Air cleaner

• US 10,508,658 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jaekyun, Ha, Hyunpil, Jung, Soonki, Mun, Yeongcheol, Bae, Soohyun
• Primary Examiner(s): McKenzie, T. Bennett
• Application Number:
  US15/363,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20170248153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 55467
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/11 Apparatus for controlling air treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/12 Lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/14 Filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/22 Ionisation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2273/30 Means for generating a circulation of a fluid in a filtration system, e.g. using a pump or a fan
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0008 Two or more filter elements not fluidly connected positioned in the same housing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0047 for discharging the filtered gas
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/2403 characterised by the physical shape or structure of the filtering element
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/58 connected in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2070/04 using electrical heating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/16 by thermostatic control
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/167 by adjusting the pre-set temperature according to engine parameters, e.g. engine load, engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/403 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/703 specially for fans, e.g. fan guards
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0011 characterised by air outlets
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0071 with means for purifying supplied air perfuming or deodorising means F24F1/008
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/028 characterised by air supply means, e.g. fan casings, internal dampers or ducts with secondary air induced by injector action of the primary air F24F1/01
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/10 : movable, e.g. dampers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/12 : built up of sliding members
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/14 : built up of tilting members, e.g. louvre
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/20 : Casings or covers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/28 : Arrangement or mounting of filters
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2013/1446 : with gearings
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2013/205 : Mounting a ventilator fan therein
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/64 : Airborne particle content
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/007 : with forced flow using ducting systems F24F7/06
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/10 : by separation, e.g. by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/80 : Self-contained air purifiers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/25 : Control of valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2515 : Flow valves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1852 : with sensing element expanding and contracting in response to change of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1856 : with sensing element responsive to pressure or volume change in a confined fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1921 : using a thermal motor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1925 : using a combination of auxiliary electric and non-electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/275 : with sensing element expanding, contracting, or fusing in response to changes of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/27537 : using expansible fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/27541 : using expansible solid
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/30 : Automatic controllers with an auxiliary heating device affecting the sensing element, e.g. for anticipating change of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/303 : using a sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. thermistor

Abstract

An air flow controller for an air cleaner and an air cleaner are provided. The air flow controller may include a fan, and a housing, the fan being provided in the housing and the housing being movable from an initial horizontal position in which the air flow controller directs air flow in a vertical direction to an inclined position in which the air flow controller directs air flow in a diagonal direction.

Claims

1. An air cleaner, comprising:

an air cleaning module including a main fan and a discharge guide provided with a discharge grill through which air passing through the main fan is discharged; and

an air flow controller provided at a top surface of the air cleaning module and including;

a housing including a housing body in which an air discharge outlet provided at an upper opening of the housing body is formed and an introduction grill provided at a lower portion of the housing body;

an air flow controller fan provided within the housing body and the introduction grill, the housing being movable from an initial horizontal position in which the air flow controller directs air flow in a vertical direction to an inclined position in which the air flow controller directs air flow in a diagonal direction, wherein the introduction grill is laid on the discharge grill such that air discharged through the discharge grill is introduced into the introduction grill, and wherein the air flow controller fan within the housing moves with the housing from the initial horizontal position in which position the air flow of the air flow controller fan is directed in the vertical direction to the inclined position in which position the air flow of the air flow controller fan is directed in the diagonal direction.

2. The air cleaner of claim 1, further including a rotation guide that guides rotation of the air flow controller in a first direction or a second direction, and wherein the first direction is a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction, with respect to an axial direction of the air flow controller and the second direction is an upward or downward direction.

3. The air cleaner of claim 2, wherein the air cleaning module further includes:

an air guide provided between the main fan and the discharge guide and having a first air flow path, wherein the air guide includes;

an outer wall that forms an outer circumferential surface of the rotation guide; and

an inner wall provided at an inner side of the outer wall, the inner wall being configured to form an inner circumferential surface of the rotation guide, and wherein the first air flow path is formed between an inner circumferential surface of the outer wall and an outer circumferential surface of the inner wall.

4. The air cleaner of claim 2, wherein the rotation guide includes:

a first gear motor configured to provide a drive force; and

a first gear rotatably connected to the first gear motor and having a first gear shaft; and

a first rack interlocked with the first gear and extending in a rounded shape in a circumferential direction.

5. The air cleaner of claim 4, wherein the rotation guide includes a rotational shaft which forms a rotational center of the air flow controller, and wherein the first gear rotates along a radius of rotation set around the rotational shaft.

6. The air cleaner of claim 4, wherein the discharge guide is provided at an outlet side of the air guide and is configured to form a discharge flow path through which the air passing through the first air flow path flows, wherein the discharge guide includes:

a discharge outer wall that forms an outer circumference surface of the discharge guide; and

a discharge inner wall provided at an inner side of the discharge outer wall, the discharge inner wall being configured to form an inner circumference surface of the discharge guide, wherein the discharge flow path is formed between an inner circumferential surface of the discharge outer wall and an outer circumference surface of the discharge inner wall.

7. The air cleaner of claim 6, wherein the rotation guide includes a bearing to guide the rotation of in the first direction of the air flow controller, and wherein the bearing includes:

a first bearing which moves along a bearing groove of the discharge guide; and

a second bearing which moves along an inner circumferential surface of the discharge guide.

8. The air cleaner of claim 6, wherein the rotation guide further includes:

a second gear motor configured to provide a drive force; and

a second gear rotatably connected to the second gear motor.

9. The air cleaner of claim 8, wherein the rotation guide further includes:

a rotatable guide configured to be rotatable in upper and lower directions; and

a fixed guide having a first guide surface to support a lower side of the rotatable guide, and wherein the fixed guide further includes a first guide bearing contacted with the rotation guide to reduce friction that occurs when the rotation guide rotates.

10. The air cleaner of claim 9, wherein the fixed guide further includes a second gear insertion portion in which the second gear is inserted, and wherein the second gear extends upward from the first guide surface, passing through the second gear insertion portion.

11. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the initial horizontal position is a position at which a top of the air flow controller extends horizontally with respect to an axial direction of the air flow controller, and wherein the inclined position is a position at which the top of the air flow controller extends at an angle with respect to the axial direction, and wherein the housing is prevented from moving to a vertical position at which the top of the air flow controller extends vertically with respect to the axial direction.

12. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein a maximum angle of inclination of the housing is 60 degrees from the initial horizontal position.

13. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing of the air flow controller is cylindrical.