JP7815735B2 - Dust collector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dust collection device.

A dust collection device is known that uses a fan or other means to pass dust-laden air through a filter from one side to the other, capturing and filtering the dust primarily on one side of the filter.

Patent Document 1 discloses a dust collection device that not only has a dust collection function but also a deodorizing function that removes odors generated when processing workpieces.

Patent No. 4736051

As noted in Patent Document 1 above, in addition to dust collection, efforts have been made to remove other components from the air. In recent years, there has been a particular demand for removing bacteria and viruses floating in the air.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to effectively remove bacteria and viruses in a dust collection device.

One aspect of the present invention is a dust collection device that removes dust from an air flow that flows from an intake port to an exhaust port provided in a housing, the housing comprising, in this order, a filter that removes dust, a blower that blows air from the intake port to the exhaust port , and an air purification unit, the air purification unit having a dust collection electrode and configured to capture bacteria and viruses by passing electricity through the dust collection electrode and to generate plasma to inactivate the bacteria and viruses , a homogenous space that homogenizes the air passing through is provided between the blower and the air purification unit , and a dust removal mechanism that removes dust adhering to the filter is provided between the filter and the blower .
According to the present invention, a filter, a blower, and an air purification unit are provided in this order, and a homogenizing space is provided between the blower and the air purification unit to homogenize the air passing through, so that air with a homogenous flow rate and contained substances is sent to the air purification unit.

In one aspect of the present invention, a straightening mechanism is provided in the homogenous space between the blower and the air purification unit to promote homogenization of the air flow toward the air purification unit, and the straightening mechanism is configured in a lip shape extending inward from the inner wall of the housing.
In this embodiment, a straightening mechanism is provided between the blower and the air cleaning unit, so that the air flow sent to the air cleaning unit is further homogenized.

In one aspect of the present invention, the exhaust port is provided with a shut-off valve that blocks the exhaust of air.
In this embodiment, the exhaust port is provided with a shut-off valve, which allows air to remain in the air purification unit, which is effective when the mechanism for inactivating viruses and bacteria is operating.

In one aspect of the present invention, the blower has a plurality of blades arranged radially from a vertical rotary drive shaft, each blade arranged along a vertical plane, and a guide plate that guides the wind generated by the plurality of blades along the inner surface of the housing toward the exhaust port.
In this embodiment, the blower includes a plurality of blades and guide plates arranged radially from the vertical rotary drive shaft, so that air is efficiently guided to the exhaust port side.

In one aspect of the present invention, the cross section of the homogeneous space and the cross section of the air purification unit are rectangular, and the exhaust port provided in the housing is formed in a rectangular shape that matches the cross section of the homogeneous space and the shape of the air purification unit.
In this embodiment, the exhaust port is formed in a rectangular shape that matches the cross section of the homogeneous space and the shape of the air purification unit, so that the air flow is guided evenly throughout the air purification unit, allowing for effective use of the air purification unit and efficient exhaust from the exhaust port.

In one aspect of the present invention, the air purification unit has the functions of adsorbing bacteria and viruses and inactivating bacteria and viruses.
In this embodiment, the air purification unit has the function of inactivating bacteria and viruses, thereby preventing harmful bacteria and viruses from leaking out.

According to the present invention, bacteria and viruses can be effectively removed in a dust collection device.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a dust collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a dust collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a dust collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a dust collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a dust collecting device according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dust collecting device according to this embodiment. The dust collecting device 1 according to this embodiment removes dust particles from an airflow flowing from an air intake 3a to an air exhaust 3b provided in a housing 3. The dust collecting device 1 includes, in this order, a dust-removing filter 5, a blower 7 that blows air from the air intake 3a to the air exhaust 3b, and an air purification unit 11. A homogenization space 3c is provided between the blower 7 and the air purification unit 11 to homogenize the passing air. As shown in FIG. 1, it is more preferable to provide the homogenization space 3c between the upper end of the blower 7 and the air purification unit 11. Here, homogenizing the passing air means maintaining approximately constant the speed, direction, and volume of the airflow generated by the blower 7, thereby maintaining approximately constant the concentration of particles, viruses, and other substances contained in the air.

The internal space of the housing 3 is divided by a cell plate 3d into a lower dust collection chamber 3e and an upper clean chamber 3f. The periphery of the cell plate 3d is airtightly connected to the inner wall surface of the housing 3.

The dust collection chamber 3e, which is the space below the cell plate 3d, houses multiple cylindrical filters 5 and is connected to the outside via the air intake 3a. Meanwhile, the clean chamber 3f, which is the space above the cell plate 3d, is connected to the outside via the air exhaust 3b.

In the dust collecting device 1 of this embodiment, the filter 5 is a bottomed cylindrical filter (filter cloth) made of woven or nonwoven fabric made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of all fibrous materials, including polyester fiber, polypropylene fiber, acrylic fiber, nylon fiber, heat-resistant nylon fiber, polyphenylene sulfide fiber, tetrafluoroethylene fiber, cotton fiber, glass fiber, ceramic fiber, and graphitized fiber.

The upper end of each filter 5 is airtightly connected to a circular opening formed in the cell plate 3d, and the filter 5 hangs downward from the cell plate 3d into the dust collection chamber 3e.
In the dust collecting device 1 of this embodiment, a plurality of filter rows each consisting of a plurality of filters 5 are arranged (only two filters are shown in FIG. 1).

In the dust collector 1 of this embodiment, the dust collection chamber 3e, which is the space below the cell plate 3d, and the clean chamber 3f, which is the space above the cell plate 3d, are airtightly separated by the filter 5, cell plate 3d, etc. As a result, the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical filter 5 faces the dust collection chamber 3e, and the space on the inner peripheral surface communicates with the clean chamber 3f.

The dust collecting device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a dust removal mechanism 6 that removes dust adhering to the filter 5. This dust removal mechanism 6 has a manifold 6b with multiple discharge ports 6a. The discharge ports 6a are configured to discharge a pulse jet from an opening on one end side of the filter 5 toward the interior of the filter 5.

A pulse jet from the air tank 6c and air valve 6d that make up the dust removal mechanism 6 is intermittently supplied to the discharge portion 6a via the manifold 6b under the control of a control device 9 that includes a microcomputer and other components that control the operation of the dust collector 1.

Furthermore, in the clean room 3f of the dust collector 1, above the dust-scrubbing mechanism 6, a blower 7 is disposed, which draws dust-laden air into the housing 3 of the dust collector 1. Further above that, an air purification unit 11 is disposed, which functions to adsorb and inactivate bacteria and viruses in the passing air. As described above, a homogenous space 3c is provided between the blower 7 and the air purification unit 11. A baffle 13 is provided between the blower 7 and the air purification unit 11 as a rectifying mechanism that promotes homogenization of the airflow flowing toward the air purification unit 11. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the baffle 13 has a lip shape that extends inward from the inner wall of the housing 3. This baffle 13, which serves as a rectifying mechanism, is disposed at any position between the airflow outlet of the blower 7 (described below) and the air purification unit 11. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, an air flow sensor 9a that monitors the air flow rate is disposed in the homogenous space 3c.

When a homogeneous space 3c is defined between the upper end of the blower 7 and the air purification unit 11, the homogeneous space 3c in this embodiment is preferably set in the range of 10% or more and less than 100% of the representative length of the air purification unit 11, and more preferably set in the range of 20% or more and less than 100%.
Here, the representative length is set based on the long side x and short side y in the planar direction of the air purification unit 11 shown in Fig. 2. When the long side x >> the short side y, the representative length is the short side y. When the long side x is approximately equal to the short side y, the representative length is (x + y)/2.

The blower 7 includes a motor 7a and blades 7c driven by the motor 7a. The blades 7c are arranged radially from a vertical rotary drive shaft 7b, with multiple blades arranged along a vertical plane. The blower 7 also includes a guide plate 7d that guides the air generated by the blades 7c along the inner surface of the housing 3 toward the exhaust port 3b. The guide plate 7d separates the upper and lower spaces, and the lower space, in which the blades 7c are located, is open downward. The guide plate 7d covers the blades 7c from above and to the sides, and at least one hole is formed on the side so that airflow is ejected from the side by centrifugal force when the blades 7c rotate. The blower 7 is configured so that the rotation speed can be changed by the motor 7a, which is inverter-controlled by the control device 9. In this embodiment, the rotary drive shaft 7b is arranged vertically, but this is not limited thereto and may be arranged horizontally, for example. In that case, the guide plate 7d should also be modified as appropriate, and basically configured to move air from the dust collection chamber 3e to the clean chamber 3f.

The air purification unit 11 is equipped with a dust collection filter consisting of a dust collection electrode (not shown) and a mechanism for inactivating bacteria and viruses, and has the functions of adsorbing and inactivating bacteria and viruses. The function of inactivating bacteria and viruses may be achieved, for example, by generating plasma.

As shown in Figure 2, the cross section of the homogeneous space 3c and the cross section of the air purification unit 11 are rectangular, and the exhaust port 3b provided in the housing 3 is formed in a rectangular shape that matches the cross section of the homogeneous space 3c and the shape of the air purification unit 11.

The control device 9 is communicatively connected via wire or wirelessly to the dust removal mechanism 6, blower 7, air volume sensor 9a, and air purification unit 11, and controls each device based on the operating mode of the dust collection device 1 and the measurement results of the air volume sensor 9a.

Next, we will explain the operation of the dust collector 1 configured as described above. When the dust collector 1 is started by pressing the operation button or the like, the motor 7a of the blower 7 is driven to rotate, causing the blades 7c to turn. At the same time, the air purification unit 11 also starts operating, electricity is passed through the dust collection electrodes, and the mechanisms for capturing bacteria and viruses and inactivating them begin operating.

During normal operation, i.e., during dust collection, the dust collector 1 operates under the control of the control device 9, operating the blower 7 to generate a predetermined dust collection air volume. The control device 9 monitors air volume measurement data from the air volume sensor 9a and controls the rotation of the motor 7a to maintain the predetermined air volume. During normal operation, the operation of the blower 7 draws dust-laden air from the work environment, such as a factory, into the dust collection chamber 3e through the intake port 3a of the dust collector 1, as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 1, where it is filtered by the filter 5 to become dust-free air. The dust-free air is then introduced into the clean room 3f, where it passes through the air purification unit 11, where bacteria and viruses are removed. The air is then discharged to the outside of the dust collector 1 through the exhaust port 3b, as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 1.

When a stop signal is sent to the dust collector 1 using a stop button or the like, the motor 7a of the blower 7 stops rotating. The air purification unit 11 switches from capturing bacteria and viruses to primarily operating to inactivate them. After a predetermined time has passed, during which bacteria and viruses have been sufficiently inactivated, the operation of the air purification unit 11 stops.

The dust collector 1 is equipped with a dust removal mechanism 6, which removes dust while the airflow is stopped. In the dust removal operation, the control device 9 first stops the rotation of the motor 7a that operates the blower 7, thereby stopping the airflow of the blower 7.

Next, with the blower 7 stopped blowing air, pulse jets are intermittently supplied from the multiple outlets 6a into the internal space of each filter 5, thereby removing dust from the filters 5.

Specifically, under the control of the control device 9, the air valve 6d is intermittently operated, causing pressurized air from the air tank 6c to be intermittently discharged from the discharge port 6a of the manifold 6b toward the internal space of the filter 5, causing dust to be separated from the outer surface of the filter 5.

In addition to the dust removal operation described above, dust removal may also be performed during normal dust collection operation. In this case, the blower 7 continues to blow air as normal without stopping the rotation of the motor 7a that operates the blower 7. During this normal dust collection operation, as described above, pulse jets are supplied intermittently to remove dust from the filter 5.

In addition to the dust-sweeping operation described above, the dust-sweeping mechanism 6 may be operated to sweep dust off the filter 5 at predetermined time intervals during normal operation of the dust collector 1, or based on the measurement results of the air volume sensor 9a. In such a dust-sweeping operation, the control device 9 first controls the motor 7a, which operates the blower 7, to reduce the rotation speed, thereby reducing the dust-collecting air volume of the blower 7. The dust-collecting air volume of the blower 7 is preferably reduced to, for example, 50% or less of the rated air volume. Next, with the dust-collecting air volume of the blower 7 reduced, a pulse jet is supplied intermittently, as described above, to sweep dust off the filter 5. During such a dust-sweeping operation, the operation of reducing the dust-collecting air volume and the dust-sweeping operation may be performed simultaneously in parallel.

In this embodiment, the dust-removal operation of the dust-removal mechanism 6 is performed by spraying a pulse jet into the internal space of the filter 5, but this is not limited to this. Dust may also be removed from the surface of the filter 5 by applying force directly to the filter 5. For example, dust may be removed by manually or motor-sliding a component (not shown) for striking the filter 5.

The dust removed from the filter 5 by the dust removal mechanism 6 can be discharged from the dust collection chamber 3e using any known method. For example, a removable dust storage container (not shown) can be provided at the bottom of the dust collection chamber 3e. As the dust is removed, the dust adhering to the filter 5 falls into the dust storage container and accumulates there. After a certain number of dust removal operations, the dust storage container can be removed from the dust collection chamber 3e and the accumulated dust can be disposed of.

The dust collector 1 is set to an operating state that promotes the inactivation of bacteria and viruses. In this case, the airflow rate of the blower 7 is reduced or stopped, air is allowed to remain within the air purification unit 11, and the inactivation mechanism for bacteria and viruses is activated to promote the inactivation of bacteria and viruses. This operation may be performed, for example, at night when no work is being performed, with the aim of removing bacteria and viruses.

As described above, the dust collector 1 of this embodiment includes, within the housing 3, a filter 5 for removing dust particles, a blower 7 for blowing air from the intake port 3a to the exhaust port 3b, and an air purification unit 11, arranged in this order. With this arrangement, even if dust momentarily leaks from the filter 5 during dust removal, the air containing the leaked dust is agitated by passing through the blower 7 and directed toward the air purification unit 11 in a homogenous state. This prevents uneven dust loading on the air purification unit 11. Bacteria and viruses are also agitated evenly, allowing a homogenized airflow to be constantly supplied to the air purification unit 11. This effectively utilizes the capabilities of the air purification unit 11, allowing the dust collector 1 to effectively remove bacteria and viruses. In addition to bacteria and viruses, the air purification unit 11 may also have the function of capturing particulate matter such as PM2.5, pollen, yellow sand, and cigarette smoke.

Furthermore, when the air purification unit 11 operates, trace amounts of substances that can deteriorate resin (such as ozone) may be generated. Ozone and other substances have a high oxidizing power and tend to rapidly deteriorate resin parts, so if there is any equipment operating downstream of the air purification unit 11, measures must be taken to prevent deterioration. However, with the configuration of this embodiment, there is no motor 7a or electrical wiring downstream of the air purification unit 11, so this problem does not arise.

A homogenous space 3c is provided between the blower 7 and the air purification unit 11, so even if there is a bias in the airflow from the blower 7, this homogenous space 3c can homogenize the airflow. A lip-shaped baffle 13 is provided in the homogenous space 3c, which can further homogenize the airflow flowing toward the air purification unit 11.

By setting the distance between the upper end of the blower 7 and the air purification unit 11 to 10% or more of the representative length of the air purification unit 11, it is possible to achieve sufficient airflow homogenization. At the same time, sufficient space can be secured when assembling the air purification unit 11 to the dust collector 1. Furthermore, by setting the distance between the upper end of the blower 7 and the air purification unit 11 to less than 100% of the representative length of the air purification unit 11, it is possible to reduce the size of the dust collector 1, and the airflow generated by the blower 7 can be sent to and passed through the air purification unit 11 while being homogenized.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the dust collecting device 10 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 3, the same elements and components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a shut-off valve 15 that blocks the exhaust of air is provided at the exhaust port 3b. In this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the shut-off valve 15 allows the shut-off valve 15 to be closed when the air purification unit 11 is operating its bacteria and virus inactivation mechanism, thereby retaining air within the air purification unit 11 and further promoting the inactivation of bacteria and viruses.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a dust collecting device 100 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 4, the same elements and components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a perforated metal baffle 13a is provided as a rectifying mechanism instead of the lip-shaped baffle 13. In this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the perforated metal baffle 13a is provided in the homogenous space 3c. Therefore, the airflow sent from the blower 7 passes through holes approximately evenly spaced in the baffle 13a toward the air purification unit 11. When the airflow passes through these holes, the holes act as a high resistance in areas where the airflow is strong, weakening the airflow. Conversely, the holes do not act as a high resistance in areas where the airflow is weak, so the airflow is not weakened. This enhances the rectifying effect of the air flowing from the blower 7 toward the air purification unit 11, thereby homogenizing the airflow. 4, one piece of punched metal is provided, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of punched metals may be used as the baffle plate 13a. In addition to the punched metal baffle plate of this embodiment, the lip-shaped baffle plate of the first embodiment may also be provided.

Regarding the above description, the claims encompass numerous modifications to the embodiments without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are presented for illustrative purposes and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention.

1, 10, 100 Dust collector 3 Housing 3a Air intake 3b Exhaust outlet 3c Homogeneous space 5 Filter 7 Blower 7c Blade 7d Guide plate 11 Air purifying unit 13, 13a Baffle plate (straightening mechanism)
15 Shut-off valve

Claims (4)

A dust collecting device that removes dust particles from an air flow that flows from an air intake port to an air exhaust port provided in a housing,
Within the housing:
A filter to remove dust and
a blower that blows air from the intake port to the exhaust port;
an air purification unit provided between the blower and the exhaust port, in this order;
the air purification unit is configured to include a dust collection electrode, and to collect bacteria and viruses by passing a current through the dust collection electrode, and to generate plasma to inactivate the bacteria and viruses;
A homogenizing space is provided between the blower and the air cleaning unit to homogenize the air passing through,
a rectifying mechanism is provided in the homogenous space between the blower and the air purification unit to promote homogenization of the air flow flowing toward the air purification unit;
the rectifying mechanism is configured in a lip shape extending inward from an inner wall of the housing,
The dust collecting device further includes a dust brush-off mechanism between the filter and the blower for removing dust particles adhering to the filter. 2. The dust collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the exhaust port is provided with a shutoff valve for blocking the exhaust of air. 3. The dust collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the blower includes a plurality of blades arranged radially from a vertical rotation drive shaft and each blade is arranged along a vertical plane, and further includes a guide plate that guides the wind generated by the plurality of blades along an inner surface of the housing toward the exhaust port. 4. The dust collecting device according to claim 1, wherein a cross section of the homogeneous space and a cross section of the air purification unit are rectangular, and the exhaust port provided in the housing is formed in a rectangular shape that matches the cross section of the homogeneous space and the shape of the air purification unit.