The present invention relates to a portable ionization unit for attachment to an overhead airflow nozzle.
It is believed that there are no commercially available portable systems that address air quality problems unique to the passenger cabins of aircraft, trains, buses, and the like, particularly with regard to gaseous pollutants which are often encountered. The present invention provides a solution to the above problems.
The invention is directed to a portable ionization unit for attachment to an overhead airflow nozzle. The ionization unit is described with respect to an aircraft cabin overhead airflow nozzle, but has application to other overhead airflow or other oriented airflow nozzles such as those found, for example, on trains or buses. The ionization unit includes a housing. A rechargeable self-contained ionizer is positioned inside the housing. The housing is attachable (preferably removably) to the overhead airflow nozzle. Once the ionization unit is attached to the overhead airflow nozzle, a dome of bipolar ionized air is created above the seated passenger.
The teachings of the present invention will be readily understood from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
To facilitate an understanding of the invention, identical reference numerals have been used, when appropriate, to designate the same or similar elements that are common to the figures. Further, unless stated otherwise, the features shown in the figures are not drawn to scale, but are shown for illustrative purposes only.
The present invention will be described in detail with reference to
As shown in the top perspective view of
The housing 40 includes an air inlet 17 and an air outlet 20, shown in
When the ionizer 10 is installed and turned on, the air passing through the portable ionization unit 1 creates a dome of bipolar ionized air above the seated passenger. It should be understood that the overhead airflow nozzle found in commercial aircraft cabins is typically a universal part with known dimensions. For example, the overhead airflow nozzle is generally the same across aircraft manufacturers, including but not limited to, AIRBUS, BOEING, EMBRAER, CANADAIR, etc. The overhead airflow nozzle creates the source of air movement of the purified air, wherein the speed of airflow is preferably controllable by the user by rotating the airflow nozzle in a given direction. In one embodiment, the housing 40 is manufactured from thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), a type of plastic, which is soft, semi-crushable for safety, yet rigid enough house the ionizer 10.
A method for the practice of the invention will now be described. After the user boards the aircraft and takes his seat, the ionization unit is attached to an overhead airflow nozzle. The ionizer can be powered on during the duration of the flight to create a dome of bipolar ionized air above the seated passenger. If the battery requires recharging, a USB cord can be connected from an external power supply to the unit.
Although an exemplary description of the invention has been set forth above to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention, that description should not be construed to limit the invention, and various modifications and variations can be made to the description without departing from the scope of the invention, as will be understood by those with ordinary skill in the art, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20220048046 A1 | Feb 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63064458 | Aug 2020 | US |