Wearable air purifier, nozzle assembly and wearable air supply device

Abstract

The wearable air purifier (10) includes headgear (12, 14, 16), air purifier assemblies (42, 44), and a nozzle assembly (100). The air purifier assemblies (42, 44) include a filter and an air flow generator (44) that generates an air flow within the filter (42). The nozzle assembly (100) includes a conduit (102) configured to receive the filtered air flow from the air purifier assemblies (42, 44) and an outlet body (104) releasably coupled to the conduit (102). The outlet body (104) defines air outlets (126, 128) that discharge the filtered air flow from the nozzle assembly (100).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wearable air purifier.

Background Art

[0002] Air pollution is a growing problem, and a wide variety of air pollutants have been identified or are suspected of having harmful effects on human health. The potential adverse effects resulting from air pollution depend on the type and concentration of the pollutants, as well as the length of exposure to the polluted air. For example, high levels of air pollution can pose urgent health problems such as aggravated heart and respiratory diseases, and long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health effects such as loss of lung capacity and reduced lung function, as well as an increased risk of developing diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and in some cases, malignant tumors.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In places where air pollution is particularly high, many individuals have recognized the benefits of minimizing their exposure to these pollutants and have accordingly taken measures such as wearing face masks for the purpose of filtering out at least a portion of the pollutants before they reach the mouth and nose. Additionally, there have been various attempts to develop air purifiers that are worn by the user but do not need to cover the wearer's mouth and nose. For example, there are various designs for wearable air purifiers that are worn around the wearer's neck and generate an air jet that is directed upward towards the wearer's mouth and nose. For such wearable air purifiers, it is important to supply the wearer with non-polluted air throughout the life of the purifier.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wearable air purifier, the wearable air purifier comprising a headgear, an air purifier assembly having a filter and an air flow generator for generating an air flow passing through the filter, and a nozzle assembly having a conduit for receiving the filtered air flow from the air purifier assembly and an outlet body releasably connected to the conduit and defining an air outlet for discharging the filtered air flow from the nozzle assembly.

[0005] The wearable air purifier according to the first aspect of the present invention may be beneficial mainly because the nozzle assembly has a conduit for receiving the filtered air flow from the air purifier assembly and an outlet body releasably connected to the conduit and defining an air outlet for discharging the filtered air flow from the nozzle assembly.

[0006] In particular, since the outlet body is releasably connected to the conduit, the outlet body can be easily removed and separated from the conduit so that the outlet body can be cleaned. For example, the outlet body can be separated from the conduit and placed in a cleaning solution that can remove bacteria and / or other contaminants from the outlet body, or placed under UV light, thereby ensuring that the filtered air flow discharged from the nozzle assembly is as clean as possible for the wearer. Further, such a configuration can facilitate the cleaning of the conduit and, in some embodiments, can facilitate access to the interior of the conduit for cleaning.

[0007] The nozzle assembly can be supported by the headgear. The nozzle assembly can be connected directly to the headgear, for example, without intervening components therebetween, or indirectly to the headgear, for example, with one or more intervening components therebetween.

[0008] The air purifier assembly can be supported by the headgear. The air purifier assembly can be connected directly to the headgear, for example, without an intervening component between the two, or indirectly to the headgear, for example, with one or more components intervening between the two.

[0009] The air purifier assembly can be configured not to be supported by the headgear. The air purifier assembly can be arranged to be worn somewhere on the wearer's body (such as a belt or around the wearer's neck). The air purifier assembly can be fluidly connected to the outlet aperture of the air purifier assembly by a conduit structure connected to the headgear.

[0010] The outlet body can have the final component of the wearable air purifier through which the filtered air flow travels before being discharged to the wearer. For example, in use, it can be assumed that there are no components of the wearable air purifier through which the filtered air flow passes downstream of the outlet body, and the filtered air flow is discharged from the air outlet and thus from the wearable air purifier towards the wearer's mouth and nose region.

[0011] The conduit can be configured to convey the filtered air flow to the air outlet of the outlet body in use. For example, the conduit can have an inlet aperture configured to receive the filtered air flow from the outlet aperture of the air purifier assembly, and a generally tubular body that at least partially defines a flow passage from the inlet aperture to the air outlet of the outlet body. When connected to the conduit, the combination of the conduit and the outlet body can define a flow passage from the inlet aperture to the air outlet. The conduit can be connected to the air purifier assembly, for example, such that the inlet aperture is in fluid communication with the outlet aperture.

[0012] In use, the nozzle assembly can be configured such that with the headgear applied to the wearer's head, the nozzle assembly protrudes forward of the wearer's face, for example, with the air outlet applied to the area of the wearer's mouth and / or the lower nose area. In use, the nozzle assembly can be configured to protrude forward of the wearer's face without contacting the wearer's face. This can provide a configuration that increases the comfort of the wearer compared to a configuration where the nozzle assembly contacts the wearer's face in use, for example. The nozzle assembly can generally be in an elongated arch shape. The air outlet can be positioned approximately centrally along the nozzle assembly.

[0013] The conduit has an aperture, and the outlet body can be configured to extend over the aperture when the outlet body is connected to the conduit in use. The combination of the conduit and the outlet body when connected to the conduit can define a flow passage from the inlet aperture of the conduit to the air outlet. The outlet body can be shaped and dimensioned to fit onto the conduit over the aperture. The conduit can be generally arch-shaped, thereby defining a void between a first end and a second end of the conduit, and the wearer's head can be received within the void in use. The aperture can be formed in a side wall of the conduit facing the wearer, for example, in a side wall of the conduit facing inwardly towards a void defined between the first end and the second end of the conduit.

[0014] The outlet body can have a plurality of apertures defining the air outlet. An air outlet having a plurality of apertures can enable improved air delivery to the wearer compared to, for example, a single aperture over the same surface area as the total surface area of the plurality of apertures. In particular, the plurality of apertures can supply an air flow with less turbulence and / or more directivity.

[0015] The plurality of apertures can be distributed, for example, as an array over the outlet region of the outlet body. The outlet region is 4500 mm 2 ~6900 mm 2 、4700 mm 2~6700 mm 2 or about 5700 mm 2 and can have a total opening area defined by the opening. The outlet region can have an opening area of 15% - 28%, 18% - 25%, or about 18%. The plurality of openings can have an opening size (e.g., width or diameter) of 50 μm - 150 μm.

[0016] The outlet region can have a maximum length that can be a value of at least 90 mm, 100 mm - 130 mm, or about 125 mm. The outlet region can have a maximum height that can be a value of at least 50 mm, 50 mm - 65 mm, or about 60 mm.

[0017] The outlet body can have a mesh that defines the air outlet, for example, the mesh can be a mesh composed of a plurality of openings. Alternatively, the plurality of openings can be provided by perforations made in the outlet region. For example, the plurality of openings can be provided by holes formed in the outlet body or by a perforated sheet disposed within the outlet region of the outlet body.

[0018] At least one of the conduit and the outlet body can have a seal for sealing against the other of the outlet body and the conduit when the outlet body is connected to the conduit during use. This can prevent leakage of the filtered air flow from the joint region between the conduit and the outlet body during use. The outlet body can have a seal, and this can, for example, facilitate cleaning when the outlet body is removed from the conduit. The seal can extend around the periphery of the outlet body or around the periphery of the opening of the conduit. The seal can be made of an elastically deformable material that can deform when connecting the outlet body to the conduit during use. The seal can be, for example, a lip seal or the like.

[0019] At least one of the conduit and the outlet body can have a releasable catch for holding the outlet body against the conduit in use. The releasable catch can provide a simple and cost-effective mechanism for holding the outlet body against the conduit. The releasable catch can be configured, for example, by material selection, to hold the outlet body against the conduit with sufficient force such that, in use, pressure caused by air flow release and / or pressure caused by air flow within the conduit does not cause inadvertent separation of the outlet body and the conduit.

[0020] The releasable catch can be positioned in use such that the releasable catch is not exposed to the filtered air flow within the conduit. This can ensure that, in use, the releasable catch does not interfere with the air flow passing through the conduit, for example, reducing the risk of flow obstructions compared to a configuration where the catch projects into the air flow passing through the conduit.

[0021] The conduit can have a plurality of releasable catches for holding the outlet body against the conduit in use. The plurality of releasable catches can be configured in cooperation with the profile of the outlet body to releasably hold the outlet body against the conduit. The plurality of releasable catches can be positioned adjacent to the edge of the aperture provided in the conduit covered by the outlet body in use. The plurality of releasable catches can be distributed around the edge of the aperture provided in the conduit covered by the outlet body in use.

[0022] The outlet body can be connectable to the conduit by friction fit. This provides a simple holding mode and can ensure a secure fit such that, in use, air flow does not leak at the joint between the conduit and the outlet body. The friction fit can be sufficient to hold the outlet body against the conduit in use. The friction fit can be combined with other holding mechanisms, such as the releasable catch described above, which can improve the safety of the connection.

[0023] The conduit has a first end and a second end, and the air cleaner assembly is configured to supply filtered air flows to both the first end and the second end of the conduit in use, whereby a first filtered air flow and a second filtered air flow can be conveyed within the conduit, and the nozzle assembly can be configured and arranged to discharge both the first filtered air flow and the second filtered air flow.

[0024] In some embodiments, at least one of the conduit and the outlet body can be configured such that the first and second air flows collide before being discharged from the nozzle assembly via the air outlet in use.

[0025] In some embodiments, at least one of the conduit and the outlet body has a divider that divides the air outlet into a first air outlet portion and a second air outlet portion, and the divider can be configured to redirect the first filtered air flow and the second filtered air flow to the corresponding first air outlet portion and second air outlet portion, respectively, in use. This can be advantageous for supplying a more stable air flow at the air outlet, for example, than configurations where the first filtered air flow and the second filtered air flow can collide. The divider can divide the conduit into a first conduit portion and a second conduit portion, and in use, the first filtered air flow and the second filtered air flow are conveyed in the corresponding first conduit portion and second conduit portion, respectively.

[0026] The air cleaner assembly can have a first outlet aperture configured to discharge the first filtered air flow to the first end of the conduit, and the air cleaner assembly can also have another filter, another air flow generator configured to generate another air flow to the other filter, and a second outlet aperture configured to discharge the second filtered air flow to the second end of the conduit.

[0027] An air flow generator and an air purifier assembly having other air flow generators may enable the use of smaller air flow generators compared to a single air flow generator designed to supply the same total air flow, and the smaller air flow generators can facilitate packaging.

[0028] The air purifier assembly can have a first purifier assembly housing and a second purifier assembly housing, with the air flow generator and filter positioned within the first purifier assembly housing and other air flow generators and other filters positioned within the second purifier assembly housing. The first purifier assembly housing and the second purifier assembly housing can be positioned on opposite sides of the head-wearable air purifier, for example, at opposite ends of the headgear and at opposite ends of the nozzle assembly. This provides a configuration with a balanced gravity that gives comfort to the wearer during use.

[0029] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nozzle assembly for a wearable air purifier, the nozzle assembly having a conduit for receiving a filtered air flow and an outlet body releasably coupled to the conduit, the outlet body defining an air outlet for discharging the filtered air flow from the nozzle assembly.

[0030] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wearable air delivery device comprising a headgear and a nozzle assembly supported by the headgear, the nozzle assembly having a conduit for receiving a filtered air flow from an air purifier assembly and an outlet body releasably coupled to the conduit, the outlet body defining an air outlet for discharging the filtered air flow from the nozzle assembly. Features in aspects of the present invention can equally apply to other aspects of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] A wearable air purifier generally designated by reference numeral 10 is schematically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0033] The wearable air purifier 10 includes head gears 12, 14, 16, air purifier assemblies 42, 44, and a nozzle assembly 100.

[0034] The head gears have a headphone form and include a headband 12, and a first housing 14 and a second housing 16 respectively connected to the ends of the headband 12. The headband 12 is generally elongated and arched and is configured to cover the wearer's crown and the wearer's temples in use. The first housing 14 and the second housing 16 typically have ear cups such as those used for substantially hemispherical and hollow "over-the-ear" headphones and are typically in a substantially hemispherical and hollow form.

[0035] The headband 12 has a first end portion 18, a second end portion 20, and a central portion 22. Each of the first end portion 18 and the second end portion 20 is connected to the central portion 22 by an extension mechanism. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each extension mechanism has an arm 24 that engages teeth inside the first end portion 18 and the second end portion 20, the teeth forming a ratchet mechanism by which the wearer can adjust the length of the headband 12. For this purpose, the teeth, the tooth spacing, and the opposing walls, or the arm 24 itself, can be made to have sufficient elasticity to obtain the required holding force.

[0036] Each of the first end portion 18 and the second end portion 20 of the headband 12 has a hollow housing 26. The hollow housing 26 defines a battery compartment for accommodating one or more batteries therein. Naturally, the battery can be removable from the hollow housing 26 or can be intended to be held within the hollow housing 26 during normal use. If the battery is intended to be replaceable and removable from the hollow housing 26, the hollow housing 26 can have, for example, a releasable door or cover that provides access to the interior of the hollow housing 26. If the battery is rechargeable and is intended to be held within the hollow housing 26 during normal use, the hollow housing 26 or actually other components of the wearable air purifier 10 can have at least one charging port that enables recharging of the battery.

[0037] The first end portion 18 and the second end portion 20 of the headband 12 are connected to the corresponding first housing 14 and second housing 16, respectively. In some embodiments, the first end portion 18 and the second end portion 20 of the headband 12 are connected to the corresponding first housing 14 and second housing 16, and this connection is made so as to enable relative movement between the first end portion 18 and the second end portion 20 of the headband 12 and the corresponding first housing 14 and second housing 16. As shown in FIG. 1, a swivel pin 28 is used for such a connection, but of course other forms of connection are also possible for those skilled in the art. In order to electrically connect the battery housed in the hollow housing 26 of the first end portion 18 and the second end portion 20 of the headband 12 to the components inside the first housing 14 and the second housing 16, the swivel pin 28 is made hollow so that, for example, electrical wiring or the like can pass through it.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, each of the housings 14, 16 houses a speaker assembly 32 and has an annular padding 34 configured to wrap around the ear of the wearer of the wearable air purifier 10. The details of the speaker assembly 32 are not relevant to the present invention and thus, for the sake of simplicity, will not be described herein, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that any suitable speaker assembly can be selected. In use, the speaker assemblies 32 housed within the first housing 14 and the second housing 16 are configured to receive power from all of the batteries 36, 38. Power transmission wiring (not shown) extends within the headband 12 between the first end portion 18 and the second end portion 20 of the headband 12 and, for example, extends within the central portion 22 and the arm 24. Such a configuration increases the flexibility of power distribution among the speaker assemblies 32. In other embodiments, the speaker assemblies 32 housed within the first housing 14 and the second housing 16 can be configured to receive power from the batteries 36, 38 disposed within the first end portion 18 and the second end portion 20 of the headband 12, respectively. For example, the speaker assembly 32 housed within the first housing 14 can be configured to be powered by the battery 36 within the first end portion 18 of the headband 12, and the speaker assembly 32 housed within the second housing 16 can be configured to be powered by the battery 38 within the second end portion 20 of the headband 12.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the first housing 14 and the second housing 16 of the headgear further house a filter assembly 42 and an air flow generator 44 in the air purifier assembly. Each of the housings 14, 16 further provides an outside air inlet 40 and an outlet aperture 43 (not shown) for the air purifier assembly.

[0040] The outside air inlets 40 provided in the first housing 14 and the second housing 16 have a plurality of apertures for drawing air into the interiors of the housings 14, 16. Each filter assembly 42 is disposed within each of the housings 14, 16 between the outside air inlet 40 and the corresponding air flow generator 44. Each filter assembly 42 has a filter material selected to provide a desired degree of filtration of the air to be supplied to the wearer in use.

[0041] Each air flow generator 44 has a motor-driven impeller that draws air from the corresponding outside air inlet 40, passes it through the corresponding filter assembly 42, and outputs air from an outlet aperture (not shown) corresponding to each of the air cleaner assemblies provided in the corresponding housings 14, 16. The air flow generators 44 within the first housing 14 and the second housing 16 are configured to receive power from all of the batteries 36, 38. Power transmission wiring (not shown) extends through the headband 12 as described in connection with the speaker assembly 32. In other embodiments, the air flow generator 44 within the first housing 14 can be powered by the battery 36 within the first end portion 18 of the headband 12, and the air flow generator 44 within the second housing 16 can be powered by the battery 38 within the second end portion 20 of the headband 12.

[0042] The nozzle assembly 100 is shown connected to the headgear in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in a form separated from the headgear in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0043] The nozzle assembly 100 includes a conduit 102 and an outlet body 104. The conduit 102 has a first end 106 and a second end 108, and is curved between the first end 106 and the second end 108 such that the conduit 102 is generally in an arch shape. The first end 106 and the second end 108 each have a corresponding first connector portion 110 and second connector portion 112 for connecting to respective ones of the first housing 14 and the second housing 16 of the headgear. When the nozzle assembly 100 is connected to the first housing 14 and the second housing 16 and the headgear is worn by a wearer, the nozzle assembly 100 is configured to project forwardly in front of the wearer's face, particularly in the region below the wearer's mouth and nose, and not to contact the wearer's face.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, the connector portions 110, 112 have curved ends that curve to conform to the outer surfaces of the first housing 14 and the second housing 16. The first connector portion 110 and the second connector portion 112 are generally hollow and have an inlet aperture 114 that is configured to fluidly communicate with an outlet aperture provided in the first housing 14 and the second housing 16 of the cleaning machine assembly when the conduit 102 is connected to the first housing 14 and the second housing 16. As shown in the drawing, the connector portions 110, 112 each include a hinge 116 and a magnetic detent 118 that rotatably connect and hold the conduit 102 to the first housing 14 and the second housing 16. Of course, other connection configurations, such as fixed, movable and / or removable configurations, are also contemplated.

[0045] The conduit 102 further comprises a main body portion 120 extending between a first connector portion 110 and a second connector portion 112. The main body portion 120 is substantially hollow and arched, and has a main body opening 122 which faces inwardly towards a cavity defined between the first end 106 and the second end 108 of the conduit 102. In particular, the main body portion 120 has a rearward side wall 121, for example, a wall facing inwardly towards a cavity defined between the first end 106 and the second end 108, and a forward side wall 123, for example, a wall facing outwardly away from a cavity defined between the first end 106 and the second end 108. The outlet body 104 is shaped and sized to be mounted on the main body opening 122, for example, such that the edge of the outlet body 104 overlaps the periphery of the main body opening 122. The upper and lower surfaces of the main body portion 120 have flow guides 124 projecting rearwardly, for example, towards a cavity defined between the first end 106 and the second end 108 of the conduit 102, and in use, act to guide the filtered air flow discharged from the nozzle assembly 100 towards the wearer's mouth and nose region. The flow guide 124 is expected to be formed of an elastically deformable material so as to provide comfort to the wearer even if it accidentally contacts the wearer's face during use.

[0046] The outlet body 104 is substantially in an arched form, and the curvature of the outlet body 104 substantially matches the curvature of the main body portion 120 of the conduit 102. The outlet body 104 has a frame 125 defining an opening and a mesh 127 supported by the frame 125 so as to cover the opening. The frame 125 of the outlet body 104 further has a divider 130 which divides the opening into a first air outlet portion 126 and a second air outlet portion 128. The outlet body 104 is shaped and sized to be mounted on the conduit 102 above the main body opening 122, and as a whole, the outlet body 104 and the conduit 102 define a flow passage between the inlet opening 114 and the air outlet portions 126, 128. The divider 130 is shaped and sized to divide the flow passage into a first flow passage and a second flow passage, and in use, the filtered air flow flows through the nozzle assembly 100 before being sent to the wearer through the air outlet regions 126, 128.

[0047] Mesh 127 defines an array of apertures distributed across the first air outlet portion 126 and the second air outlet portion 128, and each of the plurality of apertures has an aperture size (e.g., width or diameter) of 50 μm to 150 μm. Thus, the apertures define the air outlet of the nozzle assembly 100, and filtered air flow is discharged from the wearable air purifier 10 via this air outlet. For example, the mesh can preferably be prepared from a woven open mesh fabric made of a material having high resistance to moisture and chemicals such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The meshes of the first air outlet portion 126 and the second air outlet portion 128 then constitute the outlet region of the outlet body 104, and this outlet region has a maximum length (L max )(i.e., the arc length when curved) of about 125 mm, and a maximum height (H max ) of about 60 mm. However, the maximum length can be at least 90 mm, and preferably any value between 100 mm and 130 mm, and the maximum height can be at least 50 mm, and preferably any value between 50 mm and 65 mm.

[0048] The outlet region of the outlet body 104 has a total opening area defined by apertures of about 5700 mm 2 and an opening area of about 18%. However, the total opening area can be any value between 4500 mm 2 and 6900 mm 2 , and preferably any value between 4700 mm 2 and 6700 mm 2 , and the opening area can be any value between 15% and 28%, and preferably any value between 18% and 25%. These characteristics regarding the outlet region of the outlet body 1043 enable the nozzle assembly 100 to cover the mouth and lower nose regions of the wearer's face, reduce their exposure to outside air, and have a large area with a high restriction air outlet that creates a low-speed region of filtered air to minimize the potential harmful effects of crosswinds.

[0049] As an alternative, rather than a frame, the outlet body 104 may have a panel in which the outlet region of the outlet body 104 is defined, for example, by an array of apertures formed in the outlet body 104 by micro-drilling.

[0050] Naturally, for both mechanical retention and leak prevention, a tight fit is desirable between the conduit 102 and the outlet body 104, and thus, in some embodiments, the outlet body 104 is frictionally fitted onto the conduit 102 over the main body aperture 122. Where only frictional fitting is used for retention, the outlet body 104 can have a removal feature that can be grasped by the user to facilitate removal of the outlet body 104 from the main body aperture 122. In some embodiments, a seal (not shown) can be provided to improve the fit between the conduit 102 and the outlet body 104 and / or reduce air leakage. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the conduit 102 is provided with a number of catches 134, for example, flexible cantilever hooks, which are positioned adjacent the edge of the main body aperture 122 and cooperate with the profile of the outlet body 104 to releasably retain the outlet body 104 relative to the conduit 102. This can further enhance the safety of the connection of the outlet body 104 to the conduit 102. The catches 134 are positioned out of the flow path of the filtered air stream passing through the nozzle assembly 100 in use.

[0051] According to the releasable connection between the conduit 102 and the outlet body 104, it may be possible to easily remove and separate the outlet body 104 from the conduit 102 so as to enable cleaning of the outlet body 104. For example, the outlet body 104 can be separated from the conduit 102 and placed in a cleaning solution that can remove bacteria and / or other contaminants from the outlet body 104, or placed under UV light, thereby ensuring that the filtered air flow discharged from the nozzle assembly 100 is as clean as possible for the wearer during use. Further, such a configuration can facilitate cleaning of the conduit 102 and, in some embodiments, can facilitate access to the interior of the conduit 102, for example, for cleaning through the main body aperture 122.

[0052] In use, the headgear is applied to the wearer's head, the first housing 14 and the second housing 16 are applied over the wearer's ears, and the nozzle assembly 100 is projected in front of the mouth and lower nose region of the wearer's face without contacting the wearer's face. The air flow generator 44 draws air from the outside air inlet 40 provided by each of the first housing 14 and the second housing 16 through the filter assembly 42 and discharges a filtered air flow into the inlet aperture 114 at the first connector portion 110 and the second connector portion 112 of the conduit 102 through the outlet aperture. The filtered air flow travels through the conduit as the first and second filtered air flows and is fed from the nozzle assembly 100 to the wearer of the wearable air purifier 10 through the first air outlet portion 126 and the second air outlet portion 128. The speaker assembly 32 can supply audio data to the user in a form such as, for example, music, etc., and can alternatively or additionally provide noise cancellation for the noise generated by the operation of the air flow generator 44.

[0053] Although shown in this specification by two air flow generators 44, each of which feeds to each end of the nozzle assembly 100, it is of course possible in alternative embodiments to provide only a single air flow generator 44 and feed it to either or both of the two side ends of the nozzle assembly 100. In such an embodiment, the nozzle assembly 100 still comprises a conduit 102 and a releasable outlet body 104.

[0054] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the filter assembly 42 and the air flow generator 44 of the air cleaner assembly are housed within the headgear housings 14, 16 (i.e., forming the earcups), and thus are integral / built-in to the headgear such that the outside air inlet 40 and the outlet aperture 43 of the air cleaner assembly are provided by these housings 14, 16. However, of course, in some embodiments, the filter assembly 42 and the air flow generator 44 of the air cleaner assembly can be housed within their own separate cleaner assembly housing, in which case the outside air inlet and the outlet aperture of the air cleaner assembly can be provided by these cleaner assembly housings.

[0055] In such an embodiment, the cleaner assembly housing may or may not be supported by the headgear. For a cleaner assembly housing supported by the headgear, the nozzle assembly can be directly connected to the outlet aperture of the air cleaner assembly, whereby the nozzle assembly is indirectly connected to the headgear. Alternatively, the nozzle assembly can be directly connected to the headgear and fluidly connected to the outlet aperture of the air cleaner assembly by a conduit structure connected to the headgear. For a cleaner assembly housing that is not supported by the headgear and instead is worn somewhere on the wearer's body (a belt or around the wearer's neck), the nozzle assembly can be directly connected to the headgear and fluidly connected to the outlet aperture of the air cleaner assembly by a conduit structure connected to the headgear.

Claims

1. In a wearable air purifier, a headgear, an air purifier assembly having a filter and an air flow generator for generating an air flow passing through the filter, and a nozzle assembly having a conduit for receiving the filtered air flow from the air purifier assembly and an outlet body releasably coupled to the conduit and defining an air outlet for discharging the filtered air flow from the nozzle assembly, wherein the nozzle assembly is configured, in use, to project in front of the wearer's face with the air outlet covering the wearer's mouth without the nozzle assembly contacting the wearer's face. A wearable air purifier.

2. The wearable air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the air purifier assembly is supported by the headgear.

3. The wearable air purifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conduit has an aperture and the outlet body is configured to extend over the aperture when coupled to the conduit in use.

4. The wearable air purifier according to claim 3, wherein the aperture is provided in a side wall of the conduit.

5. The wearable air purifier according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the conduit is substantially arched, thereby defining a cavity between a first end and a second end of the conduit.

6. The wearable air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outlet body has a plurality of apertures defining the air outlet.

7. The wearable air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the outlet body has a mesh defining the air outlet.

8. The wearable air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one of the conduit and the outlet body has a seal for sealing against the other of the outlet body and the conduit when the outlet body is coupled to the conduit in use.

9. In the wearable air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, at least one of the conduit and the outlet body has a releasable catch for holding the outlet body against the conduit in use, the wearable air purifier.

10. In the wearable air purifier according to claim 9, the releasable catch is positioned in use so that the releasable catch is not exposed to the filtered air flow in the conduit, the wearable air purifier.

11. In the wearable air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the outlet body is connectable to the conduit by a friction fit, the wearable air purifier.

12. In the wearable air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the conduit has a first end and a second end, and the air purifier assembly is configured to supply a filtered air flow to both the first end and the second end of the conduit in use, whereby a first filtered air flow and a second filtered air flow are conveyed in the conduit, and the nozzle assembly is configured and arranged to discharge both the first filtered air flow and the second filtered air flow, the wearable air purifier.

13. In the wearable air purifier according to claim 12, at least one of the conduit and the outlet body has a divider that divides the air outlet into a first air outlet portion and a second air outlet portion, and the divider is configured to direct the first filtered air flow and the second filtered air flow to the corresponding first air outlet portion and second air outlet portion in use, the wearable air purifier.

14. In the wearable air purifier according to claim 12 or 13, the air purifier assembly has a first outlet aperture configured to discharge a first filtered air flow to the first end of the conduit, and the air purifier assembly has another filter, another air flow generator configured to generate another air flow through the other filter, and a second outlet aperture configured to discharge a second filtered air flow to the second end of the conduit, the wearable air purifier.

15. A nozzle assembly for a wearable air purifier, The nozzle assembly has a conduit for receiving a filtered air flow and an outlet body releasably coupled to the conduit and defining an air outlet for discharging the filtered air flow from the nozzle assembly. The nozzle assembly is configured such that, in use, the air outlet covers the wearer's mouth and projects forward of the wearer's face without the nozzle assembly contacting the wearer's face. **Claim 16** A wearable air delivery device, a headgear, a nozzle assembly having a conduit for receiving a filtered air flow from an air purifying assembly and an outlet body releasably coupled to the conduit and defining an air outlet for discharging the filtered air flow from the nozzle assembly, wherein the nozzle assembly is configured such that, in use, the air outlet covers the wearer's mouth and projects forward of the wearer's face without the nozzle assembly contacting the wearer's face.

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