Electrostatic atomizing apparatus, appliance, air conditioner, and refrigerator

Abstract

It is an object to provide an electrostatic atomizing apparatus which is simply structured, is easy to assemble, is low in cost, has clogging resistance against foreign matter, can be used for a long time, and is highly reliable, or a home electrical appliance such as a refrigerator, air conditioner, etc. including the electrostatic atomizing apparatus. A discharge electrode formed of foam metal, whereto water that attaches to a surface is supplied by capillary action, a counter electrode provided so as to be opposed to the discharge electrode, and a water supply means that is provided directly above the discharge electrode via a predetermined clearance, supplying water to the discharge electrode or the electrode holding part, are included.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . An electrostatic atomizing apparatus comprising:
 a discharge electrode composed of a main body part having an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape or an approximately columnar shape elongated in an axial direction, and a protrusion part having an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, an approximately columnar shape, an approximately pyramid shape, or an approximately conical shape, the protrusion part protruding at an approximately right angle to the axial direction of the main body part from a middle in the axial direction of the main body part, being shorter than a length in the axial direction of the main body part, and being formed integrally with the main body part, whereto water that attaches to a surface of the main body is supplied by a capillary action;   an electrode holding part that holds the discharge electrode;   a counter electrode that is provided in the electrode holding part, and that is provided so as to be opposed to the protrusion part; and   a water supply means that is provided directly above the main body part via a predetermined clearance, and that supplies water to the discharge electrode or the electrode holding part,   herein the length in the axial direction of the main body part is within a range of equal to or larger than 4 times and equal to or smaller than 20 times as long as the protrusion part.   
     
     
         29 . An electrostatic atomizing apparatus comprising:
 a discharge electrode composed of a main body part formed of a foam metal, and a protrusion part whereto water that attaches to a surface of the main body part is supplied by a capillary action;   an electrode holding part that holds the discharge electrode;   a counter electrode that is provided in the electrode holding part, and that is provided so as to be opposed to the protrusion part; and   a water supply means that is provided directly above the discharge electrode, and that supplies water to the discharge electrode,   wherein the main body part has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a large area to receive water by being larger in width than in thickness.   
     
     
         30 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein a notch or an opening is provided in the electrode holding part, and water that drops from the water supply means, in a state in which the discharge electrode is held in the electrode holding part, is less likely to accumulate in the electrode holding part. 
     
     
         31 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the water supply means includes a heat absorbing part that generates dew condensation water and a heat dissipating part, and the feed-water means is a cooling plate in which a Peltier element is provided between the heat absorbing part and the heat dissipating part, and is placed so that the main body part is situated directly below the heat absorbing part. 
     
     
         32 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the water supply means is a cooling plate including a heat absorbing part and a heat dissipating part, and drops dew condensation water generated by the heat absorbing part after collecting the dew condensation water sliding down a slant part provided in an lower end of the heat absorbing part. 
     
     
         33 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the water supplied by the water supply means is dropped in a slant part provided in the electrode holding part, and the water is concentrated in a predetermined portion in the electrode holding part. 
     
     
         34 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , further comprising a fixing means that fixes the discharge electrode from above, wherein a slant part that receives the water supplied from the water supply means and supplies the water to the main body part is provided in the fixing means. 
     
     
         35 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , further comprising a fixing means that fixes the discharge electrode from above, wherein a counter electrode cover part that covers the counter electrode from above is provided in the fixing means. 
     
     
         36 . An appliance comprising:
 the electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 ; and   a spray outlet that is provided in a place apart from the electrostatic atomizing apparatus via an air conveying path, and that sprays mist generated by the electrostatic atomizing apparatus,   wherein the mist generated by the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is sprayed into a room into which the spray outlet provided in the place apart from the electrostatic atomizing apparatus opens.   
     
     
         37 . An appliance comprising:
 the electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 ; and   a fixing means that fixes the discharge electrode or the counter electrode housed in the electrode holding part to the electrode holding part,   wherein the electrode holding part, the discharge electrode, the counter electrode and the fixing means are integrally formed to be a kit component.   
     
     
         38 . The appliance according to  claim 36 , wherein a cover part is provided in the fixing means, the cover part covering at least a part of a path between the water supply means and the electrode holding part, along which the water that is supplied by falling from the water supply means provided directly above the discharge electrode or the electrode holding part falls, so that the water is not directly affected by a flow of air around the water. 
     
     
         39 . The appliance according to  claim 37 , wherein a cover part is provided in the fixing means, the cover part covering at least a part of a path between the water supply means and the electrode holding part, along which the water that is supplied by falling from the water supply means provided directly above the discharge electrode or the electrode holding part falls, so that the water is not directly affected by a flow of air around the water. 
     
     
         40 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the predetermined clearance between the water supply means and the discharge electrode is equal to or larger than 4 mm. 
     
     
         41 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein a foam metal with a three-dimensional net structure, such as titanium, with a pore diameter of 10 to 800 μm and a voidage of 60 to 90% is used for the main body part. 
     
     
         42 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , further comprising an electrostatic-atomizing-apparatus displaying means provided in the electrostatic atomizing apparatus, the electrostatic-atomizing-apparatus displaying means indicating that the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is operating. 
     
     
         43 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a heat exchanger in which a front side heat exchanger provided in a front side, and a back side heat exchanger provided in an upper side or in a rear side are placed;   an air suction port provided before or above the heat exchanger;   a blower for blowing air taken in from the air suction port and heat exchanged by the heat exchanger, from an air outlet provided in a lower front side via an air conveying path; and   the electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , the electrostatic atomizing apparatus being placed downstream of the air suction port, being composed of at least the discharge electrode, the counter electrode and the water supply means, and generating mist by applying a voltage between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode,   wherein the mist generated by the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is sprayed into a room from the air outlet provided in a place apart from the electrostatic atomizing apparatus.   
     
     
         44 . A refrigerator that is composed of an inner box and an outer box, and that cools inside of a plurality of storage compartments partitioned by a partition wall by sending a cool air that is cooled by a cooler via a cooling air trunk, the refrigerator comprising:
 the electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 28 , the electrostatic atomizing apparatus being placed in a wall surface inside of the storage compartment or in the partition wall, being composed of at least the discharge electrode, the counter electrode and the water supply means, and generating mist by applying a voltage between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode; and   a spray outlet that is provided in a portion apart from the electrostatic atomizing apparatus inside of the storage compartment in which the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is provided, or in a second storage compartment separate from the storage compartment in which the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is provided, and that is connected to the electrostatic atomizing apparatus via an air conveying path,   wherein the mist generated by the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is sprayed into the storage compartment, or the second storage compartment separate from the storage compartment, into which the spray outlet opens, from the spray outlet provided in a place apart from the electrostatic atomizing apparatus via the cooling air trunk.   
     
     
         45 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein a notch or an opening is provided in the electrode holding part, and water that drops from the water supply means, in a state in which the discharge electrode is held in the electrode holding part, is less likely to accumulate in the electrode holding part. 
     
     
         46 . An appliance comprising:
 the electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 29 ; and   a spray outlet that is provided in a place apart from the electrostatic atomizing apparatus via an air conveying path, and that sprays mist generated by the electrostatic atomizing apparatus,   wherein the mist generated by the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is sprayed into a room into which the spray outlet provided in the place apart from the electrostatic atomizing apparatus opens.   
     
     
         47 . An appliance comprising:
 the electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 29 ; and   a fixing means that fixes the discharge electrode or the counter electrode housed in the electrode holding part to the electrode holding part,   wherein the electrode holding part, the discharge electrode, the counter electrode and the fixing means are integrally formed to be a kit component.   
     
     
         48 . The appliance according to  claim 46 , wherein a cover part is provided in the fixing means, the cover part covering at least a part of a path between the water supply means and the electrode holding part, along which the water that is supplied by falling from the water supply means provided directly above the discharge electrode or the electrode holding part falls, so that the water is not directly affected by a flow of air around the water. 
     
     
         49 . The appliance according to  claim 47 , wherein a cover part is provided in the fixing means, the cover part covering at least a part of a path between the water supply means and the electrode holding part, along which the water that is supplied by falling from the water supply means provided directly above the discharge electrode or the electrode holding part falls, so that the water is not directly affected by a flow of air around the water. 
     
     
         50 . The electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 29 , further comprising an electrostatic-atomizing-apparatus displaying means provided in the electrostatic atomizing apparatus, the electrostatic-atomizing-apparatus displaying means indicating that the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is operating. 
     
     
         51 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a heat exchanger in which a front side heat exchanger provided in a front side, and a back side heat exchanger provided in an upper side or in a rear side are placed;   an air suction port provided before or above the heat exchanger;   a blower for blowing air taken in from the air suction port and heat exchanged by the heat exchanger, from an air outlet provided in a lower front side via an air conveying path; and   the electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 29 , the electrostatic atomizing apparatus being placed downstream of the air suction port, being composed of at least the discharge electrode, the counter electrode and the water supply means, and generating mist by applying a voltage between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode,   wherein the mist generated by the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is sprayed into a room from the air outlet provided in a place apart from the electrostatic atomizing apparatus.   
     
     
         52 . A refrigerator that is composed of an inner box and an outer box, and that cools inside of a plurality of storage compartments partitioned by a partition wall by sending a cool air that is cooled by a cooler via a cooling air trunk, the refrigerator comprising:
 the electrostatic atomizing apparatus according to  claim 29 , the electrostatic atomizing apparatus being placed in a wall surface inside of the storage compartment or in the partition wall, being composed of at least the discharge electrode, the counter electrode and the water supply means, and generating mist by applying a voltage between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode; and   a spray outlet that is provided in a portion apart from the electrostatic atomizing apparatus inside of the storage compartment in which the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is provided, or in a second storage compartment separate from the storage compartment in which the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is provided, and that is connected to the electrostatic atomizing apparatus via an air conveying path,   wherein the mist generated by the electrostatic atomizing apparatus is sprayed into the storage compartment, or the second storage compartment separate from the storage compartment, into which the spray outlet opens, from the spray outlet provided in a place apart from the electrostatic atomizing apparatus via the cooling air trunk.