AIR PURIFIER

Abstract

An air purifier includes a first pot; a second pot and a fan suitable for creating an air flow between the inside and outside of the air purifier. The second pot which is provided with a bottom and is housed inside the first pot in which the lateral walls of the second pot are formed by a plurality of ribs which extend in the vertical direction of the pot and in which adjacent ribs are arranged essentially parallel to each other, creating slots between them essentially of the length of the ribs. A gap is formed between the first pot and the second pot which extends preferably along the entire length of said slots. The use of the air purifier is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An air purifier comprising: (a) a first pot; (b) a second pot provided with a bottom and being housed inside the first pot, wherein lateral walls of the second pot are formed by a plurality of ribs extending in an axial direction of the pot, and wherein adjacent ribs are arranged essentially parallel to each other, creating slots therebetween, the slots being essentially a length of the ribs, and wherein a gap is formed between the first pot and the second pot, the gap extending at least along the entire length of said slots; and (c) a fan suitable for carrying out an air flow between an inside and an outside of said air purifier.

2. The air purifier according to claim 1 wherein said fan is placed horizontally under said bottom of said second pot.

3. The air purifier according to claim 1 wherein said bottom of said second pot is located at a certain height inside said lateral walls of said second pot and said ribs are arranged around said bottom extending beyond the bottom downwards and optionally also forming at least a part of the bottom admitting an air flow along said slots from the part of said second pot located above the bottom towards the part of said second pot located under the bottom and creating a space under the bottom inside said lateral walls.

4. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein said air purifier further comprises an air permeable photocatalytic filter arranged between the bottom of the second pot and the fan, and a light source for activating the catalyst of the photocatalytic filter.

5. The air purifier according to claim 1, further comprising sensors for measuring air quality and a control and communication unit for managing said sensors, indicating the air quality and managing the fan speed based on the values detected by the sensors.

6. The air purifier according to claim 5 wherein the bottom of said first pot is provided with: (i) a tubular part protruding towards the inside of the pot and including a grid under which said fan can be positioned inside the tubular part; and (ii) a case for said sensors and said control and communication unit.

7. The air purifier according to claim 6 further comprising: (iii) a water tank placed on said bottom of said first pot and surrounding said tubular part and said case; and (iv) channels created in the bottom of said second pot which lead directly to said tank.

8. The air purifier according to claim 6 wherein said case and said wall of said first pot each have an opening placed in correspondence therebetween to place LEDs and an interface.

9. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein in the gap there is a granular matrix.

10. The air purifier according to claim 9 wherein said granular matrix has a grain size equal to or greater than 8 mm, determined according to the UNI EN 13055-2 standard, paragraph 4.3.

11. The air purifier according to claim 1 wherein the second pot comprises a plant.

12. A method of using the air purifier according to claim 1, containing a plant in the second pot, to purify the air of a space, the method comprising: activating said fan; passing the air through the gap and said second pot by the activity of said fan (4); conveying the air after said passages along said slots towards said fan, passing first, if present, through said photocatalytic filter; and discharging the air purified by the roots of the plant contained in the second pot, by matrices, where present, contained in the second pot and in the gap and by the photocatalytic filter, if present, outwards, and optionally managing the air flow by adjusting the fan speed according to the values measured by the air quality sensors.

13. The air purifier according to claim 9, wherein the granular matrix is expanded clay.

14. The air purifier according to claim 9 wherein said granular matrix has a grain size in the range from 8 to 16 mm, determined according to the UNI EN 13055-2 standard, paragraph 4.3.

15. The air purifier according to claim 2 wherein said bottom of said second pot is located at a certain height inside said lateral walls of said second pot and said ribs are arranged around said bottom extending beyond the bottom downwards and optionally also forming at least a part of the bottom admitting an air flow along said slots from the part of said second pot located above the bottom towards the part of said second pot located under the bottom and creating a space under the bottom inside said lateral walls.

16. The air purifier according to claim 2, wherein said air purifier further comprises an air permeable photocatalytic filter arranged between the bottom of the second pot and the fan, and a light source for activating the catalyst of the photocatalytic filter.

17. The air purifier according to claim 3, wherein said air purifier further comprises an air permeable photocatalytic filter arranged between the bottom of the second pot and the fan, and a light source for activating the catalyst of the photocatalytic filter.

18. The air purifier according to claim 2, further comprising sensors for measuring air quality and a control and communication unit for managing said sensors, indicating the air quality and managing the fan speed based on the values detected by the sensors.

19. The air purifier according to claim 3, further comprising sensors for measuring air quality and a control and communication unit for managing said sensors, indicating the air quality and managing the fan speed based on the values detected by the sensors.

20. The air purifier according to claim 4, further comprising sensors for measuring air quality and a control and communication unit for managing said sensors, indicating the air quality and managing the fan speed based on the values detected by the sensors.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first embodiment variant of an air purifier according to the invention.

[0054] FIG. 2a shows a side view of the air purifier of FIG. 1 in the assembled state.

[0055] FIG. 2b illustrates the assembled air purifier of FIG. 2a in a section view.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows the air purifier in the view of FIG. 2b provided with cultivation matrices and a plant and indicating the air flows inside the purifier.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EXECUTIVE EXAMPLE

[0057] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an embodiment variant of an air purifier according to the invention. Starting from the bottom, there is a base 2 which can be made of various materials, such as metal, plastic or wood, such as beech wood. On the base 2 the entire remaining system is constrained by means of screws to be inserted in the four holes 2a, for example, applied in the base 2. In the lower part, the base 2 has a milling around the perimeter of the same which allows the housing of a power cable (not shown).

[0058] On the base 2 there is a fan 4 which is arranged in a horizontal position but causes an air vortex in the axial direction of the air purifier. A 12V fan with a diameter of 140 mm and a height of 25 mm, designed to minimize noise, can be chosen as a fan 4. Its maximum rotation is 1500 rpm (+/−10%). Its maximum flow rate in ideal conditions is 133.7 m.sup.3/h; its maximum noise emission is 25.8 dB (A). Thanks to the fan 4, the external air is conveyed into the system, passing through the central crown 24 and the gap 30, as will be illustrated with reference to FIGS. 2b and 3.

[0059] Above the fan 4 there is a LED UVA board 6 (light emitting diode of the ultraviolet type A), i.e. an electronic board that houses four UVA LEDs that allow the activation of a photocatalytic filter 20 thanks to their light beam.

[0060] An electronic closing box 8 made of ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is then provided, which represents the closing system of the entire electronic part by means of two screws.

[0061] The electronic board 10 represents the brain of the product, in addition to a LED system, a power connector and a reset button, it houses temperature, humidity, VOC (volatile organic compounds), CO (carbon monoxide), CO.sub.2 (carbon dioxide), PM2.5 (particulate material having an average aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm) and proximity sensors. It also has a connectivity system consisting of: a Wi-Fi module; a Bluetooth module; a microcontroller to remotely manage the system.

[0062] A light diffuser 12, made of semitransparent material, is capable of diffusing and amplifying the LED light beam. In addition to its main feature, on both sides it is provided with a series of oblique cuts that allow outside air to enter the sensor chamber for air quality analysis. The cuts have been designed with a grating system to protect the electronic part from any water coming from the outside but guarantee a correct air flow.

[0063] A carcass bottom 14, here made of ABS, is the support on which all product technology is mounted. It houses the honeycomb photocatalytic filter 20, the lid 16 for the components 8 and 10 previously illustrated, the UVA LED board 6, the fan 4, and, within a space 14c, the light diffuser 12, the electronic board 10 and the electronic closing box 8.

[0064] The lid 16 is made of bioplastic, and represents the product interface. Thanks to a series of LEDs placed on the back, it communicates the air quality to the user through a light code.

[0065] On the carcass 14, another annular-shaped carcass is placed which acts as a tank 18 which is made of bioplastic and houses about 1.5 litres of water. The tank 18 surrounds a cylindrical or tubular part 14a of the carcass 14 which comprises a grid 14b which protects from the wings of the fan 4 and serves as a support for the photocatalytic filter 20 admitting at the same time an air flow.

[0066] The honeycomb filter 20 is made of ceramic sponge (SiO.sub.2), has a diameter of 140 mm and is dip-coated (coating by immersion) with titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) nanoparticles and is used for photocatalysis.

[0067] Everything described so far is housed on the base 2 inside a pot (composed of lateral walls 22 and a bottom 14) which has an opening 22a which can be closed by the lid 16.

[0068] The pot also receives a part of the heart of the invention, and precisely a crown 24 which serves as a container for the matrix for the roots of the plant to be grown in the natural air purifier. The crown is also made of bioplastic, it houses the plant and allows a greater air flow into the system. It is characterized by a series of ribs 24a placed at regular intervals creating slots between the ribs 24a. In the shown example, the ribs, i.e. rod-shaped elements, 24a are arranged in a vertical position around a ring 24b spaced from each other to form a slot each time between two adjacent ribs creating a succession of a series of essentially parallel slots which extend around the entire perimeter of the crown 24 and across the entire height thereof. At a certain height inside the crown 24 there is a bottom 15 provided with four drain channels 24c which lead directly to the tank 18, thus allowing excess water present in the lower part of the crown to drain onto the bottom 15 and into the tank 18 without invading the electronic part of the system. The air can pass along the entire length of the slot passing from the part of the crown 24 upper to the bottom 15 to the part of the crown 24 lower to the bottom 15, the ribs 24a being placed perimetrically around the bottom 15 whose perimeter essentially coincides with the ring 24b. The diameter of the crown 24 is greater than that of the cylindrical part 14a of the carcass 14; so that between the two components an opening of about 1 cm is created which allows the water to flow also directly into the tank (this opening is provided for a possible not recommended watering of the plant from above).

[0069] A self-watering cap 26 made of semitransparent plastic material and a float 28 housed by the latter complete the system. The float 28 is made of plastic and expanded material and marks the water level in the tank.

[0070] FIG. 2a shows a side view of the air purifier of FIG. 1 in the assembled state. The pot is applied on the base 2 so as to leave an empty space between both for the passage of the air coming out of the pot. The lid 16 closes the opening 22a (not visible) which contains the electronic boards. Note also the float 28.

[0071] FIG. 2b illustrates the assembled air purifier of FIG. 2a in a section view. The crown 24 and the photocatalytic filter 20 are permeable to air thanks to respective holes in the filter and the passages created by the slots between the ribs 24a in the crown 24. A gap 30 is observed between the inner wall of the pot 22 and the crown 24 which allows to direct an air flow entering the pot from above through this gap 30 and the slots in the crown 24. The air flows created inside the system are evident from FIG. 3.

[0072] FIG. 3 shows the air purifier in the view of FIG. 2b provided with cultivation matrices and a plant 36 indicating the air flows 38 inside the purifier. The gap 30 is filled with an inert expanded material which, thanks to the pores created therein, allows an air passage. The crown 24 is filled in the lower part 32 by the same expanded material as the gap 30 and in the upper part 34 by a soil particularly suitable for the purposes, as described, for example, in the patent application of the same applicant IT 102018000002488 with filing date Feb. 8, 2018 not yet published. The soil comprises a mixture of an organic matter containing soil and a granular material of a grain size between 0.5 and 10 mm. Above is a layer of expanded material again. The plant 36 develops roots that also cross the slots in the crown 24 and reach the gap 30. The air passing through the latter easily reaches the roots which provide an efficient natural air purification. Activating the fan 4, the air, following the direction of the arrows 38, enters the gap 30 and the crown 24 passing the relative matrices contained therein and reaches the roots to be conveyed then towards the bottom 15 of the crown 24 and along the slots which it passes through in the part of the crown 24 below the bottom 15 to pass the photocatalytic filter 20 which is activated by the UVA LED board 6, all drawn by the action of the fan 4 below. The air path 38 follows the axial direction of the purifier.

[0073] The air purifier presented is a smart pot that combines an innovative natural air purification system, based on the phytodepuration principle, with a sophisticated air monitoring system with sensors, all managed through an application.

[0074] The purifier is also provided with a passive self-watering system, consisting of a tank with 1.5 litres capacity, and two cords, which by capillarity allow the plant to absorb the necessary amount of water. In the upper part of the pot there is a cap in semitransparent material, from which you can see the water level by means of a float.

[0075] The invention has been presented and described in connection with various embodiment variants. For those skilled in the art and familiar with the subject it is clear that changes and variations that may occur, like materials, sizes, different design shapes are not excluded from the concept of the invention and from the scope of protection as defined by the appended claims.