Air purification system

• US 5,997,619 A
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NQ Environmental, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NQ Environmental, Inc.
• Inventors: Carey, William F., Knuth, Russell P.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, DUANE
• Application Number:
  US09/113,720
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 96/224, 96/223, 96/418, 96/417, 55/467, 55/471, 55/472, 55/473, 55/356, 55/359, 55/383, 55/385.1, 55/385.2, 55/486, 55/487, 55/DIG. 34
• US Class Current: 96/224
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/20 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2273/30 Means for generating a circulation of a fluid in a filtration system, e.g. using a pump or a fan
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2279/65 for the sterilisation of air disinfection, sterilisation or deodorization of air A61L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0038 with means for influencing the odor, e.g. deodorizing substances
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/24 Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using rigid hollow filter bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/64 arranged concentrically or coaxially
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/12 transportable
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/10 by separation, e.g. by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/108 using dry filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/158 using active carbon
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/22 using UV light

Abstract

A self contained air purification system includes an upright enclosed housing defining a germicidal chamber. A primary filter having a normally upstanding longitudinal axis has outer and inner peripheral surfaces, an interior plenum, and is supported on a base member. The housing has air inlets proximate the filter and air exhaust louvers in an upper member. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation lamps are disposed in the germicidal chamber, and a resiliently mounted fan overlies the primary filter for drawing unclean air from the environment into and through the air inlets, through the primary filter, through the plenum and then into the germicidal chamber in a vortex-shaped whirling mass air stream flowing in a protracted course around and past the irradiation lamps for maximized exposure to the lamps, a purified air stream being discharged, after a final filtration, through the air exhaust louvers, then is returned to the environment. The primary filter includes an outermost particulate pre-filter for removal of particles of about 10 micron size and larger, an intermediate filter for removal of oxidizing gaseous pollutants, and an innermost filter being a HEPA filter for removal of about 99.6% of all particles of 0.3 micron size or larger. The irradiation lamps are aligned generally transverse to the air stream as it flows through the germicidal chamber and have sufficient intensity to destroy more than about 90% of airborne pathogenic particles which have not been entrained by the primary filter.

Claims

1. A self contained air movement system for at least one of air purification and infection control comprising:

an elongated upright enclosed housing including a base member, side walls, and an upper member through which an air stream may be caused to flow sequentially, said base member being remote from said upper member, said housing defining a germicidal chamber therein;

primary filter means having an outer peripheral surface, an inner peripheral surface, and defining an interior plenum, said inner peripheral surface being spaced from said outer peripheral surface, said primary filter means being mounted proximate said base member;

said housing having air inlet means proximate said primary filter means and having air exhaust means in said upper member;

ultraviolet germicidal irradiation means disposed in the germicidal chamber; and

fan means overlying said primary filter means for drawing unclean air from the environment into and through the air inlet means, through said primary filter means, through the plenum and then into the germicidal chamber in a vortex-shaped whirling mass air stream flowing in a protracted course around and past said irradiation means for maximized exposure to said irradiation means whereby a purified air stream is discharged through the air exhaust means in said upper member for return to the environment.

2. A self contained air movement system as set forth in claim 1

wherein said primary filter means includes an annular filter device having a normally upstanding longitudinal axis.

3. A self contained air movement system as set forth in claim 1

wherein said primary filter means is mounted on said base member;

and

wherein the air inlet means are located in said side walls generally coextensive with said outer peripheral surface of said primary filter means.

4. A self contained air movement system as set forth in claim 1

wherein said base member includes a platform integral with said side walls and wheel means mounted on said platform for rolling engagement with an underlying surface, said filter means being supported on said base member.

5. An air movement system as set forth in claim 4

wherein said wheel means include a plurality of spaced apart wheels, each of which is rotatable about an axis parallel to a plane of the underlying surface and also free to pivot about an upright axis.

8. An air movement system as set forth in claim 1

wherein said ultraviolet germicidal irradiation means includes a plurality of ultraviolet lamps aligned generally transverse to the air stream flowing through the germicidal chamber and having sufficient intensity to destroy more than about 90% of airborne pathogenic particles which have not been entrained by said primary filter means.

9. An air movement system as set forth in claim 1 including:

indicator means outside of said housing for indicating the condition of operation of said ultraviolet germicidal irradiation means and said primary filter means.

10. An air movement system as set forth in claim 9 including:

wherein said indicator means includes;

a normally unlighted indicator lamp which, when lighted, indicates that said primary filter means requires replacement; and

a normally lighted indicator lamp which, when unlighted, indicates that said irradiation means requires replacement.

11. An air movement system as set forth in claim 1 including:

wherein said fan means includes;

a variable speed fan; and

a speed control knob on the outside of said housing for controlling the speed of said fan.

12. An air movement system as set forth in claim 2

wherein said primary filter means includes:

an outermost particulate pre-filter for removal from the incoming air stream of particles of about 10 micron size and larger;

an intermediate filter for removal from the incoming air stream of oxidizing gaseous pollutants; and

an innermost filter being a HEPA filter for removal from the incoming air stream of approximately 99.6% of all particles of 0.3 micron size or larger;

said outermost filter, said intermediate filter, and said innermost filters all being coaxial, coterminous and intimately disposed.

13. An air movement system as set forth in claim 1

wherein said primary filter means has a lower end surface mounted on said base member and an upper end surface parallel with and spaced from said lower end surface;

and

including;

resilient gasket means mounted on said upper end surface; and

a fan platform mounted on said gasket means so as to overlie and be spaced from said upper end surface, said fan platform extending laterally of a longitudinal axis of said housing to opposite upstanding ends thereof spaced, respectively from an opposed pair of said side walls; and

resilient gasket means between each of said upstanding ends and an associated one of said side walls;

said fan means being mounted on said fan platform intermediate said opposite upstanding ends.

14. An air movement system as set forth in claim 13

wherein said fan means includes;

a hub;

a plurality of impeller blades fixed to and extending radially from said hub, said impeller blades being inclined opposite to the direction of fan rotation; and

a fan motor for rotating said hub about a rotational axis generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of said primary filter means.

15. An air movement system as set forth in claim 13

wherein said fan platform includes:

a circular upstanding collar defining a central air passage; and

an elongated fan mounting plate extending between opposite ends mounted, respectively, to said upstanding ends of said fan platform, said fan motor being mounted on said fan platform so as to be suspended therefrom;

whereby air flowing out of said primary filter means flows through the central air passage defined by said circular upstanding collar, then through said impeller blades.

16. An air movement system as set forth in claim 15

wherein said fan mounting plate includes:

a pair of laterally spaced upstanding finger support members;

wherein said ultraviolet germicidal irradiation means includes a plurality of ultraviolet lamps aligned generally transverse to the air stream flowing through the germicidal chamber and having sufficient intensity to destroy more than about 90% of airborne pathogenic particles which have not been entrained by said primary filter means; and

including;

means for mounting an ultraviolet lamp on each of said upstanding fingers.

6. A self contained air movement system as set forth in claim

wherein said upper member includes:

a discharge grille defining louver means for communication between said germicidal chamber and the environment; and

downstream filter means underlying said discharge grille;

said discharge grille being angled for guiding and re-directing the purified air stream from said germicidal chamber into an inclined air stream through said louver means, after exiting said downstream filtration means, causing the purified air stream to flow proximate to and along the ceiling of the room in which said air movement and purification system is located and, because of the remoteness of said upper member from said base member, minimizing undesirable mixing of unclean and purified air.

7. A self contained air movement system as set forth in claim 6

wherein said discharge grille has an under surface facing the germicidal chamber;

and

wherein said downstream filter means includes;

a carbon mesh discharge filter substantially coextensive with said louver means; and

adhesive means bonding said discharge filter to said under surface.