Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Process disinfecting – preserving – deodorizing – or sterilizing – Using direct contact with electrical or electromagnetic...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2003-09-02
Warden, Sr., Robert J. (Department: 1744)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Process disinfecting, preserving, deodorizing, or sterilizing
Using direct contact with electrical or electromagnetic...
C422S004000, C422S120000, C250S43200R, C250S435000, C250S437000, C250S438000, C250S455110, C250S50400H
Reexamination Certificate
active
06613277
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air purifying apparatus that destroys microorganisms and removes odors and other impurities from the air.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Today, a large number of pollutants can be found in the air and water. Among the various harmful air pollutants that exist in the air that people breath are pollen, lung damaging dust, smoke and bacteria. Other pollutants include various organic vapors and toxic gases. The environment is often contaminated with a variety of noxious and toxic gases including carbon monoxide, methane, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and a broad variety of organic vapors. Some of these are widely prevalent in the environment, particularly in urban areas, and others tend to be pronounced in homes, offices, or other confined spaces due to activities within those spaces. Noxious or toxic materials may be produced from tobacco smoking, cooking, open fireplaces, faulty appliances, or a variety of other normal activities. Some of these are merely unpleasant because of odors while others such as carbon monoxide may be dangerous. Because these pollutants are so prevalent in the air and are found in most locations, contact with them is inevitable. Typically, pollutants cause general discomfort to many people, and can be particularly troublesome to individuals that suffer from emphysema, asthma, and hay fever and like allergies. It has also been found, for example, that a high proportion of homes have unsuspected carbon monoxide concentrations which contribute to vague disorders such as lassitude and headaches at concentrations far below levels that produce overt symptoms of toxicity. Hence, apparatus and methods for removing air pollutants from the air and/or sensing the presence of pollutants have wide spread economic and therapeutic appeal.
Air purifiers are generally known and exist. A typical air purifier includes a housing having a chamber mounting an ultra-violet (UV) lamp. Air is drawn into the bottom of the housing and passes through the chamber where it is exposed to UV radiation emitted from the lamp, which denatures organic proteinous particles, e.g., exterminates microorganisms, that are carried in the air. The air is then discharged from the housing top to the external environment. One prior art air purifier is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,429 of Golstein. The Golstein air purifier employs a UV lamp, which is mounted in a germicidal chamber to exterminate microorganisms that are carried in the incoming flow of air. A charcoal filter is seated above the germicidal chamber and removes odors from the UV radiation exposed air.
Another prior art air purifier is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,195 of Larsson. Larsson also describes an apparatus for destroying microorganisms by irradiation with UV light emitted by a UV lamp supported in an irradiation chamber. The irradiation chamber is segregated into a set of minor chambers by a number of partition walls. The partition walls have formed therein air-flow openings that are oppositely located relative to the openings formed in the adjacent partitions. This alternating arrangement of air-flow openings maximizes the amount of time the air remains in the irradiation chamber in order to maximize the amount of microorganisms destroyed.
Photocatalytic systems such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,840 to Goswami also seek to improve indoor air quality. In the Goswami system, a reactor is provided in which UV lamps are installed such that surfaces coated with a semiconductor catalyst (e.g., TiO
2
) are exposed to UV radiation as air passes over the surfaces. The combination of the absorption of the UV light photons by the catalyst in the presence of water molecules in the air leads to the creation of hydroxyl radicals, which, in turn, cause the destruction of chemical and microbiological contaminants in the air.
There still exists, however, a need in the art for improved air purifiers that can exterminate microorganisms in the air, as well as reduce or eliminate odors. In particular a need exits for a compact, inexpensive air purifier that is relatively easy to manufacture and that efficiently exterminates microorganisms while reducing odor emissions would represent a major improvement in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to an air purifier and methods for purifying air by employing ultraviolet radiation with differing energy intensity maxima. Specifically, the air purifier includes an ultraviolet (UV) generating system of one or more radiation sources, the system defining distinct radiating regions that are optically isolated from each other. The air purifier can treat air with various combinations of ozone-producing radiation, cell wall-destroying germicidal radiation and antimicrobial radiation, which may be emitted from any of the radiating regions of the radiation system.
The air purifier of the present invention includes a housing having an irradiation chamber, an air inlet for introducing air into the irradiation chamber, and at least one radiation source disposed within the irradiation chamber. The radiation source or sources are generally one or more lamps, each of which is capable of producing one or more predetermined bands of UV radiation in the range of about 160 nm to about 360 nm.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a single radiation source with at least two distinct radiating or radiation regions is provided in the air purifier. At least one of these radiating regions emits a wavelength between about 160 nm and about 200 nm that is effective to ionize oxygen in the air being treated into ozone, while at least one distinct radiation region will emit a wavelength between about 230 nm and about 280 nm that is effective to destroy the cell walls of active ingredients such as spores and fungi in the air being treated. Treatment of air by both of these radiation regions of the radiation source results in the production of free radical oxygen atoms that, in turn, convert carbon monoxide in the air being treated into carbon dioxide, and which also help reduce the toxicity of volatile organic compounds contained in the air being treated by oxidizing the volatile organic compounds.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of radiation sources are provided in the air purifier. In this embodiment, like in the single radiation source embodiment, each radiation source can be divided into at least two radiating regions, one of which generates a first energy maximum of ozone-producing radiation and a second, separate energy maximum of germicidal radiation and, optionally, a third separate energy maximum of radiation each as described above with respect to the single radiation source embodiment of the present invention.
In either embodiment, the radiation source may have more than two radiating regions, wherein the additional radiating regions may produce either an additional wavelength between about 160 nm and about 200 nm that is effective to ionize oxygen in the air being treated into ozone, or an additional wavelength between about 230 nm and about 280 nm that is effective to destroy the cell walls of active ingredients such as spores and fungi in the air being treated, or a wavelength of between about 330 and about 360 nm that is effective to reduce the toxicity of volatile organic compounds by oxidizing the volatile organic compounds.
Alternatively, the radiation sources can each be a dedicated source, primarily emitting radiation within a single radiation band with a single energy maximum.
Generally, in each embodiment, the radiation regions will have lengths with respect to each other that approximately correspond to their wavelength relationships, such that the radiation region which produces the longest wavelength will have the largest region length. Likewise, the radiation region which produces the shortest wavelength will generally have the smallest region length.
In the above embodiments, the air purifier further includes an air inlet and an air outlet also formed in the
Cronin Kevin M.
Engellenner Thomas J.
Nutter & McClennen & Fish LLP
Warden, Sr. Robert J.
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