Portable room air purifier

• US 6,036,757 A
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kaz Incorporated (Helen of Troy Limited)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Xu, Zhiwei, Gatchell, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, DUANE
• Application Number:
  US09/113,606
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 55/467, 55/472, 55/473, 55/DIG. 34, 55/385.2, 95/25, 95/26, 96/424, 96/417, 96/FOR 167, 96/FOR 170
• US Class Current: 96/424
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/46 automatic

Abstract

A portable air purifier including a housing defining an air inlet, an air outlet and an air flow passage extending therebetween; a filter mechanism disposed to filter air circulating through the flow passage; and a fan retained by the housing and activatable to draw air through the air inlet, move air through the flow passage and filter mechanism, and discharge air through the air outlet. An electrically powered drive mechanism is energizable to activate the fan and a control system including a processor monitors and records elapsed time data during periods in which the fan is activated to move air.

Claims

1. A portable air conditioning system comprising:

a housing defining an air inlet, an air outlet and an air flow passage extending therebetween;

air conditioning means disposed to condition air circulating through said flow passage, said air conditioning means comprising a first filter and a second filter arranged in series so as to sequentially filter air circulating through said flow passage;

fan means retained by said housing and activatable to draw air through said air inlet, move air through said flow passage and said filter, and discharge air through said air outlet;

electrically powered driver means coupled to said fan means and energizable to provide said activation of said fan means; and

control means comprising processor means for monitoring and recording elapsed time data during periods in which said fan means is activated to move air, a first elapsed time indicator for indicating one value of elapsed time data for said first filter, and a second elapsed time indicator for indicating another value of elapsed time data for said second filter.

2. An air purifier according to claim 1 wherein said control means further comprises an electrical actuator for energizing said drive means, and said processor means comprises clock means responsive to energization of said drive means to provide said elapsed time data.

3. An air purifier according to claim 2 wherein said reset means comprises a first reset actuator for resetting said elapsed time data for said first filter, and a second reset actuator for resetting said elapsed time data for said second filter.

4. An air purifier according to claim 3 wherein each of said first and second elapsed time indicators is a lamp.

5. An air purifier according to claim 1 wherein said drive means is a multiple speed motor rotatably coupled to said fan means;

said control means further comprises a plurality of speed selectors, each operable to select a different speed of said motor; and

said recorded elapsed time data is variably dependent on said selected speed of said motor.

6. An air purifier according to claim 5 wherein said control means further comprises an electrical actuator for energizing said drive means, and said processor means comprises clock means responsive to energization of said drive means to provide said elapsed time data.

7. An air purifier according to claim 6 wherein said processor means variably weights said elapsed time data provided by said clock means in dependence on said selected speed of said motor.

8. An air purifier according to claim 7 wherein said processor means records for each of said first and second filters a total elapsed time value equal to the sum of elapsed time periods during which said motor is energized at each said speed, each said elapsed time period being weighted in direct dependence on said motor speed during that time period.

9. An air purifier according to claim 8 wherein said control means further comprises a first elapsed time indicator for indicating one value of elapsed time data for said first filter, and a second elapsed time indicator for indicating another value of elapsed time data for said second filter.

10. An air purifier according to claim 9 wherein said control means further comprises an electrical actuator for energizing said drive means, and said processor means comprises clock means responsive to energization of said drive means to provide said elapsed time data.

11. An air purifier according to claim 10 wherein said reset means comprises a first reset actuator for resetting said elapsed time data for said first filter, and a second reset actuator for resetting said elapsed time data for said second filter.

12. An air purifier according to claim 11 wherein each of said first and second elapsed time indicators is a lamp.

13. An air purifier according to claim 1 wherein said control means further comprises a first remaining life indicator for indicating for said first filter a predetermined time period equal to a difference between a current said value of elapsed time data and an anticipated original effective life expectancy of said first filter, and a second remaining life indicator for indicating for said second filter a predetermined time period equal to a difference between a current said value of elapsed time data and an anticipated original effective life expectancy of said second filter.

14. An air purifier according to claim 13 wherein said control means further comprises an electrical actuator for energizing said drive means, and said processor means comprises clock means responsive to energization of said drive means to provide said elapsed time data.

15. An air purifier according to claim 14 wherein said reset means comprises a first reset actuator for resetting said elapsed time data for said first filter, and a second reset actuator for resetting said elapsed time data for said second filter.

16. An air purifier according to claim 15 wherein each of said first and second elapsed time indicators is a lamp.

17. An air purifier according to claim 16 wherein each of said first and second remaining life indicators is a lamp energized periodically by said processor means a number of times dependent on the length of its said predetermined time period.

18. A portable air conditioning system comprising:

a housing defining an air inlet, an air outlet and an air flow passage extending therebetween;

air conditioning means disposed to condition air circulating through said flow passage, said air conditioning means comprising filter means for filtering air circulating through said flow passage;

fan means retained by said housing and activatable to draw air through said air inlet, move air through said flow passage and said filter, and discharge air through said air outlet;

electrically powered driver means coupled to said fan means and energizable to provide said activation of said fan means; and

control means comprising processor means for monitoring and recording elapsed time data during periods in which said fan means is activated to move air, elapsed time indicator means for indicating a given value of said elapsed time data, and remaining life indicator means for indicating a predetermined time period equal to a difference between a current said value of said elapsed time data and an anticipated original effective life expectancy of said filter means.

19. An air purifier according to claim 18 wherein said control means further comprises an electrical actuator for energizing said drive means, and said processor means comprises clock means responsive to energization of said drive means to provide said elapsed time data.

20. An air purifier according to claim 19 wherein said control means further comprises reset means for resetting said clock means.

21. An air purifier according to claim 20 wherein said elapsed time indicator means is a lamp energized by said processor means in response to said given value of elapsed time data.

22. An air purifier according to claim 21 wherein said remaining life indicator means is a lamp energized periodically by said processor means a number of times dependent on the length of said predetermined time period.