JP7576518B2 - Partition device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a partition device that suppresses the scattering of droplets.

This type of partition device is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 (title of invention: Tabletop Partition). Patent Document 1 discloses a tabletop partition (partition device) that includes a screen panel (shielding plate) made of transparent plate material and a pair of stands that hold the screen panel upright. A similar configuration can also be seen in Patent Document 2, which discloses a shatterproof partition (partition device) that includes a screen sheet (shielding plate) supported on all four sides by a frame body, and a pair of legs that hold the screen sheet in an upright position via the frame body.

Utility Model Registration No. 3229988 Utility Model Registration No. 3228491

When the partition devices of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are placed on a table with a person facing the shield, the shield can block droplets caused by coughing or sneezing, preventing the droplets from scattering beyond the shield. Also, when the partition device is placed on a table with the shield crossing between people seated facing each other, the shield can block droplets, particularly during conversation, and prevent the droplets from reaching the other person. However, with the partition devices of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, when droplets are blocked, some of them inevitably adhere to the shield, and the surface of the shield is easily soiled by droplets with continued use, which causes a problem in that the shield cannot be kept in a sanitary condition.

The present invention aims to provide a partition device that can keep the shielding body in a hygienic condition without causing the surface of the shielding plate to become soiled by droplets even when used continuously.

The partition device of the present invention is characterized by comprising a light-transmitting shielding plate 1 that is erected in the left-right direction on an installation surface S, a supply air duct 6 that has an air intake 3 at one end for taking in air and an air outlet 5 at the other end for blowing out the air taken in from the air intake 3, and an air blowing means 4 that is provided in the supply air duct 6 and blows out air from the air outlet 5 to form an air curtain along at least one of the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1.

The shielding plate 1 is formed with a group of openings 33 consisting of a large number of independent openings 32 that penetrate the shielding plate 1 from front to back.

The opening group 33 has a dense opening group 34 in which the total opening area of the openings 32 formed per unit area is relatively large, and a coarse opening group 35 in which the total opening area of the openings 32 formed per unit area is relatively small. The air flow rate of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 corresponding to the dense opening group 34 is configured to be larger than the air flow rate of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 corresponding to the coarse opening group 35.

A long box-shaped support stand 2 is provided below the shielding plate 1 to hold the shielding plate 1 upright, and the inside of the support stand 2 forms the supply air passage 6.

The air intake 3 is provided on at least one of the left and right sides of the holding base 2.

An operating unit 16 is provided around the air intake 3 to control the operating state of the air blowing means 4.

A power supply unit 21 that supplies driving power to the air blowing means 4 is provided inside the holding table 2. The air blowing means 4 is disposed at one of the left and right ends inside the holding table 2, and the power supply unit 21 is disposed at the other end.

A guide body 26 is provided at the end of the shielding plate 1 on the downstream side of the air curtain, on the surface side where the air curtain is formed, to guide the air curtain away from the shielding plate 1.

An air curtain is formed along the vertical direction of the shielding plate 1. Side plates 27 are provided on the left and right ends of the shielding plate 1, extending in the front-rear direction from the left and right edges of the shielding plate 1, respectively, in the vertical direction.

The shielding plate 1 has a bulging portion 38 that causes the shielding plate 1 to bulge toward the surface side where the air curtain is formed.

A group of openings 33 consisting of a large number of independent openings 32 penetrating the shielding plate 1 from front to rear is formed in the shielding plate 1 including the bulge 38.

The group of openings 33 is formed so that the total opening area of the openings 32 formed in the shielding plate 1 in the portion between the top of the bulge 38 and the end of the bulge 38 on the downstream side of the air curtain is greater than the total opening area of the openings 32 formed in the shielding plate 1 in the portion between the top of the bulge 38 and the end of the bulge 38 on the upstream side of the air curtain.

The opening 32 is a tapered hole whose diameter narrows toward the surface side where the shielding plate 1 bulges.

A collection port 44 is provided to take in the air that has been blown by the air blowing means 4 and formed an air curtain.

A circulation air duct 49 is provided to guide the air taken in from the recovery port 44 to the intake port 3. The air blown out from the air outlet 5 is configured to be blown out again from the air outlet 5 via the circulation air duct 49 and the supply air duct 6.

An ozone generator 8 is provided in the air supply duct 6 to supply ozone to the air being supplied to the air outlet 5.

It is equipped with a control unit 15 that controls the operation of the ozone generating unit 8. An ozone concentration sensor 56 that detects the concentration of ozone contained in the air is provided in the supply air duct 6, and the control unit 15 is configured to control the operation of the ozone generating unit 8 based on the ozone detection result by the ozone concentration sensor 56.

The partition device of the present invention is provided with a translucent shielding plate 1 that is erected in the left-right direction on an installation surface S, a supply air passage 6 that has an air intake 3 at one end for taking in air and an air outlet 5 at the other end for blowing out the air taken in from the air intake 3, and an air blowing means 4 that is provided in the supply air passage 6 and blows out air from the air outlet 5 to form an air curtain along at least one of the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1. In this way, when an air curtain is formed on at least one of the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1 by the air blowing means 4, the surface of the shielding plate 1 is protected by the air curtain and droplets can be prevented from adhering to the surface of the shielding plate 1, so that even if the shielding plate 1 is used continuously, the surface of the shielding plate 1 is not soiled by droplets and the shielding plate 1 can be kept in a good hygienic state. In addition, since the air blown out from the air outlet 5 flows along the shielding plate 1, a stable air curtain can be formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1.

When the shielding plate 1 is formed with a group of openings 33 consisting of a large number of independent openings 32 penetrating the shielding plate 1 from front to back, even when people are talking with the shielding plate 1 between them, their voices can easily reach the other person through the openings 32, and they can enjoy a conversation without hindrance even at a normal voice volume. Because an air curtain is formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1, the layer of air can prevent droplets from reaching the other person. Incidentally, if there are no openings 32, the shielding plate 1 blocks the sound during conversation, so people tend to talk at a louder voice volume, which may encourage the scattering of droplets.

The opening group 33 has a dense opening group 34 in which the total opening area of the openings 32 formed per unit area is relatively large, and a coarse opening group 35 in which the total opening area of the openings 32 formed per unit area is relatively small, and is configured so that the air flow rate of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 on which the dense opening group 34 is arranged is larger than the air flow rate of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 on which the coarse opening group 35 is arranged. By setting the strength of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 corresponding to the dense opening group 34, which is more likely to pass droplets, higher than that of the coarse opening group 35, it is possible to reliably prevent droplets from reaching the other party. In addition, compared to the case where a strong air curtain is formed over the entire shielding plate 1, the supply capacity of the air blowing means 4 can be reduced, and the operating costs of the partition device can be reduced.

If a long box-shaped support stand 2 that holds the shielding plate 1 upright is provided below the shielding plate 1, the shielding plate 1 can be held firmly by the box-shaped support stand 2, allowing the shielding plate 1 to be stably erected on the installation surface S. Furthermore, when the partition device is moved, the shielding plate 1 can be easily held upright by simply placing it on the installation surface S. In addition, if a supply air duct 6 is configured inside the support stand 2, there is no need to form a separate supply air duct 6, and the structure of the partition device can be simplified.

For example, when the partition device is used with the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1 facing directly toward a person, droplets are less likely to fly onto the side of the holding base 2. For this reason, if the air intake 3 is provided on the side of the holding base 2, it is possible to prevent droplets from being included in the air sucked in from the air intake 3, and air that does not contain droplets can be taken into the supply air duct 6 to form an air curtain.

When an operating unit 16 for operating the operating state of the air blowing means 4 is provided around the air intake 3, the air flow near the air intake 3 can be felt with the hand operating the operating unit 16, so that the user can sense with his or her hand whether the partition device has started operating as a result of operating the operating unit 16, or whether the partition device has stopped operating as a result of operating the operating unit 16.

A power supply unit 21 that supplies driving power to the air blowing means 4 is provided inside the holding base 2, and when the air blowing means 4 is arranged at one of the left and right ends inside the holding base 2 and the power supply unit 21 is arranged at the other, the weight distribution of the partition device can be distributed left and right, so that the overall weight balance of the partition device can be prevented from being biased to either the left or right, and the shielding plate 1 can be more stably erected on the installation surface S. When the air blowing means 4 is arranged at one of the left and right ends inside the holding base 2 and the power supply unit 21 is arranged at the other, the power supply unit 21 does not cause air flow resistance in the supply air passage 6, and the power consumption of the air blowing means 4 can be reduced.

If a guide body 26 is provided at the end of the shielding plate 1 downstream of the air curtain on the surface side where the air curtain is formed, to guide the air curtain away from the shielding plate 1, the air flow after the air curtain is formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 can be directed in a direction away from the opposing party, thereby preventing droplets from reaching the opposing party.

An air curtain is formed along the vertical direction of the shielding plate 1, and side plates 27 are provided on the left and right ends of the shielding plate 1, extending in the front-to-rear direction from the left and right edges of the shielding plate 1, so that the air curtain can be prevented from diffusing in the left-to-right direction of the shielding plate 1, allowing the air curtain to be accurately formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1.

When the shielding plate 1 is provided with a bulge 38 that causes the shielding plate 1 to bulge toward the surface side where the air curtain is formed, the speed of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 can be increased in the area of the bulge 38, so that a stronger air curtain can be formed in the part of the shielding plate 1 where the bulge 38 is formed. Therefore, by arranging the bulge 38 in a position where droplets are most likely to fly, it is possible to reliably prevent droplets from adhering to that surface.

When the shielding plate 1 including the bulge 38 is formed with a group of openings 33 consisting of a large number of independent openings 32 penetrating the shielding plate 1 from front to back, even when people are talking with the shielding plate 1 between them, their voices can easily reach the other person through the openings 32, and they can enjoy a conversation without hindrance even at a normal voice volume. However, because an air curtain is formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1, it is possible to prevent droplets from reaching the other person.

The opening group 33 is formed so that the total opening area of the openings 32 formed in the shielding plate 1 in the portion between the top of the bulging portion 38 and the end of the bulging portion 38 on the downstream side of the air curtain is larger than the total opening area of the openings 32 formed in the shielding plate 1 in the portion between the top of the bulging portion 38 and the end of the bulging portion 38 on the upstream side of the air curtain. This makes it possible to suppress air from being blown into the openings 32 while increasing the opening area of the opening group 33, so that the air curtain can be formed stably. This is because, in the bulging portion 38 on the upstream side of the air curtain from the top of the bulging portion 38, the air forming the air curtain collides with the surface of the shielding plate 1 and is redirected. If there are many openings 32 in the bulging portion 38, the air forming the air curtain may be blown into the openings 32 and the flow may be disturbed. However, by adopting the configuration of the present invention, the above phenomenon can be suppressed.

If the opening 32 is configured as a tapered hole whose diameter narrows toward the surface on which the shielding plate 1 bulges, it is possible to more effectively prevent the air that forms the air curtain from being blown into the opening 32, thereby more reliably preventing the air flow that forms the air curtain from being disrupted.

If a collection port 44 is provided to take in the air that has been blown by the blowing means 4 and used to form the air curtain, it is possible to prevent the air that has formed the air curtain from being dispersed to the surrounding area along with droplets.

A circulation air duct 49 is provided to guide the air taken in from the recovery port 44 to the intake port 3, and the air blown out from the outlet 5 is configured to be blown out again from the outlet 5 via the circulation air duct 49 and the supply air duct 6, so that droplets can be contained in the circulating air and reliably prevented from diffusing to the surroundings.

If an ozone generator 8 that supplies ozone to the air being fed to the air outlet 5 is provided in the air supply duct 6, viruses and odors contained in the air and droplets that form the air curtain can be sterilized and deodorized by the oxidation-reduction reaction of ozone. In the case of a partition device in which the air after the air curtain is formed is diffused around the shielding plate 1, the air around the partition device can be sterilized and deodorized.

The device is equipped with a control unit 15 that controls the operation of the ozone generator 8, and is provided with an ozone concentration sensor 56 that detects the concentration of ozone contained in the air in the supply air duct 6. The control unit 15 can be configured to control the operation of the ozone generator 8 based on the ozone detection result of the ozone concentration sensor 56. This allows the ozone concentration of the air that forms the air curtain to be adjusted to any concentration, making it possible to adjust the ozone concentration to an optimal concentration for sterilization and deodorization treatment without the ozone concentration increasing or decreasing too much.

1 is a partially cutaway side view of a partition device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the entire partition device. 2 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the partition device and a partially enlarged view of a main portion thereof. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway side view of a partition device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional side view of a partition device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional side view of a partition device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional front view of a partition device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of the partition device. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the entirety of a partition device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

(First embodiment) Figures 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the partition device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, front, rear, left, right, and up and down refer to the crossed arrows shown in Figures 1 to 3 and the indications of front, rear, left, right, and up and down written near each arrow. In Figure 2, the partition device is installed on an installation surface S such as a table top, and includes a shielding plate 1 erected on the installation surface S. The shielding plate 1 is formed of a transparent plate (a plate-like body having translucency) as a whole, and is configured as a wall extending left and right on the installation surface S. The shielding plate 1 is held upright by a holding base 2 provided below the shielding plate 1, with its lower edge held upright on the installation surface S. The holding base 2 is configured in the shape of a rectangular box that is long in the left and right directions, and the shielding plate 1 is fixed to the center of the upper surface of the holding base 2 in the front-rear direction. It is preferable that the shielding plate 1 be formed of a material with good transparency, such as acrylic, ABS resin, or polycarbonate.

2 and 3, a pair of front and rear air intakes 3 are formed on the left side of the holding table 2, which communicate with the inside and outside of the holding table 2 and take in air into the inside of the holding table 2. Each air intake 3 is formed in a round hole shape and its opening is covered with a mesh cover. A pair of front and rear fans (blowers) 4, 4 are installed at the left end inside the holding table 2 so as to face each air intake 3. Each fan 4 is an axial flow fan driven by a motor. An air outlet 5 is formed on the upper wall of the holding table 2, which opens in front of and behind the shielding plate 1, and the inside of the holding table 2 from the air intake 3 to the air outlet 5 is an air supply air passage 6. When the fan 4 is driven, air is taken into the inside of the holding table 2 from the air intake 3, and the air is pressurized and supplied through the supply air passage 6, and then blown out upward from the air outlet 5. The air blown out from the front air outlet 5 forms an air curtain that flows from bottom to top along the front surface of the shielding plate 1, and the air blown out from the rear air outlet 5 forms an air curtain that flows from bottom to top along the rear surface of the shielding plate 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of front and rear ozone generators 8, 8 are installed to the right of each fan 4. Each ozone generator 8 is composed of a needle-shaped discharge electrode 9, a crown-shaped counter electrode 10 arranged directly opposite the discharge electrode 9, and an electrode holder 11 that supports both electrodes 9, 10. A drive unit 12 is arranged between the front and rear ozone generators 8, 8, which applies a voltage to generate ozone between the electrodes 9, 10 of the ozone generator 8. The drive unit 12 is composed of a pulse generation circuit, a boost circuit including a transformer, and the like.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, a control unit 15 that controls the operation of the fan 4 and the ozone generator 8 is installed between the pair of fans 4. The control unit 15 has an operation unit 16 that operates the operating state of the partition device, and the operation unit 16 is composed of a power switch 17 that drives or stops the fan 4 and the ozone generator 8, and an air volume changeover switch 18 that changes the rotation speed of the fan 4. These switches 17 and 18 are exposed at the top and bottom between a pair of air intakes 3 formed on the left side of the holding base 2, with the power switch 17 on the top and the air volume changeover switch 18 on the bottom.

Both switches 17 and 18 are configured as tactile switches that are pressed down, and when the power switch 17 is pressed down while the fan 4 and ozone generator 8 are stopped, the fan 4 and ozone generator 8 start to operate. Conversely, when the power switch 17 is pressed down while the fan 4 and ozone generator 8 are operating, the operation of the fan 4 and ozone generator 8 stops. The fan 4 is configured so that its rotation speed can be changed to two stages, low speed and high speed. When the fan 4 is started, it is operated at low speed, and each time the air volume change switch 18 is pressed down, the rotation speed of the fan 4 is alternately switched. By switching the rotation speed of the fan 4 between high and low, the wind speed of the air curtain formed on the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1 can be changed between high and low.

As shown in FIG. 3, a battery (power supply unit) 21 that supplies driving power to the fan 4 and ozone generator 8 is installed at the right end inside the holding stand 2. The battery 21 is a rechargeable secondary battery. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 22 indicates a charging socket into which a plug of a charging cable connected to a commercial power source is inserted, and reference numeral 23 indicates a charging circuit that controls charging of the battery 21. Thus, in the partition device of this embodiment, heavy objects such as the fan 4, ozone generator 8, control unit 15, and battery 21 are distributed and arranged near the left and right ends of the holding stand 2.

1 and 2, the shielding plate 1 is provided at its upper end (the downstream end of the air curtain) with a guide plate (guide body) 26 that redirects and guides the flow direction of the air curtain formed on the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1. The guide body 26 is composed of a front guide plate 26A that redirects and guides the air curtain formed on the front surface of the shielding plate 1 diagonally upward and forward, and a rear guide plate 26B that redirects and guides the air curtain formed on the rear surface of the shielding plate 1 diagonally upward and backward. The front and rear guide plates 26A and 26B are each made of a curved plate body of the same shape, and these two 1 and 26 are formed integrally so that their lower edges are smoothly continuous with the upper edge of the shielding plate 1. As described above, the front guide plate 26A guides the air curtain to turn in a direction away from the shielding plate 1 (forward) on the front surface of the shielding plate 1 where the air curtain is formed, and the rear guide plate 26B guides the air curtain to turn in a direction away from the shielding plate 1 (rear) on the rear surface of the shielding plate 1 where the air curtain is formed.

2 and 4, a pair of left and right side plates 27 extending from the left and right edges of the shielding plate 1 in the front-rear direction are provided at the left and right ends of the shielding plate 1, across the top and bottom of the shielding plate 1 and the guide body 26. Each side plate 27 guides the air to prevent the air curtain from escaping from the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1 to the left and right, and the air blown out from the air outlet 5 forms an air curtain up to the tip (upper end) of the guide body 26 without spreading outward. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a top plate 28 is fixed above the guide body 26 and the pair of side plates 27, bridging the upper ends of the left and right side plates 27, and a U-shaped handle 29 is fixed to the center of the top surface of the top plate 28, which functions as a handle when transporting the partition device. Each side plate 27 and top plate 28 are formed of a transparent plate as a whole, like the shielding plate 1. The front-to-rear width dimension defined by the front end of the front guide plate 26A and the rear end of the rear guide plate 26B, the front-to-rear width dimension of the side plate 27, and the front-to-rear width dimension of the top plate 28 are formed to match the front-to-rear width dimension of the support table 2.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the shielding plate 1 has an opening group 33 formed of a large number of independent openings 32 penetrating the plate surface in the front-rear direction. Each opening 32 is a straight round hole of the same diameter, and the opening group 33 has a dense opening group 34 in which the total opening area of the openings 32 formed per unit area is relatively large, and a coarse opening group 35 in which the total opening area of the openings 32 formed per unit area is relatively small. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the dense opening group 34 is provided in the center part of the shielding plate 1 in the left-right direction, and the openings 32 in the dense opening group 34 are arranged at equal angular intervals in concentric positions starting from the center of the shielding plate 1. In addition, the coarse opening group 35 is provided on the left and right of the dense opening group 34, and the openings 32 in the coarse opening group 35 are arranged in a matrix of 5 rows and 3 columns.

2 and 4, each of the front and rear air outlets 5 provided on the holding base 2 is composed of a first central air outlet 5A facing the shielding plate 1 in the portion where the dense opening group 34 is formed, and second left and right air outlets 5B facing the shielding plate 1 in the portion where the coarse opening group 35 is formed. Both the first and second air outlets 5A and 5B are rectangular openings that are long in the left and right directions and penetrate the upper wall of the holding base 2 in the vertical direction, and the first air outlet 5A and each of the second air outlets 5B are formed independently. The opening width dimension in the front-rear direction of the opening that constitutes the first air outlet 5A is formed larger than the opening width dimension in the front-rear direction of the opening that constitutes the second air outlet 5B. In addition, the opening width dimension in the left-right direction of the opening that constitutes the first air outlet 5A is formed larger than the opening width dimension in the left-right direction of the opening that constitutes the second air outlet 5B. As a result, the air flow rate of the air curtain blown out from the first air outlet 5A and formed in the portion of the shielding plate 1 where the dense opening group 34 is formed is greater than the air flow rate of the air curtain blown out from the second air outlet 5B and formed in the portion of the shielding plate 1 where the coarse opening group 35 is formed. The adjacent distance between the first air outlet 5A and each of the second air outlets 5B is set as small as possible, and the air blown out from both air outlets 5A and 5B forms an integrated air curtain on the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1.

When the partition device is stopped, pressing the power switch 17 causes the control unit 15 to start driving the fan 4 at a low speed and the ozone generator 8, starting up the partition device. The air taken into the holding base 2 from the air intake 3 by the fan 4 is blown upward from the first and second air outlets 5A and 5B (air outlet 5), containing ozone generated by the ozone generator 8. The air forms an air curtain along the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1, which protects the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1. If a stronger air curtain is to be formed, the air volume change switch 18 is pressed to switch the rotation speed of the fan 4 to high speed.

The air that forms the air curtain that protects the front side of the shielding plate 1 is redirected by the front guide plate 26A provided at the top end of the shielding plate 1, and is sent and diffused above the heads of people seated in front of the shielding plate 1. The air that forms the air curtain that protects the rear side of the shielding plate 1 is redirected by the rear guide plate 26B provided at the top end of the shielding plate 1, and is sent and diffused above the heads of people seated behind the shielding plate 1. When the power switch 17 is pressed in the partition device while it is running, the control unit 15 stops the operation of the fan 4 and the ozone generating unit 8, and stops the partition device.

As described above, in the partition device of this embodiment, air curtains are formed on the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1 by the fan 4, so that the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1 can be protected by a layer of air blown out from the air outlet 5. Since the air curtain is guided by the shielding plate 1, a stable air curtain is formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1. Therefore, according to the partition device of this embodiment, the air curtain blocks droplets flying toward the surface of the shielding plate 1, and the droplets can be prevented from adhering to the surface of the shielding plate 1. Therefore, even with continuous use, the surface of the shielding plate 1 is prevented from being soiled by droplets, and the shielding plate 1 can be maintained in a hygienic condition for a longer period of time.

The shielding plate 1 is formed with a group of openings 33 consisting of many independent openings 32 that penetrate the shielding plate 1 from front to back. Therefore, even when people talk with the shielding plate 1 between them, their voices can easily reach the other person through the openings 32, and they can enjoy a conversation without hindrance even at a normal voice volume. An air curtain is formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1, so the layer of air can prevent droplets from reaching the other person. Incidentally, if there are no openings 32, the shielding plate 1 blocks the sound during conversation, so people tend to talk at a louder voice volume, which may encourage the scattering of droplets, but this embodiment can avoid this.

The opening group 33 has a dense opening group 34 in which the total opening area of the openings 32 formed per unit area is relatively large, and a coarse opening group 35 in which the total opening area of the openings 32 formed per unit area is relatively small, and is configured so that the air flow rate of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 on which the dense opening group 34 is arranged is larger than the air flow rate of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 on which the coarse opening group 35 is arranged. This allows the strength of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 corresponding to the dense opening group 34, which is more likely to pass droplets, to be set higher than that of the coarse opening group 35, so that droplets can be more reliably prevented from reaching the other party. In addition, compared to when a strong air curtain is formed over the entire shielding plate 1, the air supply capacity of the fan 4 can be reduced, and the operating costs of the partition device can be reduced.

Below the shielding plate 1, a long box-shaped support stand 2 that holds the shielding plate 1 upright is provided, so that the shielding plate 1 can be firmly held by the box-shaped support stand 2 and stably installed upright on the installation surface S. Also, when moving the partition device, the shielding plate 1 can be easily held upright by simply placing it on the installation surface S. In addition, because the inside of the support stand 2 is configured as the supply air passage 6, there is no need to form a separate supply air passage 6, which simplifies the structure of the partition device.

When the partition device is used with the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1 facing a person, droplets are less likely to fly onto the side of the holding base 2. Furthermore, if the air intake 3 is provided on the side (left side) of the holding base 2, as in the partition device of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent droplets from being included in the air sucked in from the air intake 3, and air that does not contain droplets can be taken into the supply air duct 6 to form an air curtain. As a result, it is possible to prevent droplets from being included in the air that forms the air curtain, and in this respect too, the shielding plate 1 can be maintained in a good hygienic state for a longer period of time.

Since an operating unit 16 for operating the operating state of the fan 4 is provided around the air intake 3, the air flow near the air intake 3 can be felt with the hand operating the operating unit 16. This allows the user to know by touch whether the partition device has started operating by operating the operating unit 16, or whether the partition device has stopped operating by operating the operating unit 16.

A battery 21 that supplies driving power to the fan 4 is provided inside the holding base 2, and the fan 4 is disposed at one of the left and right ends inside the holding base 2, and the battery 21 is disposed at the other, so that the weight of the partition device can be distributed left and right, and the overall weight balance of the partition device can be prevented from being biased to either the left or right, allowing the shielding plate 1 to be more stably erected on the installation surface S. In addition, the battery 21 can be prevented from causing airflow resistance in the supply air passage 6, so the power consumption of the fan 4 can be reduced.

At the end of the shielding plate 1 on the downstream side of the air curtain, front and rear guide plates 26A and 26B (guide body 26) are provided on the surface side where the air curtain is formed, to guide the air curtain away from the shielding plate 1. This allows the air flow after the air curtain is formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 to be directed away from the opposing party, more reliably preventing droplets from reaching the opposing party.

An air curtain is formed along the vertical direction of the shielding plate 1, and side plates 27 are provided on the left and right ends of the shielding plate 1, extending in the front-to-rear direction from the left and right edges of the shielding plate 1, so that the air curtain is prevented from diffusing in the horizontal direction of the shielding plate 1, and an air curtain can be accurately formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1.

The supply air passage 6 is provided with an ozone generator 8 that supplies ozone to the air being supplied to the air outlet 5, so that viruses and odors contained in the air and droplets that form the air curtain can be sterilized and deodorized by the oxidation-reduction reaction of ozone. In addition, since the air after the air curtain is formed is diffused around the shielding plate 1, the air around the partition device can be sterilized and deodorized by the remaining ozone.

In addition, with the above-mentioned partition device, the surface of the shielding plate 1 will not be soiled by droplets even when it is used continuously, and good hygienic conditions can be maintained for a long period of time, which contributes to the achievement of Goal 3 (good health and well-being) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocated by the United Nations.

(Second embodiment) FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the partition device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the shielding plate 1 has a curved portion formed in the plate body, and a bulging portion 38 that bulges forward in the left-right direction is provided in the upper and lower central portions. A convex surface 39 is formed on the front side of the shielding plate 1 at the bulging portion 38, and a concave surface 40 is formed on the rear side. The air outlet 5 is composed of a single rectangular opening that is long in the left-right direction and is provided only on the front side of the shielding plate 1. Even when the bulging portion 38 is provided on the shielding plate 1 in this way, the air curtain is formed along the front surface of the shielding plate 1 including the convex surface 39. Therefore, a uniform air curtain can be formed in the left-right direction on the front side of the shielding plate 1. In addition, by providing the bulging portion 38 on the shielding plate 1, the flow speed of the air curtain formed along the convex surface 39 can be increased more than the flow speed of the air curtain formed along a flat surface. Note that in FIG. 5, the guide body 26, the top plate 28, and the handle 29 located on the upper part of the shielding plate 1 are omitted.

The shielding plate 1 including the bulging portion 38 has an opening group 33 formed of a large number of independent openings 32 penetrating the shielding plate 1 from front to back. Each opening 32 has the same shape, and is configured so that the hole diameter narrows toward the surface on the side where the shielding plate 1 bulges. In detail, each opening 32 is configured as a tapered hole with a smaller hole diameter on the front side and a larger hole diameter on the rear side. In this way, by making the openings 32 tapered holes with a relatively smaller hole diameter on the side where the air curtain is formed (the front side), it is possible to prevent some of the air forming the air curtain from being blown into the openings 32 while ensuring the passage of voice.

5, the total opening area of the openings 32 formed between the top of the bulging portion 38 and the upper end of the bulging portion 38 in the opening group 33 is larger than the total opening area of the openings 32 formed between the top of the bulging portion 38 and the lower end of the bulging portion 38. In other words, the total opening area of the openings 32 formed at the end of the bulging portion 38 on the downstream side of the air curtain is larger than the total opening area of the openings 32 formed at the end of the bulging portion 38 on the upstream side of the air curtain. More specifically, the opening group 33 is composed of openings 32 arranged in a matrix over the entire shielding plate 1, and the adjacent pitch between the vertically adjacent openings 32 in the former portion is set smaller than the adjacent pitch between the vertically adjacent openings 32 in the latter portion. As a result, more openings 32 are formed in the portion between the top of the bulging portion 38 and the upper end of the bulging portion 38 than in other portions.

The bulge 38 does not need to be formed over the entire left-right area of the shielding plate 1, but may be formed only in the central region of the shielding plate 1 in the left-right direction. In this case, a single shielding plate 1 can be formed by combining flat shielding plates 1 arranged on the left and right with a shielding plate 1 arranged between the flat shielding plates 1, the plate being partially curved. The bulge 38 is not limited to the central portion in the top and bottom directions, and may be arranged above or below the central portion. The shielding plate 1 may have a form in which the center of the plate bulges out in a partial spherical shell shape to form the bulge 38.

As described above, in the partition device of this embodiment, the shielding plate 1 is provided with bulging portions 38 on both the left and right sides thereof, causing the shielding plate 1 to bulge toward the surface on which the air curtain is formed, so that the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1 can be accelerated in the area of the bulging portions 38. This allows a stronger air curtain to be formed in the part of the shielding plate 1 where the bulging portions 38 are formed, and by locating the bulging portions 38 at a height position where droplets are most likely to fly, it is possible to reliably prevent droplets from adhering to the surface.

The shielding plate 1, including the bulge 38, is formed with a group of openings 33 consisting of numerous independent openings 32 that penetrate the shielding plate 1 from front to back. This means that even when people are talking with the shielding plate 1 between them, their voices can easily reach the other person through the openings 32, allowing them to enjoy a conversation without hindrance even at a normal voice volume. An air curtain is formed on the surface of the shielding plate 1, preventing droplets from reaching the other person.

The opening group 33 is formed so that the total opening area of the openings 32 formed in the shielding plate 1 in the portion between the top of the bulging portion 38 and the end of the bulging portion 38 on the downstream side of the air curtain is larger than the total opening area of the openings 32 formed in the shielding plate 1 in the portion between the top of the bulging portion 38 and the end of the bulging portion 38 on the upstream side of the air curtain. This makes it possible to form a stable air curtain by suppressing air from being blown into the openings 32 while increasing the opening area of the opening group 33. This is because, in the bulging portion 38 on the upstream side of the air curtain from the top of the bulging portion 38, the air forming the air curtain collides with the surface of the shielding plate 1 and is redirected. If a large number of openings 32 exist in the bulging portion 38, the air forming the air curtain may be blown into the openings 32 and disturb the flow, but this phenomenon can be suppressed by the above configuration.

The opening 32 is configured as a tapered hole whose diameter narrows toward the surface on which the shielding plate 1 bulges out, so that the air that forms the air curtain is prevented from being blown into the opening 32, and the air flow that forms the air curtain is prevented from being disturbed.

(Third embodiment) Figure 6 shows a third embodiment of the partition device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the shape of the bulge 38 differs from that of the second embodiment. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the bulge 38 is formed by partially expanding the plate thickness of the shielding plate 1 toward the front side. At the location where the bulge 38 is formed, the rear surface of the shielding plate 1 is a flat surface, whereas the front surface of the shielding plate 1 is a convex surface 39.

(Fourth embodiment) Figure 7 shows a fourth embodiment of the partition device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the shape of the bulge 38 also differs from that of the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, the thickness of the shielding plate 1 is partially expanded not only on the front side but also on the rear side to form the bulge 38. At the location where the bulge 38 is formed, both the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1 are made into convex surfaces 39. The opening 32 in this embodiment is a straight round hole rather than a tapered hole. Air curtains can be formed on the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate 1.

(Fifth embodiment) Figures 8 and 9 show a fifth embodiment of the partition device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the air that flows through the shielding plate 1 to form an air curtain is collected, and the collected air is blown out again from the air outlet 5. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, a rectangular collection box 43 that is long in the left-right direction is fixed to the upper end of the shielding plate 1 instead of the guide body 26. In this fixed state, the upper end of the shielding plate 1 coincides with the center line of the collection box 43 in the front-rear direction, and the protruding width of the collection box 43 in the front-rear direction relative to the shielding plate 1 is configured to be the same dimension. A rectangular collection port 44 that is long in the left-right direction is opened in the lower wall of the collection box 43 so as to communicate the inside and outside of the box 43 at the front and rear of the shielding plate 1. Air intake ports 3 and 3 are opened at the left and right ends of the upper wall of the holding table 2, and circulation ports 45 and 45 are opened at the left and right ends of the lower wall of the collection box 43.

As shown in FIG. 8, a square-shaped circulation box 46, 46 having openings at the top and bottom ends is provided on each of the left and right side surfaces of the shielding plate 1. The left air intake 3 and the circulation port 45 are connected via the left circulation box 46, and the right air intake 3 and the circulation port 45 are connected via the right circulation box 46. The circulation box 46 has the same function as the side plate 27 of the previous embodiment 1. The inside of the collection box 43 is a horizontal circulation air duct 47 that guides the air taken in from the collection port 44 to the circulation port 45, and the inside of the circulation box 46 is a vertical circulation air duct 48 that guides the air that has reached the circulation port 45 to the intake port 3, and the horizontal circulation air duct 47 and the left and right vertical circulation air ducts 48 form a circulation air duct 49. The front-to-back width dimensions of the collection box 43 and the circulation box 46 are configured to match the front-to-back width dimensions of the holding table 2 (see FIG. 9). In addition, a handle 29 can be provided on the top surface of the collection box 43 to improve the portability of the partition device.

8 and 9, a rectangular chamber box 53 having an upward opening and elongated from side to side is provided inside the holding table 2. The chamber box 53 is fixed to the upper wall of the holding table 2, and the chamber box 53 and the upper wall of the holding table 2 form a chamber 54 inside the supply air passage 6. Three air vents 55 are formed in the lower wall of the chamber box 53 in a left-right parallel arrangement, and the fan 4 is fixed with the air supply side facing the air vents 55. The blowing port 5 is formed in a state in which it communicates with the chamber 54. When the fan 4 is driven, air is pressurized and fed toward the chamber 54, and the air is blown out from the blowing port 5 to form an air curtain. After forming the air curtain, the air is taken into the circulation air passage 49 at the recovery port 44, and is blown out again from the blowing port 5 via the supply air passage 6. In this way, in this embodiment, the air curtain is formed in a form in which the air circulates.

As shown in FIG. 8, an ozone concentration sensor 56 is provided in the supply air passage 6 between the ozone generating unit 8 and the fan 4 to detect the concentration of ozone contained in the air flowing through the air passage 6. In this embodiment, the air curtain is formed by circulating air, so that it is difficult to take in air from the outside, and there is a risk that the concentration of ozone will increase more than necessary as the air circulates. Therefore, the ozone concentration sensor 56 detects the concentration of ozone contained in the air flowing through the supply air passage 6, and if the detected concentration of ozone exceeds a specified value on the high concentration side, the control unit 15 stops driving the ozone generating unit 8. In addition, if the concentration of ozone decreases after the ozone generating unit 8 is stopped and the detected concentration of ozone falls below the specified value on the low concentration side, the control unit 15 starts driving the ozone generating unit 8 again. In this way, the concentration of ozone contained in the circulating air can be maintained within the specified value by driving the ozone generating unit 8 based on the detection value of the ozone concentration by the ozone concentration sensor 56.

When the ozone concentration exceeds a specified value on the high concentration side, the drive control of the ozone generating unit 8 can adjust the ozone concentration downward by suppressing the amount of ozone generated per unit time by driving the ozone generating unit 8 intermittently, rather than stopping continuously until the ozone concentration falls below the specified value on the low concentration side. In addition, when the specified value on the high concentration side is exceeded, the ozone concentration can be adjusted downward by using intermittent drive with a relatively small duty ratio (intermittent drive with a relatively small amount of ozone generated per unit time), and when the specified value on the low concentration side is exceeded, the ozone concentration can be adjusted by using intermittent drive with a relatively large duty ratio (intermittent drive with a relatively large amount of ozone generated per unit time).

As described above, the partition device of this embodiment is provided with a recovery port 44 that takes in the air that has been blown by the fan 4 and formed the air curtain, making it possible to prevent the air after the air curtain has been formed from being dispersed to the surrounding area along with droplets.

In addition, a circulation air duct 49 is provided to guide the air taken in from the recovery port 44 to the intake port 3, and the air blown out from the outlet 5 is blown out again from the outlet 5 via the circulation air duct 49 and the supply air duct 6. This ensures that droplets are contained in the circulating air and are prevented from diffusing to the surrounding area.

The supply air duct 6 is provided with an ozone generator 8 that supplies ozone to the air being supplied to the air outlet 5, so that droplets that are taken into the circulation air duct 49 and the supply air duct 6 together with the air can be disinfected and deodorized.

An ozone concentration sensor 56 is provided in the supply air duct 6 to detect the concentration of ozone contained in the air, and the control unit 15 is configured to control the operation of the ozone generating unit 8 based on the ozone detection result of the ozone concentration sensor 56, so that the ozone concentration of the air forming the air curtain can be adjusted to any concentration. For example, the ozone concentration can be adjusted to an optimal concentration for sterilization and deodorization treatment without the ozone concentration increasing or decreasing too much.

In addition to the above, the recovery port 44 may be the blowing port 5, and the blowing port 5 may be the recovery port 44 so that the air forming the air curtain flows from top to bottom.

(Sixth embodiment) Figure 10 shows a sixth embodiment of the partition device according to the present invention. In the partition devices of the first to fifth embodiments described above, the partition device is configured as a portable partition device that is placed on the installation surface S, but in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the partition device is configured integrally with a desk 60 such as a table. The shielding plate 1 is erected in the center in the front-to-rear direction of a top plate 61 provided on the desk 60, and the upper surface of the top plate 61 becomes the installation surface S. The shielding plate 1 is provided with three dense openings 34 in the left-right direction, and a coarse opening 35 is provided between adjacent dense openings 34.

A fan box 62, which is a rectangular box long in the left-right direction and has an upper opening, is fixed to the underside of the top plate 61, and the inside of the fan box 62 is the supply air passage 6. Three air intakes 3 are formed in the left-right direction on the lower wall of the fan box 62, and a fan 4 is provided inside the fan box 62 with the intake side facing each air intake 3. Air outlets 5 are formed in front and behind the shielding plate 1 so as to communicate with the inside of the fan box 62, and the air outlets 5 are alternately provided with a first air outlet 5A facing the shielding plate 1 in which the dense opening group 34 is formed and a second air outlet 5B facing the shielding plate 1 in which the coarse opening group 35 is formed. In this way, the partition device of the present invention may be not only a portable type, but also a built-in type that is integrated into a table or the like.

In addition to the above, the air curtain may be configured so that air flows from bottom to top, or from top to bottom, right to left, left to right, or even diagonally, as long as the air curtain is formed to cross the surface of the shielding plate 1. The shielding plate 1 does not need to be entirely transparent (translucent), and may have some opaque parts. The opening group 33 consisting of a large number of independent openings 32 formed in the shielding plate 1 is not essential and may be omitted. The present invention may also be configured as a partition device for dividing a room, for example.

The arrangement of the openings 32 on the shielding plate 1 shown in the above embodiment is an example, and may be arranged in a manner other than that shown in the above embodiment. The blower 4 may be configured with a centrifugal fan in addition to an axial fan. The side plate 27 and the top plate 28 may be formed of an opaque material. The power supply unit 21 may be a replaceable primary battery, in which case the charging socket 22 and the charging circuit 23 may be omitted. The ozone generator 8 is configured with a discharge electrode 9 formed in a needle shape and a counter electrode 10 formed in a crown shape, but the configuration of the ozone generator 8 is not limited to this. For example, the ozone generator 8 may have an electrode structure in which a pair of needle-shaped electrodes are arranged so that their needle tips face each other, or an electrode structure in which a pair of rod-shaped electrodes are arranged in parallel, each covered with a glass tube, or other electrode structures may be adopted. In addition to these corona discharge type ozone generators 8, ozone generators may be ultraviolet type, low-temperature plasma type, electrolysis type, or other types.

1 Shielding plate 2 Holding stand 3 Air intake 4 Air blowing means (fan)
Reference Signs List 5: Air outlet 6: Supply air passage 8: Ozone generator 15: Control unit 16: Operation unit 21: Power supply unit 26: Guide body 27: Side plate 32: Opening 33: Opening group 34: Dense opening group 35: Coarse opening group 38: Bulging portion 44: Recovery port 49: Circulation air passage 56: Ozone concentration sensor S: Installation surface

Claims (17)

A shielding plate (1) having translucency and erected in the left-right direction on an installation surface (S);
a supply air passage (6) having an air intake (3) at one end for taking in air and an air outlet (5) at the other end for blowing out the air taken in through the air intake (3);
a blowing means (4) provided in the air supply passage (6) for blowing air from an air outlet (5) to form an air curtain along at least one of the front and rear surfaces of the shielding plate (1);
A partition device comprising: A partition device as described in claim 1, in which a group of openings (33) consisting of a number of independent openings (32) penetrating the shielding plate (1) from the front to the rear is formed in the shielding plate (1). The opening group (33) has a dense opening group (34) in which the total opening area of the openings (32) formed per unit area is relatively large, and a coarse opening group (35) in which the total opening area of the openings (32) formed per unit area is relatively small,
A partition device as described in claim 2, configured so that the air flow rate of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate (1) corresponding to the dense opening group (34) is greater than the air flow rate of the air curtain formed on the surface of the shielding plate (1) corresponding to the coarse opening group (35). A partition device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which a long box-shaped support stand (2) that holds the shielding plate (1) upright is provided below the shielding plate (1), and the inside of the support stand (2) forms a supply air passage (6). The partition device according to claim 4, in which the air intake (3) is provided on at least one of the left and right sides of the holding base (2). The partition device according to claim 5, in which an operating section (16) for operating the driving state of the air blowing means (4) is provided around the air intake (3). A power supply unit (21) for supplying driving power to the air blowing means (4) is provided inside the holding table (2),
7. The partition device according to claim 6, wherein a blower (4) is disposed at one of the left and right ends inside the support base (2), and a power supply unit (21) is disposed at the other end. A partition device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which a guide body (26) is provided at the end of the shielding plate (1) on the downstream side of the air curtain, on the surface side on which the air curtain is formed, to redirect the air curtain away from the shielding plate (1). An air curtain is formed along the vertical direction of the shielding plate (1),
9. A partition device according to claim 1, wherein side panels (27) are provided at the left and right ends of the shielding plate (1) so as to extend in the front-rear direction from the left and right edges of the shielding plate (1) and extend in the vertical direction. The partition device according to claim 1, in which the shielding plate (1) is provided with a bulging portion (38) that causes the shielding plate (1) to bulge toward the surface side on which the air curtain is formed. The partition device according to claim 10, in which a group of openings (33) consisting of a number of independent openings (32) penetrating the shielding plate (1) in the front-rear direction is formed in the shielding plate (1) including the bulge portion (38). The partition device according to claim 11, in which the group of openings (33) is formed so that the total opening area of the openings (32) formed in the shielding plate (1) in the portion between the top of the bulge (38) and the end of the bulge (38) on the downstream side of the air curtain is larger than the total opening area of the openings (32) formed in the shielding plate (1) in the portion between the top of the bulge (38) and the end of the bulge (38) on the upstream side of the air curtain. The partition device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the opening (32) is a tapered hole whose diameter narrows toward the surface side where the shielding plate (1) bulges. A partition device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, which is provided with a recovery port (44) for taking in air that has been blown by the air blowing means (4) and formed an air curtain. A circulation air duct (49) is provided to guide the air taken in from the recovery port (44) to the intake port (3),
The partition device according to claim 14, wherein the air blown out from the air outlet (5) passes through the circulation air passage (49) and the supply air passage (6) and is blown out again from the air outlet (5). A partition device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, in which an ozone generator (8) is provided in the air supply duct (6) to supply ozone to the air supplied to the air outlet (5). The apparatus includes a control unit (15) for controlling the operation of the ozone generating unit (8),
An ozone concentration sensor (56) for detecting the concentration of ozone contained in the air is provided in the supply air duct (6),
17. The partition device according to claim 16, wherein the control unit (15) is configured to control the operation of the ozone generating unit (8) based on the result of detection of ozone by the ozone concentration sensor (56).

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