Cabin Air Filter Cartridge With Auto-Ionizer Disconnect
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cabin air filters face challenges in reducing waste and improving operational safety, particularly in relation to ozone production and recycling of filter components, while maintaining effective air purification.
Innovation Solution
A gas cleaning device with a filter cartridge that includes filter terminals for electrical connection, a duct with upstream and downstream gas inlets and outlets, and a gas ionizer, where the ionizer electrodes are disconnected when the filter cartridge is removed, reducing ozone production and allowing for safer maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the filter cartridge is removed for maintenance or replacement, then the filter can be replaced, but the ionizer electrodes remain connected and continue to produce ozone, creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection between the ionizer electrodes and the power source is automatically interrupted when the filter cartridge is removed from the housing. This preliminary action ensures that before maintenance begins, the harmful ozone production is already stopped, eliminating the safety hazard while allowing easy filter replacement
2Ease of repair
If the filter cartridge is removed, then filter maintenance is enabled, but electrical contacts remain energized creating risk of electrical shocks
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically disconnects the electrical contacts from the power source when the filter cartridge is removed. This preliminary disconnection action ensures that before any maintenance work begins, the electrical system is already de-energized, eliminating the risk of electrical shocks while maintaining ease of repair
Solution Approach 2:
The filter cartridge itself acts as an intermediary component that bridges the electrical connection between the power source and the ionizer electrodes during normal operation. When removed, it naturally interrupts this electrical path, providing a simple and reliable safety mechanism without requiring additional switches or disconnectors
3Reliability
If the filter cartridge includes electrical terminals for ionizer connection, then active field polarized media air cleaning is enabled, but the complexity of electrical connections increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter cartridge is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the filtration medium and the electrical connector between the power source and the ionizer electrodes. This multi-functionality integrates the electrical connection system into the existing filter structure, maintaining air cleaning efficiency while minimizing additional complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical terminals for the ionizer are merged with the filter cartridge structure itself, combining the filtration function and the electrical connection function into a single integrated component. This merging eliminates the need for separate electrical connection mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliable electrical contact for active field polarized media air cleaning
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
The solution enhances safety by preventing ozone release during maintenance and reduces the risk of electrical shocks, while also enabling cost-effective and efficient recycling of filter components.
Implementation Method 1
a gas ionizer for ionizing at least a portion of a gas stream through the duct. The gas ionizer may include at least a first ionizer electrode and a second ionizer electrode
Implementation Method 2
It has been suggested to improve particle removal from a gas stream using electrostatic forces by means of electret filters. The particle removal of these electret filters, however, appears to fade with in-creasing deposition of the fibers with particles. To address this drawback, it has been suggested to apply an external electrical field across the filter medium by locating the filter medium as a dielectric medium between two air permeable electrodes. Even non-charged submicron sized particles can be effectively re-moved from the gas stream using this technique
Data Source
AI summary
A gas cleaning device including a filter cartridge with a filter medium and a first filter terminal, a duct with a filter support that removably supports the filter cartridge in a volume of the duct in between the gas inlet and the gas outlet of the duct, and a gas ionizer that provides enhanced intrinsic safety against malfunction, ozone release and electric shocks of maintenance personnel. When the filter cartridge is inserted into the filter support, the first duct terminal contacts the first filter terminal and the first ionizer terminal is electrically connected with the first duct terminal via the first filter terminal. If the filter cartridge is removed from the filter support, the electrical connection between the gas ionizer and the duct terminal is interrupted.