21A shows a waveform when the relay 213 is closed, and shows a voltage waveform that is half-wave rectified by the diode 215 and a voltage pulse waveform that is applied to the ion generator 10. FIG. 21B shows the waveform of the half-wave rectified voltage and the voltage pulse applied to the ion generator 10 when the relay 213 is opened.

  In the voltage application circuit 20 described above, half-wave rectification and full-wave rectification are switched by switching the switch 203. In the modified voltage application circuit 20a, the circuit using only half-wave rectification has been described, but switching between full-wave rectification and half-wave rectification may be combined. In this case, when a voltage pulse with a low discharge frequency is applied to the ion generator 10, the half-wave rectified voltage and the relay 213 may be closed, and a voltage pulse with a high discharge frequency is applied. In that case, the relay 213 may be opened using full-wave rectification.

<Second Modification of Ion Generator and Voltage Application Circuit>
FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a modification of the ion generator. Referring to FIG. 22, ion generator 10 </ b> A in the modification is different from ion generator 10 described above in that first discharge unit 21 including discharge electrode 21 a and induction electrode 21 b, discharge electrode 22 a and induction electrode. And the second discharge part 22 having 22b. That is, the modified ion generator 10A is different in that it has two discharge parts 21 and 22.

  In the deformed ion generator 10A, induction electrodes 21b and 22b are formed on the surface of the lower dielectric 11b. Further, the discharge electrode 21a and the discharge electrode 22a are formed on the surface of the upper dielectric 11a. The surface of the upper dielectric 11 a is covered with a coating layer 13. The upper dielectric 11a is laminated on the surface of the lower dielectric 11b where the induction electrodes 21b and 22b are formed. Further, the discharge electrode 21a and the induction electrode 21b of the first discharge part 21 are arranged at positions facing each other, and the discharge electrode 22a and the induction electrode 22b of the second discharge part 21 are arranged at positions facing each other.

  In the first discharge part, the connection terminal 21e of the discharge electrode 21a is connected to the discharge electrode contact 21e. The discharge electrode contact 21e is connected to the voltage application circuit 20B with a lead wire. The connection terminal 21d of the induction electrode 21b is connected to the induction electrode contact 21f, and the induction electrode contact 21f is connected to the voltage application circuit 20B through a lead wire.

  Similarly, in the second discharge part 22, the connection terminal 22c of the discharge electrode 22a is connected to the discharge electrode contact 22e, and the discharge electrode contact 22e is connected to the voltage application circuit 20B through a lead wire. The connection terminal 22d of the induction electrode 22b is connected to the induction electrode contact 22f, and the induction electrode contact 22f is connected to the voltage application circuit 20B through a lead wire.

  FIG. 23 is a circuit diagram of a voltage application circuit 20B connected to the modified ion generator 10A. Referring to FIG. 23, voltage application circuit 20B includes AC power supply 201, transformer 222, switching relay 233, resistors 224 and 225, diodes 226 to 230, capacitors 231a and 231b, and Sidac (registered trademark) 232. Including.

  One end of the AC power supply 201 is connected to the anode of the diode 226 via the resistor 224. The cathode of the diode 226 is connected to one end of the first coil 222 a constituting the primary side of the transformer 222, the anode of the diode 227, and the anode of Sidac (registered trademark) 232. The other end of the first coil 222a and the cathode of the diode 227 are connected to each other, and the connection node is connected to one end of each of the capacitors 231a and 231b. The cathode of Sidac (registered trademark) 232, the other end of the capacitor 231a, and one end 233a of the relay 233 are connected to each other, and the connection node is connected to the other end of the AC power supply 201. The other end 233b of the relay 233 is connected to the other end of the capacitor 231b.

  One end of the second coil 222b constituting the secondary side of the transformer 222 is connected to the discharge electrode contact 21e of the first discharge unit 21, and the other end of the second coil 222b is the induction electrode of the first discharge unit 21. The contact 21f, the cathode of the diode 229, and the anode of the diode 230 are connected to each other. The anode of the diode 229 is connected to one selection terminal 223a of the switching relay 223, and the cathode of the diode 230 is connected to the other selection terminal 223b of the switching relay 223. One end of the third coil 222c constituting the secondary side of the transformer 222 is connected to the discharge electrode contact 22e of the second discharge unit 22, and the other end of the third coil 222c is the induction electrode of the second discharge unit 22. The contact 22f is connected to the anode of the diode 228, respectively. The common terminal 223 c of the switching relay 223 and the cathode of the diode 228 are connected to each other, and the connection node is connected to the other end of the AC power supply 201 via the resistor 225.

In the voltage application circuit 20B configured as described above, when not in a specific state and when the driving mode of the ion generator 10 is in the clean mode, the relay 233 is closed, and the selection terminal 223a is selected for the switching relay 223. The In this case, a positive DC impulse voltage is applied between the discharge electrode 21a and the induction electrode 21b of the first discharge part 21, and between the discharge electrode 22a and the induction electrode contact 22b of the second discharge part 22 A negative DC impulse voltage is applied. By applying such a voltage, corona discharge occurs in the vicinity of the first discharge part 21 and the second discharge part 22, and the surrounding air is ionized. At this time, H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m that is a positive ion is generated in the vicinity of the first discharge unit 21 to which the positive DC impulse is applied, and the second discharge unit 22 to which the negative DC impulse is applied. In the vicinity, O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n (m and n are 0 or an arbitrary natural number), which is a negative ion, is generated.

As described above, when the selection terminal 223a is selected by the switching relay 223, it is possible to generate substantially the same amount of positive ions from the first discharge unit 21 and negative ions from the second discharge unit 22. Accordingly, positive and negative ions are attached to airborne bacteria in the air, and the active bacteria generated at that time have the action of decomposing hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) and / or hydroxyl radicals (.OH), It can be removed.

  On the other hand, when in the specific state, the relay 233 is opened, and the selection terminal 223a is selected for the switching relay 223. In this case, since only the capacitor 231a is charged, the time until the voltage applied to the Sidac (registered trademark) 232 reaches a predetermined threshold is shortened. For this reason, the discharge frequency of the positive DC impulse voltage applied to the first discharge unit 21 and the negative DC impulse voltage applied to the second discharge unit 22 increases. For this reason, more positive ions are generated in the first discharge unit 21, and more negative ions are generated in the second discharge unit 22.

  When not in the specific state and when the driving mode of the ion generator 10 is in the ion control mode, the relay 233 is closed and the selection terminal 223b is selected for the switching relay 223.

In this case, a negative DC impulse voltage is applied to both the first discharge unit 21 and the second discharge unit 22. When such a negative DC impulse voltage is applied, O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n (n is 0 or arbitrary) in the vicinity of the first discharge part 21 and the second discharge part 22, both being negative ions. Of natural numbers).

  Thus, if the selection terminal 223 b is selected by the switching relay 223, only negative ions can be generated from both the first discharge unit 21 and the second discharge unit 22. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the ion balance to create a state in which the negative ions are multivalent and enhance the relaxation effect.

  FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing a flow of drive mode determination processing executed by the control unit in the automatic mode. Referring to the drawing, first, the air volume is set based on the degree of contamination (steps S01 to S04). In step S01, the degree of dirt is determined. If the degree of dirt is "0", the air volume is set to 1 (step S02). If the degree of dirt is "1", the air volume is set to 3 (step S03). When the degree is “2”, the air volume 5 is set (step S04).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the specific state is set (steps S05 to S08). If the current state is the specific state, the process proceeds to step S12. If the normal state is not the specific state, the process proceeds to step S09. Specifically, in step S05, temperature and humidity are detected by the temperature sensor 151 and the humidity sensor 152 (step S05). In step S06, if the temperature is 34 ° C. or lower and the humidity is 25% or lower, the process proceeds to step S12 as a specific state, and if not, the process proceeds to step S07. In step S07, if the temperature is 24 ° C. or lower and the humidity is 40% or lower, the process proceeds to step S12 as a specific state, and if not, the process proceeds to step S08. In step S08, if the temperature is 13 ° C. or lower, the process proceeds to step S12 as a specific state, and if not, the process proceeds to step S09.

  If the normal state is determined, it is determined in step S09 whether or not the contamination level is 1 or more. If true, the process proceeds to step S10, and if false, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S10, the drive mode of the ion generator 10 is set to the clean mode. Since this clean mode is not the Mihari mode, the amount of positive and negative ions generated by the ion generator 10 is smaller than that in the Mihari mode. In step S11, the drive mode of the ion generator 10 is set to the ion control mode. In this case, the ion generator 10 generates more negative ions than positive ions.

  If the specific state is determined, the drive mode of the ion generator 10 is set to the clean mode in step S12. This clean mode is the Mihari mode. For this reason, the amount of positive and negative ions generated by the ion generator 10 is larger than that in the case of not being in the Mihari mode. In the next step S13, it is determined whether or not the degree of contamination is 1 or more. If true, the process proceeds to step S14. If false, the process ends. In step S14, the air volume set in steps S02 to S04 is increased. Specifically, the air volume 3 is increased to the air volume 4, and the air volume 5 is increased to the air volume 6. By increasing the air volume, the amount of air passing through the humidifying filter 41 increases, so that the moisture supplied to the ion generator 10 increases. As a result, the remaining period of the generated ions becomes longer and the sterilization effect is further improved.

  FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the control unit in the outing mode. Referring to the figure, in step S21, it is determined whether or not the specific state is obtained from the temperature detected by temperature sensor 151 and the humidity detected by humidity sensor 152. This process is the same as the process executed in steps S05 to S08 in FIG. When it is determined that it is in the specific state, the process proceeds to step S33, and when it is determined that it is not in the specific state, the process proceeds to step S22. When the process proceeds to step S33, the specific drive state is set.

  In step S22, if the contamination level is 1 or more, the process proceeds to step S33, and if the contamination level is 0, the process proceeds to step S23. In step S23, it is determined whether or not the fan motor 4 is stopped. If the fan motor 4 is stopped, steps S24 and S25 are skipped and the process proceeds to step S26, and if driven, the process proceeds to step S24. In step S24, the first timer is started. The first timer is a timer for measuring the first period. The first period is a period in which the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are stopped, and here, it is 45 minutes. In step S25, the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are stopped.

  In step S26, it is determined whether or not the first timer has counted 45 minutes. If the fan motor 4 has stopped for 45 minutes, the process proceeds to step S27, and if not, the process returns to step S21. Then, while the fan motor 4 is stopped, it is determined whether or not the specific state has been reached in step S21 and whether or not the contamination level has become 1 or more in step S22. If true in any step, the process proceeds to step S33.

  That is, if the first timer is in the specific state before the first period is measured or if the dirt level is 1 or more, it is determined as the specific drive state, and the process proceeds to step S33.

  In step S27, it is determined whether or not it is in the specific state, as in step S21. If it is determined that it is in the specific state, the process proceeds to step S33, and if it is determined that it is not in the specific state, the process proceeds to step S28.

  In step S28, as in step S22, it is determined whether the degree of contamination is 1 or more. If the contamination level is 1 or more, the process proceeds to step S33, and if the contamination level is 0, the process proceeds to step S29. When the process proceeds to step S33, the specific drive state is set.

  In step S29, it is determined whether or not the fan motor 4 is driven with the standard air volume 4. When the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 4, the process skips steps S30 and S31 and proceeds to step S32. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S30. In step S30, the second timer is started. The second timer is a timer for measuring the second period. The second period is a period in which the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 4, and is 15 minutes here. In step S31, the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 4.

  In step S32, it is determined whether or not the second timer has counted 15 minutes. If the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 4 for 15 minutes, the process returns to step S21, and if not, the process returns to step S27. By returning to step S27, the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 4 for a maximum of 15 minutes. Moreover, since it will return to step S21 if it drives by the air volume 4 for 15 minutes, when it progresses to step S25 next, the fan motor 4 will be stopped.

  Further, by returning to step S27, it is determined whether or not the specific state is obtained in step S27 while the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 4, and whether or not the contamination level is 1 or more in step S28. The If true in any step, the process proceeds to step S33.

  That is, if the second timer is in the specific state before the second period is measured or if the dirt level is 1 or more, it is determined as the specific drive state, and the process proceeds to step S33.

  In step S33, the drive mode determination process described in FIG. 24 is executed. In the next step S34, the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are driven according to the drive mode determined in step S33. Then, it returns to step S21. By returning to step S21, whether or not the specific state is reached in step S21 while the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are being driven in the specific drive state, or whether the contamination level is 1 or more in step S22. It is determined whether or not. If true in any step, the process proceeds to step S33.

  That is, in the stage of the specific drive mode, when the normal state is entered instead of the specific state and the degree of contamination becomes 0, the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are stopped.

  FIG. 26 is a first diagram illustrating an example of a driving state of the fan motor in the outing mode. The figure shows a case where the temperature and humidity are not in a specific state and the state where the degree of contamination is 0 continues. First, at time t0 when the operation mode is switched to the outing mode, the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are stopped (OFF). When the stopped state has elapsed for 45 minutes, the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 4 for 15 minutes and then stopped. The stop of the fan motor 4 for 15 minutes and the driving with the air volume 4 for 45 minutes are repeated until the outing mode is canceled.

  FIG. 27 is a second diagram illustrating an example of a driving state of the fan motor in the outing mode. In the figure, when the mode is switched to the outing mode, the temperature and humidity are not in a specific state and the degree of contamination is 0. However, after that, the indoor environment changes, the degree of contamination becomes 1, and then further contamination. The case where the degree becomes 0 is shown. First, the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are stopped at time t0 when the operation mode is switched to the outing mode. And before the stop state passes for 45 minutes, it will be in the specific drive state drive | operated by automatic mode at the time t1 when the degree of dirt became 1. In this case, the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 3. Thereafter, the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are stopped at time t2 when the indoor environment is improved and the degree of contamination becomes zero. When the stopped state has elapsed for 45 minutes, the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 4 for 15 minutes and then stopped.

  FIG. 28 is a third diagram illustrating an example of a driving state of the fan motor in the outing mode. In the figure, when the mode is switched to the outing mode, the temperature and humidity are not in a specific state and the degree of contamination is in a state of 1. First, at the time t0 when the operation mode is switched to the outing mode, the degree of contamination is 1, so that the specific drive state in which the operation is performed in the automatic mode is obtained. In this case, the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 3, and the ion generator is driven in the clean mode. Thereafter, the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are stopped at time t3 when the indoor environment is improved and the degree of contamination becomes zero. When the stopped state has elapsed for 45 minutes, the fan motor 4 is driven with the air volume 4 for 15 minutes and then stopped.

  As described above, in the air cleaner according to the present embodiment, the humidifying filter 41 is arranged on the suction port 2a side of the ion generating device 10 in the path from the suction port 2a to the air outlets 6a and 6b. The generator 10 is supplied with humidified air. When the degree of contamination is 1 or more and the specific state is present, more water is supplied to the ion generator 10 than in the normal state. For this reason, since a residual period becomes long when an ion is surrounded by a water molecule, the disinfection effect can be improved.

  Moreover, since the moisture supplied to the ion generator 10 is increased by controlling the fan motor 4 to increase the air volume, a simple configuration can be achieved.

  Furthermore, since the ion generator 10 driven in the clean mode is driven in the Mihari mode that generates more ions when in the specific state than in the normal state, more ions can be discharged into the room. Can do.

  In addition, when the indoor temperature and humidity are in a specific state, the monitor lamp 115 is turned on, so that the user can know that the room has become an unfavorable environment in which viruses tend to propagate. At this time, if the user operates the operation switching button 104 at his / her own intention and switches the operation mode to the automatic mode, the air purifier sets the drive mode of the ion generator 10 to the clean mode of the brush mode, Increase airflow. The user can increase the concentration of positive and negative ions in the room.

  In the intermittent operation mode, the fan motor 4 and the ion generator 10 are stopped on condition that the room is not dirty and the temperature and humidity are not in a predetermined state, so that the indoor environment is maintained. In addition, power consumption can be reduced.

  In the intermittent operation, the fan motor 4 is stopped for 45 minutes and then driven with the air volume 4 for 15 minutes. Therefore, the air in the vicinity of the temperature sensor 151, the humidity sensor 152, the dust sensor 153, and the odor sensor 154 may stagnate for a long time. In addition, erroneous detection can be prevented.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the air cleaner carrying an ion generator. It is a front view of an air cleaner main body. It is sectional drawing of an air cleaner main body. It is a figure which shows an example of a specific state. It is a figure which shows an example of a stain | pollution | contamination degree evaluation table. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a fan motor output and the voltage applied to an ion generator for every drive mode of an ion generator. It is a figure which shows an example of the air volume determination table in automatic mode. It is a figure which shows the relationship between an air volume and humidification amount. It is a figure which shows the residual rate of airborne bacteria in a time series. It is a 1st figure which shows the test result of a deodorizing test. It is a 2nd figure which shows the test result of a deodorizing test. It is a 3rd figure which shows the test result of a deodorizing test. It is a 4th figure which shows the test result of a deodorizing test. It is a figure which expands and shows the operation part of an air cleaner. 3 is a plan view of a remote controller 130. FIG. It is a circuit block diagram of the air cleaner in this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of an ion generator. It is a circuit diagram of a voltage application circuit. It is a figure which shows the voltage pulse output from a voltage application circuit. It is a circuit diagram of the modification of a voltage application circuit. It is a figure which shows the voltage pulse output from the deformed voltage application circuit. It is a figure which shows the modification of an ion generator. It is a circuit diagram of the voltage application circuit connected to the ion generator modified. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process performed by the control part in automatic mode. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process performed by the control part in an outing mode. It is a 1st figure which shows an example of the drive state of the fan motor in an outing mode. It is a 2nd figure which shows an example of the drive state of the fan motor in an outing mode. It is a 3rd figure which shows an example of the drive state of the fan motor in an outing mode.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air cleaner main body, 2a Inlet, 6a, 6b Outlet, 10, 10A Ion generator, 20, 20a, 20b Voltage application circuit, 103 Operation part, 104 Operation switch button, 115 Mirin lamp, 130 Remote controller, 150 Control unit, 151 temperature sensor, 152 humidity sensor, 153 dust sensor, 154 odor sensor.

Claims (6)

An ion generating means that is arranged on a path from the suction port to the outlet and generates ions;
A blowing means for causing the air to flow in order to blow out the air sucked from the suction port from the blowout port;
Dirt detecting means for detecting air dirt,
Temperature and humidity detection means for detecting temperature and humidity;
Control means for controlling the blowing means and the ion generating means;
The intermittent operation mode in which the first period for stopping the blowing unit and the ion generating unit and the second period for driving the blowing unit and the ion generating unit are repeated, and the blowing unit and the ion generating unit are continuously operated. Switching means for switching between continuous operation modes to be driven,
When the control means is in the intermittent operation mode,
On the condition that the dirt is not detected by the dirt detection means, and the temperature and humidity detected by the temperature and humidity detection means are not in a specific state, the blowing means and the ion generation means are stopped,
The blowing means and the ion generating means are continuously driven on condition that the dirt is detected by the dirt detecting means or the temperature and humidity detected by the temperature / humidity detecting means are in the specific state. An air conditioner that is in a specific driving state. When the control means is in the specific drive state, when the dirt is not detected by the dirt detection means and the temperature and humidity detected by the temperature / humidity detection means are no longer in the specific state, the control means The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the first period is started by stopping the means and the ion generating means.   3. The air according to claim 1, wherein the control unit reduces the amount of air sent from the air blowing unit when the voltage duty applied to the ion generating unit is small, and increases the amount of air when the voltage duty is large. Adjusting device.   2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the air blowing unit to generate a predetermined air volume in the second period.   The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined air volume is larger than a minimum air volume. A saucer for holding water;
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a filter disposed on the suction path side of the ion generating unit on the path and partially immersed in water held in the tray.

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