JP7743013B2 - Air purifiers - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an indoor air purifier that utilizes the antibacterial and antiviral properties of copper.

It has long been widely known that copper has antibacterial and antiviral properties. The mechanism is thought to be that copper ions create holes in the virus's envelope membrane, and that the free radicals generated by the copper ions decompose the genetic material. Furthermore, according to a research team at the US National Institutes of Health (NHI), the novel coronavirus survives for 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel surfaces, 24 hours on cardboard surfaces, but only 4 hours on copper surfaces, confirming that copper also has antiviral properties against the novel coronavirus.

Antibacterial materials that utilize such antibacterial and antiviral properties have also been proposed in the past. Patent Document 1 describes dispersing extremely fine copper alloy powder with particle sizes of 1 nm to 1 μm on the surface of an article. Patent Document 2 describes an antibacterial fabric that uses composite fibers containing copper alloy yarn. Patent Document 3 discloses an antibacterial composition in which copper powder is mixed with Portland cement. However, these conventional antibacterial and antiviral materials process copper into a fine powder or fine fibers to increase the surface area, which has the problem of high manufacturing costs.

Patent Document 3 also describes how artificial flowers can be made from resin or fibers that have been sprayed with an antibacterial material or that have antibacterial material mixed into them, and placed indoors to provide deodorizing and antibacterial effects as well as aesthetic value as interior decoration. However, it is inevitable that the deodorizing and antibacterial effects will gradually decrease over time.

JP 2019-65375 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-143272 Utility Model Registration No. 3135466

The object of the present invention is therefore to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, to provide a new air purifier that can be manufactured more cheaply than conventional devices, and has excellent durability of antibacterial and antiviral effects.

The inventor, whose business is processing copper products, focused on the large amount of shavings that are generated when cutting copper material on a lathe or milling machine. Until now, these shavings have been disposed of as waste, but he came up with the idea that they could be used to manufacture air purifiers that utilize the antibacterial and antiviral properties of copper at extremely low cost.

The present invention was developed based on the above findings, and is characterized by forming a container from a strong, breathable net, filling the inside of this container with shavings generated when cutting copper material, and placing a decorative object on the top surface of the container.

The net can be stainless steel netting. The container can also be rectangular, with a crossbar bent downwards on top, and a mounting hole for the decorative object formed in the crossbar. The shavings can be shavings generated when cutting copper material with a milling machine or lathe. These shavings can also be packed in a compressed state into the container. The decorative object can be an artificial flower, and its central axis can be inserted into the mounting hole in the crossbar.

The air purifier of the present invention can be manufactured extremely inexpensively because it is made from shavings generated when cutting copper material, which was previously disposed of as waste. These shavings are fine and have a large surface area. Furthermore, by filling these shavings inside a container made of a strong, breathable net, air is allowed to circulate while preventing the shavings from scattering, and even when installed indoors, tiny pieces of copper will not scatter.

When the air purifier of the present invention is placed indoors, when bacteria or viruses floating in the air come into contact with the surface of copper material shavings, the antibacterial and antiviral effects of the copper ions can reduce their activity. Copper also has antifungal and deodorizing properties, so it can also inhibit mold growth and deodorize the room. Moreover, the air purifier's effectiveness lasts semi-permanently and does not diminish. Furthermore, because the air purifier of the present invention has a decorative element placed on the top surface of the container, it also functions as an interior decoration, making it highly practical as an air purifier that also serves as interior decoration.

1 is an external perspective view showing a first embodiment. FIG. 10 is an external perspective view showing a second embodiment. This is a plan view with the decorative element removed. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which the crossbar has been moved. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a third embodiment.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, in which 10 is a container formed of a strong, breathable net. While the material of this net is not particularly limited, it is preferably made of metal from the standpoint of strength and rigidity, and in this embodiment, it is stainless steel netting, which is unlikely to rust. In this embodiment, the sides and bottom of the container 10 are formed using this stainless steel netting, resulting in a cubic container 10 with a side length of 10 to 15 cm. The top of the container 10 is open, and the bottom does not necessarily have to be made of netting. Thus, copper shavings 20 are filled inside 10.

The air purifier of the present invention captures airborne bacteria and viruses on the copper surface by bringing indoor air into contact with copper shavings 20 through the side of the container 10, thereby reducing the activity of the bacteria and viruses. For this reason, it is preferable that the mesh size of the net be large enough not to impede airflow, but small enough to prevent the copper shavings 20 from flying out.

The shavings 20 generated when cutting copper material with a milling machine vary depending on the cutting conditions and the type of copper material, but are generally in the form of small pieces. It is preferable to sift the shavings as needed and fill the container 10 with pieces of a roughly uniform size. The shavings 20 generated when cutting with a lathe are finely spiral-shaped, and the large internal space of the spiral has the advantage of increasing the contact area with air. These shavings 20 can be placed directly into the container 10, but they can also be compressed into a uniform shape using a press machine to make them easier to fit into the container 10. The pressing pressure used here is preferably just enough to allow the shavings 20 to adhere to each other while maintaining their shape. It is not desirable for the shavings to be completely crushed and adhere to each other, as this reduces surface area and impairs breathability. Therefore, a compression ratio of approximately 1/3 to 2/3 is preferable.

The copper material used in the present invention may be pure copper or a copper alloy. For example, shavings 20 from various copper alloys, such as alumina dispersion strengthened copper, silver-containing copper, beryllium-containing copper, chromium-zirconium-containing copper, and cobalt-containing copper, can be used. These copper materials are widely used as industrial materials, and the amount of shavings 20 generated is large, making them easily available. Although the alloy components do not have antibacterial or antiviral properties, they do not inhibit the antibacterial and antiviral properties of copper.

The shavings 20 packed into the container 10 have numerous gaps between them, resulting in a very large contact area between the copper surface and the air. Furthermore, the complex, intricate shapes of the spaces formed inside the shavings 20 ensure that airborne bacteria and viruses are captured by the copper surface, just like a mask. This also greatly reduces the activity of airborne bacteria and viruses. Furthermore, these shavings 20 do not scatter into the air like copper powder or copper fibers, and cannot be accidentally inhaled. Furthermore, copper is a safe metal that is also used in pots and pans, so even if young children accidentally touch or lick it, there is no adverse effect on the human body.

Simply filling the interior of the container 10 with copper shavings 20 will have the effect of purifying the air in the room, but in this invention, a decorative body 30 is placed on the top surface of the container 10 to create an interior decoration. In this embodiment, a crossbar 11 is placed between two opposing sides of the rectangular container 10. This crossbar 11 is made of a metal plate, such as stainless steel, with the end 12 bent downward, and also functions to prevent deformation of the container 10.

As shown in the figure, the crossbar 11 has a number of mounting holes 13 formed therein for inserting the decorative body 30. The crossbar 11 may be positioned at the center of the container 10 as shown in Figure 3, or may be slid to any desired position as shown in Figure 4.

In Figure 1, artificial flowers are used as decorative objects 30, with their central axes 31 inserted into the mounting holes 13 of the crossbar 11. However, as shown in Figure 2, the central axes 31 of the artificial flowers can also be inserted into the gaps in the shavings 20 from an area where there is no crossbar 11. By placing artificial flowers on the top surface of the container 10 in this way, it is possible to create an appearance similar to flowers planted in a pot. However, decorative objects 30 are not necessarily limited to artificial flowers, and can be modified as appropriate to include dolls, international flags, etc.

The shape of the container 10 can be rectangular as in the above embodiment, or cylindrical as shown in Figure 5.

The air purifier of the present invention, configured in this way, is intended to be placed in a corner of a room, but it can also be hung from a hanging cord. Furthermore, by allowing air to circulate, bacteria and viruses floating in the air are captured by the copper surface, increasing the effectiveness of reducing the activity of bacteria and viruses, so it is desirable to place it in a location where air can circulate, such as near a window. Furthermore, the air contact effect can be further enhanced by placing an electric fan or small fan nearby.

As explained above, the air purifier of the present invention utilizes copper shavings, which have previously been disposed of as waste, making it inexpensive to manufacture and yet providing excellent antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and deodorizing effects. Furthermore, because the air purifier of the present invention utilizes the antibacterial and antiviral properties of copper, these effects last almost permanently. Furthermore, by placing a decorative body 30 on the top surface of the air purifier of the present invention, it is suitable for use as an interior decoration.

10 container 11 crossbar 12 end 13 mounting hole 20 shavings 30 decorative body 31 central axis

Claims (5)

This air purifier is characterized by a container made of a strong, breathable net, the inside of which is filled with shavings generated when cutting copper material, and a decorative object placed on the top surface of the container. The air purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that the net is made of stainless steel. An air purifier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container is rectangular, a crossbar with a downwardly bent end is placed on the top end of the container, and a mounting hole for the decorative object is formed in the crossbar. 4. The air purifying device according to claim 1, wherein the shavings are packed in a compressed state in the container. 4. The air purifier according to claim 3, wherein the decorative body is an artificial flower, the central axis of which is inserted into the mounting hole of the crossbar.