AIR PURIFICATION DEVICE

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of improving indoor air quality, and more particularly to a device and system for treating air by filtering pollutants, such as particulate and gaseous type pollutants, through filtering stages based upon sensor readings and the use of ionization.

BACKGROUND

Air filters are utilized to filter or block particulate matter carried by the air through common HVAC ductwork or air within habitable or livable spaces. The air filter generally includes a filtration media, composed of a fibrous, non-woven web, through which the air flows that filters or blocks the particulate matter. Some conventional air filters can be electrostatically charged while they are manufactured, resulting in the air filter having a static charge that increases the initial MERV (or efficiency) rating. Alternatively, the filtration media of a conventional air filter can carry a natural static charge. The static charge increases the performance of the air filter by assisting with filtering particles, attracting the particles to the filtration media as the air passes through. The static charge reduces over time and the filter efficiency of the air filter is also reduced.

For large particle sizes of greater than 0.5 μm, the dominant mechanism for particle removal from the airflow is physical collection, namely impaction and interception. For ultrafine particles (less than 0.5 μm) the prior art air filters have a very low removal efficiency. The prior art air filters may use nanofibrous media, composed of micrometer and nanometer sized fibers, to filter particles in the range of 0.5 μm to 0.01 μm. For gaseous pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), an air filter with a filtration media composed of a fibrous, non-woven web is not sufficient. Instead, a filter containing a material or substance that can absorb the VOCs must be utilized. Once such material or substance is activated carbon, utilized in the filter to absorb the VOCs within the airflow and passing through the filter.

There is a need for a system and method for effectively and efficiently filtering airflow containing only particulate pollutants, while also having the ability to filter gaseous type pollutants, such as VOCs, when they are detected in the airflow. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a device and system for filtering airflow, while analyzing the air quality and providing filtration of the VOCs only when needed for extending the life of the filter designated to remove the VOCs and reducing energy usage.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, including: a first sensing device for sensing at least one component in an airflow along an airflow pathway, wherein the first sensing device determines a sensor reading for the at least one component; at least one filtration device, wherein the at least one filtration device is positioned along the airflow pathway; and a blower, wherein the blower is adjustable to control an amount of air flowing through the airflow pathway, wherein a blower output of the blower is adjusted based on the sensor reading.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, further including a housing, wherein the housing defines a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein the at least one filtration device is positioned between the first compartment and the second compartment.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, wherein the housing defines an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is defined adjacent to the first compartment and the outlet is defined adjacent to the second compartment.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, wherein the at least one filtration device includes a first filtration device and a second filtration device.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, wherein the first filtration device is a particle filter and the second filtration device is a carbon filter.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, further including at least one ionization device, wherein the at least one ionization device is positioned along the airflow.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, further including at least one ionization device positioned in the second compartment.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, wherein the housing includes a first access door, wherein the first access door provides access to the at least one filtration device.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, wherein the blower output of the blower is adjusted to keep the at least one component within a contaminant range.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, wherein the blower output is reduced in an instance in which a carbon dioxide level in the airflow is below a carbon dioxide threshold level.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, further including at least one refrigerant sensing device monitoring a refrigerant level for at least one refrigerant, wherein the blower output of the blower is adjusted based on the refrigerant level.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an air purification device, wherein the blower output of the blower is reduced in an instance in which the refrigerant level is above a predetermined refrigerant level.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of purifying air, including: determining a sensor reading of airflow within an airflow pathway, wherein the sensor reading is for at least one component in the airflow; comparing the sensor reading to a threshold level; and in an instance in which the sensor reading is greater than the threshold level; increasing a blower output for a blower, wherein the blower output determines an amount of air flowing through an airflow pathway, wherein at least one filtration device is disposed along the airflow pathway.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the blower is part of an air purification device, wherein the air purification device includes a housing, wherein the housing defines a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein the at least one filtration device is positioned between the first compartment and the second compartment.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the housing defines an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is defined adjacent to the first compartment and the outlet is defined adjacent to the second compartment.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the at least one filtration device includes a first filtration device and a second filtration device.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the first filtration device is a particle filter and the second filtration device is a carbon filter.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including causing the airflow to be ionized via at least one ionization device, wherein the at least one ionization device is positioned along the airflow.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the housing includes a first access door, wherein the first access door provides access to the at least one filtration device.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including adjusting the blower output of the blower to keep the at least one component within a contaminant range.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the blower output is reduced in an instance in which a carbon dioxide level in the airflow is below a carbon dioxide threshold level.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including monitoring the at least one component after the blower output is adjusted.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including adjusting the blower output of the blower based on a refrigerant level, wherein the refrigerant level of at least one refrigerant is monitored via at least one refrigerant sensing device.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the blower output of the blower is reduced in an instance in which the refrigerant level is above a predetermined refrigerant level.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is illustrated and described herein with reference to the various drawings, in which like reference numbers denote like method steps and/or system components, respectively, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an example embodiment of an air purification device, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a sectional cut of the air purification device, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a sectional cut of the air purification device, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a sectional cut of the air purification device, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is another example air purification device with a transparent housing, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a smart refresh employed by the air purification device, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example positioning of an air purification device within an air flow system, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 illustrates another example positioning of an air purification device within an airflow system, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the disclosure taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures, which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed disclosure. Any and all patents and other publications identified in this specification are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.

Also, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate an example embodiment of an air purification device 10 in accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 1 illustrates the exterior housing 11 of the air purification device 10. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the air purification device 10 of FIG. 1. Example embodiments are also shown in FIGS. 3-5. FIG. 3 illustrates a section view of another example embodiment of an air purification device. FIG. 4 is a top view of a sectional view of the example embodiment of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 illustrates a transparent view of another example air purification device 10.

Various components shown in FIGS. 1-5 may be used in different embodiments. As such, the components of the air purification device 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 may also be contained within the air purification device 10 of FIGS. 3 and 4 and/or the air purification device of FIG. 5, and vice versa. Therefore, the components of the air purification devices shown in FIGS. 1-5 are not limited to a specific embodiment.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an air purification device 10 is provided. FIG. 1 illustrates the exterior housing 11 of the air purification device 10. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the air purification device 10 of FIG. 1. The air purification device 10 comprises a housing 11. The housing 11 may include an inlet 16 (shown in FIG. 1) and an outlet 34. As such, the air purification device 10 may be positioned along an airflow pathway. The airflow pathway may include the airflow pathway within the air purification device 10 (e.g., between the inlet 16 and the outlet 34) and/or the airflow pathway exterior to the air purification device 10 (e.g., the airflow that carries the air into and/or out of the air purification device 10).

In various embodiments, the housing 11 may include one or more access doors to allow access into the housing 11. The housing 11 may include a first access door 100 and a second access door 105, as shown in FIG. 1. Any number of access doors may be provided. In various embodiments, the first access door 100 may allow access to the removable filters housed within the filter receptacle 22 (e.g., the first filtration device 24 and/or the second filtration device 28). The first access door 100 may also provide access to the first compartment 12. Additionally or alternatively, an additional access door may be provided to access the first compartment 12. The second access door 105 may provide access to the second compartment 14 discussed herein.

The air purification device 10 is a self-contained unit designed to clean and recirculate air from a habitable or designated space. As shown in FIG. 2, the air purification device 10 contains a first compartment 12 and a second compartment 14, wherein the second compartment 14 is downstream from the first compartment 12. The first compartment 12 may contain an inlet 16, a first filtration device 24, a second filtration device 28, a first sensing device 26, and/or the like. The first compartment 12 may also contain additional components, such as one or more ionization devices discussed herein.

The first compartment 12, as illustrated, is in the shape of a box, defining a void therein and containing a base portion, a top portion, a front portion, a back portion, and two opposed side portions. The inlet 16 is disposed within the front portion for allowing air to flow into the first compartment 12. While the figures illustrate one inlet 16, additional embodiments may contain more than one inlet, two or more inlets, or a plurality of inlets.

A blower 15 is positioned between the first compartment 12 and the second compartment 14 (e.g., the blower 15 creates an airflow from the first compartment 12 to the second compartment 14). The blower 15 may include a fan and fan motor that provides rotation of the fan. The blower 15 may control the amount of airflow through the air purification device 10, as discussed herein. The second compartment 14 may contain an ionization device 25 and an outlet 34. The second compartment 14 may also contain additional components, such as one or more additional sensing devices discussed herein.

In various embodiments, sound dampening material(s) 200 (e.g., padding) may be used on one or more walls of the second compartment 14. In various embodiments, the sound dampening material(s) 200 may reduce the sound of the blower 15 exterior to the housing 11. The sound dampening material(s) 200 may be a panels provided on one or more wall of the second compartment 14. For example, the sound dampening material(s) 200 may be a foam panel (e.g., an open-cell polyurethane foam). The type of sound dampening material and/or thickness of the sound dampening material(s) may be based on the type of blower 15 (e.g., the noise created by the blower 15), the location of the air purification device 10 (e.g., sound dampening may be more important in quieter environments), and/or the like.

The ionization device 25 within the second compartment 14 may be a bipolar ionization device, wherein it emits both positive and negative ions. For example, the ionization device 25 may be a needlepoint bipolar ionization (NPBI) device that may be purchased from Global Plasma Solutions, Inc. d/b/a GPS Air in Charlotte, NC. The contaminants within the ionized air may attach to the air ducts and not be provided to the treated area.

In various embodiments, the air purification device 10 may include one or more electrical controllers (e.g., microcontroller 38 shown in FIG. 2) to control the operation of the air purification device 10. Various components of the air purification device 10 (e.g., the ionization device 25 and/or the blower 15) may be connected to a computing device (e.g., a microcontroller 38). The microcontroller 38 may include the necessary electronic components and controls for operating the air purification device 10 (e.g., controlling the blower output of the blower 15, the output of any ionization devices, the output of any sensing devices, etc.). As such, the microcontroller 38 may carry out the various operations discussed herein. In various embodiments, the microcontroller 38 may be within the second compartment 14, as shown in FIG. 2. The microcontroller 38 may include one or more processing devices and/or one or more memory devices. The memory device(s) may include programming code to carry out the operations discussed herein (e.g., adjusting the blower output based on sensor readings, etc.).

In various embodiments, the microcontroller 38 may be capable of carrying out the methods discussed herein. For example, the microcontroller 38 may cause the air purification to carry out the operations of determining a sensor reading of airflow within an airflow pathway, wherein the sensor reading is for at least one component in the airflow; comparing the sensor reading to a threshold level; and in an instance in which the sensor reading is greater than the threshold level; increasing a blower output for a blower, wherein the blower output determines an amount of air flowing through an airflow pathway, wherein at least one filtration device is disposed along the airflow pathway.

One or more filters (first filtration device 24 and/or second filtration device 28) may be positioned within the air purification device 10. The air purification device 10 may include one or more filter receptacles to receive the given filtration devices. The air purification device 10 may include one or more access doors (e.g., the first access door 100, the second access door 105, etc.) to allow access to the filters and/or other components within the first compartment 12 of the air purification device 10. For example, the access door (e.g., the first access door 100) may be provided to allow the first filtration device 24 and/or the second filtration device 28 to be monitored, removed, and/or replaced. As shown in FIG. 3, an access door (e.g., the second access door 105) may be provided to provide access to the second compartment 14 of the air purification device 10.

The first filtration device 24 and/or the second filtration device 28 may include a filtration media having a first side and a second side that is composed of a fibrous, non-woven web for blocking particulate matter, including airborne particles, carried by the airflow. The filtration media is typically folded in accordion fashion to form a plurality of V-shaped pleats, and is housed in a rectangular, paper-board frame. A wire mesh, composed of expanded aluminum mesh or other similar metal, may be positioned adjacent to the first side and/or second side of the filtration media and housed within the rectangular, paper-board frame.

The first filtration device 24 and/or the second filtration device 28 may include a carbon filter and/or a particle filter. For example, the first filtration device 24 may be a particle filter and the second filtration device 28 may be a carbon filter. In various embodiments, a particle filter may be a MERV rated particle filter (e.g., a MERV 14 filter). For example, a 2 inch MERV 14 particle filter may be used (e.g., as the first filtration device 24). The particle filter may meet the standard of ASHRAE 52.2. In various embodiments, a carbon filter may be a molecular carbon filter. For example, a 2 inch molecular carbon filter may be used (e.g., as a second filtration device 28). The carbon filter may meet the standard of ASHRAE 145.2. In various embodiments, the first filtration device 24 and/or the second filtration device 28 may be a particle filter and a carbon filter paired together. As such, the life of the filters may be extended by using both a particle filter and a carbon filter (e.g., the first filtration device 24 and the second filtration device 28 may only have to be changed once a year).

In various embodiments, an ionization device (not shown) may be positioned near the inlet 16 for emitting ions within the airflow entering the first compartment 12 through the inlet 16 and/or an ionization device (e.g., ionization device 25) may be positioned near the outlet 34 for emitting ions within the airflow leaving the second compartment 14 through the outlet 34.

The first filtration device 24 and/or second filtration device 28 may filter the airflow within the first compartment 12. In an instance in which an ionization device is disposed within the first compartment, first filtration device 24 and/or second filtration device 28 are positioned downstream from the ionization device to receive the ionized air.

As the ionization device(s) emit ions (e.g., negative ions, positive ions, or combination of positive ions and negative ions) within the airflow, these ions are distributed and dispersed within the airflow and attracted to and bond electrostatically with particulate pollutants within the airflow, resulting in a plurality of charged particles within the airflow. Suitable ionization devices for use in the present disclosure may be purchased from Global Plasma Solutions, Inc. d/b/a GPS Air in Charlotte, NC. One suitable ionization device, illustrated herein, is the PF-i self-cleaning filter enhancement system with Opti-Lok technology.

Each of the filtration device(s) (e.g., the first filtration device 24 and/or second filtration device 28) may be designed to filter one or more pollutants. In various embodiments, the filtration devices may be complementary, such that the different filtration devices may be capable of filtering different pollutants from the air. For example, the first filtration device 24 may be a particulate filter designed to filter particulate in the air and the second filtration device 28 may be a carbon filter designed to filter VOCs in the air. In various embodiments, the first filtration device 24 and/or second filtration device 28 may be a synthetic filter or a carbon filter (e.g., the first filtration device 24 may be a synthetic filter and the second filtration device 28 may be a carbon filter). For example, the first filtration device 24 and/or second filtration device 28 may include a filtration media having a first side and a second side that is composed of a fibrous, non-woven web for blocking particulate matter, including airborne particles, carried by the airflow. The filtration media is typically folded in accordion fashion to form a plurality of V-shaped pleats, and is housed in a rectangular, paper-board frame. A wire mesh, composed of expanded aluminum mesh or other similar metal, may be positioned adjacent to the first side and/or second side of the filtration media and housed within the rectangular, paper-board frame.

A first sensing device 26 may include one or more sensors for sensing characteristics of the air. The first sensing device 26 may be positioned within the first compartment 12 for sensing the airflow to determine components (e.g., contaminants) within the air, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulates, such as dust, bacteria, and mold. The first sensing device 26 may be located near the inlet 16 (e.g., adjacent to the inlet 16 as shown in FIG. 2). Alternatively, the first sensing device 26 may be located external the air purification device 10 for sensing air surrounding the air purification device 10 or prior to the air entering the inlet 16 of the air purification device 10. The first sensing device 26 may be capable of sensing one or more pollutants within the air. In various embodiments, the first sensing device 26 may monitor for one or more pollutants referenced in ASHRAE Standard 62.1. As such, the first sensing device 26 may monitor or otherwise sense VOCs, particulates, and/or other pollutants (NOx, SVOC, etc.) in the airflow.

Additional sensor(s) may also be located at other locations, such as near the outlet 34 of the air purification device 10 (either within the second compartment 14 or external to the air purification device 10). The first sensing device 26 may also monitor the airflow rate within the air purification device 10 (e.g., the airflow rate may be monitored to determine whether the blower 15 is operating correctly). Additionally or alternatively, the airflow rate may be determined based on the blower output.

The first sensing device 26 may also be multiple sensors for sensing various pollutants and/or contain various probes or sensor points for sensing the air from multiple locations for multiple data points. In various embodiments, the first sensing device 26 may be a sensor array that monitors for multiple different pollutants. For example, the first sensing device 26 may include a combination of particle, TVOC, and/or CO2 sensors to detect. The readings from the sensor(s) may be used to determine how the air purification device 10 reacts (e.g., an increase in the airflow rate due to higher pollutant levels). Additional sensors may be positioned at various locations within the air purification device 10.

In various embodiments, one or more additional refrigerant sensing devices (e.g., refrigerant sensing device 27 shown in FIG. 2) may be positioned within and/or exterior to the air purification device 10. The refrigerant sensing device(s) may be positioned to monitor the amount of refrigerant within the airflow (e.g., within the air purification device and/or the airflow into and/or out of the air purification device 10). As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant sensing device 27 may be positioned within the first compartment 12. Additionally or alternatively, refrigerant sensing device(s) may be positioned within the second compartment 14, in an air duct of the system (e.g., the return air duct 705 of FIG. 7, the diversion air duct 710 of FIG. 7, the supply air duct 715 of FIG. 7, the purification return air duct 810 of FIG. 8, the purification supply air duct 820 of FIG. 8, the return air duct 805, the supply air duct 815, etc.), in the area treated, and/or the like.

The refrigerant sensing device(s) may monitor for various different types of refrigerants (e.g., A2L, Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrocarbons (HCs), Hydrofluoroolefin (HFOs), and/or the like). In various embodiments, in an instance one or more refrigerant types are detected above a predetermined threshold value, the blower output of the blower 15 may be reduced (e.g., the blower 15 may be slowed to reduce the amount of refrigerant being introduced into the heating and/or cooling unit and/or the area being treated) or the blower 15 may be deactivated or shut off. In various embdoiments, the refrigerant sensing device may be used to reduce the potential for flammability due to large amounts of refrigerant in a given space. In various embodiments, the blower output of the blower 15 may be increased in an instance in which the refrigerant level is reduced below the predetermined threshold value. The predetermined threshold value may be based on the flammability or toxicity of the given refrigerant.

The second compartment 14 as illustrated, is in the shape of a box, defining a void therein and containing a base portion, a top portion, a front portion, a back portion, and two opposed side portions. The second compartment 14 may include an inlet defined by a blower 15 and an outlet 34. As such, the rate of airflow into the second compartment 14 may be based on the blower setting at a given instance (e.g., the blower/fan may be adjusted to increase or decrease the airflow rate). While a single blower 15 is shown, any number of blowers may be implemented. If the first sensing device 26 senses a component (e.g., VOCs) within the airflow above a threshold level, the output of the blower 15 may be increased to carry more air through the air purification device 10 (e.g., allowing more airflow to pass through the ionization device(s) and/or filters). The first filtration device 24 and/or second filtration device 28 is designed to offer enhanced filtration for filtering components (e.g., VOCs, particles, etc.) from the airflow. As such, the first filtration device 24 and/or second filtration device 28 may contain activated carbon designed to remove the VOCs from the airflow. The activated carbon may be in granular form, such as a substantially spherical configuration with excellent adsorption capacity, contained within a housing where the airflow is directed over and/or through the activated carbon. Alternatively, the activated carbon can be in powder form, granular form, or geometric shape, such as cylindrical, block, briquette, cube, or spherical.

The blower 15 may be a fan unit or other airflow generator. The blower 15 may also be disposed within the second compartment 14. The blower 15 draws air into and through the air purification device 10, while also expelling the treated or purified airflow. Blower 15 is disposed adjacent the back portion of the second filtration device 28 for drawing the airflow through the first filtration device 24 and the second filtration device 28.

The second compartment 14 contains an outlet 34 within the back portion. The second compartment 14 may contain one outlet, two or more outlets, or a plurality of outlets. The airflow exiting the blower 15 may encounter one or more additional ionization device(s) that emits ions into the airflow prior to the airflow entering the habitable space. Additionally, one or more sensors may be provided near the outlet 34 that monitor the characteristics of the treated air (e.g., monitor the VOC reduction between the inlet and outlet). While one blower 15 is illustrated, one fan unit, two or more fan units, or a plurality of fan units may be utilized in the system. Alternatively, if the air purification device is placed within a Variable Air Volume (VAV) system or other HVAC system with a blower or fan with sufficient capacity to move airflow through the air purification device at sufficient cfm, a fan unit may not be necessary and can be an optional feature (e.g., the fan or blower of the HVAC or VAV system may be adjusted based on sensor readings, just as the blower 15 is adjusted). Suitable ionization devices for use as the one or more additional ionization device in the present disclosure may be purchased from Global Plasma Solutions, Inc. d/b/a GPS Air in Charlotte, NC. One suitable ionization device, illustrated herein, is a needlepoint bipolar ionization system.

The air purification device 10 may be a standalone device or may be mounted in the floor, wall, or ceiling of a building or structure. The inlet 16 may be engaged to a conduit such as an air duct coupled to a return. The treated air exiting the air purification device 10 may flow through a conduit, such as an air duct, connected to a diffuser for supplying the treated airflow to a habitable space, such as a room or office, wherein the conduit is engaged to the second compartment 14 and adjacent the outlet 34. The diffuser utilized may be a diffuser solely designated for returning treated air from the air purification device 10 to the habitable space. Alternatively, the diffuser is an existing diffuser when the air purification device 10 is placed within an existing HVAC system. The treated air exiting the air purification device 10 may also be dispersed into multiple habitable spaces with the use of multiple conduits and diffusers.

During use, the airflow enters the air purification device 10 through the inlet 16 in the first compartment 12. In various embodiments, an ionization device 545 (shown in the embodiment of FIG. 5) may be provided proximate the inlet 16 within the first compartment 12. The ionization device may emit ions (e.g., negative ions) into the airflow entering through the inlet 16. While an ionization device in the first compartment may not be shown in FIGS. 1-4, one or more ionization devices may be provided in the first compartment 12. Alternatively, no ionization devices may be contained within the first compartment 12 and one or more ionization devices (e.g., ionization device 25) may be contained within the second compartment 14, as shown in FIG. 2.

Upon entry into the first compartment, the airflow then proceeds through the filtration device(s) (e.g., through the first filtration device 24 and/or the second filtration device 28) designed for removing the particulate pollutants. In various embodiments, the sensor readings may be compared to a threshold level (e.g., a threshold level may be a specific value or a range of values) for the given pollutant. The output of the blower 15 (e.g., the speed of the fan turning within the blower) may be changed based on the sensor reading(s) and the comparison to the threshold level(s). In an instance in which the sensor reading is below a threshold level, the blower 15 may be maintained in a low speed or non-operating mode, in which little to no air is being pulled into the air purification device 10. For example, the blower 15 may have a nominal speed to maintain a baseline amount of air to pass through the air purification device 10.

In an instance in which the sensed pollutant(s) (e.g., VOCs, Particulates, and/or other pollutants) are detected by the first sensing device 26 above a threshold level, a signal is transmitted to a motor communicatively coupled to the blower 15, causing the airflow through the air purification device 10 to be increased (e.g., the blower output may be increased to cause a higher rate of airflow through the air purification device 10). The airflow carries through the filtration device(s) and into the second compartment 14, where the air may encounter one or more additional ionization devices (e.g., ionization device 25) in the second compartment, emitting positive ions and/or negative ions within the airflow, prior to the airflow entering the habitable space. The additional ionization device(s) may be a bipolar ionization device, wherein the ionization device emits both positive and negative ions.

Similarly, in an instance in which the sensed pollutants (e.g., VOCs, Particulates, and/or other pollutants) are not detected by the first sensing device 26 above the threshold level (e.g., the VOC reading is less than the threshold level), a signal is sent to a motor communicatively coupled to the blower 15 to either maintain the blower output (in an instance in which the sensed pollutants reading from the sensor has not changed) or decrease the blower output (in an instance in which the sensed pollutants reading from the sensor has been reduced from an instance in which the VOC reading was above the threshold level). The blower output may be reduced or stopped, such that the airflow rate is reduced compared to an instance in which the sensed pollutants reading of the first sensing device 26 is above the threshold level. As such, some air may still pass through the air purification device 10, but less than an instance in which the sensed pollutants reading of the first sensing device 26 is above the threshold level. In various embodiments, one or more of the ionization device(s) may also be deactivated in an instance in which the sensed pollutants reading of the first sensing device 26 is below the threshold level.

In various embodiments, the air purification devices of FIGS. 1-5 may include one or more electrical controllers (e.g., microcontroller 38 shown in FIG. 2) to control the blower output based on the sensor readings. The electrical controller may include the necessary electronic components and controls for operating the air purification device 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, another example embodiment of the air purification device 10 is provided. The air purification device 10 of FIGS. 3 and 4 may include any number of the same components as the other embodiments discussed herein. For example, the air purification device 10 includes a first compartment 12 (with an inlet 16), filters (e.g., a first filtration device 24 and/or a second filtration device 28), a blower 15, a second compartment 14 (with an outlet 34), as discussed in reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The air purification device 10 of FIGS. 3 and 4 defines an auxiliary compartment 300 of the second compartment 14 that is independent from the airflow. Various components may be housed within the auxiliary compartment 300 of the second compartment, such as the microcontroller 38. The auxiliary compartment 300 may be airtight, such that the airflow does not access the auxiliary compartment 300.

Referring now to FIG. 5, another example embodiment of the air purification device 10 is provided. The air purification device 10 of FIG. 5 may include any number of the same components as the other embodiments discussed herein. For example, the first sensing device 26 of FIG. 5 may be the same type of sensing device as discussed above in reference to FIGS. 1-2.

As shown in FIG. 5, the air purification device 10 includes a first compartment 12 and a second compartment 14. The first compartment 12 may include the first sensing device 26 and a first ionization device 20. The first ionization device 20 is positioned near the inlet 16 for emitting ions within the airflow entering the first compartment 12 through the inlet 16. A first filtration device 24 and/or a second filtration device 28 is contained within the filter receptacle 22 for filtering the airflow within the first compartment 12 and disposed downstream from the first ionization device 20. Suitable ionization devices for use in the present disclosure may be purchased from Global Plasma Solutions, Inc. d/b/a GPS Air in Charlotte, NC. One suitable ionization device is the PF-i self-cleaning filter enhancement system with Opti-Lok technology.

As the first ionization device 20 emits ions (e.g., negative ions) within the airflow, these ions are distributed and dispersed within the airflow and attracted to and bond electrostatically with particulate pollutants within the airflow, resulting in a plurality of charged particles within the airflow. The first filtration device 24 and/or a second filtration device 28 may remove the contaminants from the airflow.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a chart illustrates how the air purification device 10 may be adjusted (e.g., the blower output of the blower 15) based on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) level in a space. In various embodiments, the carbon dioxide levels may be used to determine an occupancy of a space (e.g., more people in a space produce more carbon dioxide). As such, in an instance in which the CO₂level is below a threshold value (e.g., before marker 600), the air purification device 10 may be in a low power and/or idle mode (e.g., the blower 15 may be powered off or slower speed than an instance in which the air purification device 10 is operating normally). As such, the blower output may be reduced in an instance in which the carbon dioxide level in the airflow is below a carbon dioxide threshold level. The carbon dioxide threshold level may correspond to a threshold number of people in an area (e.g., the carbon dioxide threshold level may correspond to the amount of carbon dioxide produced by a predetermined amount of people).

As amount of CO₂increases (e.g., above a threshold value indicating occupancy has increased), the air purification device 10 may be adjusted (e.g., as shown at marker 600, the CO₂level increases and the air purification device 10 activates (e.g., provides more power to the blower 15 to increase airflow and/or cleaning of the air). The air purification device 10 may monitor the contaminant level (e.g., the level of at least component within the airflow) during the operation. As shown, the air purification device 10 may have a contaminant range 650 in which the contaminant level is acceptable. In various embodiments, the blower output of the blower 15 may be adjusted to keep the contaminant level within the contaminant range.

As shown, upon detection of a threshold level of CO₂, the air purification device 10 may activate (e.g., increase the speed of the blower 15) and cause the contaminant level to be decreased. Once the contaminant level is reduced to the low end of the contaminant range 650, the air purification device 10 output may be reduced or turned off (e.g., the blower 15 may be slowed down and/or turned off). As shown at marker 605, the contaminant level may rise and once the measured contaminant level is at or near the high end of the contaminant range 650, the air purification device 10 is reactivated (e.g., the blower 15 speed is increased).

In various embodiments, the air purification device 10 may be powered on or off (or have the output changed) once the contaminant level is at or near the lower end of the contaminant range 650 to reduce energy, while maintaining a safe environment. For example, as shown at marker 610, the air purification device 10 may be powered down or powered off in an instance in which the contaminant level is contaminant level is at or near the lower end of the contaminant range 650. As such, the output of the air purification device 10 (e.g., the blower 15 output) may be actively adjusted based on the measured contaminant level.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, example system environments are shown with an air purification device 10 of various embodiments used. In both example system environments, the air purification device 10 may be positioned along an airflow pathway. The airflow pathway may include the airflow pathway within the air purification device 10 (e.g., between the inlet 16 and the outlet 34) and/or the airflow pathway exterior to the air purification device 10 (e.g., the airflow that carries the air into and/or out of the air purification device 10).

FIG. 7 illustrates the air purification device 10 positioned along the airflow return (e.g., being returned from circulation within an area). As shown, a return air duct 705 return area air (e.g., recirculates the air within the area being treated). A diversion air duct 710 is provided in parallel that receives a portion of the return airflow from the return air duct 705. The diverted airflow is treated via the air purification device 10 of various embodiments. The amount of airflow within the diversion air duct 710 may be based on the blower output of the blower 15. The treated airflow is then combined back with the return airflow before reaching the heating and/or cooling unit 700. The air is cooled or heated and supplied to the area via the supply air duct 715.

An outside air valve 725 may be used to control the amount of outside air being allowed into the heating and/or cooling unit 700. The amount of outside air being introduced into the environment may be based on the amount of contaminants in the airflow. For example, the amount of contaminants within the return airflow within the return air duct 705 may affect the amount of outside air introduced into the environment. The amount of outside air introduced into the environment may be based on a position of the outside air valve 725. The outside air valve 725 may define an open position in which the outside air valve 725 is parallel to the outside air duct and a closed position in which the outside air valve 725 is blocking the outside air intake. The outside air valve 725 may have various different positions that partially block the outside air intake.

In various embodiments, the components within the airflow (e.g., contaminants) may be monitored at various different locations within the system. For example, a sensing device (e.g., a first sensing device 26) may be positioned within the air purification device 10, as discussed herein. Additional sensing devices may be positioned at various positions (e.g., within various air ducts, within the heating and/or cooling unit 700). The sensing device(s) may monitor the components within the airflow at various points (e.g., before and/or after being treated by the air purification device 10). Additionally, sensing device(s) may be positioned within the area being treated. For example, a sensing device may be positioned within a room being treated with an air purification device 10 to measure the component(s) of the air within the room.

FIG. 8 illustrates the air purification device 10 being an independent airflow from the heating and/or cooling unit. As such, the air purification device 10 may receive return air that had been circulated into the area and clean the air independent from the airflow to the heating and/or cooling unit. Unlike the configuration of FIG. 7, the return air duct 805 provides return air to the heating and/or cooling unit 700 and not to the air purification device 10. The return air in the return air duct 805 is treated by the heating and/or cooling unit 700 and returned to the space via the supply air duct 815.

Similar to the configuration of FIG. 7, an outside air valve 825 may be used to control the amount of outside air being allowed into the heating and/or cooling unit 700. The amount of outside air being introduced into the environment may be based on the amount of contaminants in the airflow. For example, the amount of contaminants within the return airflow within the return air duct 805 and/or the purification return air duct 810 may affect the amount of outside air introduced into the environment. The amount of outside air introduced into the environment may be based on a position of the outside air valve 825. The outside air valve 825 may define an open position in which the outside air valve 825 is parallel to the outside air duct and a closed position in which the outside air valve 825 is blocking the outside air intake. The outside air valve 825 may have various different positions that partially block the outside air intake. The outside air valve 825 may also be adjusted based on other factors, such as efficiency of the heating and/or cooling unit 700.

The air purification device 10 is remote from the return and/or supply of the heating and/or cooling unit 700. The air purification device 10 has an independent purification return air duct 810 that receives return air from the area being treated. The amount of airflow within the purification return air duct 810 may be based on the blower output of the blower 15. Upon being treated by the air purification device 10, the airflow is returned to the area being treated (e.g., within a building) via the purification supply air duct 820.

In various embodiments, the air purification device 10 may be a self-contained unit that has an inlet 16 and an outlet 34 without the purification return air duct 810 and/or the purification supply air duct 820. For example, the air purification device 10 may be a box-shaped device that may be moved from one area to another (e.g., an area that has larger amounts of people may need additional air purification). As such, the air purification device 10 may be mobile. Alternatively, the air purification device 10 may be permanently installed (e.g., within the duct system with the heating and/or cooling unit 700 as shown in FIG. 7 and/or within an independent duct system as shown in FIG. 8).

Any of the filtration devices discussed herein (e.g., first filtration device 24, second filtration device 28, etc.) may be an air filter (or multiple air filters). The filtration devices used in the present disclosure may filter and collect airborne particles by two methods: 1) physical collection-impaction and interception; and 2) electrostatic attraction as explained herein. A dipole is a separation of opposite electrical charges without changing the net electric charge. A dipole is quantified by its dipole moment. The magnitude of a dipole moment is equal to the distance between charges multiplied by the electric charge. However, dipole moment is a vector quantity that has a direction. The direction of an electric dipole moment points from the negative charge toward the positive charge. Electric dipoles may be temporary or permanent. A permanent electric dipole is called an electret.

Electrets are a class of dielectric materials with permanent or quasi-permanent dipoles or space charges. Electrets made from polymers are some examples that have quasi-permanent electric charges or dipolar polarization. Applying a strong electric field organizes the orientation of these charges to produce a net electric dipole. In this case, depending on the polymer type and the direction of the electric field, the electric dipoles can either produce a net positive or a net negative electric charge on the surface, while total electric charge remains zero (i.e., the polymer structure as a whole remains neutral).

In a polymer film or a polymer fiber, mechanical pressure, stretching in one direction, and directional force during the melt spinning or electro spinning process also contributes to re-orientation of dipoles and can create a net intrinsic dipolar property for that film or fiber. The induced intrinsic dipole by various mechanical mechanisms described above is of permanent nature.

Some examples of electret polymers are Polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE, XLPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), recycle PET, Polyimide (PI, including nylon 6 and 11), Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and Fluoropolymers (PTFE, FEP). These electret polymers may be formed into electret polymer fibers.

In general, polarizability increases as the volume occupied by electrons increases. In atoms and in molecules, this occurs because larger atoms/molecules have more loosely held electrons in contrast to smaller atoms/molecules with tightly bound electrons. The force between an ionized particle and a dipole is an attractive or a repulsive force that results from the electrostatic attraction/repulsion between the ionized particle and a neutral molecule that is polarized. The force being attractive or repulsive depends on the direction of the dipole as well as the net electric charge of the ionized particle.

Electron affinity describes the amount of energy released when an electron is added to a neutral atom or to a neutral molecule. Electronic configuration of the molecules or atoms is one factor that determines the electron affinity; others are the atomic size and the nuclear charge. An electron acceptor has a greater positive electron affinity value while the one with the lower positive value is referred to as an electron donor.

When two materials are rubbed together, the material with the greatest affinity for electrons is the material which takes electrons away from the other material. For example, steel takes electrons from nylon and acquires the negative charge. In turn, the nylon loses electrons and becomes positively charged. Other examples are polyester and polypropylene that take electrons from steel and become negatively charged.

The filtration media of an air filter utilized as one or more filtration devices discussed herein may be a filtration media with fibers composed of electret polymers. The filtration media produces an electric field, but the electric field produced cannot ionize an airborne particle or measurably polarize an airborne particle. Therefore, an ionization device may be utilized to emit ions that are dispersed within the airflow, prior to contacting the air filter, for charging, ionizing, or polarizing the particulate pollutants or airborne particles. The electric field produced by the filtration media, due to its intrinsic electret properties, eliminates the need for an external power source creating an electric field and the electric field does not weaken during usage. The electric field of the filtration media creates electrostatic attraction/repulsion, depending upon the charge of the airborne particles, when the airborne particles are charged or ionized prior to entering the electric field of the filtration media or contacting the filtration media.

The airborne particles with a positive charge are electrostatically attracted to a filtration media or portion of the filtration media that is negatively charged, and airborne particles with a negative charge are electrostatically attracted to a filtration media or portion of the filtration media that is positively charged. For example, only and relying upon the disclosure above, a filtration media may be composed of both nylon and polypropylene fibers. The nylon fibers are positively charged and the polypropylene fibers are negatively charged. Any negatively charged particles are attracted to the nylon fibers and repulsed by the polypropylene fibers. Likewise, any positively charged particles are repulsed by the nylon fibers and attached to the polypropylene fibers. While nylon and polypropylene are used in this example, any electret polymer fiber may be utilized as filtration media.

The arrangement of the electret polymer fibers may have various forms and the below examples are not intended to limit the arrangement but serve as illustrated examples. The filtration media may be composed of two or more layers, wherein layer A is composed of electret polymer fibers with a positive charge and layer B is composed of electret polymer fibers with a negative charge. In one exemplary embodiment, a single layer A is engaged or adjacent one side of a single layer B. In another alternative embodiment, at least one layer A is engaged or adjacent at least one side of at least one layer B. In yet another alternative embodiment, a plurality layers A are engaged or adjacent a plurality of layers B, wherein layers A and B are “sandwiched together” in an alternating pattern (e.g. ABABAB) or a non-alternating or random pattern (e.g. ABAABBAA, BABABBAABA, etc.) The layers may be engaged to each other by a process known in the art, such as lamination or adhesion. In yet an alternative embodiment, the filtration media may be composed of a single layer wherein positively charged electret polymer fibers and negatively charged electret polymer fibers are engaged to each other forming a nonwoven layer. In yet another alternative embodiment, the filtration media may be composed of a single layer wherein positively charged electret polymer fibers and negatively charged electret polymer fibers are woven together forming a nonwoven layer.

The electret polymer fibers may be composed of biodegradable fibers. The electret polymer fibers may be entirely composed or partially composed of recycled or post-consumer content polymeric material. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the electret polymer fibers may “biologically derived,” “biobased,” or “bio-derived” from chemical compounds, including monomers and polymers, that are obtained, whole or in part, from any renewable resources, including, but not limited to, plan, forestry, animal, and marine materials.

Although the present disclosure has been illustrated and described herein with reference to various embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and are intended to be covered by the following claims.

	Number	Date	Country
	63601927	Nov 2023	US
	63703606	Oct 2024	US

AIR PURIFICATION DEVICE

Information

Publication Number

Date Filed

Date Published

Inventors

Original Assignees

CPC

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

Provisional Applications (2)