Air cleaning system and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10092873-B2
Application number	US-201415120479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2014
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

An air cleaning system and a method of controlling the same, the air cleaning system including a particle separation device for suctioning indoor air to separate microbial particles from air particles, a collection device collecting the microbial particles separated by the particle separation device, a luminescence measurement device for detecting an amount or intensity of light emitted from the microbial particles collected in the collection device, and at least one air cleaning device that selectively operates on the basis of contamination of the microbial particles detected by the luminescence measurement device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air cleaning system comprising:
a particle separation device for suctioning indoor air to separate microbial particles from air particles;
a microbial particle passage through which the microbial particles separated at the particle separation device flow;
an air particle passage through which remaining particles in the air except for the microbial particles flow;
a partition plate for partitioning the air particle passage from the microbial particle passage;
a collection device collecting the microbial particles separated by the particle separation device;
a luminescence measurement device for detecting an amount or intensity of light emitted from the microbial particles collected in the collection device; and
at least one air cleaning device that selectively operates on the basis of contamination of the microbial particles detected by the luminescence measurement device.

2. The air cleaning system according to claim 1 , wherein the air cleaning device comprises at least one of:
an air conditioner for cooling or heating an indoor space and cleaning the indoor air;
an air cleaner for cleaning the indoor air; and
a ventilator for ventilating the indoor space by exchanging the indoor air with outdoor air.

3. The air cleaning system according to claim 2 , wherein, in the air conditioner or the air cleaner, a filter member for filtering the microbial particles or an ion generator for generating ions to eliminate the microbial particles is disposed to perform the indoor air cleaning operation.

4. The air cleaning system according to claim 3 , wherein, when the concentration of the microbial particles is greater than a preset value, one of the air conditioner and the air cleaner performs the indoor air cleaning operation.

5. The air cleaning system according to claim 4 , wherein, when the concentration of the microbial particles is in ranging from the first preset value to a second preset value, while the air conditioner operates, the air conditioner performs the indoor air cleaning operation, and when the air conditioner does not operate, the air cleaner performs the indoor air cleaning operation.

6. The air cleaning system according to claim 5 , wherein, when the concentration of the microbial particles is greater than a second preset value, while the air conditioner operates, the ventilator operates, and the air conditioner performs the indoor air cleaning operation, and when the air conditioner does not operate, the ventilator operates, and the air cleaner performs the indoor air cleaning operation.

7. The air cleaning system according to claim 1 , wherein the particle separation device further comprises:
a pump for generating a flow of the microbial particles; and
a blower fan for generating a flow of the air particles.

8. The air cleaning system according to claim 1 , wherein the particle separation device comprises:
an introduction part for introducing the indoor air; and
a nozzle part disposed at one side of the introduction part,
wherein the nozzle part comprises:
an inlet spaced apart from the introduction part in one direction to introduce the microbial particles; and
an outlet discharging the microbial particles toward the collection device.

9. The air cleaning system according to claim 1 , wherein the collection device comprises:
a filter part for collecting the microbial particles;
a filter case accommodating the filter part; and
a plurality of filter holes defined in the filter case to communicate with a microbial particle passage.

10. The air cleaning system according to claim 9 , further comprises a filter driving part for rotating the filter part or the filter case, wherein, when the filter driving part operates in the state where the microbial particles are collected onto the filter part through one of the plurality of filter holes, the other one of the plurality of filter holes moves to a position where the microbial particles are collectible.

11. The air cleaning system according to claim 1 , further comprises:
a lysis agent supply device for supplying lysis reagent into the filter part; and
a luminous material disposed in the filter part.

12. A method of controlling an air cleaning system according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
separating microbial particles and air particles from indoor air;
collecting the separated microbial particles onto a filter part;
supplying a lysis reagent into the filter part to extract adenosine triphosphate (ATP) of the microbial particles, wherein the extracted ATP reacts with a luminous material;
detecting an amount or intensity of light emitted by the reaction to recognize concentration of the microbial particles; and
selectively driving one or more air cleaning devices on the basis of information with respect to the concentration of the microbial particles.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the selectively driving of the one or more air cleaning devices comprises performing an air cleaning operation by the air cleaning device when the concentration of the microbial particles is greater than the first preset value.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the selectively driving of the one or more air cleaning devices comprises performing an air cleaning operation by the air conditioner or the air cleaner when the concentration of the microbial particles is greater than the first preset value and is less than the second preset value.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the selectively driving of the one or more air cleaning devices comprises:
driving a ventilator to ventilate the indoor air when the concentration of the microbial particles is greater than the second preset value; and
performing the air cleaning operation by the air conditioner or the air cleaner.

16. An air cleaning system comprising:
a particle separation device suctioning indoor air to separate microbial particles and air particles from the indoor air;
a microbial particle passage through which the microbial particles separated at the particle separation device flow;
an air particle passage through which remaining particles in the air except for the microbial particles flow;
a flow generation device allowing a flow into the microbial particle passage or the air particle passage to be generated;
a filter part communicating with the microbial particle passage to collect the microbial particles thereon;
a lysis agent supply device supplying a lysis reagent for lysing the microbial particles into the filter part;
a luminescence measurement device for detecting an amount or intensity of light emitted from the microbial particles collected onto the filter part; and
an air cleaning device operating to clean the air on the basis of concentration of the microbial particles detected by the luminescence measurement device.

17. The air cleaning system according to claim 16 , wherein the air cleaning device comprises an air conditioner in which a microbial elimination unit operating to clean the air when the concentration of the microbial particles is greater than a first preset value and is less than a second preset value is disposed.

18. The air cleaning system according to claim 17 , further comprising a ventilator operating for a first preset time to ventilate the indoor air when the concentration of the microbial particles is greater than the second preset value; and wherein the air conditioner operates to clean the air for a second preset time after the ventilator operates.

19. The air cleaning system accordin

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jung Yeekyeong
• Park Chulwoo
• Lee Sunghwa

Classifications

• B01D46/48

  Removing dust other than cleaning filters {, e.g. by using collecting trays} · CPC title

• F24F2110/66

  Volatile organic compounds [VOC] · CPC title

• F24F3/16

  by purification, e.g. by filtering; by sterilisation; by ozonisation · CPC title

• B01D46/0056

  with rotational movement · CPC title

• A61L9/00

  Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air (body deodorants A61Q15/00; purifying air by respirators A62B, A62D9/00; separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours B01D45/00 - B01D51/00, B03C3/00; chemical or biological purification of waste gases B01D53/34; production of ozone C01B13/10; air-conditioning systems incorporating sterilisation F24F3/16, F24F8/20) · CPC title