Title of Invention

"AIR CLEANER"

Abstract An air cleaner comprising: a base; a motor located on said base characterized in that it has ; an impeller connected to and driven by said motor; a foldable housing which has a first position wherein the housing is in a substantially collapsed condition and an erected position wherein the housing defines a filter chamber, having an open base; at least one air inlet located into said housing; a filter material covering said at least one air inlet; wherein in use with the foldable housing in its erected position, the foldable housing is positioned with its open end engaging with said base, whereby the impeller draws air through the filter material into the filter chamber, and expels the thus treated air.
Full Text Air Cleaner
The present application relates to an air cleaner and in particular to an air cleaner with a disposable housing and filter.
An increasing problem has grown, with the advent cf modern living, in the increase in airborne pollutants, and the increase in positive ions that surround us. These pollutants are predominantly in the form of airborne solids, such as pollens and metal ion dusts, with a positive ion charge. Asthmatics and chronic hayfever sufferers react adversely to such pollutants. This problem has been increased with the increase in pollution in many cities around the world, due in a large extent to the increase in urban traffic, and as people travel more for work and pleasure, people are now more exposed to these problems.
Whilst existing commercial air conditioner units cool the air, they do not, usually, remove the small airborne solids, such as pollens nor do they restore the correct electrostatic charges to the air. Existing personal air cleaner units are available, but these are cumbersome to be carried by international travellers and are, usually too expensive and inefficient.
The present invention seeks to ameliorate these problems by providing an air cleaner comprising:
a base;
a motor located on said base ;
an impeller connected to and driven by said motor;
a foldable housing which has a folded position wherein the housing is in a substantially collapsed condition and an erected position wherein the housing defines a filter chamber, having an open base
at least one air inlet located into said housing;
a filter material covering said at least one air inlet
wherein in use with the foldable housing in its erected position, the foldable housing is positioned with its open end engaging with said base, whereby the impeller draws air through the filter material into the filter chamber, and expels the thus treated air.
In another form the invention comprises an air cleaner comprising: a base having a first chamber; a motor located in said first chamber;
an impeller connected to said motor and adapted to rotate within said first chamber;
a foldable housing which has a folded position wherein the housing is in a substantially collapsed condition and an erected position wherein the housing defines a filter chamber, having an open base;
at least one air inlet located in said housing;
a filter material covering said at least one air inlet
wherein in use with the foldable housing in its erected position, the foldable housing is positioned with its open end into the first chamber of the base, whereby the impeller draws air through the filter material into the filter chamber, and expels the thus treated air from the first chamber of the base.
Preferably, negative ion discharge units are positioned to discharge negative ions into the air being expelled from the air clean 3r.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of an air cles ner according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 illustrates cut away side view of the air cleaner illustrated in figure 1;
Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the base of the air cleaner shown in figure 1;
Figure 4 illustrates a circuit board lay out of an air cloaner according to one embodiment of the present invention; anc!
Figure 5 illustrates a circuit diagram of suitable for an air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 6 illustrates a view of the blank to form the housing.
The present invention comprises an air cleaner (1) having a base (2). A printed circuit board (3) such as that shown in figure 4 is located with its components facing downwards, in the base chamber (4). Batteries (not shown) can be located below the printed circuit board (3) to power the board (3).
A suitable motor (5) is located on the board (3) and drives an impeller (6). As shown in figure 2, a volute type shroud (7) is positioned within the chamber (4) around the impeller (6) to assist in the flow of air through the air cleaner (1), as the vanes (9) draw the air from the filter chamber (10) and out of the outlet (8).
The filter chamber (10) is formed from a foldable or collapsible housing (11). The shape of chamber and the method of attaching it to the base can take any desirable forms, such as cylindrical, spherical, triangle prismal, or pyramidal. In the present embodiment the foldsible housing (11) is formed from a cardboard in a blank as shown in figiire 6, and can be packaged in the flattened form, with the base (2) and motor (5). The filter material (16) is affixed to the area around the inlets (15) and could be covered by a removable mask of cardboard which has perforated edges for removal.
The blank is folded to form the housing (11) which is rectangular in shape, it could be sold in a blank form with suitable glue tabs for assembling, or with slits and tabs . In another form (not shown) a separate cap is fitted to seal the top of the filter housing (11) and could be made from any suitable material such as plastics or cardboard.
As shown in figures 1, 2, & 6, three of the faces (12:, 13 & 14) have cutouts of any desired shape or dimensions to form inlets, or in the present case a single inlet (15). A suitable filter material (16), such as an electret filter which is comprised of a matrix of permanently charged polypropylene fibres for example, 3M Filtrete ™ G150 covers the inlet (15). An activated carbon filter can form an outer layer ovisr the inlet (15).
The face (17) is solid and has an opening (8) at its lower edge (23) communicating with a second or outlet chamber (18). Thus in use, the outlet chamber (18), when the foldable housing (11) is positioned in the base chamber (4), is connected to the outlet (8) of the bas (2). Any suitable design of outlets or outlet (21) are provided on the front face (19).
Any suitable number of negative ion discharging pins (22), see figures 4 & 5, are provided adjacent the outlet (8) to restore the treated air to the correct negative ion balance. Thus the air is both filtared and treated with negative ions to clean and purify the air, as th 3 air is drawn through the filter material (16), and passes through the impeller (9) past the negative ion emitting pins (22) up through the chamber (18) and out of the outlet (21).
The air cleaners also have a socket (20) for connection to a 12 volt 200 ma adaptor for connection to a mains power supply. The materials used for the construction of the filter chamber housing can be any suitable disposable materials such as cardboard or recyclable plenties, and the filter material could be able to be heat welded to the material of the housing. Further the housing can be formed directly from self supporting filters, for example in the form of a cylinder, with an outlet in the base of the air cleaner to expel the treated air.
It should be obvious to people skilled in the art that modifications and alterations can be made to the above described invention without departing from the scope or the spirit of the invention



The claims defining the invention are:
1. An air cleaner comprising:
a base:
a motor located on said base ;an impeller connected to and driven by said motor; a foldable housing which has a first position wherein the housing is in a substantially collapsed condition and an erected position wherein the housing defines a filter chamber, having an open base;at least one air inlet located into said housing; a filter material covering said at least one air inlet
wherein in use with the foldable housing in its erected position, the foldable housing is positioned with its open end engaging with said base, whereby the impeller draws air through the filter material into the filter chamber, and expels the thus treated air.
2, An air ceaner acording to claim 1, wherein negative ion
discharge units are positioned to discharge negative ions into the air being expelled from the air cleaner.
3. An air cleaner comprising: a base having a first chamber;
a motor located in said first chamber;
an impeller connected to said motor and adapted to rotate within said first chamber;
a foldable housing which has a first position wherein the housing is in a substantially collapsed condition and an erected position wherein the housing defines a filter chamber, having an open base;
at least one air inlet located in said housing;
a filter material covering said at least one air inlet
wherein in use with the foldable housing in its erected position, the foldable housing is positioned with its open end into the first chamber of the base, whereby the impeller draws air through the filter material into the filter chamber, and expels the thus treated air from the first chamber of the base.

4. An air cleaner according to claim 3, wherein negative ion
discharge units are positioned to discharge negative ions nto the air being
expelled from the air cleaner.
5. An air cleaner according to claims 3 or 4, wherein a second
chamber is located in said foldable housing and the air expelled from said
first chamber of said base passes into said second chamber and passes to an outlet therein.
6. An air cleaner according to claim 5 wherein, with said first said housing in its erected position, said impeller has a shroud surrounding it, with an opening therein communicating with said filter chamber, and an outlet communicating with said second chamber of the housing.
7. An air cleaner comprising:
a base;
a motor located on said base ;
an impeller connected to said motor and adapted tci rotate therewith;
a shroud enclosing said impeller, and having an inlet to said impellers above said impellers, and an outlet located radially of the impellers;
a foldable housing which has a first position wherein the housing is in a substantially collapsed condition and an erected position wherein the housing is in prismatic shape and defines a filter chamber, having an open
base, and a second chamber separated from said first chamber and having an inlet base and an outlet;
air inlet means located around said filter chamber;
a filter material covering said air inlet means
the open end into the filter chamber being in communication with the shroud inlet, and the outlet of the shroud being in communication with the inlet base of the second chamber of the housing whereby the impeller draws air through the filter material into the filter chamber, and expels the thus treated air, through the second chamber to the environment.
8. An air cleaner according to claim 7, wherein negative ion
discharge units are positioned to discharge negative ions into the air being
expelled into the second chamber of the housing.
9. An air cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims
wherein the housing comprises a single sheet of material which is folded
to form the filter chamber and the second chamber of the housing-
10. An air cleaner according to claim 9 wherein the housing is
made of cardboard.
11. An air cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims
wherein the filter material comprises an electret filter which is comprised of
a matrix of permanently charged polypropylene fibres,
12. An air cleaner according claim 11 wherein an activated
carbon filter material is also used.
13. An air cleaner substantially as herein before described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.


Documents:

1407-del-1998-abstract.pdf

1407-del-1998-claims.pdf

1407-del-1998-correspondence-others.pdf

1407-del-1998-correspondence-po.pdf

1407-del-1998-description (complete).pdf

1407-del-1998-drawings.pdf

1407-del-1998-form-1.pdf

1407-del-1998-form-13.pdf

1407-del-1998-form-19.pdf

1407-del-1998-form-2.pdf

1407-del-1998-form-4.pdf

1407-del-1998-form-6.pdf

1407-del-1998-gpa.pdf


Patent Number 214679
Indian Patent Application Number 1407/DEL/1998
PG Journal Number 09/2008
Publication Date 29-Feb-2008
Grant Date 14-Feb-2008
Date of Filing 26-May-1998
Name of Patentee AIRONIC PTY LTD
Applicant Address ACN 002 594 274 OF 65 DICKSON AVENUE, ARTARMON, NEW SOUTH WALES 2064, AUSTRALIA.
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 GERALD MARCEAU 65 DICKSON AVENUE, ARTARMON, NEW SOUTH WALES 2064, AUSTRALIA.
PCT International Classification Number B01D46/00
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA