Portable air purifier apparatus and system

• US 6,680,028 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1999
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vystar Corporation
• Original Assignee: Clean Air Research & Engineering Incorporated
• Inventors: Harris, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCKANE, ELIZABETH L
• Application Number:
  US09/456,346
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 422/24, 422/120, 422/121, 422/122, 553/18, 553/501, 554/71, 554/72, 554/85, 555/22, 555/24, 961/14, 961/15, 961/17, 961/09, 961/32, 961/35, 961/53, 962/24, 962/26, 963/81, 963/84
• US Class Current: 422/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/16 using physical phenomena
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/20 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 3/155 Filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 3/32 Transportable units, e.g. for cleaning room air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0071 with means for purifying supplied air perfuming or deodorising means F24F1/008
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/22 using UV light

Abstract

A portable air purifier system and apparatus which includes a multi-element filter pack that is replaceable as a single unit, thus facilitating health safety of maintenance personnel. By serially disposing filter elements in order of descending sizes of particulates, filtering is improved. Selectably includable within the filters are materials that are particularly efficacious in removing contaminants such as acetone, ammonia, ozone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ethanol, methane, ethane, methanol, formaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide and other hazardous substances. By including an ultra-violet light source directed onto an activated charcoal layer, germicidal action is facilitated, and noise is abated through the advantageous employment of an expanded plenum and multiple right angle bends in air passageways.

Claims

1. A portable air purifier system comprising in combination:

(a) a housing having a bottom surface defining an air inlet opening and a top surface defining an air outlet opening and control means for controlling said system;

(b) a plenum means disposed within said housing;

(c) a plurality of walls within said housing defining a multidirectional air passage between said plenum means and said outlet opening;

(d) a multiple section unitary filter pack disposed within said housing over and covering said air inlet opening;

(e) a motor/blower means disposed within said housing for drawing air from the ambient through said inlet opening and said filter pack and exhausting essentially all air thus drawn into said plenum means and thence through said air passage and through said outlet opening back into said ambient external of said housing;

(f) means for sensing the differential pressure across said multiple section unitary filter back and indicating when said differential pressure reaches an unacceptable level;

(g) ultraviolet radiation means for preventing bacterial growth on the external air exit surface of said multisection unitary filter pack;

(h) an ultraviolet radiation sensor positioned to receive ultraviolet radiation from said ultraviolet radiation means and indicator means to provide indication of a lowering of germicidal effectiveness of said ultraviolet radiation to an unacceptable level; and

(i) an antibacterial foam material lining the interior surface of said walls defining said multidirectional air passage.

2. The air purifier system of claim 1 wherein the multiple-section unitary filter pack comprises a first section electrostatic filter, a second section H.E.P.A. filter, a third section filter of a granular particle bed comprised of materials selected from the group consisting of potassium permanganate, potassium hydroxide, phosphoric acid, a mixture of any two of said materials and a mixture of all three of said materials, and a fourth section filter comprised of a particle bed of activated charcoal.

3. The air purifier system of claim 1 wherein said third section particle-bed is further comprised of activated alumina.

4. The air purifier system of claim 3 wherein said third particle bed is further comprised of activated zeolite.

5. The air purifier system of claim 3 wherein said second section filter and said third section filter are separated by an air space of at least ¼

inch.

6. The air purifier system of claim 3 wherein said multi-directional air passage embodies at least three smoothly curved 90°

bends.

7. The air purifier system of claim 1 wherein said walls defining said multidirectional air passage embody at least three smoothly curved 90°

bends in said air passage.