Air-Disinfecting Photocatalytic Device

Abstract

An air-disinfecting photocatalytic device includes a housing, an air-permeable porous carrier with at least two sides, a fan, and a light source. The air-permeable porous carrier contains a photocatalyst material, and the light source activates the photocatalyst material in air-permeable porous carrier. The housing, the air-permeable porous carrier, and the fan together form an air chamber. The fan operates to either increase or deplete the air in the air chamber, resulting an air pressure difference between the air inside and outside the air chamber, and causing the air to pass through the air-permeable porous carrier from the high air pressure side of the air-permeable porous carrier to the low air pressure side of the air-permeable porous carrier. As the air passes through the air-permeable porous carrier, airborne pathogens are trapped on the surface of the air-permeable porous carrier, on which light-activated photocatalyst material kills the pathogens trapped thereon.

Claims

1. An air-disinfecting photocatalytic device, comprising a housing; an air-permeable porous carrier with at least two sides; a fan; a light source, wherein: the housing houses the air-permeable porous carrier, the fan, and the light source, the air-permeable porous carrier contains a photocatalyst material, the light source emits a light to activate the photocatalyst material in the air-permeable porous carrier, the housing, the air-permeable porous carrier, and the fan together form an air chamber, the fan operates to either increase or deplete an amount of air in the air chamber, resulting in an air pressure difference between a first air pressure inside the air chamber and a second air pressure outside the air chamber, thereby causing air to pass through the air-permeable porous carrier from a high air pressure side of the air-permeable porous carrier to a low air pressure side of the air-permeable porous carrier, airborne pathogens are trapped on a surface of the air-permeable porous carrier when the air passes through the air-permeable porous carrier, and the photocatalyst material in the air-permeable porous carrier being activated by the light source kills the pathogens trapped on the surface of the air-permeable porous carrier.

2. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein a main active ingredient of the photocatalyst material in the air-permeable porous carrier is titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2).

3. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 2, wherein the photocatalyst material contains a secondary active ingredient comprising silver, gold, copper, zinc, nickel, or a combination thereof.

4. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein the light source emits the light with a wavelength in a range of 200 nm to 400 nm.

5. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein the light source emits the light with a wavelength in a range of 400 nm to 700 nm.

6. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein the light source resides in the air chamber.

7. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein the light source resides outside the air chamber.

8. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein the light source and the air-permeable porous carrier are disposed in a way such that there is no obstruction in a line of sight between the light source and the air-permeable porous carrier.

9. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein a lighting angle of the light from the light source to the surface of the air-permeable porous carrier is less than 45 degree.

10. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein the air-permeable porous carrier is replaceable without using any tool.

11. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein the light source is replaceable without using any tool.

12. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein the air-permeable porous carrier comprises non-woven fabric or melt-blown fabric.

13. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein the air-permeable porous carrier comprises ceramic.

14. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 1, wherein the air-permeable porous carrier is cleanable and reusable.

15. An air-disinfecting photocatalytic device, comprising a housing having an air-permeable portion with at least two sides; a fan; a light source, wherein: the housing is free-standing and requires no additional frame to house the light source, the light source is placed inside the air-permeable portion of the housing that contains a photocatalyst material, the light source emits a light to activate the photocatalyst material in the air-permeable portion of the housing, the housing and the fan together form an air chamber, the fan operates to either increase or deplete an amount of air in the air chamber, resulting in an air pressure difference between a first air pressure inside the air chamber and a second air pressure outside the air chamber, thereby causing air to pass through the air-permeable portion of the housing from a high air pressure side of the air-permeable portion of the housing to a low air pressure side of the air-permeable portion of the housing, airborne pathogens are trapped on a surface of the air-permeable portion of the housing when the air passes through the air-permeable housing, and the photocatalyst material in the air-permeable portion of the housing being activated by the light source kills the pathogens trapped on the surface of the air-permeable portion of the housing.

16. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 15, wherein a main active ingredient of the photocatalyst material in the air-permeable portion of the housing is titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2).

17. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 16, wherein the photocatalytic material contains a secondary active ingredient comprising silver, gold, copper, zinc, nickel, or a combination thereof.

18. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 15, wherein the light source emits the light with a wavelength in a range of 200 nm to 400 nm.

19. The air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of claim 15, wherein the light source emits the light with a wavelength in a range of 400 nm to 700 nm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings are included to aid further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of the present disclosure. The drawings illustrate a select number of embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description below, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. It is appreciable that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, as some components may be shown to be out of proportion to size in actual implementation in order to clearly illustrate the concept of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 1 schematically depicts a diagram of an air-disinfection photocatalytic device with a light source inside the air chamber.

[0019] FIG. 2 schematically depicts a diagram of an air-disinfection photocatalytic device with a light source outside the air chamber.

[0020] FIG. 3 schematically depicts another embodiment of the air-disinfection photocatalytic device with a light source inside the air chamber.

[0021] FIG. 4 schematically depicts an embodiment of the air-disinfection photocatalytic device in the form of a traditional lantern.

[0022] FIG. 5 schematically depicts an embodiment of the air-disinfection photocatalytic device in the form of a 3D cube.

[0023] FIG. 6 schematically depicts an embodiment of the air-disinfection photocatalytic device in the form of a modern lantern design.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Overview

[0024] Various implementations of the present disclosure and related inventive concepts are described below. It should be acknowledged, however, that the present disclosure is not limited to any particular manner of implementation, and that the various embodiments discussed explicitly herein are primarily for purposes of illustration. For example, the various concepts discussed herein may be suitably implemented in a variety of lighting apparatuses having different form factors.

[0025] The present disclosure discloses an air-disinfecting photocatalytic device that has a housing, an air-permeable porous carrier with at least two sides, a fan, and a light source. The air-permeable porous carrier contains a photocatalyst material, and the light source activates the photocatalyst material in air-permeable porous carrier. The housing, the air-permeable porous carrier, and the fan together form an air chamber. The fan operates to either increase or deplete the air in the air chamber, resulting in an air pressure difference between a first air pressure inside the air chamber and a second air pressure outside the air chamber, thereby causing the air to pass through the air-permeable porous carrier from the high air pressure side of the air-permeable porous carrier to the low air pressure side of the air-permeable porous carrier. As the air passes through the air-permeable porous carrier, airborne pathogens are trapped on the surface of the air-permeable porous carrier. On the surface of the air-permeable porous carrier, the photocatalyst material being activated by the light source kills the pathogens trapped on the surface of the air-permeable porous carrier.

Example Implementations

[0026] FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of the present disclosure with a cylinder shape 100. The housing 101a, 101b houses the air-permeable porous carrier 102, the fan 103, and the light source 104. The air-permeable porous carrier 102 is made of ceramic and its surface is coated with a photocatalyst TiO.sub.2 105. When the light source 102 is on, it activates the photocatalyst 105. The housing 101a, 101b, and the air-permeable porous carrier 102, and the fan 103 together form an air chamber 106. The fan 103 operates to draw air away from the air chamber 106 to the left. As a result, the air pressure in the air chamber 106 will drop, forcing the air in the housing section 101b to pass from the right side of the air-permeable porous carrier 102 to the left side of the carrier and into the air chamber. As the air passing through the air-permeable porous carrier 102, the airborne pathogens are trapped on the surface of the carrier, and the photocatalyst TiO.sub.2 105 being activated by the light source 104 will kill the pathogens trapped on the surface of the carrier.

[0027] The light source 104 emits light mainly in the 200 nm to 400 nm wavelength range. When a secondary active photocatalytic ingredient comprising silver, gold, copper, zinc, nickel, or a combination thereof is used in the photocatalyst 105, then the photocatalyst 105 may be activated by visible light. In which case, it is possible to use a visible light source emitting light mainly in the 400 nm to 700 nm wavelength range for the light source 104. In this embodiment the light source 104 is placed inside the air chamber 106. There is no obstruction in a line of sight between the light source 104 and the air-permeable porous carrier 102. Moreover, the lighting angle 108 of the light from the light source 104 to the surface of the air-permeable porous carrier 102 is less than 45 degree, for ensuring sufficient amount of spectral power of the light emitted from the lighting 104 is received by the photocatalyst 105 on the carrier 102.

[0028] The two sections of the housing, 101a and 101b, are connected through their threaded segment 107. These two sections of the housing 101a and 10ab can be disengaged by rotating the housing section 101b counterclockwise, without using any tool. Once the housing section 101b is disengaged from the housing section 101a, the air-permeable porous carrier 102 can be replaced with a new carrier or removed for cleaning.

[0029] FIG. 2 is another embodiment of the air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of the present disclosure also with a cylinder shape 200. The housing 201a, 201b houses the air-permeable porous carrier 202, the fan 203, and the light source 204. The air-permeable porous carrier 202 is made of ceramic and its surface is coated with a photocatalyst TiO.sub.2 205. The housing 201a, 201b, and the air-permeable porous carrier 202, and the fan 203 together form an air chamber 206. The fan 203 operates to add air into the air chamber 206. As a result, the air pressure in the air chamber 206 will increase, forcing the air in the air chamber 206 to pass from the left side of the air-permeable porous carrier 202 to the right side of the carrier and into the housing section 201b. As the air passing through the air-permeable porous carrier 202, the airborne pathogens are trapped on the surface of the carrier, and the photocatalyst TiO.sub.2 205 being activated by the light source 204 will kill the pathogens trapped on the surface of the carrier.

[0030] In this embodiment the light source 204 is placed outside the air chamber 206. There is no obstruction in a line of sight between the light source 204 and the air-permeable porous carrier 202. The two sections of the housing, 201a and 201b, are connected through their threaded segment 207. These two sections of the housing 201a and 20ab can be disengaged by rotating the housing section 201b counterclockwise, without using any tool. Once the housing section 201b is disengaged from the housing section 201a, the light source 204 can be replaced with a new one.

[0031] FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of the present disclosure 300. The housing 301 houses the air-permeable porous carrier 302, the fan 303, and the light source 304. The air-permeable porous carrier 302 is made of melt-blown fabric 307 and its surface is coated with a photocatalyst TiO.sub.2 305. The housing 301, and the air-permeable porous carrier 302, and the fan 303 together form an air chamber 306. The fan 303 operates to add air into the air chamber 306. As a result, the air pressure in the air chamber 306 will increase, forcing the air in the air chamber 306 to pass inner side of the air-permeable porous carrier 302 to the outer side of the carrier and then through the holes 308 on the housing 301. As the air passing through the air-permeable porous carrier 302, the airborne pathogens are trapped on the surface of the carrier, and the photocatalyst TiO.sub.2 305 being activated by the light source 304 will kill the pathogens trapped on the surface of the carrier.

[0032] In this embodiment the light source 304 is placed inside the air chamber 306. There is no obstruction in a line of sight between the light source 304 and the air-permeable porous carrier 302. The housing 301 may be lifted from the top without using any tool so that the air-permeable porous carrier 302 and the light source 304 may be replaced.

[0033] FIG. 4 is another embodiment of the air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of the present disclosure 400 in the form of a traditional lantern. The device has a housing 401, a fan 403, and a light source 404. The housing 401 houses has an air-permeable portion with at least two sides: the inner side and the outer side. The housing 401 is free-standing and requires no additional frame to house the light source 404. The light source 404 is placed inside the air-permeable portion of the housing 401. The air-permeable portion of the housing contains a photocatalyst TiO.sub.2 405. The light source 404 activates the photocatalyst material in the air-permeable portion of the housing 401. The housing 401 and the fan 403 together form an air chamber 406. The fan 403 operates to add air into the air chamber 406. As a result, the air pressure in the air chamber 406 will increase, forcing the air in the air chamber 406 to pass inner side of the air-permeable portion of the housing 401 to the outer side of the housing. As the air passing through the air-permeable portion of the housing 401, the airborne pathogens are trapped on the surface of the air-permeable portion of the housing 401, and the photocatalyst TiO.sub.2 405 being activated by the light source 404 will kill the pathogens trapped on the surface of the air-permeable portion of the housing 401.

[0034] The light source 404 emits light mainly in the 200 nm to 400 nm wavelength range. When a secondary active photocatalytic ingredient comprising silver, gold, copper, zinc, nickel, or a combination thereof is used in the photocatalyst 405, then the photocatalyst 405 may be activated by visible light. In which case, it is possible to use a visible light source emitting light mainly in the 400 nm to 700 nm wavelength range for the light source 404.

[0035] FIG. 5 is another embodiment of the air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of the present disclosure 500 in the form of a 3D cube. The device has a housing 501, a fan 503, and a light source 504. The housing 501 houses has an air-permeable portion with at least two sides: the inner side and the outer side. The housing 501 is free-standing and requires no additional frame to house the light source 504. The light source 504 is placed inside the air-permeable portion of the housing 501. The air-permeable portion of the housing contains a photocatalyst TiO.sub.2 505. This embodiment 500 operates in a similar fashion as the embodiment 400.

[0036] FIG. 6 is another embodiment of the air-disinfecting photocatalytic device of the present disclosure 600 in the form of a modern lantern. The device has a housing 601, a fan 603, and a light source 604. The housing 601 houses has an air-permeable portion with at least two sides: the inner side and the outer side. The housing 601 is free-standing and requires no additional frame to house the light source 604. The light source 604 is placed inside the air-permeable portion of the housing 601. The air-permeable portion of the housing contains a photocatalyst TiO.sub.2 605. This embodiment 600 operates in a similar fashion as the embodiment 400.

Additional and Alternative Implementation Notes

[0037] Although the techniques have been described in language specific to certain applications, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or applications described herein. Rather, the specific features and examples are disclosed as non-limiting exemplary forms of implementing such techniques.

[0038] As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more,” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.