AIR CLEANER WITH PHOTO-CATALYTIC OXIDIZER

• US 20110033346A1
• Filed: 08/04/2009
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Bozoo, Wang, Bohlen, Johns R.
• Application Number:
  US12/535,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20110033346A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/186.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/205 using a photocatalyst or photosensitiser
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/22 using UV light
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/30 by ionisation
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/40 by ozonisation for sterilisation F24F8/26
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/80 Self-contained air purifiers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/2351 Atmospheric particulate matter [PM], e.g. carbon smoke microparticles, smog, aerosol particles, dust

Abstract

An air cleaner comprising an air channel in the air cleaner; an air moving unit configured to create an airflow in the air channel; a photo-catalytic oxidation (PCO) element disposed in the airflow; and a Ultraviolet A (UV-A) Light Emitting Diode (LED) to illuminate the PCO element is described. The PCO element can be a substrate comprising: a first coating comprising a VOC decomposing catalyst; a second coating comprising an ozone decomposing catalyst; and a third coating comprising titanium dioxide.

Claims

1. An air cleaner comprising:

an air channel in the air cleaner;

an air moving unit configured to create an airflow in the air channel;

a photo-catalytic oxidation (PCO) element disposed in the airflow; and

an Ultraviolet A (UV-A) Light Emitting Diode (LED) to illuminate the PCO element.

2. The air cleaner of claim 1, with the PCO element causing decomposition of water vapor in the airflow.

3. The air cleaner of claim 1, with the PCO element being supported by pellets, mesh, screen, cloth, paper, a porous substrate or a combination thereof.

4. The air cleaner of claim 1, with the PCO element comprising titanium dioxide.

5. The air cleaner of claim 1, with the UV-A LED being disposed outside of the air channel.

6. The air cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a decomposing element disposed in the air flow.

7. The air cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a filter; and

a decomposing element,

wherein the PCO element and the decomposing element are supported by the filter.

8. The air cleaner of claim 7, with the filter including first and second opposite faces, the decomposing element being disposed on the first face of the filter and the PCO element being disposed on the second face of the substrate.

9. The air cleaner of claim 8, with the filter further including air passages between the first face and the second face.

10. The air cleaner of claim 9, with the honeycomb ? having a length that is greater than a length of the PCO coating on the honeycomb.

11. The air cleaner of claim 7, with the decomposing element being disposed in the airflow downstream of the PCO element.

12. The air cleaner of claim 7, wherein the decomposing element comprises an ozone decomposition element.

13. The air cleaner of claim 7, wherein the decomposing element comprises a VOC decomposition element.

14. The air cleaner of claim 7, wherein the decomposing element comprises an odor removal element.

15. The air cleaner of claim 7, wherein the decomposing element comprises an ozone decomposition element and a VOC removal element.

16. The air cleaner of claim 1, with the UV-A LED being operable to emit UV light comprising wavelengths from 320 nanometer (nm) to 400 nm.

17. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the PCO element comprises titanium dioxide and the UV-A light emitting diode is operable to emit UV light having an intensity sufficient to energize the titanium dioxide to cause photo-catalytic oxidation.

18. The air cleaner of claim 1, further comprising an air filter element adapted to capture particulates having an average diameter less than 1 millimeter from the airflow.

19. The air cleaner of claim 1, further comprising an electrostatic precipitator disposed in the air flow upstream of the PCO element.

20. An air cleaner comprising:

an air channel in the air cleaner;

an air moving unit configured to create an airflow in the air channel;

an VOC decomposing element located in the air channel;

a PCO element comprising titanium dioxide in contact with the VOC decomposing element; and

a UV LED to illuminate the PCO element;

wherein UV LED illumination catalyzes a reaction in the PCO element sufficient to clean the VOC decomposing element.

21. The air cleaner of claim 20, with the UV LED being operable to emit UV light comprising wavelengths from 320 nanometers (nm) to 400 nm.

22. The air cleaner of claim 20, with the UV LED having a mean time between failure (MTBF) of greater than one year or 84600 hours.

23. The air cleaner of claim 20, with the VOC decomposing element having a MTBF of greater than one year or 84600 hours.

24. The air cleaner of claim 20, with the PCO element having a MTBF of greater than one year or 84600 hours.

25. The air cleaner of claim 20, with the PCO element spanning the air channel.

26. A substrate for being disposed in an air cleaner, the substrate comprising:

a first coating comprising a VOC decomposing catalyst;

a second coating comprising an ozone decomposing catalyst; and

a third coating comprising titanium dioxide.

27. The substrate of claim 26, with the substrate comprising two opposite faces and a plurality of air channels extending between the two opposite faces.

28. The substrate of claim 27, with a length of one of the air channels is greater than a length of the third coating.

29. The substrate of claim 26, further comprising a frame disposed around the substrate.

30. The substrate of claim 26, comprising a plurality of serpentine metal sheets being joined together with a plurality of gaps between adjacent metal sheets to form the substrate.