JP2002243198A - Dehumidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a dehumidifier capable of effectively removing airborne bacteria in a room. SOLUTION: In a dehumidifier which cools and dehumidifies air taken in from an inlet port 15 by an evaporator 8, and raises the temperature in a condenser 9 to send out dry air into a room, a part of the dry air is passed through a bypass passage 48. To the ion generator 16 for generating positive ions and negative ions through the outlet 4
The dry air containing ions flowing out of 1a and the dry air sent from the opening 44b of the fan case 44 were combined and sent out from the outlets 4 and 18 into the room.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dehumidifier for dehumidifying a room.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the increase in density and hermeticity of a residential environment, it has been required to remove airborne bacteria harmful to the human body. For this reason, an air purifier that sends positive ions and negative ions generated by electric discharge into a room and sterilizes airborne bacteria with active species generated by both ions has been put to practical use.

[0003]

However, according to the above-described air purifier, when the humidity of the indoor air is high, the amount of ions generated at the time of discharge is reduced, and the airborne bacteria in the indoor are effectively sterilized. There was a problem that could not be done. In particular, when clothes are being dried indoors, the humidity in the room rises,
It was difficult to sterilize airborne bacteria adhering to clothing.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a dehumidifier capable of effectively removing floating bacteria in a room even when the humidity in the room is high.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a dehumidifier for dehumidifying indoor air, comprising an ion generator for generating positive ions and negative ions, and drying air after dehumidification. Is introduced to the ion generator, and the ions are sent out into the room by the dry air. According to this configuration, the dry air after dehumidification is guided to the ion generator and sent out to the room together with the ions.

A dehumidifier that takes in room air and exchanges heat with a heat exchanger that executes a refrigeration cycle to condense and remove moisture contained in the air and sends dry air from a blower outlet to the room. Wherein an ion generator for generating positive ions and negative ions is provided on the outlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0007] According to this configuration, the indoor air taken into the dehumidifier is subjected to heat exchange with the refrigeration cycle to condense moisture and become dry air. The dry air is guided to the ion generator, and carries plus ions and negative ions generated by the ion generator and sends them out of the room.
As a result, a stable amount of ions is sent into the room even when the room humidity is high.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the dehumidifier having the above structure, a part of the dry air is led to the ion generator. According to this configuration, after a part of the dehumidified dry air is guided to the ion generator and contains ions, it is combined with the remaining dry air and sent out to the room.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the dehumidifier having the above structure, the ratio of the air guided to the ion generator is varied according to the amount of air sent into the room. According to this configuration, regardless of the amount of air blown into the room,
The amount of air guided to the ion generator is kept substantially constant.

The present invention also provides the dehumidifier having the above structure, wherein the ion generator generates positive ions and negative ions by applying a voltage to the electrodes and discharging the same, and the ion generator generates the positive ions and the negative ions according to the humidity of the dry air. It is characterized in that the applied voltage of the ion generator is varied. According to this configuration, for example, when the humidity of the dry air is high, the amount of ions generated by the discharge decreases. Therefore, the applied voltage is increased and the desired amount of ions is maintained.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the dehumidifier having the above-mentioned structure, the amount of ions generated by the ion generator is varied according to the amount of air sent into the room. According to this configuration, for example, when a large amount of air is blown, the concentration of ions sent into the room decreases, so that the amount of generated ions increases.

The present invention also provides a dehumidifier having the above structure, further comprising a swingable wind direction plate for changing the direction of air delivered indoors, wherein the ion generating device is used in accordance with a swing angle of the wind direction plate. It is characterized in that the amount of generated ions is varied. According to this configuration, for example, when the swing angle of the wind direction plate is large, ions to be sent out into the room are diffused, so that the amount of generated ions is increased.

The present invention also provides the dehumidifier having the above configuration, wherein the amount of ions generated by the ion generator when the wind direction plate oscillates is determined by the ion generated by the ion generator when the wind direction plate stops oscillating. It is characterized in that it is larger than the amount.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the dehumidifier having the above structure, the outlet can be closed by the wind direction plate. According to this configuration,
The outlet is closed by the wind direction plate to prevent dust and the like from entering.

Further, according to the present invention, in the dehumidifier having the above structure, the ion generator is provided near the air outlet, and a finger that enters from the air outlet when the wind direction plate is opened is in contact with the ion generator. This is characterized in that a shielding means for preventing the occurrence of the noise is provided. According to this configuration, a finger that enters from the air outlet when the wind direction plate is opened is shielded by the shielding means, thereby preventing an accident such as electric shock and sending ions from near the air outlet to suppress the disappearance of ions.

According to the present invention, in the dehumidifier having the above structure, a lamp is provided for illuminating the ion generator during operation of the ion generator so that the ion generator can be visually recognized. It is characterized in that the lamp can be turned off inside. According to this configuration, when an applied voltage is applied to the ion generator, the lamp is turned on and the operating state can be visually recognized. Since the lamp is turned off by the user's operation while the ion generator is in operation at bedtime or the like, the usability is good and the power consumption is reduced.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are a front perspective view and a rear perspective view showing a dehumidifier of one embodiment. The dehumidifier 1 is installed and used on a floor or the like in the direction shown in these figures, and the vertical direction in the figure matches the vertical direction in use. Dehumidifier 1
The front side of the side surface, the front side of the bottom surface, and the front surface are covered by the front frame 2, and the rear side of the side surface, the rear side of the bottom surface, and the back surface are covered by the rear frame 3.

Then, the front frame 2 and the rear frame 3 are assembled so that they are engaged with each other by engagement claws (not shown) formed on the side and bottom edges of the rear frame 3 to form an opening in a part of the upper surface. I have. An exhaust unit 12 for sending out air is attached to the opening. The exhaust unit 12 is provided with outlets 4 and 18 for blowing dry air upward and rearward, respectively. Although details will be described later, a wind direction variable device 17 that shields the blow hole 4 and changes the wind direction by driving a wind direction plate (not shown) is attached to the blow port 4.

On the rear side of the rear frame 3, a suction port 15 for taking in room air is formed. A filter 7 is attached to the rear frame 3 on the inner side of the dehumidifier 1 at a position corresponding to the suction port 15. The filter 7 has an antibacterial specification antibacterial by apatite or the like.
Dust and pollen contained in the air flowing into the dehumidifier 1 from
Removes viruses, nitrogen oxides, etc. The filter 7 is detachably inserted through an opening 61 formed on the upper surface of the rear frame 3.

A handle 10 is pivotally supported behind the exhaust unit 12 so that the dehumidifier 1 can be carried.
In the front frame 2, a viewing window 14 through which the inside of the dehumidifier 1 can be visually recognized is provided at one of the upper front, and an operation panel 13 for operating and displaying the dehumidifier 1 is provided at substantially the center of the upper front. ing.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a top view and a front view showing details of the operation panel 13, respectively. On the upper surface side of the operation panel 13, an emptying button 21, a dehumidifying button 22, and a clothes drying button 23 are provided. When the air-cleaning button 21 is pressed, the air-cleaning operation is performed by blowing air without performing the dehumidifying operation,
The positive ions and the negative ions are simultaneously sent out into the room to remove airborne bacteria in the room.

When the dehumidification button 22 is depressed, a compressor described later is driven at a normal output to dehumidify the indoor air. When the clothes drying button 23 is pressed, the compressor is driven at a substantially maximum output to dehumidify the air in the room and dry clothes dried in the room. The ion generator described below is driven in combination with the air cleaning operation, the dehumidification operation, and the clothes drying operation.

On the front side of the operation panel 13, there is provided a display panel 29 for displaying the room temperature and the operating state.
Below the display panel 29, a dehumidification switching button 24, an air volume switching button 25, a swing button 27, and a timer switching button 28 are arranged. When the dehumidification switching button 24 is pressed, the operation mode is switched in the order of “automatic dehumidification”, “cavitation tack”, “continuous dehumidification”, and “condensation prevention”.

When the air volume switching button 25 is depressed, the air volume of the air sent into the room is switched in the order of "medium", "silent", and "strong". When the swing button 27 is pressed,
The wind direction plate is switched in the order of "off", "up", "rear", and "wide angle", and the wind direction of the air sent into the room can be switched. When the timer switching button 28 is pressed, the timer is switched on and off, and a timer time of 1 to 9 hours can be set.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the inside of the dehumidifier 1. A compressor 5 is arranged at a lower portion on the back side of the dehumidifier 1,
A tank 6 for collecting condensed water via a drain pan 19 is provided at a lower portion on the front side. The tank 6 can be taken out by opening a part of the front frame 2 and drain the accumulated condensed water. Above the compressor 5, an evaporator 8, a condenser 9, and a blower 11 are arranged in this order from the filter 7 arranged facing the suction port 15. Blower 11
An ion generator 16 that simultaneously generates positive ions and negative ions by discharge is disposed above the ion generator.

The blower 11 is constituted by a sirocco fan which rotates an impeller 11b provided on the outer periphery of the motor 11a by driving the motor 11a and discharges the air sucked from the suction port 15 on the back side of the dehumidifier 1 in the circumferential direction. I have. Thereby, air is guided toward the ion generator 16 and the outlets 4 and 18.

One end of the evaporator 8 and one end of the condenser 9 are connected via a compressor 5 by a first connecting pipe (not shown), and the other end of the evaporator 8 and the other end of the condenser 9 expand. They are connected by a second connection pipe (not shown) via a valve (not shown). Therefore, the refrigerant in the first and second connection pipes flows by driving the compressor 5, and the refrigeration cycle is operated. That is, the compressor 5
The high-temperature refrigerant compressed by the compressor 9 releases heat in the condenser 9 and condenses. After the refrigerant liquefied by the condensation is decompressed by the expansion valve, the vaporized heat is taken by the evaporator 8 and returned to the compressor 5 when being vaporized.

The room air sucked from the suction port 15 by driving the blower 11 exchanges heat with the evaporator 8 on the low temperature side and is cooled. At this time, the water contained in the air is condensed and collected in the tank 6 as condensed water. Since the temperature of the air that has been dried by removing moisture (hereinafter referred to as “dry air”) has decreased, the air exchanges heat with the condenser 9 on the high-temperature side and is heated to the temperature before dehumidification.

Thereafter, as will be described in detail later, the dry air passes through the blower 11 and is partially guided to the ion generator 16. The remaining dry air is discharged from the outlets 4 and 18 (see FIG. 2).
And merges with the dry air containing ions after passing through the ion generator 16 and is sent out indoors. This allows
Indoor dehumidification and sterilization are performed.

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are a side sectional view, a rear view, and a top view showing the details of the upper portion of the dehumidifier 1. Dehumidifier 1
An ion generator 16 is disposed at one upper portion on the front side of the device, facing the viewing window 14. The ion generator 16 is covered by a casing 41. The casing 41 is
It is attached to a fan case 44 that covers the blower 11 with screws. The upper surface and the rear surface of the casing 41 are covered with an upper cover 43 so as to open a part of the rear of the casing 41 to form an outlet 41a.

The casing 41 is vertically partitioned by a partition plate 41h, and the ion generator 16 is disposed on the upper side. FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing details of the ion generator 16. The ion generator 16 includes the cylindrical dielectric 5.
The inner electrode 51 is arranged along the inner surface of the outer electrode 0, and the outer electrode 52 is arranged along the outer surface. The outer electrode 52 is bound to the dielectric 50 by a band 57.

In this embodiment, a glass tube having an outer shape of 20 mm is used as the dielectric 50. Also, the inner electrode 51
A SUS304 flat plate is rolled and used, and the outer electrode 52 is a SUS304 or SUS316 wire rod plain-woven with 16 mesh and rolled.

Both ends of the dielectric 50 are provided with an insulating packing 53,
The insulating packings 53 and 54 are fitted with the grooves 53a and 54a formed in the groove 54. A power supply unit (not shown) composed of a high voltage circuit is provided for the inner electrode 51 and the outer electrode 52.
Lead wires 55 and 56 connected to
The outer electrode 52 is grounded. The lead wire 55 is inserted into and held by an insertion hole 53c formed substantially in the center of the insulating packing 53.

Grooves 5 are formed on the peripheral surfaces of the insulating packings 53 and 54.
3d and 54d are formed. A rib (not shown) provided on the inner wall of the casing 41 is fitted into the grooves 53d and 54d, and the ion generator 16 is supported.

When a high AC voltage is applied between the inner electrode 51 and the outer electrode 52, positive ions mainly composed of H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n are generated by plasma discharge when the applied voltage is a positive voltage, If a negative voltage is mainly O ₂ ^- (H ₂ O) negative ions of _m is generated.

The H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n and O ₂ ^- When (H ₂ O) _m are discharged from the outlet 4, 18 of the dehumidifier 1 indoors, on the surface of airborne fungi, such microorganisms in air Aggregates and surrounds suspended bacteria such as microorganisms. Then, as shown in formulas (1) to (3), the active species [.OH] (hydroxyl radical) and H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) are generated and suspended on the surface of microorganisms and the like by collision. It is designed to kill bacteria.

[0037] ^{_{H + (H 2 O) n}} + O 2 - (H 2 O) m → · OH + 1 / 2O 2 + (n + m) H 2 O ··· (1) H + (H 2 O) n + H ^{_{+ (H 2 O) n '}} + O 2 - (H 2 O) m + O 2 - (H 2 O) m' → 2 · OH + O 2 + (n + n '+ m + m') H 2 O ··· _{^{(2) H + (H 2}} O) n + H + (H 2 O) n '+ O 2 - (H 2 O) m + O 2 - (H 2 O) m' → H 2 O 2 + O 2 + (n + _{n '+ m + m')} H 2 O ··· (3)

5 to 7, a blue lamp 49 made of a light emitting diode or the like for illuminating the ion generator 16 is attached to the upper cover 43. Further, a transparent plate 46 is attached to a front surface of the casing 41 at a position facing the viewing window 14. As a result, the operating state of the ion generator 16 can be visually recognized from the viewing window 14.

The periphery of the impeller 11 b of the blower 11 is covered with a fan case 44. In the upper part of the fan case 44, an opening 44b for discharging dry air is formed. A protective plate 45 made of a wire mesh or the like for preventing foreign matter from entering is provided in the opening 44b, and a humidity sensor 70 for detecting the humidity of dry air discharged from the opening 44b is provided above the protective plate 45. .

In FIG. 6, the fan case 44 has a bypass portion 44a extending substantially horizontally from one end of the opening portion 44b. A duct 42 that covers a part of the opening 44c is provided on the bypass 44a.
By the bypass part 44a and the duct 42, the blower 11
A bypass passage 48 that guides a part of the dry air sent in the circumferential direction to the inflow port 41b of the casing 41 is formed. A movable air volume adjusting plate 60 is provided at an end of the duct 42. The air volume adjusting plate 60 is a fan 11
The amount of dry air flowing into the bypass passage 48 can be adjusted according to the amount of air flow.

The air flowing into the casing 41 from the inlet 41b is led to the ion generator 16 through an opening 41c formed in the partition plate 41h. FIG. 9 shows the duct 42
2 shows a top view as viewed from above. As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 9, the air that has passed through the ion generator 16 flows out of the outlet 41a. The duct 42 has a step 42
a is formed, and a partition rib 42b for allowing air to flow smoothly is formed on the upper surface of the step portion 42a.

The air flowing out of the outlet 41a is led to the exhaust unit 12 having the variable air direction device 17. The remaining air sent in the circumferential direction by the blower 11 is guided to the exhaust unit 12 from the opening 44 b by the peripheral wall of the fan case 44. Then, the merged air is sent out by the wind direction variable device 17 in a predetermined direction in the room.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the wind direction changing device 17. 5 and 10, the wind direction variable device 17 changes the wind direction according to the direction, the first and second vertical wind direction plates 30, 31.
And four horizontal wind direction plates 33. First vertical wind direction board 3
0 is curved along the outer shape of the exhaust unit 12. The first vertical wind panel 30 is pivotally supported on the horizontal axis, and the first vertical wind panel 3
Rotating together with the second vertical wind direction plate 31 attached substantially in parallel to 0, the wind direction in the front-rear direction is changed. The horizontal wind direction plate 33 is pivotally supported by the first and second vertical wind direction plates 30 and 31, and changes the wind direction in the left-right direction when viewed from the front of the dehumidifier 1 by rotation.

A shaft portion 12a is provided on one side wall 4a of the outlet 4 formed in the exhaust unit 12. A stepping motor 34 is provided outside the other side wall 4a. The first vertical wind direction plate 30 has an E-shaped cross section, and the top plate 3
0j, side walls 30e and 30f, and an intermediate wall 30b.

A shaft hole 30c is formed in one side wall 30e of the first vertical wind direction plate 30, and a shaft portion 30 is formed in the other side wall 30f.
g is formed. The shaft hole 30c and the shaft portion 12a are fitted,
The first vertical wind direction plate 30 is pivotally supported by connecting the shaft portion 30g and the shaft portion 34a of the stepping motor 34 via the hole 4b formed in the side wall 4a.

As shown in FIG. 12, a part of the periphery of the hole 4b is notched in a fan shape, and an end face of the notch is
When the stopper piece 30h projecting from the peripheral surface of the shaft portion 30g of the first vertical wind direction plate 30 abuts, the first vertical wind direction plate 30
Is restricted.

The second vertical wind direction plate 31 has a U-shaped cross section, and has a bottom plate 31d and side walls 31e and 31f.
A hole 31c is formed in the center of the bottom plate 31d, and the side wall 31d is formed.
Holes 31b are formed in e and 31f. Hole 31
b engages with the claw portions 30d provided on the side walls 30e and 30f of the first vertical wind direction plate 30. Further, a screw (not shown) is inserted through the hole 31c and screwed into a screw hole 30e formed in the intermediate wall 31b of the first vertical wind direction plate 30. This allows the first,
The second vertical wind direction plates 30, 31 are integrated substantially in parallel.

The top plate 30j of the first vertical wind direction plate 30 is formed with boss holes 30a having circular cross sections at four locations. Four bosses 31 having circular cross sections are provided on the bottom plate 31 d of the second vertical wind direction plate 31.
a is formed. Bosses 33a and boss holes 33b having a circular cross section are formed on the upper and lower sides of the horizontal wind direction plate 33, respectively. The boss hole 30a and the boss 33a are fitted, and the boss 31a
The horizontal wind direction plate 33 is pivotally supported by fitting the boss hole 33b with the boss hole 33b.

Further, the horizontal wind direction plate 33 has the second vertical wind direction plate 31.
A notch 33g is provided in which a part of the surface opposing to the notch is cut, and a boss 33d having a circular cross section protrudes from the notch 33g. Each boss 33d of the two horizontal wind direction plates 33 is loosely fitted into a hole (not shown) provided in the connection plate 35. Thus, the two horizontal wind direction plates 33 are connected by the connection plate 35, and are rotated in conjunction with each other.

When the swing button 27 (see FIG. 3) is operated, the step motor 34 is driven, and the first and second vertical wind direction plates 30, 31 rotate around the shaft portions 12a, 30g.
When the dehumidifier 1 is not used, the air outlet 4 is closed by the first vertical wind direction plate 30 as shown in FIG. As a result, intrusion of dust and the like from the outlet 4 is prevented.

The first and second vertical wind direction plates 30 and 31 are set to about 100
゜ When turned, it becomes as shown in FIG. At this time, the outlet 4 is opened, and the direction of the horizontal wind direction plate 33 can be changed by manually moving the protrusion 33c of the horizontal wind direction plate 33. Further, as will be described later, it is also possible to swing the first and second vertical wind direction plates 30 and 31 within a predetermined angle range by operating the swing button 27.

The front wall 4c of the outlet 4 and the outlet 41a
The upper wall 43a constitutes shielding means for preventing a finger that enters when the outlet 4 is opened from contacting the ion generator 16. Thereby, it is possible to prevent an accident such as an electric shock due to contact between the finger and the ion generator 16, and to arrange the ion generator 16 near the outlet 4 so as to be in contact with a wall surface or the like in a distribution channel after ion generation. Extinction due to the collision of ions can be suppressed.

The operation of the dehumidifier 1 having the above configuration will be described below. When the power of the dehumidifier 1 is turned on, the emptying button 21
It waits until either the dehumidification button 22 or the clothes drying button 23 is pressed. When the dehumidification button 22 is pressed, the compressor 5 is driven with a normal output, and the blower 11 is driven with the air volume “medium”. Further, the stepping motor 34 of the wind direction variable device 17 is driven, and the wind direction is set to “up”.

By depressing the air volume switching button 25, the air volume is reduced to a "quiet sound" in which the air volume is smaller than the "medium" air volume and the noise due to the operation of the blower 11 is reduced, and the "strong" air volume is larger than the air volume "medium" Can switch.

As described above, the wind direction switching device 17
Are sequentially switched to “OFF”, “Wide-angle”, “Up”, and “Back” by pressing the swing button 27 (see FIG. 3). When "wide angle" is selected, the first and second vertical wind direction plates 30, 3
1 swings at a swing angle of about 100 ° between the aforementioned substantially horizontal state shown in FIG. 5 and the substantially vertical state shown in FIG.

When it is set to “up”, the first and second vertical wind direction plates 3
0, 31 swing from the substantially vertical state shown in FIG. 11 at a swing angle of about 50 ° in the direction to close the outlet 4, and the air is mainly sent out from the upper outlet 4. When it is set to "rearward", the first and second vertical wind direction plates 30 and 31 swing from the substantially horizontal state shown in FIG. Air is discharged from the air outlet 4 and the rear outlet 18. When it is set to “OFF”, the swinging first and second vertical wind direction plates 30 and 31 can be stopped at an arbitrary position. When the dehumidifying operation, the clothes drying operation, and the emptying operation of the dehumidifier 1 are stopped, the air outlet 4 is closed as shown in FIG.

The operation mode of the dehumidifying operation is initially “automatic dehumidification”.
When the room temperature is lower than 28 ° C., the compressor 5 is stopped when the humidity becomes 60% or less, and when the room temperature is 28 ° C. or more, the compressor 5 is stopped when the humidity becomes 55% or less. It has become. When the operation mode is switched to “Cavia tack” by pressing the dehumidification button 22, the humidity becomes 49%.
%, The compressor 5 is stopped.

When the operation mode is switched to "continuous dehumidification", the compressor 5 is operated continuously. When the humidity becomes, for example, 30% or less, the dehumidifying efficiency is reduced.
Is stopped. When the operation mode is switched to "prevention of dew condensation", when the room temperature becomes lower than 15 ° C., the air volume is automatically switched to "strong" to prevent dew condensation of the evaporator 9.

When the refrigerating cycle is operated by driving the compressor 5 and the blower 11 is driven, room air is taken into the dehumidifier 1 from the suction port 15. The indoor air containing moisture is cooled by the evaporator 8 on the low temperature side, and the moisture condenses to dry air. Thereafter, the temperature is raised to the original temperature by the condenser 9 on the high temperature side, and the opening 44 of the fan case 44 is opened.
b.

Some of the dry air passes from the fan case 44 through the bypass passage 48 to the ion generator 16 through the inlet 41b. The dry air passing through the ion generator 16 carries the ions generated by the ion generator 16 and is sent out from the outlet 4 into the room.

The ion generator 16 generates ions by setting an applied voltage based on the flowchart of the ion generation process shown in FIG. Step # 31
In, the maximum applied voltage P of the ion generator 16 is set. In the present embodiment, P = 1.8 kV. In step # 32, it is determined whether or not the humidity of the dry air detected by the humidity sensor 70 is equal to or lower than a predetermined humidity. If the humidity is higher than the predetermined humidity, the process proceeds to step # 34 while keeping the applied voltage P as it is.

If the dry air is lower than the predetermined humidity, a new applied voltage P is set by multiplying the applied voltage P by a predetermined coefficient in step # 33. Here, the coefficient is 0.85. Since the amount of ions generated by the ion generator 16 decreases when the humidity is high, the applied voltage P is set high to maintain the ion concentration properly.

In step # 34, it is determined whether or not the air volume of the blower 11 is "strong". If the air volume is "strong", the applied voltage P is newly set by multiplying the applied voltage P by a predetermined coefficient in step # 36. Here, since the coefficient is 1, step # 36 may be omitted.

If it is determined in step # 34 that the air volume is not "strong", it is determined whether or not the air volume is "medium" in step # 35. If the air volume is "medium", the applied voltage is determined in step # 37. The applied voltage P is newly set by multiplying P by a predetermined coefficient smaller than 1. Here, the coefficient is 0.85. If it is determined in step # 35 that the air volume is not "medium", the air volume of the blower 11 is "silent", so that in step # 38, the applied voltage P is multiplied by a predetermined coefficient smaller than 0.85 and newly added. The applied voltage P is set. Here, the coefficient is 0.7.

If the air volume of the blower 11 is large, the ion concentration is reduced, so that it is not possible to sufficiently obtain the sterilizing ability of the suspended bacteria. For this reason, when the air volume of the blower 11 is large, the applied voltage P is set high, and when the air volume is small, the applied voltage P is set low to maintain an appropriate ion concentration.

Next, the routine proceeds to step # 39, where it is determined whether or not the wind direction of the wind direction switching device 17 is "wide angle". If it is determined in step # 39 that the wind direction is "wide angle", the applied voltage P is newly set by multiplying the applied voltage P by a predetermined coefficient in step # 41. Here, since the coefficient is 1, step # 41 may be omitted. If it is determined that the wind direction is not “wide angle”, it is determined in step # 40 whether or not the wind direction is “upward”.

If the wind direction is "upward", the applied voltage P is newly set by multiplying the applied voltage P by a predetermined coefficient smaller than 1 in step # 42. Here, the coefficient is 0.85. If it is determined in step # 40 that the wind direction is not "upward", the wind direction of the wind direction switching device 17 is "rearward" or the swing stop state ("off"). The applied voltage P is newly set by multiplying by a predetermined coefficient smaller than 85. Here, the coefficient is 0.7
It is.

If the swing angle of the variable wind direction device 17 is large, ions are emitted to a wide area in the room, so that the ions are diffused and the sterilizing ability of the suspended bacteria is reduced. Therefore, the applied voltage P is set high when the swing angle of the wind direction variable device 17 is large, and set low when the swing angle of the wind direction variable device 17 is small. Therefore, the applied voltage P at the time of stopping the swing is set to the lowest. As a result, an appropriate sterilizing ability is maintained.

The wind direction of the wind direction variable device 17 is "upward".
The swing angle is the same in the case of
Normally, the dehumidifier 1 is installed along the indoor wall surface, and ions are emitted to a wider range when the wind direction is “upward”.
Therefore, the applied voltage P is set higher when the wind direction is “upward” than when it is “backward”.

Then, in step # 44, the set applied voltage P is applied to the ion generator 16 to generate positive ions and negative ions. Lamp 49 at the same time
(See FIG. 5) is turned on, and the operating state of the ion generator 16 can be visually recognized from the viewing window 14.

As a result, the ions are carried by a part of the dry air led to the ion generator 16, and are discharged from the outlet 41.
It flows out of the casing 41 through a. Then, it merges with the remaining dry air sent out from the opening 44b of the fan case 44 to release positive ions and negative ions into the room from the air outlet 4 or the air outlet 18 for one hour after the ion generator 16 is driven. About 8 of the bacteria floating in the room
0% can be removed. Therefore, the indoor air is dehumidified, and the floating bacteria in the room harmful to the human body are removed by hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals, so that a comfortable living environment can be obtained.

When the air volume of the blower 11 is "quiet", the air volume adjusting plate 60 shown in FIG. 6 is at the position shown by the solid line. As a result, the ratio of dry air flowing into the bypass passage 48 increases. When the air volume of the blower 11 is “strong”, the air volume adjusting plate 60 is at the position indicated by the broken line. As a result, the ratio of dry air flowing into the bypass passage 48 decreases. When the air volume of the blower 11 is “medium”, the air volume adjusting plate 60 is located between the position of the solid line and the position of the broken line.

Therefore, the amount of dry air guided to the ion generator 16 is kept substantially constant regardless of the air volume of the blower 11. As a result, it is possible to prevent the disappearance of ions due to collision with a wall surface or the like due to an increase in the air flow, and to supply a stable amount of ions.

Next, when the clothes drying button 21 is depressed, the compressor 5 is driven at the maximum output, and the blower 11 is driven at the air flow of “medium”. Further, the stepping motor 34 of the wind direction variable device 17 is driven, and the wind direction is set to “up”. Thereby, the clothes drying operation is performed, and the temperature of the evaporator 8 is lower than that during the dehumidification operation, and the air taken into the dehumidifier 1 is rapidly dehumidified.

Accordingly, further dried air is sent out from the outlets 4 and 18, and the clothes dried in the room can be dried. At this time, as in the case of the dehumidifying operation, positive ions and negative ions are simultaneously generated by the ion generator 16 and sent out indoors by dry air. This allows
Airborne bacteria in the room are removed.

When the emptying button 23 is pressed, the compressor 5 is not driven, and the blower 11 is driven with the air volume “medium”. Further, the stepping motor 34 of the wind direction variable device 17
Is driven, and the wind direction is set to “upward”. Then, ions are generated by the ion generator 16 and sent out into the room, and an air cleaning operation for circulating indoor air to remove floating bacteria is performed.

The lamp 49 can be turned off while the ion generator 16 is in operation by pressing the dehumidification switching button 24 and the swing button 27 simultaneously for 3 seconds. Thereby, the lamp 49 can be turned off when it is not necessary to turn on the lamp 49 at the time of going to bed or the like, thereby reducing power consumption. Further, since an independent switch for turning off the lamp 49 is not provided, the cost can be reduced.

When the air volume switching button 25 and the timer switching button 28 are simultaneously pressed for 5 seconds, the operation of the ion generator 16 is stopped. When the button is pressed again, the ion generator 16 is operated. Thereby, the ion generator 1
It is not necessary to separately provide a switch for turning ON / OFF the power supply 6, thereby reducing costs and using the operation panel 13 (FIG. 1).
Space) can be reduced.

According to this embodiment, since the dried air is guided to the ion generator 16 through the evaporator 8, a desired amount of ions can be generated stably. Therefore,
Sterilization ability of indoor floating bacteria can be stably obtained.

Further, since a part of the dry air that has passed through the evaporator 8 is guided to the ion generator 16, the wind power of the dry air guided to the ion generator 16 can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the disappearance of ions due to collision with a wall or the like between the ion generator 16 and the outlets 4 and 18. Then, after merging with the remaining air that does not pass through the ion generator 16, ions having a predetermined concentration are emitted by strong wind power, and the ions can be distributed to every corner of the room.

The dehumidifier 1 of this embodiment operates a refrigeration cycle driven by the compressor 5 to guide dry air that has passed through the heat exchanger 8 to the ion generator 16. The configuration of the dehumidifier is not limited to this embodiment,
A dehumidifier that does not operate a refrigeration cycle may be used. Also in this case, the same effect as that of the present embodiment can be obtained by guiding the dehumidified dry air to the ion generator 16.

[0082]

According to the present invention, since dry air is guided to the ion generator and positive ions and negative ions are sent into the room by the dry air, a desired amount of ions can be stabilized even when the room humidity is high. Can be generated.
Therefore, it is possible to stably obtain the bactericidal ability of the indoor floating bacteria. In particular, even when the indoor humidity rises while the clothes are being dried indoors, the floating bacteria attached to the clothes can be effectively removed.

Further, according to the present invention, since a part of the dry air is led to the ion generator, the wind power of the dry air led to the ion generator can be reduced. Therefore, the disappearance of ions due to collision with a wall surface or the like after flowing out of the ion generator can be suppressed. Then, after merging with the remaining air that does not pass through the ion generator, ions having a predetermined concentration are released by strong wind power, and the ions can be distributed to every corner of the room.

According to the present invention, since the ratio of the air guided to the ion generator is varied according to the amount of air sent into the room, the amount of air guided to the ion generator is independent of the air flow of the dehumidifier. It is kept almost constant. Therefore, as a result, it is possible to prevent the disappearance of ions due to the collision with the wall surface of the flow path in the dehumidifier due to the increase in the air volume, and to supply a stable amount of ions.

Further, according to the present invention, the voltage applied to the ion generator is varied according to the humidity of the dry air guided to the ion generator, thereby suppressing a decrease in the amount of ions generated due to high humidity and reducing the ion concentration. It can be held properly.

Further, according to the present invention, the amount of ions generated by the ion generator is varied according to the amount of air sent into the room, so that the ion concentration of the air sent into the room can be properly maintained, A high sterilization ability can be obtained.

Further, according to the present invention, since the amount of ions generated by the ion generator is varied according to the swing angle of the wind direction plate, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the sterilizing ability of floating bacteria due to diffusion of ions at a large swing angle. can do.

Further, according to the present invention, since the air outlet for sending air into the room is closed by the wind direction plate, it is possible to prevent dust and the like from entering from the air outlet and to send clean air.

According to the present invention, by disposing the ion generator near the air outlet, it is possible to suppress the disappearance after ion generation. In addition, since the shielding means for preventing contact between the finger and the ion generator that enters from the outlet when the wind direction plate is opened is provided, it is possible to prevent an accident such as electric shock due to contact between the finger and the ion generator. .

Further, according to the present invention, the lamp which illuminates the ion generator and makes it visible during operation of the ion generator can be turned off during operation of the ion generator by a user operation. It is possible to reduce the power consumption by turning off the lamp when it is not necessary to turn on the lamp at bedtime or the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front surface of a dehumidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a back surface of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation panel of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the internal structure of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing an upper portion of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a rear view showing the structure of the upper part of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a top sectional view showing the structure of the upper part of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing an ion generator of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a top view showing the structure of the upper part of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view showing a variable air direction device of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side sectional view showing an upper portion of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view showing an upper part of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an ion generation process of the dehumidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Dehumidifier 2 Front frame 3 Rear frame 4 Outlet 5 Compressor 6 Tank 7 Filter 8 Evaporator 9 Condenser 10 Handle 11 Blower 12 Exhaust unit 13 Operation panel 14 Viewing window 15 Suction port 16 Ion generator 17 Wind direction variable device 18 Air outlet 19 Drain pan 21 Empty button 22 Dehumidification button 23 Clothes drying button 24 Dehumidification switching button 25 Air volume switching button 27 Swing button 28 Timer switching button 29 Display panel 30 First vertical wind panel 31 Second vertical wind panel 33 Horizontal wind panel 34 Stepping Motor 41 Casing 42 Duct 44 Fan case 45 Protective plate 48 Bypass passage 49 Lamp 50 Dielectric 51 Inner electrode 52 Outer electrode 60 Airflow adjusting plate 61 Opening 70 Humidity sensor

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Morikawa Mamoru F-term in Sharp Co., Ltd. 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 3L051 BC10 4C080 BB05 HH02 KK02 MM40 QQ17

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A dehumidifier for dehumidifying indoor air,
A dehumidifier provided with an ion generator for generating positive ions and negative ions, guiding dry air after dehumidification to the ion generator, and sending the ions into the room with the dry air. 2. The indoor air is taken in, and heat exchange is performed with a heat exchanger that executes a refrigeration cycle, so that dry air obtained by condensing and removing moisture contained in the air is sent into the room from an outlet. In the dehumidifier, an ion generator for generating positive ions and negative ions is provided on the outlet side of the heat exchanger. 3. The dehumidifier according to claim 1, wherein a part of the dry air is led to the ion generator. 4. The dehumidifier according to claim 3, wherein a ratio of air guided to the ion generator is varied according to an amount of air sent into the room. 5. The ion generator generates a positive ion and a negative ion by applying a voltage to an electrode and discharging the electrode, and varies an applied voltage of the ion generator according to the humidity of the dry air. Claim 1 characterized by the following:
The dehumidifier according to claim 4. 6. The dehumidifier according to claim 1, wherein the amount of ions generated by the ion generator is varied according to the amount of air sent into the room. 7. A swingable wind direction plate for varying the direction of air sent into a room is provided, and the amount of ions generated by the ion generator is varied according to the swing angle of the wind direction plate. The dehumidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of ions generated by the ion generator when the wind direction plate oscillates is larger than the amount of ions generated by the ion generator when the wind direction plate stops oscillating. The dehumidifier according to claim 7, wherein 9. The dehumidifier according to claim 7, wherein the air outlet can be closed by the wind direction plate. 10. The method according to claim 10, wherein the ion generating device is provided near the air outlet, and shielding means for preventing contact between a finger entering from the air outlet and the ion generating device when the wind direction plate is opened is provided. The dehumidifier according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein: 11. A lamp which illuminates the ion generator during operation of the ion generator to make it visible.
The dehumidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the lamp can be turned off during operation of the ion generator by a user operation.