Cleaning device for cleaning the air-ionizing part of an electrode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9579664-B2
Application number	US-201214125318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2012
Priority date	Jun 22, 2011
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides a cleaning device ( 1 ) for cleaning the air-ionizing part ( 4 ) of an electrode ( 3 ), said device comprising a cleaning member ( 5 ) arranged to be in physical contact with the said air-ionizing part of said electrode, the air-ionizing part of electrode and the cleaning member being arranged to slide relative to each other. The cleaning device further comprises an actuator ( 6, 8, 9 ) arranged to activate the relative motion between said air-ionizing part ( 4 ) of the electrode ( 3 ) and the cleaning member ( 5 ). There is also provided an ionization electrode comprising an air-ionizing part and the cleaning device, as well as a ultrafine particle sensor, an air ionizer or an electrostatic air cleaner comprising such an electrode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cleaning device for cleaning an air-ionizing part of an electrode, wherein the air-ionizing part of the electrode comprises a needle-tip or a thin wire, said device comprising:
a cleaning member arranged to be in physical contact with a circumference of the needle-tip or the thin-wire, the air-ionizing part of the electrode and the cleaning member being arranged to slide relative to each other; and
an actuator arranged to activate a relative motion between the air-ionizing part of the electrode and the cleaning member, wherein the cleaning member comprises a foil containing at least one perforation through which the air-ionizing part of the electrode slides, wherein the at least one perforation is substantially closed by having edges in contact with each other when the needle-tip or the thin wire does not protrude through the at least one perforation, and wherein a shearing force applied by the cleaning member to the needle-tip or the thin-wire is changed by selecting a thickness of the foil in a range of 25-100 μm.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is an electromagnetic assembly comprising a spring, an electrical-wire coil and a magnet.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein the cleaning device further comprises a moveable piston assembly that is spring-loaded via the spring in a support assembly, the piston assembly comprising either the magnet or the electrical-wire coil.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 3 , wherein the cleaning member is connected to the piston assembly such that the cleaning member moves relative to the air-ionizing part of the electrode between a first position and a second position due to an action of the spring, the first position corresponding with a first degree of compression of the spring, the second position corresponding with a second degree of compression of the spring.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 4 , wherein the second position is attained when the actuator is electromagnetically activated by passing an electrical current through the electrical-wire coil, and wherein the first position is attained when the actuator is electromagnetically de-activated by withdrawing the electrical current from the electrical-wire coil.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 4 , wherein the cleaning member is slideable along substantially an entire length of the air-ionizing part of the electrode from the first position to the second position or vice-versa.

7. The cleaning device according to claim wherein the at least one perforation is a central hole, a central square cross or a central triangular cross through which the air-ionizing part of the electrode may protrude.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member comprises a flexible porous fibrous material.

9. The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member comprises a supported granular material.

10. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member is moveable relative to the air-ionizing part.

Assignees

• Marra Johan
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Marra Johan

Classifications

• B03C3/743 Primary

  by using friction, e.g. by brushes or sliding elements · CPC title

• B03C3/47

  flat, e.g. plates, discs, gratings · CPC title

• H01T23/00

  Apparatus for generating ions to be introduced into non-enclosed gases, e.g. into the atmosphere · CPC title

• B03C2201/32

  Checking the quality of the result or the well-functioning of the device · CPC title

• B03C3/765

  with electromagnetic rappers · CPC title