Air Purification Device

Abstract

A purification device for disinfecting and filtering intake air is disclosed. The purification device comprises a housing provided with a number of inlet perforations for allowing the intake air to enter the housing and a number of air outlet perforations for allowing air purified by the purification device to leave the housing. The purification device moreover comprises a fan arranged inside the housing to suck the intake air into the housing and blow the purified air out of the housing. The purification device further comprises an ultraviolet radiation lamp arranged inside the housing to irradiate the intake air. The purification device also comprises a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter arranged to filter the intake air before the intake air leaves the housing as purified air. The filter comprises a plurality of pleats arranged in such a manner that the angle between adjacent pleats is 30 degrees or less.

Claims

1. A purification device for disinfecting and filtering intake air, wherein the purification device comprises: a housing provided with a number of inlet perforations for allowing the intake air to enter the housing and a number of air outlet perforations for allowing air purified by the purification device to leave the housing; a fan arranged inside the housing to suck the intake air into the housing and blow the purified air out of the housing; an ultraviolet radiation lamp arranged inside the housing to irradiate the intake air; and a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter surrounding the ultraviolet radiation lamp and being arranged to filter the intake air before the intake air leaves the housing as purified air, wherein the filter comprises a plurality of pleats arranged in such a manner that the angle between adjacent pleats is 30 degrees or less.

2. The purification device according to claim 1, wherein the lowest position of the UV lamp is the distal portion of the UV lamp and an air gap is provided between a bottom plate of the housing and the distal portion of the UV lamp.

3. The purification device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a bottom portion and a top portion configured to be detachably attached to the bottom portion.

4. The purification device according to claim 3, wherein the fan is arranged in the top portion and a light irradiation portion of the UV lamp is arranged in the bottom portion.

5. The purification device according to claim 3, wherein the inlet perforations are provided in the top portion and the outlet perforations are provided in the bottom portion.

6. The purification device according to claim 1, wherein the fan has a horizontally orientated intake portion and a vertical output portion so that air pressurized by the fan leaves the fan in a downwardly vertical direction.

7. The purification device according claim 1, wherein an additional layer is sandwiched between the housing and the filter, wherein the additional layer comprises activated carbon.

8. The purification device according to claim 3, wherein the top portion comprises a coarse filter slidably arranged in one or more filter tracks extending axially near the rim of the top portion.

9. The purification device according to claim 1, wherein the purification device comprises a particle sensor arranged to detect the level of particles in the air.

10. The purification device according to claim 1, wherein the purification device comprises a smoke alarm.

11. The purification device according to claim 9, wherein the purification device comprises a control unit configured to control the speed of the fan depending on the detected level of particles in the air.

12. A method for disinfecting and filtering intake air, wherein the method comprises the following steps: sucking intake air into a housing by means of a fan arranged inside the housing, wherein the intake air enters the housing through a number of inlet perforations provided in the housing; blowing purified air by means of the fan out from the housing through a number of air outlet perforations provided in the housing; irradiating the intake air by means of an ultraviolet radiation lamp arranged inside the housing; and filtering the intake air by means of a HEPA filter surrounding the ultraviolet radiation lamp before the intake air leaves the housing as purified air, wherein the method comprises the step of applying a filter that comprises a plurality of pleats arranged in such a manner that the angle between adjacent pleats is 30 degrees or less.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the irradiation is carried out by using a UV lamp, wherein the lowest position of the UV lamp is the distal portion of the UV lamp, wherein an air gap is provided between a bottom plate of the housing and the distal portion of the UV lamp.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the housing comprises a bottom portion and a top portion configured to be detachably attached to the bottom portion.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the fan is arranged in the top portion and a light irradiation portion of the UV lamp is arranged in the bottom portion.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the inlet perforations are provided in the top portion and the outlet perforations are provided in the bottom portion.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the fan has a horizontally orientated intake portion and a vertical output portion so that air pressurized by the fan leaves the fan in a downwardly vertical direction.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein an additional layer is sandwiched between the housing and the filter, wherein the additional layer comprises activated carbon.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method comprises the step of applying a coarse filter to filter the intake air before the intake air is sucked into the fan.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method comprises the step of applying a particle sensor arranged to detect the level of particles in the air.

21. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method comprises the step of applying a smoke alarm to detect the smoke content in the air.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the method comprises the step of controlling the speed of the fan depending on the detected level of particles in the air.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0107] The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given below. The accompanying drawings are given by way of illustration only, and thus, they are not limitative of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0108] FIG. 1 shows a perspective side view of an air purification device according to the invention;

[0109] FIG. 2 shows a perspective top view of the purification device shown in FIG. 1;

[0110] FIG. 3A shows a schematic top view of a filter according to the invention;

[0111] FIG. 3B shows a close-up view of the filter shown in FIG. 3A;

[0112] FIG. 3C shows a prior art filter;

[0113] FIG. 4 shows a blown up (close-up) cross-sectional view of a portion of the inner space surrounded by a filter of a purification device according to the invention;

[0114] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the bottom portion of a purification device according to the invention; and

[0115] FIG. 6 shows a flow chart illustrating how the purification device according to the invention can be autonomously controlled by means of a particle sensor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0116] Referring now in detail to the drawings for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention, an air purification device 2 of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0117] FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of an air purification device 2 according to the invention. The air purification device 2 comprises a housing 10 having a bottom portion 16 and a top portion 18 configured to be detachably attached to the bottom portion 16.

[0118] The bottom portion 16 is equipped with wheels 24 for improving the mobility of the air purification device 2.

[0119] The top portion 18 is cylindrical and comprises a panel 28 provided on the top of the top portion 18. In one embodiment, both the top portion 18 and the bottom portion 16 comprise a display and one or more buttons.

[0120] The top portion 18 comprises a coarse filter 26 separated into four filter segments that are slidably arranged in filter tracks extending axially near the rim of the top portion 18. A plurality of air inlet perforations 8 are provided in the cylindrical outer surface of the top portion 18. The coarse filter 26 is adapted to prevent objects larger than a predefined size (e.g. 5 or 20 μm) to enter the inner space of the top portion 18.

[0121] An electrically driven fan 12 is arranged inside the inner space of the top portion 18. The fan 12 is an axial fan designed to cause intake air 4 to flow through the fan 12 in an axial direction, parallel to the shaft about which the blades of the fan 12 rotate. The fan 12 has a horizontally orientated intake portion and a vertical output portion so that air pressurized by the fan 12 leaves the fan 12 in a downwardly vertical direction.

[0122] The bottom portion 16 comprises an inner space 22 defined by an enclosing cylindrical high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. An ultraviolet radiation lamp 14 is centrally arranged in the inner space 22. In a preferred embodiment, the ultraviolet radiation lamp 14 is a germicidal lamp (an ultraviolet C lamp). This may be an advantage since ultraviolet C light (wherein the wavelength is in the range of 100 to 280 nm) is capable of destroying and thus inactivating bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

[0123] The UV C lamp 14 is arranged to irradiate the intake air 4 flowing into the inner space 22 of the bottom portion 16. Accordingly, the UV C lamp 14 is capable of disinfecting the intake air 4 flowing into the inner space 22 of the bottom portion 16.

[0124] The purification device is configured to receive intake air 4 through air inlet perforations 8 and allow the intake air 4 to flow through the filter 20 and leave the bottom portion 16 through air outlet perforations 8′ provided in the housing 10. In the top portion 18, four coarse filter segments 26 are slidably arranged in filter tracks extending axially near the rim of the top portion.

[0125] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective top view of the purification device 2 shown in FIG. 1. It can be seen that the purification device 2 comprises an electrical plug 30 for electrically connecting the purification device 2 to the main. Hereby, the fan inside the housing 10 of the purification device 2 can be powered. It can be seen that the top portion is provided with a plurality of air inlet perforations 8. The bottom portion is provided with a plurality of air outlet perforations 8′.

[0126] FIG. 3A illustrates a schematic top view of a filter 20 according to the invention. The filter 20 comprises a plurality of pleats.

[0127] FIG. 3B illustrates a close-up view of the filter 20 shown in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3C illustrates a prior art filter 20′. It can be seen that the angle α between the air flow direction 42 and the side portion of the adjacent pleat 32 of the filter 20 shown in FIG. 3B is smaller than the angle β between the air flow direction 42 and the side portion of the adjacent pleat 32 of the prior art filter 20′ shown in FIG. 3C. Moreover, it can be seen that the angle θ between adjacent pleats 32 of the filter 20 in the purification device 2 according to the invention is smaller than the angle ω between adjacent pleats 32 of the prior art filter 20′ shown in FIG. 3C.

[0128] Due to the small acute angle θ, the retention capability of the filter 20 is increased by having an increased number of pleats 32 compared to the prior art filter shown in FIG. 3C.

[0129] In one embodiment, the angle θ is 30 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 28 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 26 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 24 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 22 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 20 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 18 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 16 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 14 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 12 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 10 degrees or less. In one embodiment, the angle θ is 8 degrees or less. The number of pleats 32 is inversely related to the angle θ. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve a low angle θ by applying more pleats 32.

[0130] Moreover, the total filter area is proportional to the number of pleats 32. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the total filter area by increasing the number of pleats 32.

[0131] FIG. 4 illustrates a blown-up cross-sectional view of a portion of the inner space surrounded by a filter 20 of a purification device according to the invention. It can be seen that the filter 20 comprises a through-going opening 38 configured to retain large sized virus particles inside the inner space and allow small sized particle to pass through the filter 20 through the through-going opening 38.

[0132] A large number of virus particles 36 are placed near the entry to the through-going opening 38. The virus particles 36 are interconnected and arranged in a cloud-formed formation 34 comprising virus particles 36 and airway mucus. Accordingly, the cloud-formed formation 34 cannot escape through the through-going opening 38 even though the size of the individual virus particles 36 is smaller than the width D of the through-going opening 38. In fact, the cloud-formed formation 34 comprising virus particles 36 and airway mucus will stick to the inside surface of the filter 20.

[0133] The virus particles 36 are irradiated with UV light from a UV lamp (e.g. a UV C lamp) arranged to irradiate the air and particles present in the inner space. Since the virus particles 36 are trapped inside the space defined by the inner surface of the filter 20, there is sufficient time available to destroy the virus particles 36 by the ultraviolet (UV) light 50.

[0134] FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the bottom portion of a purification device 2 according to the invention. The purification device 2 comprises a housing 10 provided with a plurality of air outlet perforations 8′ for allowing purified air 6 to leave the purification device 2.

[0135] The purification device 2 is configured to blow intake air 4 downwards into the inner space of the bottom portion of the purification device 2. Since the intake air 4 enters the purification device 2 in the top portion of the purification device 2, the intake air 4 will typically not suck particles from floor level into the purification device 2. The purified air 6 leaves the purification device 2 in a lower level than the level at which intake air 4 enters the purification device 2.

[0136] The purification device 2 comprises a UV light source (e.g. a UV C lamp) 14 configured to irradiate the intake air 4 flowing into the inner space 22 of the bottom portion of the purification device 2. Hereby, it is possible to disinfect the intake air inside the inner space 22 of the bottom portion of the purification device 2.

[0137] The purification device 2 comprises a HEPA filter 20 having a large number of pleats (as explained with reference to FIG. 3B) in order to achieve a small angle α (e.g. of 15 degrees or less as shown in and explained with reference to FIG. 3B) and a large total filter area.

[0138] The lowest position of the UV lamp 14 is the distal portion of the UV lamp 14 which is provided at a distance above the bottom plate 46 of the housing 10. Accordingly, an air gap 44 is provided between the bottom plate 46 of the housing 10 and the distal portion of the UV lamp 14. Wheels are rotatably attached to the bottom plate 46.

[0139] An additional layer 40 may optionally be arranged at the outside of the filter 20. In one embodiment, the additional layer 40 may be a layer that comprises activated carbon. Activated carbon can remove unwanted odors by acting as an adsorbent which will trap the odor inside the activated carbon and retain it.

[0140] An additional layer 40 may furthermore prevent UV light 50 from escaping to the surroundings.

[0141] In an embodiment, the additional layer 40 is an additional layer 40 sandwiched between the housing 10 and the filter 20, wherein the additional layer 40 comprises activated carbon.

[0142] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating how the purification device according to the invention can be autonomously controlled by means of a particle sensor.

[0143] Initially the purification device is turned on. In one embodiment, the particle sensor of the purification device is turned on as default. In one embodiment, the particle sensor of the purification device is turned on and cannot be turned off.

[0144] The particle sensor of the purification device is configured to measure the particle content of the intake air. If the particle content of the intake air exceeds a predefined level, the fan of the purification device is turned on (or kept turned on if the fan has already been turned on).

[0145] If, on the other hand, the particle content of the intake air does not exceed the predefined level, the fan of the purification device is turned off (or kept turned off if the fan has already been turned off).

[0146] In one embodiment, both the fan and the UV lamp are turned on if the particle content of the intake air exceeds a predefined level.

[0147] In one embodiment, the speed of the fan is selected depending on the detected level of particle content.

[0148] In one embodiment, the speed of the fan can be set to two or more predefined non-zero levels.

[0149] In one embodiment, the speed of the fan can be set to three or more predefined non-zero levels.

[0150] In one embodiment, the speed of the fan can be gradually or non-gradually adjusted on the basis of the detected level of particle content. This may be done by fitting the fan with a permanent magnet motor and a frequency converter. This will furthermore allow the provision of the lowest possible energy consumption.

[0151] In one embodiment, the predefined particle content level is a default quantity. In another embodiment, however, the predefined particle content level can be adjusted by using a control unit of the purification device.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0152] 2 Purification device [0153] 4 Intake air [0154] 6 Purified air [0155] 8 Air inlet perforation [0156] 8′ Air outlet perforation [0157] 10 Housing [0158] 12 Fan [0159] 14 Ultraviolet radiation lamp [0160] 16 Bottom portion [0161] 18 Top portion [0162] 20 Filter [0163] 22 Inner space (enclosure) [0164] 24 Wheel [0165] 26 Coarse filters [0166] 28 Control panel [0167] 30 Electrical plug [0168] 32 Pleat [0169] 34 Cloud-formed formation [0170] 36 Virus particle [0171] 38 Through-going opening [0172] 40 Additional layer [0173] 42 Air flow direction [0174] 44 Air gap [0175] 46 Bottom plate [0176] 50 Ultraviolet (UV) light [0177] α, β, θ, ω Angle [0178] D Width