Air purifier and atmosphere scenting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828386-B2
Application number	US-201716094952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2017
Priority date	Apr 27, 2016
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is an air purification system (10) comprising an air purifier apparatus (50) for removing a pollutant from air, a sensor (21, 23) for sensing a concentration of the air pollutant and a scent release apparatus (40) responsive to a scent release signal, wherein the air purification system further comprises a processor (31) adapted to monitor the pollutant concentration from sensor data received from the sensor and to generate the scent release signal upon the monitored pollutant concentration falling below a defined threshold. Also disclosed is a method of generating a scented atmosphere in a room housing an air purification apparatus (50) for removing a pollutant from the air in the room.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air purification system comprising an air purifier apparatus for removing a pollutant from air, a sensor for sensing a concentration of the air pollutant and a scent release apparatus responsive to a scent release signal,
wherein:
the air purification system further comprises a processor adapted to monitor the pollutant concentration from sensor data received from the sensor and to generate the scent release signal upon the monitored pollutant concentration falling below a defined threshold;

wherein the scent release apparatus comprises:
at least one scent delivery apparatus comprising an aroma compound; and
a scent release actuator arranged to trigger a release of an aroma compound from at least one of said scent delivery apparatus in response to the scent release signal; and

wherein the processor is adapted to:
maintain the scent release signal for a period of time; and
calculate said period of time based on an estimated amount of the aroma compound in a particular absorbent material.

2. The air purification system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor, the scent release apparatus and the processor are integral to the air purifier apparatus.

3. The air purification system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to generate the scent release signal as a function of a determined volume of a room housing the air purifier apparatus.

4. The air purification system of claim 3 , wherein the processor is adapted to determine said volume from a decay rate of the monitored pollutant concentration and a defined pollutant removal capacity of the air purifier apparatus.

5. The air purification system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to periodically repeat the generation of the scent release signal if the monitored pollutant concentration remains below the defined threshold.

6. The air purification system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one scent delivery apparatus comprises a capillary channel delimited by an absorbent material comprising the aroma compound.

7. The air purification system of claim 1 , wherein the scent release actuator comprises a heating element thermally coupled to the at least one scent delivery stage.

8. The air purification system of claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir for containing the aroma compound.

9. A method of generating a scented atmosphere in a room housing an air purification apparatus for removing a pollutant from the air in the room, the method comprising:
monitoring a concentration of the pollutant; and
releasing at least one aroma compound into the room;
wherein:
the releasing of the at least one aroma compound into the room is performed upon the monitored pollutant concentration falling below a defined threshold
maintaining a scent release signal for a period of time; and
calculating said period of time based on an estimated amount of the aroma compound in a particular absorbent material.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
obtaining a room volume of the room from a decay rate of the pollutant concentration; calculating an amount of the at least one aroma compound to be released in the room based on the obtained room volume; and
releasing the calculated amount of the at least one aroma compound into the room upon the monitored concentration falling below a defined threshold.

11. An air purification apparatus comprising
a sensor for sensing a concentration of an air pollutant;
a processor adapted to monitor a pollutant concentration from sensor data received from the sensor and to generate a scent release signal upon the monitored pollutant concentration falling below a defined threshold;
a scent release actuator arranged to trigger a release of an aroma compound in response to the scent release signal;

wherein the processor is adapted to:
maintain the scent release signal for a period of time based on an estimated amount of the aroma compound in a particular absorbent material.

12. The air purification apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is adapted to generate the scent release signal as a function of a determined volume.

13. The air purification apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is adapted to periodically repeat the generation of the scent release signal if the monitored pollutant concentration remains below the defined threshold.

14. The air purification apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the scent release actuator comprises a heating element thermally coupled to the at least one scent delivery stage.

15. The air purification apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the heating element provides an airtight seal around the scent delivery stage.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Wei Huibin
• Su Jing
• Hilbig Rainer

Classifications

• F24F11/64

  using pre-stored data · CPC title

• F24F11/65

  for selecting an operating mode · CPC title

• F24F8/50

  by odorisation · CPC title

• F24F11/00

  Control or safety arrangements · CPC title

• A61L9/03 Primary

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title