Outlet-Mounted Wall Air Sampler with Gasket Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for sampling air quality within a wall's interior space are invasive, require drilling or removing electrical outlet components, and pose electrical safety risks, while failing to ensure a sealed environment for accurate air sampling.
Innovation Solution
A self-supporting apparatus that attaches to an electrical outlet, using a gasket for sealing and an air moving unit to draw air from the wall, equipped with sensors to monitor and sample air quality without the need for drilling or exposing electrical components, ensuring safe and accurate measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional methods are used to insert an intake through an electrical outlet box, then air sampling can be performed, but the method requires drilling holes or removing outlet components, posing electrical safety risks and failing to ensure a sealed environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary sealing mechanism that fits over the electrical outlet box without drilling or removing components. This sealing interface acts as a mediator between the sampling system and the wall structure, allowing air intake while maintaining electrical safety and creating a sealed environment for accurate sampling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful elements (drilling, component removal, electrical exposure) from the sampling process by using a separate sealing interface that attaches to the exterior of the electrical outlet box, eliminating the need to penetrate or expose electrical components.
2Ease of operation
If an intake is inserted through the electrical outlet box, then air sampling is possible, but the interior wall air is not sealed off from interior room air, compromising sampling accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sampling system into separate functional components: an exterior sealing interface that attaches to the electrical outlet box, an interior sealing interface that seals against the wall interior, and the sampling intake. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the exterior interface maintains simplicity of attachment while the interior interface ensures sealing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces sealing interfaces as intermediaries between the sampling system and both the exterior and interior environments. These sealing mediators create isolated sampling zones without requiring complex integration or penetration of electrical components, maintaining operational simplicity while ensuring measurement accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If drilling or punching holes in the wall is performed to insert an intake, then air sampling can be conducted, but the process is invasive and requires subsequent repair
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the invasive drilling operation from the sampling process by using a sealing interface that attaches to the existing electrical outlet box structure. This eliminates the need to penetrate walls or perform subsequent repair work, while still providing access to interior wall air for sampling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the existing electrical outlet box structure as a self-service mounting point for the sampling device. The electrical outlet box, already present in the wall, serves as the attachment surface for the sealing interface, eliminating the need for additional drilling, anchoring, or repair operations.
4Ease of operation
If metal tools or probes are used during electrical outlet work, then installation can proceed, but electrical shock or shorting risks occur requiring power shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts metal tools and probes from the installation process by using a sealing interface that attaches to the exterior of the electrical outlet box. This eliminates the need to insert metal objects into or near electrical components, allowing installation to proceed without shutting down electrical power while maintaining safety.
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
Enables efficient and non-invasive air quality monitoring and sampling within a wall's interior space, avoiding the need for drilling and ensuring electrical safety, while providing accurate measurements of psychrometric qualities and detecting airborne contaminants like mold spores.
Implementation Method 1
a gasket configured to provide a seal between the housing and the electrical outlet
Implementation Method 2
an air moving unit configured to draw air from the interior space of the wall into the apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for monitoring and sampling air quality in an interior space of a wall are provided. The apparatus includes a housing configured to attach the apparatus to an electrical outlet in the wall, and a gasket configured to provide a seal between the housing and the electrical outlet. The apparatus further includes an air moving unit configured to draw air from the interior space of the wall into the apparatus, and a sensor configured to monitor and sample the air quality in the interior space of the wall. The gasket is configured to directly attach to an electrical plate cover of the electrical outlet or to the wall.