Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

A School of Corporation Kansai University

Yasumasa Suzuki

Nobuki Sakikawa

Yoshihiro Uramoto

Takashi Miyata

Kazuya Matsumoto

Akihiro Yamaguchi

A dehumidifying device configured such that a dehumidifying material having absorbed moisture can efficiently release moisture. The dehumidifying device carries out dehumidification with a polymeric moisture-absorbing material that (i) exhibits hydrophilicity in a temperature range equal to or lower than a temperature sensitive point which is a given temperature and (ii) exhibits hydrophobicity in a temperature range higher than the temperature sensitive point. The dehumidifying device includes: a substrate to which the polymeric moisture-absorbing material is fixed; a heat generating member which heats, to the temperature range higher than the temperature sensitive point, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material that has absorbed moisture; and a moisture absorbing unit motor which rotates the substrate, so that the moisture, which has been absorbed by the polymeric moisture-absorbing material that is heated to the temperature range higher than the temperature sensitive point, is released as a waterdrop by a centrifugal force.

Dehumidification device

A humidity controlling apparatus comprising: a moisture absorption unit including a base material rotatable about a rotation shaft and a macromolecular moisture absorbent provided in a layer on an outer periphery of the base material; and a heat source partially heating the moisture absorption unit, the macromolecular moisture absorbent having a hydrophilic state capable of absorbing moisture in the air and a hydrophobic state which releases the moisture sorbed in the hydrophilic state, the macromolecular moisture absorbent having a nature such that when temperature rises, the macromolecular moisture absorbent changes from the hydrophilic state to the hydrophobic state, and when the temperature falls, the macromolecular moisture absorbent returns from the hydrophobic state to the hydrophilic state, requires small thermal energy and can efficiently control humidity.

Humidity controlling apparatus

A humidity controlling apparatus comprises: a moisture absorbent (1) made of a macromolecular gelated moisture absorbing material which takes a first state being capable of absorbing moisture and a second state releasing in a liquid state the moisture absorbed in the first state, and which has a nature to change from the first state to the second state when a definite level of temperature or higher is attained, and return to the first state when the definite level of temperature or higher is no longer attained; and an energy converting particle (2) which is disposed so as to be buried inside the moisture absorbent and has a nature to generate heat when it is exposed to an external stimulus factor which is at least one of light, electric waves and a high frequency magnetic field.

Growing community of inventors

Sakai, Japan

Yasumasa Suzuki