Abstract:
The present invention provides methods and systems for a bipolar ionization device that includes an electrically insulated base, a power input terminal, an anode engaged to the base and the power input terminal, a cathode that partially circumscribes the anode, and plurality of tines extending perpendicularly from the anode having a lower portion and a top portion, wherein the lower portion is engaged to the anode and is wider than the top portion.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The current application claims the benefit of the earlier priority filing date of the provisional application, serial No. 61/485,178, that was filed on May 12, 2011. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a bipolar ionization device and more generally relates to a bipolar ionization device that includes an anode that is partially circumscribed by a cathode. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Current ionization tubes utilize a cathode that is completely surrounded by a glass tube. The inside of the glass tube contains a wire mesh that serves as an anode. Glass by its very nature has a fragile structure and is prone to breaking The glass tube in an ionization tube also produces a corona discharge, which minimizes the effect of the ionization tube and increases the amount of energy consumed during operation of ionization tube. The glass tube breaks down over time and must be replaced by the user and the replacement cost for such a tube is high. Additionally, the glass tube requires a voltage high enough to break down the dielectric strength of the glass, and during the break down process, a corona discharge is created, thus causing uncontrolled and undesirable ozone. 
         [0004]    For example, U.S. Patent Application No. 2010/0247389 discloses a bipolar ionization tube that has a cathode that is completely surrounded by a glass tube. An anode is provided that circumscribes the interior wall of the glass tube. 
         [0005]    There is a need for a bipolar ionization device that is not breakable, eliminates the need for expensive replacement parts, saves energy, provides higher output, and minimizes corona discharge 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention is a bipolar ionization device that includes a base, a power input terminal, an anode engaged to the base, and a cathode that partially circumscribes the anode. 
         [0007]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has an electrically insulated base. 
         [0008]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has a power input terminal that is engaged to a power supply. 
         [0009]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has a power input terminal that is threaded for engagement to corresponding threads of a power supply. 
         [0010]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has an anode with tines that have a lower portion and a top portion, wherein the lower portion is engaged to the anode and is wider than the top portion. 
         [0011]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has a cathode that circumscribes an angle of greater than 180° with respect to the anode. 
         [0012]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has an electrically insulated base, a power input terminal, an anode engaged to the base and the power input terminal, a cathode that partially circumscribes the anode, and a plurality of tines extending perpendicularly from the anode having a lower portion and a top portion, wherein the lower portion is engaged to the anode and is wider than the top portion. 
         [0013]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has an electronically insulated end cap that is positioned between the anode and the cathode. 
         [0014]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has a base with a first portion and a second portion, whereby the first portion is engaged to the anode and the cathode and has a threaded outer body portion and the second portion has a threaded inner bore that engages the threaded first portion for forming a selectively secured arrangement. 
         [0015]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has an anode composed of brass. 
         [0016]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has a cathode composed of stainless steel. 
         [0017]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has a grounding ring engaged to the base. 
         [0018]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that has a grounding ring and a conducting wire having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is engaged to the grounding ring and the second end is engaged to a bracket. 
         [0019]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that is a method of ionizing air that includes providing a bipolar ionization device that comprises a base, a power input terminal, an anode engaged to the base, and a cathode that partially circumscribes the anode, connecting the power input terminal to a power supply, and placing the bipolar ionization device in a stream of air. 
         [0020]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention includes a bipolar ionization device that includes placing the bipolar ionization device into an HVAC duct. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    The present invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to the various drawings, in which like reference numbers denote like method steps and/or system components, respectively, and in which: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of the bipolar ionization device; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the bipolar ionization device; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bottom portion of the bipolar ionization device with a grounded bracket and wire; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the bottom portion of the bipolar ionization device that is engaged to a power supply with a grounded biasing element. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    Referring now specifically to the drawings, a bipolar ionization device is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and is shown generally at reference numeral  10 . The bipolar ionization device  10  generally comprises an electrically insulated base  12 , an anode  14 , a cathode  16 , and a power input terminal  18 . The anode  14  is a generally cylindrical tube that extends from the base  12 . The cathode  16  is spaced-apart from the anode  14  and partially circumscribes the anode  14 . The power input terminal  18  may be integral with the anode  14  or may be engaged to the anode  14 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the power input terminal  18  extends through the base  12  and extends a distance from the base  12  for engaging to a power supply. 
         [0027]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the power input terminal  18  and the anode  14  are integral, meaning the power input terminal  18  is formed from the anode  14 . The power input terminal  18  has a top end and a bottom end and contains threads for receiving corresponding threads of a high voltage alternating current power supply  28  and forming a selectively secured arrangement between the power input terminal  18  and the power supply  28 . In one exemplary embodiment, the power input terminal  18  is machined into the bottom end of the anode  14 . Preferably, this is done by turning the end of the anode  14  on a lathe. The power input terminal  18 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , extends a distance away from the base  12  to allow for connection to the power supply  28 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the power input terminal  18  is screwed into the power supply  28  for selectively securing the bipolar ionization device  10  to the power supply  28 . The power supply  28  similar to the one illustrated in  FIG. 4  can be purchased from Bioclimatic, Plasma Air, Atmos Air, or Bentax. It should be noted that alternatively, the power input terminal  18  may be a plug-in or a stab-on type connector or the like. 
         [0028]    The top end of the anode  14  contains a plurality of tines  20 . The tines  20  may be embedded into bores that are spaced along the axial length of the top end of the anode  14 . The times  20  contain a base and an upper end. The base of the tines  20  is larger than the upper end. Preferably, the upper end of each tine  20  has a point. In other words, the tines  20  have a base that is embedded into a bore spaced along the axial length of the top end of the anode  14  and the top end of the tines  20  forms a point. The diameter of the tines  20  from the base to the top end gradually decreases until a point is formed. The tines  20  may be composed of stainless steel, gold, titanium, brass, or any other conductive, but oxidation resistant material. 
         [0029]    The cathode  16  is annular in shape and is designed to partially circumscribe the anode  14 . The diameter of the cathode  16  is slightly larger than the diameter of the anode  14 , thus providing a spaced apart relationship when the anode  14  is placed within the cathode  16 . The term partially circumscribes is intended to mean that the cathode  16  does not fully encompass the anode  14 . The cathode  16  has a first side and a second side that are not engaged, but are spaced apart. In one embodiment, the cathode  16  partially circumscribes the anode  14  at an angle of greater than 180° with respect to the anode  14 , but does not circumscribe an angle of 360° with respect to the anode  14 .tu 
         [0030]    The base  12  may be any type of base  12  that retains the anode  14 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the base  12  contains a mounting base  22  and a retention base  24 . The mounting base  22  contains a bore  26  that extends through the center of the mounting base  22 . The bore  26  may be threaded for receiving the correspondingly threaded bottom end of the anode  14 . Alternatively, the bore  26  contains no threads and allows the anode  14  to extend there through uninhibited. A correspondingly threaded nut  42  may be utilized to selectively secure the anode  14  to the base  12 , and in particular the mounting base  22  of the base  12 . The mounting base  22  contains a top portion and a bottom portion. The bottom portion of the mounting base  22  is threaded and the inside of the retention base  24  contains corresponding threads for selectively securing the mounting base  22  to the retention base  24 . 
         [0031]    In one embodiment, a conductive ring  30  is engaged to the base  12  and is disposed between the power supply  28  and the retention base  24 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the conductive ring  30  contains a metal bracket  32  that circumscribes the cathode  16 . In an embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a grounding wire  34  having a first end and a second end is shown, wherein the first end is engaged to the bracket  32  and the second end is engaged to the conductive ring  30 . The first end and the second end of the grounding wire  34  contain a circular metallic lead with a central bore, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The bracket  32  and conductive ring  30  each contain a conductive screw that is received within the central bore of the metallic lead on the first end and the second end of the grounding wire  34 . A correspondingly threaded nut is disposed on the screw for retaining the grounding wire  34  to the conductive ring  30  and bracket  32 . 
         [0032]    In lieu of the conductive ring  30  and bracket  32 , the power supply  28  may contain a grounded biasing element  40 . The grounded biasing element  40  has a bottom portion and a top portion, wherein the bottom portion is engaged to the power supply  28  and the top portion is engaged to the cathode  16 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0033]    The top of the cathode  16  is retained in a spaced-apart relationship to the anode  14  with a spacer  36 . The spacer  36  may be composed of rubber or another electrically insulated material. That spacer  36  comprises a circular body with a raised shelf at one end. The spacer  36  also contains a hollow bore extending through the center of the spacer  36 . The hollow bore of the spacer  36  has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the anode  14  for receiving the upper portion of the anode  14  into the hollow bore. The circular body of the spacer  36  has a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the cathode  16 , allowing the cathode  16  to fit around the circular body of the spacer  36 . The spacer  36  is designed to receive a retention pin  38  that is received within the upper portion of the hollow bore of the spacer  36  and selectively secures the anode  14  to the spacer  36 . 
         [0034]    The anode  14  may be composed of any material that can conduct electricity. In one embodiment of the present invention, the anode  14  may be composed of brass or any other conductive, oxidation resistant material. The tines  20  can also be manufactured out of any material that conducts electricity, but in one embodiment the tines  20  are manufactured out of tungsten or stainless steel. The cathode  16  may be manufactured from stainless steel or any other conductive, oxidation resistant material. It should be noted that the cathode  16  and anode  14  may be of various sizes depending upon the uses and desires of the user and the size of the HVAC duct that bipolar ionization device  10  will be inserted. 
         [0035]    In one use, the bipolar ionization device  10  may be installed in a heating, ventilation and air condition (HVAC) duct. The bipolar ionization device  10  is engaged to a power supply  28  and the bipolar ionization device  10  is inserted into a duct so that the air flows perpendicular to longitudinal length of the tines  20  on the anode  14 . In other words, bipolar ionization device  10  should be positioned such that the tines  20  are upright in relation to the air flow and the air flow is able to flow between the tines  20 . 
         [0036]    During use, the power supply  28  supplies power to the power input terminal  18 , and the electrons flow along the length of the anode  14 . As the electrons progress upwards from the power input terminal  18  along the anode  14 , the electrons contact the tines  20  and flow up the tines  20  from the base to the pointed upper end. When the electrons reach the pointed upper end of the tine  20 , the electrons flow from the pointed upper end of the tine  20  of the anode  14  to the cathode  16  that partially circumscribes the anode  14 . Not all of the electrons that flow from the anode  14  are collected by the cathode  16 . Instead, the electrons that are not collected by the cathode  16  flow into the surrounding area and collide with air molecules and particles in the air stream, thus ionizing the air molecules and particles. The ionization of the air aids in cleaning the air, removing odors, and helps reduce pollutants. 
         [0037]    The present invention is an advancement over prior art bipolar ionization tubes in that the present invention saves energy, minimizes corona discharge, eliminates costly replacement parts, and is not fragile or easily breakable. 
         [0038]    Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention and are intended to be covered by the following claims.