Airborne microorganism measurement device and air conditioning device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10895532-B2
Application number	US-201716472411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2017
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

An airborne microorganism measurement device includes a housing including a first body and a second body, an air passage formed between the first body and the second body such that air containing airborne microorganisms pass therethrough, a charging part and a collecting part disposed in the air passage to charge and collect the airborne microorganisms, a high voltage generating device provided in the first body to supply a high voltage to the charging part and the collecting part, and a light emitting unit and a light receiving part provided in the second body to detect a fluorescent signal generated by irradiating the airborne microorganisms collected in the collecting unit with light.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An airborne microorganism measurement device comprising:
a housing including a first body and a second body defined by a plurality of walls, the second body being spaced apart to a side of the first body;
an air passage formed between the first body and the second body such that air containing airborne microorganisms pass therethrough;
a charger and a collector disposed in the air passage to charge and collect the airborne microorganisms;
a high voltage generator provided in the first body to supply a high voltage to the charger and the collector; and
a light emitter and a light receiver provided in the second body to detect a fluorescent signal generated by irradiating the airborne microorganisms collected in the collector with light.

2. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the charger is disposed adjacent to a first opening of the air passage into which the air containing the airborne microorganisms is introduced, and wherein the collector is disposed adjacent to a second opening of the air passage to collect the airborne microorganisms charged by the charger.

3. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the collector includes a collecting substrate connected to the high voltage generator and disposed in the air passage abutting the first body.

4. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 3 , wherein the collecting substrate is made of a glass member having electrical conductivity.

5. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 3 , further comprising a cleaner having at least a portion disposed in the first body to remove the airborne microorganisms collected in the collector.

6. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 5 , wherein the first body includes a first space and a second space, wherein the high voltage generator is disposed in the first space, and wherein the at least a portion of the cleaner is disposed in the second space.

7. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 6 , wherein the first space is positioned adjacent to the charger, and the second space is positioned adjacent to the collector.

8. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 6 , wherein a separating wall separates the first space from the second space.

9. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 5 , wherein the cleaner includes a remover configured to move in contact with the collecting substrate, and a motor configured to transfer power to the remover.

10. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 9 , wherein the remover is arranged to move between a first side and a second side of the collecting substrate to remove the collected airborne microorganisms.

11. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first side and the second side includes a treatment device that treats the airborne microorganisms removed by the remover.

12. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 10 , wherein the remover includes a material having a low abrasion rate configured to move in contact with the collecting substrate to remove the collected airborne microorganisms.

13. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 10 , wherein the motor is a DC geared motor or a stepper motor.

14. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the charger includes a high voltage wire connected to the high voltage generator and a pair of ground plates facing each other with the high voltage wire as a center.

15. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the second body is formed with an incident light passage and a light receiving passage which are connected to the air passage, wherein the light emitter is disposed in the incident light passage, and wherein the light receiver is disposed in the light receiving passage.

16. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 15 , wherein the incident light passage is formed along a first path of light directed from the light emitter toward one point of the collector, and wherein the light receiving passage is formed along a second path of a fluorescent signal directed from the one point of the collector toward the light receiver.

17. The airborne microorganism measurement device of claim 16 , wherein the first path and the second path form a predetermined path angle.

18. An air conditioning device comprising the airborne microorganism measurement device according to claim 1 .

19. The air conditioning device of claim 18 , wherein the microorganism measurement device is provided inside an airborne microorganism measurement device case, and wherein the airborne microorganism measurement device case is installed on one side of a filter of the air conditioning device.

20. The air conditioning device of claim 19 , wherein the airborne microorganism measurement device case includes an air inflow portion through which at least a portion of air passing through the filter is introduced and an outflow portion through which the air is discharged.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Sujin
• Sung Bongjo
• Son Ilna
• Lee Sanggu

Classifications

• G01N21/645 Primary

  Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters · CPC title

• G01N33/483

  Physical analysis of biological material · CPC title

• G01N1/24

  Suction devices {(G01N1/22 - G01N1/2294 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N21/64 Primary

  Fluorescence; Phosphorescence · CPC title

• G01N21/94

  Investigating contamination, e.g. dust (G01N21/85 takes precedence) · CPC title