Systems for and methods of providing air purification in combination with odor elimination

• US 20060288871A1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Crapser, James R., Beland, Rene Maurice, Zdrubecky, Milan L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,368,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 96/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/127 comprising a wick
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/22 Ionisation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2279/65 for the sterilisation of air
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0038 with means for influencing the odor, e.g. deodorizing substances
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0086 Filter condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/10 Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filter plates, sheets or pads having plane surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/88 Aroma dispensers

Abstract

Systems for and methods of providing air purification and cleaning in combination with odor elimination in a single unit, such as a tabletop unit for home or office use, are disclosed. The air cleaning device includes a housing, an air intake port, an air movement mechanism, a pre-ionizer, a filter, a post-ionizer, an air exhaust port, and a flow chamber for holding a compound such as an odor elimination supply. An air movement mechanism, ozone removal mechanism, and/or filter/odor elimination assembly may also be present.

Claims

1. An air purification system including:

a housing;

a filter operatively communicating with the housing;

a first ionizer in communication with the housing;

an air movement mechanism for directing airflow through the housing; and

a second ionizer in fluid communication with the air movement mechanism.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter has a dispersion mechanism integral with the filter frame.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the filter is HAF filter that has an electrostatic charge and has a means for indicating that the filter should be replaced.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the filter has a volume of 9.85 in^3.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an odor elimination supply to introduce a compound into a filtered airflow of the system; and

wherein the filter is an arresting filter that settles particulates out of the airflow and maintains a charge;

wherein air movement mechanism provides approximately 70 CFM of airflow entering filter approximately 55 CFM of airflow exiting the filter.

12. The air cleaning device of claim 11, further comprising an ozone removal mechanism.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the filter is charged by an external charging mechanism to enhance its capability.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the ionizers is a brush-type ionizer.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the ionizers is a needle ionizer.

16. The system of claim 1 further comprising a grounding surface operably attached to the power supply.

17. The system of claim 1 further comprising a supply having an air purification liquid in a bottle and wick arrangement.

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising

an odor elimination (OE) compound in a supply;

a light to indicate the filter needs changing or the OE supply has been depleted;

a metering orifice and a deflector to provide a mechanism for controlling a level of odor elimination treatment delivered into a filtered air stream; and

a treatment control knob manipulated by a user to select an odor elimination level by adjusting the metering orifice.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fluid emitting supply that has a plurality of bottles arranged linearly and in contact with a substrate;

and

wherein the filter is a filter media that is slideably affixed within a filter frame such that filter media is removable and filter frame is reusable.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter includes a filter frame with an attached OE supply having a wick and a bottle.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter includes a filter media with a corrugated structure that includes a plurality of filter pockets, wherein some of the filter pockets are filled with an OE compound, and wherein a seal is placed on the filter media to cover the filter pockets that contain OE compound.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter includes a cartridge within which, upon use, an outer foil seal is pealed away to expose a porous film that serves to meter out an OE compound at a predetermined rate.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein a seal is pealed away from the filter to expose an OE liquid contained in a wick material so that it may be dispensed by evaporation.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two odor elimination (OE) compounds are supplied to form an OE supply, wherein each compound has a unique fragrance;

and wherein the OE supply involves a capillary system with at least one of;

a liquid and wick;

a membrane system with volatile gels, beads, and powders;

a pump; and

aerosols.

2. The system of claim I further comprising a fluid emitting mechanism in fluid communication with the airflow from the air movement mechanism.

3. The system of claim I further comprising an odor elimination supply in fluid communication with the airflow through the housing.

5. The system of claim I further comprising:

a front grill plate operatively attached to the housing;

a back grill plate operatively attached to the housing; and

an airflow channel through the housing which brings air in through the back grill plate and pushes air out through a front grill plate.

8. The system of claim I wherein the filter is in operable communication with a fan;

and wherein filtered air is then directed by a deflector toward an air exhaust port and wherein the deflection by the deflector further mixes the filtered air exiting an air exhaust port with an odor elimination treatment.

10. An air cleaning device comprising;

a housing having an inner housing cavity;

an air intake port in fluid communication with the inner cavity of the housing;

an upstream ionizer in fluid communication with the air intake port;

a filter after the upstream ionizer;

an air movement mechanism after the filter;

a downstream ionizer within the cavity;

a flow chamber connected to the cavity having a head space and a metering orifice in fluid communication with the head space and the cavity;

an odor elimination supply having an odor elimination compound and in fluid communication with the flow chamber;

a deflector within the cavity to deflect flow of odor elimination material from the flow chamber;

an air exhaust port in fluid communication with the cavity.

11. An air cleaning device comprising;

a housing having a first port for intaking air from a room, an inner cavity in fluid communication with the first port, and a second port in fluid communication with the inner cavity;

a mechanism for ionizing air that enters the first port;

a filter for filtering air within the cavity;

an air movement mechanism drawing air through the cavity;

a chamber for introducing a flow of an odor elimination material from an odor elimination supply to a head space in through a orifice that controls the flow into the cavity; and

a second mechanism for ionizing the air within the cavity;

wherein filtered and treated air is exhausted through the second port.