Patent Application
20080034976
The same reference number represents the same element on all drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are not necessarily to scale.
The tower portion 102 includes an external shell 103, one or more doors 104, and a control panel 110. The tower portion 102 further includes an air inlet 105 and an air outlet 106. Air is drawn in through the air inlet 105, is cleaned inside the tower portion 102, and the cleaned air is exhausted from the air outlet 106. However, it should be understood that the air cleaner 100 can comprise other shapes, configurations, and designs, and the tower configuration is shown merely for illustration.
The air inlet 105 is shown as being at the lower end of the tower portion 102. However, it should be understood that alternatively the relative positions of the air inlet 105 and the air outlet 106 could be interchanged.
The air cleaner 100 includes a door latch 109 including a push button 109a and a slider 109b. One or both of the push button 109a and the slider 109b can be color coded to the control panel 110. For example, one or more of the various buttons 111 of the control panel 110 can be visually coded to the door latch 109. Alternatively, indicator lights and/or indicator light legends (not shown) of the control panel 110 can be additionally visually coded to the door latch 109.
The chassis 108 can comprise any manner of structure. The external shell 103 substantially covers the chassis 108. The door 104 allows a user to access at least a portion of the chassis 108 and the at least one air cleaning component 116.
The air cleaning component 116 can comprise any manner of air cleaning component, including mechanical filter elements such as a mesh, weave, foam, particles or fibers, etc. Alternatively, the air cleaning component 116 can comprise filter elements that remove odors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or ozone from an airflow passing through the air cleaner 100. In yet another alternative, the air cleaning component 116 can use electrical power to neutralize living organisms and/or remove dirt and debris from the airflow.
For example, the air cleaning component 116 can comprise an ionizer, an electrostatic precipitator, or a collector cell comprising a combined pre-ionizer and electrostatic precipitator. Such an air cleaning component 116 removes dirt and debris from the airflow by means of a high voltage electric field. An electrostatic precipitator includes charge and ground plates. A high voltage potential across the plates negatively charges particles present in the airflow, wherein the charged particles are attracted to the ground plates. An ionizer includes one or more ionizer wires or other electrodes, wherein particles present in the airflow are charged by the electrodes. The ionizer can comprise one or both of a pre-ionizer or a post-ionizer. The charging of the particles can neutralize or kill living organisms. In addition, the charged particles, after exiting the air cleaner 100, will be attracted to various surfaces around the home and will be pulled out of the air.
The one or more visually coded touch points 130 comprise one or more visually differing regions that are easily differentiated from other portions or components of the air cleaner 100. Consequently, a person who opens the door 104 can immediately visually determine components of the air cleaner 100 that can be accessed and/or removed for cleaning, maintenance, and/or replacement. In addition, the person can immediately visually identify handles, grip devices, retainer devices or latches, etc., that can be grasped and manipulated for purposes of removing the corresponding air cleaning component. Further, the person can immediately visually identify air cleaner portions that are safe to touch and will not subject the person to any danger of electrical shock, for example.
The one or more visually coded touch points 130 can comprise a visually coded color. Where multiple touch points 130 exist, each visually coded touch point 130 can comprise a color that contrasts from the other coded portions or components of the air cleaner 100. Each visually coded touch point 130 can comprise a unique color or can comprise a common color. The color can be distinguished by values of chroma, saturation, intensity, luminance, shade, and/or tint. In addition, touch points 130 can visually differ in terms of color contrast.
Alternatively, the one or more visually coded touch points 130 can comprise variations in surface finish. For example, the finish can include gloss finishes, matte finishes, flat finishes, etc., or combinations thereof.
In another alternative, the one or more visually coded touch points 130 can comprise a visually coded texture. The visually coded texture can include, for example, textures such as roughening, grooving, dimpling, hatching, etc.
In yet another alternative, the one or more visually coded touch points 130 can comprise variations in patterns. The patterns can include black and white patterns, color patterns, surface texture patterns, or combinations thereof.
It should be understood that if the air cleaner 100 includes more than one door 104, each door can reveal one or more visually coded touch points 130. Each door can repeat the visual coding presented by other doors or can present visually unique touch points.
In this embodiment, the first air cleaning component 116a includes at least one first touch point 130a, the second air cleaning component 116b includes at least one second touch point 130b, and the third air cleaning component 116c includes at least one third touch point 130c. It should be understood that each air cleaning component can include more than one touch point. The touch points 130a-130c function to visually differentiate the respective air cleaning components 116a-116c from the chassis 108 and from other portions or components of the air cleaner 100.
In the embodiment shown, the electrostatic precipitator assembly 400 includes an electrostatic precipitator cell 402 held in a frame 401, with the frame 401 including a handle 406 and one or more retainer devices 407. The one or more retainer devices 407 engage a portion of the chassis 108 (see
In the embodiment shown, the one or more retainer devices 407 comprise two retainer devices 407. In addition, the two retainer devices 407 comprise visually coded touch points. As a result, when the door 104 is opened, a person can see that operation of the two retainer devices 407 is essential for removing the electrostatic precipitator assembly 400.
The post filter 430 includes a grip portion 432. The grip portion 432 must be squeezed in order to release tabs or projections that lock the post filter 430 into a receptacle in the air cleaner 100. The front surface of the post filter 430, including the grip portion 432, comprises a visually coded touch point. The visual coding of the post filter 430 and the grip portion 432 indicate to a person that the post filter 430 comprises a user-removable component of the air cleaner 100.
In one embodiment, the one or more retainer devices 407 comprise one or more rotatable retainer devices 407. The one or more retainer devices 407 can removably affix the electrostatic precipitator assembly 400 in an electrostatic precipitator receptacle 404 by engaging the air cleaner chassis 108. Consequently, the electrostatic precipitator assembly 400 cannot vibrate or otherwise move out of position in the electrostatic precipitator receptacle 404. Therefore, a person has to disengage the one or more retainer devices 407 in order to remove the electrostatic precipitator assembly 400.
The one or more retainer devices 407 are rotatably attached to the frame 401, such as by fastener devices, for example. The one or more retainer devices 407 include a handle portion 408 and a substantially arcuate wedge portion 409. The handle portion 408 can be used to grasp and rotate the retainer device 407. The wedge portion 409 fits into a corresponding aperture 420 in the air cleaner chassis 108. When the one or more retainer devices 407 are rotated in order to engage one or more apertures 420 of the air cleaner chassis 108, the electrostatic precipitator assembly 400 is firmly held in the electrostatic precipitator receptacle 404. The wedge portion 409 comprises a portion of increasing thickness that ensures that the retainer device 407 contacts the sides of the aperture 420 and ensures that the retainer device 407 is frictionally held in the aperture 420.
When the retainer devices 407 are in the lock position, they hold the electrostatic precipitator assembly 400 firmly in the air cleaner 100. The retainer devices 407 cannot be jiggled or vibrated out of the lock position. Conversely, when the retainer devices 407 are in the unlock position, the electrostatic precipitator assembly 400 can be easily removed from and inserted into the air cleaner 100. In addition, in the unlock position, the retainer devices 407 are kept out of the way during washing, allowing the electrostatic precipitator assembly 400 to be set down flat on a surface.
The retainer devices 407 can include detents at one or both of the locked and unlocked positions. The detents operate to substantially hold a retainer device 407 at the detent position in the absence of a predetermined rotational force. The detents in some embodiments cooperate with the wedge portion 409 in order to retain the electrostatic precipitator assembly 400 in the air cleaner 100. The detents can be formed on a retainer device 407, can be formed as part of the frame 401, or can be assembled to either.
The spring-loaded door 438 can be visually coded to the post filter 430. The visual coding therefore indicates to a user where the post filter 430 is to be installed. The spring-loaded door 438 and the post filter 430 therefore comprise a visually coded component and a correspondingly visually coded receptacle. In addition, the spring-loaded door 438 can carry a label, such as “Odor Absorber Compartment Empty”, in order to draw the user's attention that the post filter 430 should be installed.
