Ceiling diffuser with UVC lamp sterilization device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ceiling diffuser equipped with a UVC lamp sterilization device. Air entering through a duct after undergoing air purification through a heat exchanger is introduced into the room through a HEPA filter of the ceiling diffuser. A rotating fan provided inside the main body of the diffuser, a reduction gear connected to the rotating fan, and a coil spring connected to the reduction gear are connected to transmit rotational torque caused by the maximum torsional inflection of the coil spring due to the rotation of the coil spring to a voltage generating unit. By using the predetermined voltage generated accordingly, a UVC lamp, which is a sterilization device, is lit to sterilize the air and the HEPA filter that secondarily purifies the air through the diffuser and then discharge it into the room. By providing a diffuser that can sterilize the HEPA filter and the air without a separate power supply by utilizing a low-noise, low-speed airflow through the diffuser, the replacement cycle of the HEPA filter is extended, and the effect of continuously ensuring a pleasant air inflow into the room is achieved.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ceiling diffuser equipped with a UVC lamp sterilization device, and more specifically, to a ceiling diffuser equipped with a UVC lamp sterilization device that is installed on the indoor ceiling after passing through the air purification action of a heat exchanger and supplies air by secondarily purifying the air flowing in through a diffuser equipped with a HEPA filter inside, and efficiently operates the UVC lamp sterilization device equipped inside the diffuser without a separate power supply by using self-generation utilizing the air resistance flowing toward the diffuser through a duct, thereby extending the replacement cycle of the filter through the sterilization of the HEPA filter and the air, and ensuring continuous supply of pleasant air into the final indoor space. Background Technology

[0003] Generally, air conditioners, such as HVAC units, are installed to provide a more comfortable indoor environment for humans by discharging hot or cold air into the room to regulate the indoor temperature and purify the indoor air, thereby creating a pleasant indoor environment.

[0004] An air conditioner includes an indoor unit composed of a heat exchanger and installed indoors, and an outdoor unit composed of a compressor and a heat exchanger, which supplies refrigerant to the indoor unit.

[0005] In addition, an air purifier is a device that purifies contaminated indoor air by drawing indoor air into the main body, passing it through a purification filter, and supplying it back into the room.

[0006] Recent air purifiers utilize heat exchangers that, in addition to air purification functions, have a ventilation function that expels stale indoor air to the outside while simultaneously drawing in fresh outdoor air.

[0007] Meanwhile, as fine dust, which has persisted since the 2000s, has recently emerged as a social issue, the air purifier market is growing rapidly.

[0008] However, public anxiety is heightened by the fact that even if air purifiers are operated to reduce fine dust concentrations in situations where windows cannot be opened due to outdoor fine dust, they cannot resolve harmful gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), radon, and formaldehyde (HCHO) that accumulate indoors. Furthermore, with the prevention of indoor infection emerging as a top national issue amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic triggered in early 2020, the ventilation industry is once again drawing attention.

[0009] Even as the non-face-to-face industry gains prominence, face-to-face interactions remain unavoidable in many cases; consequently, ventilation systems are being compelled to provide solutions that go beyond mere importance. Given concerns about frequent future infectious disease outbreaks, the importance of the ventilation market is expected to grow even further.

[0010] Due to numerous environmental issues such as yellow dust and fine dust, there is a growing interest in air conditioning systems that provide air purification and conditioning functions, and air conditioning systems are being established to perform the aforementioned heating, cooling, air conditioning, and ventilation functions simultaneously.

[0011] Furthermore, although existing HVAC systems have diffusers installed on the indoor ceilings with an upper supply and intake structure, the focus is on purifying the air from the main heat exchanger. Consequently, in the case of the supply-side diffuser, the air entering each room through a duct branched from the heat exchanger passes through a HEPA filter installed inside the diffuser. Therefore, fine dust and airborne viruses within the duct connecting the heat exchanger and the diffuser actually cause the contamination of the HEPA filter to worsen over time.

[0012] Due to the contamination mentioned above, frequent replacement of HEPA filters is necessary, but most people miss the replacement timing or the longer the replacement cycle, the less safe the air supplied indoors can be from airborne viruses.

[0013] In particular, air supplied through a ceiling diffuser using a heat exchanger in the indoor side of a hospital room, such as a hospital where windows cannot be opened for safety, can improve air quality through frequent replacement as well as sterilization by the HEPA filter depending on the concentration of specific viruses, specific bacteria, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, fine dust concentration, and volatile organic compounds in the air.

[0014] Looking at the prior art related to diffusers as described above, Korean Published Patent No. 10-2025-0140771 (Title: Natural air supply type diffuser for heat exchanger, Date of publication: September 26, 2025, hereinafter referred to as 'Patent Document 1') and Registered Patent No. 10-2898616 (Title: Diffuser having operating status indicator function and air circulation system equipped therewith, Date of registration: December 5, 2025, hereinafter referred to as 'Patent Document 2') are disclosed.

[0015] Patent Document 1 described above includes a polymer filter for air filtration, a low-temperature plasma ion module, and a UV sterilization lamp within a diffuser, but these require wiring for a separate power supply, and since the wiring must be configured to be connected to the heat exchanger side, there are problems with the installation structure and maintenance being difficult.

[0016] Patent Document 2 is a technology that includes a propeller (fan) that rotates by the airflow velocity within a diffuser, which is connected to a generator and configured to display the current air circulation operation through a flow state indicator unit provided on an air inlet / outlet guide via the diffuser using voltage obtained from the generator, and does not contain a separate secondary sterilization function regarding air and filters.

[0017] Furthermore, regarding the propeller rotation speed caused by the aforementioned air resistance, since the wind speed of the air supplied through the diffuser must be increased to the extent that the flow state indicator unit can generate power in a self-generating manner without a separate power supply, it has been pointed out that there are disadvantages such as increased noise from the air intake through the diffuser and problems such as excessive heat generation in the generator. Prior art literature

[0019] Korean Published Patent No. 10-2025-0140771 (Published September 26, 2025) Korean Registered Patent No. 10-2898616 (Registered December 5, 2025) The problem to be solved

[0020] The present invention was developed to solve the aforementioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a ceiling diffuser equipped with a UVC lamp sterilization device that is installed on the indoor ceiling after passing through the air purification action of a heat exchanger and supplies air by secondarily purifying the air flowing in through a diffuser equipped with a HEPA filter inside, and efficiently operates a UVC lamp sterilization device equipped inside the diffuser without a separate power supply by using self-generation utilizing the air resistance flowing toward the diffuser through a duct to sterilize the HEPA filter and the air, thereby extending the replacement cycle of the filter and ensuring continuous fresh air flow into the indoor space. means of solving the problem

[0022] According to the present invention for achieving the above objective, a diffuser is fixedly installed on a ceiling to supply air that has been purified first by passing through a heat exchanger and dispersed to the indoor side, wherein an air control member is provided at the lower part of the main body where air is discharged, and a HEPA filter is provided on the inside to sterilize the air secondarily,

[0023] A rotating fan rotatably installed inside the main body to blow air into the indoor side by rotating due to the resistance of the airflow velocity of air purified on the heat exchanger side and sent to the indoor side through a duct; a reduction gear comprising a first impeller rotatably connected to the rotational shaft of the rotating fan within a box-shaped body to transmit rotational force along a horizontal line connected to the rotational shaft of the rotating fan, and a second impeller connected to the first impeller by a power transmission belt to be rotatable and having a spring connection portion on its rear surface; a rotational torque conversion unit comprising a coil spring, one end of which is connected to the spring connection portion on the second impeller side of the reduction gear and the other end of which is connected to the voltage generation unit, transmitting the force transmitted from the rotational force of the second impeller to the voltage generation unit to continuously generate rotation and instantaneous rotational torque while rotating; and a voltage generation unit comprising a stepping motor with one or more rotors on a rotational shaft and coils wound on a stator spaced apart from the rotor, connected to the rotational torque conversion unit to convert rotational mechanical energy into electrical energy. The structure is configured such that a PCB board including a UVC lamp, which is illuminated by a voltage applied through the voltage generating unit and sterilizes a HEPA filter provided on the air outlet side of the main body and the discharged air, is electrically connected to the voltage generating unit, and a connector is provided that is coupled to the rotational shaft of a stepping motor, which is the voltage generating unit, and supports a coil spring, wherein the connector is provided with a connecting shaft part coupled to the rotational shaft and a spring connecting part in which one end of the coil spring is connected by passing through the connecting shaft part in a transverse direction, and an indicator lamp is electrically connected to the lower side of the main body of the diffuser where air is discharged, so as to indicate the state in which the UVC lamp is illuminated by the voltage applied from the voltage generating unit and sterilized.

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[0027] delete Effects of the invention

[0029] The ceiling diffuser equipped with a UVC lamp sterilization device according to the present invention provides the effect of extending the replacement cycle of the HEPA filter and ensuring continuous fresh air intake into the room by utilizing a low-noise, low-speed airflow through the diffuser to sterilize the air and the air through a HEPA filter for self-generation without a separate power supply, thereby enabling the sterilization of the air and the HEPA filter to be sterilized using a low-noise, low-speed airflow through the diffuser. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0031] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a ceiling diffuser according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the interior of a diffuser according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a diffuser according to the present invention separated. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a rotating fan, a reduction gear, and a voltage generating unit installed within the main body of a diffuser according to the present invention in separate sections. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a diffuser according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a state in which a coil spring is connected to a voltage generating unit according to the present invention and torsional torsion is applied according to the rotation of the coil spring. FIG. 8 is a side view illustrating the rotational state of the voltage generating unit in stages due to the rotational transmission force of the coil spring in FIG. 7. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0032] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0033] Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention.

[0034] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention; thus, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0035] A ceiling diffuser equipped with a UVC lamp sterilization device according to the present invention is described as follows with reference to the attached FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0036] A diffuser (100) is fixedly installed on the ceiling (1) to supply air that has been purified first by passing through a heat exchanger and dispersed to the indoor side, and has an air control member (102) provided at the bottom of the main body (101) from which air is discharged, and has a HEPA filter (F) provided on the inside to sterilize the air secondarily,

[0037] The above diffuser (100) is composed of a PCB substrate (40) including a rotating fan (10), a rotational torque conversion unit (20), a voltage generating unit (30), and a UVC lamp (L).

[0038] The above-mentioned rotating fan (10) is installed such that its rotating shaft is rotatably supported in an axial support provided within the main body (101) so as to be able to rotate by the resistance of the airflow velocity of air purified inside the main body (101), that is, on the heat exchanger side, and sent to the indoor side through a duct, thereby blowing air to the indoor side.

[0039] Here, the shape of the rotating fan (10) is formed as a spiral shape (Archimides blade) that can effectively receive air resistance as the flow occurs from the duct side to the diffuser side.

[0040] The above rotational torque conversion unit (20) is configured to transmit rotational force along a horizontal line connected to the rotation axis of the rotating fan (10), and as shown in the attached FIG. 4, it comprises a reduction gear (22) including a first rotor (22a) that is rotatably connected to the rotation axis of the rotating fan (10) within a box-shaped body (20a), and a second rotor (22b) that is rotatably connected to the first rotor by a power transmission belt (V) and has a spring connection part (22b-1) on its back surface, and a coil spring (24) which has one end connected to the spring connection part (22b-1) on the second rotor (22b) side of the reduction gear (22) and the other end connected to the voltage generating unit (30), and transmits the force transmitted from the rotational force of the second rotor (22b) to the voltage generating unit (30) to continuously generate rotational and instantaneous rotational torque while rotating. For reference, the above coil spring (24) is a spring made of carbon steel of 0.4 to 0.8 mm coiled at intervals of 4 to 6 mm.

[0041] The above voltage generating unit (30) is connected to the rotational torque conversion unit (20) to convert rotational mechanical energy into electrical energy, and this applies to a stepping motor in which one or more rotors are on a rotating shaft and coils are wound on a stator spaced apart from the rotor.

[0042] As is well known, the above stepping motor is an electromagnet structure composed of multiple coils and permanent magnets (or variable magnets) combined, characterized by rotating in steps according to an electrical signal, and is a brushless motor mainly used for position control, but is not used as a motor for general generators.

[0043] However, in the present invention, the principle is applied such that a predetermined voltage is generated in the stepping motor through the rotational force caused by the coil spring (24), that is, the reduction gear and the voltage generating unit are interconnected and rotated, and the torsional action that occurs when the torsional force is released.

[0044] A connector (32) that connects and supports the coil spring is provided on the rotation axis of the stepping motor, which is the voltage generating unit (30).

[0045] As shown in the drawing, the above connector (32) is composed of a connecting shaft part (32a) that is coupled to the rotation shaft and a spring connecting part (32b) in which one end of the coil spring (24) is connected by penetrating the connecting shaft part (32a) in a transverse direction, so that the one end of the coil spring is connected at the side of the connector rather than at the center of the rotation shaft, thereby allowing the rotation shaft to rotate. This is to transmit to the rotation shaft a momentary force (giving torque to the rotational force) at the limit of the torsion action of the coil spring to the rotation shaft, in which the torsion force is released during the torsion action of the coil spring to the rotation shaft.

[0046] Meanwhile, a PCB board (40) including a UVC lamp (L) is electrically connected to the voltage generating unit (30) to sterilize the air discharged and the HEPA filter (F) provided on the air outlet side of the main body (101) by being lit by the voltage applied through the voltage generating unit (30).

[0047] The above UVC lamp consists of a single or multiple units and is a UVC-LED, which is a diode that emits ultraviolet-C light with a wavelength of 200 to 280 nm. It is one of the lamps widely used in sterilization and disinfection applications as it is effective in removing pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi floating in the air.

[0048] In addition, an indicator lamp (L1) is electrically connected to the PCB board (40) at the lower side of the main body (101) of the diffuser (100) from which air is discharged, so that the UVC lamp (L) is lit by the voltage supplied from the voltage generating unit (30) to indicate the state of sterilization.

[0049] The above PCB board (40) is manufactured in a form having a fixing part that is fixed using a fastening screw and air passages formed in multiple directions to allow air to flow.

[0050] The operation of the UVC lamp sterilization device through the ceiling diffuser of the present invention configured as described above is as follows.

[0051] When primary air filtration is performed through a heat exchanger and air is introduced through the duct (D) to the indoor diffuser (100), the rotating fan (10) provided inside the main body (101) of the diffuser (100) rotates due to resistance caused by the air flow velocity.

[0052] The wind speed introduced through the above duct is typically about 20 CMH (0.8 m / s, wind speed) to reduce noise, and the above rotating fan (10) rotates in accordance with this wind speed, and the reduction gear (22) connected to the rotation shaft of the rotating fan rotates the coil spring (24), one end of which is connected to the spring connection part (22b-1) of the second rotating fan (22b), along with the rotational power of the first rotating fan (22a) and the second rotating fan (22b) inside the body (20a).

[0053] Here, the other end of the coil spring (24) is connected to a connector (32) connected to the rotation axis of the voltage generating unit (30), so that the coil spring is used as a connecting medium to rotate the rotation axis.

[0054] As described above, the rotational force applied to the rotation axis of the voltage generating unit (30) generates a twisting, or torsion, that rotates the rotation axis at the connection point between the coil spring (24) connected to the connector (32) and the spring connection part (22b-1) of the second rotor while the rotation is taking place, rather than at a constant speed. Since the twisting (torsion force) generated at this time is released in a repetitive motion, it provides rotational force while forming the maximum torque of instantaneous rotation on the rotation axis of the voltage generating unit.

[0055] The point where instantaneous torque is generated as described above is at the connector (32), and the spring connection part (32b), which is connected by the end of the coil spring (24) passing through it horizontally, that is, on the side of the rotation axis, is where this torque generation occurs repeatedly in the form of instantaneous rotation interruption as shown in the attached Fig. 8, and here, the rotation axis of the stepping motor, which is the voltage generating unit (30), generates current from the rotor for the multi-stage rotor inside it, thereby enabling the UVC lamp (L) on the PCB board (40) electrically connected to the stepping motor to light up.

[0056] By illuminating the above UVC lamp (L), the air discharged into the room passing through the HEPA filter (F) provided at the lower air outlet side of the main body (101) and the surrounding area can be sterilized.

[0057] As described above, the lighting condition of the UVC lamp (L) is achieved by generating a predetermined voltage (3~5V) through current generation as an intermittent continuous operation in which the rotational torque is maximized before the coil spring returns to its original state and unwinds during the operation in which both ends are connected and rotated during the instantaneous rotation of the coil spring (24) in one direction, thereby enabling lighting. This does not require separate electrical wiring and is limited to operation during the operation of the heat exchanger.

[0058] In addition, under the lighting conditions of the above UVC lamp (L), the indicator lamp (L1) on the main body (101) can be recognized as the UVC lamp (L) is lit by the voltage supplied from the above voltage generating unit (30), thereby allowing air to flow into the room and sterilization to be performed, and thus the operation of the heat exchanger can be visually confirmed to be normal.

[0059] Accordingly, the diffuser (100) in the present invention supplies air that is finally returned to the indoor side through a HEPA filter, and the application and operation of a UVC lamp sterilization device that does not require separate electricity even under low airflow conditions is achieved, and by lighting the UVC lamp (L) using the airflow only under the operating conditions of the heat exchanger, the HEPA filter (F) and the air passing through it are secondarily sterilized and introduced into the indoor space, thereby creating an efficient and comfortable indoor space.

[0060] As described above, the present invention has been explained by specific details such as specific components, limited embodiments, and drawings; however, this is provided merely to aid in a more comprehensive understanding of the invention, and the invention is not limited to the above embodiments. A person skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from this description.

[0061] Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and all things equivalent to or having equivalent variations to the claims set forth below, as well as the claims set forth below, shall be considered to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0063] 10: Rotating fan 20: Rotation torque switching unit 20a: Body 22: Reducer 22a: 1st rotor 22b: 1st rotor 24: Coil spring 30: Voltage generating unit 32: Connector 100: Diffuser 101: Main body 102: Air control component F: HEPA filter L: UVC lamp L1: Indicator lamp

Claims

Claim 1 A diffuser (100) is fixedly installed on the ceiling (1) to supply air that has been purified by passing through a heat exchanger and dispersed to the indoor side, and has an air control member (102) at the bottom of the main body (101) where air is discharged, and has a HEPA filter (F) for secondary sterilization of air on the inside, wherein a rotating fan (10) is rotatably installed inside the main body (101) to blow air to the indoor side by rotating due to the resistance of the airflow velocity of the air purified on the heat exchanger side and sent to the indoor side through a duct; A rotational torque conversion unit (20) comprising a reduction gear (22) that includes a first rotor (22a) rotatably connected to the rotational axis of the rotating fan (10) within a box-shaped body (20a) to transmit rotational force along a horizontal line connected to the rotational axis of the rotating fan (10), and a second rotor (22b) that is rotatably connected to the first rotor by a power transmission belt (V) and has a spring connection part (22b-1) on its rear surface, and a coil spring (24) having one end connected to the spring connection part (22b-1) on the second rotor (22b) side of the reduction gear (22) and the other end connected to a voltage generating unit (30) to transmit the force transmitted from the rotational force of the second rotor (22b) to the voltage generating unit (30) to continuously generate rotational and instantaneous rotational torque while rotating; A voltage generating unit (30) comprising one or more rotors on a rotating shaft and a stepping motor with coils wound on a stator spaced apart from the rotor, connected to the above-mentioned rotational torque conversion unit (20) to convert rotational mechanical energy into electrical energy;A structure is configured such that a PCB board (40) including a UVC lamp (L) that sterilizes the discharged air and a HEPA filter (F) provided on the air outlet side of the main body (101) by being lit by the voltage supplied through the voltage generating unit (30) is electrically connected to the voltage generating unit (30), and a connector (32) that is coupled to the rotational shaft of the stepping motor, which is the voltage generating unit (30), and supports a coil spring (24) is provided, wherein the connector (32) is provided with a connecting shaft part (32a) coupled to the rotational shaft and a spring connecting part (32b) in which one end of the coil spring (24) is connected by penetrating the connecting shaft part (32a) in a transverse direction, and the lower side of the main body (101) of the diffuser (100) from which air is discharged indicates a state in which the UVC lamp (L) is lit by the voltage supplied from the voltage generating unit (30) and sterilized. A ceiling diffuser equipped with a UVC lamp sterilization device characterized by having an indicator lamp (L1) electrically connected and installed; Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 delete

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