Low pressure drop filter for air purifier

Abstract

The present invention relates to a low pressure drop filter for an air purifier and, more particularly, to a low pressure drop filter for an air purifier that separates and collects large particles of a predetermined size or larger (for example, particles of 10 μm or larger) in the air into a predetermined chamber by utilizing inertia, and causes small particles having a size smaller than the predetermined size to be captured primarily by a HEPA filter by utilizing a diffusion phenomenon, thereby reducing fan power consumption through low pressure drop while significantly extending the replacement cycle of the HEPA filter.

Description

Low pressure drop filter for air purifiers

[0001] The present invention relates to a low-pressure drop filter for an air purifier, wherein large particles of a certain size or larger (e.g., particles of 10 μm or larger) in the air are separated and collected in a predetermined chamber using inertia, and small particles of a smaller size or smaller are mainly collected in a HEPA filter using diffusion, thereby reducing fan power consumption with a low pressure drop and significantly extending the replacement cycle of the HEPA filter.

[0002] Air purifier filters are a key component that keeps indoor air clean by removing harmful substances from the air, and various filter types and functions are combined to provide effective air purification.

[0003] Generally, air purifier filters purify the air starting with a pre-filter, followed by a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter, and additionally, a UV-C germicidal filter or a photocatalytic filter, and each filter effectively removes various pollutants from the air to improve air quality in multiple stages.

[0004] However, since the issue of differential pressure, which is the resistance of air passing through the air purifier's filter, has a significant impact on the performance of the filter and the overall efficiency of the air purifier, there is a need for technology that can reduce differential pressure in order to increase energy efficiency, reduce noise, and improve the performance of the air purifier.

[0005] Recently, various approaches have been adopted to solve the differential pressure problem of air purifier filters, such as a filter management notification system like Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1765477 that enables timely filter replacement by providing a replacement alert when the differential pressure increases due to the filter becoming dirty, or a technology like Korean Published Patent No. 10-2004-0103626 that reduces differential pressure by inhibiting microbial growth on the filter surface through the addition of an antibacterial function to existing HEPA filters.

[0006] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a low-pressure drop filter for an air purifier that can reduce fan power consumption with a low pressure drop and significantly extend the replacement cycle of the HEPA filter by providing a multi-stage collection function in which fine dust particles larger than 10 μm in the air are collected in a collection chamber in the first stage by utilizing inertia, and ultrafine dust particles not collected by inertia are collected in a HEPA filter in the second stage by inertia and diffusion, and by allowing air to pass through the length direction of the filter.

[0007] A low-pressure differential filter member for an air purifier according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a HEPA filter formed by bending into a cylindrical shape; The invention is characterized by comprising an upper cap in the form of a plate ring that supports and fixes one end of the cylinder shape in the HEPA filter, a lower cap in the form of a plate ring that supports and fixes the other end of the cylinder shape in the HEPA filter, and a housing that is a tubular support member that supports between the upper cap and the lower cap, which covers the outer curved surface of the cylinder shape in the HEPA filter and has an air inlet formed at a lower portion adjacent to the lower cap, wherein at least some of the impurities in the air introduced into the air inlet by a suction fan connected to the upper part of the housing collide with an inertia wall formed along the outer ring surface of the lower cap and flow into a collection chamber connected to the lower part of the housing to perform primary collection, and when the air introduced into the air inlet changes its flow direction upward and flows toward an outlet formed in the upper cap along the length of the HEPA filter inside the housing, it is secondarily collected by the HEPA filter by diffusion.

[0008] In addition, the above-mentioned HEPA filter is characterized by a corrugated plate having peaks and troughs that repeat periodically at regular intervals, which is formed in a cylindrical shape.

[0009] In addition, the inertia wall of the lower cap is characterized by being formed as a tubular member or ring member of an inverted cone having a predetermined inclination.

[0010] In addition, the inertia wall is formed on the upper part of a collection chamber that is detachable from the lower cap, instead of being formed on the lower cap, and is characterized by being formed as a tubular member or ring member of an inverted cone having a predetermined inclination.

[0011] In addition, the length of the cylinder shape in the above HEPA filter is characterized by being formed to be smaller than the length of the housing.

[0012] In addition, the housing is characterized by having a conical cylinder shape that narrows in width from the bottom to the top.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when large fine particles of 10 μm or larger are primarily captured in the air flowing into the filter, even if there is no separate filter member near the lower cap, capture can be achieved through collisions caused by inertia according to changes in the air flow velocity. Since most of the HEPA filter is covered with large particles of 10 μm or larger and the filter needs to be replaced, these particles are stored in a separate capture chamber through inertia, thereby significantly extending the replacement cycle of the HEPA filter.

[0014] In addition, the HEPA filter is formed in a corrugated shape to increase the surface area contacted by air, allowing air to flow horizontally through the filter and increase the residence time. Furthermore, since the air passes through the open space at the top rather than through the filter, the differential pressure is reduced, which saves power consumption of the intake fan and contributes to power savings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a low differential pressure filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a low differential pressure filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a HEPA filter of a low differential pressure filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the airflow between HEPA filters of a low differential pressure filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the filtration mechanisms of a low differential pressure filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the process of separating and collecting large fine dust particles of 10 μm or more in the air in a low differential pressure filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a low differential pressure filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, formed in the shape of a cone-shaped cylinder.

[0022] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to any specific embodiment, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, or substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0023] In this specification, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not excluding in advance the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0024] In this specification, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0025] Where in this specification it is stated that one component “have” or “comprise” a sub-component, it means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0026] The term "MODULE" as used in this specification refers to a unit that processes a specific function or operation, and may refer to hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0027] In this specification, the term “connect” may mean that two components are directly connected, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may also mean that they are connected via one or more other components positioned between the components.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In describing with reference to the attached drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference number regardless of the drawing symbols, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a low-pressure drop filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a low-pressure drop filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a low differential pressure filter (1) for an air purifier includes a HEPA filter (10), an upper cap (20), a lower cap (30), a housing (40), and a collection chamber (50).

[0031] The low-pressure filter (1) for an air purifier described below is illustrated as having a cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto and can be modified into a polygonal cylindrical shape or various other shapes.

[0032] The HEPA filter (10) is formed in a cylindrical shape and can be supported and covered by a housing (20).

[0033] The upper cap (20) is formed in the shape of a plate-like ring with a certain thickness to support and fix the upper part of the cylinder shape in the HEPA filter (10).

[0034] The lower cap (30) is formed in the shape of a plate-like ring with a certain thickness to support and fix the lower part of the cylinder shape in the HEPA filter (10).

[0035] Specifically, the lower cap (30) may have an inertia wall (301) formed along the outer surface of the ring, and as illustrated, the outer surface of the ring may be formed as a tubular member or ring member of an inverted cone having a predetermined inclination. Meanwhile, although not illustrated, an inertia wall (301) may be formed protruding along the outer surface or inner surface of the ring of the lower cap (30).

[0036] The housing (40) is a tubular support member that supports between the upper cap (20) and the lower cap (30), and covers the outer curved surface of the cylinder shape in the HEPA filter (10), and an air inlet (401) may be formed at the lower portion adjacent to the lower cap (30).

[0037] The air inlet (401) may be formed as a ring-shaped opening in the lower portion of the housing (40) as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or it may be implemented such that a plurality of straight or curved slits having a predetermined width and pattern are formed in the lower portion of the housing (40) although not shown, or it may be formed as circular, elliptical, or polygonal openings having a predetermined width or various widths in the lower portion of the housing (40).

[0038] Additionally, the vertical length of the cylinder shape in the HEPA filter (10) is formed to be smaller than the vertical length of the housing (40), and the housing (40) may be formed to be longer than the vertical length of the HEPA filter (10) and may have an air inlet (401) at the lower portion close to the lower cap (30). In other words, the HEPA filter (10) is not positioned up to the lower portion of the housing (40) where the air inlet (401) is formed; for example, it may be formed as an empty space or a known pre-filter may be positioned therein.

[0039] The collection chamber (50) is connected to the lower part of the housing (40) and collects particles that fall while colliding with the inertia wall (301) of the lower cap (30) among the impurities of the air introduced through the air inlet (401) of the housing (40). The collection chamber (50) may be connected to and supported by the lower cap (30) or other components through a predetermined bracket means (not shown in the drawing).

[0040] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a HEPA filter of a low-pressure drop filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating the airflow between HEPA filters of a low-pressure drop filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the HEPA filter (10) of the low differential pressure filter (1) for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention has a corrugated shape in which peaks (101) and valleys (102) are periodically repeated at regular intervals.

[0042] The HEPA filter (10) can disperse differential pressure and facilitate airflow by increasing the surface area in contact with air through its corrugated shape. Furthermore, even without making the thickness of the HEPA filter (10) thin, it has the effect of reducing differential pressure by increasing the effective filtering area.

[0043] The air passing through the HEPA filter (10) is in the space (a) formed between the peak (101) and the valley (102) as illustrated, and the differential pressure is reduced by passing the air through the corrugated space (a) of the HEPA filter (10) to the open space at the top, thereby reducing the fan power consumption.

[0044] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the filtration mechanisms of a low differential pressure filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 5, the filtration mechanism regarding how large fine dust interacts with a low-pressure drop filter (1) for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention is such that the particle trajectory reaches a collector while moving along the low-pressure drop filter (1) for an air purifier, either deviating from the streamline or moving along it. At this time, the collector can be understood as corresponding to a HEPA filter (10) in the present invention, and the streamline represents the natural flow around the low-pressure drop filter (1) for an air purifier as an ideal path when the particle moves along the low-pressure drop filter (1) for an air purifier.

[0046] Particle A travels along the streamline but collides with the collector due to the proximity between the streamline and the collector. This is an interception mechanism, whereby the particle can be physically intercepted and captured when it approaches the collector along the streamline.

[0047] Particle B follows a path that deviates from the streamline to reach the collector, and due to inertia or gravity, it deviates from the streamline and collides with the collector through inertia and sedimentation mechanisms.

[0048] Particle C reaches the collector via a diffusion mechanism in which it deviates from the streamlines due to random Brownian motion; very small particles move irregularly due to thermal vibrations as they reach the collector. This motion primarily occurs in fine and light particles, which can come into contact with the surface of the collector and be captured.

[0049] That is, the particles reach the collector through the main mechanisms of blocking, inertia and sedimentation, and diffusion while interacting with the low differential pressure filter (1) for the air purifier, and may vary depending on the size, mass, and movement speed of the particles and the structure of the filter.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the process of separating and collecting large fine dust particles of 10 μm or more in the air in a low differential pressure filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 6, the method of filtering large fine dust particles in the air in a low differential pressure filter (1) for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention is such that some of the impurities in the air (A) introduced in the direction (d1) of the air inlet (401) by a suction fan connected to the upper part of the housing (40) collide with the inertia wall (301) formed along the outer surface of the ring of the lower cap (30) by inertia and are introduced into the collection chamber (50) connected to the lower part of the housing (40) to perform primary collection.

[0052] At this time, collection by inertia occurs when particles such as impurities in the air (A) introduced into the air inlet (401) by the suction fan collide with the inertia wall (301) while moving at a high speed. This results in excellent collection efficiency for relatively large particles. It means that as the size of the particles increases, the inertia increases, so they cannot follow the path according to the change in flow velocity and collide with the inertia wall (301) to be collected.

[0053] For example, impurities primarily captured by inertia can be large dust particles, fine particles, and PM10.

[0054] When air introduced through the air inlet (401) is first captured of impurities and then flows upward through the housing (40) as it is converted (d2) in the direction of flow, passing through the HEPA filter (10) and flowing toward the upper cap (20), any impurities not captured in the air are secondarily captured by the HEPA filter (10) through diffusion and interception.

[0055] As described with reference to FIG. 3, the HEPA filter (10) has a corrugated shape in which peaks (101) and valleys (102) are periodically repeated at regular intervals. After primary capture, air whose flow direction is switched (d2) toward the HEPA filter (10) flows along the continuous peaks (101) and continuous valleys (102) of the HEPA filter (10), and fine particles that are not captured can be captured secondarily by diffusion.

[0056] Furthermore, as the filtering area increases as the HEPA filter (10) has a corrugated shape, the airflow passing through the HEPA filter (10) is distributed uniformly along the entire surface, so that large fine dust particles can accumulate on the HEPA filter (10) and increase pressure loss.

[0057] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a low differential pressure filter for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, formed in the shape of a cone-shaped cylinder.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 7, a low differential pressure filter (1) for an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention can be formed in the shape of a cone-shaped cylinder.

[0059] As the low differential pressure filter (1) for the air purifier is formed in the shape of a cone-shaped cylinder, the HEPA filter (10) has a shape in which the diameter decreases as it goes upward from the cylinder so as to correspond to the shape of the housing (40).

[0060] In particular, the cylindrical shape of the cone can smoothly guide the flow of air entering the housing (40), thereby reducing air resistance and optimizing the airflow inside the HEPA filter (10), so that the airflow is naturally guided and the pressure difference can be alleviated.

[0061] In addition, when air flows through the folds of the HEPA filter (10), the air comes into greater contact with the impurity adsorption surface of the HEPA filter (10), thereby increasing the collection efficiency.

[0062] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to several embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.

Claims

1. A HEPA filter formed by bending into a cylinder shape; and The above-mentioned HEPA filter includes an upper cap in the form of a plate ring that supports and fixes one end of a cylinder shape, a lower cap in the form of a plate ring that supports and fixes the other end of a cylinder shape, and a housing that is a tubular support member that supports between the upper cap and the lower cap, covers the outer curved surface of a cylinder shape in the HEPA filter, and has an air inlet formed at a lower portion adjacent to the lower cap. A low-pressure differential air filter member for air purification, characterized in that at least some of the impurities in the air introduced into the air inlet by a suction fan connected to the upper part of the housing collide with an inertia wall formed along the outer surface of the ring of the lower cap and are introduced into a collection chamber connected to the lower part of the housing for primary collection, and when the air introduced into the air inlet changes its flow direction upward and flows toward an outlet formed in the upper cap along the length of the HEPA filter inside the housing, it is secondarily collected by the HEPA filter by diffusion.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above HEPA filter is a low-pressure differential air purification filter member characterized by a corrugated plate having peaks and troughs that are periodically repeated at regular intervals, which is formed in a cylindrical shape.

3. In Paragraph 1, The inertia wall of the lower cap above is, A low-pressure differential air filter member characterized by being formed as a tubular member or ring member of an inverted cone having a predetermined slope.

4. In Paragraph 1, A low differential pressure filter member for air purification, characterized in that the above-mentioned inertia wall is formed on the upper part of a collection chamber that is detachable from the lower cap instead of being formed on the lower cap, and is formed as a tubular member or ring member of an inverted cone having a predetermined inclination.

5. In Paragraph 3 or 4, The length of the cylinder shape in the above HEPA filter is, A low-pressure filter for air purification characterized by being formed to be smaller than the length of the housing.

6. In Paragraph 1, The above housing is characterized by having a conical cylinder shape that narrows in width from the bottom to the top, and is a low-pressure differential air purification filter member.

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