Patent Application
20230392824
In indoor settings like offices, circulated air can include dust, airborne pathogens, and other airborne particles that can have a negative effect on health. Thus, steps can be taken to ensure that the air is clean and safe. Unfortunately, filtration systems installed in indoor settings are often ineffectual because they operate at low efficiencies, if any filtration systems are installed at all. High-efficiency filtration is rarely present in indoor settings and adding high-efficiency filtration to those settings may not be feasible. In addition, filtration systems may only filter air without purifying and clearing that air. Existing filtration systems may also emit excessive and unwanted noise.
For a more complete understanding of the embodiments and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description, in conjunction with the accompanying figures briefly described as follows:
The drawings illustrate only example embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of the scope described herein, as other equally effective embodiments are within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The elements and features shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Additionally, certain dimensions may be exaggerated to help visually convey certain principles. In the drawings, similar reference numerals between figures designate like or corresponding, but not necessarily the same, elements.
Disclosed herein is a sound-reducing air purification unit that can efficiently filter and purify air in a room or other setting, without the excess noise generated by blowers or other air circulation devices. The sound-reducing air purification unit can filter air at a higher efficiency than filtration solutions in typical settings. For example, the sound-reducing air purification unit can use a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to continually clean the air. As another example, the sound-reducing air purification unit can use lower-efficiency filter in addition to HEPA filter to filter larger particles from air before the air enters the HEPA filter, thereby increasing a usable life of the HEPA filter. The sound-reducing air purification unit can substantially increase the quantity of air changes in a setting relative to typical settings. The sound-reducing air purification unit can even surpass the standards set by The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) for number of HEPA-filtered air changes per hour. What is more, the sound-reducing air purification unit does not emit excess noise that may occur with air purification units.
The lower housing 106 can enclose a lower chamber 112. The lower chamber 112 can include a filtration apparatus 115, a control module 118, a blower 121, and a bipolar ionization unit 124.
The filtration apparatus 115 can be any device designed to remove airborne particulate matter from air or other gasses that flows through the filtration apparatus 115.
The control module 118 can include various components used to control operation of the sound-reducing air purification unit 100.
The blower 121 can create pressure that pulls air through the filtration apparatus 109 and into the lower chamber 112. The blower 121 can be located in the lower chamber 112 proximate to the filtration apparatus 115. The blower 121 can include a motor that can cause an impeller within the blower 121 to spin and pull air into one or more inlets on the sides of the blower 121. The impeller can then expel the air from an outlet at a top of the blower. The blower 121 can be accessed for maintenance by removing an access panel.
While in
The bipolar ionization unit 124 can treat the air that has been filtered through the filtration apparatus 115. The bipolar ionization unit 124 can be any device designed to produce ions that can cluster around airborne pathogens and cause other airborne particles to clump together. As an example, the bipolar ionization unit 124 can do so by creating and emitting positive and negative oxygen ions without also creating ozone. In some examples, a bipolar ionization unit 124 can be used that requires little-to-no servicing or maintenance.
The lower sound reduction unit 103 can reduce sound emitted by the blower 121. The lower sound reduction unit 103 can include front and side panels that can each include a slot 127. A bracket 130 can be attached to an inner surface of each of the front and side panels adjacent to the slots 127. Air can be pulled by the blower 121 through the slots 127 and around the brackets 130 into an interior of the lower sound reduction unit 103. The brackets 130 can impede a path of sound emitted by the blower 121 to hinder sound from escaping the sound-reducing air purification unit 100 through the slots 127. In one example, the brackets 130 can provide a visual obstruction from the outside of the sound-reducing air purification unit 100 while permitting air to enter the sound-reducing air purification unit 100 through the slots 127 and round the brackets 130.
The upper housing 109 can include a discharge grille 133. The discharge grille 133 can be a grating, screen, register, or other group of openings through which air can exit the sound-reducing air purification unit 100. Air can exit the sound-reducing air purification unit 100 through the discharge grille 133 at an upward angle relative to an angle at which air enters the sound-reducing air purification unit 100. That way, air that has been purified by the sound-reducing air purification unit 100 does not immediately re-enter the sound-reducing air purification unit 100.
The upper housing 109 can enclose a discharge channel 136 and sound-reducing chambers 139. The discharge channel can be defined by a pair of baffles 148. Air expelled by the blower 121 can enter the discharge channel 136 and be expelled from the sound-reducing air purification unit 100 through the discharge grille 133.
The sound-reducing air purification unit can reduce sound emitted by the blower 121 that may otherwise escape through the discharge channel 136. For example, the sound reducing chambers 139 can include sound-reducing media 142 to reduce sound emitted by the blower 121. In that example, at least one of the baffles 148 can include a plurality of perforations that can allow sound generated by the blower 121 to be absorbed into the sound-reducing media 142 and thereby reduced. However, any suitable form of sound reduction may be employed.
The sound-reducing chambers 139 can include sound-reducing media 142 enclosed by an inner casing 145. The sound-reducing media 142 can include any sound deadening or reduction material such as, for example, fiberglass, polyurethane foam, or cellulose.
A lower portion of the discharge channel 136 can have a narrow width compared to an upper portion of the discharge channel 136 such that the discharge channel 136 widens as air travels upward after being expelled by the blower 121. The narrow width of the lower portion of the discharge chamber 136 can constrict air entering the channel to force sound into the sound-reducing chambers 139. The lower portion of the discharge chamber 136 can still have a great enough width to allow for an optimal pressure drop.
The ultraviolet lamp 151 can treat air that has been filtered through the filtration apparatus 115 and expelled by the blower 121 into the discharge channel 136. The ultraviolet lamp 151 can be any device designed to emit ultraviolet radiation capable of inactivating airborne pathogens. For example, the ultraviolet lamp 151 can be a UV-C lamp. The ultraviolet lamp 151 can be secured to the ultraviolet module 154. The ultraviolet lamp 151 can be accessed for removal and replacement by removing one or more access panels. In some examples, however, the ultraviolet lamp 151 may be omitted, or another air treatment component may be used in its place.
The ultraviolet module 154 can facilitate operation of the ultraviolet lamp 151. For example, the ultraviolet module 154 can include one or more components that enable the ultraviolet lamp 151 to function. The ultraviolet lamp 151 can be secured to an inner surface of the upper housing 109.
In the example of
A phrase, such as “at least one of X, Y, or Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is to be understood with the context as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., can be either X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z). Similarly, “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is to be understood to present that an item, term, etc., can be either X, Y, and Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z). Thus, as used herein, such phrases are not generally intended to, and should not, imply that certain embodiments require at least one of either X, Y, or Z to be present, but not, for example, one X and one Y. Further, such phrases should not imply that certain embodiments require each of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z to be present.
Although embodiments have been described herein in detail, the descriptions are by way of example. The features of the embodiments described herein are representative and, in alternative embodiments, certain features and elements may be added or omitted. Additionally, modifications to aspects of the embodiments described herein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure defined in the following claims, the scope of which are to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass modifications and equivalent structures.
This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. provisional application entitled, “SOUND-REDUCING AIR PURIFICATION UNIT,” having Ser. No. 63/347,733, filed Jun. 1, 2022, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63347733 | Jun 2022 | US |
