JP6948519B2 - Humidifier - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a humidifying device.

Conventionally, in this type of humidifying device, a water storage container for storing water, a pump for pumping water from the water storage container, and a humidifying filter are provided above the water storage container, and the water of the pump is supplied to the humidifying filter by means of blowing air. A method of humidifying by ventilating is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-206497

In such a conventional humidifier, since the water storage container is detachable, there is a problem that air may enter the water inlet of the pump during water supply and drainage to generate an abnormal noise. rice field.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a humidifying device for preventing the generation of abnormal noise.

In order to achieve this object, the humidifying device according to the present invention includes a water storage container for storing water, a humidifying filter provided above the water storage container, a supply unit for supplying water to the humidifying filter, and the above. The pump unit includes a pump unit that sends the water in the water storage container to the supply unit, a control unit that controls the operation of the pump unit, and a water supply path that connects the pump unit and the supply unit, and the pump unit responds. A pump that sends water to the supply unit via the water supply path by rotating a rotating body having a magnet, and a rotating magnet that is rotated at a constant rotation speed to rotate the reactive magnet via the rotating magnet. The control unit includes a rotating pump motor, and the control unit includes an air bleeding preparation processing unit that rotates the pump motor for a predetermined initial operation time at the start of operation of the pump unit, and a predetermined control unit after the initial operation time has elapsed. The pump motor is provided with an air bleeding processing unit for stopping the pump motor during the initial stop time of the pump motor.
In order to discharge the air in the pump, the treatment by the air bleeding preparation processing unit is performed, and then the treatment by the air bleeding processing unit is performed, and the predetermined initial operation time is supplied by the water supply capacity of the pump unit. It is the time until the tip of the water sent to the unit reaches the first predetermined position in the water supply path, and the first predetermined position is that the water in the water supply path pushes out the air in the pump by its own weight. It is a position where the pump can be made, and thereby achieves the intended purpose.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the amount of air contained in the pump portion and prevent abnormal noise due to so-called air biting in which air is caught in the pump.

The perspective view which shows the humidifying apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The cross-sectional view which shows the humidifying apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The exploded sectional view which shows the tank part of the humidifying apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The perspective view which shows the pump part of the humidifying apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The exploded perspective view which shows the pump of the humidifying apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows the functional block of the humidifying apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The flowchart which shows the processing of the control part of the humidifying apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows the relationship between the operating time of a pump and the amount of water in a water supply path.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are examples that embody the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and the second and subsequent explanations are omitted.

(Embodiment 1)
First, a schematic configuration of the humidifying device A according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a basic configuration of the humidifying device A.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the basic configuration of the humidifying device A. FIG. 2 is a view of the I-I cross section of FIG. 1 viewed from the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the humidifying device A includes a main body case 1, an operation unit 9 provided in the main body case 1, a humidifying unit 2, a blowing unit 3, and a control unit 51. There is.

The main body case 1 has a vertically long box shape, and the inside of the main body case 1 is divided into a first space portion 5 and a second space portion 6 by a horizontally provided flat plate-shaped partition plate portion 4. There is. The first space portion 5 is arranged above the second space portion 6. A suction port 7 is provided on the front surface side of the outer peripheral surface of the main body case 1. An air outlet 8 is provided on the back side of the top surface of the main body case 1. The suction port 7 and the air outlet 8 communicate the outside of the main body case 1 with the first space portion 5. In the first space portion 5 of the main body case 1, there is an air passage 10 that communicates the suction port 7 and the air outlet 8.

The operation unit 9 has a quadrangular shape and is provided on the front surface side of the top surface of the main body case 1. The operation unit 9 is connected to the control unit 51, and receives an input by the user and transmits the input to the control unit 51 to transmit a command to the humidifying device A to the control unit 51.

The humidifying section 2 includes a water storage container 11, a humidifying filter 12, a water supply member 13, and a water supply pipe.

The water storage container 11 has a bowl shape with an opening at the top, and can store water. The water storage container 11 is provided in the second space portion 6 and is detachably attached from the front side of the main body case 1. When the water storage container 11 is pulled out to the front side of the main body case 1, the water storage container 11 comes off from the main body case 1. The water storage container 11 includes a water amount detecting unit 54 that detects the amount of water in the water storage container 11. The water storage container 11 includes a tank portion 31 from above to the internal space, and the details will be described later.

The water amount detection unit 54 is provided inside the water storage container 11 and detects the amount of water in the water storage container 11. The water amount detection unit 54 may detect the drought of the water storage container 11, detect the amount of water equal to or greater than or equal to a predetermined amount, or detect the amount of water stored in the water storage container from, for example, the water level. ..

The humidifying filter 12 has a flat plate shape, includes many fibers, and can retain water between the fibers. The humidifying filter 12 is provided in the first space portion 5 so that the suction port 7 and the flat surface portion of the humidifying filter 12 face each other. The water in the water storage container 11 is supplied from above the humidifying filter 12 by the water supply member 13.

The water supply member 13 includes a pump unit 14, a supply unit 15, and a drain pan unit 16.

The pump unit 14 supplies the water in the water storage container 11 to the supply unit 15, and in the supply unit 15, the water in the supply unit 15 drops onto the humidifying filter 12. Of the dropped water, excess water that is not retained by the humidifying filter 12 is returned to the water storage container 11 via the drain pan portion 16. The pump unit 14 includes a pump 17 and a pump motor 18.

As an example, the pump 17 is a centrifugal pump that supplies water by rotating an impeller in a casing. The pump 17 is provided in the water storage container 11 and is connected to one end of the first pipe 19. When the pump 17 is driven by the pump motor 18, it sucks up the water in the water storage container 11 and sends the water to the first pipe 19 having a tubular shape.

The pump motor 18 rotates the pump 17, the details of which will be described later.

The water supply pipe constitutes a water supply path that connects the pump unit 14 and the supply unit 15. The water supply pipe includes a first pipe 19, a second pipe 20, and a connecting unit 21.

The first tube 19 and the second tube 20 are tubes formed of a hollow cylindrical and flexible material, and silicon can be used as the material, for example.

The connecting unit 21 has a first connecting portion 22 and a second connecting portion 23. The first connecting portion 22 and the second connecting portion 23 have a detachable structure.

The first connecting portion 22 is connected to the other end of the first pipe 19. When the water storage container 11 is pulled out to the front side of the main body case 1, the first connecting portion 22 is disengaged from the second connecting portion 23, and the water storage container 11, the pump 17, the first pipe 19, and the first connecting portion 22 Are united and come off from the main body case 1.

The second connecting portion 23 is fixed to the wall surface on the lower surface side of the partition plate portion 4 and fixing the pump motor 18, and is connected to one end of the second pipe 20. The first connecting portion 22 and the second connecting portion 23, which are the connecting units 21, communicate the first pipe 19 and the second pipe 20. The water sent by the pump 17 to the first pipe 19 is sent to the second pipe 20 via the connecting unit 21. The other end of the second pipe 20 is connected to the supply section 15. The second pipe 20 extends from the second space portion 6 to the first space portion 5 via the first communication portion 4A which is a hole provided in the partition plate portion 4. The outer surface of the second pipe 20 is fitted in the hole which is the first communication portion 4A, and there is substantially no gap between the second pipe 20 and the first communication portion 4A. be.

The supply unit 15 is arranged above the humidifying filter 12, and drops the water sent from the second pipe 20 onto the humidifying filter 12.

The drain pan portion 16 is arranged below the lower end portion of the humidifying filter 12 and is fixed to the partition plate portion 4. The drain pan portion 16 extends from the first space portion 5 to the second space portion 6 via the second communication portion 4B which is a hole in the partition plate portion 4. The excess water that is not retained by the humidifying filter 12 is returned to the water storage container 11 via the drain pan portion 16. The outer surface of the drain pan portion 16 is fitted in the hole which is the second communication portion 4B, and there is substantially no gap between the drain pan portion 16 and the second communication portion 4B.

The first space portion 5 is divided into two spaces, a first front space portion 24 and a first back space portion 25, by a supply unit 15, a humidifying filter 12, and a drain pan unit 16. The first front space portion 24 is a space on the front side of the humidifying filter 12, and the first back space portion 25 is a space on the back side of the humidifying filter 12.

The blower portion 3 is fixed to the first back space portion 25. The blower portion 3 includes a scroll-shaped casing 26, a motor 27 fixed to the casing 26, and blades 28 rotated by the motor 27.

The casing 26 is provided with a discharge port 29 on the upper surface and an intake port 30 on the front surface side. The intake port 30 of the casing 26 faces the humidifying filter 12 and the suction port 7. The discharge port 29 of the casing 26 faces the air outlet 8 of the main body case 1.

Subsequently, the detailed configuration of the tank portion 31 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the tank portion 31.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tank portion 31 includes a tank 32 for storing water and a lid 34 provided at the tank opening 33 of the tank 32. The lid 34 includes a valve mechanism 35 that supplies the water in the tank 32 to the water storage container 11.

The tank 32 has a box shape, and when the tank portion 31 is mounted in the water storage container 11, the tank handle 36 is provided on the top surface of the tank 32, and the tank opening 33 is provided on the lower surface of the tank 32.

The valve mechanism 35 supplies the water stored in the tank 32 to the water storage container 11 in a constant amount by arranging the lid 34 vertically downward in the water storage container 11. As a result, as long as there is water in the tank 32, a certain amount of water is always secured in the water storage container 11.

Subsequently, the detailed configuration of the pump unit 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the pump unit 14, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the pump 17.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the pump motor 18 is provided on a wall surface facing the pump 17 and arranged in the second space 6 and outside the water storage container 11. A rotating magnet 42 is fixed to the rotating shaft 41 of the pump motor 18, and the rotating magnet 42 rotates due to the rotation of the rotating shaft 41. Specifically, as the pump motor 18, a brushless DC motor can be used.

The brushless DC motor indicates the rotation speed of the magnet rotor via a stator with three-phase winding, a position detector that detects the positional relationship between the magnet rotor and the winding, and a speed indication signal. It is provided with a speed indicator. Further, the inverter is based on the duty determining unit that determines the duty of the applied voltage applied to the stator based on the speed indicating signal from the speed indicating unit, the positional relationship detected by the position detecting unit, and the duty determined by the duty determining unit. It is provided with a motor control unit (motor control unit 65, which will be described later) that distributes and outputs a duty signal to a plurality of switching elements constituting the above.

An impeller 43 in which a reaction magnet is insert-formed is rotatably provided in the pump 17, and the impeller 43 is rotatably held in the pump 17 by a pump lid 44.

With the water storage container 11 mounted on the main body case 1, the rotating shaft 41 of the pump motor 18 and the rotating shaft of the impeller 43 in the pump 17 are arranged coaxially, and when they are close to each other, they are caused by magnetic force. The rotations will be synchronized. When the rotating magnet 42 of the pump motor 18 rotates, the reaction magnet in the pump 17, that is, the impeller 43, which is in a non-contact state with the rotating magnet 42, rotates, and the pump 17 collects water in the water storage container 11. It can be sucked up and sent to the supply unit 15 via the first pipe 19 and the second pipe 20.

The above is the configuration of the humidifying device A.

Subsequently, the outline of the humidifying treatment in the above configuration of the humidifying device A will be described. The humidification process is controlled by, for example, a control unit 51 provided on the back surface of the operation unit 9.

First, when the pump 17 is driven by the pump motor 18, the pump 17 sucks up the water in the water storage container 11 and sends the water to the supply unit 15 via the first pipe 19, the connecting unit 21, and the second pipe 20. send.

The supply unit 15 drops the water sent from the second pipe 20 onto the humidifying filter 12. The humidifying filter 12 retains a part of the dropped water. The excess water that is not retained by the humidifying filter 12 is returned to the water storage container 11 via the drain pan portion 16.

In this state, when the blades 28 are rotated by the motor 27 of the blower unit 3, the air outside the main body case 1 is sucked into the first space portion 5 from the suction port 7 and blown to the humidifying filter 12. Air is humidified when passing through the water-retaining humidifying filter 12, and the humidified air is blown from the air outlet 8 to the outside of the main body case 1 through the intake port 30 and the discharge port 29 of the air blowing unit 3.

Subsequently, the outline of the control unit 51 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a functional block of the humidifying device A.

As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 51 is connected to a drive unit, that is, a blower unit 3, a pump motor 18 constituting the pump unit 14, a water amount detection unit 54, and an operation unit 9, and commands or information. Is transmitted to and received from each drive unit as an electric signal to control the operation of each drive unit.

Specifically, the control unit 51 is provided as a microcomputer, a so-called microcomputer. The microcomputer is provided with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory) inside, and each drive unit (device) in the humidifying device A is connected via an internal bus. For example, the CPU uses the RAM as a work area, executes a program stored in the ROM, and exchanges information (data) and instructions with each drive unit based on the execution result to operate each drive unit. Control.

The control unit 51 includes a normal processing unit 60, a motor control unit 65, an air bleeding preparation processing unit 61, an air bleeding processing unit 62, an air mixing prevention processing unit 63, and a step-out detection unit 64.

The normal processing unit 60 controls the above-mentioned basic humidifying treatment in the humidifying device A. That is, the normal processing unit 60 is connected to the blower unit 3 and the pump unit 14 constituting the humidifying device A, and by transmitting and receiving signals, it operates according to the signal from the control unit 51, and performs the above-mentioned humidifying processing. Realize.

As described in the above description of the brushless DC motor, the motor control unit 65 controls the rotation speed of the pump motor 18 via the output of the duty signal. During normal operation of the humidifying device A by the normal processing unit 60, the motor control unit 65 supplies a constant amount of water to the supply unit 15 at any time by controlling the brushless DC motor at a constant rotation speed, for example.

The air bleeding preparation processing unit 61 rotates the pump motor 18 only during a predetermined initial operation time when the operation of the pump unit 14 starts.

The air bleeding processing unit 62 stops the pump motor 18 for a predetermined initial stop time after the air bleeding preparation processing unit 61 rotates the pump motor 18 during the initial operation time, that is, after the initial operation time has elapsed. Let me.

After the humidification treatment by the normal treatment unit 60 is stopped, the air mixing prevention processing unit 63 rotates the pump motor 18 at a lower rotation speed than during the humidification treatment by the normal treatment unit 60 for a predetermined end operation time.

The step-out detection unit 64 determines the electrical value given to the pump motor 18, that is, the voltage value, the current value, or the duty when the motor control unit 65 controls the brushless DC motor at a constant rotation speed. Obtained from 65, step-out is detected, but the details will be described later.

The above is the outline of the control unit 51.

<Processing at the start of operation>
Subsequently, the details of the processing of the control unit 51 at the start of the operation of the humidifying device A will be described with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process at the start of operation of the control unit 51.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the operating time of the pump 17 and the amount of water in the water supply path. FIG. 8A is a graph showing the operating time and operating speed of the pump, and FIG. 8B is a diagram. It is a graph which shows the amount of water in the water supply path corresponding to 8 (a). In the humidifying device A, as shown in FIG. 2, the water supply path has some distortion from the pump 17 as the lower base point to the supply section 15 vertically above, but for the sake of understanding, the water supply path is vertically up and down. The Y-axis of the graph (b) is shown as a straight line in the direction. In other words, the amount of water (Y-axis) in the water supply path in the graph (b) is simply the height of the tip of the water sent from the pump section 14 to the supply section 15 with the pump 17 as the base point. can do.

At the start of the operation, for example, the user supplies water to the tank portion 31 and fixes it to the water storage container 11, and correctly arranges the water storage container 11 in the second space portion 6 of the humidifying device A. In this state, when the connecting unit 21 is normally connected, the water supply pipe communicates the pump 17 and the supply unit 15 so that water can be supplied. Further, an appropriate amount of humidifying water is supplied from the tank portion 31 to the water storage container 11, and the water level of the water storage container 11 is kept constant. Then, when the user presses, for example, the "humidification start" button from the operation unit 9, the control unit 51 supplies water from the water storage container 11 to the supply unit 15 in order to start humidification.

However, in the process of reaching this state, the water level of the water supplied from the tank portion 31 gradually rises from the bottom of the pump 17. At this time, water enters the pump 17 from the water suction port 58 shown in FIG. 5, but a certain amount of air is introduced into the pump 17 due to the shape of the blades of the impeller 43 and other irregularities inside the pump 17. It will be mixed in and will be naturally maintained without being completely removed from the pump 17. Therefore, immediately after the operation of the pump unit 14 starts, the impeller 43 rotates in a state of containing air, and the so-called air biting occurs in the pump, the water supply pipe, or the supply unit 15 or the like from which the water supply pipe discharges water. May generate abnormal noise.

Therefore, the control unit 51 performs the following processing.

First, the air bleeding preparation processing unit 61 rotates the pump motor 18 only during the predetermined initial operation time T1 at the start of the operation of the pump unit 14 (S1). As a result, the water in the pump 17 rises in the water supply path (water supply pipe), that is, the amount of water in the water supply path increases. The predetermined initial operation time T1 varies depending on the water supply capacity of the pump unit 14, but is the time until the tip of the water sent from the pump unit 14 to the supply unit 15 reaches the first predetermined position 52 in the water supply path. be. The first predetermined position 52 is a position where the air in the pump 17 can be pushed out from the water suction port 58 by the weight of the water in the water supply path, in other words, the pressure of the water in the water supply path.

Next, the air bleeding processing unit 62 moves the pump motor 18 for a predetermined initial stop time T2 after the air bleeding preparation processing unit 61 rotates the pump motor 18, that is, after the initial operation time T1 has elapsed. Stop (S2). The initial stop time T2 differs depending on the diameter of the water supply path and the like, but the tip of the water returning from the supply section 15 side to the pump 17 is in the water supply path and is lower than the first predetermined position 52. It is the time until the predetermined position 53 is reached. Further, the second predetermined position 53 is a position higher than the highest position through which the water supplied from the water storage container 11 to the pump 17 passes. The highest position referred to here is, for example, the upper end portion (upper end portion in FIG. 5) of the water absorption port 58 shown in FIG. 5 in a circular shape. This is because if the tip of the returning water comes to a position lower than the highest position, air above the tip of the water may be mixed into the pump 17. As a result, the weight of the water in the water supply path is added to the water in the pump 17, and the water is discharged from the water suction port 58. At this time, the air in the pump 17 can also be discharged together with the water, so that the pump 17 can be discharged. It is possible to reduce the amount of air contained in the pump and prevent the generation of abnormal noise due to the air.

After the air bleeding processing unit 62 stops the pump motor 18 during the initial stop time T2, the normal processing unit 60 operates the pump motor 18 at a constant rotation speed to supply water to the supply unit 15. At the same time, the normal processing unit 60 operates the air blowing unit 3 to humidify the air and blow the air, as described above (S3: humidifying treatment).

As described above, the air bleeding preparation processing unit 61 pumps water up to the first predetermined position 52 into the second pipe 20 and a part of the first pipe during the initial operation time T1. During that time, the pump 17 is in a state of containing air, but after that, the air bleeding processing unit 62 stops the pump 17 during the initial stop time T2, so that the pump 17 is pumped up to the initial operation time T1. The water having a height up to the predetermined position 52 of 1 passes through the pump 17 by its own weight, and a part of the water returns to the water storage container. At this time, the air contained in the pump 17 can be pushed out, and as a result, the generation of abnormal noise due to the air biting of the pump 17 can be prevented. The air bleeding processing unit 62 stops the pump 17 during the initial stop time T2, but even if the pump 17 is rotated in the reverse direction, it is included in the concept of "stop" in the present embodiment. That is, the water may be forcibly discharged from the pump 17 by rotating in the reverse direction.

If the control unit 51 processes the air bleeding preparation processing unit 61 and the air bleeding processing unit 62 at the start of rotation of the pump motor 18 after the amount of water detected by the water amount detecting unit 54 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount of water. good.

That is, since water is supplied to the water storage container 11 from the tank portion 31, the pump 17 is filled with water. However, if water is no longer supplied from the tank portion 31 due to the tank portion 31 becoming empty, the water level of the water storage container 11 may drop and air may enter the pump 17. At this time, it is assumed that the water storage container 11 is removed from the main body case 1 to supply water or the like.

That is, the air bleeding preparation processing unit 61 and the air bleeding processing unit 62 are processed only at the start of rotation of the pump motor 18 after the water amount detecting unit 54 has become the predetermined amount of water or less, so that water can be supplied. The air mixed in the pump 17 may be reduced to prevent the generation of abnormal noise generated when the air of the pump 17 is bitten.

<Processing at the end of operation>
Subsequently, the details of the processing of the control unit 51 at the end of the operation of the humidifying device A will be described with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8.

At the end of the operation, for example, the user inputs that the humidification is stopped via the operation unit 9. Alternatively, when the water amount detection unit 54 detects that the amount of water in the water storage container 11 has decreased (decreased), it transmits that fact to the control unit 51.

Upon receiving the input to stop the humidification or the fact that the amount of water has decreased, the control unit 51 determines whether the stop is due to the decrease in the amount of water or the stop via the operation unit 9 by the user (S4).

If the stop is not due to a decrease in the amount of water, the pump motor 18 is rotated at a rotation speed R4 lower than that during the humidification process S3 during a predetermined end operation time T4 after the humidification process S3 is stopped via the air mixing prevention processing unit 63. (S4NO → S5).

Immediately after the humidification treatment S3 is stopped, the water supply path between the supply unit 15 and the pump 17 is filled with water. When the pump motor 18 is stopped in this state, the water in the water supply path is collected in the water storage container 11 while passing through the pump 17 by its own weight. At this time, since the impeller 43 in the pump 17 is rotatable, it rotates in the reverse direction when water passes through it. The impeller 43 with momentum continues to rotate according to the law of inertia even after the water in the water supply path runs out. Then, due to the inertia of rotation, the air above the tip of the water returning in the water supply path is sucked into the pump 17.

Therefore, the air mixing prevention processing unit 63 reduces the rotation speed of the pump motor 18 to rotate the pump motor 18. The rotation speed R is a rotation speed at which water cannot be supplied to the supply unit 15, but is a rotation speed at which the tip of the water, that is, the water level is gradually lowered, so that a sudden drop in the water level is prevented and the rotation is performed. It is possible to suppress the suction of air into the pump 17 due to the inertia of the water.

As a result, the effect of preventing the generation of abnormal noise due to the air biting of the pump 17 at the time of restart can be expected.

Further, the air mixing prevention processing unit 63 may gradually reduce the rotation speed of the pump motor 18 during the predetermined end operation time T4. When the rotation speed of the pump motor 18 changes suddenly, the water in the water supply path may have momentum to fall. By gradually lowering the rotation speed of the pump motor 18, it is possible to suppress the momentum of the residual water in the water supply path returning to the water storage container 11, and as a result, an abnormal noise due to air biting of the pump 17 at the time of restarting can be suppressed. It has the effect of preventing the occurrence.

When the humidification process S3 is stopped because the water amount detection unit 54 becomes equal to or less than the predetermined amount of water, the control unit 51 stops the pump motor 18 without providing the predetermined end operation time T4 (S4YES). .. When the amount of water falls below the predetermined amount, the water storage container 11 is removed from the main body case 1 and water is supplied to the tank portion 31, and the residual water in the water storage container 11 is drained once and the water in the pump 17 is also drained. Become. That is, since the effect of providing the predetermined end operation time T4 cannot be obtained, by immediately stopping the pump motor 18, it is possible to prevent unnecessary pump operation, improve durability and improve energy saving performance.

<Abnormality detection during normal processing>
Subsequently, the details of the abnormality detection process during the normal process of the humidifying device A will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

In the humidifier A described above, the pump 17 and the pump motor 18 are separated and are magnetically connected. Further, the pump motor 18 is controlled so as to operate at a constant rotation speed. Therefore, even if the pump is blocked due to dirt or the like, or if the tray is not installed correctly, the pump motor 18 will be driven at the correct rotation speed. Therefore, there is a problem that an abnormality cannot be detected based on the rotation speed of the pump motor 18.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the water absorption port 58 of the pump 17 has a mesh-like shape in order to prevent foreign matter and the like from being mixed. Dirt components such as scales in water may adhere to the water suction port 58 and the impeller 43 in the pump 17, so that water cannot be absorbed in the pump 17 or the impeller 43 may not rotate. Further, even if the water storage container 11 is not correctly attached to the main body case 1, the reaction magnet and the rotating magnet 42 cannot be linked with each other, and the impeller 43 cannot be rotated. At this time, since the load of pumping water is not applied, the load of the pump motor 18 is lighter than that in the state of pumping water. However, since it is controlled to operate at a constant rotation speed, an abnormality cannot be detected from the rotation speed of the pump motor 18.

Therefore, the humidifying device A detects the step-out state in the pump motor 18 based on the motor control unit 65 that controls the pump motor 18 at a constant rotation speed and the load on the pump motor 18 at the time of constant rotation speed control. A step-out detection unit 64 is provided.

The step-out detection unit 64 constantly detects the duty that determines the voltage value, the current value, or the voltage value given to the coil that constitutes the pump motor 18. If the rotation speed of the pump motor is controlled to be constant while the load of the impeller 43 is small, the voltage value, the current value, and the duty value are lower than those in the state of pumping water.

An example of how to determine the duty value is shown.

A storage area (for example, a storage unit such as ROM or RAM) that can be stored in the control unit 51 stores a range of duty values in a steady state, that is, in a non-abnormal state. When operating the pump motor 18, the operation is started with the duty value temporarily stored in the storage area.

When the pump motor 18 starts operation, the rotation speed is controlled to be constant, so that the operation is performed within the range of the duty value stored in the storage area. However, if the step-out state occurs for some reason, the duty value value decreases and the duty value deviates from the stored duty value range, so that the step-out detection unit 64 can determine that the step-out is out of step.

Although the means for storing the duty value is the storage area of the control unit 51, the same effect can be obtained by using other memorable means such as a non-volatile memory (EEPROM).

When the step-out detection unit 64 detects a decrease in the voltage value, the current value, or the duty value during the normal process S3, it determines that the step-out state is in the step-out state, and the pump motor 18 does not continue the idle operation. Since it is possible to stop the pump motor 18, the durability of the pump motor 18 can be improved. When the step-out state is determined, it is possible to perform processing such as notifying the operation unit 9 that it is abnormal, or generating a sound to notify the user that it is abnormal.

The humidifying device A according to the embodiment has been described above. The present invention also includes a form realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions in the form.

The humidifying device according to the present invention is useful as a humidifying device or the like used for home use or office use.

A Humidifying device 1 Main body case 2 Humidifying part 3 Blower part 4 Partition plate part 4A First communication part 4B Second communication part 5 First space part 6 Second space part 7 Suction port 8 Air outlet 9 Operation part 10 Air passage 11 Water storage container 12 Humidification filter 13 Water supply member 14 Pump part 15 Supply part 16 Drain pan part 17 Pump 18 Pump motor 19 First pipe 20 Second pipe 21 Connection unit 22 First connection part 23 Second connection Part 24 First front space 25 First back space 26 Casing 27 Motor 28 Blade 29 Discharge port 30 Intake port 31 Tank part 32 Tank 33 Tank opening 34 Lid 35 Valve mechanism 36 Tank handle 41 Rotating shaft 42 Rotating magnet 43 Impeller 44 Pump lid 51 Control unit 52 First predetermined position 53 Second predetermined position 54 Water volume detection unit 58 Water inlet 60 Normal processing unit 61 Air bleeding preparation processing unit 62 Air bleeding processing unit 63 Air mixing prevention processing unit 64 Step-out detection unit 65 Motor control unit T1 Initial operation time T2 Initial stop time T4 End operation time

Claims (5)

A water storage container for storing water and
A humidifying filter provided above the water storage container and
A supply unit that supplies water to the humidifying filter and
A pump unit that sends the water in the water storage container to the supply unit,
A control unit that controls the operation of the pump unit and
A water supply path for connecting the pump unit and the supply unit is provided.
The pump unit
A pump that sends water to the supply unit via the water supply path by rotating a rotating body having a response magnet.
A pump motor that rotates a rotating magnet at a constant rotation speed to rotate the response magnet via the rotating magnet.
The control unit
An air bleeding preparation processing unit that rotates the pump motor for a predetermined initial operation time at the start of operation of the pump unit, and an air bleeding preparation processing unit.
An air bleeding processing unit for stopping the pump motor for a predetermined initial stop time after the lapse of the initial operation time is provided.
In order to discharge the air in the pump, the treatment by the air bleeding preparation processing unit is performed, and then the treatment by the air bleeding processing unit is performed.
The predetermined initial operating time is
It is the time until the tip of the water sent to the supply unit reaches the first predetermined position in the water supply path by the water supply capacity of the pump unit.
The first predetermined position is
A humidifying device at a position where water in the water supply path can push out air in the pump by its own weight. The predetermined initial stop time is
The humidifying device of claim 1, wherein the time from the supply portion side to the tip portion of the water returning to the pump reaches the second predetermined position is lower than the first predetermined position A in the water supply path. The second predetermined position is
The humidifying device according to claim 2, which is a position higher than the highest position through which water supplied from the water storage container to the pump passes. A water amount detection unit for detecting the amount of water in the water storage container is provided.
The control unit
According to any one of claims 1-3 for performing the air vent preparation processing unit and the processing of the air vent section at the start rotation of the pump motor after the water amount detecting unit is equal to or less than a predetermined amount of water has been detected Humidifier. A main body case with a suction port and an outlet,
The air blower that sucks the air outside the main body case from the suction port and blows it out from the air outlet through the humidifying filter is provided.
The control unit
The humidifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising a normal processing unit that rotates the pump motor after processing the air bleeding processing unit and blows air by the blowing unit.

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