Air purifier

Abstract

The utility model relates to an air purifier which comprises a base body (20) comprising an air duct and a fan (36) installed in the air duct; a filter (34); and a hair collection device (40) comprising a movable hair collection member (42), where the hair collection member (42) is disposed near the bottom of the pre-filter (32) and is configured to be movable between a first position in which the hair collection member (42) is movable relative to the bottom of the pre-filter (32) and a second position in which the hair collection member (42) is movable relative to the bottom of the pre-filter (32). The hair collecting member (42) blocks the air inlet (122) at the bottom of the pre-filter (32) to prevent hair collected on the pre-filter (32) from falling on the ground via the air inlet (122) at the bottom of the pre-filter (32), and a second position where the hair collecting member (42) blocks the air inlet (122) at the bottom of the pre-filter (32). The hair collecting member (42) opens an air inlet (122) at the bottom of the pre-filter (32) to allow airflow to enter the pre-filter (32) via the air inlet (122) at the bottom of the pre-filter (32).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to air purifiers. BACKGROUND

[0002] Air purifiers, especially for pets, are widely used in homes, animal hospitals, and other hair-rich places. An air purifier is usually provided with a filter and a pre-filter (such as a filter screen). After the air purifier is used for a period of time, the hair collected by the air purifier needs to be removed regularly. Conventional air purifiers are unsatisfactory in some aspects, such as large size, complex structure, high manufacturing cost, etc. There is a need to further improve the air purifier. SUMMARY

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an air purifier, which aims to solve one or more of the above problems.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an air purifier is provided. The air purifier comprises: a base body comprising an air duct and a fan installed in the air duct; a filter installed in the air duct; a pre-filter installed upstream of the filter and configured to block hair of the pet from entering the filter; and a hair collection device comprising a movable hair collection member, wherein the hair collection member is disposed near a bottom of the pre-filter and is configured to be movable between a first position at which the hair collection member blocks an air inlet at the bottom of the pre-filter to prevent hair collected on the pre-filter from falling onto the ground via the air inlet at the bottom of the pre-filter, and a second position at which the hair collection member opens the air inlet at the bottom of the pre-filter to allow air flow to enter the pre-filter via the air inlet at the bottom of the pre-filter.

[0005] In some embodiments, the hair collection member is pivotably disposed near the bottom of the pre-filter and is configured to: when the fan is operating, be caused to pivot from the first position to the second position by virtue of an attractive force generated when the fan is operating; and when the fan stops operating, be caused to pivot from the second position back to the first position by virtue of gravity of the hair collection member itself.

[0006] In some embodiments, the hair collection member can be shaped as a plate-like member.

[0007] In some embodiments, the hair collection device can further include a limiting device configured to limit rotation of the hair collection member from the first position in a direction away from the second position after the hair collection member is returned from the second position to the first position.

[0008] In some embodiments, the air purifier can further include a front cover detachably mounted to the base body, the base body including a duct upstream member at least partially defining the air duct; wherein a gap is included between the front cover and the duct upstream member, the gap defining an air inlet for permitting airflow from the environment into the air duct.

[0009] In some embodiments, the hair collection member is pivotably mounted to the front cover.

[0010] In some embodiments, the base body can further include a base adjacent to the ground, a bottom air inlet side edge of the duct upstream member is disposed as close as possible to an air inlet side edge of the base, so that the air inlet of the air duct is as close as possible to the ground, facilitating air inlet.

[0011] In some embodiments, the bottom air inlet side edge of the duct upstream member can be disposed to coincide with the air inlet side edge of the base.

[0012] In some embodiments, the hair collection member is pivotably mounted to the duct upstream member.

[0013] In some embodiments, the base body can further include a base adapted to contact the ground, the base including a support surface, the air purifier being supported on the ground by means of the support surface of the base.

[0014] The air purifier according to the present disclosure can achieve one or more of the following effects: simplifying the construction of the hair collection device; reducing the size of the air purifier; reducing the manufacturing cost of the air purifier; improving the hair collection performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] The above and other objects, features and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will be readily understood with reference to the following detailed description read in conjunction with the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals and characters denote the same elements throughout the drawings. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 An overall schematic view of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 A lateral cross-sectional view of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 3A structural schematic of a pre-filter of an air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 A perspective schematic of a hair collection member in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 5 A perspective schematic of a hair collection member in an open position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] In the various drawings, like or corresponding elements are denoted by like or corresponding reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings. While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it is understood that the present disclosure can be embodied in various forms without being limited by the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0023] The term "include," and variations thereof, as used in this document, mean "to include, without limitation." The term "or" as used in this document means "and / or." The term "based on" means "based, at least in part, on." The terms "one example embodiment" and "an embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment." The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment." The terms "upper," "lower," "front," "back," and the like as used herein refer to the orientation or position shown in the drawings, and are used only for convenience in describing the present disclosure and are not to be construed as indicating or implying direction, orientation, or position of the referenced element, and are not to be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 1 A perspective schematic of a hair collection member in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 A perspective schematic of a hair collection member in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] As Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the air purifier 1 includes a front cover 10 and a base 20. The base 20 defines the overall frame structure of the air purifier 1 and defines an air duct. The air duct can be defined by one or more members of the base 20. In some embodiments, the members can be integrally formed, and in other embodiments, the members can be assembled. In some embodiments, the base 20 can include an air duct upstream member 26, an air duct midstream member 27, and a downstream member 28. The front cover 10 can be disposed at a distance from the base 20 (e.g., from the air duct upstream member 26), and the gap between the front cover 10 and the base 20 can serve as an air inlet 122 for air flow from the environment into the air duct.

[0026] In some embodiments, the front cover 10 is detachably mounted to the base 20. This has benefits in terms of hair removal. As shown, Figure 1 The front cover 10 can be provided with a detachable connection such as a snap lock or magnetic attraction, which can facilitate the detachment and fastening of the front cover 10.

[0027] The air purifier 1 also includes a pre-filter 32, a filter 34, and a fan 36 disposed in the air duct. The pre-filter 32 can be mounted upstream of the filter 34 and configured to perform a preliminary filtration of larger particles, hair, and other debris in the air flow flowing in the air duct. In some embodiments, as shown, Figure 2 The pre-filter 32, filter 34 can be mounted to the base 20 (e.g., at the air duct midstream member 27) and disposed across the air duct. The fan 36 can be mounted to the base 20, e.g., at the downstream member 28. An air outlet 29 can also be provided at the outlet of the downstream member 28.

[0028] The pre-filter 32 plays an important role in extending the service life of the air purifier. By performing a preliminary filtration of hair and other debris in the air through the pre-filter, and by periodically cleaning or replacing the pre-filter, the performance of the subsequent filter can be ensured for a longer period of time. The characteristics of hair are significantly different from objects such as dust, large particulate matter, etc. Hair is very light and fine in texture, and compared to dust or large particles, hair is more likely to accumulate on the pre-filter and more likely to clog the pre-filter.

[0029] The pre-filter 32 can be implemented in various forms. Figure 3 An embodiment of the pre-filter 32 is shown by way of example. The pre-filter 32 can include a wire mesh 322 having a predetermined size of mesh, and the appropriate size of mesh can be selected according to the application scenario. The wire mesh 322 can be supported via a frame 324. The pre-filter 32 is mounted at an appropriate position upstream of the filter 34. In Figure 1 and Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the pre-filter 32 is mounted next to the main filter 34. It should be appreciated that this is merely exemplary and the pre-filter 32 can be disposed in any other suitable position upstream of the main filter 34.

[0030] The main filter 34 is mounted in the air duct for filtering the air in the air duct. The main filter 34 can include a filter element which can be an adsorbent material such as activated carbon or the like. In some embodiments, the main filter can include a chemical absorbent material to remove odors such as ammonia, methyl mercaptan or the like.

[0031] The blower 36 is configured as a motive component to create a negative pressure in the air duct. The blower 36 can include a fan impeller which is rotated to provide motive force for the air flow. When the blower 36 is in operation, air can enter the air duct through the air inlet 122 and then sequentially pass through the pre-filter 32, the main filter 34 and the filtered fresh air is finally discharged out of the air purifier via the air outlet 29. In Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the air inlet 122 is shown to be located around the front cover 10 of the air purifier 1. In the illustrated embodiment, large gaps between the lateral sides and the upper and lower sides of the front cover 10 and the base 20 are used as air inlets. Such large gaps have benefits in improving the performance of the air purifier. This is because if the air inlet is formed in the form of a small hole or an array of small holes, fine hairs can easily be adsorbed on the small holes and then block the air inlet, thereby increasing the air flow resistance and then affecting the air outlet efficiency of the air purifier. By utilizing large gaps to form the air inlet, the accumulation of hairs at the air inlet is effectively prevented. In the illustrated embodiment, the air outlet 29 is shown to be located above the air purifier 1. It should be appreciated that this is merely exemplary and the air outlet 29 can be located at any other suitable position of the air purifier 1.

[0032] According to the present disclosure, as Figure 2 As shown, the air purifier 1 further includes a hair collection device 40. The hair collection device 40 includes a movable hair collection member 42. The hair collection member 42 is disposed near the bottom of the pre-filter 32 and is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position. The hair collection member 42 can be shaped into a suitable shape to form a hair receiving cavity with the front cover 10 and the pre-filter 32. The hair receiving cavity can be selectively opened or closed by moving the hair collection member 42 between the first position and the second position. In some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, the hair collection member 42 is shaped as a plate-like member and extends across the air inlet 122. It should be appreciated that the illustrated embodiment is merely exemplary and the hair collection member 42 can also be shaped into other suitable shapes.

[0033] Figure 4 and Figure 5Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a hair collection member in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] In Figure 4 In the state shown, the hair collection member 42 is in a first position. The first position can correspond to a low speed mode or a stop state of the air purifier 1. The low speed mode here means that although the air purifier 1 is working, the negative pressure generated by the fan 1 is not strong enough to attract the hair collection member 42 to the folded position. In the first position, the hair collection member 42 is in the unfolded position, thereby the hair collection member 42 blocks the air inlet 122 at the bottom of the pre-filter 32, and in turn prevents the hair collected on the pre-filter 32 from falling to the ground via the air inlet 122 at the bottom of the pre-filter 32.

[0035] In Figure 5 In the state shown, the hair collection member 42 is in a second position. The second position can correspond to a hair removal operation state of the air purifier 1. The hair collection member 42 is in the folded position, thereby the air inlet 122 at the bottom of the pre-filter 32 is opened, thereby allowing the air flow to enter the pre-filter 32 via the air inlet 122 at the bottom of the pre-filter 32.

[0036] In the state that the fan 36 is operating, the hair collected inside the air purifier 1 is attached to the front side surface of the pre-filter 32 due to the negative pressure created by the fan 36. When the fan 36 stops operating or operates at a low speed, it means that the negative pressure environment of the air purifier 1 is removed, then the hair collected inside the air purifier 1 will fall from the front side surface of the pre-filter 32 due to the gravity of the hair itself. In this case, if the hair collection device is not provided, then these hairs will fall to the ground via the gap (e.g. the air inlet 122) provided at the bottom of the air purifier 1. According to the present disclosure, by controlling the posture of the hair collection member 42, the above phenomenon is conveniently prevented. Even when the fan 36 stops operating or operates at a low speed, the hair collected inside the air purifier 1 will fall on the hair collection member 42 due to the gravity of the hair itself, thereby achieving the function of hair collection. Considering the low cost and easy implementation of the hair collection member 42, the cost of hair collection of the air purifier 1 can be significantly reduced. In addition, since there is no need to provide complex hair collection components, the size of the air purifier 1 can be significantly reduced. This is particularly attractive in some space-constrained application scenarios.

[0037] In some embodiments, the hair collection member 42 is pivotably provided near the bottom of the pre-filter 32. In some embodiments, as Figure 2 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5As shown, the hair collecting member 42 is pivotally mounted to the front cover 10, for example, by a shaft hole fitting. The front cover 10 can be provided with a mounting seat 44, and the hair collecting member 42 can be mounted to the mounting seat 44 by a shaft hole fitting structure. It should be understood that the structure shown is merely exemplary, and the mounting between the hair collecting member 42 and the front cover 10 can be implemented in any appropriate form.

[0038] In some embodiments, a limiting device can be provided on the mounting seat 44, and the limiting device is configured to limit the rotation of the hair collecting member 42 from the first position in a direction away from the second position after the hair collecting member 42 returns to the first position from the second position. In this way, it can be ensured that the hair collecting member 42 stops at a predetermined design position.

[0039] In some embodiments, the movement of the hair collecting member 42 between the first position and the second position is not controlled by the motor, for example, the hair collecting member 42 can be moved by its own gravity and the negative pressure generated when the fan is operated. This can further simplify the structure of the hair collecting function. In this case, the hair collecting member 42 needs to be made as light as possible. The flat structure according to the present disclosure has an advantage in this regard.

[0040] In some embodiments, when the fan 36 is operated, the hair collecting member 42 is rotated from the first position to the second position by means of the suction force generated when the fan 36 is operated. When the fan 36 stops operating, the hair collecting member 42 is rotated from the second position to the first position by means of its own gravity. In this way, no additional driving components are required, and adaptive adjustment of the posture of the hair collecting member 42 can be achieved. This can further reduce the cost of the air purifier 1.

[0041] When the fan 36 stops operating, even if the negative pressure is removed, since the hair collecting member 42 is in the unfolded state, the attracted hair falls to the hair collecting member 42 due to its own gravity, and does not fall to the ground. When the fan 36 starts operating, the hair collecting member 42 moves to the folded state due to the action of the negative pressure. At the same time, the hair collected on the top side of the hair collecting member 42 is also attracted to the pre-filter 32 again due to the action of the negative pressure, and does not fall to the ground due to lack of timely cleaning.

[0042] In some embodiments, after the air purifier 1 is used for a period of time, the front cover 10 can be periodically detached from the base 20, and the hair collected on the hair collecting member 42 can be manually removed. In this way, it can be ensured that the hair collecting member 42 does not affect its collection performance due to excessive hair accumulation.

[0043] In Figure 2、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the hair collection member 42 is pivotably mounted to the front cover 10, which is merely exemplary. In other embodiments (not shown), the hair collection member 42 is pivotably mounted to the base 20, for example, to the air duct upstream member 26 of the base 20 or any other suitable member of the base. The inventive concept according to the present disclosure can be similarly implemented thereby.

[0044] In some embodiments, the hair collection member 42 is mounted to the base 20 at a position that is set not to interfere or affect the operation of the pre-filter 32. As an example, the hair collection member 42 can be disposed on the air duct upstream member 26 and at a distance from the bottom edge of the pre-filter 32. In some embodiments, when the hair collection member 42 is in the open position, the top edge of the hair collection member 42 is lower than or flush with the bottom edge of the pre-filter 32.

[0045] In some embodiments, the air duct upstream member 26 is formed in a shape suitable for guiding the airflow. As shown, the air duct upstream member 26 can be formed in a concave curved shape, which helps to reduce the air flow resistance. In some embodiments, as shown, the curved angle of the concave curved shape of the air duct upstream member 26 is obtuse with respect to the vertical direction, as viewed from the side of the air purifier. Figure 2 Figure 2 In some embodiments, as shown, the base 20 further includes a base 22 adjacent to the ground. The bottom air inlet side edge 262 of the air duct upstream member 26 is disposed as close as possible to the air inlet side edge 222 of the base 22. In this case, the air inlet 122 of the air duct can be made as close as possible to the ground. This can increase the opening of the air inlet 122 to facilitate air intake. In addition to having reduced air flow resistance, it is also helpful to make the air inlet 122 as close as possible to the ground, which has additional benefits for the hair collection. In some embodiments, the bottom air inlet side edge 262 of the air duct upstream member 26 is disposed to coincide with the air inlet side edge 222 of the base 22. This can make the air inlet 122 almost flush with the ground.

[0046] In some embodiments, as shown, the base 20 further includes a base 22 adjacent to the ground. The bottom air inlet side edge 262 of the air duct upstream member 26 is disposed as close as possible to the air inlet side edge 222 of the base 22. In this case, the air inlet 122 of the air duct can be made as close as possible to the ground. This can increase the opening of the air inlet 122 to facilitate air intake. In addition to having reduced air flow resistance, it is also helpful to make the air inlet 122 as close as possible to the ground, which has additional benefits for the hair collection. In some embodiments, the bottom air inlet side edge 262 of the air duct upstream member 26 is disposed to coincide with the air inlet side edge 222 of the base 22. This can make the air inlet 122 almost flush with the ground. Figure 2

[0047] ​​In some embodiments, the air purifier 1 does not include legs placed on the ground to support the air purifier. Instead of supporting the air purifier 1 with legs, the base 20 can include a base 22 adjacent to the ground, which can include a support surface with which the air purifier is supported with the support surface of the base 22 of the base 20. With the support surface to support the air purifier 1, this can further reduce the height of the air purifier 1 compared to setting legs to support the overall weight of the air purifier 1. This helps to make the air inlet 122 further close to the ground, in particular almost flush with the ground. This can effectively prevent hair from gathering around the air purifier 1 to improve the hair collection capability of the air purifier 1.

[0048] Although operations are depicted in a particular, sequential order, this should not be understood as requiring or implying that the operations are performed in that order - and that all illustrated operations should be performed to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Likewise, the specific sequential order described above should not be understood as implying that all illustrated operations are required to achieve the desired results, nor that the order of other operations can not be altered. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented together in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0049] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

[0050] Various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, and the description is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, and is not intended to exclude additions, substitutions, or modifications from the disclosed embodiments. Numerous modifications and adaptations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The scope of the disclosed embodiments should be determined by the appended claims, along with their full scope of equivalents, rather than by the description above. The choice of words in the description is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or technical improvements over the existing technology, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An air cleaner characterized by comprising: Comprising: a base (20) comprising an air duct and a fan (36) mounted in the air duct; a filter (34) mounted in the air duct; a pre-filter (32) mounted upstream of the filter (34) and configured to block hair from entering the filter (34); and a hair collection device (40) comprising a movable hair collection member (42), wherein the hair collection member (42) is disposed near the bottom of the pre-filter (32) and is configured to be movable between a first position in which the hair collection member (42) blocks an air inlet (122) at the bottom of the pre-filter (32) to prevent hair collected on the pre-filter (32) from falling onto the ground via the air inlet (122) at the bottom of the pre-filter (32), and a second position in which the hair collection member (42) opens the air inlet (122) at the bottom of the pre-filter (32) to allow air flow to enter the pre-filter (32) via the air inlet (122) at the bottom of the pre-filter (32). The hair collection member (42) is pivotably disposed near the bottom of the pre-filter (32) and is configured to be pivoted by a suction force generated when the fan (36) is operating to pivot from the first position to the second position when the fan (36) is operating, and to be pivoted by the gravity of the hair collection member (42) itself to return from the second position to the first position when the fan (36) stops operating.

2. The air cleaner according to claim 1, wherein The hair collection member (42) is shaped as a plate-like member.

3. The air cleaner of claim 2, wherein, The hair collection device (40) further comprises a limiting device configured to limit the rotation of the hair collection member (42) from the first position in a direction away from the second position after the hair collection member (42) returns from the second position to the first position.

4. The air cleaner of claim 2, wherein, Further comprising a front cover (10) detachably mounted to the base (20), the base (20) comprising an air duct upstream member (26) at least partially defining the air duct; 5. The air cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, wherein a gap is comprised between the front cover (10) and the air duct upstream member (26), the gap defining an air inlet (122) for permitting air flow from the environment to enter the air duct. The hair collection member (42) is pivotably mounted to the front cover (10).

6. The air cleaner of claim 5, wherein, The base (20) further comprises a base (22) adjacent to the ground, a bottom air inlet side edge (262) of the air duct upstream member (26) is disposed as close as possible to an air inlet side edge (222) of the base (22) so that the air inlet (122) of the air duct is as close as possible to the ground to facilitate air intake.

7. The air cleaner of claim 5, wherein, The bottom air inlet side edge (262) of the air duct upstream member (26) is disposed to coincide with the air inlet side edge (222) of the base (22).

8. The air cleaner of claim 7, wherein, ​ 9. The air cleaner of claim 5, wherein, The hair collection member (42) is pivotably mounted to the air duct upstream member (26).

10. The air cleaner according to any one of claims 1-4, 6-9, wherein, Movement of the hair collection member (42) between the first position and the second position is not controlled by a motor.

11. The air cleaner according to any one of claims 1-4, 6-9, wherein, The base body (20) further comprises a base (22) adapted to be in contact with the ground, the base (22) comprising a support surface, the air cleaner being supported on the ground by means of the support surface of the base.

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