JP7227643B2 - air purifier - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an air cleaner that purifies air sucked into a casing and blows it out.

Traditionally, air purifiers have generally focused on collecting dust in the air with filters, but in addition to this, they also have the function of decomposing and removing harmful substances in the air using photocatalysts. are also known. For example, in the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a tubular photocatalyst unit is configured in which a straight fluorescent lamp is used as a light source and a photocatalyst is carried so as to surround the fluorescent lamp over its entire length. This photocatalyst unit was arranged so as to extend greatly in the vertical direction within the apparatus.

Further, as the light source used in the photocatalyst unit of the current air purifier, the production of conventional fluorescent lamps has been discontinued by manufacturers one after another, and LEDs (light emitting diodes) are becoming mainstream. When using LEDs, due to the characteristic that the light irradiation range is narrow around the optical axis, for example, in order to use a conventional straight tube light source, it was necessary to arrange a large number of LEDs side by side over the entire length. Therefore, as the number of LEDs, which are more expensive than fluorescent tubes, increases, the manufacturing cost of the entire device increases.

In order to solve such a problem, for example, as described in Patent Document 3, a light guide component that extends in the longitudinal direction like a straight tube type, an LED that introduces ultraviolet light from the end face of the light guide component, and a light guide component. Air purifiers with photocatalytic titanium mesh filters surrounding optical components have also been proposed. Here, the photocatalyst titanium mesh filter was configured to extend in a long cylindrical shape like the photocatalyst units described in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

JP 2000-107271 JP 2000-116760 JP 2020-109328

However, in the prior arts described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, all of the photocatalyst units are premised on a straight tube type long light source (including a light guide component). As a result, the photocatalyst unit becomes bulky and takes up a substantial amount of installation space within the device. It was difficult at times.

In addition, the bulky structure of the photocatalyst unit not only narrows the area of the air flow path in the device, but also tends to cause turbulence (eddies and turbulence) in the air flow. Therefore, the photocatalyst unit hinders air blowing efficiency, and there is a risk that the required air volume in the air purifier cannot be ensured. In addition, as described in Patent Document 3, when an LED is used as a light source, some kind of light diffusion/scattering process is required to excite a photocatalyst.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to the problems of the conventional technology as described above, and not only makes it possible to reduce the cost, but also makes it possible to make the structure of the photocatalyst compact and easy to install. To provide an air purifying device which enables a layout which does not cause turbulence of the air flow without narrowing the air flow passage area, prevents the deterioration of the air blowing efficiency, and secures the air volume required for air purifying. purpose.

In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, one aspect of the present invention is
In an air purifying device that purifies the air sucked into the casing and blows it out,
a light source that is arranged in a ventilation passage through which air flows inside the casing and emits light in one direction;
a reflector arranged on the optical axis of the light source so as to face the light source and reflecting the light emitted from the light source in all directions around the optical axis;
a photocatalyst disposed so as to surround the middle of the ventilation passage and excited by receiving reflected light from the reflector;
The light source is arranged on the centerline of the air passage,
The reflector is integrated into a unit and arranged on the center line of the air passage, and has a reflective surface whose conical apex coincides with the optical axis of the light source,
The unit has a gap through which air passes between the unit and the reflector inside thereof, and a shielding part that blocks part of the reflected light from the reflector,
The unit is formed by connecting a pair of vertically spaced annular portions by means of struts arranged in a circumferential direction,
At the center of one annular portion, the reflector is supported by a rib with its reflective surface facing the other annular portion,
One annular portion is formed as the shielding portion in a cylindrical shape with a predetermined height that shields part of the reflected light from the reflector or the direct light from the light source toward the side away from the light source,
The other annular portion is fixed in contact with the periphery of the location where the light source is arranged.

According to the air purifying device of the present invention, not only can the cost be reduced, but also the structure related to the photocatalyst can be made compact and easy to install. It is possible to make a layout that does not cause any disturbance of air flow, prevent a decrease in air blowing efficiency, and secure the air volume necessary for air cleaning. Therefore, it is possible to improve the performance of the air cleaning device and increase its commercial value.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. 3) showing the internal structure of the air cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention; BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the air cleaning apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view showing the upper surface part of the air cleaner concerning the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the partition plate and the communicating member of the air cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 4; FIG. 4 is a front view showing a housing surrounding the partition plate and the communicating member of the air cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention; 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6; FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a unit including a reflector of an air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the unit containing the reflector of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention from the downward direction. It is a perspective view which shows the photocatalyst of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing irradiation or reflection of light rays inside the air cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing upward air flow inside the air cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a lateral air flow inside the air cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a perspective view showing a unit of a fan and a blowout adjustment means of an air cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a louver opening/closing mechanism of the air cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention; It is explanatory drawing which shows opening and closing of the louver of the air cleaning apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the louver of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention from the inside. It is the perspective view which looked at the louver of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention from the outer surface. It is the front view which looked at the louver of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention from the outer surface. It is the side view which looked at the louver of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention from the left side. It is the bottom view which looked at the louver of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention from the lower side. It is the end view which cut|disconnected the louver of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention at each site|part. FIG. 4A is a plan view, a cross-sectional view, and a bottom view showing a state in which the louver is at the outermost angle in the blowout adjustment means of the air cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A is a plan view, a cross-sectional view, and a bottom view showing a state in which the louver is at a rotation angle between the outermost side and the innermost side in the blowout adjustment means of the air cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A is a plan view, a cross-sectional view, and a bottom view showing a state in which the louver is at the innermost angle in the blowout adjusting means of the air cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a graph showing the correlation between the rotation angle of the louver of the air cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention and the air volume ratio of the upper outlet and the side outlet.

Embodiments representative of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The air purifying device 10 according to this embodiment is a device that purifies the air sucked into the casing 11 and blows it out. In addition to the function of collecting dust in the air with the filter 20, the air cleaning device 10 also has the function of decomposing and removing harmful substances in the air with the photocatalyst 120 and deodorizing them. The air cleaning device 10 will be described below as an example in which the overall size is compact, assuming that the air cleaning device 10 is installed in a relatively limited space such as an ordinary home or a hotel room.

<Outline of the air cleaner 10>
FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. 3) showing the internal structure of the air cleaner 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the air cleaner 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the upper surface portion 16 of the air cleaner 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the air purifying device 10 is configured by housing related parts such as a filter 20 and a fan 30 inside a casing 11 formed in the shape of, for example, a quadrangular prism.

<Regarding the casing 11>
As shown in FIG. 2, the casing 11 has a hollow square prism shape as a whole, and the horizontal square cross section gradually increases from the bottom surface to the top surface. The bottom side of casing 11 is supported on base 12 . Here, the bottom side of the casing 11 is separated above the floor surface of the installation place by the pedestal 12 . The periphery of the bottom side not covered with the pedestal 12 is open as it is, and serves as a suction port 13 for sucking air from the outside. The casing 11, the base 12, and the upper surface portion 16, which will be described later, are made of synthetic resin, for example.

Since the casing 11 has a quadrangular prism shape in this embodiment, it has four side surface portions 14 that are partitioned in a planar shape along the circumferential direction. A suction port 15 for sucking air from the outside is also provided on the lower end side of each side surface portion 14 . The suction port 15 is formed by, for example, densely arranging a large number of small holes in a region of a constant width on the lower end side of each side surface portion 14 . The suction port 15 communicates with the suction port 13 inside.

The upper surface portion 16 of the casing 11 is formed in a square lid shape and attached later. As shown in FIG. 3, an operation panel 47, which will be described later, is arranged in the center of the upper surface portion 16, and an upward outlet 17 for blowing out purified air to the outside is provided around the operation panel 47. As shown in FIG. The upper air outlet 17 is formed as a grill in which, for example, right-angled triangular sections are arranged in a lattice pattern over the entire area of the upper surface portion 16 except for the operation panel 47, and a large number of slits are densely arranged in each section.

The upper air outlet 17 blows purified air upward. Here, the upper air outlet 17 is not necessarily limited to a configuration for blowing air upward in the vertical direction. For example, the slit forming the upper outlet 17 may be formed as a gap between blades that gives a certain degree of directionality to upward blowing. It should be noted that the size and position of the area where the upper air outlet 17 is provided on the upper surface portion 16 are design matters that can be changed as appropriate.

Further, side outlets 18 for blowing the purified air to the outside are also provided on the upper end side of each side surface portion 14 . The side air outlets 18 are arranged for each of the four lateral side portions 14 partitioned along the circumferential direction of the casing 11 . The side air outlets 18 are formed by, for example, densely arranging a large number of small holes in a region of a constant width on the upper end side of each side surface portion 14 . The side outlet 18 is adjacent to the upper outlet 17 at a right angle, but is partitioned so as not to communicate with the upper outlet 17 inside. This will be described later in detail.

The side air outlet 18 blows out the purified air sideways. Here, the side air outlet 18 is not necessarily limited to the configuration for blowing air sideways in the horizontal direction. For example, inside the numerous small holes forming the side outlets 18, some structure may be added to give a certain degree of directionality to the side outlets. In addition, the size and position of the area where the side air outlet 18 is provided in each side surface portion 14 are matters of design that can be changed as appropriate.

<Regarding Filter 20>
As shown in FIG. 1, a filter 20 is accommodated in the lower side of the inside of the casing 11. As shown in FIG. The filter 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape from, for example, a nonwoven fabric, a mesh sheet made of resin, or the like. The filter 20 collects dust in the air when the air sucked from the suction ports 13 and 15 passes from the outer peripheral side toward the hollow portion. As used herein, dust broadly includes lint, lint, and other particles to be removed.

Filter 20 is a consumable item that is periodically replaced to prevent clogging thereof. The filter 20 can be taken in and out of the casing 11 with the base 12 removed from the opening on the bottom side of the casing 11 . The filter 20 is housed in a state in which its hollow portion is fitted in a cylindrical mounting tube 21 having a mesh structure. A partition plate 22 that partitions a storage space for the filter 20 is provided in the middle stage inside the casing 11 . The partition plate 22 is provided as a bottom surface of a housing 23 attached inside the casing 11 . The housing 23 is mounted inside the casing 11 in contact with the inner wall of each side portion 14 . In addition, the upper surface of the housing 23 is open.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the partition plate 22 is disc-shaped with its center aligned with the center line L of the casing 11 . The inner side of the partition plate 22 is mostly occupied by gaps between a large number of ribs provided radially and concentrically from the center thereof, and forms part of the ventilation passage as it is. The lower surface side of the partition plate 22 matches the upper end opening of the hollow portion of the filter 20 . On the other hand, the lower end opening of the hollow portion of the filter 20 is closed by the pedestal 12 . The partition plate 22 and the housing 23 are formed as separate parts and combined with each other.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a substantially cylindrical communicating member 24 is arranged inside the housing 23 and above the partition plate 22 . A lower end opening of the communicating member 24 communicates with an upper end opening of the hollow portion of the filter 20 with the partition plate 22 therebetween. A fan 30 , which will be described later, is arranged above the communicating member 24 , and the upper end opening of the communicating member 24 communicates with the fan 30 . Therefore, the upper end opening of the hollow portion of the filter 20 communicates with the fan 30 via the partition plate 22 and the communication member 24 .

As shown in FIG. 1, inside the casing 11, the inside of the communication member 24 that communicates with the hollow portion of the filter 20 with the partition plate 22 therebetween forms a ventilation passage through which air flows from bottom to top. The centerline of the ventilation passage coincides with the centerline L of the casing 11 . Hereinafter, the centerline of the ventilation path is also referred to as the centerline L (see FIG. 5). Such a ventilation passage communicates through the fan 30 with a ventilation passage 50 in the upper half of the casing 11, which will be described later. The center of the partition plate 22 is positioned on the center line L of the ventilation passage, and the center line of the communicating member 24 is aligned with the center line L of the ventilation passage.

<About photocatalyst>
The air cleaner 10 not only collects dust in the air with the filter 20, but also has a mechanism of decomposing and removing harmful substances in the air with the photocatalyst 120 and deodorizing. The configuration related to the photocatalyst consists of an LED 100 as a light source, a reflector 110 that reflects the light emitted from the LED 100 in the entire circumferential direction of the optical axis, and a photocatalyst 120 that receives the reflected light from the reflector 110 and excites it. and have. Here, both the LED 100 and the reflector 110 are arranged in the ventilation passage.

<<About the light source>>
The light source consists of the LED 100, and for example, it is preferable to adopt a surface-mounted LED chip mounted on a small substrate having about the same diameter. Here, the LED chip is generally used, so a detailed description is omitted. It emits. The purpose of the LED 100 of the present embodiment is to excite a photocatalyst, and a so-called UV-LED that emits ultraviolet rays is suitable.

UV rays are generally classified into three types, UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C, depending on their wavelength. UV-C, which has a short wavelength (nm), has a strong bactericidal action even in the light itself, so it is used as a photocatalyst. not only the excitation of the air but also the cleaning action of the air can be enhanced. Note that the LED 100 is not limited to an LED chip as long as it can irradiate ultraviolet rays, and an LED lamp in which a light-emitting element is embedded in a substantially cannonball-shaped mold may be employed.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the LED 100 has an optical axis aligned with the center line L of the air passage, and emits light (ultraviolet rays) upward (one direction) along the center line L. are arranged to Specifically, a small circular mounting surface portion 22a is provided at the center of the upper surface of the partition plate 22, and the board of the LED 100 is mounted on the mounting surface portion 22a. A substantially conical cover 22b is attached to the lower surface of the mounting surface portion 22a with its top facing downward to reduce air resistance so as not to obstruct the flow of air as much as possible.

<<Reflector 110>>
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the reflector 110 has a conical reflecting surface 111 . The reflector 110 is integrated with the unit 112 and arranged on the center line L of the ventilation passage, and the vertex of the reflecting surface 111 is aligned with the optical axis of the LED 100 . Specifically, the unit 112 is mounted on the partition plate 22 so as to surround the upper surface side of the mounting surface portion 22a of the partition plate 22 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the reflective surface 111 of the reflector 110 faces the LED 100 with its apex spaced apart from the LED 100 by a predetermined distance. As a result, the light (ultraviolet rays) emitted from the LED 100 is reflected along the entire circumferential direction of the reflector 110 at an angle slightly downward from the horizontal plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the LED 100, as shown in FIG. A specific range of reflection by the reflecting surface 111 is optically designed according to the positional relationship with the photocatalyst 120, which will be described later. When the reflector 110 is integrated with the unit 112 with resin, for example, at least the reflecting surface 111 may be mirror-finished by vapor-depositing a metal such as aluminum.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the unit 112 has a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and the reflector 110 is arranged on the inner upper portion thereof. Specifically, the unit 112 is formed by connecting a pair of vertically spaced annular portions 113 and 114 by supporting columns 115 arranged in the circumferential direction. The reflector 110 is supported by a rib 116 at the center of one annular portion 113 on the upper side with the reflecting surface 111 facing the other annular portion 114 on the lower side.

For example, three support columns 115 are provided and arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. For example, three ribs 116 are also provided and arranged so as to radially extend from the column portion 115 to the reflector 110 . The inside of such a unit 112 occupies most of the space between itself and the reflector 110 through which air passes. Moreover, the space between the pair of annular portions 113 and 114 is a gap through which not only air passes but also reflected light (ultraviolet rays) from the reflector 110 passes, except where the strut portion 115 is present.

One annular portion 113 serves as a shielding portion and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a predetermined height that shields part of the reflected light from the reflector 110 or the direct light from the LED 100 directed upward away from the LED 100 . The other annular portion 114 is fixed in contact with the periphery of the mounting surface portion 22a of the partition plate 22 where the LEDs 100 are arranged. Here, the fixing of the annular portion 114, that is, the fixing of the entire unit 112 is preferably achieved by screwing the lower ends of the respective support portions 115 around the mounting surface portion 22a.

<<About the photocatalyst 120>>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the photocatalyst 120 is arranged inside the casing 11 so as to surround the middle of the ventilation passage, receives the reflected light from the reflector 110, and decomposes harmful substances in the air. It is. Since the photocatalyst 120 is continuously arranged along the inner peripheral wall (inner wall) of the communication member 24 over the entire circumference, it is formed in a large-diameter ring shape as shown in FIG. The photocatalyst 120 is formed by attaching and fixing a photocatalyst material to a ring-shaped porous substrate.

The base material of the photocatalyst 120 is formed by processing a metal material into a porous ring shape, and a raw material solution of the photocatalyst material is applied to the numerous surfaces thereof via a binder, dried, and crystallized. I am letting Generally, photocatalyst is a general term for substances that decompose harmful substances in the air by being excited by irradiation with light (mainly ultraviolet rays) from the sun, fluorescent lamps, or the like. A representative photocatalyst includes titanium oxide. Harmful substances decomposed by photocatalysts include organic substances in the air (odors, bacteria and viruses), as well as NOx, SOx, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.

In the photocatalyst 120 of the present embodiment, in order to realize deodorization in addition to the decomposition function of the photocatalyst, a raw material solution of the photocatalyst material mixed with an adsorbent is applied to the substrate. Here, the photocatalyst material is based on titanium dioxide, and is mixed with several kinds of metals, metal oxides, etc. for the purpose of improving performance. Also, the adsorbent is composed of materials such as zeolite, silica gel, and activated alumina, all of which have the property of adsorbing odorous substances.

As such a photocatalytic material and adsorbent, it is preferable to use, for example, a photocatalytic hybrid deodorizing material described in Japanese Patent No. 6568402 already proposed by the present applicant. This is a material that has both the functions of decomposition of harmful substances by photocatalyst and adsorption for realizing deodorization by devising a special mixing ratio of substances such as titanium dioxide and adsorbent. As a result, the photocatalyst 120 has an adsorption function in addition to its original decomposition function, and therefore exhibits a deodorizing effect through adsorption without ultraviolet irradiation. That is, the photocatalyst 120 exhibits an excellent deodorizing effect due to the synergistic effect of the decomposition function and the adsorption function.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the photocatalyst 120 is attached along the inner peripheral wall of the communication member 24 , and the LED 100 and reflector 110 are positioned at the center of the photocatalyst 120 . Therefore, the LEDs 100 and the reflectors 110 are evenly spaced in the entire circumferential direction of the photocatalyst 120, and the entire inner circumference of the photocatalyst 120 can be irradiated with light substantially uniformly. In addition, the reflector 110 not only reflects the light from the LED 100 but also serves as a wind direction guide to positively direct the air from below toward the surrounding photocatalyst 120 .

<About fan 30>
The fan 30 is rotationally driven by a motor 40, sucks outside air from the suction ports 13 and 15, and generates an air flow that blows out purified air from the upper outlet 17 or the side outlet 18. . The fan 30 is, for example, a centrifugal fan in which a plurality of blades 33 are arranged circumferentially at regular intervals and supported between a main wall 31 and a sub-wall 32 facing each other. The material of the fan 30 is synthetic resin, for example.

Among centrifugal fans, the fan 30 of the present embodiment is configured such that a plurality of blades 33 are directed in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation, and corresponds to a turbo fan with high static pressure and large air volume. The main wall 31 is formed in a substantially funnel shape inclined so as to be recessed inwardly toward its center. A rotating shaft 41 of a motor 40 is journalled in the center of the main wall 31 via, for example, a special bearing member 42 . The sub-wall 32 has a large opening at its center and is formed in a substantially funnel shape that slopes downward toward the opening. The opening of the sub-wall 32 serves as an air inlet and is connected to the upper end opening of the communicating member 24 for communication.

The outer circumference of the fan 30, that is, between the outer circumferences of the main wall 31 and the sub-wall 32 and between the blades 33 serves as an air delivery port. Therefore, when the fan 30 rotates, air is sucked through the opening (inlet) of the sub-wall 32 and sent out in the centrifugal direction from the outer periphery (outlet) of the fan 30 . The air sent out from the fan 30 is designed to flow upward through the interior of the casing 11 .

<Regarding the motor 40>
As shown in FIG. 1 , the motor 40 is an electric motor that is rotationally driven by supplied electric power, and rotates the fan 30 fixed to its rotating shaft 41 . The motor 40 is attached to the upper side of the main wall 31 of the fan 30 while being housed in a cylindrical case 43 . Here, the motor 40 and the case 43 may be integrally combined with the fan 30 to form a unit. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 14, a substantially square housing 44 in a plan view is arranged on the upper side of the case 43 . Here, the housing 44 is open vertically.

<Regarding ventilation paths 50, 51, 52>
As shown in FIG. 1 , in the upper half of the casing 11 , the inner wall of each side portion 14 and the outer periphery (delivery port) of the fan 30 and the outer periphery of the case 43 are vertically communicated with each other so that the fan 30 It is a ventilation passage 50 through which the sent air goes upward. A guide member 34 may be provided along the inner wall of each side portion 14 at the position where the outer periphery (delivery port) of the fan 30 faces, for example, by partitioning in the circumferential direction to smooth the air flow.

Inside the casing 11 , the housing 44 is arranged with a gap between the outer surface of its four side walls and the inner wall of each side surface portion 14 , and this gap forms the side air outlet 18 from the upper side of the ventilation passage 50 . It forms a side ventilation passage 52 directed to. Furthermore, inside the housing 44, a substantially square support member 45 that is one size smaller is disposed at the center. Here, the support member 45 is arranged with a gap between the outer surface of the four side walls thereof and the inner surface of the four side walls of the housing 44 , and this gap allows upward ventilation from the upper side of the ventilation passage 50 toward the upper outlet 17 . It forms road 51.

The support member 45 has a bottom side opening that matches the top side opening of the case 43 and is disposed so as to cover the upper half side of the motor 40 and accommodate the motor 40 together with the case 43 . An opening/closing mechanism, which will be described later, is arranged on the upper surface side of the support member 45, and a box 46 having an operation panel 47 as an upper surface is arranged so as to cover the support member 45 from above.

The operation panel 47 is exposed to the outside through a central opening of the upper surface portion 16 of the casing 11 . The operation panel 47 is provided with switches for operating the air cleaner 10, a display unit, and a knob 80, which will be described later. The case 43, the housing 44, the support member 45, and the box 46 of the motor 40 are preferably integrally formed of synthetic resin, for example.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the upper end of the side wall of the housing 44 abuts the inside of the upper surface portion 16 . The upper outlet 17 is positioned inside the upper surface portion 16 surrounded by the upper end of the side wall of the housing 44 . Further, the side outlet 18 is positioned on the upper end side of the side portion 14 facing the outer surface of the side wall of the housing 44 . A side wall of the housing 44 serves as a partition between an upper air passage 51 on the inside and a side air passage 52 on the outside. Therefore, the lower end of the side wall of the housing 44 is the point where the upper ventilation path 51 and the side ventilation path 52 diverge from the ventilation path 50 .

<Regarding blow-out adjusting means>
As shown in FIG. 1, inside the casing 11, there is provided a blowout adjusting means capable of adjusting the air volume ratio of blowing out air from the upper blowout port 17 and the side blowout port 18, respectively. The air outlet adjustment means includes four louvers 60 provided corresponding to the side air outlets 18 of each side portion 14 of the casing 11 . Each louver 60 is provided in the housing 44 and opens and closes one of the upper outlet 17 and the side outlet 18 and opens the other.

<<About Louver 60>>
As shown in FIG. 14, the louver 60 is made of, for example, synthetic resin and formed into a plate shape elongated in both directions. Each louver 60 is attached to a location where the upper ventilation passage 51 and the side ventilation passage 52 diverge inside the casing 11 , i.e., the four sides of the housing 44 via a substantially horizontal rotating shaft (screw) 61 at both ends of the upper edge of each louver 60 . is rotatably supported on the lower end of the side wall of the . Each louver 60 hangs down from the lower end of the side wall of the housing 44, and is set so that the lower edge of each louver 60 rotates inward (one direction) and outward (the other direction) of the casing 11. As shown in FIG.

The outermost angle (see FIG. 12) at which the lower edge of each louver 60 abuts against the inner surface of the side surface portion 14 to fully open the upper air passage 51 and fully close the side air passage 52; The innermost angle at which the lower edge contacts the stepped portion (see FIG. 1) of the seam between the case 43 and the support member 45 to fully close the upper ventilation passage 51 and fully open the side ventilation passage 52. (See FIG. 13). When each louver 60 is at the innermost angle, both side ends are in contact with each other in the circumferential direction, and the four upper ventilation passages 51 are closed over the circumferential direction.

Each louver 60 can be rotated at the same time by an opening/closing mechanism, which will be described later, and can be continuously changed to an arbitrary rotation angle between the outermost angle and the innermost angle and held. By changing the rotation angle of each louver 60, the ratio of the opening areas of the upper ventilation passage 51 and the side ventilation passage 52 can be changed arbitrarily. That is, by changing the rotation angle of each louver 60, the air volume ratio of air blown from the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlet 18 can be adjusted steplessly. The adjustment of the air volume ratio will be described later in detail.

Of the inside and outside of the louver 60 , the inner surface faces the upper air passage 51 and the outer surface faces the side air passage 52 . As shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, reinforcing ribs 62 and 63 are provided on both the inner and outer surfaces of the louver 60 so as to form irregularities as shown from the respective reference surfaces. The ribs 62 and 63 extend along the inner and outer surfaces of the louver 60 along the same direction as the swirl flow of the air flowing through the ventilation passage 50 caused by the fan 30 .

As shown in FIG. 17, the ribs 62 on the inner surface of the louver 60 have ridges extending in the same direction as the swirl flow of air that obliquely intersects both side directions of the louver 60 and are arranged side by side at equal intervals. Between the matching ridges, concaves and dents with rounded cross sections extending in the same direction as the ridges form a series of unevenness. The rib 62 guides the air flowing through the upper ventilation passage 51 upward along the same direction as the swirl flow.

As shown in FIG. 18, the ribs 63 on the outer surface of the louver 60 are formed as a result of keeping the thickness constant during molding according to the unevenness of the ribs 62 on the inner surface described above, and the air flowing through the side ventilation passages 52 is controlled by the ribs 63 on the outer surface. Some lead upward along the same direction as the swirling flow. The ribs 63 are also connected to the reference surface of the outer surface of the louver 60 in a rounded cross section. In this embodiment, the ribs 62 and 63 are provided on both the inner and outer surfaces of the louver 60, but only one of the inner and outer surfaces of the louver 60 may be provided with a rib protruding from its reference surface. .

<<About the opening and closing mechanism>>
As shown in FIG. 16, each louver 60 is configured to be simultaneously rotatable by an opening/closing mechanism. Each louver 60 is connected at its upper end to an arm 74 of an opening/closing mechanism so that it can be pushed and pulled. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, a connecting portion 64 for connecting with an arm 74 of an opening/closing mechanism projects upward from substantially the center of the upper edge of the louver 60 . The connecting portion 64 is slightly curved toward the inner surface of the louver 60, and has a horizontal pin 65 projecting from its upper end.

As shown in FIG. 15, the opening/closing mechanism includes a pinion 71 that is pivotally supported via a rotation shaft 70 at the center of the upper surface of the support member 45 and rotates in forward and reverse directions, four racks 72 corresponding to each louver 60, It has Each rack 72 meshes with the pinion 71 from one end thereof, and is arranged on the upper surface of the support member 45 in a state of being arranged at regular intervals along the outer periphery of the pinion 71 and extending in the tangential direction. Along with the forward and reverse rotation of the pinion 71 , the respective racks 72 synchronously move linearly along the tangential direction of the pinion 71 so as to separate from each other or approach each other.

Various guides and the like are provided on the upper surface of the support member 45 to guide the respective racks 72 on the trajectory along which they move linearly. For example, on the upper surface of the support member 45, a concave portion or a rail along the trajectory of each rack 72 and a guide groove 73 (see FIG. 15) in each rack 72 are fitted so as to be relatively movable. A pin 65 or the like is provided to regulate the range of linear movement. The support member 45 is fixed inside the housing 44 via arm-shaped ribs at its four corners. Here, the support member 45 is arranged with the upper air passage 51 between it and the inner surface of the side wall of the housing 44 as described above.

The other end of each rack 72 is integrally provided with an arm 74 extending along the respective extension line and directed toward each louver 60 located outside. The arm 74 is preferably integrally molded with the rack 72 from synthetic resin, for example. The arm 74 bends outward at a point connected to one end of the rack 72, becomes parallel to the linear movement direction of the rack 72, and bends so that the tip side of the arm 74 approaches parallel to the radial direction of the rotating shaft 70 as much as possible. It has an elongated shape. Such a shape of the arm 74 is designed to avoid interference with the adjacent rack 72 (see FIG. 23(b)).

The tip side of each arm 74 is connected to the upper end side of the corresponding louver 60 so as to be able to be pushed and pulled along with the linear movement of the rack 72 due to the rotation of the pinion 71 . As shown in FIG. 16, the tip side of each arm 74 extends around the upper surface of the support member 45 and bends downward. A cam groove 75 extending in the vertical direction is provided in this bent portion. A pin 65 on the connecting portion 64 of the louver 60 is fitted in the cam groove 75 of the arm 74 so as to be relatively movable. With such a configuration, when the pinion 71 is rotated, the arm 74 connected to the rack 72 pushes and pulls the upper end side of the louver 60, so that the rotation angle of the louver 60 can be changed.

<<About Knob 80>>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 14 , the opening/closing mechanism includes a knob 80 fixed on the rotating shaft 70 of the pinion 71 as an operating portion for manually rotating the pinion 71 . The knob 80 is formed in a cylindrical shape, for example, from synthetic resin. A lower half portion 81 of the knob 80 has a large-diameter bottomed cylindrical shape, and a pinion 71 is integrally fixed to the bottom surface thereof. An upper half portion 82 of the knob 80 has a diameter smaller than that of the lower half portion 81 and is exposed to the outside through a circular hole in the center of the operation panel 47 . The upper end of the upper half portion 82 is provided with a rib that can be pinched with fingers.

When the knob 80 is rotated in the forward direction (for example, clockwise), the pinion 71 also rotates in the forward direction. is configured to Accordingly, by manually rotating the knob 80, each rack 72 meshing with the pinion 71 is linearly moved, and accordingly the rotation angle of each louver 60 is adjusted.

The shape of the rib at the upper end of the knob 80 is not limited to the diametrically extending plate shape shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation panel 47 includes a knob 80 that functions as an operation unit for the opening/closing mechanism, switches 48a to 48d for performing various operations of the air cleaner 10, and a display unit 49 for displaying various information. etc. are provided.

<Action of Air Cleaner 10>
Next, the operation of the air cleaner 10 according to this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1 , in the air cleaner 10 , when the fan 30 rotates due to the drive of the motor 40 , air is sent out in the centrifugal direction from the outer circumference (outlet) of the fan 30 inside the casing 11 . The air sent out from the fan 30 flows upward through the ventilation passage 50 inside the casing 11 . At this time, the inside of the casing 11 becomes negative pressure, and external air is sucked through the suction ports 13 and 15 on the bottom side.

The air sucked into the casing 11 passes from the outer periphery of the filter 20 to the inside and is purified by removing dust. The purified air flows through the ventilation passage from the hollow portion of the filter 20 to the inside of the communicating member 24 , is drawn into the fan 30 , and is blown out from the outer periphery of the fan 30 . While the air flows inside the communication member 24 in this manner, the photocatalyst 120 decomposes harmful substances in the air and deodorizes them. The specific operation of the air purifier 10 can be appropriately set by operating the switches 48a to 48d (see FIG. 3) of the operation panel 47 on the upper surface 16 of the casing 11. FIG.

<<Decomposition and Deodorization of Harmful Substances by Photocatalyst 120>>
In FIG. 11, the light (ultraviolet rays) emitted from the LED 100 arranged in the center of the partition plate 22 reaches the conical reflecting surface 111 of the reflector 110 located on the optical axis, and reaches the apex of the reflecting surface 111. is reflected in all directions around the center. The reflected light from the reflector 110 is directed slightly below the horizontal plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the LED 100, passes between the upper and lower annular portions 113 and 114 of the unit 112, and reaches the inner peripheral surface of the photocatalyst 120 surrounding it. is irradiated to

According to such a reflector 110, even if the light source is only one LED 100 and the irradiation range is narrow around the optical axis, the light can be reflected in a wide surrounding range. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost of the light source without using a plurality of LEDs. In particular, since the LED 100 and the reflector 110 are positioned at the center of the ring-shaped photocatalyst 120, the entire inner periphery of the photocatalyst 120 can be evenly irradiated with light. Part of the direct light from the LED 100 also passes between the upper and lower annular portions 113 and 114 and is irradiated onto the inner peripheral surface of the photocatalyst 120 .

In the unit 112 , the upper annular portion 113 surrounding the reflector 110 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a predetermined height as a shielding portion for shielding part of the reflected light from the reflector 110 . In general, ultraviolet rays have the property of degrading things, such as causing so-called resin burns when they hit resin. Therefore, it is preferable to use the upper annular portion 113 as a shielding portion and narrow the irradiation range so as not to irradiate unnecessary portions with ultraviolet rays. Specifically, for example, in FIG. 11, among the lines indicating light rays, the dotted line A is blocked to prevent deterioration of the connecting portion (see FIG. 1) between the upper end opening of the communicating member 24 and the lower end opening of the fan 30. can be prevented. Note that part of the direct light from the LED 100 is also blocked by the upper annular portion 113 .

By the way, since the unit 112 including the LED 100 and the reflector 110 is positioned on the center line L of the ventilation passage, there is a risk of obstructing the flow of air. Therefore, the LED 100 is made into a chip type to be miniaturized together with the substrate, and the area of the mounting surface portion 22a of the partition plate 22 is also reduced. In addition, regarding the unit 112, since the reflector 110 is supported not only between the upper and lower annular portions 113 and 114, but also inside them in a hollow state via the ribs 116, most of the space through which air passes is occupied. become. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the pressure loss of the air flowing through the ventilation passage.

Further, the cover 22b provided on the lower surface side of the mounting surface portion 22a of the partition plate 22 positively guides the air flow from below to the surrounding photocatalyst 120. As shown in FIG. In addition, since the reflector 110 is also in a state where the conical apex points downward, it is possible not only to reduce the air resistance, but also to guide the flow of air to the surrounding photocatalyst 120 in the same manner as the cover 22b. In addition, since the reflector 110 is integrated with the unit 112, it is easy to handle as a single component, and the reflector 110 can be securely and firmly attached to a desired position. Specifically, the lower annular portion 114 may be fixed with screws while being in contact with the periphery of the mounting surface portion 22a on which the LED 100 is arranged.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 , the photocatalyst 120 that receives the reflected light from the reflector 110 is formed in a large-diameter ring shape and arranged along the inner peripheral wall of the communicating member 24 . In this way, the photocatalyst 120 is arranged so as to surround the middle of the ventilation path from the outside, so the photocatalyst 120, which requires a physically larger occupied space than the LED 100 and the reflector 110, impedes the flow of air. never do. Therefore, it is possible to secure a sufficient flow passage area for the ventilation passage inside the communication member 24, and to prevent a decrease in air blowing efficiency leading to an upper ventilation passage 50, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the photocatalyst 120 receives the reflected light from the reflector 110, the photocatalyst is excited to decompose harmful substances in the air. Moreover, in the photocatalyst 120 of the embodiment, the adsorbent is mixed with the raw material solution of the photocatalyst material. As a result, the photocatalyst 120 has the function of decomposing and removing harmful substances as well as the function of adsorbing and deodorizing odorous components. Therefore, according to the air cleaner 10, in addition to collecting dust in the air with the filter 20, the photocatalyst 120 not only decomposes and removes harmful substances in the air, but also removes bad odors in the air. components can be removed. The deodorizing effect by such adsorption function is exerted regardless of whether or not the photocatalyst is excited by lighting of the LED 100 .

<<Rotation (opening and closing) of louver 60>>
Inside the casing 11 , the upper side (upstream side) of the air passage 50 communicating with the fan 30 is partitioned into an inner upper air passage 51 and an outer side air passage 52 by the side wall of the housing 44 . The air directed upward from the ventilation passage 50 is distributed to the upper ventilation passage 51 and the side ventilation passages 52 according to the rotation angle (opening/closing) of each louver 60 of the blowout adjustment means. The rotation angle of each louver 60 can be adjusted steplessly to an arbitrary angle by manually operating the knob 80 of the opening/closing mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the louver 60 is at the outermost angle that fully opens the upper ventilation passage 51 and fully closes the side ventilation passage 52, the white arrow in FIG. The air sent out from the fan is guided to the upper ventilation passage 51 through the ventilation passage 50 . The air guided to the upper ventilation passage 51 reaches the upper outlet 17 and is blown upward from the casing 11 .

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, when the louver 60 is at the innermost angle where the upper ventilation passage 51 is fully closed and the side ventilation passage 52 is fully opened, the outline arrow in FIG. In addition, the air sent out from the fan is guided to the side air passages 52 through the air passages 50 . Then, the air guided to the side ventilation passage 52 reaches the side outlet 18 and is blown sideways around the casing 11 .

FIG. 23 is (a) a front view, (b) a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD, and (c) a bottom view showing the state of each louver 60 at the outermost angle in the unit of the fan 30, the case 43 and the housing 44. . In FIGS. 23(b) and 23(c), the portion shown in light black is the portion where the upper air outlet 17 is open in plan view, and the air is guided to the upper ventilation passage 51 through this portion. It should be noted that slight differences in the shape of the units in each figure are merely design changes.

FIG. 24 shows, in the same unit as in FIG. 23, each louver 60 rotated inward from the outermost angle to an angle close to the innermost angle (a) Front view, (b) EE cross-sectional view. , (c) a bottom view. In FIGS. 24(b) and 24(c), the portion shown in light black is the portion where the upper air outlet 17 opens in plan view, and is narrower than the opening portion shown in FIG.

FIG. 25 also shows (a) a front view, (b) a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF, and (c) a bottom view showing the state of each louver 60 at the innermost angle in the unit as in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 25(b) and 25(c), there is no part where the upper outlet 17 is open in plan view, and the upper outlet 17 is in the fully closed state shown in FIG. At this time, both side ends of each louver 60 are in contact with each other in the circumferential direction.

<<Operation of the opening/closing mechanism>>
Each louver 60 can be rotated at the same time by rotating the knob 80 of the opening/closing mechanism, and can be continuously changed to an arbitrary rotation angle between the outermost angle and the innermost angle and held. Here, the knob 80 is located in the central position of the operation panel 47 so that it can be easily operated, and can be easily turned by pinching the rib at the upper end of the knob 80 .

When the user rotates the knob 80 in the positive direction (for example, clockwise), the pinion 71 on the same rotating shaft 70 also rotates in the positive direction. When the pinion 71 rotates, power is transmitted to each rack 72 meshing with the pinion 71, and each rack 72 synchronously moves linearly so as to approach each other around the rotation shaft 70. As shown in FIG. At this time, each rack 72 is guided by various guides on the support member 45 . Further, the range in which each rack 72 moves linearly is regulated by pins 65 movably fitted in the guide grooves 73 of the racks 72 .

As each rack 72 moves linearly, the arm 74 connected to each rack 72 also moves linearly, and the tip of the arm 74 radially approaches the rotating shaft 70 . Then, in FIG. 16, the pin 65 at the connecting portion 64 of the louver 60 is pulled inward while moving within the cam groove 75 as the arm 74 moves. 16(b) to 16(a), the louvers 60 are tilted (clockwise) to the outermost side of the casing 11 in a side view, and the outermost angle ( 12).

On the other hand, when the user rotates the knob 80 in the opposite direction (for example, counterclockwise), the pinion 71 on the same rotating shaft 70 also rotates in the opposite direction. When the pinion 71 rotates, power is transmitted to each rack 72 meshing with the pinion 71 , and each rack 72 synchronously moves linearly away from each other around the rotation shaft 70 . At this time, the movement direction and the movement range of each rack 72 are restricted by the upper surface of the support member 45 as described above.

As each rack 72 moves linearly, the arm 74 connected to each rack 72 also moves linearly, and the tip of the arm 74 moves away from the rotation shaft 70 in the radial direction. Then, in FIG. 16, the pin 65 at the connecting portion 64 of the louver 60 is pushed outward while moving within the cam groove 75 as the arm 74 moves. 16(a) to 16(b), the louver 60 is tilted (counterclockwise) toward the innermost side of the casing 11 in a side view, at an innermost angle ( (see FIG. 13).

<<Adjustment of air volume ratio>>
As described above, by manually rotating the knob 80 to change the rotation angle of each louver 60, the ratio of the opening areas of the upper ventilation passage 51 and the side ventilation passages 52 can be arbitrarily changed. As a result, it is possible to steplessly adjust the air volume ratio of the air blown from the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlet 18 respectively.

FIG. 26 is a graph showing an example of the correlation between the rotation angle of each louver 60 and the air volume ratio of the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlet 18 . 26A and 26B are vertical cross-sectional views showing the inside of the casing 11 with the rotation angles of the louvers 60 gradually changed. The upper part in FIG. 26 is a bar graph showing the air volume ratio corresponding to the rotation angle of each louver 60 in the lower part. In the bar graph, the lower dark-colored portion is the air volume ratio of the upper air outlet 17 (“upper” in the figure), and the upper light-colored portion is the air volume ratio of the side air outlet 18 (“side” in the figure). ).

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 26(a), when each louver 60 is at the innermost angle (see FIG. 13), the upper air passage 51 is fully closed and the side air passage 52 is fully open. . As a result, the air from the ventilation passage 50 passes only through the side ventilation passage 52 and is blown out from the side outlet 18 . In this case, the air volume ratio of the side air outlets 18 is 97.1%, while the air volume ratio of the upper air outlets 17 is only 2.9%. The reason why the air volume ratio of the upper air outlet 17 does not become 0% even though the upper ventilation passage 51 is in the fully closed state is that there is a small gap.

As shown in FIG. 26(b), when each louver 60 is turned slightly outward from the innermost angle by a predetermined angle, the upper ventilation passage 51 is opened slightly, and the side ventilation passage 52 is still large. kept open. As a result, most of the air from the ventilation passages 50 is led to the side ventilation passages 52 and is mainly blown out from the side outlets 18 . In this case, the air volume ratio of the side air outlets 18 is 85.0%, while the air volume ratio of the upper air outlets 17 is 15.0%. It can be seen that

As shown in FIG. 26(c), when each louver 60 is further turned outward by a predetermined angle, the opening degree of the upper ventilation passage 51 is increased by that amount, while the opening degree of the side ventilation passage 52 is increased by that amount. It is in a lowered state. Therefore, much of the air from the ventilation passages 50 is still guided toward the side ventilation passages 52 and is blown out from the side air outlets 18 , but is guided to the upper ventilation passages 51 and is discharged from the upper air outlets 17 . The amount of air blowing out will also increase. In this case, the air volume ratio of the side air outlets 18 is 62.9%, which is still more than 50%, but the air volume ratio of the upper air outlets 17 is also increased to 37.1%.

As shown in FIG. 26(d), when each louver 60 is largely rotated to an angle where it hangs downward, the degree of opening of the upper ventilation passage 51 is larger than the degree of opening of the side ventilation passage 52. As a result, the opening degrees of the upper air passage 51 and the side air passage 52 are reversed. Therefore, more air from the ventilation passages 50 is distributed to the upper ventilation passages 51 than to the side ventilation passages 52. In this case, the air volume ratio of the side outlets 18 is 23.8%. On the other hand, the air volume ratio of the upper air outlet 17 is 76.2%, and it can be seen that the air volume ratio from the upper air outlet 17 is larger than that from the side air outlet 18 .

As shown in FIG. 26(e), when each louver 60 is further rotated outward to the outermost angle (see FIG. 12), the upper air passage 51 is fully opened and the side air passage 52 is fully closed. becomes. As a result, the air from the ventilation passage 50 passes only through the upper ventilation passage 51 and is blown out from the upper outlet 17 . In this case, the air volume ratio of the upper air outlet 17 is 98.9%, while the air volume ratio of the side air outlet 18 is only 1.1%. The reason why the air volume ratio of the side air outlet 18 does not become 0% even though the side ventilation passage 52 is in the fully closed state is that there is a small gap.

As described above, by changing the rotation angle of each louver 60, it is possible to steplessly adjust the air volume ratio of air blown from the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlet 18 respectively. That is, the closer the rotation angle of each louver 60 is to the innermost angle, the greater the amount of air blown out from the side outlets 18 and the smaller the amount of air blown out from the upper outlets 17 . Conversely, the closer the rotation angle of each louver 60 is to the outermost angle, the greater the amount of air blown out from the upper outlet 17 and the smaller the amount of air blown out from the side outlets 18 .

<< Use according to the installation location >>
The specific air volume ratio between the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlet 18 may be appropriately adjusted according to the situation of the installation location in the space where the air is to be purified. For example, if there is an obstruction directly above the installation location of the air cleaner 10 (for example, under a desk), adjustment is made so that air is blown out mainly from the side outlets 18 sideways. As a result, it is possible to suppress the flow of useless air upwards where there is a shield, and the air blown out from the side outlet 18 can generate an air flow over a wide range in the horizontal direction of the space of the installation location. can.

Also, if there is an obstruction on the immediate side of the installation location of the air purifier 10 (for example, in the corner of a room), adjustment is made so that the air is blown upward mainly from the upper outlet 17 . As a result, the air blown out from the side air outlets 18 is not immediately blocked by the shield, and the air blown out from the upper air outlets 17 spreads the air in the entire space from above the installation location. It can encourage circulation.

Of course, the specific air volume ratio between the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlet 18 can be adjusted steplessly and appropriately according to the detailed conditions and size (space volume) of the installation location of the air cleaning device 10. can be done. As a result, it is possible to realize optimum air circulation that matches the situation of the installation location while suppressing the wasteful flow of the air blown out from the air cleaning device 10 .

<<Significance of Providing the Blow-off Adjusting Means Inside the Casing 11>>
All of the louvers 60 and blowout adjustment means including opening/closing mechanisms thereof are provided inside the casing 11 . Therefore, the configuration of the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlet 18 itself does not include a wind direction plate or the like for adjusting the wind direction as in the prior art, and only slits and small holes are sufficient. There is no structure exposed to the outside through the opening. Therefore, there is no fear that these outlets 17 and 18 become structurally fragile, and there is no fear that the appearance quality of the apparatus is impaired.

In addition, since the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlet 18 are separately provided at different positions, in the air cleaning device 10, the direction of blowing air is concentrated in one place unlike the conventional technology. It is not limited to the angular range that spreads from the outlet. The slits and small holes forming the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlet 18 are not limited to the function of simply blowing air to the outside.

<<Action of ribs 62 and 63 of louver 60>>
The louver 60, which constitutes the main part of the blow-out adjusting means, has a strength problem if it is made of synthetic resin and formed into a plate-like shape elongated in both directions. Rigidity can thus be increased. Although the ribs 62 and 63 are uneven from the reference surface of the louver 60, they extend in the same direction as the swirl flow of the air flowing through the ventilation passage 50, so that the air flow is rectified without impairing the air flow. It can be carried out.

Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 19 to 22, the ribs 62 and 63 are connected to the reference plane of the louver 60 in a rounded cross-section to form a smooth curved surface. Here, for example, if the ribs 62 and 63 are connected at a right angle to the reference plane of the louver 60, the right-angled corner becomes a blind spot, and there is a risk that eddy currents and turbulent eddies of the air are likely to occur and stagnate. By connecting to the radius cross section, air can be guided more efficiently.

<<Other Actions>>
Further, in the present embodiment, the side air outlets 18 are provided over all of the four side face portions 14 of the casing 11. The side outlet 18 may be configured to be selectively closable. For example, if it is desired to blow air from only one side air outlet 18 in a specific direction among the four side surfaces 14, the other three side air outlets 18 should be closed in advance. Here, "closed" means that the side air outlet 18 is covered with a member or the like that can cover it so that air cannot be blown.

<Structure and effect of the present invention>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The present invention derived from the above-described embodiment will be described below.

First, the present invention relates to an air cleaner 10 that purifies the air sucked into the casing 11 and blows it out to the outside,
A single light source 100 that is arranged in a ventilation passage through which air flows inside the casing 11 and emits light in one direction;
a reflector 110 arranged on the optical axis of the light source 100 so as to face the light source 100 and reflecting the light emitted from the light source 100 in all directions around the optical axis;
and a photocatalyst 120 disposed so as to surround the middle of the ventilation path and excited by receiving reflected light from the reflector 110 .

According to the air purifier 10 as described above, in providing the function of decomposing and removing harmful substances in the air with a photocatalyst, even if the light source 100 is only one light, the reflector 110 irradiates light over a wide range of surroundings. becomes possible. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to provide a plurality of light sources, and the cost can be reduced.

Since the photocatalyst 120 is arranged to surround the middle of the ventilation passage from the outside, the flow of air is not blocked by the photocatalyst 120, and a sufficient flow passage area can be secured. Therefore, the photocatalyst 120 does not cause pressure loss in the ventilation passage, and the air volume necessary for the air cleaning function can be reliably secured.

Further, as the present invention, the light source 100 is arranged on the center line L of the ventilation passage,
The reflector 110 is integrated with the unit 112 and arranged on the center line L of the air passage, and has a reflective surface 111 whose conical apex coincides with the optical axis of the light source 100,
The unit 112 is characterized in that it has an air-passing gap between itself and the reflector 110 inside thereof, and a shielding part that blocks part of the reflected light from the reflector 110 .

According to such a configuration and arrangement of the light source 100 and the reflector 110, the light from the light source 100 can be evenly radiated over a wide range in the ventilation passage by the reflector 110. FIG. In addition, since the reflector 110 is integrated with the unit 112, it is easy to handle as a single component, and the reflector 110 can be reliably and firmly supported at a desired position.

Since the unit 112 has an air gap between itself and the reflector 110 inside thereof, air can flow through the unit 112 as well. Moreover, since the unit 112 has a shielding portion that shields part of the reflected light from the reflector 110, it is possible to prevent the light from being applied to unnecessary portions.

In addition, as the present invention, the unit 112 is formed by connecting a pair of vertically spaced annular portions 113 and 114 to each other by supporting columns 115 arranged in the circumferential direction.
At the center of one annular portion 113, the reflector 110 is supported by a rib 116 with its reflecting surface 111 facing the other annular portion 114,
One annular portion 113 has a cylindrical shape with a predetermined height that blocks part of the reflected light from the reflector 110 or the direct light from the light source 100 toward the side away from the light source 100 as the shielding portion. formed,
The other annular portion 114 is characterized in that it is fixed in contact with the periphery of the location where the light source 100 is arranged.

With such a configuration of the unit 112, the reflector 110 is supported not only between the pair of annular portions 113 and 114 but also inside them in a hollow state via the ribs 116, so that the inside of the unit 112 is air-permeable. Most of the gaps will be occupied. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the pressure loss of the air flowing through the ventilation passage.

Since one annular portion 113 functions as a shielding portion as it is, it is possible to partially shield reflected light from the reflector 110 in a range extending in the entire circumferential direction with a simple configuration. In addition, by fixing the other annular portion 114 in contact with the periphery of the location where the light source 100 is arranged, the reflector 110 can be securely and stably attached to a desired position.

Further, as the present invention, a filter 20 for passing sucked air and a fan 30 located upstream of the filter 20 are arranged inside the casing 11,
The light source 100 and the unit 112 are arranged in the ventilation passage between the filter 20 and the fan 30 .

As a result, the air in which the dust has been collected by the filter 20 can be immediately decomposed and removed by the photocatalyst to remove harmful substances, thereby enhancing the efficiency of cleaning the air. Moreover, before coming into contact with the fan 30, not only dust collection but also harmful substances can be decomposed.

Further, as the present invention, a communication member 24 having an inner side forming the ventilation passage is arranged between the filter 20 and the fan 30 inside the casing 11,
The photocatalyst 120 is characterized in that it is continuously arranged along the inner wall of the communication member 24 over the entire circumference.

This makes it possible to reliably attach the photocatalyst 120 in a state surrounding the ventilation path. Also, the light source 100 and the reflector 110 can be arranged at the center of the photocatalyst 120 . With such an arrangement, it is possible to irradiate light substantially uniformly over the entire circumferential direction of the photocatalyst 120 .

<Structure and effect of another invention>
Further, the following other invention is also derived from the above-described embodiment.
That is, in the air cleaning device 10 that purifies the air sucked into the casing 11 and blows it out to the outside,
An upper outlet 17 is provided on the upper surface portion 16 of the casing 11, and a side outlet 18 is provided on the side surface portion 14 of the casing 11,
The casing 11 is characterized by including a blowout adjustment means capable of adjusting the air volume ratio of blowing out the air from the upper blowout port 17 and the side blowout port 18 respectively.

In this way, the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlet 18 are separately provided on the different surface portions 16 and 14, and the direction of blowing air is different from that of the conventional air outlet which is concentrated in one place. It is not limited to a wide angular range. This makes it possible to circulate purified air over a wider area.

In addition, the blow-out adjustment means enables the purified air to be blown out selectively from the upper blow-out port 17 or the side blow-out port 18, and the respective air volume ratios can be appropriately adjusted according to the conditions of the installation location. . As a result, optimum air circulation can be realized according to the conditions of the installation location.

Moreover, since the blow-out adjustment means is provided inside the casing 11, the configuration of the upper blow-out port 17 and the side blow-out ports 18 is not exposed to the outside for wind direction adjustment as in the prior art, in addition to these openings. It need not have any structure. Thereby, the structural strength and appearance quality of the outlets 17 and 18 themselves can be enhanced.

As another invention, the blow-out adjustment means includes a louver 60 that opens and closes one of the air passages 51 and 52 directed to the upper blow-out port 17 and the side blow-out port 18 and opens the other. characterized by

As a result, one louver 60 can simultaneously open or close the upper air passage 51 toward the upper air outlet 17 and the side air passage 52 toward the side air outlet 18, respectively. The configuration of the adjustment means can be simplified. Further, since the louvers 60 are provided in the ventilation passages 51 and 52 inside the casing 11 following the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlets 18, rather than beside the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlets 18, they are not exposed to the outside. , 18 themselves can be simplified.

As another invention, the side outlets 18 are arranged for each of a plurality of side portions 14 partitioned over the circumferential direction of the casing 11,
A plurality of louvers 60 are provided corresponding to the side outlets 18 of each side surface portion 14 .

As a result, the side air outlets 18 are not limited to blowing locally from one side (for example, only the front) of the casing 11, but rather cover a wide range in the substantially horizontal direction for each section extending in the circumferential direction. Air can be blown out. Further, since each side outlet 18 has a louver 60, each side outlet 18 can be opened and closed separately.

As another invention, each of the louvers 60 is tilted in one direction to close the ventilation passage 52 toward the side outlet 18 for each of the corresponding side outlets 18 , while being tilted in the other direction to close the ventilation passage 52 toward the side outlet 18 . rotatably provided so as to open the ventilation passage 52 toward the outlet 18,
The present invention is characterized by comprising an opening/closing mechanism for simultaneously rotating each of the louvers 60 .

According to each louver 60 as described above, it is possible to open and close the side ventilation passage 52 toward the side air outlet 18 by a simple structure in which one end of the louver 60 is pivoted and the other end is pivoted. The upper ventilation passage 51 directed to the upper air outlet 17 can also be opened and closed synchronously. In addition, the opening/closing mechanism allows the louvers 60 to rotate simultaneously, which facilitates operation.

As another invention, each louver 60 is pivotally supported at both ends, and the lower end side rotates inward and outward,
The opening and closing mechanism includes a pinion 71 that rotates in forward and reverse directions, and a plurality of racks 72 corresponding to each louver 60,
Each of the racks 72 meshes with the pinion 71 and is arranged along the outer periphery of the pinion 71 at regular intervals and extends in the tangential direction,
Each rack 72 is provided with an arm 74 directed toward each louver 60 located outside thereof,
The tip side of each arm 74 is connected to the upper end side of the corresponding louver 60 so that it can be pushed and pulled along with the linear movement of the rack 72 caused by the rotation of the pinion 71 .

In such an opening/closing mechanism, when the pinion 71 is rotated, power is transmitted to the racks 72 meshing with the pinion 71, and the racks 72 linearly move in synchronism. As the rack 72 moves linearly, the arm 74 connected to the rack 72 pushes and pulls the louver 60, so that the rotation angle of the louver 60 can be changed.

As a result, the operation of simultaneously rotating the louvers 60 can be realized with a very simple operation. Moreover, since the pinion 71 and the rack 72 are engaged with each other, the operation can be reliably carried out.

Further, as another invention, the opening/closing mechanism includes an operating portion for manually rotating the pinion 71,
The operation unit is composed of a knob 80 fixed on the rotation shaft of the pinion 71,
The knob 80 is arranged through the center of the upper surface portion 16 of the casing 11,
When the knob 80 is rotated in the forward direction, the pinion 71 also rotates in the forward direction, and when rotated in the reverse direction, the pinion 71 also rotates in the reverse direction.

In this manner, the opening/closing mechanism of each louver 60 can be easily operated manually by the operating section. In particular, since the knob 80 of the operating portion is fixed on the rotating shaft of the pinion 71, the rotation of the knob 80 can be directly transmitted to the pinion 71 without using other transmission members such as gears.

In addition, the knob 80 is located in the center of the upper surface portion 16 at an easy-to-operate position, and can be easily rotated. Here, the more the knob 80 is rotated in the forward direction, the more the louver 60 tilts in one direction, and the more the knob 80 is rotated in the opposite direction, the more the louver 60 tilts in the other direction.

As another invention, reinforcing ribs 62 and 63 are provided on at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the louver 60,
The ribs 62 , 63 are characterized by extending along the direction in which the air flows in the ventilation passage and connecting to the surface of the louver 60 in a rounded cross section.

Such ribs 62 and 63 not only reinforce the louver 60 itself, but also easily rectify the air flow. In addition, since the ribs 62 and 63 are connected to the curved cross section with respect to the reference surfaces of the inner and outer surfaces of the louver 60, it is possible to prevent the generation of air vortices and turbulent eddies caused by the unevenness of the ribs 62 and 63. , there is no danger of impairing the flow of air.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention may be modified or added without departing from the gist of the present invention. included. For example, the air cleaner 10 can be used not only in general households but also in various other indoor facilities. In addition to the filter 20 and the photocatalyst, the air cleaning device 10 may be combined with an electric dust collector, a negative ion generator, an ozone generator, or the like as appropriate.

Further, the shape of the casing 11 is not limited to a quadrangular prism having four side portions 14, but may be, for example, a triangular prism having three side portions, or having a pentagonal or more cross-sectional shape. can be Furthermore, the outer periphery of the cylindrical casing 11 may be partitioned into a plurality of side portions having arcuate cross sections arranged in the circumferential direction.

Further, the air outlet adjustment means is composed of the louvers 60 for opening and closing the air passages on the upstream side of the upper air outlet 17 and the side air outlets 18. The opening area may be configured to be directly adjustable by some opening/closing means. Moreover, although the opening area of each side outlet 18 is set to be the same in the present embodiment, it may be different in the four directions.

Also, the number of louvers 60 of the blowout adjustment means and the number of racks 72 and arms 74 forming the opening/closing mechanism is not limited to four. In addition, the knob 80 forming the operating portion is not limited to one that is directly connected to the rotation shaft of the pinion 71. For example, the knob 80 is arranged side by side on separate shafts, and the rotation of the knob 80 is transmitted to the pinion 71 via transmission means such as gears. may be configured to transmit to Also, instead of the knob 80, the pinion 71 may be rotated by the electric power of the motor.

The air purifying device according to the present invention is not limited to being used in general households, and can be used in various facilities such as hotel guest rooms.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Air cleaning apparatus 11... Casing 12... Base 13... Suction port 14... Side part 15... Suction port 16... Upper surface part 17... Upper air outlet 18... Side air outlet 20... Filter 21... Mounting tube 22... Partition plate 23 Housing 24 Communication member 30 Fan 40 Motor 43 Case 44 Housing 45 Supporting member 46 Box 47 Operation panel 50 Air passage 51 Upper air passage 52 Side air passage 60 Louver 70 Rotation Axis 71 Pinion 72 Rack 73 Guide groove 74 Arm 80 Knob 100 LED (light source)
110... Reflector 111... Reflective surface 120... Photocatalyst

Claims (3)

In an air purifying device that purifies the air sucked into the casing and blows it out,
a light source that is arranged in a ventilation passage through which air flows inside the casing and emits light in one direction;
a reflector arranged on the optical axis of the light source so as to face the light source and reflecting the light emitted from the light source in all directions around the optical axis;
a photocatalyst disposed so as to surround the middle of the ventilation passage and excited by receiving reflected light from the reflector;
The light source is arranged on the centerline of the air passage,
The reflector is integrated into a unit and arranged on the center line of the air passage, and has a reflective surface whose conical apex coincides with the optical axis of the light source,
The unit has a gap through which air passes between the unit and the reflector inside thereof, and a shielding part that blocks part of the reflected light from the reflector,
The unit is formed by connecting a pair of vertically spaced annular portions by means of struts arranged in a circumferential direction,
At the center of one annular portion, the reflector is supported by a rib with its reflective surface facing the other annular portion,
One annular portion is formed as the shielding portion in a cylindrical shape with a predetermined height that shields part of the reflected light from the reflector or the direct light from the light source toward the side away from the light source,
The air purifier, wherein the other annular portion is fixed in contact with the periphery of the location where the light source is arranged. A filter for passing sucked air and a fan located upstream of the filter are arranged inside the casing,
2. The air cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein said light source and said unit are arranged in said air passage between said filter and said fan. A communicating member having an inner side forming the air passage is arranged between the filter and the fan inside the casing,
3. The air cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein the photocatalyst is continuously arranged along the inner wall of the communication member along the entire circumference.

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