Room air sterilizer
First Claim
1. Room air sterilizer for filtering from air in a room particulates and aerosols and destroying microbial biocontamination thereon;
- comprisingan elongated housing having an intake end with a return air port for drawing return air from near a floor of said room and a discharge end with an outflow port;
blower means in said housing for blowing air from said return air port to said outflow port;
a prefilter disposed in said housing before said blower means, said prefilter and said blower means defining a first reduced pressure zone within said housing;
a HEPA filter assembly disposed at said outflow port for trapping and holding said particulates and aerosols as said air passes therethrough from an inflow side to an outflow side thereof, said HEPA filter assembly and said blower means defining a second increased pressure zone within said housing;
a germicidal ultraviolet lamp disposed in said housing at its discharge end to expose the entire inflow side of said HEPA filter assembly to ultraviolet radiation at a wavelength suitable to destroy said microbial biocontamination;
exhaust port means in said housing situated in communication with said second increased pressure zone to permit controlled ducting of air out therefrom;
intake port means in said housing situated in communication with said first reduced pressure zone to permit addition of make-up air thereto;
duct means connected to one of said exhaust port means and said intake port means for ducting exhaust air out of said room or make-up air into said housing from outside said room; and
means for selectively controlling air flow through said duct means to permit the room air sterilizer to be selectively operated in an overpressure mode in which make-up air flows through said duct means and said intake port means into said first reduced pressure zone defined by said prefilter and said blower means to maintain a positive pressure within the room, or in an underpressure mode in which exhaust air flows from said second increased pressure zone defined by said blower means and said HEPA filter assembly through said exhaust port means and said duct means outside the room to maintain a negative pressure within the room.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A room air sterilizer mounts on the wall of the room and traps airborne particulate in a HEPA filter. An ultraviolet germicidal lamp destroys any biocontamination on the trapped particulates. The sterilizer has an elongated vertical housing with a return air grille near or at its lower end and a HEPA filter assembly disposed at an outflow port at its upper end. The HEPA filter is preferably a quarter cylinder and the sterilizer lamp is situated to expose the inner or intake side of the filter to the sterilizing ultraviolet radiation. A prefilter can be situated ahead of the blowers for the sterilizer, and can have an associated ultraviolet sterilizer lamp.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. Room air sterilizer for filtering from air in a room particulates and aerosols and destroying microbial biocontamination thereon;
- comprising
an elongated housing having an intake end with a return air port for drawing return air from near a floor of said room and a discharge end with an outflow port; blower means in said housing for blowing air from said return air port to said outflow port; a prefilter disposed in said housing before said blower means, said prefilter and said blower means defining a first reduced pressure zone within said housing; a HEPA filter assembly disposed at said outflow port for trapping and holding said particulates and aerosols as said air passes therethrough from an inflow side to an outflow side thereof, said HEPA filter assembly and said blower means defining a second increased pressure zone within said housing; a germicidal ultraviolet lamp disposed in said housing at its discharge end to expose the entire inflow side of said HEPA filter assembly to ultraviolet radiation at a wavelength suitable to destroy said microbial biocontamination; exhaust port means in said housing situated in communication with said second increased pressure zone to permit controlled ducting of air out therefrom; intake port means in said housing situated in communication with said first reduced pressure zone to permit addition of make-up air thereto; duct means connected to one of said exhaust port means and said intake port means for ducting exhaust air out of said room or make-up air into said housing from outside said room; and means for selectively controlling air flow through said duct means to permit the room air sterilizer to be selectively operated in an overpressure mode in which make-up air flows through said duct means and said intake port means into said first reduced pressure zone defined by said prefilter and said blower means to maintain a positive pressure within the room, or in an underpressure mode in which exhaust air flows from said second increased pressure zone defined by said blower means and said HEPA filter assembly through said exhaust port means and said duct means outside the room to maintain a negative pressure within the room. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- comprising
Specification