JPH0563204B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention The present invention aims to prevent the deliquescent liquid from flowing out of the container in a dehumidifier containing a deliquescent hygroscopic substance such as calcium chloride as a main ingredient, and to simplify the container for storing the deliquescent liquid. It is what was done.

Conventional dehumidifiers used to remove moisture from closets, shoe racks, etc. are generally of the type that stores hygroscopic substances such as calcium chloride in the upper part of the container and stores deliquescent liquid in the lower tank. It is true.

However, with conventional dehumidifiers of this kind, the deliquescent liquid is stored in a tank, so if the container is accidentally tipped over during use, there is a risk that the stored liquid will flow out of the container and stain the bedding, etc. It was hot.

In order to prevent the above-mentioned stored liquid from flowing out of the container, methods have been adopted such as attaching a special moisture-permeable film to the opening of the container and enclosing the deliquescent substance in this special film. .

Another attempt was made to prevent outflow by placing a thickener in the deliquescent liquid storage tank in advance and allowing the thickener to swell with the deliquescent liquid dripping into the storage tank to reduce the fluidity of the stored liquid. However, in reality,
Only the surface of the thickener powder melts in the storage tank, and the liquid does not penetrate into the inside of the tank, which prevents the thickener from fully functioning, making it difficult to reliably prevent the deliquescent liquid from flowing out. It was hot.

Therefore, the present invention was developed with the aim of reliably preventing the deliquescent liquid from flowing out of the container in this type of dehumidifier as described above, and at the same time simplifying the container structure. In order to achieve this, in the present invention, a deliquescent substance, a thickener that swells or dissolves in water to increase its viscosity, and an expanding substance that swells in water are mixed and solidified by pressing or the like. .

The features of the dehumidifier of the present invention will be explained in detail below based on illustrated examples.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the dehumidifier according to the present invention, in which powder of a deliquescent substance 1 with high hygroscopicity such as calcium chloride is swollen or dissolved in water to increase the viscosity of the liquid. substances such as starch,
In addition to a powder of a well-known organic thickener 2 such as polyacrylamide or polyvinyl alcohol, a powder of a well-known inorganic substance 3 such as bentonite that swells with water is mixed uniformly, and the mixture is stamped with a press or the like. Therefore, it is solidified into a plate, rod, or piece shape, and shaped into a solid agent 4 of an appropriate size by cutting or the like.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a container for accommodating the dehumidifier according to the present invention described above, in which the top opening form 7 is provided with a concave portion 6 for storing the solid dehumidifier 4 at the bottom of the main body 5 of the container. It is constructed as a molded product made of resin, and the solid dehumidifier 4 is tightly fitted into the recessed portion 6 to the extent that it cannot easily come out.

The container main body 5 may be left as is in a predetermined location, or may be used by adding an adapter or by suspending it via a hook portion integrally attached to the container, although not shown.

The dehumidifier of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure can be stored in a container 5 and placed in a predetermined place such as a closet, thereby removing the deliquescent substance 1 on the surface of the solid dehumidifier 4.
enters from the upper opening 7 of the container 5, absorbs moisture in the circulating air and deliquesces, and this deliquescent liquid dissolves the thickener 2 in the vicinity, increasing the viscosity of the absorbing liquid and causing it to swell. The organic inorganic substance 3 also swells due to water absorption. That is, the above-mentioned moisture absorption, thickening, and expansion gradually progress from the surface of the solid dehumidifier 4 fitted into the recess 6 of the container 5. In the solid dehumidifying agent 4 that expands due to moisture absorption, the deliquescent substance 1 and organic thickener 2 below the surface are lifted off the solid by the action of the swellable inorganic substance 3, and the surface area increases due to expansion, and the dehumidifying agent 4 rises to the surface. As a result of being pushed upward, the moisture absorption action progresses toward the innermost part of the solid dehumidifier 4. During this moisture absorption process, the powder of organic thickener 2 that floats up due to expansion comes into constant contact with the deliquescent liquid, thus avoiding a situation where only the surface of the thickener melts and the liquid does not penetrate inside. be able to. Therefore, the powder of the thickener 2 dissolves well, thickens the deliquescent liquid under stable conditions, and removes the fluidity of the deliquescent liquid, so even if the container 5 falls over, the deliquescent liquid remains in the container. It will not leak out.

As mentioned above, the dehumidifier of the present invention is obtained by mixing a deliquescent substance and a thickening agent in powder form, and adding an expanding substance that swells with water to the powder form and solidifying the mixture. While prevention of outflow by moisture absorption and deliquescence and thickening of the deliquescent liquid proceeds from the surface of the solid agent, expansion of the deliquescent portion increases the surface area and allows the aforementioned action to proceed into the interior of the solid agent. Moreover, in order to compensate for the decrease in the moisture absorption capacity per unit surface area of the solid agent covered by the thickened deliquescent liquid by increasing the surface area, approximately Demonstrates a certain moisture absorption function.

Note that when the dehumidifier of the present invention is stored in a predetermined container, the end of its expansion can be known by visually measuring the volume of expansion, so that the time to replace the dehumidifier will not be missed.

In particular, the dehumidifier of the present invention can eliminate the fluidity of the deliquescent liquid through its stable thickening effect, and therefore can reliably prevent the deliquescent liquid from flowing out even if the container body falls over. There is no need to close the opening of the container with a moisture-permeable film or the like, which is used as a means for preventing the deliquescent liquid from flowing out in conventional products, and it is possible to use a simple open container.

In addition, in conventional dehumidifiers, the functional agent was in the form of granules or powder, so if the container is accidentally tipped over when removing its sealed packaging, the functional agent spills out and is difficult to recover. However, since the dehumidifier of the present invention has solidified powder of the functional agent, the functional agent will not be scattered even if the container is overturned, and even if it escapes from the container, it cannot be recovered. It's extremely easy.

Furthermore, in conventional dehumidifiers of this kind, in order to allow the user to sense the state of moisture absorption, a tank for storing deliquescent liquid produced by moisture absorption is provided separately from the container housing the functional agent. Conventionally, a sheet coated with a moisture-sensitive dye that changes color due to the stored water is attached to this storage tank, but according to the dehumidifier of the present invention, the volume increases due to swelling as the moisture absorption progresses. Since the moisture absorption state can be directly recognized, the user can sense the moisture absorption state without using a container with a complicated structure like conventional products.

Therefore, when commercializing the dehumidifier of the present invention, in order to effectively simplify the container structure,
Products with excellent functionality can be provided at low cost.

As the swelling substance in the dehumidifier of the present invention, in addition to the inorganic substances described in the above embodiments, organic substances such as cavernous bodies made of ethylene foam, polyurethane foam, etc. may be used without departing from the gist of the invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a state diagram showing one embodiment of the dehumidifying agent of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the usage state of the dehumidifying agent of the present invention. 1...Deliquescent substance, 2...Organic thickener, 3...
Inorganic substance that swells with water, 4... Solid dehumidifier, 5...
... Container, 6... Recessed portion, 7... Opening.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A deliquescent substance, a thickener that swells or dissolves in water to thicken it, and an expanding substance that swells in water,
A solid dehumidifier made solid by embossing, etc. 2. The solid dehumidifier according to claim 1, which is housed in an open container.