Patent ID: 7533538

Claim:
A dehumidifier comprising: a rotor case harboring a disk-shaped dehumidification rotor rotatably and drivably mounted therein, said rotor case having an opening for dehumidification through which air to be dehumidified passes, which opening is so formed as to expose a region of said dehumidification rotor, said region being so defined as to have a prescribed central angle in said dehumidification rotor, and said rotor case having an opening for regeneration through which air for regeneration that regenerates said dehumidification rotor passes, which opening for regeneration is so formed as to expose a region of said dehumidification rotor, which second-mentioned region is so defined as to have a central angle and to be located in an area other than said first-mentioned region; a heater for heating the air for regeneration before passing through said opening for regeneration; a heat exchanger for recovering heat, which is separated into a first passage section through which the air for regeneration before passing through said opening for regeneration passes, and a second passage section through which the air for regeneration after passing through said opening for regeneration passes, which heat exchanger has a separation wall section that transfers heat of said air for regeneration passing through said second passage section to said air for regeneration passing through said first passage section; a dehumidification passage harboring a dehumidification fan that inhales said air to be dehumidified from outside and discharges the air after passing through said opening for dehumidification; and a regeneration passage harboring a regeneration fan which flows said air for regeneration through said first passage section, said heater, said opening for regeneration and said second passage section, in the order mentioned; wherein the direction of rotation of said dehumidification rotor is set such that the air for regeneration which passed through posterior area of said dehumidification rotor flows into downstream portion in said second passage section, which posterior area is located posterior in the direction of rotation, and that the air for regeneration which passed through anterior area of said dehumidification rotor flows into upstream portion in said second passage section, which anterior area is located anterior in the direction of rotation.