Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of mechanical engineering and in particular to the field of ventilation. More specifically, the present invention can be classified as a stand-alone internal unit with all the necessary apparatus housed in a single device and comprising a compressor cycle.

The invention can also be classified as a cleaning filter.

The symbols according to the International Patent Classification of the field in which the present invention can be classified are: F24F 1/022 and BO ID 46/04.

Technical Problem

The technical problem solved by the present invention is: how to construct an air purifier for outdoor use, at large intersections and in all places in areas where urban air pollution is high and purification is necessary, as well as in large halls, e.g. factories. The invention also solves the technical problem of how to construct an air purifier with no downtime, where the supply of air to be purified is constant and there are no interruptions in the flow of purified air.

Prior Art

Known prior art, domestic patent literature includes a solution which solves the same technical problem of air purification outdoors or in large industrial halls, entitled: "Air purifier". This solution is protected by patent No. RS 51666. The solution from said patent file comprises two coaxial cylinders. The outer cylinder has openings on the upper side, while electrostatic filters are installed on the lower inner side. Movement of the inner cylinder draws polluted air into the larger outer cylinder. Movement of the inner cylinder is driven by an electric motor utilizing gears and a system of various levers.

This air purifier solution differs from the solution according to the present invention in terms of construction, mode of operation, as well as interruptions in air purification during operation, which is a consequence of the design. In addition, starting the filtration and movement of the parts of the device used to draw in the air to be purified in the described solution are driven electrically, by an electric motor and mechanically, utilizing gears and a system of levers.

Know prior art also includes a solution entitled: "Air purification device" protected by patent No. RS 51775. This solution comprises a body and a cover, connected by latches. The body comprises two interconnected chambers. One chamber contains water for coarse purification, while the other chamber also contains water, but with a wire filter for fine purification.

This solution differs from the solution according to the present invention in terms of construction and mode of operation. It also differs in that water is used for air purification, which is not the case with the solution according to the present invention. This solution is intended for indoor use and cannot be used for outdoor air purification.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to an air purifier, which is intended, primarily, for use outdoors where there are large sources of air pollution. Along boulevards, where there is a high intensity of traffic and resulting high air pollution, a higher-capacity air purifier is installed belowground. This leaves open space on the surface of the boulevard and at the same time reduces the noise level during operation of the device. Only intake and outlet pipes are laid out at a specific distance and in a specific arc around the device so that a series of devices can be placed at a specific distance throughout the city. Depending on need and place of use, the air purifier according to the present invention can be of different sizes and different capacities. Moreover, depending on the place of use, the air purifier can be buried belowground, or placed on a flat surface.

If the air purifier is used to purify air in a house, it is placed outside the building, e.g. in the boiler room or some other facility.

The air purifier can also be used for larger buildings, such as: schools, hospitals, residential and commercial buildings, and can also be used in agriculture in greenhouses for growing vegetables and flowers and in large factory halls.

The type of air filtration is selected depending on where the device is installed.

The air purifier according to the present invention can be connected to a HVAC system so that air conditioning is performed in addition to purification.

The air to be purified passes through a pneumatic cylinder, or around it, depending on the direction of movement of the piston in the pneumatic cylinder, and is directed towards a filtration filter. Constant movement of the piston in the pneumatic cylinder in one or the other direction creates a continuous flow of air towards the filtration filter. Therefore the air purifier according to the present invention has no downtime. The change in the direction of movement of the pneumatic piston is initiated by industrial inductive sensors, which activate an electric hydraulic valve within a hydraulic power unit.

The movement of the piston in the pneumatic cylinder is driven by a hydraulic cylinder, which is connected to the connecting rod of the pneumatic cylinder.

An air purification filter is installed on the pneumatic cylinder.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows an axonometric projection of the external appearance of the air purifier according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows the purifier as viewed from above;

Figure 3 shows section A-A of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows the axial section of the purifier with indicated direction of air flow through the non-return valves and indicated direction of air movement through the pneumatic cylinder when the piston is moving from the top of the cylinder towards the bottom;

Figure 5 shows the axial section of the purifier with indicated direction of air flow through the non-return valves and indicated direction of air movement through the pneumatic cylinder when the piston is moving from the bottom of the cylinder towards the top;

Figure 6 shows section B-B of Figure 4;

Figure 7 shows the axial section of the filter.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The air purifier according to the present invention comprises a pneumatic cylinder 1 on the upper base 15 of which an air intake tube 3 and a filter 6 are installed. In Figures 3 and 4, arrows indicate the direction of entry of polluted air into the air intake tube 3 and the direction of exit of purified air from the filter 6.

The cylinder 1 is attached to a steel base 17 with leveling feet. The bases of the cylinder 1 comprise the upper base 15 and lower base 16. The upper base 15 and lower base 16 comprise seals 19 along their rim.

The pneumatic cylinder comprises an inner cylinder 12 and an outer cylinder 13. The cylinder 12 is made of stainless steel with an extremely sliding inner surface. The function of the outer cylinder 13 is to further strengthen the entire cylinder 1. Between the inner cylinder 12 and the outer cylinder 13 is a filling 14, which fills the air space and at the same time provides rigidity between the inner cylinder 12 and the outer cylinder 13, which are made of sheet metal. The filling 14 is most cost-efficient when made of extruded polystyrene. The filling 14 can also be of other materials with properties similar to those of extruded polystyrene. In order to ensure complete rigidity of the pneumatic cylinder 1 between the inner cylinder 12 and the outer cylinder 13, along the entire length of cylinders 1,12 and 13, four metal pipes 20 are placed vertically, at an angle of 45° relative to one another. The pipes 20 comprise an internal thread 21 at their ends. Through the thread 21 the pipes 20 are connected by screws 22 to the upper base 15 and the lower base 16. To further secure the entire air purifier structure, the upper base 15 has a steel holder 18. The holder 18 is square with three reinforcement ribs 23. One rib 23 is along one diagonal and perpendicular to it there are two more parallel ribs 23. Installed on the holder 18 and fastened to it are: the air intake tube 3, filter 6 and hydraulic cylinder 7. At the comers of the holder 18 the pipes 20, upper base 15 and holder 18 are connected to one another by screws 22.

The connecting rod of the hydraulic cylinder 7 is connected to the connecting rod 8 of the pneumatic cylinder 1. The connecting rod 8 is connected to a piston 9. Along the rim of the piston 9, at the top and bottom side of the piston 9 are seals 10.

A pipe 4 is connected to the outlet of the air intake tube 3. The pipe 4 extends along the entire length of the pneumatic cylinder 1 and enters the cylinder 1 at the lower base 16. The same pipe 4 is also installed from the lower base 16 to the inlet of the filter 6.

Two non-return valves 5 are installed on the upper and lower base 15 and 16 of the cylinder 1. The non-retum valves 5 on the upper base 15 of the cylinder 1 are connected to the outlet of the air intake tube 3 and to the inlet of the filter 6. The non-retum valves on the lower base 16 are connected to the pipes 4.

A UV germicidal lamp can be installed in the air intake tube 3 as needed.

Industrial inductive sensors 11 are installed on the inner surfaces of the upper and lower bases 15 and 16. The sensors 11 sense when the piston 9 reaches the bottommost, and the topmost positions, respectively, at 4 mm distance. The sensors 11 send an electrical signal to the electric hydraulic valve 24 within the hydraulic power unit 25. Through the valve 24 oil passes to the hydraulic cylinder 7. The valve 24, as well as the entire hydraulic power unit 25 is controlled by automatic controls housed in the cabinet.

The filter 6 has a stepped structure. It comprises a filter housing 26 in which four horizontal perforated circular discs 28 are installed. The discs 28 divide the area between the filters so that five chambers are formed in the filter housing 26. Air passes through the openings on the discs 28 from the lower filter to the next filter above.

The filter 31 at the bottom of the housing 26 of the filter 6 is for coarse filtration. The filter 31 is made of 10 cm thick pressed felt.

Above the filter 31 is a filter 32 for medium filtration. It is made of finer 10 cm thick felt.

Next above is a filter 33 for fine filtration. This filter 33 is of activated carbon in granules. The thickness of the filter 33 is 10 cm.

The fourth filter from the bottom of the housing 26 is a filter 34 for very fine filtration; it is a HEPA filter.

The final layer of the filter is a filter 35 for extremely fine filtration. This is a ULPA filter.

The device is started by pressing a button in the cabinet with the automatic controls. The connecting rod of the hydraulic cylinder 7 is moved by way of the valve 24, which moves the connecting rod 8 of the pneumatic cylinder 1 downwards. The downward movement of the connecting rod 8 and the piston 9 creates subpressure and air from the air intake tube 3 passes through the non-return valve 5 into the pneumatic cylinder 1. At the same time the piston 9 in the pneumatic cylinder 1 pushes air from the bottom through the non-return valve 5 into the pipe 4, through which it flows to the inlet of the filter 6. This direction of air flow through the air purifier according to the present invention continues until the piston 9 gets to 4 mm from the sensor 11 on the lower base 16. Then the sensor 11 sends an electrical signal and automatically changes the direction of movement of the connecting rod of the hydraulic cylinder 7 by way of the valve 24, which pulls the connecting rod 8 of the pneumatic cylinder 1 upwards. The upward movement of the piston 9 causes air from the air intake tube 3 to flow through the pipe 4 and enter the cylinder 1 from the bottom of the piston 9 and through the non-return valve 5 on the upper base 15 to enter the filter 6. This direction of air flow continues until the piston 9 gets to 4 mm from the sensor 11 on the upper base 15, when the direction of movement of the connecting rod of the hydraulic cylinder 7 changes once again.

At the air outlet from the cylinder 1 to the filter 6, a certain pressure is created. This pressure pushes the air through the filter 6, and also pushes it through a system of connected air outlet pipes to a certain required distance.

The air purifier can, as needed, be connected to an indoor HVAC system. Thereby air conditioning is also performed, in addition to purification. Furthermore, the purified air itself can, as needed, be heated or cooled and come out of the purifier either heated or cooled.