Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

The School Corporation Kansai University

A School of Corporation Kansai University

Yoshihiro Uramoto

Nobuki Sakikawa

Takashi Miyata

Yasumasa Suzuki

Takahiro Hanai

Fumimasa Funabiki

Kazuya Matsumoto

Tomohisa Itoh

Akihiro Yamaguchi

Yoshiroh Tanoue

Tomohisa Ito

Tomisha Ito

A moisture absorbing material (i) having has (a) a first state in which the moisture absorbing material is capable of absorbing moisture, and (b) a second state in which the moisture absorbing material releases the moisture absorbed in the first state, and (ii) has a property of changing from the first state to the second state in response to an external stimulus and returning from the second state to the first state when the external stimulus disappears, the moisture absorbing material includes: first through fourth moisture absorbing bodies which have respective different stimulus response levels and are provided in order of stimulus response level so as to be in contact with one another.

Water absorbent material, dehumidification device, and dehumidification method

Provided is a dehumidification apparatus with good energy efficiency. A moisture absorbing material (polymeric moisture absorbing material), which absorbs moisture and swells at a temperature not higher than a predetermined temperature sensitive point, while shrinking and releasing condensed water at a temperature higher than the temperature sensitive point as a result of phase transition, is formed so as to be divided into a plurality of segments which are made apart from each other during dehydration. A rotation motor () is used to move the moisture absorbing material (polymeric moisture absorbing material) between a moisture absorption region () and a dehydration region (). In the dehydration region (), the moisture absorbing material (polymeric moisture absorbing material) is heated by the heater ().

Dehumidification device

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.

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.

An air blower including a motorhaving output shaftson both sides in the axial direction and two impellersmounted on the respective output shafts, and two ductsthat individually allow passage of the air blown out by rotation of each of the impellersin the same direction and discharge the air to the outside are included. At a part or the whole of each of the ducts, a laminar flow section that makes the flowing air laminar flow. An ion generating section is arranged at each laminar flow section so that ions generated by the ion generating section can effectively be included in the air, increasing the ion concentration of ions discharged in a room together with the air.

Ion detecting apparatus and ion generating apparatus

An ion generation apparatus includes: an air blower including a motor and two impellers attached to the output shafts projecting respectively from both sides of the motor; and two ducts through which air sent through rotation of the two impellers is individually allowed to flow in the same direction, for emitting the air outside. A part of whole of each of the ducts is provided in the laminar flow section where a flow of the air is changed into a laminar flow. Since an ion generating section is provided in each of the laminar flow sections, ions generated by the ion generating section can be efficiently involved in the air, so as to increase a concentration of the ions emitted to inside of a room together with the air.

Growing community of inventors

Sakai, Japan

Yoshihiro Uramoto