Air management apparatus or device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11774113-B2
Application number	US-202017073093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2020
Priority date	Dec 10, 2019
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

An air management device may include three independently operated primary impellers 131, 131′, 131 ″, and drawn-in air is discharged through discharge ports 15 ′- 1, 15 ′- 2, 15 ′- 3 provided in the front plate 15 of the housing 10 . Louvers 141, 142, 143 installed downstream of the air flow and discharge ports 15 ′- 1, 15 ′- 2, 15 ′- 3 may be independently opened or closed to provide discharge of the air to the surrounding environment. Further, at least one retractable or pop-up fan may be provided. The air management allows customization of air flow. The housing 10 of the furniture-type air management device may be installed on the floor of the livable space and may have a hexahedron shape that extends from side to side. A bottom inlet 11 ′ may be formed on the bottom plate 11 of the housing 10 facing the floor of the living space above a predetermined distance. The replaceable filter 300 may be installed to filter the air sucked through the bottom inlet 11 ′, and may be drawn in and out of the housing 10 . A plurality of passage openings 302 may be formed in a filter frame 301 , and filters 320, 330 , and 340 are stacked over the passage openings 302.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air management device comprising:
a housing having a primary space and a secondary space adjacent to the primary space, the housing having discharge ports facing a front of the housing and an inlet at a lower section of the housing, the primary space and the secondary space are arranged horizontally side-by-side, the discharge ports are provided in the primary space, and the housing includes a top plate providing a flat planar top surface of the housing;
a plurality of impellers configured to create air flow from the inlet and through the primary space;
a heat exchanger provided in the housing and between the inlet and the discharge ports;
an impeller guide having a plurality of spaces to guide the air flow exhausted by the plurality of the impellers to the discharge ports and a branch air flow passage to divert at least a portion of the air flow to the secondary space;
a vertical duct provided in the secondary space to create a vertical flow path for receiving the air flow diverted by the branch air flow passage; and
a pop-up duct provided in the vertical duct such that the diverted air flow is vented through the pop-up duct when the pop-up duct protrudes above the top surface of the housing.

2. The air management device of claim 1 , further comprising a damper configured to control the diversion of air flow between the branch air flow passage and the vertical duct.

3. The air management device of claim 1 , wherein a connection duct is coupled to the branch air flow passage and the vertical duct to allow passage of the diverted air flow.

4. The air management device of claim 1 , wherein the pop-up duct is rotatably installed in a lift platform, the lift platform being configured to rise along the vertical flow path of the vertical duct such that the pop-up duct protrudes above the top surface of the housing.

5. The air management device of claim 4 , wherein the lift platform includes a support having a circular shape and a communication passage formed through the support, the pop-up duct being inserted into the support.

6. The air management device of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of the vertical duct includes a first lift gear, and a lifting motor having a second lift gear engaged with the first lift gear is provided at the lift platform.

7. The air management device of claim 1 , wherein the diverted air flow is vented through discharge vents formed around a prescribed area of the pop-up duct, the prescribed area being smaller than 180 degrees with respect to a center of the pop-up duct.

8. The air management device of claim 7 , wherein the pop-up duct includes at least one directional blade to control an angle of air discharged through the discharge vents.

9. The air management device of claim 8 , wherein a secondary impeller is provided under the pop-up duct and configured to pressurize the diverted air flow for ventilating through the discharge vents.

10. The air management device of claim 1 , wherein the branch air flow passage forms a channel between side surfaces of at least one space and the impeller guide.

11. The air management device of claim 10 , further comprising another secondary space provided adjacent to the primary space in the housing and includes another vertical duct to house another pop-up duct.

12. An air management device comprising:
a housing defining a primary space and a secondary space adjacent to the primary space and extending from side to side, the primary space and the secondary space are provided horizontally side by side in the housing;
a heat exchanger provided in the primary space;
a vertical duct provided in the secondary space;
a first impeller to create an air flow through the heat exchanger;
a guide housing the first impeller and provided adjacent to the vertical duct, the guide having an air inlet, an air discharge port, and a branch air flow passage provided between the air inlet and the air discharge port, wherein the branch air flow passage is configured to allow at least a portion of the air flow created by the first impeller to be diverted to the vertical duct; and
a pop-up duct provided in the vertical duct and configured to protrude above a top surface of the housing to discharge the air flow diverted by the branch air flow passage to the vertical duct.

13. The air management device of claim 12 , wherein a sensor is installed at a front surface of the housing to detect a state of a user for obtaining information from the user located at the front surface of the housing.

14. The air management device of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is a thermal imaging camera to detect a user's body temperature.

15. The air management device of claim 12 , wherein the pop-up duct is rotatably installed in a lift platform, which is raised or lowered along a vertical flow path of the vertical duct.

16. The air management device of claim 15 , wherein the lift platform includes a support having a circular shape, and a communication passage is formed through the support to allow passage of diverted air to pass to the pop-up duct.

17. The air management device of claim 16 , further comprising a second impeller provided in the communication passage to pressurize the diverted air for discharge through the pop-up duct.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Oh Min Kyu
• Kim Yong Nam
• No Yang Hwan

Classifications

• F24F1/0033 Primary

  having two or more fans · CPC title

• F24F1/005

  mounted on the floor; standing on the floor · CPC title

• F24F1/0011

  characterised by air outlets · CPC title

• F24F1/0014 Primary

  having two or more outlet openings · CPC title

• F24F1/0029

  Axial fans · CPC title