Air purifier with dual exit paths

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10926210-B2
Application number	US-201815945090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2018
Priority date	Apr 4, 2018
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

An air purifier including an air filter, an air movement device configured to move air at least partially in an axial direction and through the filter, and a first exit path in fluid communication with the air movement device. The first exit path is configured such that at least part of the air moved by the air movement device exits the first exit path generally in the axial direction. The air purifier further includes a second exit path in fluid communication with the air movement device and configured such that at least part of the air moved by the air movement device exits the second exit path at an angle of between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to air exiting the first exit path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air purifier comprising:
a housing;
an air filter disposed in at least a portion of the housing;
an air movement device configured to move air at least partially through the filter;
a first exit path of the housing in fluid communication with the air movement device and configured such that at least part of the air moved by the air movement device exits the first exit path generally in a vertical direction; and
a second exit path of the housing positioned adjacent the first exit path, the second exit path in fluid communication with the air movement device and configured such that at least part of the air moved by the air movement device exits the second exit path at an angle of between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to air exiting the first exit path; and
a flow separator positioned between the first exit path and the second exit path, the flow separator configured to promote separation of the air exiting the first exit path and the air exiting the second exit path.

2. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the first exit path is configured such that air moved by the air movement device exits the first exit path at an angle within about +/−7.5 degrees relative to the vertical direction.

3. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the second exit path is configured such that air exits the second exit path at an angle of between about 7.5 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to the vertical direction.

4. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the air movement device is disposed in at least a portion of the housing, and wherein the vertical direction is aligned with a central axis of the housing.

5. The air purifier of claim 4 wherein the first and second exit paths are both in direct fluid communication with the air movement device inside the housing.

6. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the first and second exit paths each include a plurality of louvers positioned therein about which air is configured to flow, and wherein the louvers of the second exit path are positioned at an angle of at least about 5 degrees relative to the plurality of louvers of the first exit path.

7. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the second exit path is configured to receive between about 60% and about 80% of an air volume therethrough during operation of the air movement device.

8. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the first exit path is spaced apart from the second exit path in a lateral direction by a distance of at least about 40 mm.

9. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the first exit path is spaced apart from the second exit path in the vertical direction by a distance of at least about 50 mm.

10. The air purifier of claim 1 further comprising a user interface operatively coupled to the air movement device and at least partially positioned on the flow separator.

11. The air purifier of claim 1 further comprising a flow straightener positioned downstream relative to the air movement device, wherein the flow straightener is configured to reduce a circumferential velocity component of the air moved by the air movement device.

12. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a central chamber, wherein the air movement device is positioned in the central chamber, and wherein the first and second exit paths are generally fluidly isolated from each other but are both in direct fluid communication with the central chamber.

13. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the housing has a generally tubular configuration and a generally flat base at a bottom end thereof upon which the housing can be stably positioned, wherein the housing includes an air inlet adjacent to the base, and wherein the first and second exit paths are positioned at an opposite end of the housing relative to the base.

14. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the air movement device is at least one of a fan or a blower.

15. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the air filter is positioned upstream of the air movement device.

16. The air purifier of claim 1 further comprising a controller operatively coupled to the air movement device and a sensor configured to sense air quality that is operatively coupled to the controller.

17. An air purifier comprising:
a housing;
an air filter disposed in at least a portion of the housing;
an air movement device configured move air at least partially in an axial direction and through the filter;
a first exit path of the housing having a plurality of generally axially-oriented louvers; and
a second exit path of the housing positioned adjacent the first exit path, the second exit path having a plurality of louvers arranged at an angle of at least about 5 degrees and less than about 25 degrees relative the plurality of louvers of the first exit path; and
a flow separator positioned between the first exit path and the second exit path, the flow separator configured to promote separation of air exiting the first exit path and air exiting the second exit path.

18. The air purifier of claim 17 wherein the air movement device is disposed in at least a portion of the housing, and wherein the first and second exit paths are in direct fluid communication with the air movement device inside the housing.

19. The air purifier of claim 17 wherein the louvers of the first exit path are positioned at an angle of about +/−7.5 degrees relative to the axial direction.

20. The air purifier of claim 1 wherein the housing further includes a handle portion.

Assignees

• Acco Brands Corp

Inventors

• Aries Paul A
• Patel Kaushik I
• Ngai James

Classifications

• F24F8/10

  by separation, e.g. by filtering · CPC title

• B01D46/62

  connected in series · CPC title

• F24F2013/205

  Mounting a ventilator fan therein · CPC title

• F24F2110/64

  Airborne particle content · CPC title

• F24F11/52

  Indication arrangements, e.g. displays · CPC title