INTEGRATED ACTIVE NEEDLE POINT BIPOLAR IONIZATION FOR AIR CURTAINS
An air curtain air cleaner and sanitation system that incorporates established active bipolar ionization technology with threshold air delivery air curtains that provide conditioned airflow to form a lamination airflow barrier typically between openings in a structure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/010,867, filed Apr. 16, 2020.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical FieldThis invention relates to the field of air curtains used to create an airflow defined barrier in openings and structures between interior and exteriors for different conditioned spaces within a structure for environmentally retention there between.
2. Description of Prior ArtPrior art air curtains have provided air blower assemblies that include air streaming conditioning such as heating and minimal ambient air filtration and recirculation as it leaves the blower through a directional outlet nozzle to provide a laminar airflow barrier as required. Examples of such air curtains can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,649 and applicants U.S. Pat. No. 8,568,210 which discloses venturi heating elements within an air curtain configuration.
Prior art ionization systems have been developed that generate positive and negative ions using AC high voltage providing different polarity of high voltage to at least one pair of ionization electrodes with independent conductive cages adjacent one another.
Specific bipolar ionization is a process in which the decomposition of gas molecules into atoms is affected with the aid of high energy sources. While naturally occurring bipolar air ions chiefly from UV solar radiation and soil radioactivity. In an enclosed indoor environment, such ions may not exist.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn air curtain unit with enhanced airflow conditioning properties having multiple blower fans with elongated air outlet directing discharge vanes provides air intake filters and one or more high energy ion generators to produce a bipolar ionization to the airstream after filtration. Such ion generators utilize established ion generating techniques using a pair of ionizing electrodes mounted adjacent to one another. Each electrode is provided with different polarity and generates an external electric field by using the ion current from each.
Referring to
A power supply and control panel 26 is positioned adjacent the inlet filter assembly 25 within the housing 11, best seen in
The hereinbefore described air curtain housing 11 therefore defines a return airflow path with recirculation inlet air being drawn through the return air filter assembly 25 into a downstream conditioning chamber 27 defined between the inlet filter 25 and the hereinbefore described blower assemblies 15 and 16.
The inlet air flow is treated by one or more bipolar ion generators 28 mounted in the return air conditioning chamber 27, as best seen again in
The bipolar ion generator 28 is powered by the power and control panel 26 and will provide bipolar ionization to the airflow stream, indicated by directional arrows AFS in
It will be apparent that the air curtain assembly 10 of the invention when mounted in the traditional threshold structure opening 30 as seen in
The high velocity air curtain separation of interior I and exterior E achieved will be by flow vector determination providing a 30% by volume airflow from the air current flow out to the exterior indicated at 32 in
Referring now to
It will thus be seen that a new and novel application of air curtain needle point bipolar ionization treated outflow of bipolar ionization of airflow has been illustrated and described in both building threshold opening traditional applications as well as nontraditional interior positional placement to treat large volume interior structures with the advantages of active bipolar point ionization to achieve enhanced air quality. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modification may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. An integrated active air cleaning air curtain comprises,
- an air curtain having a housing, a plurality of blower units within,
- a bi-polar ion generated mounted adjacent said blower units within said housing,
- an air outflow directional nozzle in said housing associated with said blower units,
- a return air inlet inflow inlet in communication with said blowers,
- a control and power source for said bi-polar ion generator and said blowers.
2. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said blower unit comprises,
- at least one blower fan cage, an electric motor coupled to said fan cage for generating an airflow stream there through.
3. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said bi-polar ion generator defines a central ion conditioned interior intake airflow through said blower.
4. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said bi-polar ion generator generates both positive and negative ions by different polarity of high voltage to at least one pair of ionization electrodes.
5. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said directional nozzle directs an ion conditioned air outflow velocity from said blower unit into a structure threshold opening and structure interior defining dual ion conditioned airstreams therefrom.
6. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 5 wherein said structure threshold opening and interior defines independent ion conditioned airstreams forming a bi-laminate air recirculation pattern within said structure interior.
7. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said power source for said bi-polar ion generator and said blowers comprises,
- a power and control panel, a source of electric power.
8. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said return air inflow inlet comprises,
- a unitized rectangular air inlet filter.
9. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said bi-polar generator is in fluid connection with said inflow inlet within said air curtain housing and said blower inlet.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 6, 2021
Publication Date: Oct 21, 2021
Inventor: Philip M. Thomas, JR. (Cranberry Twp., PA)
Application Number: 17/223,330