Electrostatic room air cleaner

• US 20060107834A1
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Lanning, Ross L. Cowie, Rudy A. Vandenbelt
• Original Assignee: Charles Lanning, Ross L. Cowie, Rudy A. Vandenbelt
• Inventors: Vandenbelt, Rudy A., Cowie, Ross L., Lanning, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,244,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 96/75
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 3/025 Combinations of electrostatic separators, e.g. in parallel or in series, stacked separators, dry-wet separator combinations
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 3/32 Transportable units, e.g. for cleaning room air
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/2351 Atmospheric particulate matter [PM], e.g. carbon smoke microparticles, smog, aerosol particles, dust

Abstract

An electrostatic room air cleaner includes a housing having a given profile and a plurality of electrostatic precipitation collector units arrayed in the housing with a common fan to circulate room air through the plurality of electrostatic precipitation collector units simultaneously. A total clean air delivery rate is delivered that is determined as the arithmetic sum of the clean air delivery rates of the plurality of electrostatic precipitation collector units arrayed in the housing of given profile. The greater the number of units arrayed, the smaller may be their size, and the easier they are to handle, maintain and replace.

Claims

1. A readily serviceable electrostatic room air cleaner affordable by the average consumer delivering a total clean air delivery rate servicing a room of at least typical size, comprising:

a housing;

multiple electrostatic precipitation collector units arrayed in the housing each having individual clean air delivery rates summing to provide said total clean air delivery rate, the individual electrostatic precipitation collector units whose clean air delivery rates constitute that total being smaller in size in proportion to the number of units arrayed rendering each said unit for any given number of units easier to handle, clean and replace during routine maintenance; and

a common air motive source mounted in the housing shared in common by the multiple, electrostatic precipitation units arrayed in the housing that circulates room air through the multiple electrostatic precipitation collector units simultaneously.

2. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing is a tower with a predetermined footprint and wherein upper and lower electrostatic precipitation collector units are arrayed in upper and lower portions of said tower.

3. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing has a flat profile taller and longer than it is thick adapted for wall mounting.

4. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing has a flat profile wider and longer than it is tall adapted for ceiling mounting.

5. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing has a flat profile wider and longer than it is tall adapted for floor mounting.

6. An electrostatic room air cleaner providing a target clean air delivery rate for a given profile, comprising:

a housing adapted to provide said profile, to provide air inlet and outlet vents, and to provide a plurality of air flow paths each extending between the air inlet and outlet vents;

a like plurality of electrostatic precipitation collector units individually removably mounted in the housing in such a way that individual ones of the electrostatic precipitation collector units are arrayed in the housing along corresponding ones of the plurality of air flow paths each extending between the air inlet and outlet vents; and

a room air circulation system, including a fan mounted in the housing, adapted to circulate room air simultaneously through the plurality of electrostatic precipitation collector units arrayed in the housing along corresponding ones of the plurality,of air flow paths each extending between said air inlet and outlet vents;

wherein, for said given profile provided by said housing, said target clean air delivery rate is provided as the arithmetic sum of the clean air delivery rates of the individual electrostatic precipitation collector units arrayed in the housing along corresponding ones of the plurality of air flow paths each extending between the air inlet and outlet vents.

7. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 6, wherein said housing is an upstanding tower with generally quadrilateral cross section;

wherein said profile is a footprint defined by said upstanding tower;

wherein said plurality of electrostatic precipitation collector units is constituted by dual electrostatic precipitation collector units individually removably mounted respectively in drawers provided therefor in upper and lower portions of said upstanding tower; and

wherein said fan of said air circulation system is mounted in said housing intermediate said dual electrostatic precipitation collector units mounted in said upper and lower portions of said tower to circulate air simultaneously in opposing flow directions thereinthrough.

8. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 6, wherein said profile is a footprint and wherein the ratio of said target clean air delivery rate to said footprint is at least one and one half (1.5).

9. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 6, wherein said profile is a flat profile adapted for wall mounting;

wherein said plurality of electrostatic precipitation collector units includes at least two (2) electrostatic precipitation collector units individually removably mounted in said flat profile housing and wherein said fan of said air circulation system is centrally mounted in said flat profile housing intermediate said electrostatic precipitation collector units to circulate room air simultaneously in generally opposing flow directions thereinthrough.

10. An electrostatic room air cleaner providing a target clean air delivery rate for a given profile, comprising:

a housing adapted to provide said profile, said housing adapted to provide said profile having air inlet and air outlet vents and a plurality of air flow paths each extending between the air inlet and outlet vents, wherein one of said air inlet and outlet vents is common to each said air flow path of said plurality of air flow paths each extending between said air inlet and outlet vents;

a like plurality of electrostatic precipitation collector units individually removably mounted in said housing along respective ones of said plurality of flow paths each extending between said air inlet and outlet vents, wherein each electrostatic precipitation collector unit has a clean air delivery rate which, summed together, provides said target clean air delivery rate; and

an air circulation system including a fan mounted in said housing cooperative with said one of said air inlet and outlet vents common to each said air flow path of said plurality of air flow paths to simultaneously circulate air through each said electrostatic precipitation collector unit of said plurality of electrostatic precipitation collector units.

11. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 10, wherein said one of said air inlet and outlet vents common to each said air flow path of said plurality of air flow paths is said air outlet vent.

12. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 10, wherein said housing is a tower and wherein said common outlet vent is provided centrally along said tower.

13. An electrostatic room air cleaner, comprising:

an upstanding tower having upper, middle and bottom vents and upper and lower flow paths extending in opposed directions respectively between said middle vent and said upper and lower vents;

upper and lower electrostatic precipitation collector units each respectively removably mounted in said upper and lower flow paths of said tower; and

an air motive source including upper and lower fans driven by a common motor mounted in the tower intermediate the upper and lower electrostatic precipitation collector units that simultaneously circulates room air through both the upper and lower electrostatic precipitation collector units along said upper and lower flow paths extending in opposed directions respectively between said middle vent and said upper and lower vents.

14. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 13, wherein said upper and lower electrostatic precipitation collector unit are substantially identical, and have a generally quadrilateral cross section.

15. The electrostatic room air cleaner of claim 13, wherein said fans are centrifugal fans.