CN213020145U

CN213020145U - Air purifier

Info

Publication number: CN213020145U
Application number: CN202022357414.3U
Authority: CN
Inventors: L·H·顿伯格尔
Original assignee: Blueair AB
Current assignee: Blueair AB
Priority date: 2019-10-21
Filing date: 2020-10-21
Publication date: 2021-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 2030-10-21
Also published as: CN112696766A

Abstract

An air cleaner comprising at least one removable particulate filter, a fan or impeller and a motor for driving the fan or impeller, a top and a base opposite thereto and means for lifting the base from the ground, at least one side surface connecting the top and base, a base air inlet provided on the base and facing the ground in an operative condition, a top air inlet located on the top and facing away from the ground in an operative condition, and an air outlet located on the side surface.

Description

Air purifier

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an improved air purifier.

Background

CN104014204A (huang yue) discloses an air purifier, which comprises a main body shell, a top machine shell and a bottom machine shell respectively connected with the top and the bottom of the main body shell, and further comprises a central splitter plate, a side air deflector, a second filter screen, a gas filter screen, a fan box, a honeycomb rectifying plate and a first filter screen which are sequentially connected with the main body shell from top to bottom; wherein the second filter screen, the gas filter screen, the fan box, the honeycomb rectifying plate and the first filter screen form an integral airtight structure; the central splitter plate is fixedly connected with the inner wall of the top casing, and the air outlet channel with the V-shaped section is composed of the central splitter plate and a side air guide plate connected with the inner side wall of the main casing, so that vertical air flow is distributed into parallel air flow and then discharged in a split manner.

CN106051938A (shenyang university of construction) discloses an air purification system, which comprises a cabinet, a filter assembly and a fan installed in the cabinet. The front end face of the casing is provided with a detachable front panel. Lateral air inlets are arranged on two sides of the casing. The bottom of the machine shell is provided with a near-ground air inlet. The top of the casing is provided with an air outlet. The filter assembly comprises a coarse filter plate, a micro filter plate, an active filter plate and a cold catalyst filter plate from outside to inside in sequence. The plate body of the cold catalyst filter plate is provided with a polygonal through hole. The front end face and the rear end face of the cold catalyst filter plate and the hole wall of the through hole are coated with cold catalyst coatings. The active filter board is including the plate body that is equipped with the honeycomb holes that link up, and honeycomb holes in the plate body are filled with the active adsorption material who comprises active carbon and high adsorption capacity's active carbon adsorption material, and the preceding terminal surface and the rear end face correspondence of plate body are provided with the anticreep net.

CN108626809A (tsuzhou lutan electronic technology ltd) discloses a vertical air purifier, which comprises a base, an upper shell and a lower shell. The invention designs a vertical air purifier. Lower casing passes through support frame detachably and connects in air purifier's base top, go up the casing and pass through support column detachably connection with lower casing, the base is the loudspeaker form, the battery is installed to the position below the support frame of base, the battery periphery is equipped with control panel and the socket that charges, the structural symmetry of casing and last casing sets up down, air inlet and air outlet are formed by the grid structure, it is the cylindrical structure with lower casing to go up the casing, and the air outlet of going up the casing sets up relatively in order to accelerate the air convection with the air outlet of casing down.

US4526592A (Armbruster) discloses an air circulator and air filter device for a room or other enclosed space, the air circulator and air filter device being supported in a corner of the room or other enclosed space intermediate a floor and a ceiling and including an upwardly open top air inlet and a downwardly open bottom air inlet, each inlet including a filter assembly and a pair of exhaust outlets for discharging air horizontally along a path generally parallel to and adjacent to walls which intersect to form a corner in which the air circulator is mounted. The air circulator includes a single engine and upper and lower fan assemblies driven by the engine, the upper fan assembly communicating only with the upper air inlet and discharging to one air outlet and the lower fan assembly communicating only with the bottom inlet and discharging to the other outlet for maintaining a substantially constant and equal amount of air discharged along each intersecting wall of the room to effectively circulate air throughout the room and substantially eliminate temperature stratification within the room. Each air inlet filter assembly includes a foam pre-filter and a carbon filter for cleaning and purifying the circulated air.

US20090038480A (Hamilton Beach) discloses an air purifier for removing particles or contaminants from air that includes a base having an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air flow path therethrough. The impeller pushes air into the air inlet, through the air flow path and out the air outlet, and the engine drives the impeller. The motor and impeller are supported within the base. A collapsible air filter is in fluid communication with the air outlet and is removably mounted on an outer surface of the base adjacent the air outlet.

US20140331622A (Procter and Gamble) discloses a device for filtering air comprising a base, a fan functionally attached to the base, an air filter releasably attached to the base, and a substantially air impermeable outer sleeve.

Despite the above prior art, there is still a need for improved air purifiers, in particular air purifiers that improve the circulation of ambient air, not only increasing the fan speed and thus the energy consumption.

Disclosure of Invention

Household dust is a common problem and presents a different challenge than other forms of particulate contamination. Household dust is mainly composed of human skin and hair, and it is heavy enough to settle when there is no or little air flow. Thus, household dust is one of the few contaminants that are large enough to be visible, especially when it settles on a surface. When the settled dust is disturbed, it accumulates and forms a more significant problem.

Accordingly, air purifiers designed specifically for targeted dust collection are particularly attractive to consumers.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, there is provided an air cleaner comprising at least one removable particulate filter, a fan or impeller and a motor for driving the fan or impeller, a top and opposite thereto a base and means for lifting the base from the ground, at least one side surface connecting the top and base, a base air inlet provided on the base and facing the ground in an operative condition, a top air inlet located on the top and facing away from the ground in an operative condition, and an air outlet located on the side surface.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a middle section of an air purifier having a side wall (1), a top surface (2) and a bottom surface (3).

Fig. 2 is a schematic and shows how an embodiment of the invention circulates air.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention.

Fig. 4 shows the same device of fig. 3, but viewed from the front.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the device and shows the legs (10) and the circular air inlet (4b) protected by the pre-filter or anti-poke device.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the same device without the table top item (21) to show the configuration of the air inlet on the top (2).

Fig. 7 is a schematic side view of a similar embodiment, where the air outlet (8) can be seen, which is rectangular and protected by the anti-poke device.

Detailed Description

We have surprisingly found that combining air inlets on the base and top of the air purifier with side air outlets helps the air circulation in a manner that contributes to the overall air purification performance of the purifier. In particular, it allows improved air circulation around the purifier, which has the additional benefit of allowing more circulation than merely increasing the fan speed and thus energy consumption.

It is believed that providing the air inlet on the base in a manner such that the inlet faces the ground when in the operating condition results in a pressure build-up between the base and the ground when air is drawn into the device by the fan or impeller. This creates a degree of turbulence between the base and the floor on which the cleaner is located and thereby increases the collection of household dust particles. This means that the removal of household dust is more efficient and the speed of the fan or impeller can be reduced to use less energy at the same cleaning performance.

Preferably, the base is defined by a perimeter interrupted only by any legs or brackets present to hold the device off the ground in the operating condition. In such embodiments, the device may draw air from around the base and is not limited to any one particular direction. The ability to draw air circumferentially is important to achieving the desired air flow circulation characteristics. Preferably, the air inlet on the bottom is substantially circular, so as to draw air evenly from all directions. Similarly, it is preferred that the air inlet on the top surface is substantially circular for the same reason.

Preferably, the air outlet is substantially square or rectangular to provide a directed air flow from the device. More preferably, the side wall on which the air outlet is provided is again substantially planar to promote uniform air flow and reduce dispersed air flow from the device. Preferably, the air outlets on the side walls are square or rectangular in shape and extend on either side of an imaginary line between the top and bottom surfaces. This means that air exits the device substantially from the center of the device rather than from the top or base. Similar devices with side air outlets towards the top or bottom do not operate in the same manner as the air vortex created is not substantially uniform and therefore the air turbulence is not optimised.

Preferably, the air outlet extends above and below an imaginary line intermediate the top and the base and extends on the side surface up to 30% of the average distance between the top and the base, more preferably up to 50%, in particular up to 60%, and most preferably up to 76% of the length of the side surface between the top and the base.

Similarly, it is preferred that the air outlet extends on the side surface on either side of an imaginary line midway between the front and rear portions up to 30% of the average distance between the front and rear portions, more preferably up to 50%, in particular up to 60%, and most preferably up to 76% of the average distance between the front and rear portions on the side surface.

In the most preferred embodiment, the device includes an air inlet on the top and bottom of the device and a pair of opposing air outlets on the sides. The air inlet is substantially circular and planar and the air outlet is substantially planar and substantially rectangular or square in shape.

The air circulation created by this design aids in the collection of household dust particles and makes it easier to entrain (entrain) the collected particles, especially at lower fan speed settings and when using less dense particulate filter media.

Air to be cleaned enters the purifier from the environment through at least one air inlet. Preferably, the at least one air inlet is partially occupied by a pre-filter.

The pre-filter is a filter having low air resistance and also serving as a poke guard, thereby preventing a user from contacting the scroll or impeller assembly. The pre-filter is not intended to play any significant role in air purification. They do not have the air resistance or particle entrainment capability of a dedicated particulate filter. Preferably, the pre-filter is not a HEPA filter. When the pre-filter is disposed at or near the air outlet, it is referred to as a tamperproof device, but is essentially the same as the pre-filter.

Preferably the means for lifting the base comprises legs or brackets and there may be a required number to support the base off the ground in the operating condition. Preferably the means for lifting the base supports the base off the ground for at least 20% of the average width of the entrance (or circumference when it is circular) when viewed from the front of the apparatus. More preferably, the legs are spaced from the air inlet around the periphery of the base and around the air inlet. If the purifier remains too high off the ground during use, there is no corresponding turbulence effect. Furthermore, if the device is kept too close to the ground, the pressure required to draw air into the device is too great and the friction between the airflow and the ground eliminates any advantage gained by this design.

In a preferred embodiment, the top of the device also comprises an additional air inlet. This further improves the air circulation in the room in which the purifier is located. In such embodiments, ambient air is drawn in from the top and bottom of the air purifier, cleaned, and then exhausted from the sides. This creates a special air circulation pattern that greatly increases air circulation in a manner that uses less energy and produces less fan/impeller noise. In effect, a synergy is created between the top and base air streams, as each air stream draws air in from opposite sides of the device, but expels it in the same direction. This creates a vortex which greatly contributes to the air circulation in the room in which the device is located. However, a real advantage is that this means that household dust is more easily filtered from the ambient air as it collects in the airflow around the device and is therefore more easily drawn into the device.

Such circulation is not common in the case of air purifiers, as such circulation patterns are generally avoided to purify larger volumes of air. Typically, air purifiers, as exemplified in the introduction, are designed to draw in air from the side or bottom and exhaust through the top in order to contact a greater volume of ambient air. The device described herein bypasses this design to provide improved filtration of the accumulated household dust particles.

Preferably, the air outlet is located on the side surface. Preferably, the outlet is disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the inlet on the base and, when present, also perpendicular to the plane of the air inlet on the top surface. This greatly assists in more efficient circulation of air in the room in which the purifier is located.

Preferably, the top and base are of rectangular or square form and comprise four side surfaces connecting the top and base, and wherein the air outlet is provided on at least one side surface. When the outlet is provided on more than one side surface, preferably the outlet is provided on the opposite side surface. Most preferably, the device comprises two opposing side surfaces when viewed from the front, and both side surfaces comprise the air outlet. Thus, when viewed from the front, air is drawn in from the base (and preferably also from the top) and expelled through the opposite side. In this embodiment, the air flow circulation is improved compared to other designs. This is because the air flow is directed in a manner that is not visible in the cylindrical purifier (vectored). In particular, the vertical component of the air circulation vortex is improved as the air outlets are restricted to opposite sides, and they are discharged in a more channelled manner as a result of the oppositely directed arrangement of the air outlets, so that the air extends further from the cleaner. Instead, the cylindrical structure will eject the air in a more circumferentially diffuse manner, thereby reducing the size and effect of any swirl generated. This is particularly important for agitating the dust around the scrubber. It also improves air purification efficiency because the surface area for filtration is larger. This benefit is particularly pronounced when the circumferential intake of air into the device is combined with the directed ejection of air. The vortex formed provides efficient air purification, especially of dust, without blowing the air strongly towards the user.

Furthermore, this form of device allows the user to more easily select the air flow in a domestic environment. Users generally dislike feeling air flowing around them. This is not possible in a cylindrical device where the air outlet diffuses the air weakly in all directions.

In the case where the air cleaner includes a pair of air inlets, preferably the cleaner further comprises an airflow chamber for each air inlet. Each air inlet also preferably includes its own removable particulate filter, preferably a HEPA filter. In this design it is possible that the purifier also comprises a fan or impeller for each chamber, but it is also possible that the purifier contains only one fan, and this is after a particle filter that is removable in the air flow direction.

In such an embodiment, the air purifier includes a pair of air flow conduits, each air flow conduit including an air inlet, a fan or impeller, a removable particulate filter, and an air outlet. Preferably the fan or impeller of each air duct is powered by a single motor.

The purifier of the present invention also includes a fan or impeller to push ambient air through the device. The fan may be an axial fan, but preferably the fan is a radial fan.

Where the purifier includes a pair of airflow chambers, preferably the "fans" comprise a pair of oppositely directed fans, more preferably radial fans, such that they are powered as a unit but function to draw air in and expel air from opposite directions. This is a more efficient fan architecture when more than one airflow chamber is required.

In the case where the device comprises a pair of air outlets on opposite side surfaces, it is preferred that the fans or impellers are arranged such that their axes of rotation are directed substantially towards the respective air outlets, so that air flows from the fan to the outlets without any change in direction.

Preferably, the air purifier includes an ionizer. Preferably, the ionizer includes a corona discharge tip and a receiving electrode. When the corona discharge tip is subjected to an appropriate voltage, it creates an ion field between the tip and the receiving or ground electrode.

The ionizer may be provided inside or outside the purifier. In the case where the ionizer is provided outside the apparatus, it is preferably provided on the top of the apparatus. Placing the external ionizer on top of the device means that the household dust particles ionize when falling through the air towards the ground and are therefore more likely to collect as they become charged. As they become more concentrated, they are more easily trapped in the air circulation patterns created by the device and are therefore more easily filtered.

In case the ionizer is arranged inside the device, it is preferred that it is located before the removable particle filter in the air flow direction.

Preferably, the device comprises an internal ionizer and an external ionizer. The external ionizer aids in the collection of household dust particles, while the internal ionizer aids in the capture of the collected dust particles by the removable particle filter. In both cases, ionization allows for less dense filter media and low air (fan) speeds.

Preferably, the air cleaner comprises a plate raised above said top. Such a panel may be used as a table top to allow the device to form part of furniture in a domestic environment. Preferably, the plate is elevated above the top surface of the purifier and is held above the top surface by at least one rod so that air can flow out of the air inlet (where present) and between the top surface and the plate into the ambient space around the rod.

Preferably, the removable particulate filter is a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. It should be understood that while the filter portion of the air purifier is a critical part of its function, the air purifier is typically not manufactured in-situ (in place) with the filter. They are in fact always manufactured separately and most importantly are usually manufactured by a commercial enterprise other than the manufacturer of the air purifier itself. Filter manufacturers typically make filters for different air purifier models produced by different manufacturers. The particulate filter should be in contrast to the pre-filter or any dust filter present. Pre-filters and dust filters are not considered HEPA filters because they do not have the particle capture capability exhibited by HEPA filters.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting drawings, in which:

fig. 1 shows a middle section of an air purifier having a side wall (1), a top surface (2) and a bottom surface (3). The top surface (2) and the bottom surface (3) have holes (4a and 4b) which serve as air inlets when the fan (labeled) draws air from the environment into the device. The port air inlets (4a and 4b) are protected by poke filters (5a and 5 b).

The apparatus also includes a pair of replaceable particulate HEPA filters (7a and 7b) through which the air must pass as it is moved by the fan towards the outlet aperture (8). These outlets (8) are filled with further anti-poke means (9) to prevent the user from easily entering the interior of the device and causing damage to the device or itself.

The interior of the purifier forms two distinct airflow chambers (a and B) where it is drawn into the device through an air inlet (4a) and HEPA filter 7a into chamber a and through an air inlet (4B) and HEPA filter (7B) into chamber B. The dividing wall (11) divides the compartments a and B and also keeps the fan in a central arrangement.

The device is held off the ground in use by the legs (10).

Fig. 2 is a schematic and shows how an embodiment of the invention circulates air. The device is held off the ground by legs (10). Air is drawn through holes in the base and into the device by a fan (not shown). It is discharged through an outlet (8) on the side. In this embodiment, air is also drawn through the holes (18) in the top of the device, creating a particularly artificial air flow between the air drawn through the base (4) and the air drawn through the top.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention. The figure shows a cleaner on the leg (10) to keep the device off the ground and to allow air to be drawn in from under the device during use.

There is an air inlet (4a) at the top through which air is drawn by the fan. There is also an inlet, not shown, on the base (3) which draws in air from below the device. The side wall (1) has no air outlet, while the side wall (20) has an air inlet (8) and is protected by the anti-stab means.

The device also has a table top (21) that the consumer can use to place household decorative or functional items. The bracket also agitates the air drawn into the device, thereby improving the collection of dust particles in the ambient air.

In fig. 4 we see the same device, but from the front. Thus, the air outlets on the side wall (20) are not visible. The base (3) is kept above the ground in an amount commensurate with optimal agitation of the air flow and thus of the dust particles in the ambient air.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the same device without the table top item (21) to show the configuration of the air inlet on the top (2). The air inlet is circular in design to facilitate uniform intake of air from all directions.

Fig. 7 is a schematic side view of a similar embodiment, where the air outlet (8) can be seen, which is rectangular and protected by the anti-poke device. The air outlet has a substantially similar shape in side profile to the device.

Claims

1. An air cleaner comprising at least one removable particulate filter, a fan or impeller and a motor for driving the fan or impeller, a top and a base opposite thereto and means for lifting the base from the ground, at least one side surface connecting the top and base, a base air inlet provided on the base and facing the ground in an operative condition, a top air inlet located on the top and facing away from the ground in an operative condition, and an air outlet located on the side surface.

2. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the outlet comprises a pre-filter.

3. The air cleaner of claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for lifting the base comprises a leg or a stand.

4. The air cleaner of claim 1 or 2, wherein the top and base are rectangular in form and include four side surfaces connecting the top and base, and wherein the air outlet is provided on one side surface.

5. The air cleaner of claim 1 or 2, wherein the top and base are square in form and include four side surfaces connecting the top and base, and wherein the air outlet is provided on one side surface.

6. The air cleaner of claim 1 or 2, comprising an ion generator.

7. The air cleaner of claim 6, wherein the ionizer is disposed outside the cleaner such that it ionizes air outside the cleaner.

8. The air cleaner of claim 1 or 2, comprising a support plate elevated above the top portion.

9. An air cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the removable particulate filter is a HEPA filter.

10. The air cleaner of claim 1 or 2, comprising a pair of air flow ducts, each air flow duct comprising an air inlet, a fan or impeller, a removable particulate filter and an air outlet.

11. The air cleaner of claim 10, wherein the fan or impeller of each air duct is powered by a single motor.