Gas separation: processes – With control responsive to sensed condition – Electric or electrostatic field
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2002-04-23
Chiesa, Richard L. (Department: 1724)
Gas separation: processes
With control responsive to sensed condition
Electric or electrostatic field
C096S019000, C096S096000, C096S097000, C361S235000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06375714
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is the national stage of International Application No. PCT/EP97/06925, filed on Dec. 11, 1997.
The invention relates to a device for generating active oxygen ions in the air for improving air, in particular breathing air, comprising at least one air ionizer and one electrical transformer generating a sufficient high voltage for air ionization.
Healthy breathing air is described as air without substantial parts of noxious gases or noticeable, in many cases unpleasant odorous substances. Healthy inhaled air is to contain a number as low as possible of bacteria, viruses and other germs, which is very important, in particular when knowing the fact that annually more than 40,000 people become sick with fatal results in Germany by airborne infections, for example in hospitals, in restaurants, and in means of mass transport, as was determined by a scientific study of the Robert-Koch-institute (Bundesgesundheitsblatt Issue 7/96, Page 246). The cost of these nosocominal infections are estimated by the authors to be more than 3 billion German Marks. odorous materials drastically reduces the comfort, the condition and the capability to concentrate and thus the life quality of the exposed human being. It can be easily realized that for example the stink of kerosene and other engine exhaust gases renders impossible the tasting of delicious meals or at least substantially reduces the taste in restaurants, for example at airports or close to the road, because the gustatory nerves and the olfactory nerves are blocked to such an extent by the base load of stink that they are unable to perceive any shades. It is also known that the continuous presence in highly charged air renders tired and fatigued. Human beings, which have to work in bad air make after some time significantly more errors as compared to human beings, which work in problem-free air. It is also known that electrostatic charges are generated to an increased extent, if the air present in the room is poor in ions or, respectively, where positively charged ions or negatively charged ions dominate. Such air, commonly designated as “electrically charged” exerts uncontested influence on the vegetative nervous system. Furthermore, damages of electronic apparatus and data carriers can occur based on static charges. In addition, the level of sick people in enterprises, which are not able to offer good breathing air to their coworkers based on bad functioning air conditioning plants, is substantially higher as the level of sick people of enterprises, where attention is paid to perfect air.
The passengers in a motor vehicle are annoyed and at times damaged in their health based on the exhaust gases of other motor vehicles. The journal “Scientist”, issue September 1996, cites in this context a Danish investigation, according to which the risk to become sick with lung cancer is for bus drivers 50 percent higher than in a comparison group of persons. Sensible known steps for reducing the emissions of passengers of motor vehicles are for example sensor controlled ventilation systems, wherein the inflow of outer air is stopped always then and switched to circulating operation, when the vehicle reaches a zone of increased contaminant concentration. Furthermore active carbon filters are known and are employed, which have a limited retaining capacity relative to some gases and vapors and of course dust and pollen. Larger concentrations however cannot be retained by the filters. In addition, there exist filter passing gases such as for example the poisonous carbon monoxide and finest dust and soot, such as are given off for example by diesel motors, which are considered to be cancer promoting.
In general the known ionization apparatuses are furnished with a hand operated switch, with the aid of which taps at transformers can be switched with the effect, that different voltages are fed to the ionization tube in order to be able to adjust in this fashion the power of ionization. Such an arrangement can operate substantially satisfactorily, if it is a purpose, for example to hold the number of germs small in a cold storage depot, because in general no substantially varying air contamination with other atmospheric pollutants occurs in a cold storage depot. However, the concentration of the air impurities varies substantially in nearly all other applications and possibly in a ratio of 1 to 10,000.
A fixedly set ionization apparatus cannot lead to a satisfactory solution in these cases, because either the ionization power is insufficient and thereby the smells and germs are not effectively combated or however in case of ionization powers set to a high level contaminant load appear interfering in case of a low air contamination by smellable and possibly dangerous ozone concentrations.
Technical Purpose
It is an object of the present invention to create an apparatus for the physical processing of air, in particular of breathing air, which corresponding to the load of the air with smelling materials or exhaust gases is capable to perform an ionization of the air depending on the concentration of the smelling materials or exhaust gases. One of the essential technical problems comprises, to adapt the ionization power of the recited ionization apparatus such that on the one hand an effective combating of smells and germs is furnished and on the other hand however, no excess ozone concentration should be generated thereby.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION AND ITS ADVANTAGES
The solution of this object comprises an apparatus of the initially recited kind, wherein the air ionizer is coupled to a sensor, which sensor determines the contents of the air in oxidizable gases (air quality sensor) and based on the determined contents of such oxidizable gases, the fed in electrical energy is changeable by way of an electric control device such that in case of low concentrations of oxidizable gases only a low ionization power is furnished, which can be increased controlled by a sensor and automatically with increasing concentration of oxidizable gases to a maximum value.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, an ion counter disposed after the air ionizer detects the number of the ions present in the air and acts through an electric circuit such onto the device or, respectively, the air ionizer, that in case of a low ion number the ionization power of the air ionizer is increased sensor controlled and automatic, and preferably continuously, and in case of a high ion number the ionization power of the air ionizer is decreased sensor controlled and automatic, and preferably continuously. Thus the control of the ionization power of the air ionizer is connected according to the gas load of the air, in particular of the breathing air.
The transformer exhibits various winding taps for changing the controlled power of the air ionizer and the transformer can be controlled through the winding taps such that, effect correctly and sensor controlled, a higher or lower operating voltage of the air ionizer results. In a similar way a chain of capacitive resistors or ohmic resistors can be switched in front of the air ionizer for changing the drive power of the air ionizer, wherein the chain of capacitive resistors or ohmic resistors is such bridged by suitable switching members of an appropriate effect, that an adapted, controlled ionization power of the air ionizer results according to the bridging. The appropriate effect and situation adapted change of the ionization power can also be achieved by having a plurality of air ionizers present and operating, wherein the active area of the operating air ionizers is adapted to the requirements determined by the air quality sensor or air quality sensors based on suitable electrical switching members. The increase of the ionization power occurs controlled by a sensor always then, when the change of the gas concentration detected by the air quality sensor exhibits a certain quotient over time. Or, the increase of the ionization power of the air ionizer can also then occur controlled by a sensor, whe
Kiesewetter Olaf
Rump Hanns
Chiesa Richard L.
Kasper Horst M.
T.E.M.! Technishe Entwicklungen und Managament GmbH
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