JP7706085B2 - Airflow Generator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an airflow generating device.

Various technologies have been proposed for purifying spaces. For example, ultraviolet light may be used as a means for purifying air. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that uses ultraviolet light (ultraviolet rays) to sterilize, disinfect, and decontaminate storage areas such as pantries, food storage rooms, etc.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,179,703

Incidentally, in order to adequately prevent the spread of infectious diseases caused by viruses and other infectious substances, it is necessary not only to purify the air but also to consider the air flow (air current). For example, if a downflow from top to bottom is formed in a space, it is thought that it will be possible to prevent droplets emitted by people from flying up, which is one of the causes of the spread of infectious diseases.

The present invention provides an airflow generating device that can assist in the formation of a downflow in a space.

An airflow generating device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a hollow, plate-shaped main body installed so that its main surface is aligned vertically, an airflow generating section inside the main body that generates an airflow from an intake port provided at the bottom of the main body to an outlet port provided at the top of the main body, a purification section inside the main body that purifies the airflow, and a guide structure for changing the direction of the airflow blown out from the outlet port, the purification section comprising a chamber having openings at both the top and bottom, and the opening area of the top of the chamber is smaller than the opening area of the bottom of the chamber.

An airflow generating device according to one aspect of the present invention can assist in the formation of a downflow in a space.

FIG. 1 is an external view of an airflow generating device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the airflow generating device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a first operational example of the airflow generation device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a downflow is formed by utilizing an airflow blown out by an airflow generation device according to an embodiment and an airflow blown out by an air conditioner. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a downflow is formed by circulating an airflow blown out by an airflow generation device according to an embodiment around the airflow generation device. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the control information. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a second operational example of the airflow generation device according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is an external view of an airflow generation device according to a modified example.

The following describes the embodiments in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection forms, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in an independent claim are described as optional components.

Note that each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration. In addition, in each figure, the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same configurations, and duplicate explanations may be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[composition]
First, the configuration of the airflow generation device according to the embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is an external view of the airflow generation device according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the airflow generation device according to the embodiment.

As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the airflow generating device 10 according to the embodiment is a device having a plate-shaped main body 20, and is a device that draws in air from the floor side and blows it out to the ceiling side. In the example of Fig. 1, the airflow generating device 10 is also used as a partition in a conference space. In other words, the airflow generating device 10 is a partition-type (wall-type) device.

1 and 2, the airflow generating device 10 includes a main body 20, an airflow generating unit 30, a purifying unit 40, a louver 50, a wind speed adjusting throttle 55, a controller 60, a _CO2 sensor 70, a display unit 80, and a distance image sensor 90. In addition, an air conditioning device 100 provided outside the airflow generating device 10 is also shown in FIG.

The main body 20 is a hollow plate (panel) and is installed so that its main surface is aligned vertically. An intake port 21 is provided on the lower end surface (lower part) of the main body 20. A gap is provided between the intake port 21 and the floor, and the main body 20 draws air into the interior of the main body 20 through this gap.

The main body 20 is also provided with an air outlet 22 on its upper end surface (upper portion). The main body 20 blows out the air drawn in from the intake port 21 as an airflow from the air outlet 22. As described below, the airflow generating device 10 can assist in the formation of a downflow in the space S in which the airflow generating device 10 is provided, and from this perspective, the air outlet 22 is provided, for example, at a position higher than the height of a person's head. The air outlet 22 is provided, for example, at a height higher than the average height of an adult male (for example, 172 cm for a Japanese person).

The upper part of the main body 20 is a transparent part 20a. The transparent part 20a is formed of a translucent resin material, such as acrylic resin. When the airflow generating device 10 is used as a partition in a conference space, the transparent part 20a makes it easier to know whether the conference space is in use or not.

The lower part of the main body 20 is the non-transparent part 20b. The non-transparent part 20b is made of a resin material or a metal material that does not have translucency. The airflow generating part 30 and the purification part 40 are housed inside the non-transparent part 20b.

The airflow generating unit 30 is located inside the main body 20, and generates an ascending airflow from the intake 21 to the exhaust 22 inside the main body 20. The airflow generating unit 30 is a fan unit composed of one or more fans. The one or more fans are arranged side by side in the left-right direction of FIG. 1 (the front-to-back direction of the paper in FIG. 2). Each of the one or more fans rotates around an axis along the vertical direction. The airflow generating unit 30 is provided, for example, above the purification unit 40, but may also be provided below the purification unit 40.

The purification unit 40 is located inside the main body 20 and purifies the airflow passing through the purification unit 40. The purification unit 40 includes a light source 41 and a chamber 42.

The light source 41 emits ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light has a peak wavelength of, for example, 350 nm or less. The light source 41 is, for example, a solid-state light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) element, but may also be a semiconductor laser or a small mercury lamp.

The chamber 42 is a housing that houses the light source 41 and has openings at both the top and bottom. The chamber 42 is formed, for example, from a resin material or a metal material that has light blocking properties against ultraviolet light. In the example of FIG. 2, the opening area of the top of the chamber 42 is smaller than the opening area of the bottom of the chamber 42. In other words, the opening area of the airflow outlet is smaller than the opening area of the airflow inlet. This allows the chamber 42 to increase the wind speed of the airflow.

The purifying unit 40 is not limited to a configuration that purifies the airflow with ultraviolet light. For example, the purifying unit 40 may purify the airflow with ozone or hypochlorous acid water.

The louver 50 is a wing-like structure for changing the direction of the airflow blown out from the air outlet 22. In other words, the louver 50 is a guide structure for guiding the airflow. The louver 50 is a structure whose posture (angle of the wing) is changed based on a control signal output from the controller 60, for example, but it may also be a structure whose posture can be changed based on manual operation of the louver 50 by the user.

The wind speed adjustment throttle 55 is a throttle structure for changing the size of the air outlet 22. The wind speed adjustment throttle 55 is, for example, a structure that changes the size of the air outlet 22 based on a control signal output from the controller 60, but may also be a structure that changes the size of the air outlet 22 based on a user's manual operation of the wind speed adjustment throttle 55. Note that the smaller the size of the air outlet 22, the faster the wind speed of the airflow that is blown out.

The controller 60 is a control panel operated by the user to turn the airflow generating device 10 on and off, adjust the air volume, and the like. The controller 60 is installed, for example, on the outer surface of the main body 20. Specifically, the controller 60 includes a microcomputer and a memory, and the functions of the controller 60 are realized, for example, by the microcomputer executing a computer program stored in the memory.

The _CO2 sensor 70 is an example of an air quality sensor, and senses the carbon dioxide concentration of the air sucked in by the airflow generating device 10. The _CO2 sensor 70 is installed below the purification unit 40 in the main body 20, but may be installed in another location in the main body 20.

The display unit 80 displays the volume of the airflow of the airflow generating device 10. The display unit 80 is realized, for example, by a light-emitting element, and displays the volume of the airflow by the brightness of the light-emitting element. The display unit 80 may be realized by a plurality of light-emitting elements, and displays the volume of the airflow by the number of light-emitting elements that are lit. The light-emitting element is, for example, an LED element, but may also be an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) element. The display unit 80 may also be realized by a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel.

The display unit 80 is installed, for example, on the outer surface of the main body 20. If the display unit 80 is realized by an organic EL panel and installed on the outer surface of the transparent portion 20a, the aesthetic appearance of the airflow generating device 10 is improved. The display unit 80 may be formed integrally with the controller 60.

The distance image sensor 90 is a sensor that outputs image information of an image showing the distance from the airflow generating device 10 to an object. The distance image sensor 90 outputs image information of an image showing, for example, the distance to the air conditioning equipment 100 (the position of the air conditioning equipment 100). The distance image sensor 90 is, for example, a distance image sensor such as a TOF (Time Of Flight) sensor. The distance image sensor 90 is installed, for example, on the outer surface of the main body 20.

[Operation example 1]
The airflow generating device 10 can generate an airflow (downflow) moving from above to below in the space S in which the airflow generating device 10 is installed while purifying the air in the space S. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of an operation example 1 of such an airflow generating device 10. Note that Fig. 3 is a flowchart that focuses on the generation of an airflow and does not describe the purification unit 40, but the controller 60 actually turns on the purification unit 40 at an appropriate time and causes the light source 41 to emit ultraviolet light. As a result, the air passing through the main body 20 is purified by the ultraviolet light.

The controller 60 first identifies the distance from the airflow generating device 10 to the air conditioning equipment 100 by performing image processing on the image output by the distance image sensor 90 (S11). The controller 60 determines whether the identified distance is equal to or greater than a threshold (S12). The threshold is determined empirically or experimentally by a simulation, which will be described later.

When the controller 60 determines that the identified distance is less than the threshold value (No in S12), it controls the air volume of the airflow generating unit 30, the angle of the louver 50, and the opening degree of the air speed adjustment throttle 55 so that the airflow blown out from the airflow generating device 10 is directed toward the air conditioning equipment 100 (S13). Specifically, the controller 60 controls the air volume of the airflow generating unit 30, the angle of the louver 50, and the opening degree of the air speed adjustment throttle 55 (size of the air outlet 22) so that the airflow blown out from the airflow generating device 10 is directed toward the air conditioning equipment 100 and reaches the air conditioning equipment 100.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, a downflow is formed in the space S by utilizing the airflow with high mixing efficiency blown out by the air conditioning equipment 100. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a downflow is formed by utilizing the airflow blown out by the air conditioning equipment 100. In FIG. 4, the arrows show the flow of the airflow, and the downflow is formed in the area surrounded by the dashed line frame.

On the other hand, when the controller 60 determines that the identified distance is equal to or greater than the threshold (Yes in S12), it controls the air volume of the airflow generating unit 30, the angle of the louver 50, and the opening degree of the air speed adjustment throttle 55 so that the airflow blown out by the airflow generating device 10 circulates around the airflow generating device 10 (S14). Specifically, the controller 60 controls the air volume of the airflow generating unit 30, the angle of the louver 50, and the opening degree of the air speed adjustment throttle 55 (size of the air outlet 22) so that the airflow blown out from the airflow generating device 10 circulates around the airflow generating device 10.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, a downflow is formed in the space S by circulating the airflow around the airflow generating device 10. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a downflow is formed by circulating the airflow blown out by the airflow generating device 10 around the airflow generating device 10. In FIG. 5, the arrows show the airflow, and a downflow is formed in the area enclosed by the dashed line frame.

How the louvers 50 and the air speed adjustment throttle 55 are controlled (control content) in each of steps S13 and S14 is determined in advance, for example, by simulation. For example, the control content in step S13 is determined based on the results of a simulation to determine what control content will create an effective downflow depending on the distance from the airflow generating device 10 to the air conditioning equipment 100 under the condition that the airflow is blown out from the air conditioning equipment 100 at a standard air volume and direction.

The control information indicating the determined control content is stored in the memory of the controller 60. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of such control information. In the control information, the control content (air volume of the airflow generating unit 30, angle of the louver 50, and opening degree of the air speed adjustment throttle 55) is determined for each distance to the air conditioning equipment 100. The control content in step S14 may also be determined by simulation in the same way, and stored in the memory of the controller 60.

As described above, the airflow generating device 10 can purify the air in the space S in which the airflow generating device 10 is installed, while generating an airflow (downflow) in the space S that moves from above to below. Droplets emitted by a user located in the space S may contain infectious substances, and droplets containing infectious substances contribute to the spread of infectious diseases. A configuration that forms a downflow, such as the airflow generating device 10, makes it difficult for droplets to fly up. Therefore, the airflow generating device 10 can suppress the spread of infectious diseases.

[Operation example 2]
The airflow generation device 10 can control the air volume of the airflow generation unit 30 based on the degree of air pollution in the space S. Fig. 7 is a flowchart of an operation example 2 of such an airflow generation device 10. Note that Fig. 7 is a flowchart focusing on the air volume of the airflow and does not describe the purification unit 40, but the controller 60 actually turns on the purification unit 40 at the appropriate time and causes the light source 41 to emit ultraviolet light. As a result, the air passing through the main body unit 20 is purified by the ultraviolet light.

The controller 60 acquires the carbon dioxide concentration, which is the sensing result of the _CO2 sensor 70 (S21), and determines the air volume (fan rotation speed) of the airflow generating unit 30 according to the acquired carbon dioxide concentration (S22). The carbon dioxide concentration can be used as a measure of the degree of air pollution, and it is estimated that the higher the carbon dioxide concentration, the more polluted the air is. In addition, it is considered that the more polluted the air is, the more frequently it is necessary to take the air into the main body 20 and purify it with the purification unit 40. Therefore, in step S22, the controller 60 increases the air volume of the airflow generating unit 30 as the carbon dioxide concentration increases. This allows the airflow generating device 10 to efficiently purify the air in the space S.

Next, the controller 60 causes the airflow generating unit 30 to generate an airflow with the volume determined in step S22 (S23), and causes the display unit 80 to display the volume of air (S24). This allows the user to easily grasp the volume of air.

As described above, the airflow generation device 10 can control the air volume of the airflow generation unit 30 based on the sensing result of the CO ₂ sensor 70 .

The airflow generating device 10 may include an air quality sensor other than the _CO2 sensor 70, and may control the airflow of the airflow generating unit 30 based on the sensing result of the other air quality sensor. For example, a PM (Particulate Matter) sensor or a VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) concentration sensor may be used. In this case, a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter or the like is used as the purifying unit 40.

Furthermore, operation example 2 may be combined with operation example 1. For example, if the distance is determined by the image output by the distance image sensor 90 as in operation example 1, and the air volume of the airflow generating unit 30 is determined according to the carbon dioxide concentration as in operation example 2, the controller 60 can control the angle of the louvers 50 and the opening degree of the air speed adjustment throttle 55 (the size of the air outlet 22) based on the control information in FIG. 6.

[Modification]
Next, a description will be given of a modified example of the airflow generation device 10. Fig. 8 is an external view of the airflow generation device according to such a modified example.

As described above, the airflow generating device 10 is fixedly installed, for example, on the floor or wall of the space S. In contrast, the airflow generating device 10a is provided with wheels 95 that allow the user to move the airflow generating device 10a, and when pushed by the user, the wheels 95 cause the airflow generating device 10a to move along the floor. This allows the user to flexibly move the airflow generating device 10a according to the situation.

[Effects, etc.]
As described above, the airflow generating device 10 includes a hollow, plate-like main body 20 installed so that its main surface is aligned along the vertical direction, an airflow generating unit 30 inside the main body 20 that generates an airflow from an inlet 21 provided at the bottom of the main body 20 toward an outlet 22 provided at the top of the main body 20, a purification unit 40 that purifies the airflow inside the main body 20, and a louver 50 for changing the direction of the airflow blown out from the outlet 22. The purification unit 40 includes a chamber 42 having openings provided at both the top and bottom. The opening area of the top of the chamber 42 is smaller than the opening area of the bottom of the chamber 42.

Such an airflow generating device 10 can assist in the formation of a downflow in the space S, since it becomes a path for the airflow from below to above in the space S. In addition, the airflow generating device 10 has a plate-shaped main body 20, and since the airflow is not sucked in or blown out in a direction intersecting with the main surface of the main body 20, it can be installed with the main surface along a wall. This allows the airflow generating device 10 to assist in the formation of a downflow while saving space. In addition, since the opening area of the upper part of the chamber 42 is small, this airflow generating device 10 can increase the wind speed of the airflow blown out from the purification section 40.

For example, the airflow generating device 10 further includes a wind speed adjustment throttle 55 for changing the size of the air outlet 22.

Such an airflow generating device 10 can adjust the location where the downflow is formed in the space S by adjusting the wind speed of the airflow blown out from the air outlet 22.

For example, the purification unit 40 purifies the airflow using ultraviolet light.

Such an airflow generating device 10 can assist in the formation of a downflow in space S by using airflow purified by ultraviolet light.

For example, the purification unit 40 further includes a light source 41 that emits ultraviolet light and is housed in the chamber 42.

Such an airflow generating device 10 can assist in the formation of a downflow in the space S by using airflow purified by the ultraviolet light emitted by the light source 41.

Moreover, for example, the airflow generation device 10 further includes a CO ₂ sensor 70 and a controller 60 that controls the airflow generation unit 30 based on the sensing result of the CO ₂ sensor 70 .

Such an airflow generating device 10 can adjust the air volume of the airflow generating unit 30 based on the degree of air pollution.

For example, the airflow generating device 10 further includes a display unit 80 that displays the volume of the airflow.

Such an airflow generating device 10 can display the volume of the airflow generated by the airflow generating unit 30.

It also includes, for example, a distance image sensor 90 that outputs an image showing the distance from the airflow generating device 10 to an air conditioning device 100 provided outside the airflow generating device 10, and a controller 60 that controls the louvers 50 based on the distance.

Such an airflow generating device 10 can change the direction of the airflow depending on the distance to the air conditioning equipment 100.

For example, when the distance is less than a threshold value, the controller 60 controls the louvers 50 to create a downflow using the airflow blown out by the air conditioning equipment 100, and when the distance is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the controller 60 controls the louvers 50 to circulate the air around the airflow generating device 10.

Such an airflow generating device 10 can switch whether or not to use the airflow blown out by the air conditioning equipment 100 when forming a downflow depending on the distance to the air conditioning equipment 100.

For example, the controller 60 also controls the louvers 50 based on the distance and the results of a simulation performed in advance.

Such an airflow generating device 10 can assist in the formation of a downflow with high precision.

Also, for example, a gap is provided between the suction port 21 and the floor.

Such an airflow generating device 10 can assist in the formation of a downflow in the space S by drawing in air through the gap between the suction port 21 and the floor.

The airflow generating device 10a further includes wheels 95 for moving the airflow generating device 10a.

This allows the user to flexibly move the airflow generating device 10a according to the situation.

Other Embodiments
Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, in the above embodiment, the distance from the airflow generating device to the air conditioner is determined by an image acquired by a distance image sensor, but it is not essential that the airflow generating device is equipped with a distance image sensor. For example, if the approximate distance from the airflow generating device to the air conditioner is input by the user operating the controller, the airflow generating device can form a downflow in the space based on the distance thus input.

A user can also create a downflow in a space by manually adjusting the angle of the louvers and the opening of the air speed adjustment throttle. In this case, the user is, for example, a worker dispatched by the company that installs the airflow generating device. The worker can create a downflow in the desired location in the space by adjusting the angle of the louvers and the opening of the air speed adjustment throttle, for example, by trial and error.

The order of the processes described in the above embodiment is merely an example. The order of multiple processes may be changed, and multiple processes may be executed in parallel. Furthermore, processes executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit.

In addition, in the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

In addition, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or an integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. In addition, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

In addition, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM. Also, the present invention may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

For example, the present invention may be realized as a building to which the airflow control device of the above embodiment is applied. The present invention may also be implemented as a control method for an airflow generating device executed by a computer such as the controller of the above embodiment, or may be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute such a control method. The present invention may also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art may conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10, 10a Airflow generating device 20 Main body 20a Transparent part 20b Non-transparent part 21 Inlet 22 Outlet 30 Airflow generating part 40 Purifying part 41 Light source 42 Chamber 50 Louver 55 Air speed adjusting aperture 60 Controller 70 _CO2 sensor 80 Display part 90 Distance image sensor 95 Wheel 100 Air conditioning equipment

Claims (12)

A hollow, plate-shaped main body portion disposed so that a main surface is aligned along a vertical direction;
an airflow generating unit configured to generate an airflow inside the main body from an intake port provided at a lower portion of the main body to an air outlet provided at an upper portion of the main body;
A purification unit that purifies the airflow inside the main body;
a guide structure for changing the direction of the airflow blown out from the air outlet,
The purification unit includes a chamber having an opening at each of an upper portion and a lower portion,
an opening area of an upper portion of the chamber is smaller than an opening area of a lower portion of the chamber;
The upper opening and the lower opening are opposed to each other,
When the airflow generation unit generates the airflow, the wind speed at the upper opening is stronger than the wind speed at the lower opening.
Airflow generator. The airflow generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising a throttle structure for changing the size of the air outlet. The airflow generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the purification unit purifies the airflow with ultraviolet light. The airflow generating device according to claim 3 , wherein the purification unit further comprises a light source that is housed in the chamber and emits the ultraviolet light. moreover,
An air quality sensor;
The airflow generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a controller that controls the airflow generating unit based on a sensing result of the air quality sensor. The airflow generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a display unit that displays a volume of the airflow. a distance image sensor that outputs an image indicating a distance from the airflow generation device to an air conditioner provided outside the airflow generation device;
The airflow generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a controller that controls the guide structure based on the distance. The controller:
When the distance is less than a threshold value, the guide structure is controlled so that a downflow is formed by utilizing the airflow blown out by the air conditioner;
The airflow generation device according to claim 7 , wherein the guide structure is controlled to circulate air around the airflow generation device when the distance is equal to or greater than a threshold value. An airflow generating device,
A hollow, plate-shaped main body portion disposed so that a main surface is aligned along a vertical direction;
an airflow generating unit configured to generate an airflow inside the main body from an intake port provided at a lower portion of the main body to an air outlet provided at an upper portion of the main body;
A purification unit that purifies the airflow inside the main body;
A guide structure for changing the direction of the airflow blown out from the air outlet;
a distance image sensor that outputs an image indicating a distance from the airflow generation device to an air conditioner provided outside the airflow generation device;
a controller for controlling the guide structure based on the distance;
The purification unit includes a chamber having an opening at each of an upper portion and a lower portion,
an opening area of an upper portion of the chamber is smaller than an opening area of a lower portion of the chamber;
The controller:
When the distance is less than a threshold value, the guide structure is controlled so that a downflow is formed by utilizing the airflow blown out by the air conditioner;
When the distance is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the guide structure is controlled to circulate air around the airflow generating device.
Airflow generator. The airflow generating device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the controller controls the guide structure based on the distance and a result of a simulation performed in advance. The airflow generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a gap is provided between the suction port and a floor. The airflow generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising wheels for moving the airflow generation device.

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