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(11) | EP 0 359 095 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Thermoconvector with purifier and ioniser |
| (57) A single external housing (1) contains heating or cooling radiators (12) and (15),
motor-driven suction fans (8) for the forced circulation or air, pre-filtering stages
and ducting (2), mechanical filtering (9) & (10), and discharge units (13), an
ionising station (18) and at least one air purification station (6) in which the purifier
is of electrostatic type with electric or electronic cells having the air passages
(17) shaped in zigzags. |
[0001] The invention concerns a thermoconvector with air purifier and ioniser, essentially composed of a means of heating and/or cooling with forced air circulation and devices for mechanical filtration, united with purifier and ioniser units; all contained within a single cabinet so as to be easily installed and usable in any surroundings, such as, for example, living rooms, waiting rooms, consulting rooms, bars, restaurants, or in any reasonably small space in which it would be impossible or anti-economic to instal an air purification plant of industrial size.
[0002] The invention thus constitutes a new kind of electrical domestic appliance because of its compactness, it size, its functions, and its economic characteristics. In situations like those mentioned above it will effectively assist or replace other kinds of thermoventilators, heaters, filters, and similar appliances which are at present installed in the home or in closed rooms where many people gather together and where there may be high concentrations of tobacco smoke, dust, and the like. As an alternative the whole apparatus may be made up of modular component units which, individually or together, can perform one or more of the functions mentioned above.
[0003] Appliances are already known whereby the temperature in public places or private rooms can be improved, as compared with the external conditions, by means of thermoconvective heating or cooling with forced circulation of air.
[0004] In particular present technology aims at producing forced air circulating appliances by means of which the ambient temperature can be modified rapidly and effectively.
[0005] In order to improve the ambient conditions still further the said appliances are usually provided with mechanical means for pre-filtering and filtering which however, because of their nature, can only have a very modest effect.
[0006] This has created the need, especially for particular surroundings such as bars, restaurants, billiards saloons, waiting rooms, and anywhere much used by smokers, to be able to clean the air more efficiently so as to produce a more healthy atmosphere for those who, either voluntarily or from necessity or because of their work, pass part of their time in such places as those mentioned above.
[0007] This requirement is usually met at present by installing subsidiary equipment for purifying the air.
[0008] From what has already been said it will be immediately obvious that, for it to be effective and for it to be able to guarantee good ambiental conditions to the occupants both as regards temperature and as regards health, such equipment is bound to be rather complex and certainly very costly, at least relatively in the case of places of limited size.
[0009] In effect every room must be provided with water and electricity supply, with the necessary sockets, connectors and attachments for the convectors and also for the air purifiers.
[0010] This means that for the installation of each complete plant, whether in existing rooms or in new buildings, a number of separate technical jobs have to be done to execute the brickwork, plumbing, and electrical wiring needed for the control of the temperature and for the installation of the air purifers.
[0012] The invention, as it is described in the claims, solves the problem by means of a unitary or modular thermoconvector, with a purifier by which the following results are obtained:
[0013] The heating and/or cooling devices, with forced circulation, filtering, and purification, are contained in a single casing or in modular casings with a series of attachments or connecting circuits; a single casing which thus includes a system for heating and/or cooling the air, a system of forced air circulation, a series of mechanical prefilters and filters, an air purifier, and an ionising apparatus; the air purifier to be used is preferably of the electric or electronic cell type with an electrostatic capturing system and plates with a corrugated profile; each whole or casing can be used in any room and uses a single electrical outlet and a single plumbing installation.
[0014] Together with the purification system the following additional advantages are obtained: The individual functions of heating or cooling, of ventilation, of purification, and of ionisation can be performed in separate modular components which can used either singly or in various combinations with each other or even with corresponding appliances which are already installed.
[0015] The advantages deriving from the present invention consist substantially in the fact that the whole set, included in a single housing, is fundamentally simpler and more economical than the traditional separate appliances; requires the installation of only one water supply and only one electrical circuit without any branches or doubling; the installation and maintenance of each set or housing constituting the complete apparatus is simpler, easier, and cheaper since the housing itself can be positioned and supported on any wall, like certain types of heater, and does not require any additional separate or supporting structure.
[0016] A further advantage consists of the fact that, depending on the ambiental requirements, one or more operational cycles which the equipment is capable of performing can be temporarily excluded (or even not included), so that the same set, in its single housing, can be used to give a complete service or a purposely limited one, with consequent economic advantages both in first cost and in running cost.
[0017] Another advantage consists of the fact that the complete apparatus constitutes a new type of electric domestic appliance whose use is both convenient and economic, to replace the present means of heating and cooling in all closed domestic or public spaces where people may gather and create high concentrations of tobacco smoke, dust, or the like, and for which it would be anti-economic to instal industrial plant for purification or temperature control of the air.
[0018] Other advantages to be gained by using the present invention consist basically in the fact that any problem of installation in the kind of situation described above can be solved by either an integral appliance or by a partial modular appliance which will in all cases give an integral final result covering all functions in combination with the existing plant.
[0019] A still further advantage consists of the fact that the modular component units with which the thermoconvector can be assembled can in effect be used as stand-alone appliances which can solve certain partial problems such as only heating or cooling, with or without fan circulation, as in the traditional solutions, the same as above linked with ionisation, air purification with forced circulation, air purification with ionisation, and so on and so on.
[0020] The invention is described in greater detail below according to one exemplary (but not limitative) embodiment, and referring to the attached drawings, in which:
Fig 1 shows the Block Diagram of the complete combined cycle, contained inside a single cabinet and consisting of a thermoconvector combined with an air purifier and an ioniser;
Fig 2 shows a schematic cross-section of a complete appliance;
Fig 3 shows a member of schematic combinations of different modular component units in different ways;
Fig 4 shows a schematic cross-section of a combination of a heating/cooling unit with ioniser and ventilation fan and an air filtering unit.
Fig 5 represents a schematic cross-section of a combination between a filter unit with forced ventilation and a heater/cooler module.
[0021] The drawings show a thermoconvector with filter and ioniser, according to one example of possible embodiments, with no limitative significance, including a casing (1) in which are inserted, one after the other, a pre-filtering unit (2) which includes an air duct (3) and a protective metal grille (4), which gives ingress to a housing (5) in which there is installed an air purifier of electric or electronic cell type and electrostatic action (6).
[0022] Between the housing (5) containing the air purifier (6) and the compartment (7) containing a motor driven fan (8) is situated a section (9) in which, according to the particular necessities, there can be installed additional mechanical filters (10) of activated carbon, sponge, or other type for the extraction of other volatile substances.
[0023] The fan (8) collects air from the pre-filtering section (2), passes it through the electrostatic purifier (6) and the eventual additional filters (10), and delivers it to a compartment (11) in which there is a traditional finned radiating element (12) and, later in the sequence, an ionising stage (18).
[0024] Above the compartment (11) there is an open section (13) which is preferably provided with orientable ducts (14). In the Block Diagram in Figure 1 it can be observed that, for various reasons such as periodical maintenance, particular requirements, low pollution level, etc. the air purification section (6) or the filtering section (10), or both of them, can be cut out.
[0025] In such case the air sucked in by the fan (8) passes through the pre-filtering section (2) to the filtering section (10) or directly to the fan (8), according to the needs of the moment.
[0026] In the channels (15) of the radiator (12) there can be circulated either a hot fluid or a cold fluid, such as for example ordinary water from the municipal supply, thus obtaining either the heating or the cooling of the air current which passes by the fins (12) and is then conveyed, through the open section (13), into the room in which the appliance is installed, after it has (or has not) been submitted to an ionisation treatment in the ioniser (18) which can be activated or not according to the current needs. The complete appliance, as thus conceived, can therefore be advantageously and appropriately used in various ways according to the particular requirements of the rooms where it is installed, or to the different seasonal climatic or weather conditions.
[0027] In particular it can perform different functions, among which are, for example:
a. Thermoventilation with fresh filtered, purified, and ionised air, with operation of the whole cycle as previously described and with the possibility of heating or cooling the intake air by passing heating or cooling fluid through the pipes (15) in the radiator (12).
b. Forced circulation of filtered, purified, and ionised air without allowing any heating or cooling fluids into the pipes (15) of the radiator (12).
c. Forced circulation of filtered and ionised air, omitting the purifier (6) and the heating or cooling fluids in the pipes (15) of the radiator (12).
d. Forced circulation of ionised air, excluding the purifier (6), the filters (10) and the heating or cooling fluids.
e. Forced circulation of air, using only the suction fan (8).
f. Forced circulation of heated or cooled air, excluding the filters (10), the purifier (6), and the ioniser (18).
g. Forced circulation of heated or cooled air, excluding only the purifier (6).
h. Forced circulation of heated or cooled air, excluding only the ioniser (18).
i. Forced circulation of heated or cooled air, excluding only the filters (10).
1. Forced circulation of heated or cooled air, excluding the filters (10) and the purifier (6).
m. Forced circulation of heated or cooled air, excluding the filters (10) and the ioniser (18).
[0028] In fact it is obvious that all possible combinations in association of the various components of the whole set can be made to function.
[0029] The above manifold possibilities of operation of the apparatus can be obtained either by means of ordinary switches or by means of valves installed with the apparatus, or, preferably, by means of an electrical or electronic central processor which can be programmed to react to the readings of thermostats or other sensors, and being an integral part of the equipment itself.
[0030] If a higher standard of purification of the flow of circulating air (16) is desired the electrostatic purifier (6) should be designed with zigzag air passages (17), so that the air current is more thoroughly slowed thus favoring the capture of any eventual particles which, being held in suspension at the centre of the flow of air, may escape the influence of the magnetic field.
[0031] While the present invention has been illustrated and described according to one possible embodiment as an example, it will be evident to experts in this field that various modifications could be made to the structure, or to the positioning and orientation of the components, without in any way going beyond the range or scope of the said invention. As an example of this flexibility, it is obvious in fact that the whole would be equally effective if section (9) containing the mechanical filters (10) were placed after the chamber (7) which contains the motorised fan (8); or if the latter were placed after all the components except the ionising stage; and so on.
[0032] A further possibility is given by the fact that all the phases in the sytem, and the sequence in which the various components are put together, can be mounted either horizontally or vertically or sloping (or a mixture of all three) as they may best be fitted into the outer casing (1), without an any way affecting their efficiency.
[0033] The outer casing (1) is in any case made in such a way that all its compartments or chambers are easily accessible, to make the maintenance, substitution, or cleaning operations on the individual elements as easy as possible.
[0034] As a logical consequence of the above statements, the whole apparatus may be made up of modular component elements which may function either together or singly, and in association with purifying systems. In particular they may, basically, include a heater/cooler module (A), perhaps with its own ioniser, a fan module (B), a purifier module (C). The last element may be preferred for installation of the ioniser.
[0035] The modular concept as described above makes it possible to produce different combinations designed to perform, either individually or in combination, single or multiple functions. Thus, by combining the heater/cooler module (A) with the fan module (B), the article would become, in effect, a traditional thermoconvector, or thermoventilator, or convection fan, or "fan-coil", to which, however, an ionising stage (18) could be added.
[0036] In the same way, by combining the purifier module (C) with the fan module (B), a self-sufficient apparatus able to purify the circulating air is obtained, and can be provided if required with an ionising stage (18); and, perhaps later, the heater/cooler module (A) can be added to turn it into the most complete version of the appliance as described.
[0037] In the said combination of the three modules (A), (B), and (C) it is obvious that only one ionising stage (18) would be included.
[0038] Similarly the complete apparatus can be obtained by combining the purifier module (C) with the combination already described of module (A) with module (B).
[0039] In this last case however it must be mentioned that the same result can be obtained by combining the same module (C) with a traditional thermovector or similar appliance of known type.
[0040] This solution, which may be very advantageous in that it may allow previously installed equipment to be kept functioning, would naturally require the use of adaptors with different designs according to the fittings on the existing equipment. The interconnections (20) between the modules, which are shown diagramatically as flush-fitting in Figs 2 & 3, can be of any type, according to the external shape of the housings of the modules, their height, and their suitability for attachment to known equipment already installed.
[0041] Fundamentally it is preferable that module (A) should include a chamber (11) in which a traditional finned radiator element (12) is arranged.
[0042] This chamber should have a lower intake orifice (19) and an upper orifice (13) which has orientable outlet ducts (14). It is preferable to install an ionising stage (18) below the upper opening (13).
[0043] Module (B), on the other hand, is preferably composed of a chamber (7) in which is situated a motorised suction fan (8) with an upper delivery outlet (19) and, eventually, a filter below (10). The delivery outlet (19) is preferably arranged so that it can be directly coupled to the lower orifice (19) in module (A).
[0044] Module (C) preferably consists of a central compartment (5) in which is installed an electric or electronic electrostatic cell type air purifier (6).
[0045] This chamber (5) is connected higher up to a section (9) in which, depending on the connections with the other modular units, a filter (10) or an ioniser (18) can be fitted.
[0046] It its lower part the chamber (5) is preferably placed next to a pre-filtering section (2) with air ducts (3), and, eventually, a protective grille (4).
[0047] Quite apart from the general structural shape, which is completely unrestricted except for manufacturing limitations, dimensions, and/or characteristics of external styling, the components of the modular units can take on different arrangements, so that, for example, the ionising or the filtering sections can be inserted or connected in other advantageous positions, without overstepping or exceeding for this reason the bounds or scope of the invention.
1. Thermoconvector with air purifier and ioniser characterised by the fact that it
includes, in a single outer casing (1), or in modular elements, means of heating and/or
cooling (12) & (15) with devices (8) for ensuring a forced circulation of air, and
associated means (10) of mechanical filtering, linked to purifier (6) and ioniser
(18) units,
2. Thermoconvector with air purifier and ioniser according to Claim 1, characterised
by the fact that the purifier or purifiers (6) are of an electric or electronic cell
type operating electrostatically.
3. Thermoconvector with air purifier and ioniser according to Claims 1 and 2, characterised
by the fact that that the air passages (17) in the electrostatic cells of the purifier
(6) have a zigzag shape.
4. Thermoconvector with air purifier and ioniser according to Claims 1, 2, and 3,
characterised by the fact that it includes a pre-filtering section (2), at least one
air purifier (6), a motor-driven suction fan (8), an additional section with mechanical
filters (10), a radiator (12), an ionising stage (18), and a discharge section (13);
the said components being arrangeable in different sequence according to requirements.
5. Thermoconvector with air purifier and ioniser according to Claims 1 to 4, characterised
by the fact that the purifying section (6), the filtering section (10), the ionising
stage (18), and the heating/cooling section (12) can be excluded from the operating
cycle either separately or together.
6. Thermoconvector with air purifier and ioniser according to Claims 1 to 5, characterised
by the fact that it contains only one control and regulation centre composed of switches
and/or valves, or including electrical or electronic programmable devices connected
to thermostats and sensors.
7. Thermoconvector with air purifier and ioniser according to Claims 1 to 6, characterised
by the fact that it constitutes a single electrical domestic appliance, which can
be used in closed rooms of limited dimensions.
8. Thermoconvector according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that it is composed
of modular units, which can be fitted together or to other appliances, each of which
can perform one or more functions independently and/or in combination.
9. Thermconvector according to Claims 1 and 8, characterised by the fact that it includes
a component modular heater/cooler unit (A), a component modular fan unit (B), and
a component modular purifier unit (C).
10. Thermoconvector according to Claims 1, 8, and 9, characterised by the fact that
the modular heater/cooler component (A) includes: a chamber (11) in which there is
installed a traditional finned radiator unit (12), a lower intake opening (19), an
upper orifice with a grille (14). The said chamber may or may not contain, connected
or not connected, an ionising apparatus (18) and at least one filtering section (10).
11. Thermoconvector according to Claims 1, 8, and 9, characterised by the fact that
the modular component fan unit (B) is composed of a chamber (7) in which there is
installed a motorised suction fan (8), with an upper outlet (19) which can be aligned
with the lower orifice of module (A); the said chamber (7) eventually containing filtration
sections (10).
12. Thermoconvector according to Claims 1, 8, and 9, characterised by the fact that
the modular purification component (C) includes a central housing (5) in which there
is installed an electric or electronic electrostatic cell type of air purifier (6).
The said housing contains an upper section suitable for mounting an ionising stage
(18), or filtering stages (10); and a lower section which can house eventual pre-filtering
or filtering stages (2) with ducts (3), and eventually a protective grating (4).
13. Thermoconvector according to Claims 1 and from 8 to 12, characterised by the fact
that the modular heater/cooler unit (A), with its eventual ioniser (18), can be combined
with the fan unit (B).
14. Thermoconvector according to Claims 1 and from 8 to 12, characterised by the fact
that the modular heater/cooler unit (A), either with or without an eventual ioniser
(18), can be installed in sequence with the modular fan unit (B) and the modular purifier
unit (C).
15. Thermoconvector according to Claims 1, 8, 11, and 12, characterised by the fact
that the modular purifier unit (C), either with or without and eventual ionising stage
(18), can be combined with the ventilating fan unit (B).
16. Thermoconvector according to Claims 1, 8, 11, 12, and 15, characterised by the
fact that the modular purifier unit (C), either with or without an eventual ioniser
stage (18), and either combined or not combined with the modular ventilating fan unit
(B), can be connected to, and operated together with, any thermoventilator, thermoconvector,
ventilatorÂconvector, "fan-coil", or the like.
17. Thermoconvector with purifier and ioniser according to the preceding Claims, as
illustrated and described, and for the specified purposes.