HK1190951B - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Air purifier

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an air cleaner that deodorizes indoor air by passing the indoor air sucked into a main body by a blower through a deodorizing section to remove odor components in the air.

Background

There has been an air cleaner including: a main body case; an air suction inlet formed on the front surface of the main body case; an air outlet formed in the rear of the upper surface of the main body casing; a fan provided in the main body casing and configured to suck air from the air suction port and blow the air toward the air blow port; a fan motor for driving the fan; a dust collection filter provided upstream of the fan and configured to collect dust in the air taken in, the air cleaner including, in the vicinity of an air outlet: a deodorizing section configured by adding a catalyst to the surface of an adsorbent for adsorbing an odor component; and a heating unit that heats the deodorant unit to restore its deodorant function.

In this type of air cleaner, the fan is driven to cause indoor air to enter the main body casing through the air inlet, and after dust is removed by the dust collecting filter, the odor component in the indoor air flowing into the deodorizing section is adsorbed by the adsorbing material of the deodorizing section, thereby deodorizing the indoor air.

Then, the adsorbent of the deodorizing section, which adsorbs odorous gas, is heated by the heating section, thereby removing the odorous component. As a result, the deodorizing function of the adsorbent can be recovered (for example, patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2001-38126 (FIG. 1)

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the air cleaner described in patent document 1, since the deodorizing section having the adsorbing material for adsorbing the odor component is provided in the vicinity of the air outlet port formed in the rear portion of the upper surface of the main body casing, it is necessary to arrange the deodorizing section in a very narrow limited area, and it is difficult to use the odor adsorbing material having a higher deodorizing capacity and a higher deodorizing performance.

Therefore, in such a structure, even if the indoor air passes through the deodorizing section, it is difficult to largely remove the odor at a time, and therefore, it is necessary to operate the air cleaner for a long time before a person can feel that the odor of the indoor air is reduced.

Further, since the opening area of the air outlet is much smaller than that of the air inlet, the flow velocity of the air flowing through the air outlet and the deodorizing portion provided in the vicinity of the air outlet is higher than the flow velocity of the air flowing in the vicinity of the air inlet.

Therefore, in such a structure, the air is discharged from the air cleaner into the room in a state where the adsorbent cannot sufficiently adsorb the odor contained in the room air flowing through the deodorizing section, and it is necessary to operate the air cleaner for a long time until a person can perceive that the odor of the room air is reduced.

Further, since the heater as a heating portion for removing the odor adsorbed on the adsorbent by heating the adsorbent is fixedly provided to the adsorbent, a portion close to the adsorbent and a portion far from the adsorbent are formed.

In this way, although the part of the adsorbent near the heater can be efficiently heated, and the odor can be removed, the heat from the heater may not be efficiently transmitted to the part of the adsorbent far from the heater, and the odor may not be reliably and completely removed.

Therefore, with this configuration, the odor adsorbing ability of the adsorbent cannot be sufficiently recovered, and hence the deodorizing function of the air cleaner may be deteriorated.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air cleaner capable of efficiently reducing the odor of indoor air and efficiently recovering the odor adsorption function of an adsorbent.

Means for solving the problems

In order to solve the above problem, it is preferable that the air cleaner is configured in such a manner that the air cleaner includes: a portable housing having an air passage formed therein, the air passage having a suction port and a discharge port; a blowing member which is provided inside the casing and blows out the indoor air introduced from the suction inlet into the ventilation path from the blowing outlet; a deodorizing element which is arranged to shield the ventilation path and allow air introduced into the ventilation path to pass therethrough; and a control means for controlling an operation of the air blowing means, wherein the deodorizing element includes a catalyst that adsorbs an ammonia component in the air introduced into the air passage to collect the ammonia component from the air, and the control means controls the air blowing means so that a flow rate of the air passing through the deodorizing element is equal to or less than a predetermined value, whereby the deodorizing element collects at least about 70% or more of the ammonia component in the room air introduced into the air passage.

Effects of the invention

The invention can provide an air purifier with rapid deodorization function, which can make more indoor air enter and effectively reduce the odor of the indoor air.

Drawings

Fig. 1 (a) is a front view of an air cleaner a according to embodiment 1, (b) is a plan view of the air cleaner a, and (c) is a side view of the air cleaner a.

Fig. 2 is a front view, (b) a plan view, and (c) a side view showing a state in which the front panel, the strainer, and the HEPA filter are removed from the air cleaner a shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the air cleaner a shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a Y-Y longitudinal sectional view of the air cleaner a shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 (a) is a perspective view of the air cleaner a shown in fig. 1 as viewed from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the air cleaner a shown in fig. 1 as viewed from the rear.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the air cleaner a shown in fig. 5 (a) in a state in which the front panel, the strainer, and the HEPA filter are removed.

Fig. 7 (a) is a perspective view of the deodorizing section of the air cleaner a according to embodiment 1 as viewed from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the deodorizing section as viewed from the rear.

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the deodorization part shown in fig. 7 (b).

Fig. 9 (a) is a plan view of the back surface of the heating unit of the air cleaner a according to embodiment 1, and (b) is a Z-Z sectional view of the heating unit.

Fig. 10 (a) is a perspective view of the back surface of the heating unit shown in fig. 9, and (b) is a perspective view of the front surface of the heating unit shown in fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the deodorizing unit of the air cleaner a according to embodiment 2, as viewed from the rear.

Fig. 12 (a) is a plan view of the deodorizing section of the air cleaner a according to embodiment 2 as viewed from the rear, and (b) is an X-X cross-sectional view of the deodorizing section shown in (a).

Fig. 13 (a) is a perspective view of the air cleaner a according to embodiment 3 as viewed from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the air cleaner a as viewed from the rear.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view from the rear showing the air cleaner a shown in fig. 13 with the louvers closed.

Fig. 15 is (a) a front view, (b) a plan view, and (c) a side view of the air cleaner a according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 16 (a) is a perspective view of the air cleaner a shown in fig. 15 as viewed from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the air cleaner a shown in fig. 15 as viewed from the rear.

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the air cleaner shown in fig. 15, as viewed from the bottom surface side.

Fig. 18 is a table in which the odor concentration of ammonia is correlated with 6 levels of odor intensity.

Fig. 19 is an example of use of the air cleaner (a table showing the room density and the blow-out density of the odor according to the elapsed time).

Detailed Description

Embodiment mode 1

Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Referring to fig. 1 to 6, the air cleaner a of the present embodiment includes a main body casing C which is a casing having an outline, and various functional components such as a deodorizing section 60 provided in the main body casing C.

The main body case C is a box-like resin case, and is composed of a plurality of components such as the front panel 10, the front case 20, and the rear case 40.

The front case 20 has a rectangular front view shape, and a frame 21 having a frame shape with a predetermined depth serves as a base. A rectangular front opening 22 is formed in the front surface of the frame 21, and the opening in the rear surface is covered with a partition plate 23.

A circular rear opening 24 that opens rearward is formed in the partition plate 23. That is, the front case 20 is in a state where the front opening 22 and the rear opening 24 communicate with each other. The rear opening 24 of the partition plate 23 is flared around a fan opening 44d of the air blowing fan 44 described later.

Next, the lower portion side of the frame 21 of the front case 20 is entirely protruded forward from both the left and right sides, and a lower protrusion portion 25 is formed.

The upper side of the frame 21 protrudes forward beyond the left and right sides to form an upper protruding portion 28, and an operation portion 26 including a plurality of operation buttons, an LED forming a display portion, and the like is provided on the front side of the upper portion of the upper side.

An operation board (not shown) on which these operation buttons and LEDs are mounted is provided on the upper inner side of the upper side of the frame 21 corresponding to the operation portion 26. The operation board is electrically connected to a control unit 47 described later.

The front panel 10 has a rectangular front view shape, and the front panel 10 is configured to cover the front opening 22 of the front case 20 from the front.

Further, a slit extending in the left-right direction is formed in the front surface of the front panel 10, and an air suction port 11 (hereinafter, referred to as a suction port 11) communicating in the front-rear direction of the front panel 10 is formed. That is, the air permeability of the front panel 10 is ensured so that the air can flow throughout the front-rear direction.

Next, the front view of the rear case 40 is rectangular, the front opening 41 is open at the front surface of the rear case 40, and the rear case 40 is formed with an opening serving as an air outlet 42 (hereinafter referred to as an outlet 42) at the upper surface and has a box shape with a closed rear surface 43.

Also, the rear surface 43 is provided with: a blowing fan 44 as a blowing means for causing indoor air to enter the inside of the air cleaner; and a spiral partition 45 forming an air passage for guiding the air flowing from the air blowing fan 44 to the air outlet 42.

The air blowing fan 44 as the air blowing means is connected to a control means 47, and the rotation, stop, and rotation speed of the air blowing fan 44 are controlled by the control means 47. In this way, the blowing fan 44 is controlled by the control member 47, and the blowing capacity such as the air volume and the air speed is controlled.

Further, a control unit 47 is provided below the partition plate 45 in a space formed by the rear case 40 and the partition plate 45, and the control unit 47 controls each part of the air cleaner a according to a predetermined program.

Further, a louver 46 is provided near the air outlet 42 at an upper portion inside the rear case 40, and the louver 46 changes the direction of the air blown out into the room from the air outlet 42 or closes the air outlet 42.

Further, a lattice is provided at the opening portion of the air outlet 42 to prevent direct contact with the louver 46.

Next, the blower fan 44 is a sirocco fan (sirocco fan) using a multi-blade in which a large number of blades having a predetermined width are attached in the rotational direction. That is, the blower fan 44 has a plurality of blades 44a at positions having a predetermined radius from the rotation axis.

And, the air blowing fan 44 is mounted to the rear surface 43 of the rear case 40. In a state where the air blowing fan 44 is attached, the motor 44b that rotationally drives the blades 44a of the air blowing fan 44 is in a state where its rotary shaft 44c extends in a horizontal direction toward the front.

The fan opening 44d surrounded by the blades 44a is open forward.

By providing the air blowing fan 44 in the rear case 40 as described above, the air blowing fan 44 sucks air from the fan opening 44d facing the axial front side of the rotary shaft 44c and discharges the air in the radial direction of the air blowing fan 44 including above the air blowing fan 44.

Next, partition plate 45 is erected substantially perpendicularly from rear surface 43 of rear case 40 so as to surround air-blowing fan 44, and one end of partition plate 45 is connected to right end 42a of air-outlet 42, and the other end is connected to left end 42b of air-outlet 42.

That is, partition plate 45 is configured to be disposed in a bag-like manner in rear case 40 so as to surround the periphery of air blowing fan 44 and so that the end portion is connected to air outlet 42.

The louver 46 is constituted by: a plurality of plate-like wind direction plates 46 a; a link mechanism 46c that connects the plurality of wind direction plates 46a to each other and operates the wind direction plates 46a at a predetermined angle; a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor, which operates the link mechanism 46 c.

A plurality of plate-shaped wind direction plates 46a of the louver 46 are arranged in parallel with a predetermined interval in the opening of the air outlet 42, and the wind direction plates 46a are supported by the air outlet 42 via shafts 46d formed at both ends of the wind direction plates 46 a.

The driving unit for operating the link mechanism 46c is connected to a control member 47 described later, and the direction of the louver 46 is changed by driving the driving unit in accordance with a predetermined program in accordance with the state of the air cleaner a.

Referring next to fig. 7 to 8, the deodorizing section 60 is a portion through which the indoor air entering the air cleaner a passes to remove odor from the air, and the deodorizing section 60 includes: a frame 61 serving as a base on which various components are mounted; a deodorizing element 62; a heating unit 63 that locally heats the deodorizing element 62; the drive member 64 as a position changing member operates the deodorizing element 62 to change the relative positional relationship between the heating unit 63 and the portion of the deodorizing element which faces each other.

First, the frame body 61 is a rectangular frame having a predetermined depth in a front view. The outer shape of the housing 61 is sized to fit inside the front opening 22 of the front case 20.

Further, a partition plate 65 is provided inside the housing 61 to cover the opening of the housing 61 (to partition the opening front and rear).

The partition plate 65 is formed with a circular opening 65a communicating along the front and rear of the frame 61. The central support body 65b is positioned at the center of the opening 65a, and a plurality of beam portions 65c connected to the opening edge of the opening 65a are formed radially from the central support body 65 b. Further, a shaft 65j projecting rearward is provided on the center support body 65 b.

Further, a frame 65h that allows air to flow into the opening 65a is provided on the front side of the opening 65 a. The frame 65h is for preventing a user from coming into direct contact with the deodorizing element 62 described later.

Further, on the back surface (rear surface) of the partition plate 65, an annular guide portion 65e is formed so as to extend rearward so as to surround the opening 65 a.

A receiving portion 65f is provided at an edge of the guide portion 65e so as to protrude inward of the opening 65a, and the receiving portion 65f receives the deodorizing element 62 when the deodorizing element 62, which will be described later, is attached to the guide portion 65 e.

The guide portion 65e is located outside the circular opening edge of the circular opening 65 a. That is, a gap r is formed between the edge of the opening 65a and the guide portion 65 e. The diameter of the ring formed by the guide portion 65e is large enough to hold the deodorizing element 62 provided with each portion described later inside.

The area below the central support body 65b of the opening 65a of the partition plate 65 is covered with a fan-shaped cover body 65d, which is a fan-shaped area formed by a predetermined opening angle (Japanese/open/angle) that is equally open to the left and right with the central support body 65b as the center.

The lid 65d is made of stainless steel, and the lid 65d is fixed to the beam portion 65c by screws or the like from the rear surface side (back surface side) of the partition plate 65.

The cover 65d is disposed at a position facing the heating unit 63 described later, and the cover 65d is sized to cover the heater unit 63a of the heating unit 63 in a state facing the heater unit 63 a. That is, the heating unit 63 faces the cover 65d, thereby forming a heating space of the deodorizing element 62 described later.

The lid 65d is also coated with black heat-resistant paint for improving emissivity.

Next, the flat surface of the deodorizing element 62 is in the shape of a circular plate, and is made of ceramic or aluminum, and a catalyst is coated or impregnated with an adhesive on a honeycomb core-shaped base material having a plurality of openings such as honeycomb openings.

As the catalyst, a catalyst having a property of adsorbing odor (particularly odor of ammonia, methyl mercaptan, and hydrogen sulfide) such as a manganese-based (for example, a manganese-based deodorizing catalyst manufactured by sheng steel アクテック) or a platinum-based catalyst is used.

This catalyst adsorbs odor components, and causes oxidative decomposition by the action of the catalyst, thereby decomposing the odor components into odor-free components. In particular, such catalysts have the following characteristics: the decomposition rate of the odor component is increased by heating.

In addition, an opening 62c is formed in the center of the deodorizing element 62, and an element frame 62a made of stainless steel for holding the deodorizing element 62 is provided on the front surface of the deodorizing element 62.

Here, as described above, since the deodorizing element 62 is formed by the honeycomb core and the predetermined opening is formed in the element frame 62a provided on the front surface of the deodorizing element 62, the air can flow through the inside of the deodorizing element 62 in the front-rear direction.

Further, a tooth 62b is provided on the periphery of the deodorizing element 62 so as to surround the deodorizing element 62.

The diameter of the deodorizing element 62 including the teeth 62b is larger than the diameter of the circular opening 65a formed in the partition plate 65.

Referring next to fig. 9 to 10, the heating unit 63 is composed of: a heater unit 63a as a heating member that heats the deodorizing element 62; and a case 63b having a predetermined internal space for accommodating the heater unit 63a therein.

The heater unit 63a is electrically connected to the control unit 47, and the heater unit 63a is controlled to be energized in accordance with the state of the air cleaner a.

The heater unit 63a includes a plate-shaped heat generating portion 63f and a heater portion 63g that heats the heat generating portion 63 f. The flat surface of the heat generating portion 63f is fan-shaped, and the surface of the heat generating portion 63f is coated with heat-resistant paint (black) for increasing the emissivity of the heat received by the heater portion 63 g.

That is, the plate-shaped heat generating portion 63f of the heater unit 63a receives the heat generated by the heater portion 63g and radiates the heat from the entire plate surface, so that the deodorizing element 62 facing thereto can be heated with less heating unevenness.

When the heater unit 63a is energized for a predetermined time, a portion of the heater unit 63a facing the deodorizing element 62 is set to have a heating capacity capable of increasing to a predetermined temperature capable of removing odor adsorbed on the deodorizing element 62, and the deodorizing element 62 is disposed with a predetermined gap from the heater unit 63 a. Thus, by heating the deodorizing element 62, the capability of the deodorizing element 62 to trap the odor is restored.

The heating for recovering the odor trapping ability is performed so that the temperature of the heated portion of the deodorizing element 62 is about 120 degrees or more at which the odor component trapped by the deodorizing element 62 can be decomposed. The heating unit 63 is configured to reach the heating temperature within about 60 minutes.

In this way, since the heating step for recovering the odor trapping ability can be performed within 60 minutes, the user can perform the odor trapping ability recovery step of the deodorizing element 62 at the time of an operation pause or the like using the air cleaner a.

The heater 63g uses a PTC heater, which is a semiconductor ceramic containing barium titanate as a main component.

Since the PTC heater has its own temperature controllability and the temperature of the PTC heater does not need to be controlled from the outside, it is not necessary to perform intermittent control as in the case of an oven, and therefore, it is possible to stably use the PTC heater without generating sparks and noises.

Next, the housing 63b is formed with: a recess 63c that holds the heater unit 63a inside; and a flange 63d extending from the opening periphery of the recess 63 c.

The recess 63c is formed in a fan shape conforming to the planar shape of the heater unit 63a, and the heater unit 63a is disposed inside the recess 63c with the heater unit 63a facing the opening of the recess 63 c. The flange 63d is formed with screw holes 63e through which screws are inserted when the heating unit 63 is mounted at a predetermined position.

The planar shape of the heating unit 63 configured as described above is configured in a fan shape in accordance with the shape of the heat generating portion 63f of the heater unit 63a, and the opening of the recess 63c is also configured in a fan shape.

Next, referring to fig. 7, the driving member 64 is a position changing member as follows: the relative positional relationship between the heating unit 63 and the portion of the deodorizing element 62 facing each other is changed by operating the deodorizing element 62, that is, the portion of the deodorizing element 62 facing the heating unit 63 is changed.

The driving member 64 is constituted by a motor 64a and a bracket 64b that holds the motor 64 a. A tooth portion is attached to a rotary shaft of the motor 64 a. The motor 64a is electrically connected to the control unit 47, and the motor 64a is controlled by energization according to the state of the air cleaner a.

Referring to fig. 4 and 7 to 8, the deodorizing element 62, the heating unit 63, and the driving member 64 are attached to the frame 61 as follows to constitute the deodorizing section 60. Fig. 7 shows the respective portions in a state where the frame 65h is removed for easy understanding of the display.

First, the shaft 65j provided in the center support body 65b is rotatably fitted from the back surface of the frame body 61 into the opening 62c of the deodorizing element 62 to serve as a bearing.

Thus, the deodorizing element 62 is rotatably disposed inside the guide portion 65e formed on the back surface (rear surface) of the frame 61 with respect to the frame 61 in a state where the deodorizing element 62 faces (faces) the opening 65 a.

A receiving portion 65f is formed on an edge of the guide portion 65e so as to protrude inward of the opening 65 a. The receiving portion 65f is a receiving portion that receives the deodorizing element 62, and holds the deodorizing element 62 to the guide portion 65e from the rear (back surface) to such an extent that the operation of the deodorizing element 62 in the rotational direction is not significantly hindered.

By attaching the deodorizing element 62 to the frame body 61 in this manner, the deodorizing element 62 is rotatably held in a state of facing the opening 65a of the partition plate 65 in the space surrounded by the back surface (gap r) of the partition plate 65, the guide portion 65e, and the receiving portion 65 f.

Further, the shaft 65j provided on the center support body 65b and the opening 62c of the deodorizing element 62 may not be configured in the relationship between the shaft and the bearing, and the deodorizing element 62 may be held by the guide portion 65 e.

Next, in a state where the deodorizing element 62 is disposed in the housing 61 as described above, the heating unit 63 is attached to the housing 61 so as to cover a part of the deodorizing element 62 as described below.

First, the heating unit 63 is disposed so as to extend from the center of the deodorizing element 62 to the lower side without interfering with the rotation of the deodorizing element 62.

In this state, the opening of the recess 63c provided with the heater unit 63a is directed forward so that the heater unit 63a of the heating unit 63 directly faces the deodorizing element 62.

The heating unit 63 is screwed to the mounting positions of the center support body 65b positioned in the opening 62c of the deodorizing element 62 and the partition plate 65 formed outside the deodorizing element 62.

In this state, the heating unit 63 and the cover 65d are in a facing positional relationship with the deodorizing element 62 interposed therebetween.

With the above configuration, the heating unit 63 is fixed to the housing 61 without interfering with the movement of the deodorizing element 62 in the rotation direction.

Further, since the heating unit 63 and the cover 65d are disposed facing each other in the frame body 61, a space for retaining the heat of the heater unit 63a is formed in a state where the deodorizing element 62 is interposed between the heating unit 63 and the cover 65 d. Further, since the heat generating portion 63f is coated to increase the emissivity of heat, the heat received from the heater 63g is efficiently radiated.

Thus, the heating unit 63 is configured to efficiently heat a local portion of the deodorizing element 62 facing thereto.

Next, the bracket 64b is fixed to the partition plate 65 in a state where the motor 64a of the driving member 64 is held by the bracket 64 b. At this time, the teeth mounted on the rotation shaft of the motor 64a are engaged with the teeth 62b provided to the deodorizing member 62.

The driving member 64 is disposed at a position on the rear surface of the partition plate 65 and between the opening 65a and the corner 65g of the partition plate 65. Further, the portion where the driving member 64 is provided may be a portion sandwiched by the upper corner 65g separated from the heating unit 63 among the openings 65a and 4 corners 65 g.

By providing the driving member 64 in this manner, the driving motor 64a is controlled by energization of the control member 47, so that the deodorizing element 62 can be rotated with respect to the housing 61, and the portion of the deodorizing element 62 facing the heating unit 63 can be changed.

That is, the relative positional relationship between the heating unit 63 and the deodorizing element 62 can be changed.

Further, since the driving portion 64 is provided at a position between the opening 65a and the corner 65g, the dead space formed around the opening 65a of the rectangular partition plate 65 can be effectively used. Further, since the driving portion 64 is provided at a position apart from the heating unit 63, the driving member 64 can be configured to be less susceptible to the heat generated from the heating unit 63.

Next, the front panel 10, the front case 20, the rear case 40, and the deodorizing section 60, which are configured as described above, are assembled together with other functional components as described below, thereby configuring the air cleaner a.

First, rear case 40 is attached to the rear surface of front case 20 with opening 41 of rear case 40 facing forward. At this time, the opening 44d of the air blowing fan 44 provided in the rear case 40 and the rear opening 24 formed in the partition plate 23 are in a facing positional relationship, and the partition plate 23 is provided in the front case 20. The opening center of the rear opening 24 coincides with the axial center of the rotation shaft of the air blowing fan 44 in the front-rear direction.

Next, the casing 61 of the deodorizing unit 60 is inserted into the front case 20 from the front opening 22 of the front case 20, and the outer periphery of the casing 61 is held in the front case 20, thereby attaching the deodorizing unit 60 to the front case 20.

In the state where the deodorizing section 60 is attached to the front case 20 in this way, the rear surface side of the deodorizing section 60 (the side where the heating unit 63 is attached) is arranged to face the rear opening 24 of the front case 20, and the heating unit 63 is located between the deodorizing element 62 and the rear opening 24.

Here, the deodorizing element 62 and the partition plate 23 and the rear opening 24 of the front case 20, which are formed with a bell-mouth around the opening 44D of the air blowing fan 44, are opposed to each other with a predetermined interval D therebetween so as not to obstruct the flow of air flowing from the deodorizing element 62 to the rear opening 24.

The heating unit 63 is located at the interval D formed as described above.

Next, a HEPA filter 12 having the same size as the opening of the frame 61 is provided inside the frame 61 attached to the deodorization section 60 of the front case 20, and a strainer 13 is provided so as to cover the front surface of the HEPA filter 12.

Front panel 10 is provided on the front surface side of strainer 13 so as to be sandwiched between upper protruding portion 28 and lower protruding portion 25 of front housing 20, thereby constituting air cleaner a.

The HEPA filter 12 is a filter for removing fine dust such as pollen, dust of mites, mold spores, and house dust contained in the air.

The strainer 13 is a filter having a large mesh size for trapping large dust contained in the air in advance before the air is filtered by the HEPA filter, and is used for maintaining the effect of the HEPA filter for a long time.

Next, referring to fig. 4, a ventilation path R is formed inside the air cleaner a configured as described above, and room air is taken into the ventilation path R from the suction port 11 to the discharge port 42, and the taken-in air is cleaned and deodorized and discharged into the room. The air passage R will be described according to the air cleaning operation state of the air cleaner a and the flow of air entering the inside.

First, the user operates the operation unit 26 to input an input to the control unit 47, thereby executing a predetermined program for operating the air cleaner a.

After the start of the above operation, the blower fan 44 is driven to generate a suction force for causing the room air to enter the air cleaner a from the air inlet 11, and the room air flows into the air inlet 11.

The air introduced from the suction port 11 flows backward in the air cleaner a, and after large dust is removed by the strainer 13, fine dust is removed by the HEPA filter 12.

Then, the air from which the dust is removed flows further rearward to reach the deodorizing section 60, passes through the opening 65a, and reaches the deodorizing element 62 disposed at a position facing the opening 65 a. The deodorizing element 62 is provided so as to block the ventilation passage R, and has a honeycomb-shaped plurality of openings extending from the front surface to the back surface, and a catalyst for adsorbing odor is applied to the surface of the deodorizing element 62.

Therefore, when the air containing odor passes from the front side to the back side of the deodorizing element 62, the catalyst coated on the deodorizing element 62 adsorbs the odor contained in the air through the honeycomb-shaped openings, thereby removing the odor from the air.

The term "removing odor from the air" includes not only a state in which the odor in the air is completely eliminated, but also a state in which the odor is reduced from a state before the air passes through the deodorizing element 62.

Here, by continuing the operation of the air cleaner a as described above, the adsorbed odor gas continues to accumulate in the deodorizing element 62, and the deodorizing ability of the deodorizing element 62 decreases as the adsorbed odor gas increases.

Then, the air from which the dust and odor have been removed flows further rearward from the deodorizing element 62, passes through the rear opening 24 of the partition plate 23 opened in the front housing 20, and flows toward the air blowing fan 44 disposed to face the rear opening 24.

The air flowing toward the air blowing fan 44 flows from the axial front side of the air blowing fan 44 toward the inside of the fan opening 44d surrounded by the blades 44a on the four sides, and is discharged to the outside of the air blowing fan 44 in the radial direction of the air blowing fan 44 including the upper side of the air blowing fan 44.

The air discharged from the air blowing fan 44 is guided to the rear case 40 by the partition plate 45, and is blown out as clean air from the inside of the air cleaner a toward the upper side of the air cleaner a from the air outlet 42 while the air direction is adjusted when passing through the louver 46.

In this way, the air passage R is an air passage that is connected to the rear portion of the air cleaner body in the horizontal direction from the suction port 11, and that is directed upward at the rear portion to lead to the air outlet 42.

That is, when viewed with reference to the flow of air, the ventilation passage R is provided with a dust filter such as a strainer 13 or a HEPA filter 12 on the upstream side of the deodorizing element 62, and a bent portion that is a position where the flow direction of air is bent upward is formed on the downstream side of the deodorizing element 62. A sirocco fan as the blower fan 44 is located at the curved portion. Since the sirocco fan causes air to enter from the direction of the rotation axis of the fan and discharges the entered air in the radial direction of the fan, it is possible to create a linear airflow for moving indoor air from the front surface of the main body casing C to the rear, and to efficiently change the direction of the indoor air toward the air outlet 42.

Further, the front surfaces of the deodorizing element 62, the strainer 13, the HEPA filter 12, and the opening 44d of the blower fan 44 are arranged in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the air flowing in the ventilation path R.

Thereby, the following structure is formed: the air flow is straight to the deodorising element and the air hits the filter surfaces perpendicularly, so the air flow is better.

Here, the position of the opening 65a is located at the center in the vertical direction of the front surface of the main body case C, and Y is not less than 0.6X in the relationship between the projected area X of the main body case C when viewed from the front surface and the area Y of the opening 65a when viewed from the front surface.

Next, an operation (regeneration operation) for recovering the deodorization performance of the deodorization element 62 in which much odor is adsorbed and the deodorization performance is deteriorated by performing the air cleaning operation (deodorization operation) in the above-described manner will be described.

The control unit 47 performs the deodorization performance restoration operation as follows when a predetermined timing, for example, an accumulated operation time after the start of the operation or an accumulated operation time after the deodorization performance restoration operation of the deodorization element 62 performed in the previous time exceeds a predetermined time.

In a state where the operation of the air blowing fan 44 is stopped, that is, after the air cleaning operation of the air cleaner a is completed or in a state where the air cleaning operation is not performed, the control unit 47 energizes the heater unit 63a to heat the heater unit 63a, thereby raising the temperature of the portion of the deodorizing element 62 facing the heater unit 63a to a predetermined temperature and heating the portion for a predetermined time.

The heating temperature and the heating time of the deodorizing element 62 are a temperature and a time sufficient to remove the odor adsorbed to the deodorizing element 62.

The front surface side of the heated portion of the deodorizing element 62 is covered with a lid 63d coated with a coating for improving the heat radiation rate, and the rear surface side is covered with the heating unit 63 (heater unit 63 a). Thus, the deodorizing element 62 can be efficiently heated by the heat generated from the heater unit 63a and the heat radiated from the cover 63 d.

Further, since the deodorizing element 62 is disposed between the heated unit 63a and the cover 63d, the heat radiated from these members is likely to stay in the vicinity of the deodorizing element 62, and the deodorizing element 62 can be heated more efficiently.

Next, as described above, when the deodorization performance recovery operation of the portion facing the heating unit 63 is completed, the control unit 47 operates the driving unit 64 for rotating the deodorization element 62, and rotates the deodorization element 62 at a predetermined angle.

With this operation, the heating unit 63 is displaced in the rotational direction from the part of the deodorizing element 62 that faces the heating unit 63 and has been subjected to the heat treatment.

Thereby, the part of the deodorizing element 62 having completed the heating treatment is displaced from the position between the heating unit 63 and the cover 63d, and the part of the deodorizing element 62 newly adsorbing a large amount of odor is positioned between the heating unit 63 and the cover 63 d.

In addition, the angle of rotating the deodorization element 62 may be the same as or smaller than the opening angle of the fan-shaped heater unit 63 a. By setting the rotation angle in this way, any part of the deodorizing element 62 stays in front of the heater unit 63a and is subjected to heat treatment during 1 rotation of the deodorizing element 62.

The timing of operating the deodorizing element 62 may be such that the deodorizing element 62 is operated immediately after the heating treatment, or the deodorizing element 62 may be operated immediately before the subsequent air cleaning operation.

By configuring the respective parts of the air cleaner a in the above-described manner, the following effects can be obtained.

By configuring the deodorization element 62 so that the relative positional relationship with the heating unit 63 that heats a part of the deodorization element 62 can be changed as in the present embodiment, the heating unit 63 can be downsized.

The advantages of the miniaturization of the heating unit 63 are: for example, it is not necessary to provide a large heater facing the entire area of the deodorizing element 62 in order to heat-treat the entire area of the deodorizing element 62 reliably, and the structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

Further, since the relative positional relationship between the heating unit 63 and the deodorizing element 62 can be changed, when deodorizing the entire area of the deodorizing element 62, it is only necessary to change the portion of the deodorizing element 62 facing the heating unit 63, and it is not necessary to cover the entire area of the deodorizing element 62 with the heating unit 63.

That is, since the portion of the deodorizing element 62 facing the heating unit 63 is always a limited portion, the heating unit 63 can minimize the obstruction of the flow of the air flowing through the deodorizing element 62. This allows more air to flow to the deodorizing element 62, and more odor to be removed from the air at a time.

Further, since the relative positional relationship between the deodorizing element 62 and the heating unit 63 can be changed, the heating unit 63 can be reliably heated so as to face each part of the deodorizing element 62.

This reduces uneven heating between the parts of the deodorizing element 62, and efficiently recovers the deodorizing ability of the deodorizing element 62.

Next, the suction port 11 of the air cleaner a is formed in the front surface of the main body, and the discharge port 42 is formed in any one of the side surface, the top surface, and the back surface of the main body.

With this configuration, the widely opened suction port 11 can be easily opposed to the source of odor generation, so that odor can be more rapidly sucked and removed from the indoor air.

Further, since the air outlet 42 is formed on any one of the side surface, the top surface, and the back surface of the main body, the cleaned air is less likely to flow to the odor generation source, and the diffusion of the odor can be prevented.

The deodorizing element 62 is rotatably supported by the main body case C, and the heating unit 63 is fixed to the main body case C so as to be close to the front surface of the deodorizing element 62.

Thus, the heating unit 63, which is a portion for generating heat from the heater unit 63a, does not move inside the main body casing C, and therefore, it is not necessary to consider a process of supplying a power supply for generating heat and a countermeasure against heat over a wide range inside the main body casing C due to a change in the position of a high-temperature portion inside the main body casing C.

Further, since the surface of the deodorizing element 62 facing the heating unit 63 is changed by the rotation, the entire surface of the deodorizing element 62 can be made to face the heating unit 63 without unevenness only by operating the deodorizing element 62 in 1 direction.

Next, since the shape of the deodorizing element 62 is a circular plate shape, the rotating area in which the deodorizing element 62 rotates can be minimized with respect to the area viewed from the rotating shaft direction of the deodorizing element 62.

That is, the arrangement area of the deodorizing element 62 inside the main body casing C can be reduced.

In addition, since the deodorizing element 62 changes the surface facing the heating unit 63 by rotating, when the shape of the deodorizing element 62 is a circular plate shape, the size of the heater unit 63a of the heating unit 63 in the diameter direction of the deodorizing element 62 is at least the same as or smaller than the radius of rotation of the deodorizing element 62, and many areas of the deodorizing element 62 can be heated.

Further, since the shape of the deodorizing element 62 is a circular plate shape, the above-described effects can be achieved, and a larger region in which deodorization is possible can be formed because a circular shape can form the largest region with respect to the opening area of the main body case C which is a rectangular opening.

This allows more air to flow through the deodorizing element 62, and therefore, the amount of air flow can be increased while maintaining the deodorizing force.

Next, a catalyst having a function of decomposing ammonia is coated or impregnated on the surface of the deodorizing element 62. Thus, an air purifier capable of quickly deodorizing pet odor and care odor in hospitals, nursing homes, nursing sites, and the like can be configured.

In particular, according to the present embodiment, since odor can be removed from a larger amount of air in a short time, the problem of odor in nursing care and the like in a place where many people use, such as a hospital and a nursing home, can be solved quickly.

Next, the air blowing fan 44 as an air blowing means is located inside the ventilation path, the deodorizing element 62 is located on the upstream side of the air blowing fan 44 in the ventilation path R, and the heating unit 63 is located between the air blowing fan 44 and the deodorizing element 62.

With this configuration, a space provided for reducing pressure loss (air flow loss) generated around the deodorizing element 62 and the opening 44d of the air blowing fan 44 can be used as a position where the heating unit 63 is disposed.

Next, the heating unit 63 includes: a housing 63b having a predetermined internal space and opened on the side facing the deodorizing element 62; an electric heater unit 63a, which is located in the internal space of the housing 63b and radiates heat through the opening, and the heater unit 63a is set to have a heating capacity as follows: when the heater unit 63a is energized for a predetermined time, the portion of the deodorizing element 62 facing the heater unit 63a is raised to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 150 degrees) for a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes). This can remove odor adsorbed on the deodorizing element 62.

The housing 63b has a fan shape. This makes it possible to minimize the area covering the deodorizing element 62. The opening angle of the sector is set to 1 rotation angle when the deodorizing element 62 is rotated.

Next, the control member 47 incorporates a control program for driving the driving member 64 as a position changing member at a predetermined timing to rotate the deodorizing element 62.

Thus, when the deodorizing element 62 is heated, the deodorizing element 62 can be automatically rotated by the control member 47 so that the portion to be deodorized faces the heating unit 63. That is, when the heating means 63 serving as the heating means heats the deodorizing element 62 by the control means 47, the heating means 63 is energized for a predetermined time in a state where the heating means 63 faces a predetermined region of the deodorizing element 62, thereby removing odor adsorbed to the deodorizing element 62 and recovering the local odor trapping ability of the deodorizing element 62.

The control program includes the following processing steps: the drive member 64 is driven at a predetermined timing, and is stopped after the deodorizing element is rotated at a predetermined rotation angle, and the heating unit is energized for a predetermined time in this stopped state.

Thus, a series of operations from the rotation of the deodorizing element 62 to the heating can be automatically performed by the control member 47.

When the cumulative operation time or the cumulative number of operations of the air blowing fan 44 as the air blowing means exceeds a predetermined value, the above-described control for removing the odor adsorbed on the deodorizing element 62 is executed after the operation of the air blowing fan 44 is stopped.

That is, the control unit 47 repeats this operation in accordance with the frequency of use of the air cleaner a, and sequentially changes the relative positional relationship between the deodorizing element 62 and the heating unit 63 in a predetermined direction.

This can maintain the odor trapping ability of the entire deodorizing element 62.

Next, the dust filter 12 and 13 are provided at positions on the upstream side of the deodorizing element 62 in the ventilation path R, and the front panel 10 as a frame having air permeability is detachably attached to the front surface of the main body case C, and the dust filter can be taken out in front of the main body case C in a state where the frame is detached from the main body case C.

With this configuration, the dust filter can be attached and detached from the front side of the main body case C, and therefore, the maintainability of the dust filter to which large dust is likely to adhere can be improved.

Next, the ventilation passage R is bent upward at the downstream side of the deodorizing element 62, and the air blowing fan 44 is disposed at the bent portion, and the air blowing fan 44 is a sirocco fan that rotates about a rotation shaft extending in the horizontal direction and sends air introduced from the front side of the main body case C upward.

Such a sirocco fan (sirocco fan) introduces air from the direction of the rotation axis of the fan and discharges the introduced air in the radial direction of the fan, so that it is possible to create a linear flow of indoor air from the front surface of the main body casing C to the rear, and to efficiently change the indoor air direction toward the air outlet 42.

Next, the heating unit 63 is attached to the main body so as to be positioned below the rotation center of the deodorizing element 62.

In this way, the center of gravity of the air cleaner a can be lowered by disposing the heating unit 63 having a certain degree of weight, such as the heater unit 63a, at a low position. This makes it possible to construct the air cleaner a that can be stably installed on the floor.

In addition, the position of the opening 65a is located at the center in the vertical direction of the front surface of the main body casing C, and the relationship between the projected area A of the main body casing C when viewed from the front surface and the area B of the suction port when viewed from the front surface is configured such that "B.gtoreq.0.6A".

This relationship is a relationship in which the opening 65a and the suction port have the largest area when viewed from the front of the main body case C, and the air cleaner can be configured to allow more room air to flow into the deodorizing element 62.

Next, the air cleaner a configured as described above is configured as a portable housing that can be moved to a source of odor generation as desired.

Referring to fig. 15 to 17, the outline of the air cleaner a is configured by various functional components such as a main body case C serving as a housing and a deodorizing section 60 provided in the main body case C.

The main body case C is made of resin, is composed of a plurality of components such as the front panel 10, the front case 20, and the rear case 40, and has a case shape in which the planar shape of the front and side surfaces is a vertical rectangle.

Further, 4 wheels 90 are provided at the bottom of the main body case C. The 4 wheels are provided at 2 bottoms of the front case 20 and the rear case 40, and 1 wheel 90 is respectively arranged at the left and right sides in bilateral symmetry with respect to the center of the main case C when the main case C is viewed from the front side.

A handle 91 is provided on the rear side of the upper portion of the upper side of the frame 21 constituting the front case 20, and the user grips the handle 91 when moving the air cleaner a.

The handle 91 is disposed so that the center axis of the grip 91a is the center of the top surface of the main body case C and faces in the left-right direction. The position of the handle 91 in the front-rear direction with respect to the main body casing C is located between the heating unit 63 and the blower fan 44. The height L of the grip 91a from the ground is set to be within a range of 700mm or less.

In the state where the respective portions are arranged in this manner, the wheel 90 is configured to be rotatable at least in the longitudinal direction of the grip portion 91 a.

As described above, the wheels are rotatably provided in the body case C along the longitudinal direction of the grip portion 91a of the handle 91, so that the air cleaner a can be easily pushed and pulled even if it is a large-sized air cleaner a.

In particular, since the front-rear position of the handle 91 with respect to the main body case C is located between the heating unit 63 and the blower fan 44, the handle 91 is located at a position substantially in the middle of a portion having a high weight density. Thus, when the air cleaner a is pushed or pulled by holding the handle 91, the air cleaner a can be operated with the position where the weight balance is relatively easy as a fulcrum.

Therefore, the air cleaner a can be easily carried by the user.

The air cleaner a of the present embodiment is configured such that the height L of the grip portion 91a of the handle 91 from the floor surface is 700mm or less.

With this configuration, the average value of the finger node heights (the vertical distance from the ground to the middle finger node in a state where a person stands on the ground) of japanese adults is: since the height of the handle 91 is approximately 695mm for male, 632mm for female, and 662mm for the whole, the handle can be easily held by a user without bending down greatly regardless of sex.

The depth S of the air cleaner a of the present embodiment is about 300 mm.

With this configuration, the average value of the shoulder width of the japanese adult is: since the male is about 426mm, the female is about 394mm, and the whole is about 409mm, the air cleaner a can be restricted within the shoulder width of a person when the air cleaner a is pushed or pulled from the side regardless of gender.

This makes it possible to easily move the air cleaner a even in a narrow passage or place.

Since the corridor width of a typical home is about 850mm to 900mm, a space of about 550mm to 600mm can be secured when the air cleaner a is placed horizontally in the corridor.

Therefore, even if the air cleaner a is installed in a corridor of a general household, a sufficient space for people and objects to pass through can be secured.

Since the corridor width of the nursing home is about 1800mm or more, a space of about 1500mm can be secured when the air cleaner a is placed horizontally in the corridor.

Therefore, even if the air cleaner a is installed in a corridor of a nursing home, a sufficient space for people and objects to pass through can be secured.

Since the width of the wheelchair is about 700mm, the wheelchairs can pass each other even if the air cleaner a is installed in a corridor of a nursing home.

The air cleaner a having the above-described configuration of each portion is controlled as follows: the flow rate of the air passing through the deodorizing element 62 is controlled by the control means 47 so as to be equal to or lower than a predetermined value, whereby the deodorizing element 62 collects at least about 70% or more of the ammonia component or the like, which is the odor component in the indoor air introduced into the air passage R.

The structure is as follows: when the indoor air containing the ammonia component and the like introduced from the suction port 11 is discharged from the blow-out port 42 to the outside of the main body, the indoor air is discharged from the main body into the indoor space in a state where the ammonia component and the like are removed by about 70% or more.

That is, the air containing the ammonia component is passed through the deodorizing element 62 once, and about 70% of the ammonia component is removed from the indoor air.

The ratio of odor components contained in the air removed by the deodorizing element 62 by passing the air through the deodorizing element once is referred to as a one-pass removal ratio (one-pass removal ratio) of the odor components.

For example, when the odor component is not removed at all, the first pass removal rate is 0% (the first pass removal rate is 0%), and when 80% of the odor contained in the air is removed, the first pass removal rate is 80% (the first pass removal rate is 80%).

Here, the odor intensity will be described with reference to fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a table in which the odor concentration of ammonia is correlated with the odor intensities of the 6 levels.

The odor intensity is an index for measuring odor by an expert such as an odor determiner by an olfactory measurement method (sensory test method) and expressing the odor sensation in 6 levels, and the odor intensity is used as an evaluation criterion for setting a reference value of 22 substances in the malodor prevention method. The odor intensity is a criterion that a person feels a reduction in odor as his sense of smell decreases from a high level to a low level by 1 level.

Further, the odor feeling (odor degree) of a person in each class of odor intensity is as follows. Odor intensity 0 is odorless (no odor is perceived below a certain concentration). The odor intensity 1 is an odor (also called a detection threshold) with which the odor can be barely felt. The odor intensity 2 is a smell (also called a cognitive threshold) with a weak odor, which is known as a kind of odor. Odor intensity 3 is the odor that can be easily detected (often with respect to odor complaints). Odor intensity 4 is a strong odor (all people feel uncomfortable and need to improve the environment). Odor intensity 5 is a strong odor (where a person cannot stay).

In accordance with the odor intensity, the odor trapping ability of the conventional air cleaner and the air cleaner of the present embodiment will be described.

First, in the case of using a conventional portable air cleaner having an odor intensity of "4" (ammonia odor concentration of 10 ppm) and a transient removal rate of 50% of the odor, air having an ammonia odor concentration of 5ppm after 50% of the odor is removed from the air is discharged from the main body.

That is, in the case of an air cleaner having a transient odor removal rate of 50%, air having a strong odor with an odor intensity of less than "3" is discharged from the air cleaner into the indoor space.

Therefore, in the case of an air cleaner having a transient odor removal rate of 50%, the odor component is reduced, but the air is returned to the room without decreasing the odor intensity by 1 step, so that the user does not feel that the odor is reduced from the discharged air.

In addition, since the air whose odor is not reduced is blown out from the main body into the indoor space even if the deodorization is performed, it takes time to deodorize the indoor space and the odor spreads throughout the indoor space.

Next, when the air cleaner capable of controlling the transient removal rate of the odor to 80% as the present embodiment is used in the air having the odor intensity of "4" (the odor concentration of ammonia is 10 ppm), the air having the odor concentration of ammonia of 2ppm is discharged from the main body after 80% of the ammonia odor is removed from the air entering the main body.

That is, in the case of an air cleaner having a transient odor removal rate of 80%, air whose odor intensity is "3" is reduced by 1 rank is emitted from the main body.

Therefore, in the case of an air cleaner having a transient odor removal rate of 80%, the odor components are greatly reduced, and air whose odor intensity is reduced by 1 rank is discharged from the main body into the room, so that the user can reliably feel that the odor is reduced from the discharged air.

Further, since the air that the user can surely feel the reduction of the odor is blown out from the main body into the indoor space, the indoor air containing much odor can be made thin more quickly, the indoor deodorization can be performed more quickly, and the odor is not diffused into the whole of the indoor space.

Further, although the description has been made with the air cleaner in which the transient removal rate of the odor is controlled to 80%, even in the case where the air cleaner in which the transient removal rate of the odor is 70% is used in the air in which the odor intensity is "3", the odor of the air discharged from the blow-out port 42 is reduced to the state of "2" in which the odor intensity is reduced by 1 rank, so that the user can reliably feel the deodorizing effect immediately after the start of the deodorization.

Here, since the air cleaner a is configured to have a size that can be transported, the size of the deodorizing element 62 is limited in order to accommodate the deodorizing element 62 in the transportable main body. That is, the size (thickness) of the deodorizing element 62 cannot be simply increased to improve the deodorizing ability as in a stationary air cleaner installed and used at a predetermined place.

Therefore, in the air cleaner a, even if the size of the deodorizing element 62 is restricted as described above, in order to maintain the transient odor removal rate at 70% or more, the air blowing fan 44 is controlled by the control means 47 such that: the flow rate of the odor-containing air passing through the deodorizing element 62 is made to be about 0.15 meter per second to about 1.8 meters per second.

By controlling the air velocity to about 1.8 meters per second or less in this way, it is possible to construct an air cleaner in which the portability is ensured while maintaining the transient odor removal rate at 70%. Further, noise and vibration from the blower fan and the like, which are generated as the wind speed increases, can be suppressed.

In addition, by setting the wind speed to about 0.15 m or more, a weak operation of discharging 1 cubic meter of clean air per minute from the main body can be performed.

Next, in the air cleaner a, in a state where the transient odor removal rate is 70% or more, and the blower fan 44 is in operation, the control means 47 controls the blower fan 44 so that the amount of air (air volume) passing through the room in the ventilation passage R is about 10 cubic meters per minute or less.

The air cleaner a controlled in this manner will be described with reference to fig. 19 showing use example 1 and use example 2. In addition, a conventional air cleaner (conventional example) will be described as a reference example.

First, the use conditions are: the indoor area was 3 plateaus (4.86 square meters), the indoor space was 13.122 cubic meters, and the initial ammonia odor concentration was 1 ppm. The usage state is a space in which a region of 1 bed is assumed to be partitioned by a curtain in a ward used by a plurality of persons in a hospital or a nursing home.

That is, the air cleaner is carried into a space of a predetermined volume defined by a structure such as a wall from the outside and used.

The elapsed time is the time elapsed after the start of use. The indoor concentration is the concentration of ammonia odor contained in the indoor air. The outlet concentration is the concentration of ammonia odor contained in the air discharged from the outlet 42 of the air cleaner a. The unit of elapsed time is expressed by "minutes", and the unit of room density and blown-out density is expressed by "ppm".

The change in odor concentration with respect to elapsed time in the case where each air cleaner described below is used in such a situation will be described.

(use example 1: Per removal rate of odor about 80% and air volume per minute 8 cubic meters)

When the first-pass removal rate of the odor is 80%, the odor intensity of the air discharged from the blow-out port 42 is lower than the odor intensity of the indoor space by 1 rank or more, so that the user can feel the reduction of the odor by the sense of smell after starting to use the air cleaner.

When the air volume per minute is 8 cubic meters, the odor concentration of the air discharged from the blow-out port 42 is reduced to 1/20, i.e., 0.05ppm, which is the original indoor odor concentration of 1ppm, 3 minutes after the start of use. This is a value in which the odor intensity is reduced by 2 steps.

Further, the ammonia odor concentration in the room decreased to 1/20, i.e., 0.05ppm within 6 minutes after the start of use. This value is the odor concentration at which a substantially odorless state is perceived.

In this way, in the case of example 1, since the air can be quickly deodorized to such an extent that the air feels almost odorless within 5 to 6 minutes after the start of use of the air cleaner a, the operation with odor performed around the bed of a hospital or a nursing home can be performed without diffusing the odor into the ward.

For example, as an example of such an operation, the diaper change is described as an example, and it usually takes 5 to 6 minutes for 1 person to change the diaper, and the time required for deodorization in the above case is within the time required.

That is, the air cleaner a is used while the diaper changing operation is performed from the time when the curtain that surrounds the bed is pulled up to start changing the diaper to the time when the curtain is opened after the changing operation is completed, so that the deodorization of the odor that is performed almost simultaneously with the diaper changing operation can be completed at the time when the diaper changing operation is completed.

Therefore, when a diaper is replaced in a patient room used by a plurality of users by using the air cleaner a, the flow of odor from the periphery of the patient's bed where the replacement work is performed to other users can be prevented.

In addition, in facilities where many users need to replace diapers, it is possible to efficiently perform work with little spread of odor generated with replacement of diapers.

(use example 2: Per removal Rate of odor about 90% and air flow rate per minute 5 cubic meters)

This use example is an example in which the air volume is smaller than that in use example 1 but the transient removal rate of odor is high.

When the first-pass removal rate of the odor is 90%, the odor intensity of the air discharged from the blow-out port 42 is lower than the odor intensity of the indoor space by 1 rank or more, so that the user can feel the reduction of the odor by the sense of smell from the start of using the air cleaner.

When the air volume per minute is 5 cubic meters, the odor concentration of the air discharged from the blow-out port 42 is reduced to 1/20, i.e., 0.05ppm, which is the original indoor odor concentration of 1ppm, 2 minutes after the start of use. This is a value in which the odor intensity is reduced by 2 steps.

Further, the ammonia odor concentration in the room was reduced to 1/20, i.e., 0.05ppm within 9 minutes after the start of use. This value is the odor concentration at which a substantially odorless state is perceived. In this way, the air can be quickly deodorized to such an extent that the air feels almost odorless within 9 minutes after the start of use of the air cleaner a.

In the present usage example, it takes time to reduce the indoor ammonia odor concentration to 1/20 compared to usage example 1, but the odor concentration of the air discharged from the blow-out port 42 can be reduced to 1/20, i.e., 0.05ppm, which is the original indoor odor concentration, within about 2 minutes after the start of use.

Further, since the operation is performed so as to suppress the air volume, the operation sound of the blower fan 44 and the like can be suppressed to be low, and the power consumption generated during the operation can be suppressed to be low.

In the case of the portable air cleaner, it is preferable to control the air volume per minute to 10 cubic meters or less even if the air volume is maximized.

This is because: in the case of an air cleaner configured to be of a size that can be transported, the opening area of the air outlet 42 is limited. Therefore, the increase in the amount of air discharged from the air cleaner a increases the speed of air discharged from the blowout port 42, which causes dust to be caught up.

Further, increasing the air volume increases the air velocity passing through the deodorizing element 62, and there is a possibility that the transient removal rate of the odor from the deodorizing element 62 is lowered.

(former case: Per removal rate of odor was about 50%, air volume per minute was 3 cubic meters)

Here, for comparison, a reference use example of a conventionally used air cleaner will be described.

Conventionally, as a portable air cleaner, there is an air cleaner having a transient odor removal rate of about 50%.

In the case of this air cleaner, since the odor concentration of the air discharged from the blow-out port can be lowered to only about 0.5ppm, the odor intensity cannot be lowered by 1 rank, and it is difficult for the user to perceive the reduction of the odor by the sense of smell at the time of starting the use.

Further, since the transient removal rate of odor is about 50% and the air volume per minute is 3 cubic meters, an operation time of about 10 minutes to 11 minutes is required from the start of use to the time when the user feels a reduction in indoor odor, that is, in order to reduce the odor concentration by 70% or more from the initial indoor odor concentration.

Since it takes a long time to reduce the odor in the room, it cannot be said that the air cleaner is sufficient for use in changing diapers in hospitals, nursing homes, and the like.

The air cleaner a described in the above usage example 1 and usage example 2 may be configured as follows. An air cleaner A is carried from the outside into a space of a predetermined volume defined by a structure such as a wall, the air cleaner A including: a movable body casing having an inlet port 11 and an outlet port 42, and having an air passage R formed therein, the movable body casing being capable of arbitrarily approaching a source of odor containing ammonia components generated at a lower boundary (low body frame boundary) in the space; a blowing member provided inside the cabinet and blowing out the air introduced from the suction port 11 into the room in the ventilation path R from the blowing port 42; a deodorizing element 62 which is positioned in the casing and through which the air introduced into the ventilation path R passes; and a control means for controlling the blowing capacity of the blower fan 44, wherein the deodorizing element 62 contains a catalyst that adsorbs an ammonia component in the air introduced into the air passage R to collect the ammonia component from the air, and the deodorizing element 62 collects at least a predetermined rate of the ammonia component in the air while the air introduced into the room in the air passage R passes through the deodorizing element 62 once, in a state where the control means 47 controls the air volume of the blower fan 44 such that the flow rate of the air passing through the deodorizing element 62 per minute is equal to or greater than 1/5 which is the volume of the space.

In this way, since the air cleaner a is configured to be movable to the vicinity of the odor generation source located at the lower boundary of the room, the suction port 11 of the air cleaner a can be arbitrarily brought close to the odor generation source, and ammonia odor can be introduced into the air cleaner a from the suction port 11 before being diffused into the space.

This is the following structure: the odor leaking from the diaper changing on a hospital bed or the like installed indoors can be quickly introduced into the air cleaner A.

Further, since the control means controls the air volume of the air blowing means so that the flow rate of air passing through the deodorizing element 62 per minute is equal to or more than 1/5 times the volume of the space partitioned by the structure such as the wall, it is possible to collect the odor floating in the indoor space in a short time (see fig. 19).

The lower boundary of the room is a region of a predetermined volume of space defined by a structure such as a wall, such as a space in a ward or a space surrounded by a curtain, which is 1m or less from the floor.

In the air cleaner, the suction port 11 may be opened in the lateral direction of the cabinet, and a horizontal line passing through the center of the suction port 11 may be positioned in a range of 30cm to 70cm above the floor of the space.

By forming the suction port 11 in this way, the odor from the bed, which is a source of odor generation in a patient room or the like, can be efficiently taken into the air cleaner a.

The air passage R is bent upward at the downstream side from the suction port 11 located at the front surface of the casing, so that the air outlet 42 is directed upward from the top surface of the casing, and the deodorizing element 62 is located between the suction port 11 and the bent portion in the air passage R.

Since the odor-removed air is blown out upward of the housing in this way, when the air cleaner a is used in the vicinity of the odor generation source, the odor-removed air can be blown out upward of the odor generation source.

This makes it difficult to disturb the air flow near the source of odor generation, and therefore, diffusion of odor can be prevented, and room air containing odor can be efficiently taken into the air cleaner a.

Modification example

Next, a modification of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 11 to 12. Note that the same reference numerals as in embodiment 1 are assigned to the same components as in embodiment 1, and the description thereof is omitted.

A fan-shaped region, which is a region below the center support body 65b located at the center inside the opening 65a of the partition plate 65 constituting the deodorizing section 60 and is formed at a predetermined opening angle that is equally spread to the left and right with the center support body 65b as the center, is covered from the back surface side of the partition plate 65 by a substantially fan-shaped cover body 65 d.

The lid 65d is made of stainless steel, and the lid 65d is fixed to the beam portion 65c by screws or the like from the rear surface side (back surface side) of the partition plate 65. The cover 65d is formed in a size capable of covering the heater unit 63a of the heating unit 63 described later in a state of facing the heater unit 63 a.

In the state where the cover 65d is attached as described above, the heat insulator 66 is provided at a portion surrounded by the front surface of the cover 65d and the beam portion 65 c. A cover 67 is provided on the front side of the heat insulator 66. The cover 67 is made of resin, and the cover 67 is fixed to the beam portion 65c by screws or the like from the front surface side (front surface side) of the partition plate 65.

When the respective portions are configured as described above, since the front surface of the cover 65d is covered with the heat insulator 66, when the deodorizing element 62 is heated by the heating unit 63, the heat of the heating space can be made less likely to escape from the surface of the cover 65d that passes through the heating space formed by facing the heating unit 63.

Therefore, the temperature of the heating space can be efficiently raised, the deodorizing element 62 can be efficiently heated, and the user cannot directly contact the lid 65d which has reached a high temperature, so that scalding can be prevented.

Next, another modification of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 13 to 14. Note that the same components as those in embodiment 1 and the above-described modified examples are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

In fig. 13 to 14, a grid is normally attached to the opening portion of the air outlet 42, but the grid is shown removed to explain the operation of the louver 46.

First, near the air outlet 42, the louver 46 is constituted by: a plurality of plate-like wind direction plates 46 a; a link mechanism 46c that connects the plurality of wind direction plates 46a to each other and operates the wind direction plates 46a at a predetermined angle; and a driving unit (not shown) for operating the link mechanism 46 c.

The plurality of plate-like vanes 46a of the louver 46 are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval in the opening of the air outlet 42, and the vanes 46a are supported by the air outlet 42 by shafts formed at both ends of the vanes 46 a.

The driving unit that operates the link mechanism 46c is connected to a control unit 47 described later, and is driven by a predetermined program in accordance with the state of the air cleaner, thereby changing the direction of the louver 46.

The wind direction plate 46a is configured to have a width in the front-rear direction substantially equal to the width in the front-rear direction of the air outlet 42, and a maximum width in the left-right direction is set to a size to such an extent that the air outlet 42 is blocked by the adjacent wind direction plate 46a in a state where the louver 46 is closed, that is, in a state where the wind direction plate 46a is horizontally disposed.

During the period in which the deodorizing element 62 is heat-treated, the control member 47 operates the drive unit for operating the link mechanism 46c so that the louvers 46 are in a state in which the louvers 46a are horizontally disposed to block the air outlet 42.

In this way, during the heat treatment of the deodorizing element 62, the blow-out port 42 is closed by the louver 46, and odor and the like generated during the heat treatment from the deodorizing element 62 can be made less likely to be released to the outside of the air cleaner a.

In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the air outlet 42 is closed by the louver 46 provided in the air outlet 42 is described, but a member such as a shutter for opening and closing the air outlet 42 may be provided separately from the louver 46.

Further, not only the outlet 42 but also the inlet 11 may be provided with a shutter or the like for opening and closing the opening of the inlet 11, and by closing the inlet 11 during the heat treatment of the deodorizing element 62, it is possible to further prevent the odor and the like generated during the heat treatment from the deodorizing element 62 from being discharged to the outside of the air cleaner a.

Description of the reference numerals

A. An air cleaner; C. a main body case; r, a ventilation path; 10. a front panel; 11. an air intake; 12. a HEPA filter; 13. a coarse filter; 20. a front housing; 21. a frame; 23. a partition plate; 26. an operation section; 40. a rear housing; 42. an air outlet; 44. a blower fan; 45. a partition plate; 46. a blind window; 46a, a wind vane; 46c, a link mechanism; 47. a control component; 60. a deodorization part; 61. a frame body; 62. a deodorizing element; 63. a heating unit; 64. a drive member; 65. a middle dividing plate; 65d, a cover body; 66. a thermal insulation member; 67. a cover; 90. a wheel; 91. a handle; 91a, a grip portion.

Claims (12)

1. An air purifier with deodorization function is characterized in that,

this air purifier with deodorization function includes: a portable housing having an air passage formed therein, the air passage having a suction port and a discharge port; an air blowing member that is provided inside the housing and blows out the indoor air introduced into the ventilation path from the suction port from the discharge port; a deodorizing element which is provided so as to cover the ventilation passage and through which the air introduced into the ventilation passage passes; a control part which controls the operation of the air blowing part,

the deodorizing element contains a catalyst that adsorbs an ammonia component in the air introduced into the ventilation path to collect the ammonia component from the air,

the control means controls the air blowing means so that the flow rate of air passing through the deodorizing element is equal to or less than a predetermined value, whereby the deodorizing element traps at least 70% or more of the ammonia component in the air once introduced into the ventilation path and passing through the deodorizing element.

2. The air cleaner having a deodorization function as recited in claim 1,

the control means controls the air blowing means such that the flow velocity of air passing through the deodorizing element is 1.8 meters per second or less in a state where the air blowing means is operated.

3. The air cleaner having a deodorization function as recited in claim 1,

the control means controls the air blowing means such that the amount of indoor air passing through the ventilation passage is 10 cubic meters per minute or less in a state where the air blowing means is operated.

4. The air cleaner having a deodorization function as recited in claim 1,

the ventilation path is formed in the horizontal direction inside the housing,

the deodorizing element is located on an upstream side of an airflow of the air introduced into the ventilation path, as viewed from a position of the air outlet.

5. An air purifier with deodorization function is characterized in that,

this air purifier with deodorization function includes: a portable housing having an air passage formed therein, the air passage having a suction port and a discharge port; an air blowing member that is provided inside the housing and blows out the indoor air introduced into the ventilation path from the suction port from the discharge port; a deodorizing element which is provided so as to cover the ventilation passage and through which the air introduced into the ventilation passage passes; a heating part that heats the deodorizing element; a control part which controls the operation of the air blowing part,

the deodorizing element contains a catalyst that adsorbs an ammonia component in the air introduced into the ventilation path to collect the ammonia component from the air,

the control means controls the air blowing means so that the flow rate of air passing through the deodorizing element is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the deodorizing element trapping 70% or more of an ammonia component in air once passed through the deodorizing element after being introduced into the air passage,

the heating member has the following capabilities: the heating means heats a predetermined portion of the deodorizing element to a predetermined temperature or higher at which the capability of collecting the ammonia component in the deodorizing element can be recovered within a predetermined time while the control means does not operate the air blowing means.

6. The air cleaner having a deodorization function as recited in claim 5,

the heating element has the following capabilities: the prescribed portion of the deodorizing element can be heated to a temperature of 120 degrees or more within 60 minutes.

7. The air cleaner having a deodorization function as recited in claim 5,

the deodorizing element is configured to pass air from the air blowing part from a 1 st side surface to a 2 nd side surface located at an opposite side,

the heating member includes: a heating element that is controlled by the control member to be energized; a heating space containing the heating element,

the heating member is located close to at least one of the 1 st side surface and the 2 nd side surface of the deodorizing element, and has an opening for radiating heat from the heating space on a side facing the deodorizing element.

8. An air purifier with deodorization function is characterized in that,

this air purifier with deodorization function includes: a portable housing having an air passage formed therein, the air passage having a suction port and a discharge port; an air blowing member that is provided inside the housing and blows out the indoor air introduced into the ventilation path from the suction port from the discharge port; a deodorizing element which is provided so as to cover the ventilation passage and through which the air introduced into the ventilation passage passes; a control part which controls the operation of the air blowing part,

the deodorizing element contains a catalyst that adsorbs an ammonia component in the air introduced into the ventilation path to collect the ammonia component from the air,

the control means controls the air blowing means so that the flow rate of air passing through the deodorizing element is equal to or less than a predetermined value, whereby the deodorizing element traps at least 70% or more of the ammonia component in the air once introduced into the air passage and passed through the deodorizing element,

and the control means controls the amount of the indoor air passing through the ventilation path to be 4 to 10 cubic meters per minute.

9. The air cleaner having a deodorization function as recited in claim 8,

the control part controls the blowing part such that a flow velocity of air passing through the deodorizing element is 0.15 m/s to 1.8 m/s.

10. An air cleaner having a deodorizing function, which is carried into a space of a predetermined volume partitioned by a structure from the outside,

this air purifier with deodorization function includes: a movable casing having an air passage formed therein, the air passage having a suction port and a discharge port and being capable of arbitrarily approaching a source of odor containing ammonia components generated at a lower boundary in the space; an electric blower member provided inside the housing and blowing out the indoor air introduced into the ventilation path from the suction port from the discharge port; a deodorizing element which is positioned in the casing and through which air introduced into the ventilation path passes; a control means that controls a blowing capability of the electric blowing means,

the lower boundary means a range of 1m or less above the ground of the space,

the deodorizing element contains a catalyst that adsorbs an ammonia component in the air introduced into the ventilation path to collect the ammonia component from the air,

the control means controls the air volume of the electric blower so that the flow rate of air passing through the deodorizing element per minute is not less than 1/5 of the volume of the space, and the deodorizing element collects at least 70% or more of the ammonia component in the indoor air introduced into the air passage while the air passes through the deodorizing element once.

11. The air cleaner having a deodorization function as recited in claim 10,

the suction inlet of the casing is horizontal, and the horizontal line passing through the center of the suction inlet is positioned in the range of 30-70 cm above the ground of the space.

12. The air cleaner having a deodorization function as recited in claim 11,

the ventilation path is bent upward in a downstream direction from the suction port located in the front surface of the casing so that the discharge port faces upward from the top surface of the casing,

the deodorizing element is located between the suction port and the curved portion in the ventilation path.