Separable Auxiliary Filter Design for Easy Air Purifier Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air purifiers have inefficient deodorizing filters and lack easy maintenance and replacement options for their functional filters, limiting their effectiveness and usability.
Innovation Solution
An air purifier design featuring a filter device with a separable auxiliary filter member and a locking device that allows for easy attachment, detachment, cleaning, and replacement of filters, utilizing a mesh material made of nylon and polyester for the auxiliary filter, and a locking mechanism with protrusions and holes for secure coupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If a conventional integrated filter design is used, then the structure is simple, but the filter cannot be easily separated for cleaning and replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly is divided into separate components: a main filter body and a detachable auxiliary filter member. The auxiliary filter member can be separated from the main filter body for independent cleaning and replacement, resolving the contradiction between ease of repair and device complexity by enabling modular maintenance without requiring complete disassembly of the entire filter system.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary filter member is extracted as a separable component from the main filter body. This extracted component can be removed, cleaned, and replaced independently, allowing easy maintenance of the filter system without affecting the main filter structure, thus improving ease of repair while maintaining reasonable device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If a separable auxiliary filter member is added, then the filter can be easily maintained and replaced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device integrates multiple functions into a single mechanism: it simultaneously secures the auxiliary filter member to the main filter body, provides structural alignment through protrusions and grooves, and enables easy detachment. This merging of functions reduces the overall complexity despite adding the separable auxiliary filter member, as the locking device performs multiple roles without requiring separate components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking device serves multiple purposes: it acts as a securing mechanism, an alignment guide, and a detachment facilitator. This multi-functionality allows the filter device to achieve easy maintenance operations without proportionally increasing complexity, as one component (the locking device) handles multiple operational requirements.
3Reliability
If the auxiliary filter member is securely locked, then the filtration effectiveness is improved, but the attachment and detachment operations become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member is designed to be dynamically movable between locked and unlocked positions. It can be easily pushed to lock the auxiliary filter member securely, and just as easily pulled to unlock and detach it. This dynamic design allows the system to achieve high attachment reliability during operation while maintaining ease of attachment and detachment during maintenance, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism replaces complex mechanical fastening systems with a simple push-to-lock, pull-to-unlock action. The protrusion-fit-with-groove design combined with the movable locking member provides secure attachment through basic geometric interlocking rather than complex threading or clamping mechanisms, thereby maintaining ease of operation while ensuring reliable attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
An air purifier or air conditioner including a filter device. The air purifier includes: a main body: a suction port provided to allow air to flow into the main body; a filter provided in the main body to filter the air suctioned from the suction port and including a frame and a filter body fixed to the frame; an auxiliary filter member separably mounted on the filter; and a locking device provided on the frame of the filter such that the auxiliary filter member is separably mounted on the frame of the filter.