Patent Publication Number: US-2023133913-A1

Title: Air purifying device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is provided based on and claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202111299024.8, filed on Nov. 4, 2021. The entire contents of the above-listed application are hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     An air purifying device improves air cleanliness by adsorption, decomposition or conversion of various air pollutants so as to provide a more comfortable air environment for a user. An electric fan blows air to cool down air in a high air temperature environment. 
     In the related art, the air purifying device is combined with the electric fan so as to improve the quality of the air supplied by the electric fan. However, air purified by the air purifying device is mixed with outside air and then blown out through the electric fan. Consequently, air blown out by the electric fan is mixed with non-purified air, and the experience of the user is degraded. 
     SUMMARY 
     The disclosure relates to the technical field of environmental electric appliances, in particular to an air purifying device. 
     According to the technical solution of the disclosure, an air purifying device is provided and includes: a purifying apparatus, including a purifying shell. An interior of the purifying shell is hollow to form a purifying cavity. The apparatus further includes a purifying inlet and a purifying outlet in communication with the purifying cavity and formed in the purifying shell. A filtering component is arranged in the purifying cavity and configured to filter air which flows into the purifying cavity from the purifying inlet. The apparatus further includes an air supply apparatus, including an air supply shell. An interior of the air supply shell is hollow to form an air supply cavity. An air supply inlet and an air supply outlet which communicate with the air supply cavity are formed in the air supply shell. The air supply apparatus is configured to supply air outwards. 
     The apparatus further includes an air guide apparatus, including an air guide shell. An interior of the air guide shell is hollow to form an air guide cavity. An air guide inlet and an air guide outlet are formed in the air guide shell. The air guide inlet communicates with the purifying outlet. The air guide outlet communicates with the air supply inlet. The air guide apparatus is configured to deliver air output by the purifying apparatus into the air supply apparatus. An air flow driving apparatus is disposed in the purifying apparatus and/or the air supply apparatus. The air flow driving apparatus is configured to drive air flow so as to enter the purifying cavity from outside of the purifying shell via the purifying inlet, flow through the air guide apparatus and the air supply apparatus, and then flow out from the air supply outlet. 
     It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only explanatory and are not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Accompanying drawings here, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate examples consistent with the disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain principles of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of an air purifier fan shown in the related art; 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic diagram of an air purifying device shown according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic diagram of an air purifying device shown according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  4    is a schematic diagram of an air purifying device shown according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  5    is a schematic diagram of an air purifying device shown according to an embodiment; and 
         FIG.  6    is a schematic diagram of an air purifying device shown according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The embodiments will be described in detail here, and examples are represented in the drawings. When the following description concerns the drawings, the same numbers in the different drawing figures represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. Described implementations in the following embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the disclosure. Rather, they are only examples of an apparatus consistent with some aspects of the disclosure as detailed in the appended claims. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , an air purifier fan is provided in the related art, including an air purifier  10 ′ and a fan  20 .′ A grid-shaped air outlet is formed in an upper portion of the air purifier  10 .′ An air inlet is formed in a lower portion of the air purifier  10 .′ An motor and a filter element are arranged inside the air purifier  10 .′ The engine is configured to drive air flow such that the air enters via the air inlet from the outside of the air purifier  10 ′ to be purified through the filter element and discharged from the air outlet. The fan  20 ′ is arranged above the air outlet of the air purifier  10 .′ When the fan  20 ′ rotates, a negative pressure is generated at the air inlet of a back of the fan  20 ′ so as to suck in surrounding air. Part of the purified air is discharged from the air outlet of the air purifier  10 ′ and blows towards a user under a driving force of the fan blades. 
     The air purifier fan provided in the related art has the following drawbacks. The air inlet of the fan  20 ′ simultaneously sucks in the purified air and non-purified air. As a result, air flow blown out by the fan  20 ′ is mixed with the non-purified air. Consequently, air cleanliness of air blown out by the fan  20 ′ is low, and the air supply quality of the fan  20 ′ is degraded. Besides, as the air purifier  10 ′ and the fan  20 ′ in the related art work independently, motors need to be arranged on the air purifier  10 ′ and the fan  20 ′ respectively. The two motors need to run at the same time. Consequently, not only is power consumption is increased, production cost of a product is increased as well. 
     In order to solve the above technical problem, the examples of the disclosure provide an improved air purifying device. As shown in  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3   , an air purifying device includes a purifying apparatus  10 , an air supply apparatus  20 , an air guide apparatus  30  and an air flow driving apparatus  40 . The purifying apparatus  10  can purify air flowing thereinto. The air guide apparatus  30  communicates with a purifying outlet of the purifying apparatus  10  and an air supply inlet of the air supply apparatus  20  respectively. The air flow driving apparatus  40  is arranged inside the purifying apparatus  10  or the air supply apparatus  20 . 
     Alternatively, the purifying apparatus  10  and the air supply apparatus  20  each have an air flow driving apparatus  40 . The air flow driving apparatus  40  drives air to enter the purifying apparatus  10 . Air purified by the purifying apparatus  10  flows into the air supply apparatus  20  via the air guide apparatus  30 , and then purified air is discharged outwards via the air supply apparatus  20  and delivered to a user. The air guide apparatus  30  is configured so that an air flow purified by the purifying apparatus  10  is delivered into the air supply apparatus  20  while preventing the non-purified air from entering the air supply apparatus  20 . This arrangement improves the air supply quality of the air supply apparatus  20 . 
     An embodiment according to the disclosure is shown in  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3   . This embodiment provides an air purifying device including a purifying apparatus  10 , an air supply apparatus  20 , an air guide apparatus  30  and an air flow driving apparatus  40 . The purifying apparatus  10  includes a purifying shell  11 . An interior of the purifying shell  11  is hollow to form a purifying cavity  12 . A purifying inlet  13  and purifying outlet  14  communicate with the purifying cavity  12  and are formed in the purifying shell  11 . A filtering component  15  is arranged in the purifying cavity  12  and configured to filter air flowing into the purifying cavity  12  from the purifying inlet  13 . 
     According to the embodiment shown in  FIG.  3    and  FIG.  4   , a purifying inlet  13  is formed in a region corresponding to the filtering component  15 , of a side wall of the purifying shell  11 . For example, the purifying inlet  13  includes a plurality of micro holes densely distributed in the purifying shell  11  so as to confer upon the purifying shell  11  a multi-hole mesh shape. In the embodiment, the purifying inlet is arranged to have a micro-hole structure that increases an entering air volume per unit time. Further, a plurality of purifying inlets  13  is arranged so that an air flow can uniformly pass through the filtering component  15 . This arrangement increases a utilization ratio of the filtering component  15 . 
     According to the embodiment shown in  FIG.  3    and  FIG.  4   , the filtering component  15  is formed to have a generally annular tubular shape. An outer wall of the filtering component  15  is close to an inner wall of the purifying shell  11 . The filtering component  15  includes but is not limited to an efficient particle air purifier, an electrostatic electret filter mesh and an activated carbon filter mesh. The filtering component  15  is mainly configured to purify indoor air in a home environment by adsorption, decomposition or conversion of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), pollen, unpleasant odor, formaldehyde, bacteria, allergens and other substances possibly existing in the indoor air, thereby improving cleanliness of air flowing into the purifying apparatus  10 . 
     The air supply apparatus  20  includes an air supply shell  21 . An interior of the air supply shell  21  is hollow to form an air supply cavity  22 . An air supply inlet  23  and an air supply outlet  24  communicate with the air supply cavity  22  and are formed in the air supply shell  21 . The air supply apparatus  20  is configured to supply air in an outward direction flowing towards a region where the air supply outlet  24  of the air supply apparatus  20  faces the external environment, so that kinetic energy of air purified by the purifying apparatus  10  is increased as air flows toward the air supply outlet  24 . As a result, the purified air can be delivered by the air supply apparatus  20  to a region farther away from the air purifying device than it would otherwise be delivered. In that manner, circulating flow of the indoor air is facilitated. 
     Advantageously, the air supply apparatus  20  supplies air towards the user in a hot environment to accelerate evaporation of sweat on a body surface of the user so as to make the user feel cool. The air supply shell  21  is of a gradual-expanding, generally trumpet-shaped structure that expands in volume in an outward-flowing direction of the air flow so that a cross sectional area through which outflowing air passes as it flows toward the air supply outlet  24  of the air supply apparatus  20  increases toward the air supply outlet  24 . Thus, an external area to which air is supplied by the air supply apparatus  20  is enlarged. In another embodiment, a grille configured to cover the air supply outlet  24  is arranged at the air supply outlet  24 . 
     The air guide apparatus  30  includes an air guide shell  31 . An interior of the air guide shell  31  is hollow to form an air guide cavity  32 . An air guide inlet  33  and an air guide outlet  34  are formed in the air guide shell  31 . The air guide inlet  33  communicates with the purifying outlet  14  and the air guide outlet  34  communicates with the air supply inlet  23 , so that the air guide apparatus  30  forms an enclosed air flowing channel between the purifying apparatus  10  and the air supply apparatus  20 . The air purified in the purifying apparatus  10  flows out from the purifying outlet  14  of the purifying apparatus  10  and then flows to the air supply apparatus  20  via the air guide apparatus  30 , so that air entering the air supply apparatus  20  is prevented from being mixed with the non-purified air. Thus, cleanliness of the air blown out by the air supply apparatus  20  is improved. 
     In another embodiment, the air guide shell  31  has a generally tubular shape and is made of a flexible material so that the air guide shell  31  can be bent, so as to change direction of the air that is flowing out from the purifying outlet  14  of the purifying apparatus  10  before the air flows into the air supply cavity  22 . In that arrangement, the flowing direction of the air flowing out from the purifying outlet  14  remains consistent with a flowing direction of the air blown out by the air supply apparatus  20 , thereby reducing kinetic energy loss during flowing of the air between the purifying outlet  14  and air supply outlet  24 . In this arrangement air flows more smoothly than it otherwise would flow, and the outflowing air volume of the air supply apparatus  20  is increased. A bent region of the air guide cavity  32  bends in a smooth transition so that a resistance during flowing of the air in the air guide cavity  32  is further reduced. 
     In an embodiment shown in  FIG.  3   , the air supply shell  21  and the air guide shell  31  are of an integrated structure. The air guide apparatus  30  is of a bent structure. There is no need for an assembling seam and a staggered structure between the air supply shell  21  and the air guide shell  31 . Therefore, the interiors of the air supply shell  21  and the air guide shell  31  form smoother air flowing conduits, and the resistance while the air flows through the air guide cavity  32  and the air supply cavity  22  is reduced commensurately. 
     The air flow driving apparatus  40  is arranged in the purifying apparatus  10  and/or the air supply apparatus  20  and is configured to drive the air flow to enter the purifying cavity  12  from the outside of the purifying shell  11  via the purifying inlet  13 , passing through the air guide apparatus  30  and the air supply apparatus  20  and then flowing out from the air supply outlet  24 . The air flow driving apparatus  40  includes a motor, and different types of motors can be selected according to different demands. For example, suitable motors include, but are not limited to an axial flow motor, a centrifugal motor, etc. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  3   , the air flow driving apparatus  40  includes a first impeller  41  and a first motor  42 . The first impeller  41  is disposed in the purifying cavity  12 . An output end of the first motor  42  is connected with the first impeller  41  so as to drive the first impeller  41  to rotate, so that the air flow driving apparatus  40  drives the air in the purifying apparatus  10  to flow towards the air guide apparatus  20  via the air guide apparatus  30 , to be supplied outwards by the air supply apparatus  20 . According to the air purifying device provided by the embodiment, an air purifying function and an air supply function can be realized using one air flow driving apparatus  40 . Accordingly, power consumption is reduced, structure of the air purifying device is simplified, and the production cost of the product is reduced. 
     In an embodiment shown in  FIG.  5   , the air flow driving apparatus  40  includes a second impeller  43  and a second motor  44 . The second impeller  43  is disposed in the air supply cavity  22 . An output end of the second motor  44  is connected with the second impeller  43  so as to drive the second impeller  43  to rotate in a direction that allows the air flow driving apparatus  40  to drive the air in the air supply apparatus  20  so as to be discharged outwards. 
     The arrangement generates a differential pressure at the air supply inlet  23  (see  FIG.  3   ) of the air supply apparatus  20 . Under the action of the differential pressure, the air in the air guide apparatus  30  and the purifying apparatus  10  flows towards the air supply apparatus  20 . A pressure difference is generated between the inside and the outside of the purifying apparatus  10  that draws outside air to enter the purifying apparatus  10 . According to the air purifying device provided by the embodiment, an air purifying function and an air supply function can be realized using one air flow driving apparatus  40 . Consequently, power consumption is reduced, structure of the air purifying device as a whole is simplified, and the production cost of the product is reduced. 
     In an embodiment shown in  FIG.  4   , the air flow driving apparatus  40  includes a first impeller  41  and a first motor  42 , and a second impeller  43  and a second motor  44 . The first impeller  41  is disposed in the purifying cavity  12 . The second impeller  43  is disposed in the air supply cavity  22 . The interiors of the purifying cavity  12  and the air supply cavity  22  each have an air flow driving apparatus  40  thereby increasing air purifying amount and air supply volume delivered by the air purifying device. The use of the two air flow driving apparatuses  40  improves air purifying and air supply efficiency of the air purifying device. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  5    and  FIG.  6   , the air purifying device further includes a rotating component  50 . The rotating component  50  is configured to drive the air supply apparatus  20  to at least partially rotate about an axis of the purifying apparatus  10  so as to change an air supply direction of the air supply apparatus  20  over time, thereby enlarging the area to which air is supplied by the air supply apparatus  20 . 
     For example, in an environment in which many persons surround the air purifying device, supply apparatus  20  rotates relative to the purifying apparatus  10  so as to deliver air blown out by the air supply apparatus  20  towards each of the many persons in sequence over time. Specifically, the rotating component  50  includes a rotating body  51 , a rotating driving portion  52  and an upper cover  53 . The rotating body  51  is disposed in the purifying shell  11 . The rotating body  51  has a generally tubular shape having an upper and lower opening. The lower opening of the rotating body  51  communicates with the purifying cavity  12 . 
     A shape and size of the upper opening of the rotating body  51  are matched with a shape and size of the air guide inlet  33 . The upper opening of the rotating body  51  is connected with and communicates with the air guide inlet  33  of the air guide shell  31 . The air purified in the purifying cavity  12  enters the air guide cavity  32  and passes through the interior of the rotating body  51 . 
     The rotating driving portion  52  includes a rotating motor  521  and a rotating transmission part  522 . The rotating motor  521  has a rotating power output end and is configured to output rotating power. The rotating transmission part  522  is fixedly connected with the rotating power output end and the rotating body  51  respectively, and is configured to transmit the rotating power output by the rotating motor  521  to the rotating body  51  so as to drive the rotating body  51  to rotate relative to the purifying shell  11 . 
     The air guide apparatus  30  is fixedly connected with the rotating body  51  and can be driven to rotate synchronously in accordance with the rotation of rotating body  51 . A bottom end of the air guide shell  31  is forms an opening. The upper cover  53  is arranged at the opening and configured to seal a gap between the opening and the rotating body  51 , so that the purified air in the purifying cavity  12  is prevented from leaking from the opening. In an embodiment, the upper cover  53  is fixedly connected with the rotating body  51  so as to rotate synchronously with the rotating body  51 . This prevents the purified air from scattering at will. 
     In this embodiment, a supporting portion  16  (best illustrated in  FIG.  3   ) is arranged in the purifying shell  11 . The supporting  16  is connected with an inner side wall of the purifying shell  11 . one side surface of the rotating body  51  facing the supporting portion  16  abuts against the supporting portion  16 , and a supporting force can be provided for the rotating body  51  through the supporting portion  16 . Besides, an annular groove (not shown) is formed on one side surface of the supporting portion  16  facing the rotating body  51 . An annular protrusion (not shown) matched with the annular groove is arranged on one side surface of the rotating body  51  facing the supporting portion  16 . The annular protrusion of the rotating body  51  extends into the annular groove of the supporting portion  16  so that rotation of the rotating body  51  around an axis is limited through cooperation of the annular protrusion and the annular groove, thereby improving rotational stability of the rotating body  51 . The rotating motor  521  is installed on the supporting portion  16 . The rotating transmission part  522  includes two mutually-engaged gears, the two gears are arranged at the rotating power output end of the rotating motor  521  and the rotating body  51  respectively, and are configured to transmit the rotational power output by the rotating motor  521  to the rotating body  51  so as to drive the rotating body  51  to rotate. Rotation of the rotating body  51  drives the air guide apparatus  30  and the air supply apparatus  20  to rotate, whereby the air supply direction of the air supply apparatus  20  is changed over time, and the air supply apparatus  20  can supply air in a circumferential direction about the purifying apparatus  10 . 
     In this embodiment, the air purifying device further includes a pitching component  60 . The pitching component  60  is configured to drive the air supply apparatus  20  to perform a pitching motion relative to the purifying apparatus  10  so as to adjust an orientation of the air flow blown out by the air supply apparatus  20  in a height or vertical direction with respect to a surface upon which the air purifying device is placed. For example, when the air purifying device is positioned beneath a user, in order to make the air flow blow upwards towards the user (who is at a higher position relative to the air purifying device), the air supply apparatus  20  is made to pitch up relative to the purifying apparatus  10 . On the other hand, when the air purifying device is located at a position above the user, in order to make the air flow blow towards the user (who is in a lower position with respect to the air purifying device), the air supply apparatus  20  is made to pitch down relative to the purifying apparatus  10 . 
     Specifically, the pitching component  60  includes a pitching motor  61  and a pitching transmission part  62 . The pitching motor  61  has a pitching power output end and is configured to output rotational power. The pitching transmission part  62  is fixedly connected with the pitching power output end and the air supply shell  21  respectively, and is configured to transmit pitching power output by the pitching motor  61  to the air supply shell  21  so as to make the air supply shell  21  perform the pitching motion. The pitching transmission part  62  is further fixedly connected with the upper cover  53  or the rotating body  51  so as to rotate synchronously along with rotation of the upper cover  53  or the rotation of the rotating body  51  as the upper cover  53  or the rotating body  51  rotates. 
     As shown in  FIG.  6   , the pitching transmission part  62  includes a main body portion  621 , a first connection portion  622  and a second connection portion  623 . The pitching motor  61  includes a first pitching motor  611  and a second pitching motor  612 . The main body portion  621  includes opposing first end and a second ends. The first connection portion  622  includes opposing first end and a second ends. The first end of the first connection portion  622  is fixed to the air supply shell  21 . The second end of the first connection portion  622  is movably connected with the first end of the main body portion  621  through a first movable part  624 . The first pitching motor  611  is fixed to the main body portion  621 . A torque output end of the first pitching motor  611  is in transmission connection with the first movable part  624 . 
     When the first pitching motor  611  is in operation, the first movable part  624  is driven to rotate so as to drive the first connection portion  622  movably connected with the first movable part  624  to rotate relative to the main body portion  621 . The first end of the first connection portion  622  is fixedly connected with the air supply shell  21  such that the first connection portion  622  drives the air supply shell  21  to rotate relative to the main body portion  621 , and pitching action of the air supply apparatus  20  is thereby realized. The second connection portion  623  includes opposing first and second ends. The first end of the second connection portion  623  is fixed to the rotating body  51  or the upper cover  53 . The second end of the second connection portion  623  is movably connected with the second end of the main body portion  621  through a second movable part  625 . The second pitching motor  612  is fixed to the rotating body  51 . The second pitching motor  612  can rotate along with the rotating body  51  while the rotating body  51  is driven by the rotating motor  521  to rotate. 
     A torque output end of the second pitching motor  612  is in transmission connection with the second movable part  625 . When the second pitching motor  612  is in operation, the second movable part  625  is driven to rotate so as to drive the main body portion  621 , which is movably connected with the second movable part  625  to rotate relative to the rotating body  51 . Then, the first connection portion  622  and the air supply shell  21  are driven by the main body portion  621  to rotate relative to the rotating body  51 , and the pitching action of the air supply apparatus  20  is realized. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  6   , the first movable part  624  and the second movable part  625  each include at least one gear. Specifically, the first movable part  624  includes a first gear (not shown in figure) mutually-engaged with a second gear  6241 . The first pitching motor  611  is fixed to the main body portion  621  through a bolt. The first gear is fixedly arranged at a power output end of the first pitching motor  611 . The second gear  6241  is fixedly arranged at the second end of the first connection portion  622 . When the first pitching motor  611  drives the first gear to rotate, the second gear  6241  is driven to rotate, and the first connection portion  622  is driven to rotate relative to the main body portion  621 , whereby the air supply apparatus  20  is driven to pitch up or pitch down. 
     The second movable part  625  includes a third gear  6251  mutually-engaged with a fourth gear  6252 . The third gear  6251  is fixedly arranged at a power output end of the second pitching motor  612 . The fourth gear  6252  is fixedly arranged at the second end of the second connection portion  623 . When the second pitching motor  612  drives the third gear  6251  to rotate, the fourth gear  6252  is driven to rotate, and then the second connection portion  623  is driven to rotate relative to the rotating body  51 . 
     In this embodiment, in order to improve the air supply experience of the user, the air supply apparatus  20  is arranged not only to rotate relative to the purifying apparatus  10 , but also to perform pitching motion relative to the purifying apparatus  10  so that more air is provided in a vertical space (in a direction either above or below the air supply apparatus  10 ). At the same time, a 360° circular air supply delivery is realized, increasing the comfort of the user and improving competitiveness of the product. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  2   , the grille is further arranged on the air supply apparatus  20  so as to prevent the fan blades arranged in the air supply apparatus  20  from falling off and flying out away from the air supply apparatus  20 . The air supply apparatus  20  and the air guide apparatus  30  are of an integrated structure so that the structure of the air purifying device is simple and easy to assemble, and the production cost is reduced. 
     The technical solutions provided in some examples of the disclosure may include the following beneficial effects. The air guide apparatus communicates with the purifying outlet of the purifying apparatus and the air supply inlet of the air supply apparatus so that the air purified by the purifying apparatus can be delivered to the air supply apparatus via the air guide apparatus and blown out by the air supply apparatus. Accordingly, the air supply apparatus can blow out air with higher quantity, and experience of the user is improved. 
     Those skilled in the art will easily appreciate other implementations of the disclosure after considering the specification and the disclosure provided herein. The present application aims to cover any transformation, application or adaptive change of the disclosure which conforms to a general principle of the disclosure and includes common general knowledge or conventional technical means which are not expressly disclosed. 
     It should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the drawings and admits various modifications and changes without departing from its scope. The scope of the disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.