Air Cleaner With Nested Sensor and Photocatalytic Filter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional small air cleaners face challenges in integrating a photocatalytic filter and light source due to their flat shape, which limits air flow and sensor installation, resulting in inefficient air purification and inaccurate gas measurements.
Innovation Solution
The design features a housing with separate inner and outer compartments, allowing for the installation of a photocatalytic filter and UV light source within the air cleaner, along with a sensor between the housings to measure air quality accurately, while maintaining a compact structure and reducing air flow resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If filters are stacked to overlap each other in a planar and flat shape, then the air cleaner structure is compact, but there is insufficient space for installation of the photocatalytic material and light source
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar stacking arrangement to a three-dimensional configuration by positioning the photocatalytic filter and light source in the depth direction (front-to-rear axis) rather than only in planar layers. This dimensional change allows simultaneous accommodation of filtration components and photocatalytic components within a compact overall footprint, resolving the space constraint while maintaining compactness.
2Ease of manufacture
If a sensor is disposed outside the housing to measure air quality, then the sensor installation is simple, but the measurement accuracy is reduced due to light intensity variation and dust scattering differences
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is nested within the housing structure, specifically positioned in the air outlet passage where purified air flows. This nested arrangement allows the sensor to measure air quality directly from the filtered air stream, eliminating the need for external installation while ensuring measurement accuracy by placing the sensor in a controlled environment where light intensity and dust scattering conditions are stable.
3Volume of moving object
If the photocatalytic filter is installed in a small air cleaner with stacked filters, then the structure remains compact, but the air flow passage has insufficient space resulting in inefficient air purification
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow passage is segmented into distinct functional zones: a first air flow passage for dirty air intake and filtration, and a second air flow passage for purified air discharge and sensor measurement. This segmentation allows optimized flow paths for each function, ensuring sufficient space for effective photocatalytic reaction and air purification while maintaining a compact overall structure through efficient spatial organization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances air purification efficiency, allows for easy maintenance, and provides accurate air quality measurement by optimizing the placement of filters and light sources, ensuring effective removal of toxic gases and odors in a compact air cleaner.
Implementation Method 1
a photocatalytic material is activated through irradiation with light and air is forced to flow around the activated photocatalytic material to remove a toxic gas from air through photocatalytic reaction
Implementation Method 2
the sensor, which is configured to measure the amount of dust based on the degree of light scattering
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an air cleaner and, more particularly, to an air cleaner provided with a housing divided into an outer housing and an inner housing, wherein the outer housing and the inner housing are separated from one another, a photocatalytic filter and a collection filter are installed in the inner housing, and air flows even through the space between the inner housing and the outer housing. The present invention provides an air cleaner comprising: an outer housing defining an inlet and an outlet; an inner housing disposed in the outer housing and formed to be separated from the outer housing; a fan installed in the inner housing to forcibly discharge air in the outlet direction; a photocatalytic filter installed in the inner housing and disposed in the direction in which air from the fan is discharged or in the direction opposite to that in which the air is discharged; and an ultraviolet light source disposed upstream of the photocatalytic filter in the direction of airflow created by the fan in order to irradiate the photocatalytic filter with ultraviolet rays.