Air purification module and refrigerator comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11931490-B2
Application number	US-202117221413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2021
Priority date	Oct 5, 2018
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

An air purification module for purifying air includes a photocatalyst filter and a light source unit sequentially arranged in a selected direction. The light source unit is spaced apart from the photocatalyst filter to provide light to the photocatalyst filter and includes a substrate and a light source disposed on the substrate. The substrate includes at least one aperture to control a flow channel and a flow velocity of air so as to improve air purification effects through the photocatalyst filter when the air flows from the substrate towards the photocatalyst filter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air purification module, comprising:
a photocatalyst filter configured to purify air flowing therethrough; and
a light source sequentially arranged relative to the photocatalyst filter in a selected direction;
the light source being spaced apart from the photocatalyst filter and providing light to the photocatalyst filter, the light source comprising a substrate and a light emitting device disposed on the substrate,
wherein the substrate is disposed along a direction from the photocatalyst filter,
wherein the substrate further includes a photocatalyst-facing region corresponding to the photocatalyst filter and having first apertures and an outer region disposed outside the photocatalyst-facing region and having second apertures,
wherein a size of the first apertures is greater than a size of the second apertures.

2. The air purification module according to claim 1 , wherein the photocatalyst filter has multiple through-holes parallel to a flow channel of the air and is disposed parallel to the aperture of the substrate.

3. The air purification module according to claim 2 , wherein:
the through-holes pass through the photocatalyst filter in the selected direction, and
the aperture passes through the substrate in the selected direction,
when viewed in the selected direction, the substrate has a larger area than the photocatalyst filter.

4. The air purification module according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the photocatalyst filter is disposed in an irradiation region to which light emitted from the light emitting device reaches.

5. The air purification module according to claim 4 , wherein:
two or more apertures are provided and each aperture having a diameter ranging from 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm;
the substrate further comprises a heat dissipation portion disposed between irradiation regions and having no aperture; and
the irradiation regions are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns such that the heat dissipation portion is disposed between adjacent rows and between adjacent columns.

6. The air purification module according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a housing receiving the photocatalyst filter and the light source and having apertures through which the air flows in the selected direction,
wherein the housing comprises a rib disposed at a location corresponding to the heat dissipation portion.

7. The air purification module according to claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a first light source and a second light source facing each other with the photocatalyst filter interposed therebetween.

8. The air purification module according to claim 7 , wherein the light emitting devices of the first and second light sources face each other with the photocatalyst filter interposed therebetween, and each of the first light source and the second light source is provided with multiple apertures,
when viewed in the selected direction, the apertures of the first light source are disposed to overlap with the apertures of the second light source.

9. The air purification module according to claim 7 , wherein the light emitting devices of the first and second light sources face each other with the photocatalyst filter interposed therebetween, and each of the first light source and the second light source is provided with multiple apertures;
when viewed in the selected direction, at least some apertures of the first light source do not overlap with at least some apertures of the second light source.

10. The air purification module according to claim 7 , wherein the apertures of the first light source have a different size than the apertures of the second light source.

11. An air purification module, comprising:
a filter configured to purify air flowing therethrough;
a light source disposed spaced apart from the filter and comprising a first light source and a second light source that are configured to emit light having different wavelength bands including a UV wavelength band, wherein the filter and the light source are sequentially arranged in a direction;
an air distributer disposed adjacent to the filter or the light source to supply the air at a predetermined uniform flow velocity and at a predetermined uniform flow rate towards the filter in a direction,
wherein the first light source comprises a first substrate and one or more first light emitting devices disposed on the first substrate, and the second light source comprises a second substrate and one or more second light emitting devices disposed on the second substrate;
wherein the first substrate comprises at least one first aperture;
wherein the second substrate comprises at least one second aperture,
wherein the air distributer has pores through which the air passes, an average diameter of the pores being smaller than a diameter of the at least one first aperture, a diameter of the at least one second aperture, or both.

12. The air purification module according to claim 11 , wherein, when viewed in a selected direction perpendicular to the first light source and the second light source, the first light source further comprises a first set of regions and the second light source further comprise a second set of regions, the first set of regions and the second set of regions corresponding to and overlapping with each other in the selected direction, and
the first light emitting devices are disposed in at least one of the first set of regions; and
the second light emitting devices are disposed in in at least one of the second set of regions;
wherein, when viewed in the selected direction, said at least one of the first set of regions having the first light emitting device disposed, does not overlap said at least one of the second set of regions having the second light emitting device disposed.

13. The air purification module according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one first aperture further comprises:
a third aperture present in said at least one of the first set of regions having the first light emitting devices disposed; and
a fourth aperture present in another region of the first set of regions having no light emitting device;
wherein the third aperture has a different diameter than the fourth aperture, each of the third and the fourth apertures having a diameter ranging from 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm.

14. The air purification module according to claim 13 , wherein, the diameter of the third aperture is larger than the diameter of the fourth aperture.

15. The air purification module according to claim 14 , wherein a difference in area between the third aperture and the fourth aperture is 20% or less.

16. The air purification module according to claim 11 , wherein the air distributer comprises an organic antibacterial material, an inorganic antibacterial material, or both.

17. A refrigerator comprising the air purification module according to claim 11 .

Assignees

• Seoul Viosys Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeong Jae Hak
• Kim Ji Won
• Shin Sang Cheol

Classifications

• A61L9/205 Primary

  using a photocatalyst or photosensitiser · CPC title

• F24F3/16

  by purification, e.g. by filtering; by sterilisation; by ozonisation · CPC title

• F24F8/10

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

• F24F8/22

  using UV light · CPC title

• F25D17/00

  Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces · CPC title