Device for improving the quality of indoor air

• US 6,197,094 B1
• Filed: 05/18/1999
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Levande Filter i Sverige AB
• Original Assignee: Lars Thofelt
• Inventors: Thofelt, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Spitzer, Robert H.
• Application Number:
  US09/308,459
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 47/79, 952/10, 952/11, 952/27, 952/30, 952/37, 952/74, 961/08, 961/30, 961/34--42, 962/42, 962/48, 962/90
• US Class Current: 95/211
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/84 Biological processes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2006/005 using plants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/12 characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/14 using nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

A device for improving the quality of indoor air comprising a casing (2) with an air inlet (3) and an air outlet (5), a member (7) arranged to cause air in a room, in which the casing is placed, to flow in through the inlet and inside the casing to the outlet and therefrom out into the room again, and leaf surfaces and water nozzles (9, 11) adapted to influence the quality of the air passing through the casing. The casing also contains leaf plants (9) and the member (7) is provided in order to cause the air to flow past the leaf surfaces of the plants in order to remove contaminations and particles from the air by absorption thereof by the leaves of the plants.

Claims

1. A device for improving the quality of indoor air, said device comprising a casing (2) with an air inlet (3) and an air outlet (5), a member (7) arranged to cause air in a room, in which the casing is placed, to flow in throught the inlet and inside the casing to the outlet and therefrom out into the room again, and means (9,11) adapted to influence the quality of the air passing through the casing, said casing contaning leaf plants (9) and said member (7) being arranged to cause the air to flow post the leaf surfaces of the plants in order to remove contaminations and particles from the air by absorption thereof by means of the leafs of the plants, said member (7) generating an air flow being arranged down stream of the plants (9) in the path ot the air flow in order to suck air past them, characterized in that the air flow generating member (7) is arranged to achieve a flow of air through the casing which is 40-80 times the volume of the casing/hour, that the device comprises at least one nozzle (11) arranged to supply finely divided water to the inside of the casing up stream of the plants (9) in the air flow, that it comprises a control unit (15) adapted to control the supply of water through the nozzle for regulating the humidity of the air leaving the casing that the device is adapted to condition the air to a degree of moisture pleasant for human mucous membranes, which means the relative humidity of 35-45%, and that the device is adapted to reduce the temperature of the air drawn from the room into the casing to a pleasant level.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a member (14) arranged to detect the degree of moisture in the air leaving the outlet (5) of the casing (2), and further providing that the control unit (15) controls the supply of water by means of the nozzle (11) depending on information concerning the degree of moisture from the detecting member in order to regulate the degree of moisture of the outlet air.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that a bottom (6) of the casing (2) is provided with a water collecting container (16) dud that members (17,18) are arranged to detect the water level in the container and to control an apparatus (19) to remove water from the container and thereby from the casing when a predetermined water level is obtained in the container.

4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing (2) is adapted to be arranged with the inlet (3) at the upper end thereof and the outlet (5) at the lower end thereof.

5. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the casing (2) is adapted to be arranged in a room with the inlet in the ceiling section of the room and the outlet in the floor section of the room.

6. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the air flow generating member (7) is arranged outside the casing (2) below a bottom (6) thereof.

7. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one light source (10), which is arranged to provide the plant (9) with light and that the light source is arranged above the plants.

8. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that the light source (10) is arranged outside the casing (2).

9. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for restraining that the plants being illuminated more than 17 hours/day.

10. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the walls of the casing are at least partly made of transparent material.

11. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plants (9) are not flowering and which are concentrated on active growth.

12. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plants (9) have a large leaf surface.

13. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plants (9) are in porous containers.

14. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plants are planted in active soil.

15. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plants (9) are arranged on different levels in the casing between the inlet and the outlet.

16. A method for improving the quality of indoor air comprising:

causing air to flow through the device of claim 1.