JPH0730927B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner having a function of changing the composition ratio (especially oxygen) of air in the entire room.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, although this type of air conditioner has an air cleaning function for removing dust, smolder, odor, etc. in the air, it has a function for varying the air composition such as oxygen concentration control. There is nothing.

In addition, as a device for supplying air having a high oxygen concentration, there is a device used for medical purposes in a spot-like manner on a human body, and a separation method is generally an adsorption method.

The problem to be solved by the invention However, although the odor and dust in the air can be removed only by the conventional air cleaning function, the composition of the air can be changed when the oxygen concentration is low to create the most comfortable condition for humans. I couldn't.

Further, the adsorption method has a problem that the device becomes large.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to control not only the air conditioning control of temperature, humidity, etc., but also the composition of air to a comfortable composition for humans.

The present invention also aims at downsizing of the device.

Furthermore, the present invention aims to improve the quietness of the device.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the first means of the present invention comprises an air conditioner having an air separating means for separating oxygen and nitrogen in the air, and the air separating means is oxygen. And a functional film that separates nitrogen and the like to permeate oxygen, a pump for generating a pressure difference on the permeate side of the functional film that permeates oxygen, and a blast that exhausts nitrogen and the like onto the non-oxygen permeate side of the functional film. It consists of means.

A second means of the present invention is the above first means, wherein the air separation means is provided on the indoor side of an air conditioner including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit.

A third means of the present invention is the same as the first means, wherein the air separating means is provided outside the air conditioner including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit.

Further, a fourth means of the present invention is the above-mentioned first to third means, wherein the air separating means is provided in the air circuit of the air conditioning means having a blowing means.

Action The action of the above means is as follows.

According to the present invention, by providing the oxygen concentration control function in the air conditioner, the air composition can be changed in addition to the air control such as temperature and humidity.

Further, according to the present invention, the size of the device can be reduced as compared with the conventional device by the air separator using the functional film as the separating means.

Further, according to the present invention, by providing the separator on the outdoor side, the noise on the indoor side can be reduced.

Furthermore, by providing the separating means in the air circuit of the air conditioning means, the blower of the oxygen concentration control means can be removed.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 using a functional film.

FIG. 1 shows the principle of air separation by a functional film. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 4 denotes an air separator, and the air separator main body 401 is a mesh-shaped holder 403 and is used as a high pressure side space a and a low pressure side. The space b is partitioned, and a functional film 402 that facilitates the permeation of oxygen is attached to the high pressure side of the holder 403. In addition, the air separator body 401
Is provided with an inlet 404, a non-permeate outlet 405, and a permeate outlet 406.
Connected to. On the other hand, the blower fan 5 is connected to the non-permeate outlet 405.

The operation of the air separator configured as described above will be described below.

First, air is introduced from the inlet 404 by the blower fan 5,
Oxygen which easily permeates the functional film 402 permeates the functional film 402 due to the pressure difference between the high pressure side space a and the low pressure side space b by the pump 6, and is guided to the blowout nozzle 7 via the permeation outlet 406 and the pump 6. On the other hand, nitrogen that is difficult to permeate through the functional film 402 flows out from the non-permeate outlet 405 by the blower fan 5.

Next, an embodiment in which an air separator using the functional film is provided in an indoor unit of an air conditioner will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a main body of an air conditioner, which includes a heat exchanger for air conditioning and a blower fan (not shown).
On one side of the air conditioner, an oxygen supplier using the air separator 4 using the functional film is provided. Here, 404 is an inlet, 405 is a non-permeate outlet, 406 is a permeate outlet, 6 is a pump, 5
Is a blower fan, 8 is an exhaust port, and 104 is an outlet.

The operation of the oxygen supplier configured as described above will be described below.

First, air is introduced from the inlet 404 by the blower fan 5,
Oxygen, which easily permeates the functional film 402, permeates the functional film 402 due to the pressure difference of the pump 6, and is blown out from the air outlet 104 via the permeation outlet 406 and the pump 6. On the other hand, nitrogen that is difficult to permeate through the functional film 402 is exhausted to the outside from the exhaust port 8 by the blower fan 5 through the non-permeate outlet 405. Now, if the rotation speed of the blower fan 5 is made sufficiently small and the amount of air flowing into the inlet 404 is further reduced, the oxygen concentration decreases from the inlet 404 toward the non-permeate outlet 405. That is, the nitrogen concentration at the non-permeate outlet 405 can be increased from the inlet 404, and the concentrated oxygen-rich air is discharged to the outside of the room to increase the oxygen concentration in the room.

Therefore, the oxygen concentration of the entire room can be changed. Further, since the pressure difference is generated by providing the pump 6 on the oxygen permeation side of the functional film 402, the oxygen permeability is high, and the oxygen can be permeated efficiently and reliably. further,
By providing the oxygen supplier in the room, the blower circuit between the separator 4 and the pump 6 can have a simple structure. Furthermore, the size of the device can be reduced because the separator can be made smaller than that of the adsorption method.

Further, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

Here, the same components as those in the previous embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the figure, 1 is an indoor unit of an air conditioner, 9 is an outdoor unit, and the air separator 4 of the outdoor unit 9 is provided with the same configuration as the first embodiment. The outlet of the pump 6 and the outlet 104 of the indoor unit 1 are connected by a hose 10.

The operation of the oxygen supplier configured as described above will be described below.

First, air is introduced from the inlet 404 by the blower fan 5,
Oxygen which easily permeates the functional film 402 permeates the functional film 402 due to the pressure difference by the pump 6, passes through the permeation outlet 406, the pump 6 and the hose 10, and is blown out from the air outlet 104 of the indoor unit 1. On the other hand, nitrogen that is difficult to permeate the functional film 402 is exhausted from the exhaust port 8 by the blower fan 5 through the non-permeate outlet 405.

Therefore, the oxygen concentration in the room can be varied by sending the air having a high oxygen concentration into the room.

In addition, by installing an oxygen supply device outdoors, the pump 6,
Since the noise of the blower fan 5 is not transmitted to the room, the noise can be reduced as compared with the case where the fan 5 is installed inside the room.

Further, referring to FIG. 4, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Here, the same components as those in the previous embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the figure, 11 is an outdoor heat exchanger, 12 is a compressor, 13 is a blower fan of the outdoor unit 9, and the air separator 4 is attached in the wind circuit of the outdoor unit 9.

The operation of the oxygen supplier configured as above will be described below.

First, air is introduced from the inlet 404 of the air separator 4 by the blower fan 13 of the outdoor unit 9, oxygen that easily permeates the functional membrane 402 permeates the functional membrane 402 due to the pressure difference due to the pump 6, and is pumped from the permeation outlet 406. 6, sent through the hose 10 to the indoor side. On the other hand, nitrogen that is difficult to permeate through the functional film 402 is exhausted from the non-permeate outlet 405 and the exhaust port 8 by the blower fan.

Therefore, the oxygen concentration on the indoor side can be changed in the same manner as in the second embodiment.

Further, by utilizing the blower circuit of the outdoor unit 9, the device can be downsized and simplified.

Although the oxygen concentration is described in the above embodiment, carbon dioxide concentration in the room may be varied by separating carbon dioxide gas or the like.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As is apparent from the above-described embodiments, the present invention includes an air separation unit that separates oxygen and nitrogen in the air into an air conditioner, and the air separation unit separates oxygen and nitrogen and the like to obtain oxygen. A functional film that permeates the surface of the functional film, a pump for generating a pressure difference on the oxygen permeable side of the functional film, and a blowing means for exhausting nitrogen or the like on the oxygen impermeable side of the functional film. The air quality control can be performed together with the air conditioning control, and the pressure difference is generated by the pump for the pressure difference on the oxygen permeation side of this functional film, so that the oxygen permeation rate is high and the oxygen permeates efficiently and reliably. Can also,
By providing a ventilation means for exhausting nitrogen etc. on the oxygen impermeable side of the functional film, nitrogen etc. can be surely exhausted, and a more comfortable space suitable for human health can be created. By providing the air separator inside the room, it is not necessary to use an air transportation hose or the like, and the device can be downsized.

Further, when the air separator is provided on the outside of the room, the noise of the pump and the blower fan is not transmitted to the inside of the room, and the noise of the inside of the room can be reduced.

Furthermore, by providing the air separator in the wind circuit of the air conditioner and sharing the blower fan, effects such as further miniaturization and simplification of the device can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a detailed view of an air separator used in the first, second and third embodiments, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an indoor air conditioner showing the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a second view. 4 is a sectional view of an outdoor air conditioner showing an embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an outdoor air conditioner showing a third embodiment. 4 ... Air separator, 401 ... Air separator main body, 402 ... Functional membrane, 403 ... Retainer, 404 ... Air separator 4 inlet, 40
5 …… Unpermeated exit, 406 …… Permeated exit.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioning means for heating, cooling, etc., and an air separating means for separating oxygen and nitrogen in the air. The air separating means separates oxygen and nitrogen etc. and permeates oxygen. An air conditioner comprising a functional film, a pump for generating a pressure difference on the oxygen permeable side of the functional film, and a blowing unit for exhausting nitrogen or the like on the oxygen impermeable side of the functional film. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air separating means is provided on the indoor side of the air conditioner composed of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air separating means is provided outside the air conditioner composed of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. 4. An air conditioner having an air blower, wherein the air separating means is provided in a wind circuit of the air conditioning means.
The air conditioner according to any one of items 2 and 3.