Vacuum cleaner and device having ion generator

• US 20050000054A1
• Filed: 09/02/2002
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Kazuo, Yagi, Mikio, Nojima, Hideo, Yagi, Hisaharu, Hayashi, Kazumasa, Yoshimura, Hiroshi, Hato, Shigenori, Ninomiya, Kohji, Ohtani, Tetsuyuki, Shimizu, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,591,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/04 for using the exhaust air for other purposes, e.g. for distribution of chemicals in a room, for sterilisation of the air spraying or atomising in general B05
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/16 using physical phenomena
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/22 Ionisation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2267/40 Different types of filters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2279/55 for cleaning appliances, e.g. suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0028 provided with antibacterial or antifungal means
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0038 with means for influencing the odor, e.g. deodorizing substances
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/50 Means for discharging electrostatic potential
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 50/20 Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D46/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/007 by irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/26 using ozone
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/30 by ionisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01T 23/00 Apparatus for generating ions to be introduced into non-enclosed gases, e.g. into the atmosphere

Abstract

When the electrically driven fan (14) of a vacuum cleaner is driven, air containing dust is drawn into the cleaner main body (1) through a hose (7) connected to a hose socket (8) and is exhausted into the outside of the cleaner main body (1) through an exhaust port (1b) via first and second suction passageways (10, 13). Disposed outside the first suction passageway (10) is an ion generator (23), it being arranged that plus and minus ions generated in the ion generator (23) are fed to the air stream flowing in the first suction passageway (10). Since the plus and minus ions kill floating germs in the air stream, the exhaust can be purified.

Claims

1. An electric vacuum cleaner that, while driving an electric blower, sucks in air containing dust, then passes the airthrough a suction air passage, and then discharges the air out of the electric vacuum cleaner, comprising:

an ion generator for generating H⁺(H₂O)_n as positive ions and O₂⁻

(H₂O)_m as negative ions,

wherein airborne germs present in air are killed by the positive and negative ions.

2. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein ions generated by the ion generator are fed into the suction air passage.

4. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2,

wherein the ion generator is disposed away from a heat source inside a body of the electric vacuum cleaner.

17. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,

wherein quantities of ions generated by the ion generator is controlled according to a power with which the electric blower is driven.

18. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,

wherein the ion generator is driven for a predetermined length of time according to a storage state of the electric vacuum cleaner.

19. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,

wherein the ion generator has two ion generating electrodes so that the positive and negative ions are generated from the two separate electrodes.

20. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,

wherein the ion generator can variably control a proportion between quantities of positive and negative ions generated.

3. (Canceled)

5. An electric vacuum cleaner that, while driving an electric blower, sucks in air and then discharges the air out of the electric vacuum cleaner, comprising:

an ion generator for generating H⁺(H₂O)_n as positive ions and O₂⁻

(H₂O)_m as negative ions,

wherein the air is discharged out of the electric vacuum cleaner after being mixed with the positive and negative ions so that airborne germs present in air are killed by the positive and negative ions.

6. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 5,

wherein the air sucked into the electric vacuum cleaner is discharged out of the electric vacuum cleaner after being passed through a purification filter, and the air is mixed with the ions after being passed through the purification filter.

13. The device according to claim 6,

wherein, when air is fed to an ion generating part of the ion generator at a rate of 50 cm/s or more, concentrations of the positive and negative ions are each 10,000 ions/cm³ or more at a position 10 cm away from the ion generating part.

7-12. -12. (Canceled)

14. An electric vacuum cleaner that has casters arranged on both side faces of a body having an electric blower housed therein and that exhausts the electric blower of air through ventilation openings formed in the casters, comprising:

an ion generator that generates H⁺(H₂O)_n as positive ions and O₂⁻

(H₂O)_m as negative ions into a mixing chamber formed by the casters

wherein airborne germs present in air are killed by the positive and negative ions generated by the ion generator.

15. An electric vacuum cleaner that has an electric blower and an ion generator housed in a body, the body comprising:

a drive switch for driving the ion generator, the drive switch being provided independently of a control panel for controlling the electric vacuum cleaner,

wherein airborne germs present in air are killed by the ion generator.

16. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, further comprising:

timer means for driving the electric blower and the ion generator for a predetermined length of time after the drive switch is operated.