Air cleaner and home appliance having air processing unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10583384-B2
Application number	US-201514940326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2015
Priority date	Dec 30, 2014
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is an air cleaner having independent fluid paths and a home appliance having the air cleaner. The air cleaner includes a front panel having a plurality of air inlets formed thereon for air to flow in from outside of the case, first and second blower devices arranged inside the case to allow air to flow in through the plurality of air inlets, first and second filter units arranged to filter the air flowing in by the first and second blower devices, a first outlet located on the case to release the air, a second outlet formed at a different location from that of the first outlet, a first fluid path formed between one of the plurality of air inlets and the first outlet; and a second fluid path formed between another of the plurality of air inlets and the second outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air cleaner, comprising:
a case;
a panel having a plurality of air inlets formed on a front face of the panel for air to flow in from outside the case;
a first blower device arranged inside the case to force air to flow through one of the plurality of air inlets;
a first filter unit arranged to filter the air forced to flow through the one of the plurality of air inlets by the first blower device;
a first outlet located on a side of the case to release the air that passed through the first filter unit out of the case;
a first fluid path formed between the one of the plurality of air inlets and the first outlet;
a second blower device arranged inside the case to force air to flow through a different one of the plurality of air inlets;
a second filter unit arranged to filter the air forced to flow through the different one of the plurality of air inlets by the second blower device;
a second outlet located on a top side of the case to release the air that passed through the second filter unit out of the case;
a second fluid path separated from the first fluid path and formed between the different one of the plurality of air inlets and the second outlet, where the air passed through the second filter is released to the outside of the case through the second outlet located on the top side of the case which is in a different direction than the air released through the first outlet;
a filter frame configured to support the first filter unit and the second filter unit; and
a circuit unit accommodated in the filter frame.

2. The air cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of air inlets comprises:
a first air inlet formed to suck external air through the first filter unit and the first blower device; and
a second air inlet formed to suck external air through the second filter unit and the second blower device, and the second air inlet formed to be separate from the first air inlet.

3. The air cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a duct unit arranged in the case to guide air current,
wherein the duct unit comprises at least one partition wall to separate the first fluid path and the second fluid path.

4. The air cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the filter frame is disposed between the case and the panel.

5. The air cleaner of claim 4 , wherein the filter frame comprises:
at least one circuit-unit installation unit in which the circuit unit is installed.

6. The air cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the duct unit comprises:
a first duct arranged to build the first fluid path and having the first blower device installed therein; and
a second duct arranged to build the second fluid path and having the second blower device installed therein,
wherein the first duct and the second duct are partitioned from each other.

7. The air cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the first duct and the second duct include a plurality of air current exits formed at positions corresponding to the first outlet and the second outlet.

8. The air cleaner of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fluid path and the second fluid path includes an ion generator.

9. The air cleaner of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fluid path and the second fluid path includes a dehumidifier.

10. The air cleaner of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fluid path and the second fluid path includes a humidifier.

11. A home appliance, comprising:
a case having one of a plurality of air inlets formed on a front face of the case to suck air to be filtered by a filter;
a first outlet arranged to release air through sides of the case;
a first fluid path formed between the one of the plurality of air inlets and the first outlet;
a first blower device arranged to forcibly move air of the first fluid path;
a second outlet arranged on a top of the case to release air flowing in through the one of the plurality of air inlets out of the top of the case;
a second fluid path separated from the first fluid path and formed between one of the plurality of air inlets and the second outlet;
a second blower device arranged to forcibly move air of the second fluid path;
an air processing unit arranged on at least one of the first fluid path and the second fluid path;
a filter frame configured to support the filter; and
a circuit unit accommodated in the filter frame,
wherein the air moved by the first blower device is directed to the sides of the case by the first fluid path and the air moved by the second blower device is directed to the top of the case by the second fluid path.

12. The home appliance of claim 11 , wherein the air processing unit comprises at least one of a filter unit, a humidifier, and a dehumidifier.

13. The home appliance of claim 11 , wherein the one of the plurality of air inlets includes a plurality of inlet holes.

14. The home appliance of claim 12 , wherein the filter unit is arranged between the one of the plurality of air inlets and at least one of the first blower device and the second blower device for filtering the inflowing air.

15. The home appliance of claim 12 , wherein the case includes a duct unit arranged to guide air current, and
wherein the duct unit comprises:
a first duct arranged to build the first fluid path,
a second duct arranged to build the second fluid path, and
at least one partition wall arranged to separate the first duct and the second duct.

16. The home appliance of claim 15 , wherein the first duct and the second duct include a plurality of air current exits formed at positions corresponding to the first outlet and the second outlet.

17. The air cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the first blower device and the second blower device are separately controllable so that filtered air is released through one of the first outlet and the second outlet, or both the first outlet and the second outlet.

18. An air cleaner, comprising:
at least one filter unit to filter air flowing through at least one inlet from outside a front of a case of the air cleaner;
a first outlet and a second outlet to release the filtered air in different directions, respectively, the first outlet located on a side of the case of the air cleaner and the second outlet located on a top of the case of the air cleaner;
a first fluid path, arranged inside the case, through which the filtered air is guided toward one of the first outlet and the second outlet;
a second fluid path, arranged inside the case and separate from the first fluid path, through which the filtered air is guided toward another one of the first outlet and the second outlet;
a filter frame configured to support the at least one filter unit; and
a circuit unit accommodated in the filter frame,
wherein the first fluid path and the second fluid path are separately controlled and release the filtered air from the top of the case through the second outlet which is in a different direction than filtered air released through the first outlet.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chu Euy Sung
• Lee Tae Yong
• Choe Won
• Seo Hyeong Joon
• Song Woo Seog

Classifications

• F24F7/08

  with separate ducts for supplied and exhausted air {with provisions for reversal of the input and output systems} · CPC title

• B01D46/50

  Means for discharging electrostatic potential · CPC title

• B01D46/0002

  Casings; Housings; Frame constructions · CPC title

• F24F1/0071 Primary

  with means for purifying supplied air (perfuming or deodorising means F24F1/008) · CPC title

• B01D46/0041

  for feeding · CPC title