Air sanitizing module and air sanitizing device with same

Abstract

The present invention relates to: an air sanitizing module for sanitizing air, the air sanitizing module being coupled to a conduit through which air can flow; and an air sanitizing device with same. The air sanitizing module comprising: a fan unit which generates a flow of air and has a fan and a motor for driving the fan; an ultraviolet irradiation unit which is positioned downstream and / or upstream of the fan unit with respect to the flow of air and has a UV package; and a shell which protects the fan unit and the ultraviolet irradiation unit, forms a first end of the air sanitizing module and a second end opposite to the first end, and serves as a sanitizing chamber.

Description

Air sterilization module and air sterilization device including the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to an air sanitizing module and an air sanitizing device including the same, and more particularly to an air sanitizing module using ultraviolet rays and an air sanitizing device including the same.

[0002] This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing an example of a disinfection device presented in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2021-0134857, wherein the disinfection device (1) includes an air circulation path (2; e.g., duct), an inlet fan (3), an ozone generator (4), an ultraviolet lamp (5), and a plurality of outlets (6, 7; outlets), and air introduced by an inlet fan (3) located at the inlet side of the air circulation path (2) is sterilized by passing through the ozone generator (4) and the ultraviolet lamp (5) and then discharged through the plurality of outlets (6, 7). Examples of sterilization devices utilizing such a duct or duct are presented in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2016-0112386 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. JP1994-281216, etc.

[0004] This is described in the latter part of ‘Specific details for carrying out the invention’.

[0005] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an air sterilization module that is coupled to a conduit through which air can flow and sterilizes air, the air sterilization module comprising: a fan section that causes air flow and has a fan and a motor that drives the fan; an ultraviolet irradiation section that is located at least one of downstream and upstream with respect to the fan section with respect to the air flow and has a UV package; and a shell that protects the fan section and the ultraviolet irradiation section and forms a first stage of the air sterilization module and a second stage opposite to the first stage, the shell being a sterilization chamber.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an air sterilization device comprising an air sterilization module, wherein the air sterilization device provides sterilization for air flowing between a first port and a second port, the air sterilization device comprising: a first conduit having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the first end of the first conduit is connected to the first port side, and the second end of the first conduit is connected to the first end side of the air sterilization module; a second conduit having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the first end of the second conduit is connected to the second port side, and the second end of the second conduit is connected to the second end side of the air sterilization module;

[0008] This is described in the latter part of ‘Specific details for carrying out the invention’.

[0009] Figure 1 is a drawing showing an example of a quarantine device presented in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0134857.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of an air sterilization module according to the present disclosure and an air sterilization device including the same;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of an air sterilization module according to the present disclosure.

[0012] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing(s).

[0013] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of an air sterilization module according to the present disclosure and an air sterilization device including the same, wherein the air sterilization device (10) includes a first conduit (20), an air sterilization module (30), and a second conduit (40), and an example in which the air sterilization device (10) is installed above a ceiling (100) is described.

[0014] The ceiling (100) can be replaced with a wall surface, etc., and a first port (101) and a second port (102) are formed in the ceiling (100). The first port (101) and / or the second port (102) can be provided with a cover (201) and / or a cover (202; e.g., a ventilation diffuser) for air direction control, air shielding, air filtering, or ultraviolet ray blocking. When air flows into the first port (101) and into the second port (102), the first port (101) becomes an inlet, the second port (102) becomes an outlet, the first conduit (20) becomes an upstream conduit, and the second conduit (40) becomes a downstream conduit. When the air flows in the opposite direction, the first port (101) becomes an exhaust port, the second port (102) becomes an intake port, the first conduit (20) becomes a downstream conduit, and the second conduit (40) becomes an upstream conduit.

[0015] The first conduit (20) has a first stage (21) and a second stage (22) opposite the first stage (21), the air sterilization module (30) has a first stage (31) and a second stage (32) opposite the first stage (31), and the second conduit (40) has a first stage (41) and a second stage (42) opposite the first stage (41).

[0016] The first end (21) of the first conduit (20) is fixed to the first port (101) side, and the second end (22) of the first conduit (20) is connected to the first end (31) side of the air sterilization module (30).

[0017] The first end (41) of the second conduit (40) is fixed to the second port (102) side, and the second end (42) of the second conduit (40) is connected to the second end (32) side of the air sterilization module (30).

[0018] When the second end (22) of the first conduit (20) and the second end (42) of the second conduit (40) are connected to each other or integrally, that is, when the first conduit (20) and the second conduit (40) form an integral body, the air sterilization module (30) can be provided inside the conduit formed by the first conduit (20) and the second conduit.

[0019] In the case where a cover (201) of the first port (101) and a cover (202) of the second port (102) are provided, the first end (21) of the first conduit (20) can be fixed to the first port (101) via the cover (201) fixed to the first port (101), and the first end (41) of the second conduit (40) can be fixed to the second port (102) via the cover (202) fixed to the second port (102).

[0020] By configuring the air sterilization device (10) with this configuration, that is, the first conduit (20), the air sterilization module (30), and the second conduit (40), the air sterilization module (30) is left as is, and the air sterilization device (10) can be configured by appropriately adjusting the first conduit (20) and the second conduit (40) despite changes in the environment (changes in the size, distance, and / or position of the first port (101) and the second port (102). Preferably, the first conduit (20) and / or the second conduit (40) can be configured with a flexible duct (e.g., a plastic tube, a bellows tube (also known as a jabara)), and the material of the first conduit (20) and / or the second conduit (40) can be configured with aluminum having a high reflectivity for ultraviolet rays, and can be configured with aluminum jabara.

[0021] The air sterilization module (30) includes an ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) equipped with a UV LED and a fan unit (34) for forcing air flow. The ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) can be fixed to the fan unit (34), and for example, as shown, it can be fixed to the fan unit (34) in a form that does not provide special resistance to the flow by being provided in the central portion of the fan unit (34), and it can also be fixed to a shell (35) described later and spaced apart from the fan unit (34). It goes without saying that the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) can be configured on both sides of the fan unit (34). Examples of such an air sterilization module (30) are presented in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0012815, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2401778, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-052590, etc. That is, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) may be composed of a UV chip, a UV package equipped with the UV chip, and a power supply board (e.g., a PCB board) on which the UV package is mounted. One or more UV chips may be provided in one UV package, and one or more UV packages may be provided in one power supply board. Since the dimension of the UV package is smaller than the dimension of the power supply board, the illustrated ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) is simply illustrated for convenience of explanation based on the dimension of the power supply board. An example of a UV package is presented in U.S. Patent Publication No. US11,824,148, etc.

[0022] Preferably, an ultraviolet absorber (50) that absorbs ultraviolet rays is provided on the port where ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) are directed, that is, the first port (21) in FIG. 2. The ultraviolet absorber (50) may be fixed to the inside of the first conduit (20) using tape or the like, and is preferably provided on the inner wall of the first conduit (20) so as not to impede flow. It goes without saying that the ultraviolet absorber (50) may have a disk shape in which one or more holes are formed to allow flow. As for the absorber (50), there are no particular restrictions as long as it is a black material, so black tape may be used.

[0023] In addition, the air sterilization module (30) may have a shell (35), and the shell (35) protects the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) and the fan unit (34), fixes the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) and the fan unit (34), and allows the first conduit (20) and the second conduit (40) to be coupled to the air sterilization module (30). At this time, the first end (31) and the second end (32) of the air sterilization module (30) are formed by the shell (35). For example, the shell (35) may have a cylindrical shape. When the inner wall of the shell (35) is made of a metal (e.g., aluminum) having excellent reflectivity for ultraviolet rays, the shell (35) allows ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) to be transmitted to the flow while reducing absorption by the shell (35). For example, by setting the distance from the ultraviolet irradiation unit (30) to the first stage (31) to 150 to 200 mm (when the diameter of the shell (35) is 150 mm and the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) is 100 W), sterilization can be efficiently performed within the shell (35). The distance is set based on the degree to which ultraviolet rays drop. In other words, the shell (35) forming the space from the ultraviolet irradiation unit (30) to the first stage (31) functions as a sterilization chamber. At this time, it is desirable to design the shell (35) so that at least 80% of the air is sterilized, and therefore there is no limitation on the upper limit of the length of the shell (35), and there is no special limitation as long as sterilization is achieved at the lower limit of the length, but when the length of the ultraviolet ray reaching the shell (35) is 1 based on the directivity angle so that the ultraviolet ray can sufficiently stay within the shell (35) after reaching the shell (35), it is desirable to form the length to be 1.5 or more.In addition, by configuring the shell (35) in a rigid tube shape (e.g., aluminum tube, Teflon tube), when a flexible tube is used as the first conduit (20) and / or the second conduit (40), it is possible to stably fix it, while reducing absorption of ultraviolet rays by the uneven first conduit (20) and / or the second conduit (40), and effectively sterilization can be performed within the shell (35). Meanwhile, when the flow rate or the speed of the flow controlled by the fan unit (34) is low, the lifespan of the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) can be extended by reducing the output of the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33).

[0024] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of an air sterilization module according to the present disclosure, wherein the air sterilization module (30) includes an ultraviolet irradiation unit (33), a fan unit (34), and a shell (35), wherein the fan unit (34) includes a fan (36) and a motor or drive shaft (37), and the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) includes a UV package (38) and a power supply board (39). The ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) may be attached to or fixed separately from the fan unit (34), and may also be fixed to the shell (35) through a separate structure. In the presented example, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) is located downstream of the fan unit (34) with respect to the flow direction (indicated by an arrow), and through this configuration, it is possible to reduce foreign substances such as dust included in the flow from being deposited on the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33), thereby reducing the efficiency of ultraviolet irradiation. Preferably, the width of the power supply board (39) is formed smaller than the width of the motor or drive shaft (37), so as to reduce contact between foreign substances in the flow and the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33). From this perspective, it is preferable to fix the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) as close as possible to the fan unit (34). Meanwhile, when the flow speed is fast, a vortex or turbulent flow is generated in the flow, which generates a vortex region (V), and foreign substances may be deposited on the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33). Therefore, by further providing a blocking wall (60), the deposition of foreign substances on the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) can be reduced. There is no particular limitation on the dimension of the blocking wall (60), and it can be made of aluminum with high reflectivity or Teflon with good durability against ultraviolet rays. Even if the barrier wall (60) is made of a material with high reflectivity for ultraviolet rays, this is to reduce ultraviolet absorption by the barrier wall (60) when the barrier wall (60) functions as a dust barrier rather than as a reflector.However, if the height of the barrier wall (60) is too high or positioned too close, the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit (33) may be prevented from reaching the shell (35), so the dimensions of the barrier wall (60) can be determined taking this into account. In addition, the dimensions of the barrier wall (60) can be designed taking into consideration the performance of the fan unit (34). The barrier wall (60) can be installed on the UV package (38), the power supply board (39), and / or the fan unit (34), and can have a height of, for example, 1 cm. In a case where the ultraviolet rays are partially prevented from reaching the shell (35) by the barrier wall (60), it is desirable that the directivity angle of the UV package (38) be reduced, and in the overall design of the air sterilization module (30), the ultraviolet rays emitted from the UV package (38) are irradiated to the shell (35) without being blocked by the barrier wall (60) in terms of the directivity angle.

[0025] Below, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described.

[0026] (1) An air sterilization module that is coupled to a conduit through which air can flow and sterilizes air, the air sterilization module comprising: a fan section that causes air flow and has a fan and a motor that drives the fan; an ultraviolet irradiation section that is located at least one of downstream and upstream with respect to the fan section with respect to the air flow and has a UV package; and a shell that protects the fan section and the ultraviolet irradiation section and forms a first stage of the air sterilization module and a second stage opposite to the first stage, the shell being a sterilization chamber.

[0027] (2) An air sterilization module in which the ultraviolet irradiation unit is located downstream of the fan unit with respect to the air flow, and the air sterilization module is provided with a barrier around the UV package to prevent dust in the air from accumulating on the UV package.

[0028] (3) The UV package is an air sterilization module having an angle of incidence where ultraviolet rays are not blocked by a barrier.

[0029] (4) An air sterilization device comprising an air sterilization module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and providing sterilization for air flowing between a first port and a second port, comprising: a first conduit having a first end and a second end opposite the first end; wherein the first end of the first conduit is connected to the first port side, and the second end of the first conduit is connected to the first end side of the air sterilization module; a second conduit having the first end and a second end opposite the first end; wherein the first end of the second conduit is connected to the second port side, and the second end of the second conduit is connected to the second end side of the air sterilization module;

[0030] (5) An air sterilizing device comprising a flexible tube of the first conduit and the second conduit, and a shell made of a rigid tube.

[0031] According to one air sterilization module and air sterilization device according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an air sterilization module that can be applied without limitation on the distance between the air inlet and outlet.

[0032] According to another air sterilization module and air sterilization device according to the present disclosure, a dust barrier is provided to reduce dust accumulation in the UV package, thereby maintaining the effect of ultraviolet sterilization for a long period of time.

Claims

1. In an air sterilization module that is combined with a conduit through which air can flow and sterilizes air, A fan section having a fan and a motor that drives the fan, which causes air flow; An ultraviolet irradiation unit having a UV package and located at least one of downstream and upstream of the fan unit with respect to the air flow; and An air sterilization module comprising a shell, which is a sterilization chamber, and which protects a fan and an ultraviolet irradiation unit, and forms a first stage of an air sterilization module and a second stage opposite to the first stage.

2. In claim 1, The UV irradiation unit is located downstream from the fan unit with respect to the air flow. An air sterilization module having a barrier around the UV package to prevent dust in the air from accumulating on the UV package.

3. In claim 2, The UV package is an air sterilization module with an angle of incidence where ultraviolet rays are not blocked by a barrier.

4. An air sterilization device comprising an air sterilization module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air sterilization device provides sterilization for air flowing between a first port and a second port. A first conduit having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end; wherein the first end of the first conduit is connected to the first port side and the second end of the first conduit is connected to the first end side of the air sterilization module; An air sterilizing device comprising a first conduit having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, wherein the first end of the second conduit is connected to the second port side and the second end of the second conduit is connected to the second end side of the air sterilizing module.

5. In claim 4, It consists of flexible tubes of the first and second conduits, An air sterilizing device, the shell of which is made of a rigid tube.

Images