Ion generating device

Details Ion generating device Ion generating device

2002-01-10

2004-05-18

Lee, John R. (Department: 2881)

Radiant energy

Corona irradiation

C445S024000, C445S050000, C361S231000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06735830

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD AND PRIOR ART
The present invention relates to electronic apparatuses of the “ion generator” type. Such apparatuses enable a certain density of ions (e.g. of negative oxygen ions in air) to be maintained within an enclosure or in premises in order to make the place where ions are being diffused more healthy.
An application of the invention relates to maintaining a certain density of ions, e.g. negative oxygen ions in air, inside any closed or semi-open enclosure or premises having a ventilation system in order to restore health to the place where controlled ion diffusion is being applied.
Such an ion generator apparatus is known from document WO 96/02966.
The structure of that known apparatus essentially comprises:
a first subassembly constituted by an electron optics system; and
a second subassembly constituted by a power supply unit delivering a high voltage of the order of 4 kV to 5 kV between an output S and a common ground M, and at an impedance of about 100 Megohms; said second subassembly supplying said electron optics with the high voltage required for producing ions.
In more detail, the electron optics structure comprises the following elements which are shown diagrammatically in FIG.
1
.
A first plate
2
of insulating material prevents any emission of electrons (corona effect) from around the rear of the apparatus.
A conductive second plate
4
carries on its rear face emissive “points” such as the point
6
. An insulating third plate
8
secured to the plate
4
is situated in front of it.
The “points”
6
are constituted by long thin needles of stainless metal (Ag), and each has an emissive free end with a radius of a few micrometers.
An electron emission matching structure is constituted by a dielectric “sheath”
10
and a dual cone structure
12
secured to the sheath and made of the same insulating material. The matching structure also has an internal plane structure (plate
14
) secured to the cone structure, extending therefrom and made of the same insulating material. It is fixed to the outside wall
22
of the housing containing the apparatus.
A system of composite plates
16
,
18
has an insulating inside face
18
and a conductive top face
16
connected to ground. A hole
20
allows the sheath and the emitter needle to pass therethrough.
A final plate
22
constitutes a housing containing the apparatus. It is made of a material that is a very poor conductor, and it is connected to the conductive plate
16
. A “leakage” resistor
24
represents the real resistance of the plate
16
for draining off the charge taken from the local space charge that results from the points emitting electrons.
In that apparatus, the plate
16
carried by the insulating plate
18
is connected to ground (zero potential), and the emitter needles are sheathed in dielectric.
The zero equipotential is determined by the field plate
16
, its distribution depending on the positions and the length of the needles, and on the characteristics of the dielectric sheath and of its distal cone
26
.
Because of the relatively high permittivity of the sheath and its distal cone, the zero equipotential “drops down” practically onto the outside surface of said sheath.
In theory, this serves to ensure that an electric field of very high maximum value is present at the free end of the needle.
Such an apparatus operates at a voltage of less than 4.5 kV.
There also exist apparatuses that operate at voltages lying in the range 6 kV to 12 kV.
All those apparatuses present certain drawbacks.
Firstly, their performance is limited and incapable of ensuring long term and consistent production of ions. In particular they do not make it possible to cause a negative flux of ions to circulate constantly in the site or the enclosure to be treated.
Nor do they make it possible to provide and extend the flux of ions and the diffusion of ions throughout the entire enclosure or premises to be treated, and they are not very reliable concerning actual production of ions.
Known apparatuses also have rather low efficiency in producing ions after they have been in use for a while. In particular, after they have been used several times, they are found to be poor at producing oxygen ions effectively.
Those that operate at a voltage in excess of 6 kV are dangerous because of the aggressivity and the toxicity of the peroxiding substances they produce, such as ozone and nitrogen oxides. They also give rise to electrostatic fluxes. In addition, the use of voltages that are too high is very difficult to control or master, and is therefore very dangerous for an everyday application.
Apparatuses which operate at a voltage that is less than or equal to 4200 volts, and in particular those of the type described above with reference to
FIG. 1
, implement electrical power supply methods and manufacturing methods that tend to create a matching system for supplying power and creating an ion flux.
However, whatever the systems or protective methods in existence heretofore, they do not manage to avoid creating rubbing and air circulation and diffusion inside the housing, thereby building up static charge and/or favoring the formation of peroxide type compounds. Unfortunately, static charge reduces the yield of the mass of ions created.
Nor do such apparatuses ensure that the emitter needles are consistent and stable, nor do they ensure that the production from each needle is consistent, regular, and controllable in order to produce ion fluxes having a lifetime that is sufficient for enabling an intended or identified premises to be treated normally and durably.
The apparatus described in document WO 96/02966 also requires a conical opening
28
which makes it possible to touch the needles, which is dangerous in some applications, in particular in cars or in day nurseries.
Furthermore, the electrical connection between the plates
16
and
22
is provided by means of an electric wire, thus requiring additional connections and complicating the apparatus and manufacture thereof. These connections also create a deficiency in the high voltage power supply, and do not prevent losses or static charges. The apparatuses therefore cannot genuinely ensure high quality production of ions and dispersal of the ion flux into the atmosphere.
Corona effects also occur in those known apparatuses. These effects cause polluants to be deposited in the V-shaped zones
30
constituted by the distal cones
26
and the conical openings
28
. These zones are in contact with the atmosphere and the flows of air circulating therein, thereby creating parasitic compounds of peroxide or other types. Corona effects prevent known apparatuses from operating effectively.
Finally, that type of apparatus does not provide an effective and long-lasting solution to treating the intended enclosure, and to restoring the place to health.
Such apparatus also fails to create genuine isolation and genuine sealing, because it needs external power supplies and resistances in order to operate.
Finally, the structure of the sheath
20
secured to the cone
12
itself secured to the plates
14
, is complex to manufacture industrially.
In both cases, a zone of plasma extends very widely from the emitter points. That gives rise to various peroxides being formed which are dangerous for human and animal health, such as NO
x
, and which also serve to reduce the desired emission of ions by an attraction and screening process.
In addition, the magnitudes of the electric fields in both of the above-mentioned existing devices are highly random in the vicinity of the emitter points.
In order to favor diffusion, dispersal, and circulation of ions, some apparatuses include a driving fan. That gives rise to a system that is expensive, that consumes excessive energy, and that produces noise disturbance. Furthermore, such a system stirs up the air causing dust to collect on the blades of the fans or the propulsion system, thereby increasing air rubbing phenomena, thus making electrostatic disturbances more dense, and in turn reducing the ion flux emitted into the enclosure or volu

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