Air filtering apparatus

• US 7,896,947 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroyuki, Yamamoto, Tetsuya, Rakuma, Tsuyoshi, Takahashi, Kazuo, Usui, Hiroaki, Arakawa, Toru, Uchida, Yoichi, Fukushima, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): PALMER, TIFFANY
• Application Number:
  US11/832,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20080028936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 962/43, 96/22, 962/59, 962/34, 95/26, 951/49, 422/186.07, 422/186.08
• US Class Current: 95/26
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 47/14 Packed scrubbers packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/10 by separation, e.g. by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/117 using wet filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/125 using wet filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

An air filtering apparatus including an electrolytic bath for electrolyzing water to generate electrolytic water, a gas-liquid contact member in which the electrolytic water generated in the electrolytic bath infiltrates and an air blowing fan for blowing air to the gas-liquid contact member is equipped with a water circulation passage through which the electrolytic water is supplied/circulated to the gas-liquid contact member, the electrolytic water passing through the gas-liquid contact member is received and stocked by a water receiving tray and the stocked electrolytic water is pumped up and supplied to the gas-liquid contact member, a drain pipe branched from the water circulation passage, a water stop valve for opening/closing the drain pipe, and a drain receiver for receiving and stocking the electrolytic water discharged from the drain pipe when the water stop valve is opened.

Claims

1. An air filtering apparatus including an electrolytic bath for electrolyzing water to generate electrolytic water, a gas-liquid contact member in which the electrolytic water generated in the electrolytic bath infiltrates and an air blowing fan for blowing air to the gas-liquid contact member comprising:

a water circulation passage through which the electrolytic water is supplied/circulated to the gas-liquid contact member, the electrolytic water passing through the gas-liquid contact member is received and stocked by a water receiving tray and the stocked electrolytic water is pumped up and supplied to the gas-liquid contact member;

a drain pipe branched from the water circulation passage;

a water stop valve for opening/closing the drain pipe; and

a drain receiver for receiving and stocking the electrolytic water discharged from the drain pipe when the water stop valve is opened, wherein a part of the water receiving tray is provided with a stock portion having a bottom deeper than that of the water receiving tray, and the drain pipe extends from the stock portion of the water receiving tray to the drain receiver located at a lower side of the water receiving tray.

2. The air filtering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a time counter for counting an operation time, and a controller for opening the water stop valve when the operation time counted by the time counter reaches a predetermined time.

3. The air filtering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electrolytic bath is designed to generate electrolytic water by applying a voltage between at least a pair of electrodes, under normal operation the controller may apply the voltage between the plural electrodes of the electrolytic bath to generate the electrolytic water, circulate the electrolytic water along the water circulation passage and control the air blowing fan to blow air, and also when the water stop valve is opened for drainage, the controller may generate electrolytic water while the polarities of the electrodes are inverted, circulate the thus-generated electrolytic water in the water circulation passage, and then open the water stop valve.

4. The air filtering apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller has a function of electrolyzing water under the state that the polarities of the plural electrodes of the electrolytic bath are inverted.

5. The air filtering apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an exhaust port through which air passing through the gas-liquid contact member is discharged, and a lid member which can close the exhaust port, and the controller inverts the polarities of the electrodes of the electrolytic bath under the state that the exhaust port is closed by the lid member.

6. The air filter apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a water supply unit for supplying water from a water supply pipe at the outside to the water circulation passage, and a drain unit that is branched from the water circulation passage and discharges the electrolytic water.