Ambient air purifier comprising at least one filter element and use of the filter element - Patents.com

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ambient air cleaner (100) comprising a housing (102) and at least one filter element (10, 30), the at least one filter element (10, 30) including at least one filter medium body (50), at least an upper end (56) of the at least one filter medium body (50) being provided with at least a first side frame element (60), in particular a planar side frame element, having a larger cross section than the upper end (56) and a protrusion (64) protruding beyond the upper end (56) of the filter medium body (50), the protrusion (64) of the side frame element (60) providing a sealing area outside the upper end (56) between the filter element (10, 30) and the housing (102). The present invention further relates to the use of the filter element (10, 30).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ambient air cleaner comprising at least one filter element and to the use of a filter element in a vehicle-mountable ambient air cleaner. [Background technology]

[0002] Particulate filter systems, such as fine dust filter systems, known in the art use a direct flow arrangement of a vertically positioned axial fan and a filter element located upstream from the fan, and the height of these systems is typically determined by the diameter of the fan.

[0003] Patent No. 5,679,796 discloses an air conditioning system for a vehicle for removing particles from the air, where the purified air is exhausted from the air conditioning system into the vehicle while the particles are retained within the air conditioning system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide an ambient air cleaner that allows for a compact and lightweight design.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide for the use of a filter element in an ambient air cleaner.

[0006] The first object is achieved by an ambient air purifier comprising a housing including at least a housing cover and a mounting base, the housing having at least one inlet for the ambient air to be purified and at least one outlet for the purified air, a fan and at least one filter element, the at least one filter element extending substantially parallel to a rotation axis of the fan, the at least one filter element comprising at least one filter medium body, in particular configured as a pleated filter bellows, at least an upper tip of the at least one filter medium body of the at least one filter element is provided with at least a first lateral frame element, in particular a planar lateral frame element, having a larger cross section than the upper tip and with a protrusion protruding beyond the upper tip of the filter medium body, the protrusion of the lateral frame element providing a sealing area outside the upper tip between the filter element and the housing, the protrusion being sandwiched between a support structure of the mounting base and a mating element of the housing cover when the housing is in a closed state.

[0007] Another object is the use of a filter element in a vehicle-mountable ambient air purifier as claimed in any of the preceding claims for purifying ambient air, the filter element comprising at least one filter medium body, in particular arranged as a pleated filter bellows, at least an upper tip of the filter element being provided with at least a first lateral frame element, in particular a planar lateral frame element, having a larger cross section than the upper tip and with a protrusion protruding beyond the upper tip of the filter medium body, the protrusion of the lateral frame element being achieved by the use of the filter element providing a sealing area at least on the outside of the upper tip.

[0008] Preferred embodiments and advantages of the invention emerge from the further claims, the description and the drawings.

[0009] In a first aspect of the present invention, an ambient air purifier is proposed, comprising a housing including at least a housing cover and a mounting base, the housing having at least one inlet for the ambient air to be purified and at least one outlet for the purified air, a fan arranged in the housing, and at least one filter element, the at least one filter element including at least one filter medium body, in particular configured as a pleated filter bellows. At least an upper end of at least one filter medium body of the at least one filter element is provided with at least a first side frame element, in particular a planar side frame element, having a cross section larger than the upper end and with a protrusion protruding beyond the upper end of the filter medium body, the protrusion of the side frame element providing a sealing area between the filter element and the housing, outside the upper end, the protrusion being sandwiched between a support structure of the mounting base and a mating element of the housing cover when the housing is in a closed state.

[0010] The filter element of the proposed ambient air cleaner has on its upper side protruding lateral frame elements which are wider than the filter medium body. In the mounted state, the protruding lateral frame elements are compressed between the mounting base and the housing cover. This allows an effective sealing action to be obtained without applying sealing forces to the filter medium body. The force flow is from the housing cover through the protruding lateral frame elements towards the mounting base. Such a special sealing interface diverts the sealing forces away from the filter medium body, thus avoiding mechanical damage to the filter medium body.

[0011] The lateral frame elements of the pleat pack that run perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the pleats of the filter element are typically referred to as sidebands, and the lateral frame elements of the pleat pack that run parallel to the longitudinal extension of the pleats are typically referred to as headbands. In a preferred embodiment, the longitudinal extension of the pleats runs upright along a vertical axis, so that the lateral frame elements involved in the sealing interface are preferably sidebands.

[0012] In the proposed ambient air purifier filter element, the filter element segments of the filter element can be inserted from the top into the prismatic slots of the mounting base. The filter elements have headbands and sidebands, and for example, use nonwoven filter media in the filter media body. These filter elements are longer and wider than typical cabin air filter elements, and employ thin media with low stiffness. Therefore, they are prone to deformation when forces are applied to the filter media body. However, these filter elements have high filtration efficiency (ePM1 of 60% or more), and excessive leakage around the element will significantly reduce the efficiency. The challenge in this regard is due to the size of the housing and the manufacturing process, which requires significant tolerance compensation due to slight warping of the housing over its lifetime and the uncontrollability of the material thickness in the intended rotational molding process. Therefore, a sealing method is needed to reduce the forces acting on the filter media body without deforming the element.

[0013] At the end of the filter bellows, V-latches or L-latches can be attached to the headband of the filter element to prevent leakage on the sides of the slot. At the top of the slot, a rigid or compressible sideband can be used as the first lateral frame element. The sideband facing the top cover of the housing has an excess width, which allows an overlap at the periphery. At this periphery, the mounting base and the housing cover circumferentially pinch the sideband. This seals the top of the slot and secures the filter element in place so that it can withstand mechanical forces, e.g. flow and vibration forces. The axial forces acting only on the periphery prevent mechanical deformation of the filter medium body.

[0014] The air purifier has a low height, low power consumption and low pressure drop between the inlet and outlet. The fan can be installed facing up or down and redirects the air by up to 90°. This allows for easy maintenance when changing the filter elements. Furthermore, it is versatile with different element shapes, filter classes and two-stage options like main filter element and pre-filter element.

[0015] Because of its low power consumption, it can aggregate higher flow rates, for example on the roof of a bus, lowering the barrier to application to small vehicles with small batteries and weak alternators, such as forklifts, tricycles, production machinery, and airport transport vehicles.

[0016] In small cars, a particular airflow direction may be advantageous so that the driver is not exposed to strong drafts generated by the air purifier.

[0017] Advantageously, no polyurethane (PU) or sealing foam is required for sealing the filter element. Tolerance compensation is beneficially achieved by the proposed sealing concept. This ensures airtightness of the ambient air purifier. Also, due to the mechanical fixation of at least one side band, movement of the filter element under vibration is reduced or avoided.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air purifier, the fan has an upright rotation axis. At least one inlet may be arranged radially relative to the rotation axis of the fan. At least one outlet may be arranged axially relative to the rotation axis of the fan. Advantageously, the air purifier has a low height, low power consumption and low pressure loss between the inlet and the outlet. The fan can be installed facing upwards or downwards and can redirect the air up to 90°. This allows for easy maintenance when replacing the filter elements. Furthermore, it is versatile in terms of element shape, filter class and two-stage options such as main filter element and pre-filter element.

[0019] Because of its low power consumption, it can aggregate higher flow rates, for example on the roof of a bus, lowering the barrier to application to small vehicles with small batteries and weak alternators, such as forklifts, tricycles, production machinery and airport transport vehicles.

[0020] It is also possible to use a fan that is larger than the system height. Advantageously, the fan can be tilted, preferably 90°, from the vertical, so that it faces upwards or downwards. Since the system height is limited, it is further advantageous to arrange the filter elements around the fan, increasing the flow cross-sectional area, i.e. the filter cross-sectional area. This can achieve a reduction in pressure loss in the filter elements and the filter system.

[0021] Weight and height are two important aspects of roof-mounted fine dust filters. Advantageously, the proposed method of sealing the fine dust filter elements of the ambient air purifier can contribute to both aspects. The sealing has little effect on the cross section available for filtration and little effect on the height of the filter system. Also, very light nonwoven elements can be used.

[0022] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air cleaner, at least one filter element at least partially, in particular in the circumferential direction, surrounds the interior clean air space of the housing, and preferably the fan is arranged axially offset from the mounting base of the housing and in fluid communication with the interior clean air space, and / or the at least one filter element extends substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the fan. By arranging one or more elements around the periphery of the fan, the flow cross-sectional area, i.e. the filter cross-sectional area, can be increased, which allows a reduction in pressure loss of the filter element and the filter system to be achieved even with a limited system height. The pressure loss of the air cleaner is mainly influenced by the pressure loss of the filter element. Considering a given fan, the lower the pressure loss, the lower the fan rotation speed, which reduces power consumption and reduces noise emissions. A concentric arrangement is even more advantageous, since it provides a circular clean air space that allows a homogenous air flow to the fan. Furthermore, the free space can be used to implement (optional) flow grids or other straightening structures to optimize the flow pattern towards the fan and improve pressure loss and noise.

[0023] Weight and height are two important aspects of roof-mounted fine dust filters. Advantageously, the proposed method of sealing the fine dust filter elements of the ambient air purifier contributes to both aspects. The sealing has little effect on the cross section available for filtration and little effect on the height of the filter system. Also, very light nonwoven elements can be used.

[0024] In some embodiments, the ambient air purifier according to the present invention is an outdoor air purifier adapted to purify an environment, hi other embodiments, the ambient air purifier according to the present invention can be used in semi-closed environments such as mines and / or warehouses.

[0025] According to an advantageous embodiment of the ambient air purifier, at least a lower tip of at least one filter element located opposite the upper tip is provided with a second lateral frame element having a larger cross section than the lower tip and having a protrusion protruding beyond the lower tip of the filter medium body.

[0026] The bottom side of the mounting base slot, i.e. the underside of the filter element, can be provided with a compressible thick side band, which is compressed primarily by the weight of the filter element, thus sealing the bottom. The use of at least one bulky compressible side band also advantageously provides a means of tolerance compensation. For example, a plastic part with a height of 300 mm may experience mm-level warping during operation, which must be compensated for by the filter element.

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment, the ambient air purifier includes a plurality of filter element segments, at least one filter element being circumferentially adjacent to one another, the plurality of filter element segments being arranged in a polygon or circle around the rotation axis of the fan.

[0028] As the main filter element, a circular element or filter segments in an n-sided arrangement, especially a concentric arrangement, for example a hexagonal, octagonal arrangement, can be used. In a preferred embodiment, the main filter element is concentric with the fan. The air purifier may have two inlets from opposite sides of the housing and may be equipped with a pre-filter element arranged between these inlets and the main element for pre-separation of coarse dust, water, biological material and for preventing stone chipping. Such an arrangement of two inlets is advantageous in terms of modularity, and several filter systems can be stacked side by side, for example on the roof of a bus. Other arrangements with different orientations of the inlets are also feasible, allowing different modular approaches. For example, in an air purifier with a square arrangement, one inlet can be used on two adjacent sides.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air cleaner, the protrusion of the first side frame element is clamped along a circumferential clamping line of each of the plurality of filter element segments, thereby achieving an effective seal of the filter element or filter element segment to the housing of the ambient air cleaner.

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air cleaner, the housing cover comprises an axially protruding groove structure for receiving an upper tip of at least one filter element and / or filter element segment and a lateral frame element. In particular, the groove structure receives a counter element for clamping the protrusion of the lateral frame element when the housing is closed. A filter element having a protruding lateral frame element can be received in the groove structure. This makes precise positioning of the filter element unnecessary, and a seal can be achieved by pressing the groove structure against the top of the filter element. The lateral frame element is circumferentially covered by the groove structure.

[0031] Advantageously, at least two of the plurality of filter element segments are connected by at least a first and / or a second lateral frame element extending substantially parallel to the mounting base.

[0032] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air purifier, the lateral frame element is a side band or a head band of at least one filter element. The bellows of the filter element can be arranged in different orientations with respect to the rotation axis of the ambient air purifier. If the longitudinal extension of the pleats of the filter element is placed parallel to the rotation axis, the lateral frame element is a side band. If the longitudinal extension of the pleats of the filter element is placed perpendicular to the rotation axis, the lateral frame element is a head band.

[0033] According to a preferred embodiment, the ambient air cleaner has at least one filter element including filter element segments arranged parallel to each other on opposite sides of the rotation axis of the fan. In particular, the pre-filter elements may be arranged opposite each other on both outer side walls of the housing of the ambient air cleaner and surround a main filter element surrounding the fan.

[0034] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air purifier, the longitudinal extension of the pleats of the filter body is arranged parallel to the rotation axis of the fan, which allows for effective filtering of dust particles when the fan is centrally located in the housing and the air flow is directed perpendicular to the pleats of the filter bellows.

[0035] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air cleaner, the at least one filter element covers, as a whole, an angular portion of the circumference of the interior clean air space of at least 270°, preferably at least 330°, which allows a large filtering area within the housing.

[0036] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air cleaner, one of the at least one filter element is arranged substantially coaxially with the rotation axis of the fan. A coaxial arrangement is advantageous because it results in a circular clean air space that allows a homogenous air flow to the fan.

[0037] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air purifier, at least one of the at least one filter element is concentrically arranged around a center of the internal clean air space, and the center of the internal clean air space is defined by the rotation axis of the fan, which allows the filter element and the fan to be arranged compactly.

[0038] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air purifier, the fan is held by a support structure attached to the mounting base, preferably comprising at least one strut, preferably extending perpendicularly to the plane of the mounting base. In particular, the support structure is designed as a support cage comprising a number of struts angularly distributed in the circumferential direction. This provides a stable and robust support for the fan.

[0039] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air cleaner, the support structure serves as a radial support for the at least one filter element. Advantageously, a compact and stable support is provided along the filter element surface.

[0040] According to a preferred embodiment of the ambient air purifier, the upper cover wall comprises at least one opening serving as an outlet, the diameter of which preferably corresponds to the diameter of the fan.

[0041] In another aspect of the invention, the use of a filter element in an ambient air purifier that can be mounted on a vehicle for purifying ambient air is proposed, the filter element comprising at least one filter medium body, in particular arranged as a pleated filter bellows, at least an upper tip of the filter element being provided with at least a first lateral frame element, in particular a planar lateral frame element, having a larger cross section than the upper tip and with a protrusion protruding beyond the upper tip of the filter medium body, the protrusion of the lateral frame element providing a sealing area at least on the outside of the upper tip.

[0042] Advantageously, for buses, a minimum of 10.000 m2 is required to fully compensate for fine dust emissions. 3Although very high flow rates of over 10000 sq. m / h are required, this ambient air cleaner allows for a significant reduction in the vehicle's fine dust emission footprint due to the filter elements. Due to the limited power available on the vehicle, power efficiency is crucial for systems that aim for full compensation. This necessitates the use of filter systems with extremely low pressure drop and large fans, both of which can be improved by increasing the dimensions of the filter system. However, rooftop mounted systems are limited by the size of the filter system and especially the height of the system.

[0043] By enabling high flow systems to operate with limited power, ambient air purifier systems can be realized in electrified vehicles, for example, without fully compensating for the fine dust emission footprint of a bus and reducing the range due to the power consumption of the air purifier.

[0044] The present invention, together with these and other objects and advantages, may best be understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments, without however being limited to these embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0045] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ambient air purifier according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the air purifier of FIG. 1, showing intersecting lines AA and BB. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the arrangement of the filter element and fan of the ambient air cleaner of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a partial cutaway view of the ambient air cleaner of FIG. 1, showing intersection plane C. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cutaway view of the ambient air cleaner of FIG. 1 at intersecting plane C of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 3 is a cutaway view of the ambient air cleaner of FIG. 1 along intersection line AA of FIG. 2, showing detailed intersections Y and Z. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the intersection Y in FIG. 6. [Figure 8]FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the intersection Z in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] 3 is a cutaway view of the ambient air cleaner of FIG. 1 along cross line BB of FIG. 2. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a top view of two filter element segments of a main filter element in a manufacturing configuration. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the two filter element segments of FIG. 10 in an attached configuration. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a cutaway view of the filter element segment of FIG. [Figure 13] 11 is a schematic top view of the two filter element segments of FIG. 10 in an attached configuration with clamping lines shown. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a top view of the pre-filter element. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cutaway view of the filter element of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0046] In the drawings, like elements are provided with the same reference numbers. The drawings are merely schematic representations and are not intended to depict specific parameters of the invention. Also, the drawings are intended to depict only typical embodiments of the invention and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0047] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ambient air cleaner 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a top view of the air cleaner 100 showing the intersection lines AA and BB, and Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the arrangement of the filter elements and fans of the ambient air cleaner 100. Figure 4 is a partial cutaway view of the air cleaner 100 showing the intersection plane C.

[0048] The ambient air cleaner 100 comprises a housing 102 including at least a housing cover 104 and a mounting base 110. The housing 102 has an inlet 142 for the ambient air to be purified on each of two opposing sides of the housing 102, and at least one outlet 144 for the purified air in the housing cover part 104. The inlet 142 is disposed between two side walls 116, 118 connected to the mounting base 110. The housing cover 104 comprises or consists of a plastic material, in particular an injection moldable or vacuum moldable plastic material.

[0049] A fan 150 having an upstanding axis of rotation 152 is disposed within the housing 102. The at least one air inlet 142 is disposed radially relative to the axis of rotation 152 of the fan 150. The at least one air outlet 144 is disposed axially relative to the axis of rotation 152 of the fan 150. The fan 150 is axially offset from the mounting base 110 of the housing 102 and is in fluid communication with the interior clean air space 160.

[0050] The housing cover part 104 includes an upper cover wall 120 that extends axially offset from the mounting base 110 and, in this embodiment, is disposed parallel to an axis of rotation 152 of the fan 150. The upper cover wall 120 includes an opening 122 that functions as the outlet 144. In this embodiment, the diameter of the opening 122 corresponds to the diameter of the fan 150.

[0051] The housing 102 has a planar grill 146 extending over each of the inlets 142. The inlets 142 are disposed in openings 148 in the housing 102. The grill 146 may extend entirely over the openings 148.

[0052] At least one filter element 10, 30 at least partially surrounds, in particular in the circumferential direction, the interior clean air space 160 (see FIG. 4 ) of the housing 102. The illustrated embodiment comprises two types of filter elements 10, 30: a pre-filter element 30 including two filter element segments 32, 34 arranged at the inlets 142 on either side of the housing 102, and a main filter element 10 including a number of filter element segments 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 circumferentially surrounding the fan 150. The filter element segments 32, 34 of the pre-filter element 30 are arranged parallel to each other on opposite sides of the rotation axis 152 of the fan 150.

[0053] The filter element segments 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 of the filter element 10 adjacent to one another in the circumferential direction are arranged in a polygonal or circular shape around the rotation axis 152 of the fan 150. The filter element 10 as a whole covers an angular portion of the circumference of the interior clean air space 160 of 270° or more, preferably 330° or more. The filter elements 10, 30 are arranged substantially coaxially with the rotation axis 152 of the fan 150.

[0054] Thereby, the filter elements 10 , 30 are arranged concentrically around the centre of the interior clean air space 160 , the centre of the interior clean air space 160 being defined by the axis of rotation 152 of the fan 150 .

[0055] The filter elements 10, 30 extend substantially parallel to the axis of rotation 152 of the fan 150. The filter elements 10, 30 include at least one filter media body 50 (see FIG. 5), particularly configured as a pleated filter bellows.

[0056] The longitudinal extensions of the pleats of the filter medium bodies 50 of both filter elements 10 and 30 are arranged parallel to the rotation axis 152 of the fan 150 .

[0057] 4, the fan 150 is supported by a support structure 156 that is attached to the mounting base 110. The support structure 156 preferably includes a number of struts 157 that preferably extend perpendicular to the plane of the mounting base 110.

[0058] The support structure 156 is designed as a support cage, which includes a number of struts 157, angularly distributed in the circumferential direction. The support structure 156 is arranged in the inner clean air space 160 and radially delimits the inner clean air space 160. The fan 150 is mounted on an upper ring element 158 ​​of the support structure 156, which is supported by the struts 157. For example, the grid cover 151 of the fan 150 may be arranged on the upper ring 158 or may be attached to the cover in another configuration. The struts 157 are arranged on a lower ring element 159 of the support structure 156, which is attached to the mounting base 110. In particular, the support structure 156 can consist of a cylindrical segment, which has two strut segments on both sides, connected at one end with respect to the rotation axis 152 of the fan 150 by an upper circular part and at the other end opposite with respect to the fan rotation axis 152 by a lower circular part. In the assembled state of the cylindrical segment, the two strut segments constitute one of the struts 157.

[0059] The support structure 156 serves as radial support for at least one of the filter elements 10, 30. The filter elements 10, 30 are curved with a radius of curvature that corresponds to the radius of the support structure 156.

[0060] FIG. 5 is a cutaway view of the ambient air cleaner 100 at intersection plane C of FIG. 4, showing both filter elements 10, 30 in cross section.

[0061] Figure 6 is a cutaway view through the pre-filter element 30 of the ambient air cleaner 100 along intersection line AA in Figure 2, showing detailed intersections Y and Z. Figure 7 shows a detail of intersection Y in Figure 6, and Figure 8 shows a detail of intersection Z in Figure 6.

[0062] FIG. 9 is a cutaway view through the main filter element 10 of the ambient air cleaner 100 along the intersection line BB of FIG.

[0063] As can be seen in cutaway view, the upper extremity 56 of the filter element 10, 30 is provided with a first lateral frame element 60, in particular a planar lateral frame element.

[0064] The lateral frame elements 60 of the pleat pack that run perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the pleats of the filter element 10, 30 are commonly referred to as sidebands, and the lateral frame elements of the pleat pack that run parallel to the longitudinal extension of the pleats are commonly referred to as headbands. In the preferred embodiment shown, the longitudinal extension of the pleats runs upright along the vertical axis 152, so the lateral frame elements 60 involved in the sealing interface are preferably sidebands.

[0065] The side frame elements 60 have a larger cross section than the upper tip 56, with projections 64 projecting beyond the upper tip 56 of the filter media body 50. The projections 64 of the side frame elements 60 provide a sealing area outside the upper tip 56 between the filter elements 10, 30 and the housing 102. The projections 64 are sandwiched between the support structure 106 of the mounting base 110 and the mating element 108 of the housing cover 104 along the clamping line 78 when the housing 102 is in the closed state.

[0066] The side frame elements 60 extend beyond the width 54 of the main filter element 10 and beyond the width 55 of the pre-filter element 30 .

[0067] At the lower end 58 of the filter element 10, 30 opposite the upper end 56, a second side frame element 61 is provided. The second side frame element 61 has a larger cross section than the lower end 58, and a projection 65 projects beyond the lower end 58 of the filter media body 50. The second side frame element 61 is also provided as a side band.

[0068] As can be seen in the cutaway view of Figure 4 and the cutaway views of Figures 5-9, the housing cover 104 has an axially projecting groove structure 121 for receiving the upper tip 56 of at least one filter element 10, 30 and / or filter element segment 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 together with the lateral frame element 60. In particular, the groove structure 121 receives the mating element 108 for sandwiching the protrusion 64 of the lateral frame element 60 when the housing 102 is closed.

[0069] FIG. 10 is a top view of the two filter element segments 17, 19 of the main filter element 10 in the manufacturing configuration. The pleat pack is manufactured as a straight pack with the pleated filter medium body 50. Side bands as side frame elements 60 are arranged on the sides of the pleats 52. Connection bands 72 are arranged on both ends of the filter element 10 for sealing. The connection bands 72 protrude from the head side of the filter medium body 50 at variable angles. The sealing tabs are used to seal the edges of the filter medium body 50. The two filter element segments 17, 19 are cut along the cutting lines 70 for folding the two filter element segments 17, 19 for mounting to the mounting base 110 of the ambient air purifier 100, as shown in FIG. 11.

[0070] Another advantageous feature of the overlapping side bands 60 is that they can also be used with filter elements 10 having slit side bands 60. The slits 76 are formed between two adjacent portions of the filter element 10, for example covering 75% or more of the side band 60. The slits 76 in the side bands 60 allow the two adjacent segments 17, 19 of the filter element 10 to be attached at an angle. When the filter element 10 is bent, the material at the slit tip is compressed, which tends to cause the material to bulge and create loose areas. In this case, the clamping line 78 does not necessarily have to be straight, but can also extend into the filter media body 50, at least partially along the contour of the slit. This closes a potential leakage path along the slit 76 and also stabilizes the area around the tip, limiting deformation. When reaching the filter media body 50, the contour of the clamping line 78 is not necessarily straight. In this way, the underside of the clamping contour in the slit 76 can be advantageously combined with a stiff vertical beam in the housing 102 to provide a tight seal while at the same time providing an obstacle to the more simply shaped prismatic elements.

[0071] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the two filter element segments of Figure 10 in a mounted configuration. The two filter element segments 17, 19 are substantially cut so as to be bent according to the mounting shape of the mounting base 110. The intermediate pleats 52 between the two filter element segments 17, 19 are widened to bend the filter element segments 17, 19 away from each other. In addition to the pleats 52, the filter element segments 17, 19 are connected by first and / or second lateral frame elements 60, 61 that extend at least substantially parallel to the mounting base 110.

[0072] Figure 12 is a cutaway view of the filter element segment 17 of Figure 10. Protrusions 64 on upper end 56 and protrusions 65 on lower end 58 are clearly visible.

[0073] 13 is a schematic top view of the two filter element segments 17, 19 of FIG. 10 in an attached configuration, showing the clamping line 78 where the side frame element 60 is clamped between the support structure 106 of the mounting base 110 and the mating element 108 of the housing cover 104. The clamping lines 78 of the two filter element segments 17, 19 meet at a connection point of the slits 76 between the filter element segments 17, 19 that are connected by a pleat 52 spanning from one filter element segment 17 to the other filter element segment 19. The protrusion 64 of the first side frame element 60 is clamped along the circumferential clamping line 78 of the filter element segments 17, 19.

[0074] Figure 14 is a top view of the pre-filter element 30, and Figure 15 is a cutaway view of the filter element 30. The pre-filter element 30 comprises a straight pleated media body 50 with both ends 56, 58 covered by side frame elements 60, 61. Figure 15 shows a protrusion 64 on the upper end 56 and a protrusion 65 on the lower end 58. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10 Filter Elements 12 element part 14 element part 15 Segments 17 Segments 19 Segments 21 Segments 23 Segments 25 Segments 27 Segments 29 Segments 30 Filter Elements 32 element part 34 element part 50 Filter body 54 Width 55 Width 56 Upper tip 58 Lower tip 60 First side frame element 61 Second lateral frame element 64 Protrusion 65 Protrusion 70 cutting line 72 Connection Band 76 Slit 78 Clasp wire 100 Ambient Air Purifier 102 Housing 104 Housing cover 106 Support structure 108 Opponent elements 110 Mounting base 114 Housing Structure 116 Side wall 118 Side wall 120 Upper cover wall 121 Groove structure 122 Opening 142 Inlet 144 Outlet 146 Grill 148 Opening 150 Fans 151 Lattice Cover 152 Rotational Axis 156 Support structure 157 Post 158 Ring 159 Ring 160 Clean Air Space

Claims

1. An ambient air purifier (100), A housing (102) comprising at least a housing cover (104) and a mounting base (110), the housing (102) having at least one inlet (142) for ambient air to be purified and at least one outlet (144) for purified air, A fan (150) is located inside the housing (102), It comprises at least one filter element (10, 30), The at least one filter element (10, 30) includes at least one filter body (50) which is configured in particular as a pleated filter bellows (52), At least one of the filter elements (10, 30) has at least one filter media body (50) at its upper tip (56) provided with at least one first lateral frame element (60), particularly a planar lateral frame element, having a larger cross-section than the upper tip (56) and a projection (64) that extends beyond the upper tip (56) of the filter media body (50). The protruding portion (64) of the lateral frame element (60) provides a sealing area outside the upper tip portion (56) between the filter element (10, 30) and the housing (102), and the protruding portion (64) is sandwiched between the support structure (106) of the mounting base (110) and the mating element (108) of the housing cover (104) when the housing (102) is in a closed state, providing an ambient air purifier.

2. The ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the fan (150) has an upright rotating shaft (152), the at least one inlet (142) is arranged radially with respect to the rotating shaft (152) of the fan (150), and the at least one outlet (144) is arranged axially with respect to the rotating shaft (152) of the fan (150).

3. The at least one filter element (10, 30) surrounds the internal clean air space (160) of the housing (102) at least partially, particularly in the circumferential direction. Preferably, the fan (150) is positioned axially offset from the mounting base (110) of the housing (102) and is in fluid communication with the internal clean air space (160), and / or the at least one filter element (10, 30) extends substantially parallel to the rotation axis (152) of the fan (150), the ambient air purifier according to claim 1.

4. The ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein at least the lower tip (58) of the at least one filter element (10, 30) located on the opposite side of the upper tip (56) is provided with a second lateral frame element (61) having a larger cross-section than the lower tip (58) and having a projection (65) that extends beyond the lower tip (58) of the filter body (50).

5. The ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the at least one filter element (10) includes a plurality of filter element segments (15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29) adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, and the plurality of filter element segments (15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29) are arranged in a polygon or circular shape with respect to the rotation axis (152) of the fan (150).

6. The ambient air purifier according to claim 5, wherein the protruding portion (64) of the first lateral frame element (60) is sandwiched along the circumferential clamping line (78) of each of the plurality of filter element segments (15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29).

7. The housing cover (104) includes an axially projecting groove structure (121) for accommodating the upper tip (56) of the at least one filter element (10, 30) and / or the filter element segment (15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29) and the lateral frame element (60). In particular, the ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the groove structure (121) accommodates the mating element (108) for sandwiching the protruding portion (64) of the lateral frame element (60) when the housing (102) is closed.

8. The ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the lateral frame elements (60, 61) are side bands or headbands of the at least one filter element (10, 30).

9. The ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the at least one filter element (30) includes filter element segments (32, 34), and the filter element segments (32, 34) are arranged parallel to each other on opposite sides of the rotation axis (152) of the fan (150).

10. The ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinally extending portion of the pleats of the filter material body (50) is arranged parallel to the rotation axis (152) of the fan (150).

11. The ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the at least one filter element (10, 30) as a whole covers an angle of 270° or more, preferably 330° or more, of the circumference of the internal clean air space (160).

12. The ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least one filter element (10, 30) is arranged substantially coaxially with the rotation axis (152) of the fan (150).

13. The ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one filter element (10, 30) is arranged concentrically around the center of the internal clean air space (160), and the center of the internal clean air space (160) is defined by the rotation axis (152) of the fan (150).

14. The fan (150) is held by a support structure (156) attached to the mounting base (110), Preferably, the support structure (156) includes at least one support column (157) that extends perpendicularly to the plane of the mounting base (110), In particular, the ambient air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the support structure (156) is designed as a support cage including a plurality of support columns (157) that are angularly distributed in the circumferential direction.

15. The ambient air purifier according to claim 14, wherein the support structure (156) functions as a radial support for the at least one filter element (10, 30).

16. The upper cover wall (120) includes at least one opening (122) that functions as the outlet (144), Preferably, the diameter of the opening (122) corresponds to the diameter of the fan (150) as described in claim 1.

17. The use of filter elements (10, 30) in a vehicle-mountable ambient air purifier (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 16 for purifying ambient air, The filter elements (10, 30) include at least one filter media body (50), particularly provided as a pleated filter bellows (52), and at least the upper tip (56) of the filter elements (10, 30) is provided with at least a first lateral frame element (60), particularly a planar lateral frame element, having a larger cross-section than the upper tip (56) and having a projection (64) that extends beyond the upper tip (56) of the filter media body (50), wherein the projection (64) of the lateral frame element (60) provides a sealing area outside at least the upper tip (56).

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