Wearable air purifier

Abstract

A wearable air purifier includes a headwear and an air delivery mask connected to the headwear and defining an air delivery region, where the air delivery mask is configured to define a first airflow path to deliver airflow to the air delivery region, where the headwear defines a second airflow path. The wearable air purifier conveniently further includes a fan configured to direct airflow to the first airflow path and the second airflow path. Accordingly, it is beneficial that the wearable air purifier of the present invention has a fan configured to direct air to two independent flow paths, which provides a more space and weight saving purifier product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wearable air purifier, and more particularly (but not limited to) to an air purifier with integrated audio earphone function. Background Art

[0002] Air pollution is a well-known problem, especially in urban areas and public places where space between people may be limited, such as on public transportation. A variety of air pollutants are known or suspected to be harmful to human health, such as toxic gases and other particulate matter, such as dust and pollen.

[0003] As people take active steps to control air pollutants, wearing masks is becoming more common. In its most basic form, a mask can be made of one or more layers of fabric and secured to the mouth by an elastic band. However, such masks are usually passive and have limited filtering effects. More advanced methods are now known to include the use of wearable air purifiers, which provide filtered airflow to the user's nose and mouth area. Dyson Technology Co., Ltd.'s patent GB2595231A discloses an example of a wearable air purifier.

[0004] The wearable air purifier in GB2592531A combines the functionality of a pair of headphones with a mask or "visor" that extends in front of the user's mouth area to deliver a stream of purified air. One challenge facing such devices is how to manage the thermal effects on the user wearing the device; for example, prolonged use can cause temperature increases and sweating around the ears. It is against this background that the present invention was born. Summary of the invention

[0005] In a first aspect, an example of the present invention provides a wearable air purifier, comprising a headgear and an air delivery mask connected to the headgear and defining an air delivery area, wherein the air delivery mask is configured to define a first airflow path to deliver airflow to the air delivery area, wherein the headgear defines a second airflow path. The wearable air purifier also conveniently includes a fan configured to direct airflow to the first airflow path and the second airflow path.

[0006] It is therefore beneficial that the wearable air purifier of the present invention has a fan configured to direct air into two independent flow paths, which provides a more space- and weight-saving purifier product.

[0007] In some examples, the second airflow path can be defined in an earmuff path portion that is disposed in at least one earmuff of the headgear. In such a configuration, the path portion can direct the airflow into an ear chamber defined by the earmuff. This directly cools the user's ears.

[0008] Alternatively, the path portion may direct the airflow to the ear cushion of the earmuff, thereby cooling the skin contact area between the ear cushion or the ear pad and the user.

[0009] In a further alternative, the headgear comprises a headband supportable on the user's head, wherein the second airflow path passes through the headband path portion. In this way, the airflow can also cool the user's head area. The path portion can flow through the cushioning area, which provides a particularly convenient cooling mechanism. Perforations or holes can be provided in the path portion to facilitate airflow to the head area.

[0010] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a wearable air purifier, comprising a headgear, an air delivery mask connected to the headgear and defining an air delivery region, and an air flow generator configured to direct airflow to the air delivery region through the air delivery mask, wherein the headgear defines an air flow path, the air flow path being at least partially defined by a head engagement surface. Advantageously, the air flow generator is configured to direct air through the air flow path to cool the head engagement surface.

[0011] An advantage of the present invention is that the wearable air purifier is configured to cool the head area of ​​the user / wearer by airflow through an airflow path defined in part by the head engaging surface. This provides greater comfort to the user during prolonged wear.

[0012] In one example, the head engaging surface is a surface of a headband of a wearable air purifier. This directs the cooling effect specifically to the wearer's head. More specifically, the airflow path may include a cushioning portion of the headband. Thus, the foam-like material of the cushioning portion may at least partially define the airflow path.

[0013] Alternatively, the head engagement surface may be defined by the surface of the earmuffs of the wearable air purifier (particularly the cushioned ear pads of the earmuffs). Cooling airflow paths may be provided in the earmuffs and headband to further enhance the cooling properties of the device.

[0014] Holes / perforations may be provided in the head engaging surface to allow air to pass through, further enhancing cooling.

[0015] In some examples, the user can select the air supply to the cooling airflow path and the air delivery mask. This provides convenience to the user because they can trigger the cooling airflow to operate independently of the purge airflow.

[0016] In another aspect, an example of the present invention provides an earphone device comprising at least one earmuff defining a cushioned ear pad and including a speaker assembly for providing audio output, and a headband for securing the earphone device to a head region of a user, wherein the ear pad and / or headband at least partially define an airflow path portion for conveying an airflow, wherein the earphone device further comprises an airflow generator for generating an airflow into the or each airflow path portion.

[0017] Features described above in relation to the first aspect of the invention are equally applicable to the second and / or third aspects of the invention, and vice versa. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to enable a more comprehensive understanding of the present invention, some specific embodiments of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a head-mounted air purifier;

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A front view of a head-mounted air purifier;

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 and Figure 2 A perspective view of an air delivery mask for a wearable air purifier;

[0022] Figure 4a yes Figure 1 and Figure 2 A side view of the earmuffs of the wearable purifier. Figure 4b yes Figure 4a A perspective view of the earmuffs;

[0023] Figure 5a yes Figure 4a A cross-sectional view of an earmuff, Figure 5b yes Figure 5a Additional cross-sectional views of the earmuff to show different viewing angles;

[0024] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the head mounted purifier shown in the previous figure and also illustrates an embodiment of how a cooling airflow may be incorporated into the purifier;

[0025] Figure 7 and Figure 8 is another schematic diagram of the head mounted air purifier shown in the previous figure, but showing another embodiment of how to incorporate cooling airflow into the purifier;

[0026] Fig. 9 A small section of a headband for an air wearable air purifier;

[0027] Fig.10 and Fig.11 is another schematic diagram of a wearable air purifier showing another example of an embodiment of how cooling airflow may be incorporated;

[0028] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of a control system that can be applied to some examples of the wearable air purifiers shown in the previous figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] As used herein, the term "air purifier" refers to a device or system capable of removing pollutants from the air and releasing a supply of purified or filtered air. The term "head-mounted" is used herein to define an item capable of or adapted to be worn on a user's head. In a preferred arrangement, the head-mounted air purifier comprises an earphone system comprising a pair of speaker assemblies mounted on a headband, wherein one or both speaker assemblies comprise ear cups as described herein.

[0030] The term "headphones" as used herein refers to a pair of small loudspeakers or speakers connected by a headband designed to be worn on the head or around the neck of a user. Typically, the speakers are provided by electroacoustic transducers that convert electrical signals into corresponding sounds. Surround-ear headphones, commonly referred to as full-size or over-ear headphones, have ear pads that are shaped like a closed loop (e.g., circular, oval, etc.) so that they can surround the entire ear. Because these headphones completely surround the ear, circumaural headphones can be designed to completely seal the head to attenuate external noise. Supra-aural headphones, commonly referred to as on-ear headphones, have ear pads that press against the ear, rather than around the ear. This type of headphones is usually smaller and lighter than circumaural headphones and provides less attenuation of external noise.

[0031] In this context, generally speaking, examples of the present invention provide a wearable air purification product, system, device or article that is configured to improve the comfort of the product when used by a user, so that the user feels a cooling effect when using it, especially in the area where the user contacts the purifier, namely the headband and ear cups. Various methods are disclosed in the following discussion to provide a cooling effect to the user.

[0032] refer to Figure 15, a wearable air purifier 10 to which an example of the present invention relates is shown. The air purifier 10 shown here is very similar to devices disclosed in previous publications of the applicant, such as GB2582372 and WO2020021231. For the sake of brevity, a full discussion of the audio and air purification details will not be provided here, but a brief summary is provided below to ensure completeness. It is worth noting that Figures 1 to 5b An example of an air purification product to which the present invention is applicable is shown in FIG. Figure 6 and the subsequent schematic diagram. Therefore, it is worth noting that Figures 1 to 5b The wearable air purifier in the present invention provides a technical background to which the present invention can be applied.

[0033] The wearable air purifier 10 is configured to be worn on the user's head, like a conventional headset. Thus, to this end, the wearable air purifier 10 includes a headgear 12, which includes a wearable support or "headband" 14, to which a pair of audio earmuffs or ear cups 16 are connected. More specifically, a first end 18 of the headband 14 is connected to a first earmuff 20 of the earmuffs 16, and a second end 22 of the headband 14 is connected to a second earmuff 24 of the earmuffs 16.

[0034] The air purifier 10 also includes a curved air delivery mask, nozzle or goggle 26 that extends forward from the headband 14 and extends between the earmuffs 16 in a significantly curved configuration to resemble a chin guard shape, thereby extending around the air delivery area to define or surround or define the air delivery area 28. In this example, the air delivery mask 26 is in the form of an elongated and strip-shaped, made of a hard plastic material such as polycarbonate, but this is only optional. The air delivery mask 26 can be transparent, or at least translucent, which can be advantageous in some aspects.

[0035] like Figure 3 As more clearly shown in FIG. 1 , the air delivery mask 26 is generally a hollow structure and therefore includes suitable airflow paths, ducts and channels 32 for conveying the airflow from the compressor along the air delivery mask 26 and directing it to the user's mouth through at least one nozzle outlet 34. At least one nozzle outlet 34 can be embodied by a grille or an array of holes, as the case may be. The airflow is indicated here as "36".

[0036] The headband 14 is coupled to a corresponding one 20, 24 of the ear cups 16 at its first end 18 and second end 22 by a conventional movable or rotatable coupling member (embodied here as an arcuate arm 46) that extends around a portion of the corresponding ear cup 16 and engages with the ear cup 16 by a rotating pivot pin 48. It is worth noting that this coupling method is disclosed here for completeness, and those skilled in the art will understand that other coupling schemes are also possible, so further discussion of this coupling will be omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0037] In this example, the pair of audio earmuffs 16 are substantially identical, and Figure 5a and 5b A cross section of one of the earmuffs 16 is shown. Figure 4a / b and a single ear cup in 5a / b, but it should be noted that the same general construction applies to both ear cups.

[0038] To provide dual audio and airflow functionality, the illustrated earmuff 16 includes a housing or shell 50 that surrounds a speaker assembly 52 in a radially inward position and a compact air purifier unit 54 in a radially outward position. Here, the terms radially "inward" and "outward" are relative to the head of a user wearing the air purifier. An ear pad 56 provides a soft, cushioned interface for the user's ear. The housing 50 and ear pad 56 together define a cavity 58 having an opening 60. The opening 60 and cavity 58 are shaped to accommodate the user's ear when in use.

[0039] The speaker assembly 52 includes a speaker unit 62, which includes a speaker and speaker electronics (not shown). A Bluetooth (RTM) or other type of wireless communication transmitter / receiver may be provided for wireless communication with an audio playback device. The speaker unit 62 and the air purifier unit 54 may share a battery pack and some control electronics (not shown here).

[0040] The air purifier unit 54 includes an airflow generator, compressor or fan assembly 64 in the form of a motor-driven impeller 65, located within the housing and arranged to generate an airflow. The airflow generator 64 draws airflow into the housing 50 through an air inlet 66 and exhausts the airflow from the housing 50 through an air outlet 68.

[0041] The airflow generator 64 includes a filter 70 through which the airflow enters the housing 50. Thus, the filter 70 is located downstream of the air inlet 66 of the housing 50 (i.e., relative to the airflow generated by the impeller) and upstream of the air outlet 68. In the illustrated embodiment, the filter 70 is also located upstream relative to the motor-driven impeller. Any suitable filter construction may be used, such as a depth filter media or a surface filter media, such as a pleated filter paper.

[0042] As will be seen from the following discussion, the airflow generator 64 is configured to define a space that accommodates at least a portion of the speaker unit 62, which will now be described in greater detail.

[0043] In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 50 includes a speaker chassis 80 on which an acoustic driver unit 82 is mounted. A generally frustoconical speaker cover 84 is mounted on the speaker chassis 80 above the acoustic driver unit 82. The speaker chassis 80 includes a generally circular bottom 86 surrounded by a cylindrical side wall 88. The air outlet 68 of the housing 50 is defined by a hole formed in the cylindrical side wall 88. The earmuff 16 is also provided with a hollow, rigid outlet duct 90 extending from the housing 50 and arranged to connect to the air outlet 68 of the earmuff 16 to be coupled to the inner duct 32 of the air delivery mask 26.

[0044] The central portion of the speaker chassis 80 provides a driver support plate 92 on which the acoustic driver unit 82 can be located. A speaker cover 84 of a generally truncated cone shape is then mounted on the speaker chassis 80 and over the entire driver support plate 92, so that the acoustic driver unit 82 is covered by the speaker cover 84. The driver support plate 92 of the speaker chassis 80 is provided with an array of holes for allowing the sound generated by the acoustic driver unit 82 to pass through the speaker chassis 80 into the cavity 58 surrounded by the ear pad 56. In addition, the driver support plate 92 is angled or tilted relative to the peripheral portion of the bottom 84 of the speaker chassis 82. The angle or tilt of the driver support plate 92 is selected so that when the head-mounted air purifier 10 is worn on the user's head and the earmuffs 16 are located above the user's ears, the acoustic driver unit 82 is substantially parallel to the ears.

[0045] Each earmuff 16 also includes one or more circuit boards 94 on which various electronic circuits are disposed or mounted. For example, the electronic circuits may include: a motor control circuit arranged to control the speed of a motor 96 that drives the airflow generator 54; an audio control circuit arranged to control audio playback; and an ANC circuit arranged to implement active noise control to attenuate unwanted noise. In the illustrated embodiment, one or more circuit boards 94 are disposed on or mounted to a peripheral portion of the speaker chassis 80. Thus, when the acoustic driver unit 82 is mounted to the driver support plate 92, the circuit board 94 at least partially surrounds the acoustic driver unit 82 (i.e., is disposed outside / around the perimeter of the acoustic driver unit 82).

[0046] As oriented in the figure, a generally frustoconical impeller housing 100 is mounted above the speaker cover 84. The impeller housing 100 contains the impeller 65 and the motor 96, and is arranged above the speaker cover 84 so that the acoustic driver unit 82 is nested in a recess or cavity defined by the back / rear portion of the impeller housing 100. The impeller housing 100 includes a generally frustoconical impeller housing 102 surrounding the impeller 65 and the motor 94, and an annular swirl chamber or volute 104, which is fluidly connected to the bottom of the impeller housing 100 and is arranged to receive air exhausted from the impeller housing 100. The impeller housing 100 is provided with an air inlet 106, through which the impeller 65 can draw air, and an air outlet 108, through which the air can be exhausted from the impeller housing 100 into the annular volute 104. The air inlet 106 of the impeller housing 100 is provided by a hole / opening at the small diameter end of the impeller housing 100 , and the air outlet 108 is provided by an annular groove formed around the large diameter end or bottom of the impeller housing 100 .

[0047] The annular volute 104 includes a spiral (i.e., gradually widening) duct arranged to receive air exhausted from the impeller housing 100 and direct the air to an air outlet 110 of the volute 104. The air outlet 110 of the volute 104 opens into an interior chamber 111 of the earmuff 19, which is fluidly connected to the air outlet 68 of the housing 50. The term "volute" as used herein refers to a spiral funnel that receives fluid pumped by the impeller and increases in area as it approaches the discharge port. Thus, the air outlet 110 of the volute 104 provides an effective and quiet means for collecting air exhausted from the circumferential annular groove that forms the air outlet 110 of the impeller housing 100.

[0048] In the embodiment shown, the impeller 65 is a mixed flow impeller having a generally conical or frustoconical shape. The impeller 65 is hollow so that the rear side / back side of the impeller 65 defines a generally frustoconical recess. The motor 96 is located in the recess. Preferably, the impeller 65 is a semi-open / semi-closed mixed flow impeller, i.e., only having a back shroud 112. The back shroud 112 of the impeller 65 defines a recess in which the motor 96 is nested / arranged.

[0049] The impeller housing 100 is suitably supported within the housing 50 by a plurality of resilient supports (not shown) to reduce the transmission of vibrations from the impeller housing 100. The resilient supports may suitably comprise a resilient material having suitable energy absorbing properties.

[0050] To close the outer upper surface of the earmuff 16 (in the orientation of the drawing), the housing 50 also includes an outer cover 114 mounted on the speaker chassis 80. The outer cover 114 is arranged to fit over the filter 70 (and thus substantially conform to the filter 70) and is provided with an array of holes that allow air to pass through the outer cover 114 and thus define the air inlet 66 of the outer cover 114. The size of these holes is designed to prevent larger particles from passing through to the filter 70. Alternatively, to allow air to pass, the outer cover 114 may include a grille or mesh mounted within a window in the outer cover 114.

[0051] The outer cover 114 can be releasably attached to the speaker chassis 80 so as to cover the filter 70. In this way, the outer cover 114 can be released to provide access to the filter 70 below. Suitable attachment means can be provided for this purpose. Advantageously, the outer cover 114 protects the filter 70 from damage (e.g., during transportation) and also provides a visually attractive outer surface to be consistent with the overall appearance of the wearable purifier 10.

[0052] Back to the overall structure of the wearable purifier, such as Figure 1 As shown, the ends of the air delivery mask 26 are connected to rigid outlet ducts 90 extending from the corresponding earmuffs 16. In this way, the air delivery mask 16 can be connected to the earmuffs and configured to receive airflow from the airflow generator contained therein.

[0053] The air delivery mask 26 extends away from the earmuffs 16 and presents an arc shape so that the two ends are appropriately connected to the corresponding earmuffs 16. The air delivery mask 26 is arranged so that when the user wears the purifier 10, wherein the first earmuff 20 is worn on the user's first ear and the second earmuff 24 is worn on the user's second ear, the air delivery mask 16 can extend around the user's face, from one side to the other side, and is located in front of the user's mouth. Specifically, the air delivery mask 26 extends around the user's lower jaw, from near one cheek to near the other cheek, without contacting the mouth, nose or surrounding areas of the user's face. Therefore, it is useful that at least a portion of the air delivery mask 26 is made of a transparent or partially transparent material so that the user's mouth can be seen, thereby not affecting communication.

[0054] When in use, the wearable air purifier 10 is worn by the user, the earmuffs 20, 24 are placed on the corresponding ears, and the air delivery mask 26 extends around the user's mouth area. In each earmuff 16, the rotation of the impeller 65 by the motor 96 will cause an airflow to be generated through the impeller housing 100, and the airflow is sucked into the earmuff 16 through the air inlet 66 in the outer cover 114. Then, the airflow will pass through the filter 70, thereby filtering and / or purifying the airflow. The resulting filtered airflow will then enter the air impeller housing 102, and then the impeller 65 will force the filtered airflow to flow out through the annular groove of the air outlet 110 providing the impeller housing 100 and enter the volute 108. Then, the volute 108 guides the filtered airflow through the air outlet 110 of the speaker assembly, through the rigid outlet duct 90 extending from the earmuff 16, and enters the hollow channel 32 defined by the air delivery mask 26.

[0055] The above discussion provides an overview of the structure and function of the wearable air purifier 10 shown in the figures. One challenge associated with such a device is that the user may experience a certain degree of discomfort due to sweating during use. This particularly (but not limited to) affects the skin areas that contact the device. For example, the main areas of skin contact are along various parts of the headband, but also include earmuffs.

[0056] The discussion will now focus on embodiments of the wearable air purifier 10 to improve user comfort by providing cooling airflow.

[0057] Figure 6 A first exemplary embodiment of a wearable air purifier 10 according to the present invention is shown in schematic form. Figure 6 The form of the air purifier shown in FIG. 1 is substantially the same as that discussed above in relation to the preceding figures and therefore the same reference numerals will be used to refer to common parts.

[0058] It should be understood that Figure 6 An airflow path 120 is shown in schematic form, extending from each of the earmuffs 16, through the hollow interior of the air delivery mask 26, and through the nozzle 34 of the air delivery mask to the air delivery area 28. Here, airflow is supplied from both earmuffs 16, although in some examples, only one earmuff needs to be supplied with airflow. The airflow is shown by the arrow labeled F1.

[0059] However, in Figure 6 , it is clear that the wearable air purifier 10 has a second airflow path 122, which, as shown here, is at least partially provided in the headgear. The airflow path 120 that travels through the air delivery mask will be referred to as the first airflow path. In contrast, the airflow path 122 that extends through the headgear will be referred to as the second airflow path.

[0060] It is worth noting that Figure 6 The left hand ear cup 16 in the embodiment provides airflow to the first airflow path 120 and the second airflow path 122. This is beneficial because it avoids the need for a dedicated fan to supply the second airflow path 122, which would otherwise increase the complexity, weight and size of the overall packaging of the wearable air purifier, thereby increasing the cost.

[0061] In order to supply the airflow from the earmuffs 16 into the second airflow path 122, a suitable channel 124 is provided bridging the earmuffs 16 and the headband 14. The channel 124 can be formed as part of the structure connecting the earmuffs 18 to the headband 14, which will provide a convenient and aesthetic solution. However, other options are also possible, for example, a separate duct can be provided between the earmuffs 16 and the headband 14. In this context, it should be noted that the channel 124 can be formed by a pipe or duct made of a suitable elastic material (e.g. rubber). Such a material can help to attenuate the vibrations of the compressor.

[0062] like Figure 6 As shown, the second airflow path 122 includes a path portion extending along the headband 14 and is provided with at least one opening 126 to allow air to pass through. The airflow can be understood by the arrow marked F2. Figure 6 , the opening 126 is shown on the top side of the headband 14 , but this is not required and the opening 126 may be formed in any suitable portion of the headband 14 .

[0063] Beneficially, the air flowing along the second airflow path 122 provides a cooling effect to the user's head 130 . Figure 6 As can be clearly seen in the close proximity between the head 130 and the headband 14, the head 130 may heat up when the head 130 is in contact with the head engagement surface 132 of the headband 14 for a long time. The heat energy generated by the head 130 will be transferred to the head engagement surface 132. However, because the airflow F2 flows over the head engagement surface 132, and because the head engagement surface 132 forms at least a portion of the second airflow path 122, some of the heat energy will be transferred to the airflow F2, thereby cooling the headband 14.

[0064] exist Figure 6 In the example shown, the interior of the headband 14 is a cushioning region 133 formed of a foam material having an open cell structure to allow air to pass through. This provides a cooling effect and cushioning for the headband 14. Thus, in this example, the second airflow path 122 is formed in the cushioning region of the headband 14.

[0065] exist Figure 6In the example shown, the second airflow path 122 is supplied with airflow from the left ear cup. This can provide sufficient cooling airflow. However, in some examples, especially where a higher air flow rate is required, the second ear cup 16 (i.e., the right ear cup as shown) can also contribute to the air flow in the second airflow path 122. Figure 7 shown.

[0066] The first and second ear cups 16 contribute approximately equally to the airflow. Alternatively, the contributions may be unequal. The airflow generators 64 may be controlled to operate together at the same overall flow rate, or the airflow generators may be controlled to provide different levels of airflow based on a variety of factors. In one contemplated example, a sensing device (not shown) may be provided to sense the temperature at one or more points along the length of the headband 14, which data may be processed by an appropriate control algorithm to generate more or less flow as desired.

[0067] from Figure 6 and Figure 7 As can be appreciated in the example of the head engaging surface 132, the head engaging surface is a complete surface, so cooling relies on heat transfer across the surface. To improve heat transfer, a hybrid material can be used as the head contacting surface. An example material is that the headband 14 includes an open cell foam material to create a cushioning effect, which is covered with a rubber material or a fabric or leather-like material for the head engaging surface 132.

[0068] In another example, the head engaging surface 132 may be provided with one or more holes to allow air to flow over, through or through the head engaging surface. The number of holes may be small to allow airflow to be ejected from the headband 14, albeit at a lower pressure. Alternatively, there may be many holes, such as those achieved with perforated headband material. Figure 8 An example of this is shown.

[0069] It is clear that Figure 8 The examples in Figure 7 Similar in that it shows the second airflow path 122 extending through the headband 14. However, in addition, the head engaging surface 132 of the headband 14 is also provided with a plurality of apertures 134.

[0070] The apertures 134 allow air to flow out of the second airflow path 122 through the head engaging surface 132 toward the user's head 130. Thus, the apertures 134 provide an enhanced cooling effect.

[0071] At this point, it should be noted that the holes 134 in the underside surface of the headband 14 may be provided in addition to or in lieu of the holes 126 provided in the upper surface of the headband 14 .

[0072] In principle, other structures are possible that provide a cooling effect through the headband 14. Figures 6 to 8 In the embodiment, the second airflow path 122 passes through the cushioning material of the headband. Fig. 9 In the illustrated alternative example, the second airflow path 122 is provided by a shallow channel, duct or passage 135 between the headband cushioning and the head. Fig. 9 It should be understood that only a short section of the headband 14 is shown to illustrate the principle. However, it can be seen that the headband includes a downwardly facing head engagement surface 132, which includes two longitudinal channels 135. In this example, the channels 135 are parallelly configured and extend longitudinally along the headband 14.

[0073] The airflow is represented by the dashed arrows labeled F2, and it will be appreciated that this air flow will help to remove heat energy from the contact area between the user's head and the headband 14. It should also be noted that Figure 6 and 7 The airflow path shown may be considered the "inner" airflow path of the headband 14, and may also be compared to the Fig. 9 The external airflow channels shown are combined.

[0074] Figures 6 to 9 The example shown demonstrates how a first airflow path 120 may be provided in an air delivery mask of a wearable air purifier device, and how a second airflow path 122 may be provided to produce a cooling effect at the contact area between the user's head and the head engaging surface 132 of the device.

[0075] Fig.10 Another example is shown. From the wearable air purifier 10 in the figure and Figure 6 , 7 The similarity with 8 shows that Fig.10 The device in has a first airflow path 120 defined by the air delivery mask 26, and the airflow generator 64 of each earmuff 16 provides airflow for the path. The device also has a second airflow path 122 for cooling the contact area between the user and the headband.

[0076] However, the second airflow path 122 is not provided by the headband 14 of the device, but rather the second airflow path 122 is defined in the earmuffs 16. Therefore, the earmuffs define a corresponding portion of the second airflow path. Fig.10 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , each ear cup 16 has an aperture 140 that provides a route for the airflow generated by the airflow generator 64 to enter the ear cushion 56 from the air outlet 110 / internal chamber 111 of the housing 50 .

[0077] Fig.10The route of the airflow through the ear pad 56 is also shown. Thus, the ear pad 56 defines a portion of the second airflow path 122, and the outer surface of the ear pad 56 defines a head engaging surface 141 which is cooled by the airflow through the ear pad 56. It can be seen that in this example, the hole 140 is located in the ear pad 56, close to the point where the ear cup 16 is attached to the headband 14. However, in principle, the hole 140 can be located elsewhere. It is also envisaged that the surface 141 of the ear pad can be perforated or otherwise provided with one or more holes where the ear pad contacts the user's head or ear to enhance the cooling effect.

[0078] Since the ear pad 56 is made of foam material, the second airflow path is defined by the foam material itself due to the open cell structure. Therefore, air flows from the hole to the outlet 142 through the ear pad material. The outlet 142 is shown here as being located diametrically opposite the hole 140, but this is not required. In this example, the outlet 142 is independently defined, but multiple holes may be included to provide an outlet for the airflow. Alternatively, all airflow may pass through the perforations in the ear pad 56 and the outlet 142 may be omitted.

[0079] Fig.11 Another example is shown in which the airflow generator 64 in the earmuff 16 supplies a cooling airflow to the wearable air purifier 10. As shown in the previous figures, the wearable air purifier 10 has a first airflow path 120, which is provided to the air delivery mask 26. The airflow is generated by the airflow generator 64 in the earmuff 16.

[0080] Additional airflow is directed into the headband 14 and also into the ear pads 56. Figure 8 and Fig.10 In the example of FIG. 1 , the configuration of the headband can be such that the flow of air into the headband 14 and the ear pads 56 can be considered to be the same as described above. However, in Fig.11 In, two additional air flows are provided.

[0081] In addition, the wearable air purifier 10 is configured to provide additional cooling airflow to the earmuffs 16 in addition to directing the airflow into the ear pads 56. As shown, each of the earmuffs 16 is provided with a hole 150 that fluidly connects the air outlet 110 / internal chamber 111 of the housing 50 to the cavity 58 of the earmuffs 16. Thus, the second airflow 122 enters the cavity 58 and directly cools the user's ears.

[0082] In this illustrated example, cooling airflows are provided in the headband 14, in the ear cushions 56, and in the cavity 58. However, it should be noted that three separate cooling airflows are shown for completeness, and each may be embodied independently.

[0083] Fig.11Also shown is an alternative airflow route into the cavity 58 which may be provided in place of or in addition to the aperture 150 in the corresponding earmuff 16. In this case, an aperture 152 is provided which extends from a portion of the air delivery mask 26 to the cavity 58. The aperture 152 is formed by a duct or tubular structure extending from a portion of the air delivery mask 26 proximate to where the mask joins the earmuff 16. The aperture 152 extends from a portion of the housing 50 of the earmuff 16 or may extend through a portion of the ear cup 56. Thus, in this example, airflow into the cavity 58 is considered to flow out of the first airflow path 120 along the air delivery mask 120. It is noteworthy that in the illustrated example, only one of the earmuffs 16 is provided with an additional aperture 152, but additional apertures may also be provided for both earmuffs 16.

[0084] In the case where more than one second airflow path 122 is provided, for example Fig.11 As shown, the wearable air purifier 10 can be configured to control the airflow through each of the airflow paths, and optionally also control the airflow rate. In addition, in the case of a single second airflow path 122, the wearable air purifier device can be configured to control the rate of the airflow.

[0085] Thus, as described above, in all configurations of the wearable air purifier 10 shown herein, the airflow generator 64 is operable to control the airflow through the second airflow path 122, whether it is formed in the headband 14 or the earmuffs 16. Fig.12 , where the airflow generator 64 is shown as receiving the airflow from the filter 70 and providing the airflow to the air delivery mask 26, the headband 14 and the earmuffs 16. To this end, the control valve 200 is provided as part of the control system of the wearable air purifier device and is therefore operably connected to the controller 202.

[0086] In this example, the controller 202 is operably connected to the airflow generator 64 and the control valve 200. Thus, the controller 202 can control both the flow rate and the destination of the airflow. The precise form of the control valve 200 is not important. However, the control valve 200 should have the necessary functionality to supply airflow to one or more of the air delivery mask 26, the headband 14, and the earmuffs 16. One such valve can be a three-way regulating micro-slide valve.

[0087] The control of the control valve 200 may be responsive to a variety of factors. One such factor may be a control input from a user on the user interface 204. The user interface 204 may take a variety of forms. For example, it may be a touch screen that provides a visual display for the user to interact with. However, to assist the user in operating without vision, the user interface may be embodied as one or more tactile switches and / or multi-position switches. The user interface 204 may also be responsive to voice commands from the user.

[0088] The controller 202 is used as a general term herein to refer to the computing hardware, software, and firmware required to control the electronic functions of the wearable air purifier device. In general, the controller 202 may include appropriate modules (not shown) to control various aspects of the wearable air purifier device, and may include an audio control module, an active noise cancellation module, a wireless module, a microphone module, a battery and power management module, a sensor and data interface module, an antenna module, a fan control module, and a valve control module. In addition, the controller 202 is provided with an appropriate processing environment, storage capacity, and communication capabilities to enable it to perform its functions.

[0089] Various modifications to the illustrated examples have been mentioned in the above discussion. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other modifications may be made without departing from the invention defined in the claims.

[0090] In the above aspects of the invention, the airflow generator 64 is provided in the earmuffs of the wearable air purifier device. However, it should be noted that the invention is not limited to this configuration, and thus the airflow generator may be provided outside the earmuffs while still providing the advantages of the illustrated examples of the invention.

Claims

1. A wearable air purifier, comprising: A headgear (12), and an air delivery mask (26) connected to the headgear and defining an air delivery region (28), wherein the air delivery mask (26) is configured to define a first airflow path (120) to deliver airflow to the air delivery region, wherein the headgear defines a second airflow path (122), Further included is a fan (64) configured to direct airflow to the first airflow path (120) and the second airflow path (122).

2. A wearable air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the headgear (12) includes at least one earmuff (16), and wherein the second airflow path (122) includes an earmuff path portion defined by the earmuff (16).

3. A wearable air purifier according to claim 2, wherein the earmuff path portion guides the airflow into an ear chamber (58) defined by the earmuff (16).

4. The wearable air purifier according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the earmuff path portion guides the airflow to the ear cushion portion (56) of the earmuff (16).

5. A wearable air purifier according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the or each earmuff comprises a speaker assembly.

6. A wearable air purifier according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the headgear (12) includes a headband (14) wearable on or around a head area of ​​a user, and wherein the second airflow path (122) includes a headband path portion defined by the headband (14).

7. A wearable air purifier according to claim 6, wherein the headband path portion includes a cushioning area (133).

8. A wearable air purifier according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the headband path portion defines one or more holes (134) to allow air to flow to the user's head area.

9. The wearable air purifier of claim 8, wherein the one or more holes (134) are at least partially provided by a perforated surface (132).

10. A wearable air purifier according to claims 6 to 9, wherein the headband (14) defines one or more air outlets (126) in an upper surface of the headband to allow airflow to be discharged from the second airflow path.

Images