JP3788215B2 - Vaporizing humidifier - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vaporizing humidifier.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the conventional vaporizing humidifier, the vaporizing element is wetted with water and humidified by applying the wind generated by the blower fan to it, and various germs and molds propagate on the vaporizing element. There was a problem that would occur.
For this reason, it is necessary to disinfect the vaporizing element by periodically applying hot water or the like.
[0003]
Therefore, conventionally, a vaporizing humidifier as shown in FIG. 4 has been proposed.
In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of the humidifier, 2 denotes a water tank provided in the lower part of the main body 1, 3 denotes a vaporizing element having water absorption disposed so that the lower part is immersed in the water in the water tank 2, 4 Is a heater for heating the water in the water tank 2, 5 is a water tank, 6 is a blower fan, 7 is a suction port, and 8 is a discharge port.
[0004]
In the conventional vaporizing humidifier shown in FIG. 4, after confirming that there is water in the water tank 2, by turning on the operation switch (not shown), the blower fan 6 rotates and the suction port 7 Outside air is sucked in, passes through the vaporizing element 3 and is discharged to the outside through the discharge port 8. At this time, the vaporizing element 3 sucks up the water in the water tank 2 due to its water absorption and is wet with water, so the air passing through the vaporizing element 3 is humidified and humidifies the room.
Further, when the vaporizing element 3 was sterilized, the vaporizing element 3 was sterilized by energizing the heater 4 and heating the water in the water tank 2.
[0005]
Another conventional example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55-53650. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a vaporizing humidifier disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-53650. This is a pump in which the vaporizing element 3 is provided at a position higher than the water surface of the water tank 2 and is rotated by a motor. 10, the water in the water tank 2 is sucked up and supplied to the vaporizing element 3. With this configuration, the water sucked up by the pump 10 is supplied to the vaporizing element 3 during operation of the device, and the vaporizing element 3 is always moist, but when the device is stopped, such as at night. , The vaporizing element 3 is naturally dried, the growth of mold and bacteria is stopped, and the generation of malodor can be prevented.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the case of the above conventional vaporizing humidifier, in the former, since the lower part of the vaporizing element 3 is simply immersed in hot water and the hot water is sucked up and sterilized, It takes time to reach the top of the vaporizing element 3, and the temperature of the hot water is lower than the temperature at which it can be sterilized, or the hot water does not reach the top, so that the entire vaporizing element 3 is sterilized. It was difficult. In the latter case, although the effect of suppressing the growth of mold and bacteria and preventing the generation of malodor can be expected, the vaporization element is only naturally dried while the equipment is stopped. Only the negative effect of being able to suppress breeding was obtained, and there was a problem that there was no active sterilization effect.
[0007]
When sterilizing with hot water, it is necessary to supply hot water at a predetermined temperature (for example, 80 ° C.) to the vaporizing element, and at the same time, it is necessary to stop the blower fan so as not to cool the vaporizing element. Arise. For this reason, there is a problem that condensation occurs in the airframe, water droplets adhere to the blower fan, and the water droplets are discharged to the outside by air blowing after heat sterilization.
[0008]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is a vaporizing humidifier capable of maintaining a sterilization temperature during thermal sterilization of a vaporization element and preventing external discharge of water droplets due to condensation in the body. It is intended to provide.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A vaporizing humidifier according to the present invention includes a water tank, a vaporizing element having water absorption, a blower fan including a sirocco fan that discharges air to the outside through the vaporizing element, and a heater that heats water in the water tank. When the water in the water tank is heated to hot water by the heater, and this hot water is supplied to the vaporizing element so that the vaporizing element is thermally sterilized, and when the vaporizing element is thermally sterilized The water droplets condensed on the blower fan are separated from the blower fan by rotating the blower fan in the direction opposite to that during the normal humidifying operation.
[0010]
Further, a water droplet capturing plate for preventing water droplets separated from the blower fan from being directly discharged from the discharge port to the outside is provided in the vicinity of the air outlet of the fan casing.
[0011]
Further, a water drain hole for preventing water droplets separated from the blower fan from collecting in the fan casing is provided at the bottom of the fan casing.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiment 1 FIG.
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a vaporizing humidifier showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of the vaporizing humidifier showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
1 and 2, 1 is a main body of the humidifier, 2 is a water tank provided in the lower part of the main body 1, and 3 has water absorption disposed above the water surface in the water tank 2 without touching it. The vaporizing element 4 is a heater for heating the water in the water tank 2, 5 is a water tank, 6 is a blower fan composed of a sirocco fan, 7 is a suction port, and 8 is a discharge port. 9 is a pre-filter disposed opposite to the suction port 7, 10 is a pump for pumping up water in the water tank 2, 11 is a water pipe for guiding the water in the water tank 2 pumped up by the pump to above the vaporizing element 3, 12 It is a shower port provided at the tip of the water pipe 11, and has a width substantially equal to the width of the upper end portion of the vaporizing element 3 and is opposed to the water. Reference numeral 13 denotes a water channel for communicating the water tank 2 and the tank receiver 14, 15 a fan casing, 16 an air outlet of the fan casing 15, 17 a drain hole provided in the bottom of the fan casing 15, and 18 a blower fan An electric motor for rotating 6, 19 is a water drop tray provided in the main body 1 so as to face the drain hole 17 of the fan casing 15, and 20 is a drain pipe connecting the water drop tray 19 and the water channel 13.
[0013]
More specifically, the electric motor 18 is composed of a condenser motor capable of forward / reverse rotation, and during normal humidifying operation (forward rotation), the rotation direction is in the direction indicated by the solid line arrow A in FIG. It is configured to be controlled by a control unit (not shown).
[0014]
Next, the operation of the first embodiment configured as described above will be described.
First, during normal humidification operation, the heater 4 is not energized, and only the blower fan 6 and the pump 10 are energized. As a result, room temperature water in the water tank 2 is pumped up by the pump 10 and guided to the shower port 12 through the water pipe 11. Then, the water led to the shower port 12 is dispersed and uniformly supplied to the upper part of the vaporizing element 3, and the water supplied to the upper part of the vaporizing element 3 permeates from the upper part of the vaporizing element 3 toward the lower part. Then, it flows down, penetrates the entire vaporizing element 3, and the excessively supplied water drops from the lower part of the vaporizing element 3 and returns to the water tank 2.
[0015]
In this state, dry air in the room is sucked from the suction port 7 by the operation of the blower fan 6, and the dry air passes through the vaporized element 3 that has absorbed water, and is humidified and discharged from the discharge port 8 to the outside. As a result, humidification is performed. At this time, the blower fan 6 is rotating in the forward direction and rotating in the direction indicated by the solid line arrow A in FIG. 1, and the direction of the blower is blown so as to move substantially straight toward the air outlet 16 and the discharge port 8. Is done.
[0016]
On the other hand, during the sterilization operation, only the heater 4 and the pump 10 are energized without energizing the blower fan 6. As a result, the heater 4 heats the water in the water tank 2 to become hot water having a preset predetermined temperature (for example, 80 ° C.). The hot water is pumped up by the pump 10 and passes through the water pipe 11 to the shower port 12. Led. The hot water guided to the shower port 12 is dispersed by the shower port 12 and supplied uniformly to the upper part of the vaporizing element 3, and the hot water supplied to the upper part of the vaporizing element 3 is supplied from the upper part of the vaporizing element 3. After flowing down while penetrating toward the lower part and penetrating the entire vaporizing element 3, extra hot water dropped from the lower part of the vaporizing element 3 and returned to the water tank 2, and hot water returned to the water tank 2. Is heated again to a predetermined temperature, pumped up by the pump 10, and supplied to the water pipe 11, the shower port 12, and the vaporizing element 3. This operation is repeated until the sterilization operation is completed. At this time, since the blower fan 6 is stopped, the hot water is not cooled by blowing, and the temperature necessary for heat sterilization is maintained, but dew condensation occurs due to steam from the hot water in the body, Condensation also forms on the inner surfaces of the blower fan 6 and the fan casing 15, and water droplets adhere.
[0017]
Therefore, in the first embodiment, after the heat sterilization is finished and before the normal humidification is started, the electric motor 18 is electrically controlled to rotate the blower fan 6 as shown by a broken line arrow B in FIG. By rotating the direction in a direction opposite to that during normal blowing for a predetermined time, water droplets attached to the blowing fan 6 are separated. At this time, since the blower fan 6 is composed of a sirocco fan and rotates in the opposite direction, the direction of the blow does not go straight toward the air outlet 16 and the discharge port 8 and has a predetermined angle. The air is blown, and the amount of air blown is smaller than that during normal air blowing. For this reason, the water droplets separated from the blower fan 6 together with the centrifugal force due to the rotation hit the inner wall surface near the air outlet 16 of the fan casing 15, and most of them drop into the fan casing 15. Since the drain hole 17 is provided at the bottom of the fan casing 15, water does not collect in the fan casing 15, and is collected from the drain hole 17 to the water channel 13 through the water drop tray 19 and the drain pipe 20. The water tank 2 is returned.
Therefore, water droplets adhering to the blower fan 6 due to condensation are not discharged from the discharge port 8 during the humidification operation, and the blower fan 6 is stopped during sterilization, so the temperature of hot water is The problem of being lowered by the air blow from the blower fan 6 is also eliminated.
[0018]
Embodiment 2. FIG.
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the vaporizing humidifier showing the second embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG.
In FIG. 3, reference numeral 21 denotes a water droplet capturing plate provided in the vicinity of the air outlet 16 of the fan casing 15, and the air blow does not hit the surface when the blower fan 6 rotates forward, and the blower fan 6 when the blower fan 6 rotates reversely. It is installed so that the air blows from the surface.
[0019]
Next, the operation of the second embodiment configured as described above will be described.
Since the basic operation at the time of normal humidification operation and sterilization operation is the same as that in the first embodiment, the description is omitted, and only the operation of separating water droplets that are condensed and attached to the blower fan 6 by the sterilization operation is described. To do.
[0020]
Also in this second embodiment, after the heat sterilization is finished, before the shift to normal humidification, the electric motor 18 is electrically controlled as shown by the broken line arrow B in FIG. By rotating the rotation direction of the blower fan 6 in the direction opposite to that during normal humidification operation, water droplets attached to the blower fan 6 are separated.
At this time, in the second embodiment, most of the water droplets separated from the blower fan 6 hit the inner wall surface near the air outlet 16 of the fan casing 15 and drop into the fan casing 15. A small amount of water droplets separated in a slightly upward direction among the water droplets separated from 1 hits a water droplet capturing plate 21 provided near the air outlet 16 and drops into the fan casing 15. Any water droplets are collected from the drain hole 17 provided in the bottom of the fan casing 15 through the water droplet receiving tray 19 and the drain pipe 20 to the water channel 13 and returned to the water tank 2.
[0021]
Therefore, according to the configuration of the second embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment, among the water droplets separated from the blower fan 6, even for a small amount of water droplets separated in a slightly upward direction, The water droplet capturing plate 21 provided in the vicinity of the air outlet 16 can be dropped into the fan casing 15, and an effect that a small amount of water droplets adhering to the blower fan 6 can be prevented from being externally released can be obtained.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is no problem that the temperature of the hot water is lowered by blowing air from the blower fan, and water droplets adhering to the blower fan due to condensation are outside the body during the humidifying operation. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both the maintenance of the heat sterilization temperature of the vaporizing element and the prevention of the external release of water droplets due to condensation in the body.
[0023]
According to claim 2 of the present invention, since a water droplet capturing plate is provided in the vicinity of the air outlet of the fan casing, even a small amount of slightly upward water droplets separated from the blower fan at the time of reverse rotation can be discharged externally. It can be surely prevented.
[0024]
Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the bottom of the fan casing is provided with a water drain hole, so that water droplets separated from the blower fan can be prevented from accumulating in the fan casing.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a vaporizing humidifier showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a vaporizing humidifier showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a vaporizing humidifier showing a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional vaporizing humidifier.
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of another conventional vaporizing humidifier.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Humidifier body, 2 water tank, 3 vaporizing element, 4 heater, 5 water tank, 6 blower fan, 7 suction port, 8 discharge port, 9 pre-filter, 10 pump, 13 water channel, 15 fan casing, 16 air outlet , 17 Drain hole, 18 Electric motor, 19 Water drop tray, 20 Drain pipe, 21 Water drop capture plate.

Claims (3)

A water tank, a vaporizing element having water absorption, a blower fan composed of a sirocco fan that discharges air to the outside through the vaporizing element, and a heater that heats the water in the water tank. Heating it into hot water, supplying this hot water to the vaporizing element to perform thermal sterilization of the vaporizing element, and blowing water droplets condensed on the blower fan when the vaporizing element is thermally sterilized A vaporizing humidifier characterized in that the fan is separated from the blower fan by rotating in a direction opposite to that during normal humidifying operation. The vaporization type according to claim 1, wherein a water droplet capturing plate for preventing water droplets separated from the blower fan from being directly discharged to the outside from the discharge port is provided in the vicinity of the air outlet of the fan casing. Humidifier. The vaporizing humidifier according to claim 1, wherein a water drain hole for preventing water droplets separated from the blower fan from collecting in the fan casing is provided at a bottom portion of the fan casing.

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