HK1248175B - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Air Purifier

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an air purifier capable of floating in the air and capturing dust in the air.

Background Art

Conventionally, regarding this type of air purifier, there are technologies described in Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, and the like, for example.

The air purifier described in Patent Document 1 includes a dust collecting body for absorbing dust in the air, a flying device for floating the dust collecting body in the air by a propeller, and a control device for controlling the flying device.

With this configuration, when the flying device is driven, the air purifier floats indoors. The fixed electronic non-woven fabric on the dust collector absorbs airborne dust. Furthermore, the propeller lifts dust that has adhered to furniture ceilings, shelves, and other surfaces indoors and attracts it to the fixed electronic non-woven fabric.

Meanwhile, the air purifier described in Patent Document 2 includes an air vehicle formed of a balloon propelled by a propeller and a dust collector attached to the air vehicle. The dust collector is formed of a container having an air intake and an air discharge port that can be charged to opposite polarities.

With this structure, when the flying object moves in the air using the propeller's propulsion force, air flows into the dust collector through the air supply port. Thereby, the charged dust in the air is captured near the air supply port, inside the dust collector, and near the exhaust port.

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-131883

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-515086.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, the above-mentioned conventional air purifier has the following problems.

The air purifiers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 both utilize propeller thrust to propel the aircraft, while simultaneously causing dust to contact and be captured in a dust collector. Therefore, the dust capture rate per unit time depends on the aircraft's speed and path. Consequently, the dust capture rate decreases when the aircraft's speed is slow and the aircraft does not make many detours.

In particular, in a structure in which the air intake and exhaust ports of a dust collector have different charges, as in the air purifier described in Patent Document 2, when a high voltage is applied to charge the dust, in order to achieve insulation, it is necessary to form a structure in which a distance is provided between the electrodes of the air intake and exhaust ports so as to separate the air intake and exhaust ports.

If a dust collector with this structure is installed in a location that affects the airflow of the propulsion mechanism of the flying object, it will significantly affect the propulsion force of the flying object. In addition, because the dust collector becomes larger, the center of gravity of the entire air purifier will shift depending on the installation location of the dust collector. As a result, the control of the flying object becomes very difficult.

The present invention has been developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air purifier that can suck air from a wider range into a dust collector without causing dust to fall out of the dust collector and that can be installed with a compact dust collector.

Means of solving problems

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the air purifier of the first embodiment of the invention includes a flying body and a dust collector, the flying body is able to float using a propeller as a propulsion force, the dust collector has an air intake port and an exhaust port, and is used to electrostatically adsorb dust in the air that has flown in from the air intake port, the air purifier is composed of: the dust collector is assembled to the propeller in such a manner that the propeller of the flying body is located near the air intake port of the dust collector, inside the dust collector, or near the exhaust port, the dust collector includes: a plurality of cylindrical adsorption parts, each having an electrode, and concentrically embedded in such a manner that adjacent electrodes are opposite to each other; and a power supply part, for generating a potential difference between the opposing electrodes; the flying body is an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) of the following structure: a plurality of propellers that suck in air from above and discharge air toward below are arranged around a main body part having a control part that controls the flight movement.

With this structure, the flying object can float due to the propulsion force of the propeller. As the flying object floats, dust in the air is sucked into the dust collector through the air intake and electrostatically adsorbed to the dust collector. Specifically, because the propeller is located near the air intake, inside, or near the air exhaust of the dust collector, a wide range of surrounding air is forcibly sucked into the dust collector due to the suction or exhaust force of the propeller. As a result, since a wider range of air can be sucked into the dust collector, a sufficient dust capture rate can be achieved even when the speed of the flying object is slow and the flying object does not make much detours.

Furthermore, because the dust collector is structured to electrostatically attract and capture dust, unlike the air purifier described in Patent Document 1, it can securely capture even extremely small dust particles smaller than 1 μm. Therefore, even wind or slight impact on the dust collector prevents dust from falling out. In other words, the air purifier of the present invention achieves significantly higher dust removal efficiency than the air purifier described in Patent Document 1.

Furthermore, since the air purifier of the present invention is structured to electrostatically adsorb dust in the air flowing into the dust collector from the air intake port, unlike the air purifier described in Patent Document 2, even if the dust collector is set to use a high voltage, the dust collector itself will not be enlarged.

Furthermore, by setting the dust collector to use high voltage electricity, ions, ozone, etc. can be generated, which not only improves the dust collection efficiency but also achieves a sterilization effect and an allergen inactivation effect.

Furthermore, the surrounding air will be forcibly sucked into the dust collector by the suction and exhaust forces of the propeller. At this time, since the dust collector is composed of a plurality of concentrically embedded cylindrical adsorption parts, air passages will be formed between the plurality of cylindrical adsorption parts, and the air that is forcibly sucked in can flow through the plurality of air passages. Furthermore, when the power supply unit of the dust collector is turned on, a potential difference will be generated between the opposing electrodes, and one of the opposing electrodes will become the positive electrode, and the other will become the negative electrode. As a result, dust in the air that is negatively charged will be adsorbed on the surface of the adsorption part of the electrode with the positive electrode, while dust in the air that is positively charged will be adsorbed on the surface of the adsorption part of the electrode with the negative electrode.

Furthermore, since a plurality of cylindrical adsorption parts are concentrically embedded, the contact area between air and the adsorption parts becomes larger, and the dust collection rate per unit time can be further improved.

Furthermore, multiple cylindrical adsorption units are assembled so that the propeller is located inside the dust collector, thereby making the adsorption units function as covers for the propellers. In addition, since this structure functions as a ducted fan, the propulsion force is increased compared to when the propeller is alone.

The second aspect of the invention is configured such that, in the air purifier of the first aspect, the suction port side portion of the adsorption unit is expanded into a tapered shape so that the suction port of the dust collector has a larger diameter than the exhaust port.

With this structure, a large amount of air can flow smoothly into the adsorption part from the large-diameter air intake port.

The air purifier of the third embodiment of the invention comprises a flying body and a dust collector, wherein the flying body is capable of floating using a propeller as a propulsion force, the dust collector has an air intake port and an exhaust port, and is used to electrostatically adsorb dust in the air that has flown in from the air intake port, the dust collector is assembled to the propeller in such a manner that the propeller of the flying body is located near the air intake port of the dust collector, inside the dust collector, or near the exhaust port, the dust collector comprises: a plurality of thin-sheet adsorption portions, each having an electrode and one or more holes, and arranged at fixed intervals in the vertical direction; and a power supply portion for generating a potential difference between the electrodes of adjacent adsorption portions in the vertical direction; the flying body is an unmanned aerial vehicle having the following structure: a plurality of propellers that suck in air from above and discharge air toward below are arranged around a main body portion having a control portion that controls the flight action.

With this structure, the air surrounding the dust collector is drawn in through the holes in the suction section at one end toward the suction section at the rear end by the suction force of the propeller. After passing through the holes in the suction section at the rear end, the air is discharged through the holes at the other end by the exhaust force of the propeller. At this point, the air contacts multiple suction sections, and dust in the air is electrostatically attracted to them.

A fourth aspect of the invention is configured as follows: in the air purifier according to any one of the first to third aspects, one or more adsorption parts constituting the dust collector each have a plurality of holes.

With this structure, air is not only sucked in from the dust collector's air inlet, but also sucked into the dust collector through the multiple holes in the adsorption portion and discharged from the exhaust port. This increases the air flow rate into the dust collector and correspondingly improves the dust collection rate.

A fifth aspect of the invention is configured as follows: in the air purifier of the fourth aspect, any one or all of the one or more adsorption portions are formed in a mesh shape.

The invention of the sixth aspect is constructed as follows: in the air purifier described in the first or third aspect, the first magnetic component is fixed to the adsorption part of the dust collector, and the second magnetic component is fixed to the flying body, and the adsorption part is assembled to the flying body in a removable manner by utilizing the adsorption force generated by the magnetic force of the first and second magnetic components.

Effects of the Invention

As described in detail above, the air purifier according to the present invention boasts the superior effect of increasing the dust collection rate per unit time through the dust collector. This allows for sufficient dust collection even when the unit is nearly stationary. Furthermore, it electrostatically attracts dust from the air, firmly trapping it without it falling off. Furthermore, the dust collector itself can be miniaturized. By configuring the dust collector to operate with high voltage, it not only collects dust but also achieves a sterilizing and allergen-inactivating effect.

Furthermore, the contact area between air and the adsorption unit is increased, further improving the dust collection rate. Furthermore, since the adsorption unit of the dust collector can function as a propeller cover, it prevents foreign matter from becoming entangled in the propeller during low-altitude flight. Furthermore, since it can function as a ducted fan, it also increases the propeller's propulsive force.

In addition, according to the second and fourth aspects of the invention, the range of air sucked into the dust collector can be increased to improve the dust collection rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an air purifier according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a portion of the air purifier in a cutaway manner.

FIG3 is a top view of the air purifier.

FIG4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a control system of a flying object.

FIG5 is an exploded perspective view showing the adsorption portion.

FIG6 is a cross-sectional view showing the adsorption portion.

FIG7 is a partial side view showing the method of assembling and detaching the adsorption part to the propeller. FIG7( a ) shows the state before assembling or after detaching the adsorption part, and FIG7( b ) shows the assembled state of the adsorption part.

FIG8 is a side view for explaining the flying action of the air purifier.

FIG9 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the dust collecting function.

FIG10 is a partial side view showing a variation of the installation position of the adsorption portion. FIG10( a ) shows an example in which the propeller is located near the air intake port of the adsorption portion, and FIG10( b ) shows an example in which the propeller is located near the air exhaust port of the adsorption portion.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a suction portion, which is a main component, of an air purifier according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG12 is a cross-sectional view of the adsorption portion.

FIG13 is an exploded perspective view showing variations of the second embodiment, FIG13( a ) shows a first variation, and FIG13( b ) shows a second variation.

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a suction portion, which is a main part, of an air purifier according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG14 .

FIG16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main parts of an air purifier according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the main parts of an air purifier according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG19 is a sectional view showing a main portion.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the fifth embodiment.

FIG21 is a schematic side view showing a portion of an air purifier according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention in a cutaway manner.

FIG22 is a top view of the air purifier.

FIG23 is a schematic side view showing a portion of an air purifier according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention in a cutaway manner.

FIG24 is a top view of the air purifier.

FIG. 25 is a side view showing an air purifier according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, the most preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Example 1]

FIG1 is a perspective view showing an air purifier according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG2 is a schematic side view showing a portion of the air purifier in section, and FIG3 is a top view of the air purifier.

As shown in FIG. 1 , an air purifier 1 - 1 of the present embodiment has a structure in which four dust collectors 4 - 1 to 4 - 4 are attached to an air vehicle 2 .

Aircraft 2 is a multi-rotor UAV that uses propellers as propulsion and is capable of floating vertically and horizontally. Multi-rotor UAVs include a variety of rotors, including tri-rotors with three propellers, quad-rotors with four propellers, penta-rotors with five propellers, hexacoptors with six propellers, and octa-rotors with eight propellers. In this embodiment, a quad-rotor UAV is used as aircraft 2.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the flying object 2 includes a main body 20 and four propellers 21 to 24 disposed around the main body 20 .

The propellers 21 to 24 are mounted on the front ends of four frames 25 to 28 extending in a cross shape from the main body 20. Specifically, a motor 21a (22a to 24a) is mounted on the upper front end of each frame 25 (26 to 28), and each propeller 21 (22 to 24) is fixed to the rotating shaft 21b (22b to 24b) of each motor 21a (22a to 24a).

Thus, driven by motor 21a (22a to 24a), propeller 21 (22 to 24) rotates integrally with rotating shaft 21b (22b to 24b), drawing air in from above and exhausting it downward. In other words, the propeller 21 (22 to 24) provides upward propulsion to aircraft 2 by rotating.

The main body 20 includes a control unit 30 for controlling the flight operation of the flying object 2 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the control system of the flying object 2 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , the main body 20 houses a control unit 30 including a memory 30 a , a power supply unit 31 , four voltage conversion units 32 - 1 to 32 - 4 , a voltage booster 33 , a receiver 34 , and an antenna 35 .

The power supply unit 31 is connected to four voltage conversion units 32-1 to 32-4 and a voltage boost unit 33. The output of each voltage conversion unit 32-1 (32-2 to 32-4) is connected to the input of the motor 21a (22a to 24a) of each propeller 21 (22 to 24) via wiring 32a and 32b. In addition, the output of the voltage boost unit 33 is connected to each electrode 42 in the adsorption unit 40A to 40C of the dust collector 4-1 (4-2 to 4-4) described later.

The control unit 30 can control the output voltage of the transformer 32-1 (32-2 to 32-4), thereby changing the rotation speed of the motor 21a (22a to 24a) of the propeller 21 (22 to 24).

In addition, at the same time, the control unit 30 can boost the voltage from the power supply unit 31 to a high voltage or a pulse voltage in the boost unit 33, and apply it to the electrodes 42 in the adsorption units 40A to 40C of the dust collector 4-1 (4-2 to 4-4) described later (refer to Figures 5 and 6).

Furthermore, the controlled flight of the aircraft 2 can be broadly categorized into automatic control and operational control. Automatic control, for example, involves storing pre-created 3D (three-dimensional) mapping data of the target space for purification in the control unit 30. The control unit 30 then directs the aircraft 2 to the desired location within the space based on this 3D mapping data and a control program. On the other hand, operational control involves manually controlling the flight of the aircraft 2 from a short or long distance using a dedicated manipulator, a portable manipulator, a smartphone, or a GPS. Both types of control allow the aircraft 2 to fly throughout the entire space or be restricted to a specific location or altitude.

The automatic flight control system and the operational flight control system are well known, and either control system can be applied to the flying object 2 .

This embodiment employs a system capable of both automatic and operational flight control. Specifically, the control unit 30 controls the voltage conversion units 32-1 through 32-4 based on data such as a control program or 3D map stored in the memory 30a. Furthermore, the receiving unit 34 receives external command radio waves or GPS signals via the antenna 35. The control unit 30 then controls the voltage conversion units 32-1 through 32-4 or the voltage booster 33 based on the received radio waves.

In Figures 1 to 3, dust collectors 4-1 to 4-4 are machines for electrostatically adsorbing dust in the air. As shown in Figure 4, each dust collector 4-1 (4-2 to 4-4) is composed of the following components: three adsorption parts 40A to 40C assembled on the propeller 21 (22 to 24); and a power supply part 31 and a boost part 33 in the main body 20.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the adsorption parts 40A to 40C. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the adsorption parts 40A to 40C.

As shown in Figure 5 , the three adsorption sections 40A to 40C are cylindrical bodies of different diameters. Adsorption section 40B is embedded inside the adsorption section 40A with the largest diameter, and adsorption section 40C with the smallest diameter is embedded inside the adsorption section 40B. As shown in Figure 6 , the adsorption sections 40A to 40C are embedded concentrically, with a gap G1 of a predetermined width provided between the adsorption sections 40A and 40B, and a gap G2 of a predetermined width provided between the adsorption sections 40B and 40C. In this embodiment, the upper openings of the three embedded adsorption sections 40A to 40C are set as the air intake port 4A of the dust collector 4-1 (4-2 to 4-4), while the lower openings are set as the air exhaust port 4B.

Each adsorption portion 40A ( 40B, 40C) has an electrode 42 covered with a dielectric 41 , whereby the electrodes 42 , 42 of adjacent adsorption portions 40A, 40B face each other, and the electrodes 42 , 42 of adjacent adsorption portions 40B, 40C face each other.

The electrode 42 of the adsorption unit 40A is connected to the voltage boosting unit 33 via wiring 33a. Furthermore, the electrodes 42, 42 of the adsorption units 40B and 40C are connected to the voltage boosting unit 33 via wiring 33b and 33c, respectively. Consequently, under control of the control unit 30, a predetermined voltage is applied from the voltage boosting unit 33 to the electrodes 42, 42 of the adsorption unit 40A and the electrodes 42 of the adsorption unit 40B, thereby generating a predetermined potential difference between the electrodes 42, 42 of the adsorption units 40A and 40B. Furthermore, a predetermined voltage from the voltage boosting unit 33 is also applied to the electrodes 42, 42 of the adsorption units 40C and the electrodes 42 of the adsorption units 40B, thereby generating a predetermined potential difference between the electrodes 42, 42 of the adsorption units 40C and 40B. In this embodiment, for example, a voltage of 6 kV is applied to the electrodes 42, 42 of the adsorption units 40A and 40C, while the electrode 42 of the adsorption unit 40B is grounded. Thereby, a potential difference of 6 kV can be generated between the electrodes 42 , 42 of the adsorption parts 40A, 40B, and a potential difference of 6 kV can also be generated between the electrodes 42 , 42 of the adsorption parts 40C, 40B.

3 to 5 , the adsorption portions 40A to 40C are connected by spacers 44 and 45. Specifically, the adsorption portions 40A and 40B are connected by the spacer 44 inserted into the gap G1, and the adsorption portions 40B and 40C are connected by the spacer 45 inserted into the gap G2.

In this manner, the suction portions 40A to 40C connected via the spacers 44 and 45 are integrally mounted on the propeller 21 ( 22 to 24 ).

Specifically, as shown in Figure 6 , a downward-facing protrusion 46a is provided on a ring 46, which is fixed to the outer circumference of the lower end of the outermost suction portion 40A. Furthermore, an upward-facing recess 47a is provided on a ring 47, which is fixed to the frame 25 (26 to 28). The propeller 21 (22 to 24) is located at the center of the ring 47 (see Figure 5 ).

Ring 46 is a first magnetic member, and ring 47 is a second magnetic member.

Both the rings 46 and 47 have magnetism, and the magnetic pole on the convex portion 46 a side of the ring 46 and the magnetic pole on the concave portion 47 a side of the ring 47 are attached so as to have opposite polarities.

This allows the attachment parts 40A to 40C to be lowered to the propeller 21 (22 to 24) side, with the ring 46 in contact with the ring 47, and the protrusion 46a to fit into the recess 47a. This allows the attachment parts 40A to 40C to be mounted on the propeller 21 (22 to 24), positioning the propeller 21 (22 to 24) inside the attachment parts 40A to 40C. Furthermore, the magnetic force between the rings 46 and 47 prevents vertical movement of the attachment parts 40A to 40C, while the engagement force between the protrusion 46a and the recess 47a prevents horizontal movement. Furthermore, the attachment parts 40A to 40C can be removed from the propeller 21 (22 to 24) by pulling up against the magnetic force of the rings 46 and 47.

That is, the attraction portions 40A to 40C are detachably attached to the flying object 2 using an attraction force generated by the magnetic force of the rings 46 and 47 .

In addition, in this embodiment, although a convex portion is provided on the ring 46 of the adsorption portion 40A to 40C and a concave portion is provided on the ring 47 on the side of the frame 25 (26 to 28), it is of course possible to provide a concave portion on the ring 46 of the adsorption portion 40A to 40C and a convex portion on the ring 47 on the side of the frame 25 (26 to 28).

Next, the function and effect of the air purifier 1 - 1 of this embodiment will be described.

FIG7 is a partial side view illustrating how the suction units 40A to 40C are attached to and removed from the propeller 21 (22 to 24). FIG7(a) illustrates the suction units 40A to 40C before and after attachment, and FIG7(b) illustrates the attached units 40A to 40C. FIG8 is a side view illustrating the flight operation of the air purifier 1-1.

Before the flying object 2 is floated, the adsorption units 40A to 40C are attached to the propeller 21 (22 to 24) of the flying object 2. Specifically, as shown in FIG7(a), the ring 46 of the adsorption units 40A to 40C is lowered from directly above the ring 47 of the flying object 2, and as shown in FIG7(b), the protrusion 46a of the ring 46 is fitted into the recessed portion 47a of the ring 47, thereby attaching the adsorption units 40A to 40C to the propeller 21 (22 to 24).

In this state, when the propellers 21 to 24 are rotated at a desired rotational speed under the control of the control unit 30 (see FIG. 4 ), as shown in FIG. 8 , air W from above is drawn into the propellers 21 to 24 and discharged downward from the propellers 21 to 24. In other words, the rotation of the propellers 21 to 24 generates an upward propulsive force, causing the aircraft 2 to float.

At this time, since propellers 21 (22 to 24) are located within suction sections 40A to 40C of dust collector 4-1 (4-2 to 4-4), the suction and exhaust forces of propellers 21 (22 to 24) force air W from a wide range of surrounding areas to be forcibly drawn into suction sections 40A to 40C through intake port 4A and forcibly discharged through exhaust port 4B. In other words, since high-speed airflow of air W is generated within suction sections 40A to 40C, the structure in which suction sections 40A to 40C are attached to propellers 21 (22 to 24) functions as a ducted fan. As a result, greater propulsion force can be achieved than when propellers 21 to 24 are single units.

FIG9 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the dust collecting function.

As described above, the air W surrounding the flying object 2 is forcibly drawn into the suction sections 40A to 40C by the suction and exhaust forces of the propellers 21 (22 to 24). Specifically, as indicated by the arrows in FIG9 , the air W is drawn into the suction sections 40A to 40C from the upper suction port 4A. At this time, since the cylindrical suction sections 40A to 40C are concentrically embedded, the air W drawn in from the suction port 4A passes through the suction section 40C. Furthermore, since the gap G1 between the suction sections 40A and 40B and the gap G2 between the suction sections 40B and 40C both function as air passages, the air W passes not only through the suction section 40C but also through the gaps G1 and G2.

At this time, when the voltage is applied from the voltage booster 33 (see FIG. 4 ) to the electrodes 42 of the adsorption units 40A to 40C under the control of the control unit 30, a potential difference of 6 kV is generated between the electrodes 42, 42 of the adsorption units 40A and 40B and between the electrodes 42, 42 of the adsorption units 40C and 40B, as described above. Consequently, the adsorption units 40A and 40C are charged positively, while the adsorption unit 40B is charged negatively.

Thus, when air W passes through the suction section 40C or the gaps G1 and G2, the charged dust contained in the air W is attracted to the charged suction sections 40A to 40C by electrostatic force. Specifically, negatively charged dust is attracted to the surfaces of the suction sections 40A and 40C, while positively charged dust is attracted to the surface of the suction section 40B. After passing through the suction section 40C or the gaps G1 and G2, the air W is discharged downward from the exhaust port 4B of the suction sections 40A to 40C. Furthermore, the air W discharged from the exhaust port 4B is forcibly drawn back into the air intake port 4A by the propeller 21 (22 to 24), and the airflow of the air W circulates around and within the suction sections 40A to 40C.

In this way, since the air purifier 1-1 of this embodiment is constructed by forcing the surrounding air W to flow into the adsorption parts 40A to 40C through the rotation of the propeller 21 (22 to 24), the air purifier 1-1 can still fully capture dust in the air even when it stays in the air at a slow speed and does not make much detours.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8 , by moving the air purifier 1 - 1 in a floating state, it can move in a wide purification target space, and a large amount of dust existing in the wide space can be captured by the adsorption parts 40A to 40C.

In addition, when the air purifier 1-1 moves around in the space, even if the adsorption parts 40A to 40C are installed in a part other than the propeller 21 (22 to 24) (such as the main body 20, etc.), the air W will still pass through the adsorption part 40C or the gaps G1 and G2, so dust can be collected.

However, the dust collection rate per unit time of the adsorption sections 40A to 40C corresponds to the speed at which air W flows into the adsorption sections 40C and into the gaps G1 and G2. Therefore, when the adsorption sections 40A to 40C are mounted at locations other than the propellers 21 (22 to 24), as in the air purifier described in Patent Document 2, only a dust collection rate corresponding to the moving speed of the air purifier can be achieved.

However, in the air purifier 1-1 of this embodiment, air W flows into the adsorption section 40C and the gaps G1 and G2 at a speed equal to the sum of the moving speed of the air purifier 1-1 and the air inflow speed caused by the propellers 21 (22 to 24). Therefore, the high-speed flow of air W into the adsorption section 40C and the gaps G1 and G2 significantly increases the dust collection rate per unit time of the adsorption sections 40A to 40C. As a result, a wider range of air W can be drawn into the dust collector 4-1 (4-2 to 4-4).

Furthermore, the dust collection rate corresponds to the contact area between the air W and the adsorption unit. Since the air purifier 1 - 1 of this embodiment is configured so that the air W contacts the three adsorption units 40A to 40C, the contact area between the air W and the adsorption units is large. Consequently, this also allows for a higher dust collection rate per unit time.

The air purifier 1-1 of this embodiment can be controlled to fly in various purification target spaces. For example, the following controlled flight is possible.

Specifically, when GPS signals are unavailable and a hazardous space needs to be cleaned regularly, an operator (not shown) sends a command signal to the air purifier 1-1 from the outside, causing it to fly. Data on a flight path that efficiently collects dust is then collected, and a 3D mapping of the data is stored in advance in the memory 30a of the control unit 30 (see FIG4 ).

Then, the control unit 30 controls the transformers 32-1 to 32-4 based on the 3D mapping data stored in the memory 30a, so that the air purifier 1-1 automatically flies along the flight path shown in the 3D mapping data to efficiently collect dust in the dust space.

The dust collection performed by such flight is performed by electrostatically adsorbing dust in the air using the adsorption units 40A to 40C. Therefore, unlike the air purifier described in Patent Document 1, even extremely small dust particles of 1 μm or less can be firmly adsorbed. Consequently, once collected, dust will not be dislodged by wind or even slight impact on the air purifier 1 - 1.

Furthermore, the air purifier 1-1 of this embodiment can be used not only as a dust collector but also as a sterilization device. Specifically, in Figure 4 , the output voltage of the booster 33 can be controlled so that a high voltage is applied from the booster 33 to the electrodes 42 of the adsorption units 40A to 40C. This generates ions or ozone from the adsorption units 40A to 40C. This sterilizes the area surrounding the air purifier 1-1.

Thus, even if the dust collectors 4 - 1 to 4 - 4 of the air purifier 1 - 1 are set to use a high voltage, unlike the air purifier described in Patent Document 1, there is no need to increase the length or diameter of the adsorption parts 40A to 40C.

In the air purifier 1 - 1 that has finished its purification operation and landed, a large amount of dust is adsorbed by the adsorption portions 40A to 40C of the dust collector 4 - 1 ( 4 - 2 to 4 - 4 ).

When the air purifier 1-1 is on the ground, as shown in FIG7(b), since the adsorption units 40A to 40C are attached to the propeller 21 (22 to 24), the adsorption units 40A to 40C can be removed from the propeller 21 (22 to 24) by lifting them upward. At this time, by stopping the application of voltage to the adsorption units 40A to 40C, a large amount of dust adhering to the adsorption units 40A to 40C can be dropped off or wiped off.

In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 to 6, although the dust collector 4-1 (4-2 to 4-4) is composed of three cylindrical adsorption units 40A to 40C, the booster unit 33, and the power supply unit 31, the number of cylindrical adsorption units is not limited to three. Two or more adsorption units may be used as components of the dust collector 4-1 (4-2 to 4-4).

In addition, in this embodiment, although the adsorption|suction parts 40A to 40C are attached to the propeller 21 (22 to 24) of the flying body 2 so that the propeller 21 (22 to 24) may be located inside, it is not limited to this.

Figure 10 is a partial side view showing a variation of the installation position of the adsorption parts 40A to 40C. Figure 10(a) shows an example in which the propeller 21 (22 to 24) is located near the air intake port 4A of the adsorption parts 40A to 40C, and Figure 10(b) shows an example in which the propeller 21 (22 to 24) is located near the air exhaust port 4B of the adsorption parts 40A to 40C.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 10(a), a ring 47 with its concave portion 47a facing downward is fixed to the underside of the frame 25 (26 to 28). Then, the ring 46 of the adsorption units 40A to 40C with their convex portions 46a facing upward is brought into contact with the ring 47, so that the convex portions 46a fit into the concave portions 47a. With the adsorption units 40A to 40C thus assembled, the propeller 21 (22 to 24) is positioned near the air intake 4A of the adsorption units 40A to 40C.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(b), cylinder 48 is fixed to the upper side of frame 25 (26 to 28), and ring 47 is fixed to the upper end of cylinder 48 so that ring 47 is located near propeller 21 (22 to 24). Then, ring 46 of suction units 40A to 40C is fitted into ring 47. With this attachment of suction units 40A to 40C, propeller 21 (22 to 24) is located near exhaust port 4B of suction units 40A to 40C.

As a result, the air W around the flying object 2 passes through the inside of the adsorption portion 40C and the gaps G1 and G2 , then passes through the inside of the cylinder 48 and is rapidly discharged to the outside.

[Example 2]

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG11 is an exploded perspective view of a suction portion, which is a main component of an air purifier according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG12 is a cross-sectional view of the suction portion.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the adsorption parts 40A to 40C used in the air purifier of this embodiment have a plurality of holes, which is different from the adsorption parts of the first embodiment.

Specifically, the adsorption portion 40A is provided with a plurality of circular or elliptical holes 40a1 penetrating the dielectric 41 and the electrode 42. Furthermore, the adsorption portions 40B and 40C are provided with a plurality of circular or elliptical holes 40b1 and 40c1 penetrating the dielectric 41 and the electrode 42, respectively.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 , when the propeller 21 ( 22 to 24 ) is rotated, air W is sucked in from the air intake 4A, and the air W passes independently through the inside of the adsorption portion 40C and the gaps G1 and G2 .

In contrast, in this embodiment, since a plurality of holes 40a1 to 40c1 are formed in the adsorption sections 40A to 40C, as shown in Figure 12, air W drawn in through the air intake port 4A not only passes through the interior of the adsorption section 40C and the gaps G1 and G2, but also flows through the holes 40a1 to 40c1, thereby being diverted to the propeller 21 (22 to 24) side. Furthermore, since air W flows in not only from the air intake port 4A but also from the holes 40a1 of the outer adsorption section 40A, the increased air flow rate improves the dust collection efficiency.

In addition, although circular or elliptical holes 40a1 (40b1, 40c1) are provided in the adsorption parts 40A (40B, 40C) in this embodiment, the holes are not limited to circular or elliptical shapes. As shown in Figures 13 and 14, various holes can be provided in the adsorption parts 40A to 40C.

FIG13 is an exploded perspective view showing variations of the second embodiment, FIG13( a ) shows a first variation, and FIG13( b ) shows a second variation.

The adsorption parts 40A to 40C shown in FIG. 13( a ) have a plurality of slit-shaped holes.

Specifically, the adsorption portion 40A is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slit-like holes 40a2 at regular intervals along the circumferential direction, penetrating the dielectric 41 and the electrode 42. Furthermore, the adsorption portions 40B and 40C are provided with a plurality of longitudinal slit-like holes 40b2 and 40c2 at regular intervals along the circumferential direction, penetrating the dielectric 41 and the electrode 42.

On the other hand, in the adsorption|suction parts 40A to 40C shown in FIG. 13( b ), each adsorption|suction part 40A ( 40B, 40C) is formed in a mesh shape.

Specifically, the adsorption portion 40A has a plurality of rectangular holes 40a3 formed throughout the entire adsorption portion 40A, penetrating the dielectric 41 and the electrode 42 and being close to each other. Furthermore, the adsorption portions 40B and 40C have a plurality of rectangular holes 40b3 and 40c3 formed throughout the entire adsorption portions 40B and 40C, penetrating the dielectric 41 and the electrode 42 and being close to each other.

Since the other structures, functions and effects are the same as those in the first embodiment, their description is omitted.

[Example 3]

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG14 is a top view showing an adsorption portion, which is a main part, of an air purifier according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG15 is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow B-B in FIG14 .

As shown in FIG. 14 , in the dust collector 40 - 1 ( 40 - 2 to 40 - 4 ) used in the air purifier of this embodiment, the adsorption parts 40A″ and 40B″ are formed in a spiral shape, which is different from the adsorption parts of the first and second embodiments.

Specifically, a pair of adsorption parts 40A", 40B" are each formed into a thin sheet shape, and in each adsorption part 40A" (40B"), an electrode 42 is covered with a dielectric 41. The adsorption parts 40A", 40B" are rolled into a spiral shape, and a gap G is formed between the adsorption parts 40A", 40B" by a spacer 44. As a result, the electrode 42 of the adsorption part 40A" and the electrode 42 of the adsorption part 40B" are in a state of facing each other with the gap G between them.

Then, the electrode 42 of the adsorption portion 40A″ and the electrode 42 of the adsorption portion 40B″ are connected to the voltage boosting portion 33 via wirings 33 a and 33 b , respectively.

Thus, when the power supply voltage boosted by the boosting section 33 (for example, 6kV, 0kV voltage) is applied to the electrodes 42, 42 of the adsorption sections 40A", 40B", a potential difference is generated between the opposing electrodes 42, 42, and as shown in FIG15 , the adsorption section 40A" is charged as the positive electrode, and the adsorption section 40B" is charged as the negative electrode.

With this structure, the adsorption parts 40A", 40B" are installed near the propeller 21 (22 to 24) (refer to Figure 1, etc.), so that the surrounding air can be forcibly sucked in from the air intake port 4A and discharged from the exhaust port 4B through the gap G or the central space G' of the adsorption parts 40A", 40B". The dust in the air is electrostatically adsorbed on the surface of the adsorption parts 40A", 40B" while passing through the central space G' and the gap G.

Since the other structures, functions and effects are the same as those of the first and second embodiments, their description is omitted.

[Example 4]

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main parts of an air purifier according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 16 , the adsorption parts 40A to 40C used in the air purifier of this embodiment have a tapered portion on the air inlet 4A side, which is different from the first to third embodiments.

That is, the upper halves 40A1 to 40C1 of the adsorption portions 40A to 40C are expanded in a tapered shape, and the opening diameter of the air intake port 4A is larger than the opening diameter of the air exhaust port 4B.

With this configuration, a large amount of air can be smoothly sucked into the adsorption portions 40A to 40C from the large-diameter air intake port 4A by the rotation of the propeller 21 ( 22 to 24 ), and forcibly discharged from the air exhaust port 4B.

FIG17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the fourth embodiment.

As described above, in this embodiment, all upper halves 40A1 to 40C1 of the suction portions 40A to 40C are tapered, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The same function and effect can be achieved even if only one of the upper halves 40A1 to 40C1 of the suction portions 40A to 40C is tapered.

For example, as shown in FIG. 17 , only the upper half 40A1 of the adsorption portion 40A among the adsorption portions 40A to 40C may be set in a tapered shape.

Since the other structures, functions and effects are the same as those of the first to third embodiments, their description is omitted.

[Example 5]

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG18 is a perspective view showing the main part of an air purifier according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG19 is a cross-sectional view showing the main part.

As shown in FIG. 18 , the structure of the adsorption portion of the air purifier of this embodiment is different from those of the first to fourth embodiments.

That is, in this embodiment, three thin sheet-shaped adsorption portions 40A' to 40C' are arranged at equal intervals in the thickness direction (the vertical direction in the figure).

Specifically, each adsorption portion 40A' (40B', 40C') is circular in shape, connected by a spacer 44', and connected by a spacer 45'. Furthermore, adsorption portions 40A' to 40C' are integrally mounted directly above propeller 21 (22 to 24).

As shown in FIG19 , the adsorption portion 40A’ (40B’, 40C’) is provided with outer peripheral holes 40a1’ (40b1’, 40c1’) and inner peripheral holes 40a2’ (40b2’, 40c2’), the holes 40c1’, 40c2’ of the uppermost adsorption portion 40C’ are set as the air intake port 40A, and the holes 40a1’, 40a2’ of the lowermost adsorption portion 40A’ are set as the air exhaust port 40B.

Each adsorption part 40A’ (40B’, 40C’) is composed of a thin circular dielectric 41’ and an electrode 42’ arranged in the dielectric 41’, and the electrode 42’ of the adsorption part 40A’ (40B’, 40C’) is connected to the boosting part 33 through the wiring 33a (33b, 33c).

Thus, when the power supply voltage boosted by the boost unit 33 (for example, voltages of 6kV, 0kV, and 6kV) is applied to the electrodes 42’, 42’, and 42’ of the adsorption units 40A’ to 40C’, respectively, a potential difference is generated between the electrodes 42’, 42’ of the opposing adsorption units 40A’ and 40B’ and between the electrodes 42’, 42’ of the opposing adsorption units 40C’ and 40B’, respectively, so that the adsorption units 40A’ and 40C’ are charged as positive electrodes and the adsorption unit 40B’ is charged as negative electrodes.

With this configuration, when the propeller 21 (22 to 24) rotates, ambient air flows from the holes 40c1' and 40c2' of the suction section 40C', which serves as the air intake 4A, toward the suction section 40B' at the lower level. The air then passes through the holes 40b1' and 40b2' of the suction section 40B', reaches the lowest suction section 40A', and is discharged through the holes 40a1' and 40a2', which serve as the air exhaust 4B. As the air passes through the suction sections 40A' to 40C', dust particles in the air are electrostatically attracted to the suction sections 40A' to 40C'.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the fifth embodiment.

In the above description, although an example is shown in which the adsorption parts 40A’ to 40C’ are connected by spacers 44’ and 45’, as shown in Figure 20, the adsorption parts 40A’ to 40C’ can also be assembled in a cylindrical body 40’ having a ring 46.

Since other structures, functions and effects are the same as those of the first to fourth embodiments, their description is omitted.

[Example 6]

Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG21 is a schematic side view showing a portion of an air purifier according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention in a cutaway manner, and FIG22 is a top view of the air purifier.

As shown in the above-mentioned figure, the air purifier 1-2 of this embodiment is provided with a downward propeller 29 and a dust collector 4-5, which is different from the first to fifth embodiments.

Specifically, the motor 29 a is mounted at the center of the lower surface of the main body 20 , and the propeller 20 is fixed to the rotating shaft 29 b of the motor 29 a .

The propeller 29 is different from the propellers 21 to 24 in that it has a function of sucking air from below and discharging it upward by rotating.

In addition to the aforementioned transformers 32-1 to 32-4 (see FIG4 ), the main body 20 is also provided with a transformer 32-5 having the same structure. The motor 29a is connected to the transformer 32-5 via wiring (not shown). The transformer 32-5 is also connected to the control unit 30 (see FIG4 ), whereby the control unit 30 controls the rotational speed of the propeller 29 through the transformer 32-5.

In this embodiment, the dust collectors 4-1 to 4-4 of the previous embodiment are not used, and only the dust collector 4-5 is used. Dust collector 4-5, like dust collectors 4-1 to 4-4, has suction units 40A to 40C. Suction units 40A to 40C are attached only to propeller 29. The attachment method for propeller 29 is the same as that for propeller 21 (22 to 24). Specifically, by fitting ring 46 of suction units 40A to 40C into ring 47 on the underside of main body 20, suction units 40A to 40C can be attached to propeller 29 on the underside of main body 20.

The electrodes 42, 42, 42 (not shown) of the adsorption portions 40A to 40C are also connected to the voltage-boosting portion 33 (see FIG. 4 ) within the main body 20 via wiring (not shown), similarly to the first embodiment. Specifically, the control unit 30 can cause the voltage from the power supply 31 to be boosted to a high voltage or pulse voltage by the voltage-boosting portion 33 and applied to the electrodes 42, 42, 42 of the adsorption portions 40A to 40C.

With this structure, the propellers 21 to 24 can be rotated, and the air purifier 1-2 can be floated. In addition, when the propeller 29 is rotated, the air below is drawn upward from the air intake 4A into the adsorption sections 40A to 40C by the propeller 29, and the dust in the air can be captured by the adsorption sections 40A to 40C of the dust collector 4-5. The air is then discharged upward from the exhaust port 4B of the adsorption sections 40A to 40C. In this way, the air discharged upward can be sucked in by the propellers 21 to 24 and discharged downward. As a result, the air circulates between the propeller 29 and the surrounding propellers 21 to 24, generating a circulating airflow.

Since other structures, functions and effects are the same as those of the first to fifth embodiments, their description is omitted.

[Example 7]

Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG23 is a schematic side view showing a portion of an air purifier according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention in a cutaway manner, and FIG24 is a top view of the air purifier.

As shown in the above-mentioned figure, the air purifier 1-3 of this embodiment is different from the first to sixth embodiments in that the dust collectors 4-1 to 4-4 and 4-5 are installed on all the propellers 21 to 24 and 29.

That is, the adsorption parts 40A to 40C of the dust collectors 4-1 to 4-4 are respectively mounted on the propellers 21 to 24 as in the first embodiment, and the adsorption parts 40A to 40C of the dust collector 4-5 are mounted on the propeller 29 as in the sixth embodiment.

With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 23 , the air W can be reliably circulated between the propellers 21 to 24 and the propeller 29 , and the dust collection rate by the five dust collectors 4 - 1 to 4 - 5 can be significantly improved.

Since other structures, functions and effects are the same as those of the first to sixth embodiments, their description is omitted.

[Example 8]

Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 25 is a side view showing an air purifier according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG25, the air purifier 1-4 of this embodiment is composed of a balloon 5 propelled by a propeller 29' and a dust collector 4-6.

Specifically, the propeller 29' is provided at the rear of the balloon 5, and the adsorption parts 40A to 40C of the dust collectors 4-6 are assembled on the propeller 29'.

The electrodes 42, 42, 42 (not shown) of the adsorption parts 40A to 40C are connected to the boosting part 33 (not shown), and the boosting part 33 is connected to the power supply part 31 (not shown). The voltage of the power supply part 31 is boosted by the boosting part 33 and applied to each electrode 42 of the adsorption parts 40A to 40C.

With this configuration, the balloon 5 is flown while the propeller 29' is rotated, forcibly drawing air into the adsorption sections 40A to 40C. The air then passes through the adsorption sections 40A to 40C and is discharged, allowing dust in the air to be electrostatically adsorbed by the adsorption sections 40A to 40C.

Since other structures, functions and effects are the same as those of the first to seventh embodiments, their description is omitted.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the dust collector's suction units 40A to 40C are attached to all propellers 21 to 24. However, the dust collector's suction unit only needs to be attached to at least one propeller of the aircraft. Therefore, air purifiers in which the suction units 40A to 40C are attached to only one of the propellers 21 to 24 are also within the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1-1 to 1-4 Air Purifier

2 flying objects

4-1 to 4-6 Dust Collector

4A Inlet

4B exhaust port

5 Balloons

20 Body part

21 to 24, 29, 29' propellers

21a to 24a, 29a motors

21b to 24b, 29b Rotation axis

25 to 28 frames

30 Control Department

30a memory

31 Power Supply

32-1 to 32-4, 32-5 Transformer

32a, 32b, 33a to 33c wiring

33. Booster

34 Receiving Department

35 antenna

40’ barrel

40A to 40C, 40A’ to 40C’, 40A”, 40B” adsorption section

Holes 40a1 to 40a3, 40b1 to 40b3, 40c1 to 40c3, 40a1’ to 40c1’, 40a2’ to 40c2’

40A1 to 40C1 upper part

41, 41’ dielectric

Electrodes 42, 42a, 42b, 42’

44, 45, 44’, 45’ spacers

Rings 46 and 47

46a convex part

47a recess

48 cylinder

G, G1, G2 clearance

G’ Center Space

H air passage

W Air.

Claims (6)

1. An air purifier comprising a flying body and a dust collector, the flying body being able to float by using a propeller as propulsion, and the dust collector having an air intake and an exhaust port, and for electrostatically adsorbing dust particles that have flowed into the air from the air intake. The dust collector is mounted on the propeller of the aircraft in such a way that the propeller is located anywhere among the air intake, the interior of the dust collector, or the exhaust port of the dust collector, and the surrounding air is forcibly drawn into the dust collector by the air intake and exhaust force of the propeller. The dust collector includes: a plurality of cylindrical adsorption sections, each having an electrode, and concentrically embedded with adjacent electrodes facing each other; and a power supply section for generating a potential difference between the opposing electrodes. The flying body is an unmanned aerial vehicle constructed such that multiple propellers, which draw in air from above and expel it downwards, are arranged around a main body having a control unit for controlling flight maneuvers. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the intake port of the dust collector is expanded into a cone shape such that the intake port is larger than the exhaust port. 3. An air purifier comprising a flying body and a dust collector, the flying body being able to float by using a propeller as propulsion, and the dust collector having an air intake and an exhaust port, and for electrostatically adsorbing dust particles that have flowed into the air from the air intake. The dust collector is mounted on the propeller of the aircraft in such a way that the propeller is located anywhere among the air intake, the interior of the dust collector, or the exhaust port of the dust collector, and the surrounding air is forcibly drawn into the dust collector by the air intake and exhaust force of the propeller. The dust collector includes: a plurality of thin-plate adsorption sections, each having an electrode and one or more holes, arranged at fixed intervals in the vertical direction; and a power supply section for generating a potential difference between the electrodes of adjacent adsorption sections in the vertical direction. The flying body is an unmanned aerial vehicle constructed such that multiple propellers, which draw in air from above and expel it downwards, are arranged around a main body having a control unit for controlling flight maneuvers. 4. The air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of adsorption portions constituting the dust collector each have a plurality of pores. 5. The air purifier according to claim 4, wherein any one or all of the plurality of adsorption sections are formed in a mesh shape. 6. The air purifier according to claim 1 or 3, wherein a first magnetic ring is fixed to the adsorption part of the dust collector, and a second magnetic ring is fixed to the aircraft body, and the adsorption part is assembled to the aircraft body in a detachable manner by means of the adsorption force generated by the magnetic force of the first ring and the second ring.