SMOKING ROOM

Abstract

 A smoking room, a temperature and temperature distribution of which are controlled in such a manner that, when a height of the room inside is taken as a horizontal axis and a temperature is taken as a vertical axis, a temperature in the vicinity of a ceiling is higher than a temperature in the vicinity of a floor and temperature distribution has a linear shape or a downward convex shape.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a smoking room.

Background Art

[0002] At present, it is recommended that any smoking room has a very large ventilation flow in order to exhaust tobacco smoke promptly (Criteria for separation of smoking areas issued by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the like). It is therefore supposed that a generally known ventilation system is applied to smoking rooms.

[0003] As systems for the air-conditioning and ventilation of the room inside, a mixing ventilation system, an underfloor ventilation system, a displacement ventilation system, and a ventilation system with air supply through louvers are generally known. With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the following will describe the structure of the smoking room to which each of the systems is applied, and the state of air flow in the room.

(1) In the mixing ventilation system shown in FIG. 1, the air is circulated and conditioned by the air conditioner 11 set on the ceiling of the smoking room 10 while ventilation is performed by use of the air inlet 12 and the air outlet 13 arranged on or near the ceiling.

(2) In the underfloor ventilation system shown in FIG. 2, the floor of the smoking room 10 is made in the air-conditioning floor 14 having supply openings, and conditioned air is supplied from the air inlet 15 under the floor through the air conditioning floor 14. The air is exhausted from the air outlet 16 arranged on or near the ceiling. In this system, fresh air is supplied from the floor surface and simultaneously the air is exhausted from the vicinity of the ceiling, and thus, the polluted air is promptly carried to the air outlet 16. As a result, the air in the living space (breathing space) can be kept clean (Patent Document 1).

(3) In the displacement ventilation system shown in FIG. 3, the air inlet 17 for displacement ventilation is arranged at a lower region of the smoking room 10, through which conditioned air having a lower temperature than room temperature is moderately supplied, while the air is exhausted from the air outlet 18 arranged on or near the ceiling. In this system, a plume is produced by heat from a human body, a machine or the like inside the room, so that temperature stratification is formed in the height direction of the smoking room 10. As a result, the polluted air is concentrated in the vicinity of the ceiling (the concentration distribution thereof is formed in the height direction), so that the air is effectively exhausted from the air outlet 18 on or near the ceiling. This system makes it possible to concentrate the polluted air in the vicinity of the ceiling. Thus, the air in the living space (breathing space) can be kept clean (Patent Document 2).

(3) In the ventilation system with air supply through louvers shown FIG. 4, louvers 19 are arranged on a door or a wall surface of the smoking room 10, through which conditioned air outside the room is supplied, and the air is exhausted from an air outlet 20 arranged on or near the ceiling.

[0004] However, in the mixing ventilation system, the air inside the room is mixed with generated smoke, so that a high ventilation flow is required for lowering the concentration of the smoke (particulates).

[0005] In the meantime, because the underfloor ventilation, the displacement ventilation and the ventilation with air supply through louvers, in which air supply is effected from the vicinity of the floor surface, make it possible to produce a flow from the vicinity of the floor surface toward the ceiling without mixing the air inside the room with generated smoke, it is expected that the concentration of pollutant is made low in the living space or breathing space (in a height of about 1.1 to 1.6 m).

[0006] However, as for a smoking room to which the underfloor ventilation, the displacement ventilation, or the ventilation with air supply through louvers is applied, it has not been verified whether the smoke (particulates) produced by smoking ascends along the flow, and also optimal specifications for each of the systems have not been made clear.

[0007] Further, Patent Documents 3 to 5 each suggest a smoking room for which a system of supplying air from a lower region and exhausting the air from an air outlet arranged at an upper region (of its wall surface) is adopted. The techniques disclosed in these documents are systems similar to that for the displacement ventilation. According to each of these documents, an attempt is made for exhausting smoke effectively by setting a table, arranging a shield plate on the ceiling, or arranging a large number of air outlets over ashtrays.

[0008] However, when these techniques are used, there are problems that the shape of the room inside or the positioning of ashtrays used by smokers is limited. Additionally, the air is exhausted from wide areas of the wall surface, which may bring about a possibility that when smokers stand at both of a position apart from the wall surface and a position near the wall surface through which the air is exhausted, smoke flow in a direction toward the smoker near the wall surface (transverse direction) so as to displease the smoker.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 2955519

Patent Document 2: Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-185780

Patent Document 3: Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2006-288282

Patent Document 4: Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-071454

Patent Document 5: Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-100972

Disclosure of Invention

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a smoking room which ensures comfortable smoking for a smoker without limiting the shape of the room inside or the position of any ashtray.

[0010] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a smoking room, a temperature and temperature distribution of which are controlled in such a manner that, when a height of the room inside is taken as a horizontal axis and a temperature is taken as a vertical axis, a temperature in the vicinity of a ceiling is higher than a temperature in the vicinity of a floor and temperature distribution has a linear shape or a downward convex shape.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that a heat generator configured to control the shape of the temperature distribution is set on or near the ceiling. In this case, it is preferable that an average temperature difference between the ceiling and a position 50 cm below the ceiling is controlled to 0.5°C or higher by means of the heat generator set on or near the ceiling.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that air is supplied from a position lower than a half of a height of the ceiling, and the air is exhausted from the ceiling or from the vicinity of the ceiling. In this case, the ventilation system may be any one of a displacement ventilation system, a ventilation system with air supply through louvers, and an underfloor ventilation system. In a case where the louvers are provided, it is preferable that boards of the louvers fitted to the wall surface or the door are oriented downward toward the floor surface viewed from the room inside.

[0013] In the present invention, air outside the room may be supplied through a duct set inside the room, and the air may be exhausted from the ceiling or from the vicinity of the ceiling. In this case, it is allowable that an air inlet of the duct set inside the room is shut with a door when the door is opened, and air is supplied through the door.

[0014] In the present invention, it is preferable that the ventilation frequency is 5 [times/h] or more and 60 [times/h] or less. In the smoking room of the present invention, it is preferable that the height from the floor to the ceiling inside the room is 2 m or more and 4 m or less.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0015] 

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a mixing ventilation system.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an underfloor ventilation system.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a displacement ventilation system.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a ventilation system with air supply through louvers.

FIG. 5 shows the relationships between the height from the floor surface and the dimensionless temperature inside the room.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the smoking room according to the first embodiment to which a displacement ventilation system is applied.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a ceiling heat generator.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing positions of the ceiling heat generators.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a position of combusted cigarettes and positions of dust counters.

FIG. 10 is a graph showing the reduction rate of the particulate concentration by means of the smoking room according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a graph showing the dimensionless temperature distribution under a condition of ventilation frequency of 11.7 [times/h] in the smoking room according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a graph showing the dimensionless temperature distribution under a condition of ventilation frequency of 22.6 [times/h] in the smoking room according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing the dimensionless temperature distribution under a condition of ventilation frequency of 41.1 [times/h] in the smoking room according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the smoking room according to the second embodiment to which a ventilation system with air supply through louvers is applied.

FIG. 15 is a graph showing the reduction rate of the particulate concentration by means of the smoking room according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a graph showing the dimensionless temperature distribution under a condition of ventilation frequency of 11.7 [times/h] in the smoking room according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a graph showing the dimensionless temperature distribution under a condition of ventilation frequency of 22.6 [times/h] in the smoking room according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a graph showing the dimensionless temperature distribution under a condition of ventilation frequency of 41.1 [times/h] in the smoking room according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a graph showing a relationship between the temperature difference between the ceiling and a position 50 cm below the ceiling and the particulate concentration in the living space in the smoking room according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a view illustrating ventilation with air supply through door louvers in a state that the door is closed; a view illustrating ventilation in the state that the door is opened; and a graph showing the particulate concentration in the living space under the condition 4-1 that the door is closed and that under the condition 4-2 that the door is opened in the smoking room according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of another smoking room according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a graph showing the particulate concentration in the living space under the condition 4-1 that the door is closed, that under the condition 4-2 that the door is opened and that under the condition 4-3 that the door is closed and air is supplied through the indoor duct and louvers in another smoking room according to the fourth embodiment.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter.

[0017] The smoking room according to the present invention uses underfloor ventilation, displacement ventilation, or ventilation with air supply through louvers and supplies air having a lower temperature than room temperature in the living space (breathing space) in such a moderate manner that a flow from the floor surface or a lower region of the wall surface of the room to the room inside is not largely disturbed. Specifically, the wind speed is set to 0.5 m/s or less.

[0018] The reason why a temperature and temperature distribution in the smoking room of the present invention are controlled in such a manner that, when a height of the room inside is taken as a horizontal axis and a temperature is taken as a vertical axis, temperature distribution has a linear shape or a downward convex shape is to prevent smoke once entrained with a plume and reached the vicinity of the ceiling from diffusing and sedimenting again into the living space (breathing space).

[0019] Here, the temperature difference in the height direction inside the room is largely varied depending on test conditions. In the present invention, however, the shape of the temperature distribution inside the smoking room is important. Thus, in order to facilitate relative comparison between the temperature distribution shapes under different test conditions, the temperature is made dimensionless and the dimensionless temperature at the ceiling is regarded as 1.0 so as to make the comparison. Hereinafter, the shape of any temperature distribution is represented on the basis of dimensionless temperature. Regardless of temperature difference inside the smoking room, if the temperature distribution is in a downward convex shape, the temperature distribution on the basis of dimensionless temperature is also in a downward convex shape.

[0020] For the conversion of any measured temperature into a dimensionless temperature, formula 1 is used.

[0021] In formula 1, θ_n represents the dimensionless temperature, θ_m represents the measured temperature at any position in the height direction, θ_f represents the measured temperature in the vicinity of the floor, and θ_c represents the measured temperature in the vicinity of the ceiling.

[0022] FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the height of from the floor surface and the dimensionless temperature inside the room. In FIG. 5, a temperature distribution X forming a curve in a downward convex shape, a temperature distribution Y in a liner shape, and a temperature distribution Z forming a curve in an upward convex shape are shown. The reason why in the present invention the temperature distribution in the smoking room is controlled into a straight line or a curve in a downward convex shape will be described in more detail.

[0023] When a temperature difference is generated in a smoking room, the air usually ascends. Thus, it might be considered that the temperature difference itself between the vicinity of the floor and that of the ceiling is more important than the shape of the temperature distribution. However, according to the investigations by the present inventors, it has been found that, even when a temperature difference exists between the vicinity of the floor and that of the ceiling, the temperature difference between the vicinity of the ceiling and the living space is small in a case where the temperature distribution has an upward convex shape (X in FIG. 5), so that the smoke due to smoking ascends to the vicinity of the ceiling and then the smoke diffuses again to the living space and is deposited thereon.

[0024] The present inventors have made various investigations to remedy the phenomenon. As a result, it is found that, even when the temperature difference itself from the floor to the ceiling is small under the same conditions of air-supply and exhaust, the control of the shape of the temperature distribution into a downward convex shape makes it possible to prevent smoke once reaching the vicinity of the ceiling from diffusing again to the living space and being deposited thereon.

[0025] As described above, in order to attain the subject of creating a good smoking environment, in the smoking room of the present invention, the temperature distribution therein is controlled into a downward convex shape as shown in FIG. 5. Further, as a result of investigations by the present inventors, it is also found that it is useful to arrange a heat generator on or near the ceiling (referred to as a ceiling heat generator hereinafter) as a means for controlling the temperature distribution into a downward convex shape.

[0026] The following will describe test results in a case where a displacement ventilation system or a ventilation system with air supply through louvers is applied to the smoking room according to the present invention.

First Embodiment

[0027] An embodiment in which a displacement ventilation system is applied to a smoking room of the present invention will be described.

[Smoking room]

[0028] The smoking room used in the tests has the floor area of 18 m², in which the width is 3 m and the length is 6 m, the ceiling height of 2.7 m, and the interior volume of 48.6 m³.

[0029] FIG. 6 shows positions of an air inlet and air outlets for the smoking room. As shown in FIG. 6, the door 51 is arranged in a wall surface of the smoking room 50. The air inlet 52 for displacement ventilation (available from Nippon Flakt Co., Ltd., Model: FMH. 062. 400) is arranged at a lower region of the wall surface opposed to the door 51 of the smoking room 50. A number of air outlets 53 are arranged on the ceiling of the smoking room 50. Conditioned air of a temperature of 21°C was supplied from the air inlet 52 for displacement ventilation to the smoking room 50 and the air was exhausted from the air outlets 53 arranged on the ceiling.

[0030] Instead of having smokers stay in the smoking room 50, thermal mannequins imitating human bodies were arranged therein. Assuming that the maximum number of stayers corresponds to one person per 2 m², nine thermal mannequins were arranged. The heat quantity of the thermal mannequins is 100 W per body.

[0031] In order to control the shape of the temperature distribution in the smoking room 50, nine ceiling heat generators were arranged. FIG. 7 shows the structure of the ceiling heat generator. The heat generator 60 includes a glass bulb 61 having a lower half on which an aluminum heat radiator is provided and an incandescent lamp 62 inserted therein. The heat generator 60 was set in such a manner that the center thereof was positioned 30 cm apart from the ceiling. The power of each of the incandescent lamps 62 is 100 W, and the total power of the nine incandescent lamps 62 is 900 W. As shown in FIG. 8, the nine heat generators 60 were evenly arranged as viewed from the ceiling of the smoking room 50. By turning these heat generators on and off, the shape of the temperature distribution in the smoking room can be changed.

[Cigarette combustion conditions]

[0032] The average number of combusted cigarettes in the smoking room was set to three cigarettes per an hour per m². In the present embodiment, 54 cigarettes were combusted per hour. The method for the combustion was as follows: operations of naturally combusting nine cigarettes at the same time were repeated six times uninterruptedly.

[0033] Note that, as for evaluation of any smoking room, it is necessary to consider puffed smoke following smoking in nature. Since the present embodiment was designed to evaluate ventilation capability of the smoking room, however, it was considered that ventilation capabilities could be relatively compared only based on sidestream smoke, and thus, the tests were performed using the sidestream smoke only.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 9, the position 70 of the combusted cigarettes was set at the center of the smoking room 50 as viewed from the ceiling. The height of the position 70 of the combusted cigarettes was set to 1.1 m from the floor surface. As for the position of the combusted cigarettes, the arrangement of smokers should be considered in nature. Also in this case, since the present embodiment was designed to evaluate ventilation capability of the smoking room, tests were performed in the state that the position of combusted cigarettes was fixed to the center of the smoking room 50.

[Positions for measuring particulate concentration]

[0035] As shown in FIG. 9, dust counters 71 were arranged at four points corresponding to middle positions of straight lines linking the center of the smoking room 50 with four corners as viewed from the ceiling. The height at which the dust counters 71 were arranged was set to 1.4 m from the floor surface, regarded as a typical height of the living space (breathing space). Piezobalance dust counters (available from Kanomax Japan, Inc., Model 3511) were used as the dust counters 71 to measure the particulate concentration in real time.

[0036] The particulate concentrations were continuously measured from a time before particulates were generated to a time when the particulate concentrations each reached zero by ventilation after the six-time combustion operations of the cigarettes finished. The measured values at each of the four positions inside the room were converted to a particulate amount per hour, the measured values at the four points were averaged, and the resultant value was determined as the average particulate amount per hour inside the room.

[0037] As the particulate concentration in the living space (1.4 m) is lower, the living space is evaluated as a smoking room more comfortable for smokers. Under various test conditions, the smoking rooms were compared for comfort with each other.

[Positions for measuring the temperature inside the room]

[0038] As shown in FIG. 9, thermometer arrangement positions were set at four points same as the positions at which the particulate counters 71 were arranges as viewed from the ceiling. At each of the measurement positions, the thermometers were arranged at four heights of 0.05 m, 0.14 m, 2.4 m and 2.69 m from the floor surface, respectively. Accordingly, the total number of the temperature measurement points was 16. Type E thermocouples were used as the thermometers, and the type E thermocouples were connected to a mobile temperature recorder (available from Keyence Corporation, NR-1000) to perform measurements. The measured values of the four measurement points at the identical heights were averaged, thereby obtained the temperatures in the height direction inside the room.

[Ventilation conditions]

[0039] As shown in Table 1, the ventilation flow was set to 570, 1100 or 2000 [m³/h], and the ventilation frequency was set to 11.7, 22.6 or 41.1 [times/h].

[0040] Measurements were performed under conditions A to C for the mixing ventilation system as standards of ventilation conditions. In the mixing ventilation system, an air conditioner arranged on the ceiling was operated to mix the air inside the room with smoke and to make the temperature distribution and the particulate concentration inside the room uniform, and then the measurements were performed. Other conditions of the measurements were as described above.

[0041] In the displacement ventilation system, conditions D to I shown in Table 1 were used as ventilation conditions. In the state that the thermal mannequins were caused to generate heat, the ceiling heat generators were turned on or off. Under these conditions, the particulate concentrations and the temperature distribution shapes were compared.

Table 1

Ventilation flow [m3/h]	Ventilation frequency [times/h]	Mixing ventilation system	Substitution ventilation system
			Ceiling heat generators: OFF	Ceiling heat generators: ON
570	11.7	A	D	G
1100	22.6	B	E	H
2000	41.1	C	F	I

[Results]

[0042] The results obtained by performing the tests under the above measurement conditions and ventilation conditions will be described.

[0043] FIG. 10 shows the increase-reduction rates of the particulate concentration in the living space (height: 1.4 m) in which the rate under the condition A in Table 1, that is, under the condition that the ventilation frequency was set to 11.7 [times/h] in the mixing ventilation system was regarded as zero. The reason why the particulate concentration is represented by increase-reduction rates is as follows: When the number of combusted cigarettes is varied, the particulate concentration is largely changed. However, in the case of representing each of particulate concentrations by the increase-reduction rate the basis of which is the particulate concentration under a certain condition, the particulate concentrations can be compared with each other even when the number of the combusted cigarettes is varied.

[0044] It is found that, even when the ceiling heat generators are turned off as in D, E and F in FIG. 10, the use of the displacement ventilation system makes it possible to make the particulate concentration in the living space lower than the mixing ventilation. This represents that the displacement ventilation system is useful for ventilation of polluted air as described above. As shown by G, H and I in FIG. 10, it is found that the use of the displacement ventilation system in the state that the ceiling heat generators are turned on makes it possible to make the particulate concentration even lower for each ventilation frequency.

[0045] From the observation results, it can be concluded that when the reduction rate of the particulate concentration in the living space shown in FIG. 10 is about 0.8, the living space has a very low particulate concentration so that it is said to be a comfortable smoking space for smokers.

[0046] Next, the shape of the dimensionless temperature distribution under each of the conditions will be described. In the tests in which the displacement ventilation system was used, comparisons were made in the state that the ceiling heat generators were turned on or off under the identical ventilation frequency. Symbols in the figures correspond to the individual ventilation conditions in Table 1.

[0047] FIG. 11 shows a comparison between D and G in which the ventilation frequency is 11.7 [times/h]. FIG. 12 shows a comparison between E and H in which the ventilation frequency is 22.6 [times/h]. FIG. 13 shows a comparison between F and I in which the ventilation frequency is 41.1 [times/h].

[0048] As shown in FIG. 11, it is found that when the ventilation frequency is 11.7 [times/h], the temperature distribution is in an upward convex shape under the condition D that the ceiling heat generators are turned off but the temperature distribution is controlled in a downward convex shape under the condition G that the ceiling heat generators are turned on. As a result, the particulate concentration in the living space can be largely reduced under the condition G, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 12, when the ventilation frequency is 22.6 [times/h], the temperature distribution is in a downward convex shape even under the condition E that the ceiling heat generators are turned off. This would be because, even under the condition E, appropriate balance is attained between the heat quantity generated from the thermal mannequins and the ventilation flow so that the temperature distribution is made in a downward convex shape.

[0050] In the case of the condition E, since the temperature distribution satisfies the requirement that the temperature distribution is made into a downward convex shape, the reduction rate of the particulate concentration is large. However, in an actual smoking room, it appears that in accordance with various factors such as the number of smokers and the shape of the room inside, the shape of the temperature distribution is varied even at the same ventilation flow.

[0051] Thus, in order to make the temperature distribution more forcibly into a downward convex shape, it is effective to turn on the ceiling heat generators. As shown by the results under the condition H in FIG. 12, the temperature distribution can be made into a more largely downward convex shape than under the condition E. As a result, under the condition H that the ceiling heat generators are turned on, the particulate concentration can be made lower than that under the condition E that the ceiling heat generators are turned off, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0052] As described above, in the case where the ventilation frequency is 22.6 times, if the temperature distribution is controlled in a downward convex shape by the heat quantity inside the room and the ventilation flow, the particulate concentration can be reduced even under the condition that the ceiling heat generators are turned off. Furthermore, when the ceiling heat generators are turned on, the temperature distribution can be made into a more largely downward convex shape so that the particulate concentration can be made even lower. It is also assumed that, when the ceiling heat generators are turned on to make the temperature distribution forcibly into a downward convex shape, the temperature distribution will be less subjected to the effect of disturbances such as an increase or decrease of smokers or the opening or closing of the door.

[0053] Additionally, from FIGS. 13 and 10, it is found that the conditions F and I that the ventilation frequency is 41.1 [times/h] also exhibit the same tendency as the conditions E and H that the ventilation frequency is 22.6 [times/h]. Thus, when the temperature distribution is in a downward convex shape, the effect of reducing the particulate concentration can be obtained regardless of the ventilation frequency.

Second Embodiment

[0054] An embodiment in which a ventilation system with air supply through louvers is applied to a smoking room of the present invention will be described.

[Smoking room and test conditions]

[0055] The smoking room used in the tests has the floor area of 18 m², in which the width is 3 m and the length is 6 m, the ceiling height of 2.7 m, and the interior volume of 48.6 m³, as in the first embodiment to which the displacement ventilation system is applied.

[0056] FIG. 14 shows positions of air inlets and air outlets for the smoking room. The door 51 is arranged in a wall surface of the smoking room 50. Louvers 54 are arranged at a lower region of the wall surface adjacent to the wall surface the smoking room 50 in which the door 51 is arranged, and air is supplied through the louvers 54. The height of the louvers 54 is 0.4 m, the total area of the louvers 54 is 2.2 m², and the opening ratio of the louvers 54 is 33%. Like the first embodiment, a number of air outlets 53 are arranged on the ceiling of the smoking room 50.

[0057] Since the air supply through the louvers 54 makes the smoking room 50 in a reduced pressure, air flows in some degree to the inside through a gap around the door 51, but it is far smaller than the air supply quantity through the louvers 54.

[0058] Tests were performed under the same conditions as in the first embodiment about the arrangement positions of the thermal mannequins, the arrangement positions of the ceiling heat generators, the cigarette combustion conditions, the position of the combusted cigarettes, the particulate measurement positions and the temperature measurement positions.

[Ventilation conditions]

[0059] As shown in Table 2, the ventilation flow and the ventilation frequency were the same as in Table 1 for the first embodiment. Conditions A to C for the mixing ventilation system used as standards of ventilation conditions were also the same as in Table 1.

[0060] In the ventilation system with air supply through the louvers, conditions J to O shown in Table 2 were used as ventilation conditions. Also in the ventilation system with air supply through the louvers, the ceiling heat generators were turned on or off in the state that the thermal mannequins were caused to generate heat. Under these conditions, the particulate concentrations and the temperature distribution shapes were compared.

Table 2

Ventilation flow [m3/h]	Ventilation frequency [times/h]	Mixing ventilation system	Ventilation system with air supply through louvers
			Ceiling heat generators: OFF	Ceiling heat generators: ON
570	11.7	A	J	M
1100	22.6	B	K	N
2000	41.1	C	L	O

[Results]

[0061] The results obtained by performing the tests under the above measurement conditions and ventilation conditions will be described.

[0062] FIG. 15 shows the increase-reduction rates of the particulate concentration in the living space (height: 1.4 m) in which the rate under the condition A in Table 2, that is, under the condition that the ventilation frequency was set to 11.7 [times/h] in the mixing ventilation system was regarded as zero.

[0063] It is found that, even when the ceiling heat generators are turned off as in J, K and L in FIG. 15, the use of the ventilation system with air supply through the louvers makes it possible to make the particulate concentration in the living space lower than the mixing ventilation. However, when the ceiling heat generators are off, the reduction rate of the particulate concentration of about 0.8, which is a target value for a comfortable smoking room, is not exhibited under the condition J that the ventilation frequency is 11.7 [times/h] and the condition K that the ventilation frequency is 22.6 [times/h]. On the other hand, in cases of the conditions M, N and O that the ceiling heat generators are turned on, it is found that the particulate concentration in the living space can be made lower than the case where the ceiling heat generators are turned off for any ventilation frequency.

[0064] Next, the shape of the dimensionless temperature distribution under each of the conditions will be described. In the tests in which the ventilation system with air supply through the louvers was used, comparisons were made in the state that the ceiling heat generators were turned on or off under the identical ventilation frequency. Symbols in the figures correspond to the individual ventilation conditions in Table 2.

[0065] FIG. 16 shows a comparison between J and M in which the ventilation frequency is 11.7 [times/h]. FIG. 17 shows a comparison between K and N in which the ventilation frequency is 22.6 [times/h]. FIG. 18 shows a comparison between L and O in which the ventilation frequency is 41.1 [times/h].

[0066] As shown in FIG. 16, it is found that when the ventilation frequency is 11.7 [times/h], the temperature distribution is in an upward convex shape under the condition J that the ceiling heat generators are turned off, but the temperature distribution is controlled in a downward convex shape under the condition M that the ceiling heat generators are turned on. As a result, the particulate concentration in the living space can be made lower under the condition M as compared with the condition J, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 17, it is found that, when the ventilation frequency is 22.6 [times/h], the temperature distribution is in an upward convex shape under the condition K that the ceiling heat generators are turned off, but the temperature distribution is controlled in a downward convex shape under the condition N that the ceiling heat generators are turned on. As a result, the particulate concentration in the living space can be made lower under the condition N as compared with the condition K, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 18, when the ventilation frequency is 41.1 [times/h], the temperature distribution is in a downward convex shape even under the condition L that the ceiling heat generators are turned off, and thus, the particulate concentration in the living space can be suppressed to a low value. Additionally, under the condition O that the ceiling heat generators are on, the temperature distribution can be forcibly made in a more largely downward convex shape. As a result, the particulate concentration can be made lower under the condition O as compared with the condition L, although it is slightly, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0069] Thus, also in the case of applying the ventilation system with air supply through the louvers to the smoking room of the present invention, the particulate concentration in the living space can be made lower than in the case of applying the mixing ventilation system thereto by controlling the dimensionless temperature distribution in a downward convex shape, regardless of the ventilation frequency.

Third Embodiment

[0070] Tests were performed under the conditions that the temperature distribution was controlled in a downward convex shape and the heat quantity of the ceiling heat generators was varied. Table 3 shows conditions for the tests. FIG. 19 shows test results. FIG. 19 shows a relationship between the temperature difference between the ceiling and the position 50 cm below the ceiling and the particulate concentration in the living space under each ventilation condition. The largeness of the room inside, the cigarette combustion conditions, the measurement conditions, and other test conditions are the same as in the first and second embodiments.

Table 3

	Ventilation condition	Ventilation flow [m3/h]	Ventilation frequency [times/h]	Heat quantity of heat generators (Total heat quantity of nine heat generators) [W]
3-1	Substitution ventilation	570	11.7	0, 97, 324, 540, 900
3-2	Substitution ventilation	1100	22.6	0, 97, 324, 540, 900
3-3	Louvers	2000	41.1	0, 97, 324, 540, 900

[0071] As shown in FIG. 19, it is found that, if the temperature difference between the ceiling and the position 50 cm below the ceiling is 0.5°C or higher, the particulate concentration in the living space can be sufficiently reduced under any ventilation conditions. It is found from this fact that in order to reduce the particulate concentration in the living space, it is preferred to control the temperature distribution in a downward convex shape in the height direction by arranging heat generators near the ceiling, and further to ensure the temperature difference of 0.5°C or higher between the ceiling and the position 50 cm below the ceiling.

Fourth Embodiment

[0072] "Report of the review meeting for designing criteria for effect of separation of smoking areas" released as a guideline for smoking rooms from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (press release document by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on June 7, 2002, http://www.mhlw.go.jp/houdou/2002/06/ h0607-3.html) states that, in order to secure a separated smoking area, it is desired to ensure a predetermined air flow velocity at the boundary between a smoking area and non-smoking area (referred to as a boundary flow velocity hereinafter) from the viewpoint of prevention of leakage of smoke to the non-smoking area. Then, investigations have been made on techniques for keeping the good environment in a smoking room while the boundary flow velocity is ensured. The largeness of the room inside, the cigarette combustion conditions, the measurement conditions and other test conditions are the same as in the first to third embodiments.

[0073] The above "Report of the review meeting for designing criteria for effect of separation of smoking areas" recommends opening a door to ensure a boundary flow velocity and using a split curtain and the like. However, considering that there are few smoking rooms having no door and that the use of the split curtain is inconvenient for the movement of people, these methods are not practical.

[0074] When the door is closed, air is supplied through louvers usually arranged on the door. If the boundary flow velocity is ensured in the state that the door is open, the flow velocity of the air supplied through the louvers having relatively small areas becomes considerably high when the door is closed. Thus, it is anticipated that the environment inside the smoking room is largely disturbed.

[0075] FIG. 20(a) is a view illustrating ventilation with air supply through door louvers 55 in a state that the door 51 is closed. FIG. 20(b) is a view illustrating ventilation in the state that the door 51 is open. The area of the door 51 is: 0.85 m x 1.8 m = 1.53 m². If a boundary flow velocity of 0.2 m/s is ensured in the state that the door 51 having the above area is opened, then the ventilation flow becomes 1100 m³, and the ventilation frequency of the intended smoking room 50 becomes 22.6 times/h. The particulate concentration in the living space under the ventilation flow was measured when the door was opened and closed.
FIG. 20(c) shows the particulate concentration in the living space under each of the condition 4-1 that the door was closed and the condition 4-2 that the door was opened.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 20(c), in the case (4-2) where the door is opened to supply air and the boundary flow velocity of 0.2 m/s is ensured, the particulate concentration becomes about 0.05 mg/m³. However, in the case (4-1) where the door is closed to supply air through the door louvers, the flow velocity of the supplied air is high so that the room inside becomes a mixed state, and thus, the particulate concentration in the living space becomes high.

[0077] In order to solve such a problem, the present inventors have invented a smoking room making it possible to control the shape of the temperature distribution in the height direction to keep the space inside the room good while the boundary flow velocity can be ensured.

[0078] FIG. 21 shows a perspective view of the smoking room. The sliding door 51 is arranged on a wall surface of the smoking room 50. The indoor duct 56 is arranged at a lower region of the wall surface of the smoking room 50 adjacent to the wall surface on which the door 51 is arranged, and louvers 57 are arranged on the side surface of the indoor duct 56. The air inlet of the indoor duct 56 is arranged near the sliding door 51. When the door 51 is opened, the air inlet of the indoor duct 56 is closed, and when the door 51 is closed, the air inlet of the indoor duct 56 is opened. Nine ceiling heat generators 60 are arranged on the ceiling of the smoking room 50. When the ceiling heat generators 60 are turned on, the temperature distribution in the smoking room 50 is controlled in a downward convex shape in the height direction.

[0079] When the door 51 is opened, the air inlet of the indoor duct 56 is closed and air is supplied at a boundary flow velocity of 0.2 m/s or more through the opened door. Further, an exhaust mechanism arranged inside the room is used to exhaust the air through air outlets 53. At this time, the room is ventilated with a class 3 ventilation system. When the door 51 is closed, the air inlet of the indoor duct 56 is opened and an air supplying mechanism arranged inside the room is used to supply air outside the smoking room at a boundary flow velocity of 0.2 m/s or more from the louvers 57 through the indoor duct 56 into the smoking room 50. Further, the exhaust mechanism arranged inside the room is used to exhaust the air through the air outlets 53. At this time, the room is ventilated with a class 1 ventilation system. Accordingly, the smoking room shown in FIG. 21 is ventilated with a combination of class 1 ventilation system and class 3 ventilation system.

[0080] FIG. 22 shows results obtained by measuring the environment inside the smoking room shown in FIG. 21. Similar to the above-mentioned conditions, the area of the door 51 is 1.53 m², and in the state that the door 51 is opened, the boundary flow velocity is 0.2 m/s, the ventilation flow is 1100 m³ and the ventilation frequency is 22.6 times/h. Since the door louvers are closed in this case, no air is supplied through the door louvers. The results under conditions 4-1 and 4-2 in FIG. 22 are equivalent to those in FIG. 20(c). That is, the condition 4-1 is the case where the door is closed and air is supplied through the door louvers, and the condition 4-2 is the case where the door is opened to supply air. Note that, the particulate concentration under the condition 4-1 is 0.4 mg/m³ and, in fact, exceeds the maximum value 0.2 mg/m³ on the vertical axis in FIG. 22. The result under condition 4-3 in FIG. 22 shows the case where the door is closed and air is supplied through the indoor duct and the louvers in the smoking room of FIG. 21.

[0081] It is found from the results in FIG. 22 that the smoking room in FIG. 21 has a smaller difference in particulate concentration due to opening and closing of the door compared with the smoking room in FIG. 20. In addition, it is found that, in the case under condition 4-3 that the door is closed in the smoking room in FIG. 21, the particulate concentration in the living space is smaller than in the case under condition 4-2 that the door is opened, so that the environment of the living space becomes better.

[0082] As described above, it is found that, by controlling the temperature distribution in a smoking room in the height direction in a downward convex shape, a smoking room can be achieved which has specifications that the particulate concentration in the living space is suppressed to a low value, while the boundary flow velocity is ensured.

[0083] Note that, the shape of the smoking room, the floor area, and the positions of the air inlet and the air outlet in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples for implementing the present invention, and they never give any limitation to the present invention.

[0084] Also, the ceiling heat generators described in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments may be acceptable as long as they make it possible to control the temperature distribution in a downward convex shape, and they never give any limitation to the present invention relating to the heat generating method, the shape of the heat generators, the heat quantity, and the like.

Claims

1. A smoking room, a temperature and temperature distribution of which are controlled in such a manner that, when a height of the room inside is taken as a horizontal axis and a temperature is taken as a vertical axis, a temperature in the vicinity of a ceiling is higher than a temperature in the vicinity of a floor and temperature distribution has a linear shape or a downward convex shape.

2. The smoking room according to claim 1, wherein a heat generator configured to control the shape of the temperature distribution is set on or near the ceiling.

3. The smoking room according to claim 2, wherein an average temperature difference between the ceiling and a position 50 cm below the ceiling is controlled to 0.5°C or higher by means of the heat generator set on or near the ceiling.

4. The smoking room according to claim 1, wherein air is supplied from a position lower than a half of a height of the ceiling, and the air is exhausted from the ceiling or from the vicinity of the ceiling.

5. The smoking room according to claim 1, wherein the room is ventilated with a displacement ventilation system.

6. The smoking room according to claim 1, wherein the room is ventilated with air supply through louvers fitted to a wall surface or a door.

7. The smoking room according to claim 1, wherein the room is ventilated with an underfloor ventilation system.

8. The smoking room according to claim 1, wherein the room is ventilated with a class 3 ventilation system in which conditioned air is supplied from the outside of the room and the air is exhausted by use of an exhaust mechanism set inside the room, or is ventilated with a combination of class 1 ventilation system and class 3 ventilation system by use of an air supply mechanism and an exhaust mechanism set inside the room.

9. The smoking room according to claim 4, wherein boards of the louvers fitted to the wall surface or the door are oriented downward toward the floor surface as viewed from the room inside.

10. The smoking room according to claim 1, wherein air outside the room is supplied through a duct set inside the room, and the air is exhausted from the ceiling or from the vicinity of the ceiling.

11. The smoking room according to claim 10, wherein, an air inlet of the duct set inside the room is shut with a door when the door is opened, and air is supplied through the door.

12. The smoking room according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein ventilation frequency is 5 [times/h] or more and 60 [times/h] or less.

13. The smoking room according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the height from the floor to the ceiling inside the room is 2 m or more and 4 m or less.

Drawing