Air cleaner

• US 10,563,667 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• 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:
  US15/660,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20170321719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 55473
• 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 first fan and an air guide having an air flow path formed in a circumferential direction through which air passing through the first fan flows;

an air flow controller movably provided at an upper side of the air cleaning module, the air flow controller including a housing;

a flow guide provided at a lower side of the housing, the flow guide including an introduction grill that defines an inlet into which air passing through the air flow path is introduced;

a second fan provided within the housing and the introduction grill;

a rotation guide configured to guide rotation in a lateral direction and rotation in a vertical direction of the air flow controller, the rotation guide including;

a guide body provided at a center of the introduction grill and provided with a rotational shaft;

a rotational guide member provided between the introduction grill and the guide body;

a first gear provided at the guide body;

a second gear provided at the guide body, wherein the air guide includes a first rack that is provided at an inner surface of the air guide and extends in a circumferential direction, and wherein the flow guide, the guide body, and the rotational guide member rotate in the lateral direction of the air flow controller with respect to the rotational shaft when the first gear and the first rack communicate with each other, and the flow guide and the rotational guide member rotate in the vertical direction of the air flow controller when the second gear and the rotational guide member communicate with each other.

2. The air cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the air flow controller includes:

a first gear motor coupled to the first gear; and

a second gear motor coupled to the second gear.

3. The air cleaner according to claim 2, wherein:

the first gear motor and the second gear motor are installed on a lower surface of the guide main body.

4. The air cleaner according to claim 3, further including a discharge guide provided at an outlet side of the air guide, wherein the discharge guide includes a rotation guide plate having a shaft inserting portion into which the rotation shaft is inserted.

5. The air cleaner according to claim 4, wherein, when the first gear rotates in a circumferential direction with respect to the rotational shaft, the rotational shaft rotates in the shaft receiving portion.

6. The air cleaner according to claim 5, wherein, when the first rack and the first gear communicate with each other, the first gear rotates along a predetermined rotational radius about the rotational shaft.

7. The air cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the air guide includes:

a shaft guide groove into which a first gear shaft of the first gear is inserted, and wherein the shaft guide groove is rounded in a circumferential direction.

8. The air cleaner according to claim 4, further including:

a first bearing provided at the lower surface; and

a bearing groove provided at the discharge guide and into which the first bearing is inserted, wherein the first bearing moves in the bearing groove when the air flow controller rotates in the lateral direction.

9. The air cleaner according to claim 4, further including a second bearing provided at a rim of the lower surface, wherein the second bearing is configured to be in contact with an inner wall of the discharge guide, and wherein the second bearing moves along an inner circumferential surface of the inner wall of the discharge guide.

10. The air cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the rotational guide member includes a second rack that communicates with the second gear.

11. The air cleaner according to claim 9, further including:

a fixing guide provided at a lower side of the rotational guide member, wherein the fixing guide has a guide surface which is rounded upward; and

a guide bearing provided at a side of the guide surface, wherein the guide bearing is in contact with the rotational guide member.

12. An air cleaner, comprising:

an air cleaning module including a first fan and an air guide having an air flow path formed in a circumferential direction through which air passing through the first fan flows;

an air flow controller movably provided at an upper side of the air cleaning module;

wherein the air flow controller includes;

a housing;

a flow guide provided at a lower side of the housing, the flow guide including an introduction grill that defines an inlet into which air passing through the air flow path is introduced;

a second fan provided within the housing and the introduction grill; and

a rotation guide configured to guide rotation in a lateral direction and rotation in a vertical direction of the air flow controller, the rotation guide including;

a guide body provided at a center of the introduction grill and provided with first and second gears;

a rotational guide member provided between the introduction grill and the guide body, the rotational guide member including a rack configured to be rounded upward, wherein the guide body, the rotational guide member, and the introduction grill rotate in the lateral direction of the air flow controller when the first gear and the air guide communicate with each other, and wherein the introduction grill and the rotational guide member rotate in the vertical direction of the air flow controller when the second gear and the rack communicates with each other.

13. The air cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the air flow controller includes:

a first gear motor coupled to the first gear; and

a second gear motor coupled to the second gear.

14. The air cleaner according to claim 13, wherein

the first gear motor and the second gear motor are installed on a lower surface of the guide main body.

15. The air cleaner according to claim 14, further including a discharge guide provided at an outlet side of the air guide, the discharge guide including a shaft receiving portion, wherein the lower surface includes a rotational shaft inserted into the shaft receiving portion, wherein, when the first gear rotates in a circumferential direction with respect to the rotational shaft, the rotational shaft rotates in the shaft receiving portion.

16. The air cleaner according to claim 15, wherein, when a first rack of the air guide and the first gear communicate with each other, the first gear rotates along a predetermined rotational radius about the rotational shaft.

17. The air cleaner according to claim 15, wherein the air guide includes:

a shaft guide groove into which a first gear shaft of the first gear is inserted, and wherein the shaft guide groove is rounded in a circumferential direction.

18. The air cleaner according to claim 15, further including:

a first bearing provided at the lower surface;

a bearing groove provided at the discharge guide and into which the first bearing is inserted, wherein the first bearing moves in the bearing groove when the air flow controller rotates in the lateral direction; and

a second bearing provided at a rim of the lower surface, wherein the second bearing is configured to be in contact with an inner wall of the discharge guide, and wherein the second bearing moves along an inner circumferential surface of the inner wall of the discharge guide.

19. The air cleaner according to claim 12, further including:

a fixing guide provided at a lower side of the rotational guide member, wherein the fixing guide has a guide surface which is rounded upward; and

a guide beating provided at a side of the guide surface, wherein the guide bearing is in contact with the rotational guide member.