HK1090688B - Ion generator and air conditioner - Google Patents
Ion generator and air conditioner Download PDFInfo
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- HK1090688B HK1090688B HK06111323.9A HK06111323A HK1090688B HK 1090688 B HK1090688 B HK 1090688B HK 06111323 A HK06111323 A HK 06111323A HK 1090688 B HK1090688 B HK 1090688B
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Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ion generating device and an air conditioning device, and more particularly to an ion generating device and an air conditioning device for sterilizing indoor air.
Background
Conventionally, an ion generator has been known which ionizes water vapor present in a space. The ion generating apparatus uses a creeping discharge method. In the conventional ion generating apparatus, when an ac voltage is applied to the ion generating element, positive ions and negative ions are generated. It is known that the generated positive and negative ions can remove fungi, planktonic bacteria, or viruses in the air.
Japanese patent laid-open No. 2003-83593 describes a technique for inhibiting fungi by applying the ion generating apparatus to an air conditioner. The air conditioner described in japanese patent application laid-open No. 2003-83593 generates positive and negative ions by an ion generator, and determines whether to perform dehumidification or cooling/heating control based on the detected indoor temperature or humidity.
In the air conditioner described in japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2003-83593, positive and negative ions are generated by the ion generator at all times during driving. Therefore, a certain amount of positive and negative ions always occur regardless of the temperature or humidity in the room. In order to generate positive and negative ions, a predetermined electric power needs to be consumed.
It is known that fungi generally occur in high temperature and high humidity environments, while viruses such as influenza virus have high survival rate in low temperature and low humidity environments. Therefore, in an environment where germs such as fungi and influenza viruses are difficult to propagate, it is not necessary to make the concentration of positive and negative ions in the air so large.
In addition, it is known that an environment with many negative ions is a pleasant environment for people, and it can be said that the environment has a new effect. However, the state of the indoor air cannot be achieved simultaneously with the state of the large amount of positive and negative ions.
Disclosure of Invention
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ion generating apparatus capable of effectively killing floating bacteria in a room.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ion generating apparatus which can prevent propagation of fungi or influenza virus.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an ion generating apparatus that consumes less power.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an ion generating device that kills airborne bacteria in a room and creates a comfortable environment for a person.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning apparatus which can effectively kill floating bacteria.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, an ion generating apparatus includes: an ion generating unit that generates ions; a temperature and humidity detection unit for detecting indoor temperature and humidity; and a control unit that controls the ion generation unit to generate ions more than the normal state when the indoor state detected by the temperature/humidity detection unit is in a predetermined state, the predetermined state including: a 1 st state in which the temperature is 1 st or higher and the humidity is 1 st or higher, and a 2 nd state in which the temperature is 2 nd or lower and the humidity is 2 nd or lower than the 1 st temperature and the humidity is 2 nd or lower.
According to the present invention, when the indoor state is the 1 st state in an environment where fungi are likely to propagate and the 2 nd state in an environment where viruses are likely to propagate, the ion generating unit generates more ions than in a normal state. The ions have the effect of killing bacteria floating in the air. Therefore, an ion generator capable of generating more ions than usual and preventing propagation of fungi or viruses can be provided.
When the ion generating unit is not in the predetermined state, ions of the normal state number are generated in the ion generating unit. Therefore, planktonic bacteria can be killed even in a normal state. Further, the larger the number of generated ions, the more the electric power supplied to the ion generating unit increases. Therefore, ions can be generated with low power consumption in a normal state, and thus power consumption can be made extremely low. As a result, an ion generating device with low power consumption can be provided.
Preferably characterized by further comprising: a state informing unit for informing a temperature detection result and/or a humidity detection result; and an instruction receiving unit that receives an instruction to start control of the ion generating unit, wherein the ion generating unit starts control in response to the instruction received by the instruction receiving unit.
According to the present invention, since the ion generating means starts the control in response to the instruction reception by the instruction receiving means, the ion generating means can be controlled as the user desires.
Preferably characterized in that: the ion generating unit generates positive ions and negative ions.
Preferably characterized in that: the 1 st state is a state in which the temperature detected by the temperature/humidity detection means is 25 ℃ or higher and the humidity detected by the temperature/humidity detection means is 70% or higher, and the 2 nd state is a state in which the temperature detected by the temperature detection means is 18 ℃ or lower and the humidity detected by the humidity detection means is 40% or lower.
Fungi are easily propagated in the 1 st state, and viruses are easily propagated in the 2 nd state. The ions have the effect of killing planktonic bacteria in the air. Therefore, it is possible to provide an ion generating apparatus capable of preventing propagation of fungi or viruses in a state where the fungi or viruses are easily propagated.
Preferably, the air conditioner further comprises a pollution detection means for detecting pollution in the room, and the control means causes the ion generation means to generate negative ions larger than the positive ions when the indoor state detected by the temperature/humidity detection means is not in a predetermined state and the pollution detection means does not detect a predetermined degree of pollution.
According to the present invention, when the indoor state is not in the predetermined state and the predetermined contamination degree is not detected, more negative ions than positive ions are generated. When the air contains more negative ions than positive ions, there is an effect of freshening a person. Therefore, it is possible to provide an ion generating apparatus which can create a comfortable environment when the inside of a room is not an environment in which planktonic bacteria, for example, easily propagate and is not contaminated.
The contamination detection unit preferably includes a dust sensor.
The contamination detection unit preferably comprises an odour sensor.
An ion generating device according to another aspect of the present invention is characterized by having: an ion generating unit that generates ions; a contamination detection unit for detecting contamination in a room; a temperature and humidity detection unit for detecting indoor temperature and humidity; and a control unit for controlling the amount of ions generated by the ion generation unit when the indoor state detected by the contamination detection unit and the temperature/humidity detection unit is in a predetermined state, wherein the predetermined state includes a 1 st state in which the temperature is not lower than 1 st temperature and not higher than 1 st humidity, and a 2 nd state in which the temperature is not lower than 2 nd temperature lower than 1 st temperature and not higher than 2 nd humidity lower than 1 st humidity.
According to the present invention, the amounts of ions generated by the ion generating means can be made different between the 1 st state in which fungi are likely to propagate and the 2 nd state in which viruses are likely to propagate, in the indoor state detected by the contamination detecting means and the temperature/humidity detecting means. Therefore, an ion generating apparatus can be provided which can prevent propagation of fungi or viruses. In addition, in the case of air pollution, there is a high possibility that planktonic bacteria are included. For example, when the indoor air is polluted and the environment in which planktonic bacteria easily grow is present, the amount of ions generated is increased, and thus the growth of planktonic bacteria can be effectively prevented.
Preferably, the control means causes the ion generating means to generate more negative ions than positive ions when the degree of contamination detected by the contamination detecting means is not a predetermined value and the indoor state detected by the temperature/humidity detecting means is not a predetermined state.
According to the present invention, when the degree of contamination is not a predetermined value and the state of the room is not a predetermined state, more negative ions than positive ions are generated. When the air contains more negative ions than positive ions, it has a refreshing effect. Therefore, if the indoor environment is not a readily breeding environment with a small number of floating bacteria, a comfortable environment can be created.
The contamination detection unit preferably includes a dust sensor.
The contamination detection unit preferably comprises an odour sensor.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an air conditioning apparatus has a cleaning unit for reducing a degree of contamination in a room and the above-described ion generating device.
According to the present invention, since indoor pollution is reduced, an environment in which planktonic bacteria are difficult to propagate can be created. Therefore, an air conditioning apparatus capable of effectively killing planktonic bacteria can be provided.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, an air conditioning apparatus has a dehumidification and humidification unit for adjusting humidity in a room and the above-described ion generation apparatus.
According to the present invention, since the humidity in the room can be adjusted, an environment in which planktonic bacteria are hard to propagate can be created. Therefore, an air conditioning apparatus capable of effectively killing planktonic bacteria can be provided.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, an air conditioning apparatus has a cooling/heating control unit for adjusting the temperature in a room and the above-described ion generating apparatus.
According to the present invention, since the indoor temperature can be adjusted, an environment in which planktonic bacteria are hard to propagate can be created. Therefore, an air conditioning apparatus capable of effectively killing planktonic bacteria can be provided.
According to the present invention, since indoor pollution is reduced, an environment in which planktonic bacteria are difficult to propagate can be created. Therefore, an air conditioning apparatus capable of effectively killing planktonic bacteria can be provided.
Drawings
Fig. 1A is a front view of an air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.
Fig. 1B is a plan view of an air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1A.
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a display unit of the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between an operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 and display contents of the display unit.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of a remote controller of the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 6 is a circuit block diagram of the air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 7A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the ion generator according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 7B is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the ion generator according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram of a voltage application circuit according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 9A is a diagram showing voltage pulses output from the voltage application circuit according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 9B is another diagram showing the voltage pulses output from the voltage application circuit according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram of a voltage application circuit after modification of embodiment 1.
Fig. 11A is a diagram showing voltage pulses output from the deformed voltage application circuit.
Fig. 11B is another diagram showing the voltage pulse output from the deformed voltage application circuit.
Fig. 12A is a diagram showing a modification of the ion generating device according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 12B is another diagram showing a modification of the ion generating device according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 13 is a circuit diagram of a voltage application circuit connected to the deformed ion generating device.
Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a pollution degree evaluation table used in the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing a flow of an operation mode determination process executed by the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 and a relationship between the fan motor output and the voltage applied to the ion generating device.
Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a predetermined state.
Fig. 18A is a front view showing an external appearance of the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 2.
Fig. 18B is a plan view showing an external appearance of the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 2.
Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing a flow of an operation mode determination process executed by the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 2.
Detailed Description
Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.
[ embodiment 1 ]
First, an air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 will be described. Fig. 1A and 1B are views showing an external appearance of an air conditioner according to 1 embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1A is a front view, and fig. 1B is a plan view. Referring to fig. 1A and 1B, the air conditioning device 100 has a front panel 101 at the front of a main body 110. The front panel 101 is provided with a predetermined space in front of the main body 110 to supply air. The front panel 101 has an opening in its central portion for taking air from the outside into the main body 110.
The center panel 102 is attached to the main body 110 behind the opening of the front panel 101. Therefore, the front panel 101 and the center panel 102 block the view, and thus the inside of the main body is not visible from the front. A display unit 103 is provided above the front panel 101. A part of the display unit 103 also includes an upper portion of the center panel 102.
The upper panel 104 is provided on the upper surface of the main body 110. The upper panel 104 has a power switch 106. Further, the upper surface plate 104 has an exhaust port 105 for exhausting the purified air at a central portion thereof.
The air conditioning apparatus 100 includes a temperature sensor 151, a humidity sensor 152, a dust sensor 153, and an odor sensor 154 in the interior of the main body 110 behind the front panel 101.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1A. In the figure, arrows indicate the flow of air. Referring to fig. 2, the air conditioning apparatus 100 includes a temperature sensor 151, a humidity sensor 152, a dust sensor 153, and an odor sensor 154 inside the main body 110. The front panel 101 is attached to the main body 110, and has a gap for taking in air with the main body 110. The gap is the air intake. The center panel 102 is attached to the main body 110 behind the opening in the center of the front panel 101. The opening is also an air intake port for taking in room air into the main body 110.
Further, below the upper surface plate 104, the ion generating device 10 is provided inside the main body 110. Further, although not shown, an air cleaning filter for cleaning air, and a fan motor and a fan for causing air to flow are provided between the air intake port and the air discharge port 105.
The air-conditioning apparatus 100 drives a built-in fan motor to rotate a fan, thereby flowing air. The air flows in a direction from the air intake port to the discharge port 105. Thereby, the air enters the inside of the main body 110 from the air intake port, and is sent to the temperature sensor 151, the humidity sensor 152, the dust sensor 153, and the smell sensor 154. Further, the air passes through the deodorizing filter, flows to the outlet 105, and is sent to the room through the outlet 105. Since the ion generating device 10 is provided on the way from the deodorizing filter to the outlet 105, air is ionized when the air flows near the ion generating device 10. Therefore, the air blown out from the discharge port 105 contains ions.
In the air-conditioning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the temperature sensor 151, the humidity sensor 152, the dust sensor 153, and the odor sensor 154 are disposed in the vicinity of the air intake port, and therefore, the indoor temperature, humidity, amount of dust, and amount of odor can be accurately detected.
The positions of the temperature sensor 151, the humidity sensor 152, the dust sensor 153, and the odor sensor 154 are not limited to these, and any position may be used as long as the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is provided in the vicinity of the air intake port.
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a display unit of the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1. Referring to fig. 3, the display unit 103 includes: a light receiving unit 111 for receiving infrared rays from a remote controller for remotely controlling the air conditioning apparatus 100; a deodorizing filter cleaning lamp 112 for notifying the user of the time when the deodorizing filter provided in the air-conditioning apparatus 100 must be cleaned; a predictive purge lamp 113 for indicating whether the operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is the predictive purge mode; a clean signal lamp 114 indicating the degree of contamination of the indoor air; an ion beam lamp 115 indicating a driving mode of the ion generating device 10; an automatic light 116 for indicating an operation mode of the air conditioning device 100; an emergency lamp 117 and a pollen lamp 118; 3 manual status lamps 119 indicating the driving status of the fan motor when the operation mode is the manual mode; and a timer off time lamp 120 indicating a set time of a timer off (off timer).
The deodorizing filter cleaning lamp 112 is turned on when the cumulative value of the operating time of the air conditioning apparatus 100 exceeds a predetermined deodorizing filter cleaning time, and is not turned on when it does not exceed. Therefore, the user can be informed of the time for cleaning the deodorizing filter provided to the air-conditioning apparatus 100.
The operation modes of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 include an automatic mode, an emergency mode, a pollen mode, and a manual mode. The automatic operation mode is an operation mode in which the air volume of the fan motor and the amount of ions generated by the ion generating device 10 are automatically controlled in accordance with the degree of contamination determined by the outputs of the dust sensor 153 and the odor sensor 154. When the air conditioning apparatus 100 operates in the automatic operation mode, the automatic lamp 116 is turned on. The emergency mode is a mode in which the fan motor and the ion generating device 10 are driven at the maximum output. When the air conditioning device 100 operates in the emergency mode, the hazard lamps 117 are turned on. The pollen mode is a mode in which the fan motor and the ion generating device are driven under a condition that the output thereof is suitable for removing pollen. The output of the fan motor and the ion generating device 10 suitable for removing pollen is stored after being set in advance. When the air conditioning device 100 operates in the pollen mode, the pollen lamp 118 is turned on. The manual mode is a mode in which the fan motor and the ion generating device 10 are driven by an output designated by a user. When the air conditioning apparatus 100 is operated in the manual mode, any one of 3 manual status lamps 119, which are silent, normal, and fast, indicating the driving state of the fan in accordance with the output designated by the user is turned on. The ion generating apparatus 10 lights the ion beam lamp 115 in a color described later in accordance with an output designated by a user.
The timer off time lamp 120 is a lamp for displaying the time of the timer designated by the user, and one of the 3 timer off time lamps 120 is turned on.
The clean signal light 114 indicates the degree of contamination of the indoor air. In the present embodiment, the degree of contamination is set to 3 levels, and is determined by the outputs of the dust sensor 153 and the odor sensor 154. The clean signal lamp 114 displays 3 colors of green, orange, and red, respectively, corresponding to the degree of contamination. The cleaning signal lamp 114 is lit in green when the contamination degree with the least contamination is "0", in orange when the contamination degree indicating the moderate contamination is "1", and in red when the contamination degree with the most contamination is "2".
The ion beam lamp 115 is a lamp for indicating a driving mode of the ion generating apparatus 10. The ion generating apparatus 10 is driven in an ion control mode and a cleaning (clean) mode. The ion control mode is a mode in which more negative ions than positive ions are generated from the ion generation device 10 or a mode in which only negative ions are generated. The cleaning mode is a mode in which approximately the same amount of positive and negative ions is generated from the ion generating device 10. The ion beam lamp 115 is lit in green when the ion generating apparatus 10 is operating in the ion control mode and in blue when in the cleaning mode. When the ion generating device 10 is not driven, the ion beam lamp 115 is extinguished.
The operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is a predictive purge mode. The predicted purge mode is an operation mode when the temperature and humidity in the room are in predetermined states. The predetermined state is a 1 st state in which the temperature is 25 ℃ or higher and the humidity is 70% or higher or a 2 nd state in which the temperature is 18 ℃ or lower and the humidity is 40% or lower. The predictive purge lamp 113 is a lamp indicating whether or not the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is in the predictive purge mode, that is, whether or not the air state in the room is in a predetermined state. The purge prediction lamp 113 is turned on when the air conditioning device 100 is in the purge prediction mode, and is not turned on otherwise.
When the air conditioning apparatus 100 is in the predictive purge mode, the ion generating apparatus 10 is driven in the cleaning mode, and the amount of positive and negative ions generated is larger than when it is not in the predictive purge mode. The state when the purge mode is not predicted is a normal state. That is, the ion generator 10 is drive-controlled so as to generate a larger amount of ions than in the normal state in the prediction purification mode. This point will be described in detail later.
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between an operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 and display contents of the display unit 103. Referring to fig. 4, when the lamp is predicted to be turned off during purification, the cleaning signal lamp 114 displays one of green, orange, and red colors corresponding to the degree of contamination. A prescribed time is required from turning on of the power switch 106 of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 until the outputs of the dust sensor 153 and the smell sensor 154 stabilize. During the period when the power is turned on and the outputs of the dust sensor 153 and the smell sensor 154 are stable, the degree of contamination cannot be determined. Therefore, during this period, the cleaning signal lamp 114 lights up green, orange, and red in sequence one second by one second, respectively. Therefore, when the user sees the cleaning signal light 114 changing color back and forth, it is known that the contamination level has not been detected.
When the degree of contamination is "0", the ion generating device 10 is driven in the ion control mode. Therefore, at this time, the ion beam lamp 115 lights up green. Further, when the degree of contamination is "1" or "2", the ion generating device 10 is driven in the cleaning mode. At this time, the ion beam lamp 115 lights up blue. Further, within a predetermined time before the contamination degree is calculated, the ion generating apparatus is driven in the cleaning mode, during which the ion beam lamp 115 is turned on blue.
When the purge continuation prediction lamp 113 is turned on, the cleaning signal lamp 114 is turned on in accordance with the degree of contamination, as in the case where the purge continuation prediction lamp 113 is turned off. On the other hand, the ion generating device 10 is driven in the predictive purge mode by the cleaning mode. In the cleaning mode, the ion generating device is driven to generate positive and negative ions in a larger amount than those generated in the purge mode. At this time, the ion beam lamp 115 also lights up blue. Therefore, when the ion beam lamp 115 is turned on blue and the predictive purge lamp 113 is turned on, the operation mode of the ion generating apparatus 10 is the cleaning mode, and the ion generating apparatus 10 is driven in the cleaning mode to generate more positive and negative ions than in the case where the operation mode is not the predictive purge mode.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the remote controller 130 of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1. The remote controller 130 includes: a power switch 106A for turning on or off the power supply of the air-conditioning apparatus 100; a filter reset button 129 for resetting the accumulated time after the deodorization filter is cleaned; an auto button 116A for designating an operation mode of the air conditioning device 100 as an auto mode; an air volume button 119A for switching to the manual mode and designating the air volume of the fan motor; a pollen button 118A for setting a pollen mode; a timing shutdown button 122A for setting timing shutdown time; a daily mode button 121 for setting a daily mode; an auto sleep button 122 for setting to an auto sleep mode; an emergency button 123 for setting an emergency mode; a display changeover switch 124 for switching a switch for displaying on the display unit 103; and setting buttons 125 to 128 for manually setting the driving mode of the ion generating device 10.
The remote controller 130 outputs an infrared signal corresponding to the pressed switch. When the light receiving unit 111 receives the infrared signal, the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is driven in accordance with the received infrared signal.
In embodiment 1, the remote controller 130 using infrared rays is described as an example, but the communication between the remote controller 130 and the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is not limited to a remote controller using infrared rays, and may be, for example, electromagnetic waves, sound waves, or the like, as long as wireless communication is possible, and is not limited to infrared rays.
When the automatic button 116A is pressed, the air-conditioning apparatus 100 sets the operation mode to the automatic mode and drives. When the air volume button 119A is pressed, the air conditioning apparatus 100 changes the air volume in a silent, normal, and quick sequence of the rotational speed of the fan motor every time the air volume button 119A is pressed. When the pollen button 118A is pressed, the air-conditioning apparatus 100 sets the operation mode to the pollen mode. The timer off time sets the time for timer off in the order of 1, 4, 8 every time the timer off button 112A is pressed once.
When the daily mode button 121 is pressed, the air-conditioning apparatus 100 sets the operation mode to operate in the daily mode. When the auto-sleep button 122 is pressed, the air-conditioning apparatus 100 sets the number of rotations of the fan motor to be rotated in the silent mode.
When the panic button 123 is pressed, the air-conditioning apparatus 100 sets the operation mode to operate in the emergency mode.
When any one of the setting buttons 125 to 128 is pressed, the driving mode of the ion generating device 10 can be switched. When the setting button 126 is pressed, the application of voltage to the ion generating device 10 is stopped, and the driving of the ion generating device 10 is stopped. The ion beam lamp 115 is extinguished in the air conditioning device 100. When the setting button 125 is pressed, the ion generating device 10 is driven in the cleaning mode. In the air conditioning apparatus 100, the ion beam lamp 115 lights up in blue.
When the setting button 127 is pressed, the air conditioning apparatus 100 drives the ion generating apparatus 10 in the ion control mode, and the ion beam lamp 115 lights up in green.
When the setting button 128 is pressed, the air-conditioning apparatus 100 drives the ion generating apparatus 10 in the automatic mode. The automatic mode is determined based on the outputs of the temperature sensor 151, the humidity sensor 152, the dust sensor 153, and the odor sensor 154. The control of the driving state of the ion generating device 10 in the automatic mode will be described in detail later.
Fig. 6 is a circuit block diagram of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1. Referring to fig. 6, the ion generating device 10 includes a control unit 150 for controlling the entire ion generating device 10, a temperature sensor 151 for detecting temperature, a humidity sensor 152 for detecting humidity, a dust sensor 153 for detecting dust, an odor sensor 154 for detecting odor, a temperature setting unit 155 for setting temperature, a humidity setting unit 156 for setting humidity, and a voltage driving circuit 20 for applying a voltage to the ion generating device 10, which are connected to the control unit 150. The ion generating device 10 is connected to a voltage drive circuit 20.
As described above, the operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 includes the prediction purification mode. The predicted purge mode is an operation mode set when the indoor temperature and humidity are in predetermined states. The temperature setting unit 155 and the humidity setting unit 156 are units for setting a threshold value for determining the predetermined state. The temperature setting unit 155 and the humidity setting unit 156 are button switches or slide switches provided inside the main body 110, and are units for setting temperature and humidity. The remote controller 130 may be provided with a temperature setting unit 155 and a humidity setting unit 156, or the set temperature and humidity may be transmitted from the remote controller 130 to the air-conditioning apparatus 100.
Fig. 7A and 7B are views showing a schematic configuration of an ion generator according to embodiment 1. Fig. 7A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the ion generating device 10, and fig. 7B is a side view of the ion generating device 10. The ion generating device 10 has a dielectric 11, a discharge electrode 12a, an induction electrode 12b, and a cover layer 13. When a voltage is applied to the discharge electrode 12a and the inductive electrode 12b, a discharge is generated between the discharge electrode 12a and the inductive electrode 12b, and positive and negative ions or negative ions are generated by the discharge.
The dielectric 11 is formed in a flat plate shape by bonding the upper dielectric 11a and the lower dielectric 11 b. The discharge electrode 12a is formed integrally with the upper dielectric 11a on the surface of the upper dielectric 11 a. The inductive electrode 12b is formed between the upper dielectric 11a and the lower dielectric 11b, and is disposed facing the discharge electrode 12 a. It is desirable that the insulation resistance between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b is uniform, and the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b are parallel.
In the ion generating device 10, the discharge electrode 12a and the inductive electrode 12b are arranged to face each other on the front and back surfaces of the upper dielectric 11a, whereby the distance between the discharge electrode 12a and the inductive electrode 12b can be kept constant. Therefore, stable discharge can be performed between the discharge electrode 12a and the inductive electrode 12b, and both positive and negative ions or negative ions can be generated well.
The discharge electrode contact 12e is a contact that is electrically connected to the discharge electrode 12a via a connection terminal 12c provided on the same surface as the discharge electrode 12 a. The discharge electrode 12a and the voltage applying circuit 20 can be electrically connected by connecting one end of the conductive lead to the discharge electrode contact 12e and the other end to the voltage applying circuit 20. The inductive electrode contact 12f is a contact that is electrically connected to the inductive electrode 12b via a connection terminal 12d provided on the same surface as the inductive electrode 12 b. The sensing electrode 12b and the voltage applying circuit 20 can be electrically connected by connecting one end of a lead wire formed of a copper wire to the sensing electrode contact 12f and the other end to the voltage applying circuit 20.
Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram of the voltage application circuit 20 of embodiment 1. Referring to fig. 8, the voltage application circuit 20 includes an ac power supply 201, a converter transformer 202, a switching relay 203, a resistor 204, diodes 205a to 205d, a capacitor 206, and a bidirectional switch element (R) 207. The bidirectional switching device (R)207 is one of silicon controlled rectifier devices scr (silicon controlled rectifier), and is a product of new electric power industry co.
One end of the ac power supply 201 is connected to the anode of the diode 205a and the cathode of the diode 205c, respectively, and the other end is connected to the common terminal 203a of the switching relay 203. The cathode of the diode 205a is connected to one end of the resistor 204 and the cathode of the diode 205d, respectively. The other end of the resistor 204 is connected to one end of the primary coil L1 of the transformer 202 and one end of the capacitor 206. The other end of the primary coil L1 is connected to the anode of the bidirectional switch element (R) 207. The other end of the capacitor 206 is connected to the cathode of the bidirectional switching element (R)207, and the connection nodes are connected to the one selection terminal 203b of the switching relay 203 and the anodes of the diodes 205b and 205c, respectively. The cathode of the diode 205b and the anode of the diode 205d are connected to each other, and the connection node is connected to the other selection terminal 203c of the switching relay 203. One end of the secondary coil L2 of the transformer 202 is connected to the discharge electrode contact 12e of the ion generating device 10. The other end of the secondary coil L2 is connected to a common terminal 208a of the relay 208. One selection terminal 208c of the relay 208 is connected to the anode of a diode 209, and the cathode of the diode 209 is connected to the sense electrode contact 12 f. The inductive electrode contact 12f of the ion generating device 10 is connected to the other selection terminal 208b of the relay 208 and the anode of the diode 209.
In the voltage application circuit 20 configured as described above, when the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is not in the prediction cleaning mode and the drive mode of the ion generator 10 is in the cleaning mode, the switching relay 203 selects the selection terminal 203b, and the switching relay 208 selects the selection terminal 208 b.
At this time, the output voltage of the ac power supply 201 is half-wave rectified by the diode 205a, then dropped by the resistor 204, and applied to the capacitor 206. When the voltage across the capacitor 206 reaches a predetermined threshold value after charging, the bidirectional switching element (R)207 is turned on, and the charged voltage of the capacitor 206 is discharged. Therefore, a current flows through the primary coil L1 of the transformer 202, and energy is transmitted to the secondary coil L2, thereby applying a pulse voltage to the ion generator 10. Next, the bidirectional switching element (R)207 is turned off, and the charging of the capacitor 206 is restarted.
By repeating the above-described charging and discharging, an alternating pulse voltage (for example, pp (Peak-to-Peak)) of 3.5[ kV ] is applied between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b of the ion generating device 10 as shown in FIG. 9A]And the number of discharges: 120 times/second]). In this case, corona discharge is generated in the vicinity of the ion generator 10 to ionize the air in the periphery, and when a positive voltage is applied, positive ions H are generated+(H2O)mWhen a negative voltage is applied, negative ions O are generated2 -(H2O)n(m and n are 0 or arbitrary natural numbers). More specifically, by applying an alternating voltage between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b of the ion generating device 10, oxygen or moisture in the air is ionized by receiving energy through ionization, and H is generated+(H2O)m(m is 0 or an arbitrary natural number) and O2 -(H2O)n(n is 0 or an arbitrary natural number). These H+(H2O)mAnd O2 -(H2O)nDischarged into the space by a fan or the like, adhered to the surface of floating bacteria, and chemically reacted to generate H as an active species2O2Or OH. Due to H2O2Or OH has a very strong activity, so that floating bacteria in the air can be surrounded by them and made inactive. Here, OH is one of the active species, and represents an OH group.
The positive and negative ions chemically react on the cell surface of planktonic bacteria as shown in formulas (1) to (3) to produce hydrogen peroxide (H) as an active species2O2) Or a hydroxyl groupThe atomic group (. OH). In the formulae (1) to (3), m ', n, and n' are 0 or any natural number.
This destroys floating bacteria by the decomposition action of the active species. Therefore, airborne bacteria in the air can be effectively inactivated and removed.
H3O+(H2O)m+O2 -(H2O)n→·OH+1/2O2+(m+n+1)H2O ...(1)
H3O+(H2O)m+H3O+(H2O)m’+O2 -(H2O)n+O2 -(H2O)n’→2·OH+O2+(m+m’+n+n’+2)H2O ...(2)
H3O+(H2O)m+H3O+(H2O)m’+O2 -(H2O)n+O2 -(H2O)n’→H2O2+O2+(m+m’+n+n’+2)H2O ...(3)
By releasing the positive and negative ions by the above mechanism, an effect of inactivating floating bacteria and the like can be obtained.
Further, since the above-mentioned formulas (1) to (3) can exert the same action on the surface of a harmful substance in the air, hydrogen peroxide (H) is an active species2O2) Or hydroxyl groups (. OH) oxidize or decompose harmful substances, and convert chemical substances such as formaldehyde and ammonia into harmless substances such as carbon dioxide, water and nitrogen, thereby making them substantially harmless.
Therefore, by driving the blower fan, the positive ions and the negative ions generated by the ion generating device 10 can be sent out of the main body. Further, the action of these positive ions and negative ions can inactivate fungi or germs in the air and inhibit their proliferation.
In addition, the positive ions and the negative ions have an effect of inactivating viruses such as coxsackie virus and poliovirus, and contamination caused by the contamination of these viruses can be prevented. In addition, it has been confirmed that positive ions and negative ions have an action of decomposing molecules that generate odor, and therefore, can be utilized for deodorization of a space.
Further, the ion generator 10 was supplied with air from a fan not shown, and as a result of measuring positive ions and negative ions reaching an ion counter having a distance of about 25cm, the ion counter measured about 30 ten thousand positive ions and negative ions, respectively.
On the other hand, when the air conditioning apparatus 100 is in the predictive purge mode, the driving mode of the ion generating device 10 is necessarily the cleaning mode. At this time, the switching relay 203 selects the selection terminal 203c, and the switching relay 208 selects the selection terminal 208 b.
Therefore, the output voltage of the ac power supply 201 is full-wave rectified by a diode bridge including diodes 205a to 205d, and then is stepped down by a resistor 204 and applied to a capacitor 206. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9B, an AC pulse voltage (for example, pp value: 3.5[ kV ], number of discharges: 240[ times/sec ]) having a higher discharge frequency than that in the non-prediction purification mode is applied between the discharge electrode 12a and the inductive electrode 12B of the ion generator 10.
In this case, as a result of measuring the ion amount under the above-described conditions, about 50 ten thousand positive ions and about 50 ten thousand negative ions were measured by an ion counter. That is, an ion amount of about 1.7 times was measured, compared to when the purge mode was not predicted.
Instead of the switching relay 203, a connection node between the cathode of the diode 205b and the anode of the diode 205d may be connected to the other end of the ac power supply 201, and the anode or the cathode of the diode 205c or the diode 205d may be connected in series to the on-off switch, and the on-off switch may be controlled in accordance with the driving mode. The same operation as described above can be achieved.
Further, when the ion generating apparatus 10 is in the ion control mode, the switching relay 203 selects the selection terminal 203b, and the switching relay 208 selects the selection terminal 208 c.
Therefore, only the negative voltage pulse among the voltage application pulses shown in fig. 9A is applied to the ion generating device 10 by half-wave rectification using the diode 209. As a result, corona discharge is generated in the vicinity of the ion generator 10, air in the periphery is ionized, and only a negative voltage is applied, so that negative ions O are generated2 -(H2O)n。
< modification 1 of Voltage application Circuit >
Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram of a modification of the voltage application circuit. Referring to fig. 10, the difference from the voltage application circuit 20 shown in fig. 8 is that the circuit between the ac power supply 201 and the primary coil L1 of the converter transformer 202 is different. The remaining circuits are the same and therefore will not be described here again. One end of the ac power supply 201 is connected to one end of the resistor 214, and the other end of the resistor 214 is connected to the anode of the capacitor 215. The other end of the ac power supply 201 is connected to the cathode of the bidirectional switching element (R)207, one end of the capacitor 106a, and one end of the switch 213. The cathode of the diode 215 is connected to the capacitors 206a and 206b and one end of the primary coil L1. The other end of the capacitor 206b is connected to the other end of the switch 213.
In the modified voltage application circuit 20a configured as described above, the relay 213 is closed when the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is not in the prediction purge mode. The output voltage of the ac power supply 201 is half-wave rectified by the diode 215 and applied to the capacitors 206a and 206 b. The capacitors 206a and 206b are charged, and when the voltage across the two terminals reaches a predetermined threshold value, the bidirectional switching element (R)207 is turned on, and the charged voltage of the capacitors 206a and 206b is discharged. Therefore, a current flows through the primary coil L1 of the transformer 202, and energy is transmitted to the secondary coil L2, thereby applying a pulse voltage to the ion generator 10. Next, the bidirectional switching element (R)207 turns off, and the charging of the capacitors 206a and 206b is restarted.
On the other hand, when the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is in the prediction purge mode, the relay 213 is opened. The output voltage of the ac power supply 201 is half-wave rectified by the diode 215 and is applied only to the capacitor 206 a. When the capacitor 206a is charged and the voltage across both ends reaches a predetermined threshold value, the bidirectional switch element (R)207 is turned on, and the charged voltage of the capacitor 206a is discharged. Therefore, a current flows through the primary coil L1 of the transformer 202, and energy is transmitted to the secondary coil L2, thereby applying a pulse voltage to the ion generator 10. Next, the bidirectional switching element (R)207 is turned off, and the charging of the capacitor 206a is restarted.
The voltage applied to the bidirectional switching element (R)207 reaches the threshold value faster in the case where the switch 213 is opened than in the case where it is closed. Therefore, the frequency of discharge of the voltage pulse applied to the ion generating device 10 is higher than in the case where the switch 213 is opened and closed. Since the amount of ions generated increases as the discharge frequency of the pulse applied to the ion generator 10 increases, the amount of ions generated from the ion generator 10 can be switched by merely switching the switch 213.
Fig. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing voltage waveforms output from the deformed voltage application circuit 20 a. Fig. 11A shows waveforms when the switch 213 is closed, showing a voltage waveform after half-wave rectification by the diode 215 and waveforms of voltage pulses applied to the ion generating device 10, and fig. 11B shows waveforms of a voltage waveform after half-wave rectification and waveforms of voltage pulses applied to the ion generating device 10 when the switch 213 is opened.
In the voltage application circuit 20, the half-wave rectification and the full-wave rectification are switched by the switching switch 203. In the modified voltage application circuit 20a, the case of using only half-wave rectification has been described, but a switching combination of half-wave rectification and full-wave rectification may be performed. In this case, when a voltage pulse with a low discharge frequency is applied to the ion generating device 10, the voltage after half-wave rectification and the switch 213 are closed, and when a voltage pulse with a high discharge frequency is applied, the switch 213 is opened after full-wave rectification.
< modification 2 of ion generating apparatus and Voltage application Circuit >
Fig. 12A and 12B are diagrams showing a modification of the ion generating device according to embodiment 1. Referring to fig. 12A and 12B, an ion generating device 10A in the modification is different from the ion generating device 10 in that it includes a 1 st discharge portion 21 including a discharge electrode 21a and an inductive electrode 21B, and a 2 nd discharge portion 22 including a discharge electrode 22A and an inductive electrode 22B. That is, the ion generating device 10A after the modification is different in that it has 2 discharge portions 21 and 22.
The deformed ion generating device 10A forms the inductive electrodes 21b and 22b on the surface of the lower dielectric 11 b. Further, the discharge electrode 21a and the discharge electrode 22a are formed on the surface of the upper dielectric 11 a. The surface of the upper dielectric 11a is covered with a cover layer 13. The upper dielectric 11a is laminated on the surface on which the inductive electrodes 21b and 22b of the lower dielectric 11b are formed. The discharge electrode 21a and the inductive electrode 21b of the 1 st discharge portion 21 are disposed at facing positions, and the discharge electrode 22a and the inductive electrode 22b of the 2 nd discharge portion 22 are disposed at facing positions.
In the 1 st discharge portion, the connection terminal 21c of the discharge electrode 21a is connected to the discharge electrode contact 21 e. The discharge electrode contact 21e is connected to the voltage application circuit 20B via a lead wire. The connection terminal 21d of the inductive electrode 21B is connected to an inductive electrode contact 21f, and the inductive electrode contact 21f is connected to the voltage application circuit 20B via a lead wire.
Similarly, in the 2 nd discharge part 22, the connection terminal 22c of the discharge electrode 22a is connected to the discharge electrode contact 22e, and the discharge electrode contact 22e is connected to the voltage application circuit 20B via a lead wire. The connection terminal 22d of the inductive electrode 22B is connected to the inductive electrode contact 22f, and the inductive electrode contact 22f is connected to the voltage applying circuit 20B via a lead wire.
Fig. 13 is a circuit diagram of a voltage application circuit 20B connected to the deformed ion generating device 10A. Referring to fig. 13, the voltage application circuit 20B includes an ac power supply 201, a transformer 222, a switching relay 233, resistors 224 and 225, diodes 226 to 230, capacitors 231a and 231B, and a bidirectional switch element (R) 232.
One end of the ac power supply 201 is connected to the anode of a diode 226 via a resistor 224. A cathode of the diode 226 is connected to one end of the 1 st coil 222a constituting the primary side of the transformer 222, an anode of the diode 227, and an anode of the bidirectional switch element (R)232, respectively. The other end of the 1 st coil 222a and the cathode of the diode 227 are connected to each other, and the connection nodes are connected to one ends of the capacitors 231a and 231b, respectively. The cathode of the bidirectional switch element (R)232 is connected to the other end of the capacitor 231a and the one end 233a of the switch 233, and the connection node is connected to the other end of the ac power supply 201. The other end 233b of the switch 233 is connected to the other end of the capacitor 231 b.
One end of the 2 nd coil 222b constituting the secondary side of the transformer 222 is connected to the discharge electrode contact 21e of the 1 st discharge portion 21, and the other end of the 2 nd coil 222b is connected to the induction electrode contact 21f of the 1 st discharge portion 21, the cathode of the diode 229, and the anode of the diode 230, respectively. The anode of the diode 229 is connected to one selection terminal 223a of the switching relay 223, and the cathode of the diode 230 is connected to the other selection terminal 223b of the switching relay 223. One end of the 3 rd coil 222c constituting the secondary side of the transformer 222 is connected to the discharge electrode contact 22e of the 2 nd discharge portion 22, and the other end of the 3 rd coil 222c is connected to the inductive electrode contact 22f of the 2 nd discharge portion 22 and the anode of the diode 228, respectively. The common terminal 223c of the switching relay 223 and the cathode of the diode 228 are connected to each other, and the connection node is connected to the other end of the ac power supply 201 via the resistor 225.
In the voltage application circuit 20B configured as described above, when the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is not in the predicted cleaning mode and the drive mode of the ion generator 10 is in the cleaning mode, the switch 233 is closed, and the switching relay 223 selects the selection terminal 223 a. At this time, a positive dc pulse voltage is applied between the discharge electrode 21a and the inductive electrode 21b of the 1 st discharge portion 21, and a negative dc pulse voltage is applied between the discharge electrode 22a and the inductive electrode contact 22b of the 2 nd discharge portion 22. By applying such a voltage, inCorona discharge is generated in the vicinity of the 1 st discharge portion 21 and the 2 nd discharge portion 22, and the surrounding air is ionized. At this time, positive ions H are generated in the vicinity of the 1 st discharge portion 21 to which the positive dc pulse is applied+(H2O)mNegative ions O are generated in the vicinity of the 2 nd discharge part 22 to which a negative DC pulse is applied2 -(H2O)n(m and n are 0 or arbitrary natural numbers).
Thus, when the selection terminal 223a is selected by the switching relay 223, positive ions are generated from the 1 st discharge part 21 and negative ions are generated from the 2 nd discharge part 22, and the number of the positive ions and the negative ions are substantially equal, so that the positive ions and the negative ions are attached to airborne bacteria and the like in the air, and hydrogen peroxide (H) as an active species is generated at this time2O2) And/or hydroxyl group (. OH) has a decomposing effect and can remove planktonic bacteria.
On the other hand, when the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is in the predicted cleaning mode, the switch 233 is turned on, and the switching relay 223 selects the selection terminal 223 a. At this time, since only the capacitor 231a is charged, the time until the voltage applied to the bidirectional switch element (R)232 reaches the predetermined threshold value is early. Therefore, the discharge frequency of the positive dc pulse voltage applied to the 1 st discharge portion 21 and the negative dc pulse voltage applied to the 2 nd discharge portion 22 increases. Therefore, the 1 st discharge portion 21 generates more positive ions, and the 2 nd discharge portion 22 generates more negative ions.
When the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is not in the prediction purification mode and the drive mode of the ion generation apparatus 10 is the ion control mode, the switch 233 is closed and the switching relay 223 selects the selection terminal 223 b.
At this time, a negative dc pulse voltage is applied to both the 1 st discharge portion 21 and the 2 nd discharge portion 22. When such a negative dc pulse voltage is applied, negative ions O are generated in the vicinity of both the 1 st discharge portion 21 and the 2 nd discharge portion 222 -(H2O)n(n is 0 or an arbitrary natural number).
Thus, by selecting the selection terminal 223b by switching the relay 223, only negative ions can be generated in both the 1 st discharge part 21 and the 2 nd discharge part 22. Therefore, by adjusting the balance of ions, a state in which negative ions are dominant can be formed, and the relaxation effect can be improved.
Next, the degree of contamination will be described. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a pollution degree evaluation table used in the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1. The pollution degree evaluation table is stored in advance in a Read Only Memory (ROM) included in the control unit 150 of the air-conditioning apparatus 100.
Referring to fig. 14, the contamination degree evaluation table is a table in which the output level of the odor sensor, the output level of the dust sensor, and the value obtained by adding the two sensors are stored in association with the contamination degree. In the present embodiment, the output level of the odor sensor 154 is set to 0 to 3, and the output level of the dust sensor 153 is set to 0 to 3. The odor amount and the dust amount were output in 4 stages, respectively. The larger the value of the output level of the odor sensor, the more the amount of the substance indicating the generation of the odor in the air, and the larger the value of the output level of the dust sensor, the more the amount of the dust in the air. The added value is the sum of the output level of the odor sensor and the output level of the dust sensor. The sum is a value between 0 and 6.
The output level of the odor sensor and the output level of the dust sensor correspond to the degree of contamination. Sometimes, the degree of contamination differs even if the sum value is the same. For example, when the output level of the odor sensor is 1 and the output level of the dust sensor is 2, the sum value is 3, and the corresponding contamination degree is 1 whereas when the output level of the odor sensor is 3 and the output level of the dust sensor is 0, the corresponding contamination degree is 2 although the sum value is 3. Since the output level of the odor sensor is 3 indicating that the amount of the odor-generating substance is the largest, the degree of contamination is not 1 but 2 at this time.
The figure shows the correspondence between the display color and the degree of soiling of the clean signal lamp. That is, when the contamination degree is 0, the cleaning signal lamp 114 is lit in green, when the contamination degree is 1, the cleaning signal lamp 114 is lit in orange, and when the contamination degree is 2, the cleaning signal lamp 114 is lit in red. Note that the undetected pattern in the figure is a pattern before the output levels of the odor sensor 154 and the dust sensor 153 are stabilized. The contamination level cannot be determined during this period, and therefore, the mode is not detected. At this time, the cleaning signal lamp 114 sequentially lights up green, orange, and red, and then sequentially lights up red, orange, and green. This lighting display that changes color is repeated. Thus, by lighting the cleaning signal lamp 114 with a color change, the user can be notified that the degree of contamination has not been evaluated.
Here, the degree of contamination is set to 3 levels of 0, 1, and 2, but the degree of contamination is not limited to this, and a greater degree of contamination or a lesser degree of contamination may be set than this, or 2 levels may be set. In the present embodiment, the degree of contamination is detected from the output values of 2 sensors of the odor sensor 154 and the dust sensor 153, but the degree of contamination may be detected using any sensor output.
Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing a flow of an operation mode determination process executed by the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1. The operation mode determination process is a process executed by the control unit 150 of the air-conditioning apparatus 100. Referring to fig. 15, the operation mode determination process detects the degree of contamination using the above-described contamination degree evaluation table based on the output levels of the dust sensor 153 and the odor sensor 154 (step S01). Then, it is judged whether or not the air in the room is contaminated based on the detected degree of contamination (step S02). When it is judged as contaminated, the flow proceeds to step S03, otherwise, the flow proceeds to step S08. In step S02, if it is determined to be contamination, if the contamination degree detected in step S01 is 1 or more, it is determined to be contamination.
In the following step S03, the output values of the temperature sensor 151 and the humidity sensor 152 are acquired. Next, in step S04, it is determined whether or not the output value of the temperature sensor obtained is equal to or higher than 25 ℃ and the output value of the humidity sensor is equal to or higher than 70%. When the output value of the temperature sensor and the output value of the humidity sensor satisfy the above conditions, the process proceeds to step S06, otherwise, the process proceeds to step S05. The judgment in step S04 is to determine whether the state of the indoor air is a state in which fungi are likely to occur. Therefore, the threshold value of temperature 25 ℃ and the threshold value of humidity 70% are not limited to these values, and may be values in the vicinity of these values.
In step S05, it is determined whether or not the output value of the temperature sensor acquired in step S03 is 18 ℃ or lower and the output value of the humidity sensor is 40% or lower. When the output value of the temperature sensor and the output value of the humidity sensor satisfy the above conditions, the process proceeds to step S06, otherwise, the process proceeds to step S07. The determination in step S05 is to determine whether the state of the indoor air is a state in which influenza viruses are likely to propagate. Therefore, the threshold value of temperature of 18 ℃ and the threshold value of humidity of 40% are not limited to these values, and may be values in the vicinity of these values.
In step S06, the operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is set to the predicted purge mode and the cleaning mode. Therefore, the ion generating device 10 generates a large amount of positive and negative ions. At this time, in the display unit 103, it is predicted that the purge lamp 113 is turned on, and the ion beam lamp 115 is turned on in blue.
On the other hand, in step S07, the predicted purge mode is not set, but the cleaning mode is set. Therefore, the ion generator 10 generates a normal number of positive and negative ions smaller than the amount of ions generated in the operation mode set in step S06. In the display of the display unit 103, it is predicted that the purge lamp 113 is turned off and the ion beam lamp 115 is turned on in blue.
On the other hand, when it is determined in step S02 that the indoor air is not contaminated, the flow proceeds to step S08. In step S08, the output values of the temperature sensor 151 and the humidity sensor 152 are acquired. This step is the same processing as the processing performed in step S03.
Step S09 is the same process as step S04, and determines whether or not the temperature is 25 ℃ or higher and the humidity is 70% or higher, using the output values of the temperature sensor 151 and the humidity sensor 152 acquired in step S08. And step S11 is carried out when the temperature and humidity conditions are met, otherwise, step S10 is carried out.
Step S10 is the same process as step S05 described above. And (4) when the conditions that the temperature is less than or equal to 18 ℃ and the humidity is less than or equal to 40% are met, the step S11 is executed, otherwise, the step S12 is executed.
In step S11, the operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is set to the predicted purge mode and the cleaning mode. This operation mode is the same as the operation mode set in step S06. In this case, the indoor air is in any one of a state in which fungi are likely to be produced and a state in which influenza virus is likely to be produced. In this case, the ion generating device 10 generates positive and negative ions, and the amount of positive and negative ions generated is larger than usual.
On the other hand, in step S12, the operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is set to the ion control mode. When the process proceeds to step S12, the indoor air is not contaminated, and the state of the indoor air is neither a state in which fungi are easily produced nor a state in which influenza viruses are easily propagated. In this case, in order to reduce the probability of fungi or influenza viruses existing in the indoor air, the ion generating device 10 does not generate positive and negative ions, but generates more negative ions than positive ions. In the display of the display unit 103, it is predicted that the purge lamp 113 is turned off and the ion beam lamp 115 is turned on green.
In steps S06, S07, S11, and S12, the controller 150 controls the voltage control circuit 20 according to the respective operation modes. The voltage driving circuit 20 is controlled by the control unit 150 to apply a driving voltage determined by the operation mode to the ion generating device 10.
The ion generator 10 generates a large amount of ions when a voltage pulse having a high discharge frequency is applied. Further, the amount of positive and negative ions generated by the ion generator 10 can also be controlled by varying the duty ratio of the applied voltage pulse. The ion generating apparatus 10 generates a larger amount of ions at a duty ratio of 100% than at a duty ratio of 50% under the condition that the period of the applied voltage pulse is constant. The voltage driving circuit 20 may control the amount of positive and negative ions generated by the ion generating device 10 by varying the duty ratio.
Fig. 16 is a diagram showing the relationship between the operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1, the fan motor output, and the voltage applied to the ion generator 10. Here, an example in which the duty ratio of the voltage pulse applied to the ion generating device 10 is changed is shown. Referring to fig. 16, reference numeral ● denotes that the operation mode is the predicted purge mode, and reference numeral × denotes that the operation mode is not the predicted purge mode. In addition, the ion mode column describes a cleaning mode and an ion control mode. That is, in the air-conditioning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, there are 3 kinds of operation modes, namely, the cleaning mode in the case where the predicted purge mode is not set, the cleaning mode in the case where the predicted purge mode is set, and the ion control mode in the case where the predicted purge mode is not set.
The case of the prediction purification mode is the case of the 1 st state in which indoor air is likely to produce fungi and the 2 nd state in which influenza virus is likely to propagate. The cleaning mode and the ion control mode are different in that ions generated by the ion generating device 10 in the cleaning mode are positive and negative ions, and more negative ions than positive ions are generated by the ion generating device 10 in the ion control mode. Even in the cleaning mode, the amount of positive and negative ions generated is larger in the predicted cleaning mode than in the non-predicted cleaning mode.
The amount of ions generated by the ion generator 10 of the present embodiment is the ratio of positive and negative ions in the air, and is related to the output of the fan motor. Here, the output of the fan motor is represented by the air volume, which is divided into 6 stages in total from the air volume 1 to the air volume 6. The wind speed of the wind volume 6 is faster than that of the wind volume 1.
Further, since the discharge sound generated is also large when the duty ratio of the applied voltage pulse is large, it is desirable that the discharge sound generated by the ion generating device is also small when the output of the fan motor is small and the wind sound is small, and the silent operation of the entire product can be realized by changing the duty ratio of the applied voltage pulse in accordance with the output of the fan motor.
When the wind speed is slow, the amount of air passing through the ion generating device 10 is small. Therefore, even if the amount of air actually ionized by the ion generating device 10 is small, the ion concentration is high. Therefore, the ion concentration at the duty ratio of 20% for the air flow rate 1 is higher than the ion concentration at the duty ratio of 50% for the air flow rate 6. Therefore, the ion concentration of the air volume 1 at a duty ratio of 20% in the predicted purge mode is higher than the ion concentration of the air volume 6 at a duty ratio of 50% in the cleaning mode instead of the predicted purge mode. Therefore, the ion generation amount in the predicted purge mode is larger than that in the case where the purge mode is not predicted.
Further, when the wind speed is low, it is preferable that the discharge sound generated by the ion generator is also small and the voltage duty is small in order to reduce the wind sound and the entire operation sound. On the contrary, when the wind speed is high, the sound of the wind is large, and therefore, even if the sound of the discharge generated by the ion generating device is large, the sound of the entire operation is not affected. Therefore, in the case of the air volume 5 or 6, by setting the duty ratio to 100%, the desired ion concentration can be achieved while achieving silence without greatly affecting the operation sound of the entire product.
In fig. 16, the display state of the ion beam lamp 115 corresponds to each mode. That is, for the cleaning mode other than the predictive purge mode, the ion beam lamp 115 is turned on blue. In addition, in the case of the predictive purge mode and the cleaning mode, the ion beam lamp 115 repeats the turning on and off of blue slowly at a cycle of 5 seconds. By turning ion beam lamp 115 on and off in blue, it may be shown that the predictive purging mode is in operation.
For the case of the non-predictive purge mode, but the ion control mode, the ion beam lamp 115 is lit green.
As described above, in the air-conditioning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, when the indoor air is in a state in which fungi are likely to occur (yes in step S04 or step S09) or in a state in which influenza virus is likely to occur (yes in step S05 or step S10), positive and negative ions are generated in an amount larger than the normal amount. Therefore, more positive and negative ions can be generated in a state where bacteria such as fungi or influenza viruses are easily propagated, and the effect of killing bacteria such as fungi or influenza viruses can be improved.
In addition, in the air-conditioning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, when the indoor air is in a state where fungi are not likely to occur (no in step S04) and in a state where propagation of influenza virus is difficult (no in step S05), the ion generating device 10 generates a normal number of positive and negative ions. Therefore, even if the indoor air is in a state in which planktonic bacteria are easily propagated, planktonic bacteria can be killed. Therefore, planktonic bacteria in the room can be further killed. Further, since the voltage pulse having a low discharge frequency or a low duty ratio is applied to the ion generating device 10, power consumption is low and discharge sound is small.
Further, when the indoor air is free from contamination (no in step S02), and fungi are not propagated (no in step S09) and the influenza virus is not propagated (no in step S10), the ion generator 10 is set to the ion control mode, and generates more negative ions than positive ions. Therefore, the concentration of the negative ions in the room is increased, so that the effect of refreshing people is achieved. Therefore, a comfortable environment can be formed in an environment where indoor air is not polluted and planktonic bacteria are hard to propagate.
When the indoor air is contaminated (yes in step S02), the air-conditioning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment sets the operation mode to the cleaning mode (step S06 or step S07). Accordingly, the ion generating device 10 generates positive and negative ions. When indoor air is polluted, the possibility of containing planktonic bacteria is high. Therefore, by generating positive and negative ions, planktonic bacteria contained in the air can be effectively killed.
Further, when the indoor air is contaminated (yes in step S02) and a state in which fungi are likely to occur (yes in step S04) or a state in which influenza virus is likely to occur (yes in step S05), the amount of positive and negative ions that occur increases. Therefore, when fungi are likely to occur or influenza viruses are likely to propagate indoors, the amount of positive and negative ions increases, and floating bacteria can be effectively killed. Further, since the voltage pulse having the high discharge frequency or the large duty ratio is applied to the ion generating device 10 only when the ion generating device is in the predetermined state, it is not necessary to always apply the voltage pulse having the high discharge frequency or the large duty ratio, and the power consumption of the ion generating device 10 can be reduced. Further, the ion generating device 10 generates a larger sound when a voltage pulse having a high discharge frequency is applied than when a voltage pulse having a low discharge frequency is applied. Therefore, since the voltage pulse having a high discharge frequency is applied only when the discharge state is in the predetermined state, the noise emission can be prevented as much as possible.
When a voltage pulse having a high discharge frequency or a large duty ratio is applied to the ion generating device 10, the deterioration rate is higher than when a voltage pulse having a low discharge frequency or a small duty ratio is applied. Therefore, the voltage pulse having a high discharge frequency or a large duty ratio is not always applied to the ion generating device 10, and therefore the ion generating device 10 can be used for a long time.
In the present embodiment, the air-conditioning apparatus 100 having the ion generating device 10 is described, but the ion generating device 10 may be applied to a dehumidifier having a dehumidifying function. The dehumidifier dehumidifies the room when the humidity in the room is high, and maintains the humidity in the room at a predetermined humidity. Therefore, if the indoor humidity is adjusted to maintain the humidity at which fungi are unlikely to occur or influenza virus is unlikely to occur, the indoor air can be made into a state at which fungi are unlikely to occur or influenza virus is unlikely to occur by the dual effects of the dehumidification of air by the dehumidifier and the generation of positive and negative ions by the ion generation device 10. Even if the indoor state is a state in which fungi are likely to occur, the humidity can be reduced by dehumidification by the dehumidifier to prevent propagation of the fungi, and the fungi can be effectively killed by the positive and negative ions generated by the ion generating device 10.
In addition, a humidifier having a humidifying function may be used instead of the dehumidifier. Humidifiers, as opposed to dehumidifiers, can increase the humidity in a room. Therefore, even if the humidity in the room is lowered and the influenza virus is likely to be generated, the humidification by the humidifier can prevent the propagation of the influenza virus by forming an environment in which the propagation of the influenza virus is difficult, and the influenza virus can be effectively killed by the positive and negative ions generated by the ion generator 10.
Further, the ion generating device 10 may be applied to an air conditioner or the like having a cooling and heating function for cooling or heating indoor air. The air conditioner can adjust the indoor temperature to a temperature at which fungi are hard to be produced or a temperature at which influenza viruses are hard to propagate by warming or cooling the indoor air. Therefore, even if the indoor state is a state in which fungi or viruses are easily propagated, by adjusting the temperature using the cooling and heating function, propagation of fungi or influenza viruses can be prevented by forming an environment in which propagation of fungi or influenza viruses is difficult, and fungi or influenza viruses can be effectively killed by positive and negative ions generated by the ion generating device 10.
Further, the ion generating device 10 may be applied to an air conditioner in which a dehumidifier, a humidifier, a heating device, and a cooling device are combined.
In the present embodiment, a case has been described in which the predetermined state is set to a state of indoor air determined by temperature and humidity, and the 1 st state determined by temperature and humidity at which fungi are easily propagated and the 2 nd state determined by temperature and humidity at which viruses are easily propagated are included. The 1 st state is set to a state where the temperature is 25 ℃ or higher and the humidity is 70% or higher, and the 2 nd state is set to a state where the temperature is 18 ℃ or lower and the humidity is 40% or lower. However, the 1 st state and the 2 nd state are not limited thereto, and the 1 st state may be a state determined by temperature and humidity at which fungi are easily propagated, and the 2 nd state may be a state determined by temperature and humidity at which viruses, such as influenza viruses, are easily propagated.
Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a predetermined state. Referring to this figure, the vertical axis represents temperature, and the horizontal axis represents humidity, and shows a region determined by temperature and humidity. The 1 st state includes a region having a temperature of 13 ℃ or higher and a humidity of 70% or higher. The 2 nd state includes a region having a temperature of 13 ℃ or lower and a humidity of 0% or higher and 100% or lower, a region having a temperature of 13 ℃ or higher and 24 ℃ or lower and a humidity of 0% or higher and 40% or lower, and a region having a temperature of 24 ℃ or higher and 34 ℃ or lower and a humidity of 0% or higher and 25% or lower.
Therefore, the 1 st state includes a region having a temperature of 25 ℃ or higher (the 1 st temperature) and a humidity of 70% or higher (the 1 st humidity). In addition, the 2 nd state includes a region where the temperature is 18 ℃ or lower (the 2 nd temperature) and the humidity is 40% or lower (the 2 nd humidity). The 2 nd temperature is lower than the 1 st temperature, and the 2 nd humidity is lower than the 1 st humidity.
When the predetermined state shown in fig. 17 is used, in the operation mode determination process shown in fig. 15, it is determined whether or not the state of the indoor air determined by the temperature and humidity is the 1 st state in step S04 or step S09, and it is determined to be true if it is the 1 st state, and it is determined to be false if it is not. In step S05 or step S10, it is determined whether or not the state of the indoor air determined by the temperature and humidity is the 2 nd state, and if so, it is determined as true, otherwise, it is determined as false.
[ 2 nd embodiment ]
In the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 described above, when the operation mode determination process shown in fig. 15 is executed, whether or not the predicted purge mode is used is automatically determined. In the air-conditioning apparatus 100A according to embodiment 2, the user can select whether or not the operation mode is the predicted purge mode. Therefore, the air-conditioning apparatus 100A according to embodiment 2 includes a prediction purge mode operation switch for switching the operation mode to the prediction purge mode. Further, the air conditioner has a function of informing the user that the indoor air condition is a condition suitable for the operation in the prediction purification mode. Next, points different from the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 will be described.
Fig. 18A and 18B are views showing an external appearance of an air-conditioning apparatus 100A according to embodiment 2. The 2 nd air-conditioning apparatus 100A has a notification lamp 301 on the upper portion of the center panel 102, and has a predictive purge mode operation switch 303 on the upper panel 104.
The notification lamp 301 is a lamp that lights up or blinks when the state of the indoor air is the 1 st state or the 2 nd state described above. Thereby, the user can be informed that the indoor air state is the 1 st state or the 2 nd state. Note that the notification lamp 301 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display device, a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), a display device such as electroluminescence, or an audio output device such as a speaker or a buzzer. Further, a combination of a display device and a sound output device is possible. When the display device is used, as a message indicating that the air condition in the room is the 1 st condition or the 2 nd condition, "a condition in which fungi are easily propagated" and "a condition in which viruses are easily propagated" are displayed, and as a message for urging the operation of the predicted purification mode operation switch, for example, "please press the predicted purification mode operation switch" or the like may be displayed. When the sound generation device is used, the above message may be output by sound, or a warning sound (including music) may be output. Further, the notification lamp 301 may be provided separately from the air-conditioning apparatus 100A itself and the remote controller 130.
The predictive purge mode operation switch 303 is an input switch for receiving an operation by a user when the state of the indoor air is the 1 st state or the 2 nd state. When receiving an operation by the user, the air-conditioning apparatus 100A starts operation in the prediction purification mode. The predicted purge mode operation switch 303 may be provided in the remote controller 130 in addition to the air-conditioning apparatus 100A itself.
Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation mode determination process executed by the air-conditioning apparatus 100A according to embodiment 2. The operation mode determination process is a process executed by the control unit 150 of the air-conditioning apparatus 100A. The operation mode determination process shown in fig. 19 is different from the operation mode determination process executed by the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 shown in fig. 15 in that: between step S05 and step S06, a new step S05A and step S05B are added, and between step S10 and step S11, a new step S10A and step S10B are added. The processing from step S01 to step S05 and the processing from step S08 to step S10 are the same as those described in fig. 15, and therefore, the description thereof will not be repeated here.
When it is determined yes in step S04 or step S05, the flow proceeds to step S05A. That is, when the state of the indoor air determined by the temperature and the humidity is the 1 st or 2 nd state, the process proceeds to step S05A.
In step S05A, the notification lamp 301 lights up or blinks. Thereby, the user is informed that the state of the indoor air is the 1 st state or the 2 nd state.
Next, in step S05B, it is determined whether or not the user has operated the predicted purge mode operation switch 303. When the user' S operation is detected, the process proceeds to step S06, otherwise, the process proceeds to step S07.
On the other hand, when it is determined yes in step S09 or step S10, the flow advances to step S10A. That is, when the state of the indoor air determined by the temperature and the humidity is the 1 st or 2 nd state, the process proceeds to step S10A.
The process of step S10A is the same as the process of step S05A, and the notification lamp 301 is turned on or blinks. Thereby, the user is informed that the state of the indoor air is the 1 st state or the 2 nd state.
Next, the process of step S10B is the same as the process of step S05B, and it is determined whether the user has operated the predictive purge mode operation switch 303. When the user' S operation is detected, the process proceeds to step S11, otherwise, the process proceeds to step S12.
In this way, in the air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 2, the notification lamp 301 is turned on or blinks to notify the user that the indoor air condition is the 1 st condition or the 2 nd condition. Then, the operation mode is set to the predictive purge mode and the cleaning mode in response to an instruction from the user to operate the predictive purge mode operation switch 303. When the operation mode is the prediction purification mode, the ion generation device 10 generates positive and negative ions in a larger amount than in the normal state. In the display unit 103, it is predicted that the purge lamp 113 is turned on and the ion beam lamp 115 is turned on blue.
As described above, in the air-conditioning apparatus 100A according to embodiment 2, when the indoor air state is the 1 st state or the 2 nd state, the operation mode is set to the predicted purge mode and the cleaning mode while waiting for the user's instruction. When the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus 100A is the prediction purification mode or the cleaning mode, the ion generating device 10 consumes more power, generates more noise, and deteriorates more quickly than in the other operation modes. Therefore, since the operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus 100A is set to the predicted cleaning mode when the user desires, the user can select whether to save power, realize a silent operation, extend the life cycle of the ion generating apparatus 10, or prevent the propagation of fungi or viruses.
In the air-conditioning apparatuses 100 and 100A according to embodiment 1 or 2, when the operation mode is the predicted cleaning mode and the cleaning mode, that is, when the state of the indoor air is the 1 st state or the 2 nd state (when the air-conditioning apparatus 100A according to embodiment 2, and further the user gives an instruction), the ion generating apparatus 10 generates a larger amount of ions than in the other operation modes. Instead of this, the ion generator 10 may be controlled to be driven to generate ions when the operation mode is the predicted cleaning mode and the cleaning mode, and the ion generator 10 may not be driven to generate ions in the other operation mode (normal case). In this case, ions are generated only when the state of the indoor air is the 1 st state or the 2 nd state (when the air-conditioning apparatus 100A according to embodiment 2, and further the user gives an instruction), and therefore floating bacteria can be effectively killed. In addition, since the ion generating device 10 is driven only when the state of the indoor air is such that floating bacteria are easily propagated, the driving control of the ion generating device 10 can be easily performed, and it is possible to save power consumption, realize a silent operation, and extend the life cycle of the ion generating device 10.
The embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative in all respects, rather than restrictive, of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not defined by the above description, but is reflected in the claims, and includes equivalents and all modifications within the scope of the claims.
Claims (10)
1. An ion generating apparatus, comprising:
an ion generation unit (10) that generates ions;
temperature and humidity detection means (151, 152) for detecting the temperature and humidity in the room; and
a control unit (150) for controlling the ion generating unit to generate more ions than the normal state when the indoor state detected by the temperature and humidity detecting unit is in a predetermined state,
the predetermined state is a 1 st state in which fungi having a temperature of 1 st or higher and a humidity of 1 st or higher are liable to occur, or a 2 nd state in which viruses having a temperature of 2 nd or lower and a humidity of 2 nd or lower than the 1 st temperature are liable to propagate.
2. The ion generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a state informing unit (301) for informing the temperature detection result and/or the humidity detection result; and
an instruction receiving unit (303) for receiving an instruction for starting the control of the ion generating unit,
the ion generating means starts control in response to the instruction received by the instruction receiving means.
3. An ion generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the ion generating unit (10) generates positive ions and negative ions.
4. An ion generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the 1 st state is a state in which the temperature detected by the temperature/humidity detection means is 25 ℃ or higher, the humidity detected by the temperature/humidity detection means is 70% or higher,
the 2 nd state is a state in which the temperature detected by the temperature/humidity detection means is 18 ℃ or lower and the humidity detected by the temperature/humidity detection means is 40% or lower.
5. An ion generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: and a contamination detection unit (153, 154) for detecting contamination in the room,
the control unit (150) causes the ion generating unit to generate more negative ions than positive ions when the indoor state detected by the temperature/humidity detecting units (151, 152) is not in the predetermined state and the predetermined degree of contamination is not detected by the contamination detecting unit.
6. An ion generating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the contamination detection unit includes a dust sensor (153).
7. An ion generating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the contamination detection unit includes an odor sensor (154).
8. An air conditioning device characterized in that: a cleaning unit for reducing indoor contamination and an ion generating apparatus according to claim 1.
9. An air conditioning device characterized in that: the ion generator of claim 1, further comprising a humidifying/dehumidifying unit for adjusting the humidity in the room.
10. An air conditioning device characterized in that: a cooling/heating control unit for adjusting the temperature in a room, and an ion generating device according to claim 1.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP136358/2003 | 2003-05-14 | ||
| JP204885/2003 | 2003-07-31 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| HK1090688B true HK1090688B (en) | 2009-01-23 |
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