AIR CLEANER AND HOME APPLIANCE HAVING AIR PROCESSING UNIT

• US 20160184753A1
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Tae Yong, CHOE, Won, CHU, Euy Sung, SEO, Hyeong Joon, SONG, Woo Seog
• Granted Patent: US 10,583,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0002 Casings; Housings; Frame constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0041 for feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/50 Means for discharging electrostatic potential
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/58 connected in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0071 with means for purifying supplied air perfuming or deodorising means F24F1/008
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/108 using dry filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

Disclosed is an air cleaner having independent fluid paths and a home appliance having the air cleaner. The air cleaner includes a front panel having a plurality of air inlets formed thereon for air to flow in from outside of the case, first and second blower devices arranged inside the case to allow air to flow in through the plurality of air inlets, first and second filter units arranged to filter the air flowing in by the first and second blower devices, a first outlet located on the case to release the air, a second outlet formed at a different location from that of the first outlet, a first fluid path formed between one of the plurality of air inlets and the first outlet; and a second fluid path formed between another of the plurality of air inlets and the second outlet.

Claims

1. An air cleaner, comprising:

a case;

a front panel having a plurality of air inlets formed thereon for air to flow in from outside the case;

a first blower device arranged inside the case to force air to flow through one of the plurality of air inlets;

a first filter unit arranged to filter the air forced to flow through one of the plurality of air inlets by the first blower device;

a first outlet located on the case to release the air that passed through the first filter unit out of the case;

a first fluid path formed between the one of the plurality of air inlets and the first outlet;

a second blower device arranged inside the case to force air to flow through other one of the plurality of air inlets;

a second filter unit arranged to filter the air forced to flow through the other one of the plurality of air inlets by the second blower device;

a second outlet located on the case to release the air that passed through the second filter unit out of the case; and

a second fluid path separated from the first fluid path and formed between the other one of the plurality of air inlets and the second outlet.

2. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of air inlets comprises:

a first air inlet formed to allow external air to be sucked through the first filter unit and the first blower device; and

a second air inlet formed to allow external air to be sucked through the second filter unit and the second blower device, the second air inlet being formed to be separate from the first air inlet.

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

a duct unit arranged in the case to guide air current,

wherein the duct unit comprises at least one partition wall to separate the first fluid path and the second fluid path.

4. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the first outlet is located on at least one of a side and a back of the case, and the second outlet is located on at least one of the side and a top of the case.

5. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the case comprises:

a filter frame arranged to have the first filter unit and the second filter unit installed therein.

6. The air cleaner of claim 5, wherein the filter frame comprises:

at least one circuit-unit installation unit in which a printed circuit board is installed.

7. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of air inlets are formed on a front face of the front panel.

8. The air cleaner of claim 3, wherein the duct unit comprises:

a first duct arranged to build the first fluid path and having the first blower device installed therein; and

a second duct arranged to build the second fluid path and having the second blower device installed therein,

wherein the first duct and the second duct are formed to be partitioned.

9. The air cleaner of claim 8, wherein the first duct and the second duct include a plurality of air current exits formed at positions corresponding to the first outlet and the second outlet.

10. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first fluid path and the second fluid path includes an ion generator.

11. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first fluid path and the second fluid path includes a dehumidifier.

12. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first fluid path and the second fluid path includes a humidifier.

19. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the first blower device and the second blower device are separately controllable so that filtered air is released through one of the first outlet and the second outlet, or both the first outlet and the second outlet.

13. A home appliance, comprising:

a case having at least one air inlet formed on a front face of the case to suck air;

a first outlet arranged to release air through both sides of the case;

a first fluid path formed between the at least one air inlet and the first outlet;

a first blower device arranged to forcibly move air of the first fluid path;

a second outlet arranged to release air flowing in through the at least one air inlet out of a top of the case;

a second fluid path separated from the first fluid path and formed between the at least one air inlet and the second outlet;

a second blower device arranged to forcibly move air of the second fluid path; and

an air processing unit arranged on at least one of the first fluid path and the second fluid path.

14. The home appliance of claim 13, wherein the air processing unit comprises at least one of a filter unit, a humidifier, and a dehumidifier.

15. The home appliance of claim 13, wherein the air inlet includes a plurality of inlet holes.

16. The home appliance of claim 14, wherein the filter unit is arranged between the air inlet and the first blower device and the second blower device for filtering the inflowing air.

17. The home appliance of claim 14, wherein the case includes a duct unit arranged to guide air current, and

wherein the duct unit comprises:

a first duct arranged to build the first fluid path,

a second duct arranged to build the second fluid path, and

at least one partition wall arranged to separate the first duct and the second duct.

18. The home appliance of claim 17, wherein the first duct and the second duct include a plurality of air current exits formed at positions corresponding to the first outlet and the second outlet.

20. An air cleaner, comprising:

at least one filter unit to filter air flowing from outside a case of the air cleaner;

first and second outlets to release the filtered air in different directions;

a first path arranged inside the case to guide the filtered air toward one of the first and second outlets;

a second path arranged inside the case to guide the filtered air toward other one of the first and second outlets; and

wherein the first and second paths are independently formed inside the case and separately controlled to provide a directional release of the filtered air through at least one of the first and second outlets.