Portable air cleaner for kitchen

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Solution Overview

Problem

Kitchen air cleaners are often ineffective due to improper maintenance, with oil mist and pollutants accumulating and reducing their efficiency, and existing air purifiers face issues with oil mist blocking air intake, spreading contamination, and having complex designs that are difficult to clean and maintain.

Innovation Solution

An air cleaner design featuring a removable pre-filter, a roll filter with a color-changing filter sheet, and a user-friendly interface for easy maintenance, including a filter cutter and sensor system to monitor contamination levels and automate filter replacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a conventional air purifier is used in the kitchen, then it can filter air, but oil mist blocks the suction grill and reduces cleaning efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair cleaning efficiencyVSAvoidoil mist blocking

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The device divides the filtration system into multiple sections: a pre-filter section that captures oil mist before it enters the main suction area, and a main filter section for general air purification. This segmentation prevents oil mist from blocking the suction grill while maintaining air cleaning efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A pre-filter acts as an intermediary component between the kitchen air and the main filter system. This pre-filter captures oil mist and contaminants before they can reach and block the main suction grill, protecting the primary filtration system while maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the air purifier is placed close to the wall outlet for easy power access, then it can be easily powered, but the discharged clean air mixes with dirty air and recirculates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower access convenienceVSAvoidair circulation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The discharge grill is designed to expel clean air in a direction perpendicular to the suction direction, utilizing three-dimensional air flow patterns. This dimensional change in air discharge prevents recirculation of clean air back into the suction intake, maintaining productivity while allowing flexible placement near power outlets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Device complexity

If the filter is integrated into the air purifier body for compact design, then the device is more compact, but the filter is not easily replaceable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompact designVSAvoidfilter replacement

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The filter system is segmented into a removable pre-filter and a main filter assembly. The pre-filter can be easily detached and replaced by the user without disassembling the entire device, maintaining compact design while significantly improving ease of repair and maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pre-filter is designed as a separate, extractable component that can be removed from the air purifier body without tools or complex disassembly. This extraction design allows users to easily replace the pre-filter while keeping the overall device compact and maintaining aesthetic appearance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If the air purifier has multiple filters and components for effective filtration, then filtration performance is improved, but the device is difficult to clean and maintain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiltration performanceVSAvoidmaintenance difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The multi-filter system is segmented into modular sections with the pre-filter designed as a separate, easily accessible component. This segmentation allows users to clean and maintain the pre-filter independently without disassembling the entire device, significantly reducing maintenance difficulty while preserving high filtration performance through the combined filter system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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

Enhances air cleaning efficiency by ensuring easy maintenance and effective filtration, reducing contamination spread, and improving user experience through intuitive operation and reduced maintenance complexity.

Implementation Method 1

sensor system to monitor contamination levels

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSensor detection:

Data Source

PatentUS11826686B2Portable air cleaner for kitchen

Publication Date: 2023.11.28 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

An air cleaner includes a case, an air inlet, an air outlet, a grill covering the air inlet to filter airborne oil droplets, a fan to suction air through the air inlet and discharge air out of the air outlet, a roll filter provided between the grill and the fan to filter oil mist, and a filter roller to cut the roll filter. The roll filter includes a roller and a filter sheet wound around the roller, and the filter sheet may be unwound to extend behind the grill. When the filter sheet becomes dirty, the roll filter is further unwound so that a clean section is provided behind the grill, and the filter cutter may cut off the dirty section. During cutting, a clamp holds down the filter sheet. The case includes a slit through which the dirty section of the filter sheet passes for discarding.