JP7641730B2 - Air purifying device and air purifying method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air purifier and an air purifying method.

In recent years, air purifiers have become widespread. There is a demand for them not only to simply remove dust and other debris from the air, but also to inactivate bacteria and viruses in the air to enhance the purification function. For example, a device has been proposed that generates ultrafine droplets of sterilizing water and purifies the air by bringing the droplets into contact with the air to capture bacteria in the air (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Special Publication No. 7-38875

It is preferable to be able to efficiently purify the air in a large space.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a device that can efficiently purify the air in a large space.

An air purifying device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a water discharge device that discharges water in a sheet form from the top of the wall along the side of the wall, and a blower device that generates an air current that flows toward the side of the wall.

Another aspect of the present invention is an air purification method. The method includes the steps of discharging water in a sheet shape from an upper portion of a wall along a side surface of the wall, and generating an air flow toward the sheet of water flowing along the side surface of the wall.

The present invention allows for efficient purification of air in large spaces.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of an air purifying device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the air purifying device of FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of an air purifying device according to a second embodiment.

Below, the embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in the description, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. Also, to facilitate understanding of the description, the dimensional ratios of the components in each drawing do not necessarily match the dimensional ratios of the actual light-emitting element.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an air purifying device 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the air purifying device 10 of Fig. 1. The air purifying device 10 generates an airflow 14 toward a water curtain 12 flowing along a main surface 22 of a wall 20, and adsorbs dust, dirt, bacteria, viruses, and the like contained in the air onto the water constituting the water curtain 12. The air purifying device 10 uses the water curtain 12 as a filter for purifying the air.

The air purifying device 10 includes a wall 20, a water discharge device 30, a blower device 32, a pump 34, a running water sterilizing device 36, and an ultraviolet light irradiating device 38. The air purifying device 10 may further include a water storage section 28.

The wall 20 is a member that extends in the vertical direction. The wall 20 may be a building structure, or may be a plate-like member that is installed at any location. The wall 20 may be a light-transmitting member, such as an acrylic plate or a glass plate. The wall 20 may be a non-light-transmitting member. The main surface 22 of the wall 20 is made of a water-resistant material, and may be covered with tiles such as resin or ceramic.

The water storage section 28 is provided in the lower portion 26 of the wall 20. The water storage section 28 receives water flowing along the main surface 22 of the wall 20 and temporarily stores it. The stored water 16 stored in the water storage section 28 is supplied to the water discharge device 30 through the pump 34 and the running water sterilizer 36, and is reused to form the water curtain 12.

The water discharge device 30 is provided on the upper portion 24 of the wall 20. The water discharge device 30 is configured to discharge water in a sheet-like shape along the main surface 22 of the wall 20. The water discharge device 30 has slits extending in the horizontal direction, and forms a sheet-like water curtain 12 by discharging water from the slits.

The blower 32 is provided at a position away from the wall 20. The blower 32 generates an airflow 14 toward the water curtain 12. The blower 32 may be any device capable of generating an airflow 14, such as an electric fan, a circulator, or an air conditioner. The blower 32 may be configured to change the direction of the airflow 14 over time, and may be configured so that the airflow 14 hits the entire surface of the water curtain 12.

The pump 34 collects the stored water 16 and supplies it to the water discharge device 30. The pump 34 is connected to the water storage section 28 through a first pipe 44. The pump 34 is connected to the running water sterilization device 36 through a second pipe 46. The pump 34 applies pressure to the water supplied from the first pipe 44 and outputs it to the second pipe 46.

The running water sterilization device 36 sterilizes water passing through the pump 34 by irradiating it with ultraviolet light. The running water sterilization device 36 includes, for example, a reactor through which the water passes and a light source for irradiating ultraviolet light into the reactor. The reactor is made of, for example, a fluororesin such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The light source has an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that outputs deep ultraviolet light with a wavelength of approximately 260 nm to 285 nm. The water sterilized by the running water sterilization device 36 is supplied to the water discharge device 30 through the third piping 48.

In the example of FIG. 1, the running water sterilizer 36 is disposed between the pump 34 and the water discharge device 30. In other words, the running water sterilizer 36 is provided downstream of the pump 34. Note that the connection order of the pump 34 and the running water sterilizer 36 may be reversed, and the pump 34 may be provided between the water discharge device 30 and the running water sterilizer 36. In other words, the running water sterilizer 36 may be provided upstream of the pump 34, or the running water sterilizer 36 may be provided between the water storage section 28 and the pump 34.

The ultraviolet light irradiation device 38 irradiates ultraviolet light 40 toward the lower portion 26 of the wall 20. The ultraviolet light irradiation device 38 is provided in the water storage section 28 and positioned so as to irradiate ultraviolet light 40 near the water surface 18 of the stored water 16. The ultraviolet light irradiation device 38 irradiates ultraviolet light 40 toward the water spray generated when the water forming the water curtain 12 hits the water surface 18 of the stored water 16. This kills bacteria and viruses contained in the water curtain 12 before they become water spray and are scattered around.

A top plate 42 is provided above the ultraviolet light irradiation device 38. The top plate 42 is provided so as to cover the upper part of the stored water 16. The top plate 42 is provided away from the wall 20. A gap 50 is provided between the wall 20 and the top plate 42 so that the water constituting the water curtain 12 can pass through. The top plate 42 prevents water splashes generated on the water surface 18 of the stored water 16 from scattering to the outside. The top plate 42 also prevents the ultraviolet light 40 irradiated by the ultraviolet light irradiation device 38 from leaking to the outside.

Next, the operation of the air purifier 10 will be described. The water discharge device 30 discharges water in a sheet form from the upper part 24 of the wall 20, forming a water curtain 12 along the main surface 22 of the wall 20. The water forming the water curtain 12 is stored in a water storage section 28 provided in the lower part 26 of the wall 20. The stored water 16 stored in the water storage section 28 is supplied to a running water sterilizer 36 by a pump 34. The running water sterilizer 36 sterilizes the water supplied from the pump 34 by irradiating it with ultraviolet light. The water sterilized by the running water sterilizer 36 is supplied to the water discharge device 30 and used to form the water curtain 12. The water used to form the water curtain 12 is circulated and reused. This makes it possible to save water used to form the water curtain 12.

The blower 32 generates an airflow 14 toward the water curtain 12. The air sent by the blower 32 to the water curtain 12 hits the water curtain 12. When the air hits the water curtain 12, at least some of the dust, dirt, bacteria, viruses, etc. contained in the air are adsorbed by the water that constitutes the water curtain 12. This purifies the air. When the water that constitutes the water curtain 12 falls to the water storage section 28, it hits the water surface 18 of the stored water 16 stored in the water storage section 28 and becomes water spray. The ultraviolet light irradiation device 38 irradiates the water spray generated on the water surface 18 with ultraviolet light 40, killing the bacteria and viruses contained in the water spray. This prevents the bacteria and water contained in the water that constitutes the water curtain 12 from scattering to the outside.

The bacteria and viruses contained in the stored water 16 are then killed when the stored water 16 passes through the running water sterilization device 36. This prevents the bacteria and viruses from being re-distributed through the water curtain 12, even when the water supplied to the water curtain 12 is reused. In this way, the air purifier 10 circulates the water that constitutes the water curtain 12 while sterilizing it, thereby removing bacteria and viruses contained in the air. As a result, the air purifier 10 can purify the surrounding air.

According to this embodiment, by using the water curtain 12 that flows along the wall 20, the entire main surface 22 of the wall 20 can function as a filter. By using a large-area wall 20, the air in a relatively large space can be efficiently purified. Since the wall 20 and the water storage section 28 do not require a large horizontal installation area, the air purification performance can be improved while keeping the area occupied by the air purifier 10 small.

Second Embodiment
3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air purifying device 110 according to a second embodiment. This embodiment differs from the above-described embodiment in that the air is purified using both the first main surface 22a and the second main surface 22b of the wall 120. The second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, and descriptions of the points in common with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

The air purifying device 110 includes a wall 120, a water discharge device 130, a first air blowing device 32a, a second air blowing device 32b, a pump 34, a running water sterilizing device 36, a first ultraviolet light irradiating device 38a, and a second ultraviolet light irradiating device 38b. The air purifying device 110 may further include a water storage section 128. The pump 34 and the running water sterilizing device 36 are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

The wall 120 is a plate-like member extending in the vertical direction, such as a partition plate that is installed at any location. The wall 120 has a first main surface 22a and a second main surface 22b opposite the first main surface 22a. The wall 120 may be a light-transmitting member, such as an acrylic plate or a glass plate. The wall 120 may be a non-light-transmitting member. The first main surface 22a and the second main surface 22b of the wall 120 are made of a water-resistant material, and may be covered with tiles such as resin or ceramic.

The water storage section 128 is provided in the lower portion 126 of the wall 120. The water storage section 128 receives and temporarily stores water flowing along the first main surface 22a and the second main surface 22b of the wall 120.

The water discharge device 130 is provided on the upper portion 124 of the wall 120. The water discharge device 130 is configured to discharge water in a sheet-like form along each of the first main surface 22a and the second main surface 22b of the wall 120. The water discharge device 130 forms a first water curtain 12a along the first main surface 22a and a second water curtain 12b along the second main surface 22b.

The first blower 32a is provided at a position away from the wall 120 and generates a first airflow 14a toward the first main surface 22a of the wall 120. The first blower 32a makes the first airflow 14a hit the first water curtain 12a. The second blower 32b is provided at a position away from the wall 120 and generates a second airflow 14b toward the second main surface 22b of the wall 120. The second blower 32b makes the second airflow 14b hit the second water curtain 12b. The first blower 32a and the second blower 32b may be devices similar to the blower 32 according to the first embodiment, and may be electric fans, circulators, air conditioners, etc. The first blower 32a and the second blower 32b may be configured to change the direction of the first airflow 14a or the second airflow 14b over time.

The first ultraviolet light irradiation device 38a and the second ultraviolet light irradiation device 38b irradiate ultraviolet light 40a, 40b toward the vicinity of the water surface 18 of the stored water 16 stored in the water storage section 128. The first ultraviolet light irradiation device 38a and the second ultraviolet light irradiation device 38b are configured in the same manner as the ultraviolet light irradiation device 38 according to the first embodiment. The first ultraviolet light irradiation device 38a irradiates the first ultraviolet light 40a toward the first water curtain 12a. The second ultraviolet light irradiation device 38b irradiates the second ultraviolet light 40b toward the second water curtain 12b.

A first top plate 42a is provided on the first ultraviolet light irradiation device 38a. A second top plate 42b is provided on the second ultraviolet light irradiation device 38b. The first top plate 42a and the second top plate 42b are configured in the same manner as the top plate 42 in the first embodiment, and are provided so as to cover the upper part of the stored water 16 stored in the water storage section 128.

The air purifier 110 operates in the same manner as the air purifier 10 according to the first embodiment. According to this embodiment, the air can be purified using a first water curtain 12a that flows along the first main surface 22a of the wall 120 and a second water curtain 12b that flows along the second main surface 22b of the wall 120. This makes it possible to further improve the purification capacity while suppressing an increase in the installation area of the wall 120 and the water storage section 128.

The present invention has been described above based on examples. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, that various design changes are possible, that various modifications are possible, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the water used for the water curtains 12, 12a, 12b is circulated. In another embodiment, the water used for the water curtains 12, 12a, 12b does not have to be circulated. For example, the water curtains 12, 12a, 12b may be generated using water supplied from a water supply system, etc., and the water used to generate the water curtains 12, 12a, 12b may be discharged into a sewer system, etc. In this case, the air purifier may not have at least one of the pump 34 and the running water sterilizer 36.

In the above embodiment, the ultraviolet light irradiation devices 38, 38a, and 38b are used to irradiate the stored water 16 with ultraviolet light. In another embodiment, the air purifier does not need to include the ultraviolet light irradiation devices 38, 38a, and 38b.

In the above embodiment, the running water sterilization device 36 is provided separately from the ultraviolet light irradiation devices 38, 38a, and 38b. In another embodiment, instead of providing the running water sterilization device 36, the water supplied to the water discharge device 30 may be sterilized by irradiating the stored water 16 with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light irradiation devices 38, 38a, and 38b. In the above embodiment, a gap is shown between the wall surface and the water curtain, but the water may come into contact with the wall surface and the water curtain may flow.

Several aspects of the present invention are described below.

A first aspect of the present invention is an air purifying device that includes a water discharge device that discharges water in a sheet-like form from the top of a wall along a main surface of the wall, and an air blower that generates an air current toward the main surface of the wall. According to the first aspect, a water curtain is formed along the main surface of the wall by the water discharge device, and the air current is directed against the water curtain, so that the water curtain can be used as a filter to purify the air.

A second aspect of the present invention is the air purifying device according to the first aspect, further comprising a pump that collects water flowing along the main surface of the wall and supplies it to the water discharge device, and a running water sterilizing device that is provided upstream or downstream of the pump and sterilizes the water to be supplied to the water discharge device by irradiating it with ultraviolet light. According to the second aspect, the amount of water used can be reduced by circulating the water used to generate the water curtain. In addition, by sterilizing the circulated water using the running water sterilizing device, it is possible to prevent the water used for the water curtain from containing bacteria or viruses. This makes it possible to prevent bacteria or viruses from being re-dispersed from the water curtain into the surrounding air.

A third aspect of the present invention is the air purifying device according to the first or second aspect, further comprising an ultraviolet light irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet light toward the lower portion of the wall. According to the third aspect, ultraviolet light can be irradiated onto the water spray generated below the water curtain to kill bacteria and viruses contained in the water spray. This makes it possible to prevent bacteria and viruses from being re-dispersed into the surrounding air by the water spray generated below the water curtain.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is an air purifier according to any one of the first and second aspects, in which the water discharge device discharges water in a sheet shape along a first main surface of the wall and a second main surface opposite the first main surface. According to the fourth aspect, the purification capacity can be improved by forming a water curtain on both sides of the wall.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is an air purification method comprising the steps of: discharging water in a sheet form from an upper portion of a wall along a main surface of the wall; and generating an airflow directed toward the sheet-like water flowing along the main surface of the wall. According to the fifth aspect, the airflow is directed toward a water curtain, and the water curtain serves as a filter to purify the air.

10...air purifying device, 12...water curtain, 14...air flow, 20...wall, 22...main surface, 24...upper part, 26...lower part, 30...water discharge device, 32...air blower, 34...pump, 36...running water sterilizing device, 38...ultraviolet light irradiation device, 40...ultraviolet light.

Claims (6)

a water discharger that discharges water in a sheet form from an upper portion of the wall along a main surface of the wall;
A blower that generates an airflow toward the main surface of the wall;
A water storage section provided at a lower portion of the wall and configured to receive water flowing along a main surface of the wall;
An air purifying device comprising: an ultraviolet light irradiation device provided in the water storage section and irradiating ultraviolet light toward the water surface in the water storage section. a water discharger that discharges water in a sheet shape from an upper portion of the wall along a first main surface of the wall and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface;
A first blower device that generates an airflow toward the first main surface of the wall;
a second blower device that generates an airflow toward the second main surface of the wall. A pump that collects water flowing along the main surface of the wall and supplies it to the water discharge device;
The air purifying device according to claim 1 , further comprising a running water sterilizing device provided upstream or downstream of the pump, which sterilizes the water supplied to the water discharge device by irradiating it with ultraviolet light. A pump that collects water flowing along the first main surface or the second main surface of the wall and supplies it to the water discharge device;
The air purifying device according to claim 2 , further comprising a running water sterilizing device provided upstream or downstream of the pump, which sterilizes the water supplied to the water discharge device by irradiating it with ultraviolet light. discharging water in a sheet form from an upper portion of the wall along a main surface of the wall;
generating an airflow directed toward a sheet of water flowing along the major surface of the wall;
and irradiating ultraviolet light toward a water surface of a water storage section provided in a lower portion of the wall and receiving water flowing along a main surface of the wall. discharging water in a sheet form from an upper portion of the wall along a first main surface of the wall;
discharging water in a sheet form from an upper portion of the wall along a second main surface of the wall opposite the first main surface;
generating an airflow directed toward a sheet of water flowing along the first major surface of the wall;
and generating an airflow toward the sheet of water flowing along the second main surface of the wall.

Images