Gravity-Aligned Rotary Particle Sensor for Air Cleaner Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing particle sensors in air cleaners are unable to accurately measure air pollution levels when the air cleaner is oriented horizontally, as the natural convection flow is disrupted, leading to inaccurate readings.
Innovation Solution
A rotary particle sensor assembly with a rotatable design and a weight mechanism that ensures the inlet, detection chamber, and outlet are always oriented in the direction of gravity, regardless of the air cleaner's orientation, using a rotating shaft and weight to maintain alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the particle sensor is installed in a fixed orientation within the air cleaner, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision deteriorates when the air cleaner is oriented horizontally
Solution Approach 1:
The particle sensor is made rotatable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its orientation. A weight is attached to the sensor housing, which causes the sensor to automatically rotate and align vertically under gravity's influence. This dynamic adjustment ensures the inlet, detection chamber, and outlet remain in the gravity direction regardless of the air cleaner's orientation, resolving the contradiction between fixed installation simplicity and measurement accuracy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the air cleaner is designed to be installable in multiple orientations, then the adaptability is improved, but the particle sensor cannot maintain proper alignment for accurate measurement
Solution Approach 1:
A weight is strategically positioned on the particle sensor housing to create a gravity-based alignment mechanism. This weight acts as a counterbalance that ensures the sensor assembly always orients itself with the inlet, detection chamber, and outlet in the vertical gravity direction. This allows the air cleaner to be installed in any orientation while the sensor maintains its required alignment for accurate natural convection-based measurement.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the particle sensor relies on natural convection for air flow, then the energy consumption is reduced, but the reliability of measurement deteriorates when the air cleaner is not vertically oriented
Solution Approach 1:
The particle sensor assembly is designed to dynamically reorient itself using gravity as the driving force. A weight attached to the sensor housing causes automatic rotation to maintain vertical alignment of the air flow path. This ensures that natural convection currents can consistently flow from the inlet through the detection chamber to the outlet regardless of the air cleaner's installation orientation, maintaining measurement reliability without additional energy consumption.
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 design ensures precise air pollution level measurement regardless of the air cleaner's orientation, as the inlet, detection chamber, and outlet remain aligned with gravity, allowing for accurate air flow and pollution measurement by natural convection.
Implementation Method 1
the particle sensor is supported in the air cleaner so as to be rotatable using a rotating shaft and has a weight at a predetermined position thereon, so that the particle sensor is oriented in a direction of gravity by the weight regardless of an orientation of the air cleaner
Implementation Method 2
a difference in density of air is caused by expansion of air due to heat generated from a resistor, which is a typical electronic component and is provided around the inlet 11
Implementation Method 3
air flowing by natural convection is moved upwards from the lower position to the upper position owing to differing densities of the air
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A rotary particle sensor assembly and an air cleaner having the rotary particle sensor assembly are disclosed. Particularly, in the present invention, regardless of the orientation of the air cleaner, the rotary particle sensor assembly can always be oriented in the direction of gravity. The rotary particle sensor assembly includes a particle sensor (10), which measures the pollution level of air drawn into the air cleaner. The particle sensor is supported in the air cleaner so as to be rotatable using a rotating shaft (21) and has a weight (22) at a predetermined position. Thus, the particle sensor can always be oriented in the direction of gravity by the weight regardless of the orientation of the air cleaner. Therefore, the present invention ensures the accuracy of measurement of the pollution level of air.