WO2014119970A1

WO2014119970A1 - Ionizer and dust collector

Info

Publication number: WO2014119970A1
Application number: PCT/KR2014/000921
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yang Hwa Lee; Jin Hyouk Shin; Yee Kyeong Jung; Hoon Cheol Jeon; Sung Hwa Lee; Hyung Ho Park
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2013-02-04
Filing date: 2014-02-03
Publication date: 2014-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 2015-08-04
Also published as: KR102018661B1; CN105026842B; CN105026842A; KR20140099679A

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ionizer and a dust collector which are safe and have high efficiency. The ionizer includes a circuit for generating a high voltage, a circuit case which encloses the circuit, an electrode arranged on an outside of the circuit case for discharging owing to the high voltage generated at the circuit to ionize molecules in air, a cable which connects the electrode to the circuit electrically, a cable cover projected from the circuit case to support the cable, and an electrode cover connected to the cable cover arranged at a portion around the electrode.

Description

IONIZER AND DUST COLLECTOR

The present invention relates to an ionizer and a dust collector. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ionizer and a dust collector which are safe and have high efficiency.

In general, an air conditioner is a machine for cooling or heating a room by using a refrigerating cycle including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an indoor heat exchanger. That is, the air conditioner may have a room cooler for cooling the room, and a room heater for heating the room. Or, the air conditioner may be a cooling and heating air conditioner for cooling or heating the room.

An indoor unit of the air conditioner may have a dust collector provided thereto for collecting and removing foreign matter, such as dust, floating in the air. The duct collector may be embodied in a variety of modes, and, currently, an electric dust collector is used, which collects the foreign matter by charging the same.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the aforementioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ionizer and a dust collector which have high efficiency.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an ionizer and a dust collector which are safe.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention.

To achieve the objects of the present invention, an ionizer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a circuit for generating a high voltage, a circuit case which encloses the circuit, an electrode arranged on an outside of the circuit case for discharging owing to the high voltage generated at the circuit to ionize molecules in air, a cable which connects the electrode to the circuit electrically, a cable cover projected from the circuit case to support the cable, and an electrode cover connected to the cable cover arranged at a portion around the electrode.

To achieve the objects of the present invention, an ionizer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a circuit for generating a high voltage, a circuit case which encloses the circuit, an electrode arranged on an outside of the circuit case for discharging owing to the high voltage generated at the circuit to ionize molecules in air, a cable which connects the electrode to the circuit electrically, a cable cover projected from the circuit case to support the cable, and an electrode cover connected to the cable cover to cover the electrode in a direction the air flows thereto.

To achieve the objects of the present invention, a dust collector in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a dust collecting case having a flow passage formed therein for flow of air, a circuit for generating a high voltage, a circuit case arranged in the dust collecting case to enclose the circuit, an electrode arranged on an outside of the circuit case for discharging owing to the high voltage generated at the circuit to ionize molecules in the air, a dust collecting filter arranged in the dust collecting case for collecting foreign matter charged by the ions produced from the electrode, a cable which connects the electrode to the circuit electrically, a cable cover projected from the circuit case to support the cable, and an electrode cover connected to the cable cover to cover a side of the electrode in a direction the air flows thereto and to open the electrode in a portion thereof in a direction the dust collecting filter is arranged.

The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an air conditioner in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the air conditioner in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a dust collector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial section illustrating the dust collector shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front view illustrating an ionizer in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a back view illustrating the ionizer in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the ionizer in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a partial detailed view illustrating the ionizer in FIG. 5.

The advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving those will become apparent upon referring to embodiments described later in detail together with the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed hereinafter, but may be embodied in different modes, the embodiments are provided for making disclosure of the present invention perfect and notifying a scope of the present invention to persons skilled in this field of art completely, and the present invention will be defined only by scope of claims. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

In what follows, an ionizer and a dust collector according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the appended drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an air conditioner in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the air conditioner in FIG. 1.

The air conditioner 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 110, a dust collector 120 arranged on an inside of the cabinet 110 for removing foreign matter from the air which is flowing, a fan unit 130 for making the air to flow, and a heat exchanger 140 for making the air which flows owing to the fan unit 130 to heat exchange with refrigerant, to control a temperature. In the embodiment, the air conditioner is of a stand type.

The cabinet 110 includes a cabinet body 111, a cabinet cover 114 arranged on and coupled to a front of the cabinet body 111, a front lower panel 113 coupled to the cabinet body 111 to have an air inlet 116 formed thereon for drawing external air to the inside of the cabinet 110, and a front upper panel 112 coupled to the cabinet body 111 to have an air outlet 115 for discharging the air from the inside of the cabinet 110 to an outside thereof.

The dust collector 120 ionizes molecules in the air to charge foreign matter with the ions, and collects the foreign matter charged thus. The dust collector 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, in detail later.

The fan unit 130 is arranged in the cabinet 110. The fan unit 130 makes the air to flow to enable the air to be drawn into the cabinet from the outside of the cabinet 110 and discharged to the outside of the cabinet 110 passed through the dust collector 120 and the heat exchanger 140. The fan unit 130 includes a motor 132 for producing rotation force, and a fan 131 to be rotated by the motor 132.

The heat exchanger 140 makes the air to heat exchange with the refrigerant to cool or heat the air. If the refrigerant vaporizes at the heat exchanger 140, the air is cooled, and if the refrigerant condenses at the heat exchanger, the air is heated. The heat exchanger 140 may include a pipe (Not shown) through which the refrigerant flows, and cooling fins (Not shown) coupled to the pipe. The heat exchanger 140 is formed of metal.

The air flows as follows. If the motor 132 rotates to rotate the fan 131, external air is introduced to the inside of the cabinet 110 through the air inlet 116. The air introduced to the inside of the cabinet 110 passes through the dust collector 120 to have the foreign matter removed therefrom. The air having the foreign matter removed therefrom moves to the heat exchanger 140 as the fan 131 rotates. The air heat exchanges with the refrigerant at the heat exchanger 140 so as to be cooled or heated. The air heat exchanged thus is discharged to the outside of the cabinet 110 through the air outlet 115.

FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a dust collector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a partial section illustrating the dust collector shown in FIG. 3.

The dust collector 120 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a dust collecting case 121 having an air flow passage formed therein, an ionizer 122 for ionizing molecules in the air to produce ions, a grounded ion trap 123 for collecting the ions produced by the ionizer 122, and a charged dust collecting filter 124 for collecting the foreign matter charged with the ions produced by the ionizer 122.

The dust collecting case 121 has a flow passage formed therein for enabling the air drawn into the air inlet 116 to flow to the fan unit 130. The dust collecting case 121 is hollow to make the air inlet 116 and the fan unit 130 to be in communication. In the embodiment, the dust collecting case 121 is hexagonal with opened opposite sides.

In the embodiment, the dust collecting case 121 has a plurality of partitions, and the ionizer 122 is arranged at a portion of the partitions. It is preferable that the ionizer 122 is arranged at a center of a dust collecting region 127 on a lower side of the dust collecting case 121.

A sterilizing filter 128 for removing microbes and/or a deodoring filter 129 for deodoring may be arranged at portions the ionizer 122 is not arranged. In the embodiment, the sterilizing filter 128 and the deodoring filter 129 are arranged on an upper side of the dust collecting case 121.

That is, the dust collecting case 121 has partitions of a plane perpendicular to a flow direction of the air for performing functions different from one another such that the dust collecting region 127 which is one of the partitions has the ionizer 122, the dust collecting filter 124, and the ion trap 123 arranged thereon, the other one of the partitions has the sterilizing filter 128 arranged thereon, and another one of the partitions has the deodoring filter 129 arranged thereon.

In the embodiment, though the ionizer 122, the sterilizing filter 128, and the deodoring filter 129 are arranged one the same plane perpendicular to the air flow direction, depending on embodiments, the ionizer 122, the sterilizing filter 128, and the deodoring filter 129 may be arranged in succession with respect to the air flow direction. That is, with respect to the air flow direction, the sterilizing filter 128 and the deodoring filter 129 may be arranged in succession, and the ionizer 122 may be arranged thereafter.

At the dust collecting region 127 in the dust collecting case 121, there are the ionizer 122, the ion trap 123, and the dust collecting filter 124 arranged in succession in the air flow direction.

The ionizer 122 generates a high voltage to cause discharge from an electrode to ionize molecules in the air. The ions produced from the ionizer 122 charges the foreign matter. The ionizer 122 is arranged at a center of the dust collecting region 127. The ionizer 122 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8, in detail.

The ion trap 123 collects the ions the ionizer 122 produced. The ion trap 123 is a grounded metal body to collect the ions. The ion trap 123 is formed of metal in a mesh form. The ions are reduced at the ion trap 123. The ion trap 123 collects the ions which failed to charge the foreign matter to prevent the ions from harming a human body.

The ion trap 123 is arranged in the dust collecting case 121. The ion trap 123 is arranged in rear of the dust collecting filter 124 with respect to the air flow direction. Depending on embodiments, the ion trap 123 may arranged in rear of the dust collecting filter 124 or between a plurality of dust collecting filters 124. It is preferable that the ion trap 123 is spaced from the ionizer 122 for preventing the ion trap 123 from influencing to the discharge of the ionizer 122.

The dust collecting filter 124 collects charged foreign matter. The dust collecting filter 124 is arranged in the dust collecting case 121. The dust collecting filter is arranged in rear of the ion trap 123 in view of the air flow direction. Depending on embodiments, the dust collecting filter 124 may be arranged between the ionizer 122 and the ion trap 123. The dust collecting filter 124 is formed of synthetic resin having small flow passages formed therein for the air to pass.

The dust collecting filter 124 is charged as an anode and/or cathode. A portion of the dust collecting filter 124 charged as the anode collects foreign matter charged as the cathode, and a portion of the dust collecting filter 124 charged as the cathode collects the foreign matter charged as the anode.

The dust collecting filter 124 may be spaced from the ion trap close thereto. It is preferable a gap between the ionizer 122 and the ion trap 123 is larger than a gap between the dust collecting filter 124 and the ion trap 123.

Depending on embodiments, the ion trap 123 may be omitted, and the heat exchanger 140 formed of metal may replace the ion trap 123. That is, the heat exchanger 140 may be grounded such that the heat exchanger 140 grounded thus may collect the ions.

FIG. 5 is a front view illustrating an ionizer in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a back view illustrating the ionizer in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the ionizer in FIG. 5, and FIG. 8 is a partial detailed view illustrating the ionizer in FIG. 5.

The ionizer 122 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a circuit for generating a high voltage 122c, a circuit case 122d for enclosing the circuit 122c, an electrode 122a arranged on an outside of the circuit case 122d for discharging owing to the high voltage generated at the circuit 122c to ionize the molecules in the air, a cable 122b for connecting the electrode 122a to the circuit 122c electrically, a cable cover 122e projected from the circuit case 122d for supporting the cable 122b, and an electrode cover 122g connected to the cable cover 122e arranged around a portion of the electrode 122a.

The circuit 122c is a circuit for generating the high voltage for the electrode 122a to discharge. The circuit may generate an AC current, an anode or cathode DC current, or a pulse DC current of the high voltage and supply the same to the electrode 122a. In the embodiment, the circuit 122c is a constant voltage circuit which generates the cathode DC current. It is preferable that the circuit 122c outputs a -7kVp ?8% voltage at a 100Hz ?10% frequency in 15 ~ 25% Duty. The circuit 122c includes a PCB and various electronic devices.

The circuit case 122d encloses the circuit 122c for protecting the circuit 122c and preventing a current from leaking from the circuit 122c. It is preferable that the circuit case 122d is a plastic rectangular parallelepiped body. The circuit case 122d may have an inside molded of silicone rubber for protecting the circuit 122c. The circuit case 122d is arranged in the dust collecting case 121.

The cable 122b is projected from the circuit case 122d and connected to the electrode 122a. The cable in a shape of a rod has one end connected to the circuit case 122d and the other end provided with the electrode 122a. The cable 122b includes a lead wire for forwarding the high voltage generated at the circuit 122c to the electrode 122a, and a plastic sheath to cover an outside of the lead wire. The cable 122b connects the circuit 122a to the electrode 122a, electrically.

The cable 122b may be plural according to a number of the electrodes 122a. In the embodiment, four cables 122b are arranged around the circuit case 122d spaced from one another. The cables 122b are supported by cable covers 122e, respectively.

The electrode 122a discharges to ionize molecules in the air. Upon application of the high voltage generated at the circuit 122c to the electrode 122a through the cable 122b, the electrode discharges to ionize molecules in the air to produce the ions. Upon application of the high voltage to the electrode 122a, anions, such as OH-, O- and so on, or cations, such as H+ and so on, are produced.

The electrode 122a is formed of a carbon fiber. The electrode 122a of superfine carbon fibers produces the ions by corona discharge. It is preferable that the electrode 122a is hundreds of superfine carbon fibers of μm diameters bound to the cable 122b to form a brush like shape. In the embodiment, the electrode 122a has a brush shape having around 1000 carbon fibers of 7 μm diameters put together.

Of the brush shaped electrode 122a which is a bundle of the carbon fibers, only one carbon fiber discharges. Depending on embodiments, the electrode 122a may be formed to have a needle shape, or a net shape having a pattern. The electrode 122a may be in plural, and the embodiment suggests four electrodes 122a.

It is preferable that the plurality of the electrodes 122a are arranged spaced from one another appropriately for minimizing mutual interference. It is preferable that the plurality of the electrodes 122a are arranged spaced at equal distances on an imaginary plane perpendicular to the air flow direction to be symmetry with respect to in an up/down direction or in a left/right direction. The electrode is arranged spaced from the circuit case 122d by the cable 122b.

The ions produced by the electrode 122a charge the foreign matter. The anion provides electrons to the foreign matter to charge the foreign matter as the cathode, and the cation takes electrons from the foreign matter to charge the foreign matter as the anode.

The cable cover 122e formed of plastic is projected from the circuit case 122d. The cable cover 122e may be formed as one unit with the circuit case 122d or individually and connected to the circuit case 122d. The cable cover 122e has one side connected to the circuit case 122a and the other side connected to the electrode cover 122g. The cable cover 122e may be plural matched to the cable 122b, and the embodiment suggests four cable covers 122e.

The cable cover 122e is cylindrical to surround a circumference of the rod shaped cable. The cable cover 122e has an opened side portion thereof such that the cable cover 122e has a semicircular shape to surround a portion of the circumference of the cable 122b, substantially. It is preferable that the cable cover 122e has the opened side portion in a direction the air flows thereto. It is preferable that the cable cover 122e has the opened side portion formed in a direction opposite to a direction in which the ion trap 123 and/or the dust collecting filter 124 are arranged. The cable 122b has a portion, not covered by the cable cover 122e, but exposed, in the direction the air flows thereto.

The cable cover 122e has a supporting projection 122f projected toward the opening. The supporting projection 122f supports the cable 122b. The supporting projection 122f secures the cable 122b such that a portion of the cable 122b is arranged within the cable cover 122e.

There is a hole 122h formed matched to the supporting projection 122f in a portion opposite to the supporting projection 122f. The hole 122h is formed for forming the supporting projection 122f at the time of injection molding of the cable cover 122e.

The electrode cover 122g formed of plastic is connected to the cable cover 122e. The electrode cover 122g may be plural matched to the plurality of electrodes 122a, and the embodiment suggests four electrode covers 122g. It is preferable that the plurality of electrode covers 122g are arranged spaced from one another, appropriately. The electrode cover 122g is arranged spaced from the circuit case 122d by the cable cover 122e.

The electrode cover 122g covers the electrode 122a in the direct the air flows thereto. The electrode cover 122g has an opening in a portion thereof in a direction the air flows therefrom to form an electrode opening 122i. The electrode cover 122g covers the electrode 122a in a direction opposite to a direction in which the ion trap 123 and/or the dust collecting filter 124 are arranged, while the electrode cover 122g opens the electrode 122a in a portion thereof in a direction the ion trap 123 and/or the dust collecting filter 124 are arranged. The electrode opening 122i is formed in a direction the ion trap 123 and/or the dust collecting filter 124 are arranged.

The electrode opening 122i is formed on a side opposite to the opened side portion of the cable cover 122e. The electrode 122a has a portion, not covered by the electrode cover 122g, but exposed, in a direction the air flows therefrom.

The electrode cover 122g has a longitudinal end projected beyond a longitudinal end of the electrode 122a. In this case, the longitudinal end is an end portion of the cable 122b or the cable cover 122e in a length direction thereof. It is preferable that a gap G between the longitudinal end of the electrode cover 122g and the longitudinal end of the electrode 122a is in a range of 1mm. It is preferable that the longitudinal end of the electrode 122a is protected by making the longitudinal end of the electrode 122a not to be projected beyond the longitudinal end of the electrode cover 122g.

The electrode cover 122g prevents a conductive material inserted through the air inlet 116 by a user from being brought into contact with the electrode 122a, as well as the foreign matter in the flowing air from hitting the electrode 122a. The electrode 122a, having the opening formed in a portion thereof in the direction the air flows therefrom, can enhance ion producing efficiency.

Thus, though a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the above-described embodiment and drawings, and various changes or modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and the technical aspect of the present invention.

As has been described, the ionizer and the dust collector of the present invention have one or more than one of the following advantages.

First, the effective covering of the electrode the high voltage is applied thereto with the electrode cover permits to prevent the user from receiving an electric shock as well as the foreign matter from being brought into contact to the electrode.

Second, the effective covering of the electrode which ionizes the molecules in the air with the electrode cover permits to enhance an ion production rate.

Third, a modularized ionizer may be applied to various dust collectors and air conditioners, readily.

Fourth, the occupation of a least space by the electrode which produces the ions permits to minimize reduction of an air flow rate.

Advantages of the present invention will not be limited by the advantages described before, but other effects not described herein will be understood to those skilled in this field of art from recitation of the claims, clearly.

Claims

An ionizer comprising:

a circuit for generating a high voltage;

a circuit case which encloses the circuit;

an electrode arranged on an outside of the circuit case for discharging owing to the high voltage generated at the circuit to ionize molecules in air;

a cable which connects the electrode to the circuit, electrically;

a cable cover projected from the circuit case to support the cable; and

an electrode cover connected to the cable cover arranged at a portion around the electrode.
The ionizer of claim 1, wherein the cable cover has a semi-circular cylindrical shape with an opened side portion.
The ionizer of claim 2, wherein the cable cover covers a portion of a circumference of the cable.
The ionizer of claim 2, wherein the cable cover includes a supporting projection projected toward the opened side portion for supporting the cable.
The ionizer of claim 4, wherein the cable cover has a hole formed therein matched to the supporting projection in a portion of the cable cover on a side opposite to a portion of the cable cover the supporting projection is formed thereon.
The ionizer of claim 2, wherein the electrode cover has an electrode opening which is an opening in a portion of the electrode cover on a side opposite to the opened side portion of the cable cover.
The ionizer of claim 2, wherein the cable cover is opened in a direction the air flows thereto.
The ionizer of claim 1, wherein the electrode cover has a longitudinal end projected beyond a longitudinal end of the electrode.
The ionizer of claim 1, wherein the electrode cover has an electrode opening which is an opened portion thereof in a direction the air flows therefrom.
An ionizer comprising:

a circuit for generating a high voltage;

a circuit case which encloses the circuit;

an electrode arranged on an outside of the circuit case for discharging owing to the high voltage generated at the circuit to ionize molecules in air;

a cable which connects the electrode to the circuit, electrically;

a cable cover projected from the circuit case to support the cable; and

an electrode cover connected to the cable cover to cover the electrode in a direction the air flows thereto.
A dust collector comprising:

a dust collecting case having a flow passage formed therein for flow of air;

a circuit for generating a high voltage;

a circuit case arranged in the dust collecting case to enclose the circuit;

an electrode arranged on an outside of the circuit case for discharging owing to the high voltage generated at the circuit to ionize molecules in the air;

a dust collecting filter arranged in the dust collecting case for collecting foreign matter charged by the ions produced from the electrode;

a cable which connects the electrode to the circuit, electrically;

a cable cover projected from the circuit case to support the cable; and

an electrode cover connected to the cable cover to cover a side of the electrode in a direction the air flows thereto and to open the electrode in a portion thereof in a direction the dust collecting filter is arranged.
The dust collector of claim 11, wherein the cable cover has an opening in a direction opposite to a direction the dust collecting filter is arranged therein.
The dust collector of claim 11, wherein the electrode cover has a longitudinal end projected beyond a longitudinal end of the electrode.
The dust collector of claim 11, further comprising an ion trap arranged in the dust collecting case for collecting the ions produced from the electrode.