Air treatment equipment

Abstract

An air treatment device is provided that includes a head-mounted air purifier. The head-mounted air purifier comprises a first loudspeaker assembly and a second loudspeaker assembly, the first loudspeaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a first ear of a user, and the second loudspeaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a second ear of the user. The first speaker assembly includes a speaker, a filter assembly, an airflow generator for generating an airflow through the filter assembly, and an air outlet downstream of the filter assembly for releasing a filtered airflow from the first speaker assembly. The head-mounted air purifier further comprises a nozzle comprising an air inlet arranged to receive the filtered airflow from the air outlet of the first speaker assembly and an air outlet arranged to release the received filtered airflow from the head-mounted air purifier, the nozzle is detachably coupled to the first speaker assembly by magnetic attachment.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application date of December 6, 2019, application number 201911239435.0, and invention name “Air Treatment Equipment”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of air treatment equipment, and more specifically, to a wearable air purifier, and in particular to a head-mounted air purifier. Background Art

[0003] Air pollution is a growing problem, with various air pollutants causing known or suspected harmful effects on human health. The adverse effects that air pollution may cause depend on the type and concentration of the pollutant and the duration of exposure to polluted air. For example, high levels of air pollution may cause immediate health problems, such as severe cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, while long-term exposure to polluted air may have permanent health effects, such as loss of lung function and decreased lung function and the development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer.

[0004] In places where air pollution is particularly severe, many people have recognized the benefits of minimizing exposure to these pollutants and have therefore worn masks that are designed to filter out at least a portion of the pollutants present in the air before they reach the mouth and nose. These masks range from basic dust masks that only filter out relatively large dust particles to more complex air-purifying respirators that require air to pass through filter elements or cartridges. However, because these masks typically cover at least the user's mouth and nose, they can make normal breathing more laborious and can also cause problems with the user's ability to speak to others, making their use in daily life somewhat reluctant despite the potential benefits.

[0005] As a result, various attempts have been made to develop air purifiers that can be worn by a user, but that do not need to cover the user's mouth and nose. For example, there are a variety of designs of wearable air purifiers that are worn around the user's neck and produce a jet of air that is directed upward toward the user's mouth and nose. While these may be more socially acceptable, they are generally less effective at limiting the user's exposure to air pollutants than some of the best performing face-worn filters. This is primarily due to their lack of accuracy in delivering the air jet to the user's mouth and nose, as well as the fact that an unfiltered stream of air can still reach the user's mouth and nose.

[0006] WO2017120992, CN103949017A, KR101796969B1 and CN203852759U all describe head-mounted purifiers that provide an alternative to face masks and neck-mounted purifiers. WO2017120992, CN103949017A and KR101796969B1 each describe a headset having a pair of earphones on opposite sides of a headband and a microphone disposed on the end of an arm extending from one of the earphones.

[0007] In WO2017120992, a separate air filter unit (5) is connected to an air outlet (1) provided on an arm supporting a microphone (2) via a duct (6). Filtered air is produced by the air filter unit (5) and pumped through the duct (6) to be discharged from the air outlet (1). This head-mounted purifier adopts the traditional head-mounted headset form, which does not completely cover the user's mouth and nose, and is therefore more socially acceptable than a mask. In addition, by providing an air delivery outlet at the end of a traditional microphone arm, this head-mounted purifier should be able to provide purified air to the user's nose and / or mouth more accurately than a neck-mounted purifier. However, this head-mounted purifier will still allow a small amount of unfiltered air to reach the user's mouth and nose. In addition, the need for a separate air filter unit makes the purifier more complicated and more troublesome for the user.

[0008] In CN103949017A, a fan (6) is incorporated into one of the earphones (8), wherein the fan (6) is used to pump air through a duct (7) to an air purification device (5) disposed on the end of an arm supporting a microphone (3). Although this head-mounted purifier has incorporated air purification functionality into the earphones, the air purification and delivery performance will be limited due to the small space available for filtering contaminants from the air provided by the fan and delivering the filtered air to the user. In particular, due to the small available filtering area, the small available space will greatly limit the maximum flow rate and filtering efficiency. In addition, like the head-mounted purifier described in WO2017120992, this head-mounted purifier will still allow a large amount of unfiltered air to reach the user's mouth and nose. Summary of the invention

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a wearable air purifier that provides improved air purification and air delivery performance compared to existing wearable air purifiers.

[0010] According to a first aspect, an air treatment device is provided, which includes a head-mounted air purifier. The head-mounted air purifier includes a first speaker assembly and a second speaker assembly, wherein the first speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a first ear of a user, and the second speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a second ear of the user. The first speaker assembly includes a speaker, a filter assembly, an airflow generator for generating an airflow through the filter assembly, and an air outlet for releasing the filtered airflow from the first speaker assembly downstream of the filter assembly. The head-mounted air purifier also includes a nozzle, which includes an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the air inlet is arranged to receive a filtered airflow from the air outlet of the first speaker assembly, and the air outlet is arranged to release the received filtered airflow from the head-mounted air purifier, wherein the nozzle is detachably connected to the first speaker assembly by a magnetic attachment between a nozzle to a speaker connector provided on the nozzle and a speaker to a nozzle connector provided on the first speaker. Then, when the nozzle is connected to the first speaker assembly, the air inlet of the nozzle is aligned with the air outlet of the first speaker assembly. The airflow generator may include an impeller driven by a motor.

[0011] The nozzle may be detachably coupled to the first speaker assembly by a detachable connection (i.e. the nozzle has a detachable connection to the first speaker assembly). The detachable connection may comprise a nozzle-to-speaker connector provided on the nozzle and a speaker-to-nozzle connector provided on the first speaker assembly. The nozzle-to-speaker connector may then be arranged to be detachably coupled to the speaker-to-nozzle connector. The air inlet of the nozzle is then provided by the nozzle-to-speaker connector and the air outlet of the first speaker assembly is provided by the speaker-to-nozzle connector.

[0012] One of the nozzle to speaker connector and the speaker to nozzle connector may include a male connector element, and the other of the nozzle to speaker connector and the speaker to nozzle connector includes a female connector element, which is arranged to receive the male connector element. The male connector element may be arranged to be rotatable when arranged in the female connector element. The male connector element and the female connector element may both be annular. The nozzle to speaker connector may include a male connector element extending around the air inlet of the nozzle and defining the air inlet of the nozzle, and the speaker to nozzle connector may include a female connector element extending around the air outlet of the first speaker assembly and defining the air outlet of the first speaker assembly. The air inlet of the nozzle and the air outlet of the first speaker assembly may both have a circular cross-section.

[0013] The magnetic attachment or connection is provided by cooperation between at least one magnet and a magnetic material, wherein the magnet is disposed on one of the nozzle-to-speaker connector and the speaker-to-nozzle connector, and the magnetic material is disposed on the other of the nozzle-to-speaker connector and the speaker-to-nozzle connector.

[0014] The speaker to nozzle connector may include a ring of magnetic material and the nozzle to speaker connector may include the at least one magnet. The nozzle to speaker connector may include a plurality of magnets radially spaced around the nozzle to speaker connector. The nozzle to speaker connector may include a ring magnet.

[0015] The speaker to nozzle may comprise a female connector element. The female connector element may then comprise a ring of magnetic material. The nozzle to speaker connector may then further comprise a plurality of magnets radially spaced around the periphery of the male connector element.

[0016] The air treatment device may also include a sensor configured to detect when the nozzle is coupled to the first speaker assembly and a control circuit configured to stop the motor when the sensor detects that the nozzle is not coupled to the first speaker assembly.

[0017] The second speaker assembly may include a speaker, a filter assembly, an impeller for generating an airflow through the filter assembly, a motor arranged to drive the impeller, and an air outlet for releasing the filtered airflow from the second speaker assembly downstream of the filter assembly. The first speaker assembly and the second speaker assembly may be substantially the same. Then, the nozzle may be arranged to receive the filtered airflow from the air outlets of both the first speaker assembly and the second speaker assembly, and the nozzle includes an air outlet arranged to release the received filtered airflow from the head-mounted air purifier. Then, the nozzle may include another air inlet arranged to receive the filtered airflow from the air outlet of the second speaker assembly, wherein the nozzle is detachably coupled to the second speaker assembly. Then, when the nozzle is coupled to the second speaker assembly, the other air inlet of the nozzle is aligned with the air outlet of the second speaker assembly. The air inlet may be provided by a first end of the nozzle, and the other air inlet may be provided by an opposite second end of the nozzle.

[0018] The nozzle may be detachably coupled to the second speaker assembly by a magnetic attachment or connection between a nozzle-to-speaker connector provided on the nozzle and another speaker-to-nozzle connector provided on the second speaker. The nozzle may be detachably coupled to the second speaker assembly by a detachable connection (i.e., the nozzle has a detachable connection to the second speaker assembly). Another detachable connection may include a nozzle-to-speaker connector provided on the nozzle and a speaker-to-nozzle connector provided on the second speaker assembly. Another nozzle-to-speaker connector may be arranged to be detachably coupled to another speaker-to-nozzle connector. Another air inlet of the nozzle may be provided by another nozzle-to-speaker connector, and an air outlet of the second speaker assembly may be provided by another speaker-to-nozzle connector.

[0019] One of the further nozzle-to-speaker connector and the further speaker-to-nozzle connector may comprise a male connector element and the other of the further nozzle-to-speaker connector and the further speaker-to-nozzle connector comprises a female connector element arranged to receive the male connector element.

[0020] The first speaker assembly may be mounted on a first end of a headband and the second speaker assembly mounted on an opposing second end of the headband, the headband being arranged to be worn on a user's head.

[0021] According to a second aspect, an air treatment device is provided, which includes a head-mounted air purifier. The head-mounted air purifier includes a first speaker assembly and a second speaker assembly, wherein the first speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a first ear of a user, and the second speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a second ear of the user. The first speaker assembly and the second speaker assembly each include a speaker, a filter assembly, an airflow generator for generating an airflow through the filter assembly, and an air outlet for releasing the filtered airflow located downstream of the filter assembly. The head-mounted air purifier also includes a nozzle, which includes a first air inlet arranged at a first end of the nozzle, a second air inlet arranged at an opposite second end of the nozzle, and an air outlet, wherein the first air inlet is arranged to receive a filtered airflow from the air outlet of the first speaker assembly, the second air inlet is arranged to receive a filtered airflow from the air outlet of the second speaker assembly, and the air outlet is arranged to release the received filtered airflow from the head-mounted air purifier. The first end of the nozzle is detachably coupled to the first speaker assembly via a magnetic attachment between a nozzle-to-speaker connector provided on the nozzle and a speaker-to-nozzle connector provided on the first speaker assembly, and the second end of the nozzle is detachably coupled to the second speaker assembly via a magnetic attachment between another nozzle-to-speaker connector provided on the nozzle and another speaker-to-nozzle connector provided on the second speaker assembly. The airflow generator may include an impeller driven by a motor.

[0022] When the first end of the nozzle is coupled to a first speaker assembly, the first air inlet of the nozzle may be aligned with the air outlet of the first speaker assembly, and when the second end of the nozzle is coupled to a second speaker assembly, the second air inlet of the nozzle may be aligned with the air outlet of the second speaker assembly.

[0023] The nozzle may be detachably coupled to a first speaker assembly via a first detachable connection (i.e., a first end of the nozzle has a detachable connection to the first speaker assembly), and may be detachably coupled to a second speaker assembly via a second detachable connection (i.e., a second end of the nozzle has a detachable connection to the second speaker assembly). The first detachable connection and the second detachable connection may each include a nozzle-to-speaker connector disposed on the nozzle and a speaker-to-nozzle connector disposed on a corresponding speaker assembly. The nozzle-to-speaker connector may be arranged to be detachably coupled to the speaker-to-nozzle connector. The nozzle-to-speaker connector may provide a corresponding air inlet of the nozzle, and the speaker-to-nozzle connector may provide an air outlet of the corresponding speaker assembly.

[0024] According to a third aspect, a nozzle for an air treatment device is provided, wherein the air treatment device includes a head-mounted air purifier, wherein the head-mounted air purifier includes a first speaker assembly and a second speaker assembly, wherein the first speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a first ear of a user, and the second speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a second ear of the user. The nozzle includes a first air inlet arranged at a first end of the nozzle and a second air inlet arranged at an opposite second end of the nozzle, wherein the first air inlet is arranged to receive a first filtered airflow from the first speaker assembly, and the second air inlet is arranged to receive a second filtered airflow from the second speaker assembly. The nozzle also includes an air outlet arranged to release the received filtered airflow from the nozzle. The first end of the nozzle is detachably connected to the first speaker assembly by a magnetic attachment between a nozzle to a speaker connector and the first speaker assembly provided on the nozzle, and the second end of the nozzle is detachably connected to the second speaker assembly by a magnetic attachment between another nozzle to a speaker connector and the second speaker assembly provided on the nozzle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1a is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a head-mounted air purifier as described herein;

[0027] Figure 1b yes Figure 1a A front view of a head-mounted air purifier;

[0028] Figure 1c yes Figure 1a A front perspective view of a head-mounted air purifier, wherein the nozzle is tucked away above the headband;

[0029] Figure 1d yes Figure 1a A side view of a head-mounted air purifier;

[0030] Figure 2 yes Figure 1a A cross-sectional view of a head-mounted air purifier;

[0031] Figure 3a yes Figure 1a A side view of a speaker assembly of a head-mounted air purifier;

[0032] Figure 3b yes Figure 1a A perspective view of a speaker assembly of a head-mounted air purifier;

[0033] Figure 4 It is taken along line AA Figure 1da cross-sectional view of a speaker assembly;

[0034] Figures 5a to 5h yes Figure 3a and 3b Perspective views of the loudspeaker assembly at various structural levels;

[0035] Figure 6a yes Figure 3a and 3b A perspective view of an impeller housing of a speaker assembly;

[0036] Figure 6b yes Figure 6a A cross-sectional view of an impeller housing;

[0037] Figure 6c and 6d yes Figure 6a A cross-sectional view of an impeller housing;

[0038] Figure 6e yes Figure 6a A perspective view of a rear casing portion of an impeller casing;

[0039] Figure 6f yes Figure 6a A perspective view of a front casing portion of an impeller casing;

[0040] Figure 7 is a top view of the impeller housing mounted within the speaker housing;

[0041] Figure 8 yes Figure 3a and 3b a cross-sectional view of a speaker chassis of a speaker assembly;

[0042] Fig. 9 With elastic support Figure 6a A cross-sectional view of an impeller housing;

[0043] Fig.10a yes Figure 3a and 3b an exploded view of a filter assembly of a speaker assembly;

[0044] Fig.10b yes Fig.10a A cross-sectional view of a filter assembly;

[0045] Fig.11 is from Figure 1a A perspective view of the nozzle of the head mounted air purifier when it is removed;

[0046] Fig.12 is a side view of an alternative speaker assembly;

[0047] Fig.13 yes Fig.12A cross-sectional view of an alternative speaker assembly;

[0048] Fig.14a is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a head-mounted air purifier as described herein;

[0049] Fig.14b yes Fig.14a A front perspective view of a head-mounted air purifier with the nozzle removed;

[0050] Fig.14c yes Fig.14a A front view of the head-mounted air purifier with the nozzle removed; and

[0051] Fig.15 yes Fig.14a Rear view of the nozzle of the head-mounted air purifier. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] A head-mounted air purifier will now be described that provides several advantages over conventional wearable air purifiers. As used herein, the term "air purifier" refers to a device or system that is capable of removing impurities from the air and releasing a supply of purified or filtered air. The term "head-mounted" is used herein to define an item that is capable of or suitable for being worn on a user's head.

[0053] The head-mounted air purifier includes an earphone system including a pair of speaker assemblies mounted on a headband. The first speaker assembly is mounted at the first end of the headband, and the second speaker assembly is mounted at the opposite second end of the headband. Then, one or both of the first speaker assembly and the second speaker assembly include a filter assembly, an impeller for generating an airflow through the filter assembly, a motor arranged to drive the impeller, and an air outlet for releasing the filtered airflow from the speaker assembly downstream of the filter assembly. The impeller is a mixed flow impeller having a generally conical or truncated conical shape, and the impeller and the motor are both arranged in a generally truncated conical impeller housing. The head-mounted air purifier then also includes a nozzle arranged to receive a filtered airflow from one or both of the first speaker assembly and the second speaker assembly, and the nozzle includes an air outlet arranged to release the received filtered airflow from the head-mounted air purifier.

[0054] As used herein, the term "headphone" refers to a pair of small loudspeakers or speakers connected by a headband, which is designed to be worn on or around the user's head. Typically, the speaker is provided by an electroacoustic transducer that converts an electrical signal into a corresponding sound. Circumaural headphones are generally referred to as full-size or circumaural headphones, which have ear pads that are shaped like a closed loop (e.g., circular, oval, etc.) so that they cover the entire ear. Since these headphones completely surround the ear, the circumaural headphones can be designed to be completely sealed against the head to reduce external noise. On-ear headphones (commonly referred to as in-ear headphones) have ear pads that press against the ear instead of around the ear. This type of headphones will usually be smaller and lighter than circumaural headphones, thereby having little attenuation of external noise.

[0055] As used herein, the term "cone" refers to an object having a conical shape. As used herein, the term "cone" refers to a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (usually, but not necessarily circular) to a point called a vertex or top. Typically, the term "cone" is used to refer to a right cone, which has a circular base and an axis that passes through the center of the base at right angles to the plane of the base. The circumference of the base of the cone is called the "directrix", and each line between the directrix and the vertex is the "generatrix (generatrix or generating line)" of the conical surface of the cone. As used herein, the term "truncated cone" refers to an object having a truncated cone shape. As used herein, the term "truncated cone" refers to the portion of the cone remaining when the area including the vertex of the cone is cut off by a truncated plane parallel to the base of the cone. The term "frustoconical" is synonymous with the term "conical frustum" and is generally used to refer to a right circular conical frustum having a circular base and a circular apex, the circular base end having a larger diameter than the circular apex end, and a frustoconical surface extending between the base and apex ends.

[0056] Figure 1a , 1b 1c are external views of an embodiment of a head-mounted air purifier 1000. The head-mounted air purifier 1000 includes a pair of generally cylindrical speaker assemblies 1100a, 1100b connected by an arched headband 1200, and a nozzle 1300 extending between the two speaker assemblies 1100a, 1100b and connected to the two speaker assemblies 1100a, 1100b at opposite ends. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the air purifier 1000 taken along the axis of the headband 1200, and also shows a cross-sectional view through the axis of the arcuate nozzle 1300, wherein the axis of the curve is a straight line that bisects the curve at a right angle and divides the curve into two symmetrical parts. Then, Figure 3a Shows Figures 1a to 1cA side view of the speaker assembly 1100 of the air purifier 1000 is shown. Figure 3b Shows Figures 1a to 1c A perspective view of the speaker assembly 1100 of the air purifier 1000, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the speaker assembly 1100 of FIG. 3 taken along line AA.

[0057] In the illustrated embodiment, each end of the headband 1200 is provided with an arcuate support arm 1201a, 1201b that is perpendicular to the headband 1200 (i.e., such that a plane parallel to the length of the arcuate headband 1200 is perpendicular to a plane parallel to the length of the arcuate support arm 1210). A first end of each support arm 1201a, 1201b is attached to the rear surface of the headband 1200, such that the support arms 1201a, 1201b extend rearwardly and downwardly from the headband 1200. Then, an opposite second end of each support arm 1201a, 1201b is provided with a forward facing socket or ear axis 1202a, 1202b.

[0058] like Figure 3a As shown, then, each cylindrical speaker assembly 1100 is provided with a mounting protrusion or pivot 1101 protruding from the outer surface of the speaker assembly 1100. The socket / ear axis 1202a, 1202b provided on each support arm 1201 is configured to receive and retain the protrusion / pivot 1101 protruding from the outer surface of the corresponding speaker assembly 1100. Therefore, the engagement of the protrusion 1101 within the socket 1202 provided on the support arm 1201 forms a universal joint or hinge that pivotably supports the speaker assembly 1100 when attached to the end of the headband 1200.

[0059] like Figure 4As shown, each of the pair of speaker assemblies 1100 further includes: a speaker housing or casing 1102 having an air inlet 1103 and an air outlet or exhaust port 1104, a speaker or driver unit 1105 within the housing 1102, and an ear pad 1106 arranged to enclose the speaker 1105 and surround or press against the user's ear. In addition, each of the pair of speaker assemblies 1100 also includes a filter assembly 1107 located within the speaker housing 1102 and an impeller housing 1108 located within the speaker housing 1102. Disposed within the impeller housing 1108 is an impeller 1109 for generating an air flow through the filter assembly 1107 and a motor 1110 arranged to drive the impeller 1109. The air outlet or exhaust port 1104 is downstream of the filter assembly 1107 (i.e., relative to the air flow generated by the impeller 1109) and is arranged to release the filtered / purified air flow from the speaker assembly 1100. In the illustrated embodiment, the air outlet or exhaust port 1104 of each speaker assembly 1100 is disposed on a side of the speaker assembly 1100 , wherein the air outlet or exhaust ports 1104 of the two speaker assemblies 1100a , 1100b are substantially parallel to each other when attached to the ends of the headband 1200 .

[0060] Figures 5a to 5h yes Figure 2 Perspective views of the loudspeaker assembly at various construction levels. Figure 4 and Figure 5a to Figure 5d As shown, the speaker housing 1102 includes: a speaker chassis 1111, a speaker / driver unit 1105 is mounted on the speaker chassis 1111; and a generally frustoconical speaker cover 1112, which is mounted on the speaker chassis 1111 above the speaker 1105. In the embodiment shown, the speaker chassis 1111 includes a generally circular base 1111a, which is surrounded by a cylindrical outer side wall 1111b and an arcuate inner side wall 1111c concentrically located within and adjacent to the outer side wall 1111b, thereby defining an arcuate slot between the arcuate inner side wall 1111c and the adjacent portion of the cylindrical outer side wall 1111b. The air outlet or exhaust port 1104 is then defined by corresponding aligned holes formed in the arcuate inner side wall 1111c and the cylindrical outer side wall 1111b.

[0061] The central portion of the base 1111a provides a driver support plate 1111d on which the speaker / driver unit 1105 can be located. The driver support plate 1111d of the speaker chassis 1111 is provided with an array of holes to allow the sound generated by the speaker / driver unit 1105 to pass through the speaker chassis 1111 into the space surrounded by the ear pad 1106. In addition, the driver support plate 1111d is angled or tilted relative to the peripheral portion of the base 1111a of the speaker chassis 1111. The angle or tilt of the driver support plate 1111d is selected so that when the head-mounted air purifier 1000 is worn on the user's head with the speaker assembly 1100 located above the user's ear, the speaker / driver unit 1105 is substantially parallel to the ear. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the angle of the driver support plate 1111d relative to the peripheral portion of the base 1111a is 10 to 15 degrees.

[0062] The speaker chassis 1111 may also be provided with a plurality of ports 1111e configured to allow a small amount of air to pass between the exterior of the speaker assembly 1100 and the space behind the speaker / driver unit 1105. In the illustrated embodiment, the ports 1111e are provided in a base 1111a of the speaker chassis 1111 and extend through the base 1111a from a point within the speaker chassis 1111 adjacent a central portion where a driver support plate 1111d is provided to an outer surface of the cylindrical outer sidewall 1111b.

[0063] In addition, a feedback microphone 1113 for active noise cancellation (ANC) may be provided on the speaker chassis 1111. The feedback microphone 1113 is arranged to provide data to the control circuit 1114, which is then configured to implement active noise cancellation (ANC) when controlling the speaker / driver unit 1105. In the embodiment shown, the feedback microphone 1113 is arranged within a corresponding hole 1111f provided in the driver support plate 1111c. For active noise cancellation (ANC) applications, the feedback microphone 1113 is provided inside the ear pad 1106, adjacent to the speaker / driver unit 1105, so as to obtain the sound reaching the user so that any unwanted noise can be identified and cancelled. Providing the speaker assembly 1100 with a feedback microphone 1113 is particularly useful because it allows the noise generated by the motor 1110 and / or the impeller 1109 to be detected by the feedback microphone 1113 and cancelled together with any other unwanted background or environmental noise.

[0064] In the illustrated embodiment, the control circuit 1114 is disposed on or mounted to a peripheral portion of the speaker chassis 1111. Thus, when the speaker / driver unit 1105 is mounted to the driver support plate 1111d, the control circuit 1114 thus at least partially surrounds the speaker / driver unit 1105 (i.e., is disposed outside / around the periphery of the speaker / driver unit 1105). In the illustrated embodiment, the control circuit 1114 comprises two arcuate circuit boards 1114a, 1114b; however, in alternative arrangements, the control circuit 1114 may equally comprise more than two arcuate circuit boards or a single arcuate or annular circuit board.

[0065] The control circuit 1114 controls both the motor 1110 and the speaker / driver unit 1105 based on control inputs received from the user. The control circuit 1114 also provides one or more wireless communication modules that allow the purifier 1000 to connect to one or more wireless networks using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or some other form of wireless personal area network (WPAN). The user of the purifier 1000 can then use a personal computer device to wirelessly connect to the purifier 1000 and communicate with it, so that they can send data to the purifier 1000 and receive data from the purifier 1000, provide user input, etc. The control circuit 1114 may also have a wired connection (not shown) to the touch screen and / or one or more physical user control devices (not shown) provided on the purifier 1000 and / or accessible to the user.

[0066] The speaker assembly 1100 is also provided with a hollow, rigid outlet duct 1115 extending from the speaker housing 1102 and arranged to connect the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100 to the air inlet of the nozzle 1300. The rigid outlet duct 1115 is further arranged so that it can be rotated relative to the speaker housing 1102 around at least a portion of the periphery of the speaker housing 1102 so that the angle between the nozzle 1300 and the headband 1200 can be changed and so that the nozzle 1300 can be stowed above the headband 1200 when not in use, such as Figure 1c shown.

[0067] Advantageously, the speaker assembly 1100 is arranged so that the rotation of the rigid outlet duct 1115 about the periphery of the speaker housing 1102 is independent of the impeller housing 1108, so that it can rotate relative to both the speaker housing 1102 and the impeller housing 1108. This arrangement allows the nozzle 1300 to be rotated toward the headband 1200 and stowed on the headband 1200 when not in use without requiring any components inside the speaker housing 1102 to be rotatable relative to the speaker housing 1102, which would complicate the structure of the speaker assembly 1100.

[0068] In addition, the speaker assembly 1100 is arranged so that the rotation of the rigid outlet duct 1115 around the periphery of the speaker housing 1102 causes the rigid outlet duct 1115 to move away from the ear pad 1106. This arrangement allows the rigid outlet duct 1115 extending from each of the first speaker assembly 1100a and the second speaker assembly 1100b to move away from each other when the nozzle 1300 is rotated toward the headband 1200, so that the opposite ends of the nozzle 1300 are opened / expanded to enable the nozzle 1300 to fit on the headband 1200 when in the stowed position. Preferably, the speaker assembly 1100 is arranged so that the rotation of the rigid outlet duct 1115 around the periphery of the speaker housing 1102 also causes the rigid outlet duct 1115 to flip around its longitudinal axis to further expand the opposite ends of the nozzle 1300. This expansion of the nozzle 1300 as it rotates is advantageous because it allows the nozzle 1300 to fit more closely to the user's face when in use, and then to stretch as it moves into the stowed position to enable the nozzle 1300 to fit over the headband 1200 .

[0069] In the illustrated embodiment, the rigid outlet duct 1115 is arranged so that it can be rotated between a first end position and a second end position. In the first end position, the rigid outlet duct 1115 is generally aligned with the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100, such as Figure 1a Specifically, in the first end position, the first open end of the rigid outlet duct 1115 (i.e., the first open end proximal to / near the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100) is generally aligned with the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100, so that any airflow released from the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100 will enter the rigid outlet duct 1115. In the second end position, the rigid outlet duct 1115 is generally parallel to the headband 1200 and therefore will not be aligned with the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100, as shown. Figure 1cTherefore, the purifier 1000 is also provided with a sensor (not shown) that detects when the rigid outlet duct 1115 of one or both of the first speaker assembly 1100a and the second speaker assembly 1100b is not aligned with the corresponding air outlet 1104 and automatically turns off the motor 1110.

[0070] In order to allow adjustment of the position of the nozzle 1300 relative to the headband 1200 while maintaining a flow of purified air from the speaker assemblies 1100a, 1100b, the angular extension of the first open end of the rigid outlet duct 1115 is greater than the angular extension of the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100. This allows the fluid connection between the rigid outlet duct 1115 and the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100 to be maintained even if the rigid outlet duct 1115 is rotated a small angle / distance away from the first end position. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the central angle of the arcuate first open end of the rigid outlet duct 1115 is 10 to 15 degrees greater than the central angle of the arcuate air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100.

[0071] In the illustrated embodiment, the first open end of the rigid outlet duct 1115 is provided with a flange (not shown) that protrudes around the periphery of the first open end of the rigid outlet duct 1115 and is arranged to fit within and slide within an arcuate slot defined between adjacent portions of the arcuate inner sidewall 1111c and the cylindrical outer sidewall 1111b. The sliding movement of the rigid outlet duct 1115 within the arcuate slot thus causes the rigid outlet duct 1115 to rotate around a portion of the periphery of the speaker housing 1102 without any corresponding rotation of the impeller housing 1108.

[0072] Thus, the hole formed in the cylindrical outer side wall 1111b that partially defines the air outlet 1104 extends partially around the circumference of the speaker housing 1102 so as to define a track 1146 that guides the rigid outlet duct 1115 to rotate around a portion of the outer circumference of the speaker housing 1102. The track 1146 is arranged so that when it extends from the first end position to the second end position, it moves away from the ear pad 1106, so that when the nozzle 1300 is rotated toward the headband 1200, the rigid outlet ducts 1115 extending from each of the first speaker assembly 1100a and the second speaker assembly 1100b move away from each other. Figure 1c As shown, such rotation of the nozzle 1300 toward the headband 1200 causes the opposite end of the nozzle 1300 to expand / deploy so that the nozzle 1300 can fit over the headband 1200 when in the stowed position.

[0073] Then, a speaker cover 1112 having a generally truncated cone shape is mounted on the speaker chassis 1111 over the entire driver support plate 1111c so that the speaker / driver unit 1105 is covered by the speaker cover 1112. In the illustrated embodiment, the speaker cover 1112 is arranged to cover only the driver support plate 1111c so that the outer peripheral portion of the base 1111a and the two arcuate circuit boards 1114a, 1114b mounted thereon are not covered by the speaker cover 1112, but so that the inner end of the port 1111e is covered by the speaker cover 1112. In the illustrated embodiment, the speaker cover 1112 is formed with a plurality of concave depressions or dimples 112a, which increase the rigidity of the speaker cover 1112 to minimize vibration of the speaker cover 1112.

[0074] like Figure 4 , 5e 5f, the generally frustoconical impeller housing 1108, which contains both the impeller 1109 and the motor 1110, is then placed over the speaker cover 1112 so that the speaker / driver unit 1105 is nested within the recess or cavity defined by the back / rear portion of the impeller housing 1108. Thus, both the speaker cover 1112 and the speaker / driver unit 1105 are partially disposed within the recess defined by the back / rear portion of the impeller housing 1108.

[0075] Figure 6a shows a perspective view of the impeller housing 1108 without the impeller 1109 and the motor 1110, Figure 6b yes Figure 6a Then, Figure 6c is a cross-sectional side view of the impeller housing 1108 without the impeller 1109 and the motor 1110, and Figure 6d 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an impeller housing 1108 with both an impeller 1109 and a motor 1110 located inside. The impeller housing 1108 is generally frustoconical, and the back / rear side of the impeller housing 1108 defines a generally frustoconical recess 1116 having an open large diameter end and a closed small diameter end. The open large diameter end of the recess 1116 is proximate to the trailing edge of the impeller 1109, while the closed small diameter end of the recess 1116 is proximate to the leading edge of the impeller 1109.

[0076] Specifically, the impeller housing 1108 includes a generally frustoconical impeller housing 1117 surrounding the impeller 1109 and the motor 1110, and an annular volute 1118 fluidly connected to the base of the impeller housing 1117 and arranged to receive air discharged from the impeller housing 1117. The back / rear side of the impeller housing 1117 defines an inner portion of a generally frustoconical recess 1116, and includes a closed small diameter end of the recess 1116. The impeller housing 1117 is provided with an air inlet 1119 through which air is drawn by the impeller 1109, and an air outlet 1120 through which air is released from the impeller housing 1117 into the annular volute 1118. The air inlet 1119 of the impeller housing 1117 is provided by a hole / opening at the small diameter end of the impeller housing 1117, while the air outlet 1120 is provided by an annular slot formed around the large diameter end or base of the impeller housing 1117. In the illustrated embodiment, the angle (θ2) between the air outlet 1120 of the impeller housing 1117 and the central axis (X) of the impeller housing 1117 is approximately 54 degrees; however, the angle (θ2) can be 40 to 70 degrees, preferably 45 to 65 degrees, and more preferably 50 to 60 degrees.

[0077] The annular volute 1118 includes a spiral (i.e., gradually widening) duct arranged to receive air exhausted from the impeller housing 1117 and direct the air to the air outlet 1131 of the volute 1118. The air outlet 1131 of the volute 1118 is then fluidly connected to the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100. As used herein, the term "volute" refers to a spiral funnel that receives fluid pumped by the impeller and increases in area as it approaches the exhaust port. Therefore, the air outlet 1131 of the volute 1118 provides an efficient and quiet means for collecting air exhausted from the circumferential annular groove forming the air outlet 1120 of the impeller housing 1117. In the illustrated embodiment, the annular volute 1118 includes a partially flat front surface 1118a, and the flat portion of the front surface 1118a of the volute is at an acute angle relative to the central axis of the impeller housing 1117. Therefore, the annular volute 1118 has a non-circular cross-section. In the illustrated embodiment, the angle (θ3) between the planar portion of the front surface of the volute 1118 and the central axis (X) of the impeller housing 1117 is approximately 60 degrees; however, the angle (θ3) may be 40 to 70 degrees, preferably 45 to 65 degrees, and more preferably 50 to 60 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, the annular volute 1118 further includes a partially flat rear / back surface 1118b, wherein the planar portion of the rear / back surface 1118b is substantially perpendicular to the central axis (X) of the impeller housing 1117.

[0078] exist Figures 6a to 6dIn the illustrated embodiment, the impeller housing 1108 includes a front housing portion 1121 that is attached to a rear / back housing portion 1122 such that the impeller housing 1117 and the volute 1118 are integrally formed with one another. Figure 6e A perspective view of the rear / back housing portion 1122 is shown, and Figure 6f A perspective view of the front housing portion 1121 is shown.

[0079] like Figure 6d As shown, the impeller 1109 and the motor 1110 are disposed between the front housing portion 1121 and the rear / back housing portion 1122, such that the impeller 1109 and the motor 1110 are accommodated in a space defined between the front housing portion 1121 and the rear / back housing portion 1122. Thus, the front housing portion 1121 is arranged to be disposed over the front of the impeller 1109, while the rear / back housing portion 1122 is arranged to be disposed over the rear of the impeller 1109 and the motor 1109. In particular, the front housing portion 1121 and the rear housing portion 1122 each have a generally frustoconical shape, wherein the front housing portion 1121 is configured to fit tightly over the front of the impeller 1109, while the rear housing portion 1122 generally conforms to the rear of the impeller 1109, while also providing a space for accommodating the motor 1110. Thus, the front housing portion 1121 also includes an aperture providing an air inlet 1119 for the impeller housing 1108 , while the rear housing portion 1122 forms a rear side / back side of the impeller housing 1108 defining a generally frusto-conical recess 1116 .

[0080] like Figure 6e As shown, the rear housing portion 1122 is generally circular and includes a generally frustoconical raised central portion 1123 having a centrally disposed circular through hole 1124. The rear housing portion 1122 is also provided with a raised rim 1125 extending about three quarters of the periphery of the rear housing portion 1122 such that a gap exists between a first end of the rim 1125 and a second end opposite the rim 1125. Thus, the raised central portion 1124 and the raised rim 1125 define a recess or groove 1126 therebetween that spirals outwardly (i.e., gradually widens) toward an opening provided by the gap between the first end of the rim 1125 and the second end of the rim 1125.

[0081] like Figure 6fAs shown, the front housing portion 1121 is also generally circular and includes a generally frustoconical raised central portion 1127 having a centrally disposed circular through hole 1128. The front housing portion 1121 is then provided with an indentation or dimple 1129 that spirals outwardly (i.e., gradually widens) around the raised central portion 1127 toward an opening provided by a gap in an edge 1130, which is formed around the periphery of the front housing portion 1121 formed by the spiral indentation 1129. The edge 1130 extends around approximately three quarters of the periphery of the front housing portion 1121 such that a gap is formed between a first end of the edge 1130 and an opposite second end of the edge 1130.

[0082] As described above, the impeller housing 1117 formed by the front housing portion 1121 and the rear housing portion 1122 accommodates the impeller 1109 and the motor 1110. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the impeller 1109 and the motor 1110 are accommodated in the impeller housing 1117 defined by the frustoconical raised central portion 1123 of the rear housing portion 1122 and the frustoconical raised central portion 1127 of the front housing portion 1121. The space between the frustoconical raised central portion 1123 of the rear housing portion 1122 and the frustoconical raised central portion 1127 of the front housing portion 1121 is sufficient to accommodate the impeller 1109 and the motor 1110, and is shaped so that the impeller 1109 is in close proximity to, but not in contact with, the inner surface of the frustoconical raised central portion 1127 of the front housing portion 1121. Therefore, the center of the truncated conical raised central portion 1123 of the rear shell portion 1122 provides a motor support seat, on which the motor 1110 is arranged, and the circular through hole 1128 arranged in the center of the front shell portion 1121 provides an air inlet 1119, through which the air can be sucked into the impeller housing 1108 by the impeller 1109.

[0083] Then, when the front housing portion 1121 and the rear housing portion 1122 are connected together to form the air outlet 1131 of the volute 1118, the gaps formed in the edges 1130, 1125 of the front housing portion 1121 and the rear housing portion 1122, respectively, are aligned with each other, and the air outlet 1131 is then fluidly connected to the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100. In addition, when the front housing portion 1121 and the rear housing portion 1122 are connected together, the spiral recess 1126 formed in the rear housing portion 1122 and the spiral indentation 1129 formed in the front housing portion 1121 together define a spiral duct of the volute 1118, which is arranged to receive air exhausted from the impeller housing 1117 and guide the air to the air outlet 1131 of the volute 1118.

[0084] As described above, the impeller 1109 is a mixed flow impeller having a generally conical or frustoconical shape. The impeller 1109 is hollow so that the rear side / back side of the impeller 1109 defines a generally frustoconical recess 1132 having an open large diameter end and a closed small diameter end. The open large diameter end of the recess 1132 is close to the trailing edge of the impeller 1109, while the closed small diameter end of the recess is close to the leading edge of the impeller 1109. Then, the motor 1110 is nested / placed in the closed small diameter end of the recess 1132. Preferably, the impeller 1109 is a semi-open / semi-closed mixed flow impeller, i.e., only having a rear shroud 1133. Then, the rear shroud 1133 of the impeller defines a recess 1132, and the motor 1110 is nested / arranged in the recess 1132. In the illustrated embodiment, the motor 1110 is a DC brushless motor, the speed of which can be changed by the control circuit 1114.

[0085] In the illustrated embodiment, the angle between the trailing edge of the impeller 1109 and the central axis (X) of the impeller 1109 corresponds to / is equal to the angle (θ2) defined between the air outlet 1120 of the impeller housing 1117 and the central axis (X) of the impeller housing 1117. Thus, the angle (θ2) between the trailing edge of the impeller 1109 and the central axis (X) of the impeller 1109 is approximately 54 degrees; however, the angle (θ2) may be 40 to 70 degrees, preferably 45 to 65 degrees, and more preferably 50 to 60 degrees.

[0086] In the illustrated embodiment, the rear shroud 1133 of the impeller 1109 is curved so that it widens or flares outwardly from the leading edge to the trailing edge. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the closed small diameter end of the rear shroud 1133 of the impeller 1109 is generally cylindrical so that it fits tightly over the generally cylindrical motor 1110. Thus, a portion of the rear shroud 1133 of the impeller 1109 adjacent to the closed small diameter end is generally parallel to the central axis (X) of the impeller 1109, thereby defining a generally cylindrical small diameter end. Then, the rear shroud 1133 of the impeller 1109 is curved outwardly so that the angle of the rear shroud 1133 of the impeller 1109 relative to the central axis (X) gradually increases toward the trailing edge of the impeller 1109.

[0087] The impeller housing 1108 is then supported / suspended within the speaker housing 1102 by a plurality of resilient supports 1134 that reduce the transfer of vibrations from the impeller housing 1108 to the speaker housing 1102. To this end, each of the plurality of resilient supports 1134 comprises a resilient material, such as an elastomer or rubber material. In the illustrated embodiment, the only direct connection between the speaker housing 1102 and the impeller housing 1108 is provided by the resilient supports 1134.

[0088] In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of elastic supports 1134 include three lower elastic supports 1134a, 1134b and three upper elastic supports 1134c. The three lower elastic supports 1134a, 1134b extend radially between the inner surface / side wall of the speaker housing 1102 and the outer surface of the impeller housing 1108. Specifically, the three lower elastic supports 1134a, 1134b extend radially between the inner surface / side wall of the speaker housing 1102 and the outer peripheral surface of the annular volute 1118. Then, the three upper elastic supports 1134a, 1134b extend radially between the outer surface of the impeller housing 1108 and the lower surface of the filter assembly 1107 disposed above the impeller housing 1108, which will be described in more detail below.

[0089] Then, two of the three lower elastic supports each comprise a radial damping profile damper 1134a. As used herein, the term "profile damper" refers to a device arranged to dissipate kinetic energy and in particular vibrations by deformation of the profile of the device. Thus, a radial damping profile damper is a profile damper arranged to deform radially, while an axial damping profile damper is a profile damper arranged to deform axially.

[0090] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, each radial damping profile damper 1134a comprises a tube of elastomeric material connected / attached to the inner surface / sidewall of the speaker housing 1102 and then pressed / compressed against the outer surface of the impeller housing 1108. In particular, the tube of elastomeric material is connected / attached to the inner surface / sidewall of the speaker housing 1102 at a first location on the outer surface of the tube and then pressed / compressed against the outer surface of the impeller housing 1108 at a diametrically opposite second location on the outer surface of the tube. In the illustrated embodiment, each radial damping profile damper 1134a comprises a non-circular tube of elastomeric material having a rectangular cross-section. However, each profile damper may alternatively comprise a tube of elastomeric material having a circular or other quadrilateral cross-section.

[0091] like Figure 7 and 9As shown, a third lower resilient support of the lower resilient support is then provided by a resilient duct 1134b that seals around the air outlet 1131 of the impeller housing 1108 (e.g., seals to or against a surface surrounding the air outlet 1131 of the impeller housing 1108) and extends from the air outlet 1131 of the impeller housing 1108 toward the air outlet 1104 of the speaker housing 1102. The resilient duct 1134b then also forms a seal around the air outlet 1104 of the speaker housing 1102, so that the airflow generated by the impeller 1109 is transmitted from the impeller housing 1108 and exits through the air outlet 1104 of the speaker housing 1102. In the illustrated embodiment, the resilient duct 1134b includes a connecting portion 1134b1 connected around the air outlet 1131 of the impeller housing 1108 and a skirt 1134b2 arranged to contact a surface surrounding the air outlet 1104 of the speaker housing 1102 to form a seal around the air outlet 1104 of the speaker housing 1102. In addition, the resilient duct 1134b also includes a damping portion 1134b3, which is configured to further reduce the transmission of vibrations from the impeller housing 1108 to the speaker housing 1102. The damping portion 1134b3 includes an integral axial damping profile damper provided by a protrusion or expansion formed around the circumference of the resilient duct 1134b.

[0092] The filter assembly 1107 is then mounted to the speaker chassis 1111 such that the filter assembly 1107 is disposed upstream of the impeller 1109 and is arranged to nest above the impeller housing 1108. The filter assembly 1107 includes a filter seat 1135 supporting one or more filter elements 1136, 1137. The filter seat 1135 is provided with a plurality of apertures 1138 that allow air to pass from a front surface of the filter seat 1135 to a rear / back surface of the filter seat 1135 that is arranged to support the filter elements 1136, 1137 above the plurality of apertures 1138. The filter seat 1135 then further defines an air passage or channel 1139 between the rear / back surface of the filter seat 1135 and the air inlet 1119 of the impeller housing 1108, the air passage or channel 1139 being arranged to direct air to the air inlet 1119 of the impeller housing 1108. The air passage 1139 is provided by a cavity defined between the rear / back surface of the filter seat 1135 and the front surface of the impeller housing 1108. Thus, air must first pass through the filter elements 1136, 1137 before passing through the aperture 1138 in the filter seat 1135 and into the air passage 1139 leading to the impeller housing 1108 air inlet 1119.

[0093] In the illustrated embodiment, the filter mount 1135 is mounted to the speaker chassis 1111 and is located above the impeller housing 1117, wherein the impeller housing 1117 is partially disposed within a volume defined by the back of the filter mount 1135. In particular, the filter mount 1135 includes a generally frustoconical peripheral portion 1135a and a generally cylindrical central portion 1135b. The generally frustoconical peripheral portion 1135a of the filter mount 1135 is provided with a plurality of apertures 1138 and is arranged to support one or more generally frustoconical filter elements 1136, 1137 above the plurality of apertures 1138. The impeller housing 1117 is then at least partially disposed within the generally cylindrical central portion 1135b of the filter mount 1135. In particular, the air inlet 1119 of the impeller housing 1117 is disposed within a volume defined by the back of the cylindrical central portion 1135b of the filter mount 1135.

[0094] like Fig.10a and 10b As shown, the generally truncated conical filter elements 1136, 1137 are arranged to be assembled on the filter seat 1135 and supported on the filter seat 1135. To this end, one or more of the generally truncated conical filter elements 1136, 1137 are open. In other words, the filter elements 1136, 1137 are provided as hollow truncated cones with open ends, so that the filter elements 1136, 1137 each have an open large diameter end and an open small diameter end forming a central opening in the filter elements 1136, 1137. In addition, the angle (θ4) between the truncated conical outer peripheral portion 1135a and the central axis (Y) of the filter seat 1135 is the same as the angle (θ4) between the upper and lower surfaces of each truncated conical filter element 1136, 1137 and the central axis (Y) of the generally truncated conical filter element 1136, 1137.

[0095] In the illustrated embodiment, the angle (θ4) between the frustoconical outer peripheral portion 1135a and the central axis (Y) of the filter seat 1135 is substantially the same as the angle (θ3) between the planar portion of the front surface of the volute 1118 and the central axis (X) of the impeller housing 1117. Therefore, the angle (θ4) between the frustoconical outer peripheral portion 1135a and the central axis (Y) of the filter seat 1135 is approximately 60 degrees; however, the angle (θ4) may be 40 to 70 degrees, preferably 45 to 65 degrees, and more preferably 50 to 60 degrees.

[0096] In the illustrated embodiment, the filter assembly 1107 includes both a particle filter element 1136 and a chemical filter element 1137, wherein the particle filter element 1136 is located upstream relative to the chemical filter element 1137. The generally frustoconical particle filter element 1136 includes a pleated particle filter medium 1136a, which is arranged in a frustoconical shape, and the pleats / folds of the pleated filter medium 1136a are at an acute angle (θ4) relative to the central axis (Y) of the particle filter element 1136, and the inner and outer ends / edges of the pleated filter medium 1136a are parallel to the central axis (Y) of the particle filter element 1136. The entirety of both ends / edges of the pleated filter medium 1136a are then disposed within a seal 1136b of an elastomeric material, which extends parallel to the central axis (Y) of the particle filter element 1136. For example, the elastomeric material may be any one of synthetic rubber, polyurethane, silicone rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyolefin (PO), etc.

[0097] like Figure 3a , 3b 4, the speaker housing 1102 also includes an outer cover 1140 mounted on the speaker chassis 1111. The outer cover 1140 is arranged to fit over (and thus generally conform to) the filter assembly 1107 and is provided with an array of holes 1141 that allow air to pass through the outer cover 1140 and thus define an air inlet of the outer cover 1140. These holes 1141 are sized to prevent larger particles from passing through to reach the filter assembly 1107 and blocking or otherwise damaging the filter elements 1136, 1137. Alternatively, to allow air to pass, the outer cover 1140 may include one or more grilles or meshes mounted within windows in the outer cover 1140. It will also be clear that alternative patterns of arrays are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.

[0098] The outer cover 1140 is releasably attached to the speaker chassis 1111 so as to cover the filter assembly 1107. For example, the outer cover 1140 can be attached to the speaker chassis 1111 using mating threads provided on the outer cover 1140 and the speaker chassis 1111 and / or using some snap-fit ​​mechanism. When mounted on the speaker chassis 1111, the outer cover 1140 protects the filter elements 1136, 1137 from damage, such as during transportation, and also provides a visually attractive outer surface covering the filter assembly 1107 that is consistent with the overall appearance of the purifier 1000. In addition, the outer cover 1140 is arranged so that when attached to the speaker chassis 1111, the outer cover 1140 compresses the elastic edge seal 1136b, which is against the end / edge of the pleated filter media 1136a of the filter seat 1135 around the particle filter element 1136. Compression of these edge seals 1136b prevents air from reaching the aperture 1138 provided in the filter seat 1135 without first passing through the filter elements 1136, 1137.

[0099] In the illustrated embodiment, the outer cover 1140 is configured as a hollow truncated cone having an open end. The open large diameter end of the outer cover 1140 is arranged to fit over the outer periphery of the large diameter end of the filter assembly 1107, while the open small diameter end of the outer cover 1140 is arranged to fit over both the outer periphery of the small diameter end of the filter assembly 1107 and the substantially cylindrical central portion 1135b of the filter seat 1135. Therefore, the circular front surface 1135c of the substantially cylindrical central portion 1135b of the filter seat 1135 is exposed within the open small diameter end of the outer cover 1140, thereby forming a portion of the outer surface of the speaker assembly 1100. Preferably, the circular front surface 1135c of the filter seat 1135 is transparent, thereby forming a window through which a user can see the rotation of the impeller 1109 through the air inlet 1119 of the impeller housing 1108. This allows the user to visually check the speed of the impeller 1109 and confirm that the impeller 1109 is working properly.

[0100] In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, a feed-forward microphone 1142 for active noise cancellation (ANC) is provided on the inner surface of the circular front surface 1135c of the filter seat 1135. The feed-forward microphone 1142 is arranged to provide data to the control circuit 1114, which is then configured to implement active noise cancellation (ANC) when controlling the speaker / driver unit 1105. For active noise cancellation (ANC) applications, a feed-forward microphone is provided toward the exterior of the speaker assembly in order to detect any background or ambient noise so that it can be cancelled using the sound produced by the speaker. Providing the speaker assembly 1100 with a feed-forward microphone 1142 is particularly useful because it enables the noise generated by the motor 1110 and / or the impeller 1109 to be detected by the feed-forward microphone 1142 and cancelled together with any other unwanted background or ambient noise. When both the feedback microphone 1113 and the feed-forward microphone 1142 are present, the feed-forward and feedback methods can be combined and a hybrid ANC can be implemented, which exhibits an improvement in synergistic performance compared to the independent feed-forward and feedback methods.

[0101] As described above, the impeller housing 1108 is supported / suspended within the speaker housing 1102 by a plurality of resilient supports 1134, which in the illustrated embodiment include three lower resilient supports 1134a, 1134b and three upper resilient supports 1134c. The three upper resilient supports 1134c extend radially between the outer surface of the impeller housing 1108 and the rear / back surface of the filter assembly 1107 disposed above the impeller housing 1108.

[0102] The three upper resilient supports 1134c each comprise a radial damping profile damper. Each of these radial damping profile dampers 1134c comprises a tube of resilient material mounted between the outer surface of the impeller housing 1108 and the lower / inner surface of the filter assembly 1107. In the illustrated embodiment, each radial damping profile damper 1134c comprises a tube of resilient material having a circular cross-section; however, each profile damper may alternatively comprise a tube of resilient material having a non-circular cross-section.

[0103] In the illustrated embodiment, each elastomeric tube 1134c is connected between an inner collar / ring 1143 disposed on the front surface of the impeller housing 1108 and an outer collar / ring 1144 contacting the rear / back surface of the filter assembly 1107. In particular, each elastomeric tube 1134c is connected to the inner ring 1143 at a first location on the outer periphery of the tube and to the outer ring 1144 at a diametrically opposite second location on the outer periphery of the tube. The inner ring 1143 is disposed within a recess 1145 formed around the impeller housing 1108, specifically around the convex central portion 1127 of the frustoconical shape of the impeller housing 1108, and is retained on the front surface of the impeller housing 1108. The recess 1145 is configured to accommodate and contain at least a majority of the inner ring 1143 so that it does not impede the flow of air through the air passage 1139.

[0104] The hollow nozzle 1300 is then attached to both the first speaker assembly 1100a and the second speaker assembly 1100b and arranged so that the hollow nozzle 1300 can receive the filtered airflow generated by the first speaker assembly 1100a and the filtered airflow generated by the second speaker assembly 1100b. Thus, the air purifier 1000 is arranged so that the attached nozzle 1300 can be fluidly connected to both the air outlet 1104a of the first speaker assembly 1100a and the air outlet 1104b of the second speaker assembly 1100b.

[0105] Fig.11 A perspective view of the nozzle 1300 is shown when removed from the speaker assemblies 1100a, 1100b. In the illustrated embodiment, the nozzle 1300 substantially comprises an elongated hollow tube arranged such that it can be fluidly connected between the air outlet 1104a of the first speaker assembly 1100a and the air outlet 1104b of the second speaker assembly 1100b, wherein a first air inlet or air intake port 1301 is provided by a first open end of the nozzle 1300 and a second air inlet or air intake port 1302 is provided by an opposite second open end of the nozzle 1300. Thus, the first air inlet or air intake port 1301 of the nozzle 1300 is arranged to receive a filtered air flow released from the air outlet 1104a of the first speaker assembly 1100a, and the second air inlet or air intake port 1302 of the nozzle 1300 is arranged to receive a filtered air flow released from the air outlet 1104b of the second speaker assembly 1100b.

[0106] like Figures 1a to 1cAs shown, a first open end 1301 of the nozzle 1300 is connected to a rigid outlet duct 1115 extending from a speaker housing 1102 of a first speaker assembly 1100a. The nozzle 1300 then extends away from the first speaker assembly 1100a and is arcuately shaped such that an opposite second end 1302 of the nozzle 1300 is connected to a rigid outlet duct 1115 extending from a speaker housing 1102 of a second speaker assembly 1100b. Therefore, it is preferred that at least a portion of the nozzle 1300 is formed of a flexible / elastic material so that the nozzle 1300 can bend and flex as the first speaker assembly 1100a and the second speaker assembly 1100b move relative to each other. For example, in the embodiment shown, the central portion 1303 (i.e., the portion located near the midpoint of the length of the nozzle 1300) is made of a flexible, transparent plastic such as polyurethane, while the two end portions 1304, 1305 are each made of a hard, transparent plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG). Alternatively, the entire nozzle 1300 may be formed from one or more flexible / elastic materials.

[0107] As described above, in the illustrated embodiment, the rigid outlet ducts 1115 are arranged so that they can rotate between a first end position, in which the first open ends of the rigid outlet ducts 1115 are aligned with the air outlets 1104 of the respective speaker assemblies, and a second end position, in which the rigid outlet ducts 1115 are not aligned with the air outlets 1104 of the speaker assemblies 1100. Thus, the attached nozzles 1300 are movable between a first end position, in which they are fluidly connected to both the air outlets 1104a of the first speaker assembly 1100a and the air outlets 1104b of the second speaker assembly 1100b, and a second end position, in which they are not fluidly connected to either the air outlets 1104a of the first speaker assembly 1100a or the air outlets 1104b of the second speaker assembly 1100b.

[0108] The nozzle 1300 is arranged so that when the user wears the purifier 1000 with the first speaker assembly 1100a above the user's first ear and the second speaker assembly 1100b above the user's second ear and the nozzle is in the first end position, the nozzle 1300 will extend from one side to the other side around the user's face and in front of the user's mouth. In particular, the nozzle 1300 extends from around the user's chin, from one adjacent cheek to another adjacent cheek, without contacting the user's mouth, nose or surrounding facial area. Therefore, it is preferred that at least a portion of the nozzle 1300 is formed of a transparent or partially transparent material so that the user's mouth can be seen through the nozzle 1300, thereby avoiding limiting the user's ability to speak clearly to others. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the central portion 1303 is made of a flexible transparent plastic such as polyurethane, and the two ends 1304, 1305 are each made of a hard, transparent plastic, such as polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG). Alternatively, the entire nozzle 1300 can be formed of a single transparent or partially transparent material.

[0109] The air purifier 1000 is arranged so that, when in the first end position, the nozzle 1300 will extend away from the air outlets 1104a, 1104b of the speaker assemblies 1100a, 1100b at an angle (θ1) of 95 to 115 degrees relative to the headband 1200 (i.e., such that the angle between a plane parallel to the length of the nozzle and a plane parallel to the length of the arched headband is 95 to 115 degrees). In this regard, it has been found that when a user wears the purifier 1000 with the first speaker assembly 1100a above the user's first ear and the second speaker assembly 1100b above the user's second ear, the angle of 95 to 115 degrees is suitable for positioning the nozzle 1300 in front of at least the user's mouth. Therefore, the mounting protrusion 1101 and the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100 are positioned so that the angle (θ1) between the headband 1200 and the nozzle 1300 is in the range of 95 to 115 degrees.

[0110] In order to achieve the desired pressure drop within the nozzle 1300, the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal passage 1306 defined by the hollow nozzle 1300 is preferably 150 mm 2 Up to 170mm 2 , and preferably about 160 mm 2. In addition, the height (H) of the nozzle 1300 is preferably 35 mm to 65 mm, more preferably 40 mm to 60 mm, to ensure that the nozzle 1300 adequately delivers air to the user's mouth and nose while also providing protection from ambient air currents. Therefore, the height of the nozzle 1300 can vary along its length, as long as the minimum height of at least a portion of the nozzle 1300 extending from one side to the other around the user's face is 35 to 65 mm. In this regard, the height of the nozzle 1300 is the distance between the top edge and the bottom edge of the nozzle 1300, wherein the top edge is the edge that generally faces upward when the headband 1200 is worn on the user's head, and the bottom edge is the edge that generally faces downward when the headband 1200 is worn on the user's head.

[0111] like Figure 2 As shown, the nozzle 1300 has a generally D-shaped cross-section, which includes a generally flat first outer surface 1307 and a second outer surface 1308, and the second outer surface 1308 includes a generally flat middle portion and an edge portion curved to intersect the edge of the first outer surface 1307. When connected between the first speaker assembly 1100a and the second speaker assembly 1100b, the first outer surface 1307 faces outwardly away from the first speaker assembly 1100a and the second speaker assembly 1100b, and the second outer surface 1308 faces inwardly toward the first speaker assembly 1100a and the second speaker assembly 1100b.

[0112] The nozzle 1300 is provided with an air outlet 1310 for releasing / delivering filtered air to a user. In the illustrated embodiment, the air outlet 1310 of the nozzle 1300 comprises an array of holes formed in a portion of the nozzle 1300, the holes extending from an internal passage 1306 defined by the nozzle 1300 to an outer surface of the nozzle 1300. Alternatively, the air outlet 1310 of the nozzle 1300 may comprise one or more grilles or meshes mounted within a window in the nozzle 1300. It will also be clear that alternative patterns of the air outlet array are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.

[0113] An array of holes providing an air outlet 1310 is formed in a portion of the nozzle 1300 centered in the center of the second outer surface 1308 of the nozzle 1300 facing the speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b. Thus, the holes are present only in a portion of the nozzle 1300 that faces the user's mouth and nose when the user wears the purifier 1000. In the illustrated embodiment, the portion of the nozzle 1300 provided with the array of holes extends at least partially over a substantially flat middle portion of the second outer surface 1308 of the nozzle 1300, and partially over one of the curved edge portions of the second outer surface 1308.

[0114] In use, the purifier 1000 is worn by a user, wherein the first speaker assembly 1100a is above the user's first ear and the second speaker assembly 1100b is above the user's second ear, and when in the first end position, the nozzle 1300 will extend from one ear to the other ear around the user's face and above at least the user's mouth. In each speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b, the rotation of the impeller 1109 driven by the motor 1110 will cause an airflow through the impeller housing 1108, and the impeller housing 1108 will draw air into the speaker assembly 1100 through the hole 1141 in the outer cover 1140. Then, the air flow will pass through the filter elements 1136, 1137 disposed between the outer cover 1140 and the filter seat 1135, thereby filtering and / or purifying the airflow. The resulting filtered airflow will then pass through the aperture 1138 provided in the frustoconical portion 1135a of the filter holder 1135 into the air passage 1139 provided by the space between the opposing surfaces of the impeller housing 1108 and the filter holder 1135, which will then direct the airflow to the air inlet 1119 of the impeller housing 1108. The impeller 1109 will then force the filtered airflow out through the annular slot providing the air outlet 1120 of the impeller housing 1117 and into the volute 1118 of the impeller housing 1108. The volute 1118 will then direct the filtered airflow through the air outlet 1104 of the speaker assembly 1100 and into the nozzle 1300 through the air inlet 1301, 1302 provided by one of the open ends of the nozzle 1300.

[0115] Since the first open end of the nozzle 1300 providing the first air inlet 1301 is connected to the first speaker assembly 1100a, and the second open end of the nozzle 1300 providing the second air inlet 1302 is connected to the second speaker assembly 1100b, the first filtered airflow generated by the first speaker assembly 1100a and the second filtered airflow generated by the second speaker assembly 1100b will enter the nozzle 1300 from opposite ends. Therefore, the first and second filtered airflows will travel in opposite directions within the internal passage 1306 of the nozzle 1300 until they collide near / toward the center of the nozzle 1300 (i.e., the midpoint of the length of the nozzle 1300). The collision between the first filtered airflow and the second filtered airflow will cause the two airflows to change direction and will result in the formation of a combined filtered airflow that is directed out through the hole formed in the nozzle 1300 providing the air outlet 1310 and directed toward the mouth and nose of the user.

[0116] Thus, the head-mounted air purifier provides a nozzle that blocks most, if not all, unfiltered ambient or external airflow from reaching the user's mouth and nose area. In doing so, the head-mounted air purifier not only reduces the amount of unfiltered air inhaled by the user, but also prevents these external airflows from interfering with the airflow delivered by the air purifier, which would otherwise hinder the effective delivery of the purified airflow to the user. In addition, in embodiments in which at least a portion of the nozzle is formed of a transparent material, the head-mounted air purifier assembly also allows the user's mouth to be visible through the nozzle despite covering the user's mouth to block unfiltered external or ambient airflow, so as to avoid limiting the user's ability to speak clearly to others.

[0117] Furthermore, the use of a single nozzle causes the two streams of clean air to collide, thereby producing a combined airflow that is directed toward the user, thereby eliminating the need for the nozzle to have structure (e.g., vanes, baffles, etc.) within the internal passage of the nozzle that would otherwise be necessary to redirect the airflow. Providing such structure within the nozzle reduces the pressure of the airflow that can be delivered to the user and limits the likelihood of the nozzle becoming transparent.

[0118] Furthermore, by using two separate purifiers (one in each speaker) to deliver a clean airflow to both ends of the nozzle, the head-mounted air purifier described herein does not require any additional ducting that would otherwise be required if a single air purifier were used to deliver two airflows to the nozzle. In addition, the use of two separate purifiers (one in each speaker) allows each purifier to be made as small as possible to fit comfortably into the headset without sacrificing performance. In particular, the use of two separate purifiers provides improved flow rate and improved filtration efficiency due to the increase in available filtration area.

[0119] In a preferred embodiment, the control circuit 1114 of the speaker assemblies 1100a, 1100b is arranged to control the rotational speed of the motor 1110 so that the maximum rotational speed of the impeller 1109 is 9000-18000 RPM, preferably 10000-14000 RPM, and more preferably 10,000 to 12,000 RPM. These rotational speed ranges are equivalent to the frequency ranges that are believed to be effectively canceled by typical active noise cancellation (ANC) systems, thereby increasing the degree to which noise generated by the motor 1110 and / or the impeller 1109 can be canceled. However, limiting the maximum rotational speed of the motor 1110 and the impeller 1109 to these ranges also limits the size of the impeller 1109 that must be used to generate an air flow with sufficient flow rate.

[0120] In this regard, in order to effectively deliver purified air to the user, it has been found that the flow rate of the airflow generated by the air purifier should be at least 2.8 liters per second, so that each speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b is required to output at least 1.4 liters per second. Therefore, in order for each speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b to deliver air at a rate of at least 1.4 liters per second when its impeller speed is limited to the above range, it has been found that the tip diameter of the impeller 1109 of each speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b (i.e., the distance between the midpoints of the trailing edges of the opposing impeller blades) is preferably not less than 35 mm, and preferably not less than 40 mm.

[0121] In another preferred embodiment, each speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b includes an ear pad 2106 having an asymmetrical cross-section. In this regard, circumaural and supra-aural headphones have ear pads that are shaped as closed loops, such that they surround the entire ear or cover only the opening of the ear canal, and conventional ear pads have symmetrical cross-sections, wherein the depth of the ear pad is continuous around its circumference, as shown in the above-described embodiments. In this alternative embodiment, the ear pad 2106 is arranged such that the depth / thickness (D) of the ear pad 2106 gradually changes around the circumference of the ear pad 2106, wherein the deepest / thickest portion 2106a of the ear pad 2106 is diametrically opposite to the thin / shallow portion 2106b of the ear pad 2106, as shown in the embodiment described above. Fig.12 and Fig.13 Therefore, in Fig.12 and Fig.13 In the illustrated embodiment, the outer surface of the ear pad 2106 defines an angle (θ5) of approximately 5 degrees relative to the inner surface of the ear pad 2106 attached to the speaker housing 1102 (and therefore relative to the base of the speaker housing 1102); however, this angle (θ5) can be anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees. This has several advantages.

[0122] First, preferably, the speaker / driver unit 1105 is parallel to the user's ear, which generally requires that the speaker / driver unit 1105 be mounted at an angle of 10 to 15 degrees relative to the base of the speaker housing 1102 to which it is attached, as shown in the above embodiment. This angle is such that when the speaker assembly 1100 is rotated due to the conical shape of the user's head, the speaker / driver unit 1105 will be generally parallel to the user's ear. The use of an ear pad 2106 having an asymmetric cross-section allows the angle of the speaker / driver unit 1105 relative to the base of the speaker housing 1102 to be reduced to less than 10 degrees, and depending on the angle of the outer surface of the ear pad 2106 relative to the base of the speaker housing 1102, the use of an ear pad 2106 having an asymmetric cross-section may even eliminate the need to tilt the speaker / driver unit 1105 relative to the speaker housing 1102. This is particularly advantageous in the head-mounted air purifier 1000 described herein because the reduction in the angle of the speaker / driver unit 1105 relative to the speaker housing 1102 reduces the space required behind the speaker / driver unit 1105, thereby reducing the overall volume required to accommodate the internal components of the speaker assembly 1100.

[0123] Secondly, circumaural and supra-aural headphones require that the headband be configured to apply pressure to the sides of the user's head to seal the ear pads around or on the user's ears. This pressure can reduce the comfort of the headphones to the user. The use of ear pads 2106 with an asymmetric cross-section also makes it possible to reduce the pressure applied by the headband to seal the ear pads 2106 around or on the user's ears, thereby improving the comfort of the user.

[0124] Then, Fig.14a and 14b A front perspective view of another embodiment of a head-mounted air purifier 1000 is shown, and Fig.14c 1 shows a front view of this other embodiment. In this other embodiment, the head-mounted air purifier 1000 is substantially the same as the previous embodiment described above. However, instead of the nozzle 1300 being able to rotate relative to the speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b so that the nozzle 1300 can be stowed above the headband 1200 when not in use, in this other embodiment, the nozzle 1300 is detachably connected to the speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b. Therefore, Fig.15 A rear view of the nozzle 1300 of this alternative embodiment is shown when removed from the speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b.

[0125] In the illustrated embodiment, the first end of the nozzle 1300 provides a first air inlet 1301 and is detachably coupled to the first speaker assembly 1100a, while the second end of the nozzle 1300 provides a second air inlet 1302 and is detachably coupled to the second speaker assembly 1100b. This other embodiment of the head-mounted air purifier 1000 is arranged so that when the first end of the detachable nozzle 1300 is coupled to the first speaker assembly 1100a, the first air inlet 1301 of the nozzle 1300 is aligned with the air outlet 1104a of the first speaker assembly 1100a, and so that when the second end of the detachable nozzle 1300 is coupled to the second speaker assembly 1100b, the second air inlet 1302 of the nozzle 1300 is aligned with the air outlet 1104b of the second speaker assembly 1100b.

[0126] The nozzle 1300 is detachably coupled to the first speaker assembly 1100a by a first detachable connection (i.e., the first end of the nozzle 1300 has a detachable connection to the first speaker assembly 1100a), and is detachably coupled to the second speaker assembly 1100b by a second detachable connection (i.e., the second end of the nozzle 1300 has a detachable connection to the second speaker assembly 1100b). The first detachable connection and the second detachable connection each include a nozzle-to-speaker connector 1311, 1312 provided on the nozzle 1300 and a speaker-to-nozzle connector 1150a, 1150b provided on the corresponding speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b. Each nozzle-to-speaker connector 1311, 1312 is arranged to be detachably coupled to a speaker-to-nozzle connector 1150a, 1150b provided on the corresponding speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b. Each nozzle-to-speaker connector 1311, 1312 provides a corresponding air inlet 1301, 1302 of the nozzle 1300, while each speaker-to-nozzle connector 1150a, 1150b provides an air outlet 1104a, 1104b of a corresponding speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b.

[0127] In the illustrated embodiment, each nozzle-to-speaker connector 1311, 1312 comprises an annular male connector element 1313, 1314, while each speaker-to-nozzle connector comprises a generally annular female connector element 1151a, 1151b arranged to receive a corresponding male connector element 1313, 1314 (i.e., in a plug and socket arrangement). However, in an alternative arrangement, each speaker-to-nozzle connector may likewise comprise a male connector element, while each nozzle-to-speaker connector comprises a female connector element arranged to receive a corresponding male connector element. The respective annular shapes of the male and female connector elements then enable each male connector element 1313, 1314 to rotate relative to the corresponding female connector element 1151a, 1151b when arranged within the corresponding female connector element 1151a, 1151b. This rotation of the detachable connection between the nozzle 1300 and the speaker assemblies 1100a, 1100b increases the overall flexibility of the head-worn air purifier 1000 and allows it to be more easily adapted to the physiology and preferences of each individual user.

[0128] The hollow center / bore of each annular male connector element 1313, 1314 then extends from the hollow interior of the nozzle 1300, wherein the outer ends of the annular male connector elements 1313, 1314 then define the respective air inlet 1301, 1302 of the nozzle 1300. The hollow center / bore of each annular female connector element 1151a, 1151b then extends from the air outlet 1131 of the impeller housing 1108 housed within the respective speaker assembly 1100a, 110b, wherein the outer ends of the generally annular female connector elements 1151a, 1151b then define the air outlet 1104a, 1104b of the respective speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b.

[0129] The detachable connection between the end of the nozzle 1300 and the corresponding speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b is then provided by a magnetic attachment between each of the nozzle-to-speaker connectors 1311, 1312 and the corresponding speaker-to-nozzle connector 1150a, 1150b. In the illustrated embodiment, such magnetic attachment is provided by cooperation between one or more magnets 1315, 1316 provided by the nozzle-to-speaker connectors 1311, 1312 and a magnetic material ring 1151a, 1151b provided by the corresponding speaker-to-nozzle connector 1150a, 1150b. However, in an alternative arrangement, each nozzle-to-speaker connector may include a magnetic material ring, wherein each speaker-to-nozzle connector then includes one or more magnets. In this regard, only a portion of the magnetic attachment needs to be magnetized (i.e., to be a permanent magnet), and the other portion only needs to be magnetically attracted to the magnetized portion (e.g., including a ferromagnetic material).

[0130] In the illustrated embodiment, each nozzle-to-speaker connector 1311, 1312 includes a pair of magnets 1315, 1316 radially spaced about an annular male connector element 1313, 1314 of the nozzle-to-speaker connector 1311, 1312 such that the two magnets are diametrically opposed to each other. In an alternative arrangement, the annular male connector element 1313, 1314 of each nozzle-to-speaker connector 1311, 1312 may include an annular magnet instead of or in addition to the magnets 1315, 1316.

[0131] The speaker-to-nozzle connectors 1150a, 1150b then each include a generally annular ring 1151a, 1151b of magnetic material that fits within an aperture formed in the speaker housing 1102, thereby defining an air outlet 1104a, 1104b for the respective speaker assembly 1100a, 1100b. In the illustrated embodiment, the speaker-to-nozzle connectors 1150a, 1150b then further include a flange extending radially outwardly from an outer end of the ring 1151a, 1151b of magnetic material, which then provides a magnetic surface that can be engaged by a pair of magnets 1315, 1316 provided by the respective nozzle-to-speaker connectors 1311, 1312. Each ring 1151a, 1151b of magnetic material can then be formed as a solid ring of magnetic material (i.e., composed of magnetic material), or can include a thin sheet of magnetic material molded into a suitable substrate such as a polymer. The magnetic material can be any suitable material, such as steel or iron, for example.

[0132] Providing a detachable nozzle 1300 for the head-mounted air purifier 1000 not only simplifies the design and manufacture of the device, but also allows the nozzle 1300 to be stored / stored separately in the earphone system when not in use, and makes it easier to clean the nozzle 1300. For example, the detachable nozzle can then be cleaned by immersing it in a cleaning solution or placing it in a dishwasher or similar cleaning equipment. In addition, using magnetic attachment between each nozzle to speaker connector 1311, 1312 and the corresponding speaker to nozzle connector 1150a, 1150b to form a detachable connection between the nozzle 1300 and the first and second speaker assemblies 1100a, 1100b ensures that the end of the nozzle 1300 and the corresponding air inlet 1301, 1302 are fixed / fixed in place when the nozzle 1300 is installed on the earphone system, and the nozzle 1300 can be easily removed and reattached from the earphone system.

[0133] In this embodiment, the purifier 1000 is also provided with a sensor (not shown) that detects when the nozzle 1300 is coupled to one or both of the first speaker assembly 1100a and the second speaker assembly 1100b. Then, the control circuit 1114 is configured to stop the motor 1110 when the sensor detects that the nozzle 1300 is not coupled to one or both of the speaker assemblies 1100a, 1100b.

[0134] It should be understood that the above-mentioned various items can be used alone or in combination with other items shown in the drawings or described in the specification, and that items mentioned in the same paragraph or in the same drawings as each other do not need to be used in combination with each other. In addition, the expression "means" can be replaced by the desired actuator or system or device. In addition, any reference to "including" or "comprising" is not intended to be limiting in any way, and the reader should interpret the description and claims accordingly.

[0135] In addition, although the present invention has been described according to the preferred embodiments as described above, it should be understood that these embodiments are illustrative only. In view of this disclosure, those skilled in the art will be able to make modifications and substitutions, which are considered to fall within the scope of the appended claims. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the head-mounted air purifier includes an earphone system in which two speaker assemblies are arranged on opposite ends of the headband. However, the head-mounted air purifier can equally include any head wearable item that can be used to support a first speaker assembly above a first ear of a user and a second speaker assembly above a second ear of the user. For example, the head-mounted air purifier can include any one of a hat or a helmet, such as a bicycle helmet, a motorcycle helmet, etc.

[0136] In addition, although in the above embodiment, both speaker assemblies include motor-driven impellers and filter assemblies, and then both speaker assemblies provide filtered / purified air to the nozzle, it is possible that only one of the two speaker assemblies includes a motor-driven impeller and filter assembly, so that only one speaker assembly provides filtered / purified air to the nozzle. However, this arrangement will not be as effective as the arrangement of the above embodiment.

[0137] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, the impeller housing and the volute are formed integrally with each other; however, the impeller housing and the volute may also be separate components connected together. Similarly, although in the above-described embodiments, the speaker housing includes a speaker chassis and a top cover, the speaker housing also includes more than two separate parts. As a further example, although in the above-described embodiments, the filter assembly including the filter seat and one or more filter assemblies is generally truncated conical, the filter assembly may also be annular. However, an annular filter assembly will have a smaller area available for filtering, which will reduce the efficiency of the purifier.

Claims

1. An air treatment device, comprising a head-mounted air purifier, the head-mounted air purifier comprising: a first speaker assembly and a second speaker assembly, wherein the first speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a first ear of a user, and the second speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a second ear of the user; wherein the first speaker assembly includes a speaker, a filter assembly, an airflow generator for generating an airflow through the filter assembly, and an air outlet located downstream of the filter assembly for releasing the filtered airflow from the first speaker assembly; and a nozzle including an air inlet arranged to receive a filtered air flow from the air outlet of the first speaker assembly and an air outlet arranged to release the received filtered air flow from the head-worn air purifier; wherein the nozzle is detachably coupled to the first speaker assembly via a magnetic attachment between a nozzle-to-speaker connector disposed on the nozzle and a speaker-to-nozzle connector disposed on the first speaker, Wherein, the air inlet of the nozzle is provided by a nozzle-to-speaker connector, and the air outlet of the first speaker assembly is provided by a speaker-to-nozzle connector.

2. The air treatment device according to claim 1, wherein: One of the nozzle-to-speaker connector and the speaker-to-nozzle connector comprises a male connector element and the other of the nozzle-to-speaker connector and the speaker-to-nozzle connector comprises a female connector element arranged to receive the male connector element.

3. The air treatment device according to claim 2, wherein: The male connector element is arranged to be rotatable when disposed within the female connector element.

4. The air treatment device according to claim 1, wherein: The nozzle-to-speaker connector includes a male connector element extending around an air inlet of the nozzle, and the speaker-to-nozzle connector includes a female connector element extending around an air outlet of the first speaker assembly.

5. The air treatment device according to claim 1, wherein: The magnetic attachment is provided by at least one magnet and a piece of magnetic material, wherein the magnet is disposed on one of the nozzle-to-speaker connector and the speaker-to-nozzle connector, and the piece of magnetic material is disposed on the other of the nozzle-to-speaker connector and the speaker-to-nozzle connector.

6. The air treatment device according to claim 1, wherein: The speaker-to-nozzle connector includes a ring of magnetic material, and the nozzle-to-speaker connector includes at least one magnet.

7. The air treatment device according to claim 6, wherein: The nozzle-to-speaker connector includes a plurality of magnets radially spaced about the nozzle-to-speaker connector.

8. The air treatment device according to claim 6, wherein: The nozzle-to-speaker connector includes a ring magnet.

9. The air treatment device according to claim 7, wherein: The speaker-to-nozzle connector includes a female connector element, and the female connector element includes a ring of magnetic material, and the nozzle-to-speaker connector also includes a plurality of magnets radially spaced around an outer circumference of the male connector element.

10. The air treatment device according to claim 1, wherein: The second speaker assembly includes a speaker, a filter assembly, an impeller for generating an airflow through the filter assembly, a motor arranged to drive the impeller, and an air outlet located downstream of the filter assembly for releasing the filtered airflow from the second speaker assembly.

11. The air treatment device according to claim 10, wherein: The nozzle includes another air inlet, which is arranged to receive a filtered airflow from an air outlet of a second speaker assembly, and the nozzle is removably connected to the second speaker assembly via a magnetic attachment between another nozzle-to-speaker connector provided on the nozzle and another speaker-to-nozzle connector provided on the second speaker assembly.

12. The air treatment device according to claim 11, wherein: The air inlet is provided by a first end of the nozzle and the further air inlet is provided by an opposite second end of the nozzle.

13. The air treatment device according to claim 12, wherein: A further air inlet of the nozzle is provided by the further nozzle to speaker connector and an air outlet of the second speaker assembly is provided by the further speaker to nozzle connector.

14. The air treatment device according to claim 13, wherein: One of the further nozzle-to-speaker connector and the further speaker-to-nozzle connector comprises a male connector element and the other of the further nozzle-to-speaker connector and the further speaker-to-nozzle connector comprises a female connector element arranged to receive the male connector element.

15. The air treatment device according to claim 1, wherein: The first speaker assembly is mounted on a first end of a headband and the second speaker assembly is mounted on an opposing second end of the headband, the headband being arranged to be worn on a user's head.

16. The air treatment device according to claim 1, wherein: The air handling device also includes a control circuit configured to stop a motor of the airflow generator in response to a sensor detecting that the nozzle is not coupled to the first speaker assembly.

17. An air treatment device, comprising a head-mounted air purifier, the head-mounted air purifier comprising: a first speaker assembly and a second speaker assembly, wherein the first speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a first ear of a user and the second speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a second ear of the user; wherein the first speaker assembly and the second speaker assembly each include a speaker, a filter assembly, an airflow generator for generating an airflow through the filter assembly, and an air outlet located downstream of the filter assembly for releasing the filtered airflow; and a nozzle comprising a first air inlet disposed at a first end of the nozzle, a second air inlet disposed at an opposite second end of the nozzle, and an air outlet, wherein the first air inlet is arranged to receive a filtered airflow from the air outlet of the first speaker assembly, the second air inlet is arranged to receive a filtered airflow from the air outlet of the second speaker assembly, and the air outlet is arranged to release the received filtered airflow from the head-mounted air purifier; wherein a first end of the nozzle is detachably coupled to a first speaker assembly via a magnetic attachment between a nozzle-to-speaker connector disposed on the nozzle and a speaker-to-nozzle connector disposed on the first speaker assembly, and a second end of the nozzle is detachably coupled to a second speaker assembly via a magnetic attachment between another nozzle-to-speaker connector disposed on the nozzle and another speaker-to-nozzle connector disposed on the second speaker assembly, Wherein, the first air inlet of the nozzle is provided by the nozzle-to-speaker connector and the second air inlet of the nozzle is provided by the further nozzle-to-speaker connector.

18. The air treatment device according to claim 17, wherein: The air outlet of the first speaker assembly is provided by a speaker-to-nozzle connector and the air outlet of the second speaker assembly is provided by another speaker-to-nozzle connector.

19. The air treatment device according to claim 17, wherein: The air handling device also includes a control circuit configured to stop a motor of the airflow generator in response to a sensor detecting that the nozzle is not coupled to the first speaker assembly.

20. A nozzle for an air treatment device, the air treatment device comprising a head-mounted air purifier, wherein the head-mounted air purifier comprises a first speaker assembly arranged to be worn on a first ear of a user and a second speaker assembly arranged to be worn on a second ear of the user, the nozzle comprising: a first air inlet disposed at a first end of the nozzle and arranged to receive a first filtered air flow from a first speaker assembly; a second air inlet disposed at an opposite second end of the nozzle and arranged to receive a second filtered air flow from a second speaker assembly; and an air outlet arranged to release the filtered air flow received from the nozzle; wherein a first end of the nozzle is detachably coupled to a first speaker assembly via a magnetic attachment between a nozzle-to-speaker connector disposed on the nozzle and the first speaker assembly, and a second end of the nozzle is detachably coupled to a second speaker assembly via a magnetic attachment between another nozzle-to-speaker connector disposed on the nozzle and the second speaker assembly, Wherein, the first air inlet of the nozzle is provided by the nozzle-to-speaker connector and the second air inlet of the nozzle is provided by the further nozzle-to-speaker connector.

21. An air treatment device, comprising a head-mounted air purifier, the head-mounted air purifier comprising: a first speaker assembly and a second speaker assembly, wherein the first speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a first ear of a user, and the second speaker assembly is arranged to be worn on a second ear of the user; wherein the first speaker assembly includes a speaker, a filter assembly, an airflow generator for generating an airflow through the filter assembly, and an air outlet located downstream of the filter assembly for releasing the filtered airflow from the first speaker assembly; and a nozzle including an air inlet arranged to receive a filtered air flow from the air outlet of the first speaker assembly and an air outlet arranged to release the received filtered air flow from the head-worn air purifier; a sensor in electrical communication with the airflow generator and the control circuit, wherein the control circuit deactivates the airflow generator when the nozzle is not coupled to the first speaker assembly; Wherein, the nozzle is detachably coupled to the first speaker assembly via a magnetic attachment between a nozzle-to-speaker connector disposed on the nozzle and a speaker-to-nozzle connector disposed on the first speaker.

22. A nozzle for an air treatment device, the air treatment device comprising a head-mounted air purifier, wherein the head-mounted air purifier comprises a first speaker assembly arranged to be worn on a first ear of a user and a second speaker assembly arranged to be worn on a second ear of the user, the nozzle comprising: a first air inlet disposed at a first end of the nozzle and arranged to receive a first filtered air flow from a first speaker assembly; a second air inlet disposed at an opposite second end of the nozzle and arranged to receive a second filtered air flow from a second speaker assembly; and An air outlet is arranged to release the filtered air flow received from the nozzle.

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