Anti-Bacterial Air Filtering Apparatus

Abstract

An air filtering apparatus using at least three layers of air-permeable mesh structure is disclosed where at least one layer of air-filtering mesh structure contains an anti-bacterial composite material, and at least one layer of air-permeable mesh structure contains material for absorbing airborne non-microbial particles. The combination of three-layer air-permeable mesh structure is effective against airborne microbial matters and volatile organic compounds. A face mask employing such 3-layer air-permeable fabric is also introduced and can be used for effective protection for a prolonged period of time.

Claims

1. An anti-bacterial air filtering apparatus, comprising: at least one light source; a housing with at least one air inflow port and at least one air outflow port; at least one forced air mechanism; and at least one air-permeable subsystem, wherein: the forced air mechanism, disposed at least partially inside or outside of the housing, forces unfiltered air to flow into the apparatus through the at least one air inflow port and through the housing to provide filtered air out of the at least one air outflow port, the air-permeable subsystem is disposed in an airway between the at least one air inflow port and the at least one air outflow port inside the house, and the air-permeable subsystem comprises at least three layers of air-filtering mesh structure, wherein: at least one layer of the air-filtering mesh structure contains an anti-bacterial composite material comprising photocatalytic particles and nano silver particles that filter microbial matters, and at least one layer of the air-filtering mesh structure contains a material that absorbs airborne non-microbial particles.

2. The air-filtering apparatus of claim 1, wherein two layers of the air-filtering mesh structure contain an anti-bacterial composite material comprising photocatalytic particles and nano silver particles that filter microbial matters, wherein one layer of the air-filtering mesh structure contains a material that absorbs airborne non-microbial particles, and wherein two layers of anti-bacterial layers sandwich the material that absorbs non-microbial particle therebetween.

3. The air-filtering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photocatalytic particles comprise rhombus-shape anatase-type titanium oxide (TiO.sub.2).

4. The air-filtering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the material that absorbs airborne non-microbial particles comprises activated carbon.

5. The air-filtering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the material that absorbs airborne non-microbial particles comprises an electrostatic filter fabric.

6. The air-filtering apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the housing is transparent or translucent.

7. The air-filtering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is disposed inside the housing.

8. The air-filtering apparatus of claim 7, wherein a spectral power of ultraviolet (UV) components of the at least one light source is between zero and 5% of a total spectral power of the at least one light source.

9. The air-filtering apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

10. The air-filtering apparatus of claim 9, wherein the LED is powered by a battery.

11. An anti-bacterial face mask device, comprising: at least three layers of air-permeable mesh structure, wherein two layers of the air-permeable mesh structure contain an anti-bacterial composite material comprising photocatalytic particles and nano silver particles that filter microbial matters, wherein one layer of the air-permeable mesh structure contains a material that absorbs airborne non-microbial particles, and wherein the two layers of the anti-bacterial layers sandwich the one layer that contains the material that absorbs airborne non-microbial particles therebetween.

12. The anti-bacterial face mask device of claim 11, wherein the photocatalytic particles comprise rhombus-shape anatase-type titanium oxide (TiO.sub.2).

13. The anti-bacterial face mask device of claim 11, wherein the material that absorbs airborne non-microbial particles comprises activated carbon.

14. The anti-bacterial face mask device of claim 11, wherein the material that absorbs airborne non-microbial particles comprises an electrostatic filter fabric.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] 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.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows the spectral power distribution (SPD) of different light sources.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the SPD of a typical white LED.

[0032] FIG. 3 contains tables showing experimental results.

[0033] FIG. 4 schematically depicts a diagram of a portable air-filtering machine wherein a fan in the housing forces the air to flow from the air inflow port through the 3-layer air-permeable filter to the air outflow port, and the two outside layers of the 3-layer air filter are coated with anti-bacterial composite film and the middle layer contains activated carbon.

[0034] FIG. 5 schematically depicts a diagram of a portable air-filtering machine similar to that of FIG. 4, except a light source is disposed inside the housing and continuously activates the photocatalytic material in the anti-bacterial composite film.

[0035] FIG. 6 schematically depicts a diagram of a replaceable air-filter insert with a battery-powered LED strip for use inside the airway of a HVAC system, and it has a 3-layer air-permeable filter where two outer layers are coated with anti-bacterial composite film and the middle layer contains activated carbon.

[0036] FIG. 7 schematically depicts a diagram of a face mask with a 3-layer air-permeable filter, where the two outer layers are coated with anti-bacterial composite film and the middle layer contains electrostatic filter fabric.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Overview

[0037] 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.

[0038] The present disclosure discloses an air filtering apparatus comprising at least one air inflow port and at least one air outflow port, at least one forced air mechanism, and at least one air-permeable subsystem which further comprises at least three layers of air-filtering mesh structure, wherein at least one layer of air-filtering mesh structure contain aphotocatalytic-and-silver composite material for killing bacteria, and at least one layer of air-filtering mesh structure contains material for absorbing airborne non-microbial particles.

Example Implementations

[0039] The FIG. 4 is an embodiment of the anti-bacterial air-filtering apparatus of the present disclosure in the form of a portable air-filtering machine 100. It has a housing 101, an air inflow port 102, an air outflow port 103, a fan 104 as the forced air mechanism, and a 3-layer air-filtering mesh structure 105. The fan 104 forces the air to flow from the air inflow port 102, through the 3-layer air filtering mesh structure 105, to the air outflow port 104. The two outer layers of the 3-layer air filtering mesh structure 105a and 105c are coated with a composite film of rhombus-shape anatase-type titanium oxide (TiO.sub.2) and nano silver particles, and the center layer 105b contains activated carbon. The housing 101 is partially transparent so that ambient light can reach the composite film on the two outer layers 105a and 105c and activate the photocatalytic titanium oxide. This portable air-filtering machine 100 can be used in any indoor environment.

[0040] The FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the present disclosure. This portable air-filtering machine 200 is similar to the embodiment 100 in FIG. 4 with two distinctions. Firstly, it employs a LED light source 206, and secondly its housing 201 is opaque. Given the opaque housing 201, sufficient light may not penetrate the air inflow and outflow ports 202 and 203 and activate the photocatalytic titanium oxide on the two outer layers of the 3-layer air filtering mesh structure 205a and 205c. Therefore, a LED light source 206 is used inside the housing 201 for activating the photocatalytic titanium oxide. The LED light source is chosen for its long lifetime and a low efficacy depreciation where the typical LED light source's L70 maintenance hours are over 50,000 hours, i.e., the light source will depreciate less than 30% of its original light output over 50,000 hours of operation. With the close proximity of the LED light source 206 and the rhombus-shape anatase-type titanium oxide on two outer layers 205a and 205c (less than 6 inches), the photocatalytic bacteria-killing effect is guaranteed.

[0041] The FIG. 6 is an embodiment of the present disclosure in the form of an air-filter insert 300 which comprises an outer frame 301 around the edge, a 3-layer air filtering mesh structure 305, an LED strip light source 306, and a battery 307 for powering the LED light source. It is designed to be inserted in the airway of a HVAC. The forced air mechanism is part of the HVAC system and is external to the air-filter insert 300.The air is forced from the upstream airway 302 (i.e., the air inflow port) through the 3-layer air filtering mesh structure 305 to the downstream airway 303. The housing 301 of the HVAC airway is regarded as the housing of the present disclosure. The two outer layers of the 3-layer air filtering mesh structure 305a and 305c are coated with a composite film of rhombus-shape anatase-type titanium oxide (TiO.sub.2) and nano silver particles, and the center layer 305b contains activated carbon. The battery-powered LED strip light source 306 activates the photocatalytic titanium oxide on the two outer layers 305a and 305c of the 3-layer air filtering mesh structure. The air-filter insert 300 may take a different, smaller form factor when designing for use in an automobile air circulation system.

[0042] The FIG. 7 is an embodiment of the present disclosure in the form of a face mask 400 which comprises a pair of elastic bands 401 for wearing the face mask over the ears and a 3-layer air filtering mesh structure 402. The two outer layers of the 3-layer air filtering mesh structure 402a and 402c are coated with a composite film of rhombus-shape anatase-type titanium oxide (TiO.sub.2) and nano silver particles, and the center layer 402b contains electrostatic filter fabric.

Additional and Alternative Implementation Notes

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.