Patent Publication Number: US-2021187424-A1

Title: Filter assembly and air conditioning apparatus having the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0173337, filed on Dec. 23, 2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The disclosure relates to a filter assembly and an air conditioning apparatus having the same. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a filter assembly which prevents air leakage through a gap between the filter assembly and a case which is coupled with the filter assembly and an air conditioning apparatus having the same. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Even if a dust collecting efficiency of a filter is superior, if air which does not pass through the filter is leaked, the overall efficiency of an air conditioning apparatus may be decreased. Accordingly, recently attempts to reduce the gap through which air is leaked or raise the overall efficiency of the air conditioning apparatus by comprising the gap in multi-levels are continuously made. 
     However, despite attempts to control the gap through which air is leaked, there is the difficulty to replacing a filter due to the gap with a complex structure, and because the gap is changed by the pressure asserted by air flow, there is also the difficulty in leakage increasing. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an embodiment, an air conditioning apparatus includes a filter, a fan configured to generate air flow, a case configured to accommodate the filter and the fan within and includes a support member supporting the filter, and a sealing member covering a gap between the case and the filter, and the filter includes a side-surface member formed along a side-surface, and at least one from among the support member and the side-surface member may be formed with a groove which transfers an upstream pressure of the filter to the sealing member when the fan is operated. 
     The filter is changeably mounted to the support member. 
     A one-end of the sealing member is fixed to the filter or the case. 
     The groove is formed in plurality spaced apart at a predetermined interval. 
     The filter is an ultra-low penetration air (ULPA) filter. 
     The side-surface member is disposed vertically spaced apart with the support member and the sealing member is disposed between the support member and the side-surface member. 
     The side-surface member is disposed more to an upstream side than the support member and a one-end of the sealing member is fixed to the filter. 
     The side-surface member is disposed more to a downstream side than the support member and a one-end of the sealing member is fixed to the case. 
     The side-surface member is disposed horizontally spaced apart with the support member and the air conditioning apparatus further comprises an auxiliary frame which is disposed vertically spaced apart with the support member and the side-surface member and the sealing member comprises at least one from among a first sealing member disposed between the support member and the auxiliary frame and a second sealing member disposed between the side-surface member and the auxiliary frame. 
     A one-end of the first sealing member is fixed to the case and a one-end of the second sealing member is fixed to the filter. 
     The auxiliary frame is fixed to be detachable with the support member or the side-surface member. 
     According to an embodiment, a filter assembly comprises a filter, a frame supporting the filter, a side-surface member protrudingly formed along a side-surface of the frame and a sealing member disposed at a one-surface of the side-surface member, and the side-surface member is formed with a plurality of holes to an other surface. 
     The plurality of holes may be formed in plurality spaced apart at a predetermined interval on the other surface of the side-surface member. 
     A one-end of the sealing member is fixed to the frame. 
     The filter is an ultra-low penetration air (ULPA) filter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic figure of an air flow of an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating an exploded configuration between a case and a filter in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a figure of a form of a sealing member changing when a fan is operated; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view illustrating a configuration of  FIG. 3  seen from an upstream side of an air flow direction; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a side-surface member being disposed more to a downstream side of an air flow direction than a support member according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of a configuration of  FIG. 6  seen from an upstream side of an air flow direction; 
         FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an auxiliary frame according to an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of a configuration of  FIG. 8  seen from an upstream side of an air flow direction. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The example embodiments described herein are provided to assist in the understanding of the disclosure, and it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and that the embodiments may be implemented to various forms and various modifications may be applied thereto. However, in describing the disclosure below, if it is determined that the detailed description on a related known function or element unnecessarily obscures the gist of the disclosure, the detailed description and illustration thereof may be omitted. In addition, the accompanied drawings are not illustrated in the actual scale to assist in the understanding of the disclosure, but are illustrated so that the dimensions of some elements are exaggerated. 
     The terms used in the disclosure and the claims are general terms identified in consideration of the functions of the various embodiments. However, these terms may vary depending on intention, legal or technical interpretation, emergence of new technologies, and the like of those skilled in the related art. In addition, some arbitrary terms may be used. The terms may be interpreted to a meaning defined in the disclosure, and unless otherwise specified, the terms may be understood based on the overall contents and technological common sense of those skilled in the related art. 
     It is to be understood that the expressions such as “comprise,” “may comprise,” “include,” or “may include” are used herein to designate a presence of a corresponding characteristic (e.g., an element such as a number, a function, an operation, or a component), and not to preclude a presence or a possibility of additional characteristics. 
     Further, because elements necessary in describing each embodiment are described herein, the embodiments are not necessarily limited thereto. Accordingly, some elements may be modified or omitted, and other elements may be included. In addition, the elements may be disposed broken up in apparatuses independent from one another. 
     Furthermore, although the accompanied drawings and embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the descriptions disclosed in the accompanied drawings, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited by the embodiments. 
     The disclosure will be described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     The disclosure provides a filter assembly which prevents air leakage through a gap between the filter assembly and a case coupled with the filter assembly and an air conditioning apparatus having the same. 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an air conditioning apparatus  1  according to an embodiment. 
     The air conditioner  10  may, as an apparatus necessary for achieving the object of conditioning air, perform at least one from among a cooling function, a heating function, a humidifying function, a dehumidifying function, a purifying function of air, and types thereof may include an air purifier, an air conditioner, a humidifier, a vacuum cleaner, or the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the air conditioning apparatus  1  according to an embodiment may include a case  100  configured to have a fan (not shown) within which forcibly suctions outside air and generates an air flow, and a at least one filter  200  disposed within the case  100 . 
     The case  100  may have a front cover  101  which is detachably coupled to the front of the case  100 . The front cover  101  may be formed with a plurality of small air inlets  102 . 
     The case  100  may form an exterior of the air conditioning apparatus  1 , and accommodate at least one filter  200  and a fan (not shown) within. A user may separate the front cover  101  from the case, and easily exchange the filter accommodated within. 
     The case  100  may forcibly suction air outside the case  100  into the case  100  through the plurality of air inlets  102  in the front cover  101  based on the fan operating. At this time, dust and other pollutants included in the outside air may be filtered passing through the at least one filter  200 . 
     The fan may be disposed at an upstream side of the filter  200 , and the dust and other pollutants which may generate based on the fan operating may be filtered by the filter  200  accordingly. However, the disposition of the fan is not limited thereto, and may be disposed at a downstream side of the filter  200 . 
     The case  100  may be formed with an air outlet  103  for discharging air purified through the filter  200  to the outside of the case  100  at the upper part of the case  100 . However, the air outlet  103  is not limited to the upper part of the case  100  and may be formed at a side-surface or a back-surface of the case  100 . 
     The case  100  may include an operation panel  104  for the user input so as to perform an on/off function and various functions of the air conditioning apparatus  1 . The operation panel  104  may be disposed at the upper part of the case  100  for an easy access by the user, but the embodiment is not limited thereto, and may be disposed at the side-surface or the back-surface of the case  100 . The operation panel  104  may be implemented in a touch screen for the user input in addition to displaying an operating state. 
     The filter  200  may be comprised of a high-performance filter  201 , a filter saver  202 , and a free filter  203 , but the type and number of filters  200  is not limited thereto. The high-performance filter  201 , the filter saver  202 , and the free filter  203  may be disposed in order from the accommodating space  105  toward the side of the front cover  101 . 
     The free filter  203  may be formed of a nonwoven material, or formed in a shape of a metal film or a metal net in which a mesh of the filter is quite finely punctured. The filter saver  202  may have an electric dust collecting structure capable of collecting dust through charging. The high-performance filter  201  may be a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter or an ultra-low penetration air (ULPA) filter. 
     The air conditioning apparatus  1  may more effectively perform filtering of outside air through a plurality of filters  200  configured in multi-layers. In addition, as to be described below, the gap between the filter  200  and the case  100  may be blocked and air which does not pass through the filter may be prevented from leaking. The detailed configuration and function of the filter and the case with respect to the above will be described below. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic figure of an air flow of an air conditioning apparatus  1  according to an embodiment.  FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating an exploded configuration between a case  100  and a filter  200  in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a figure of a form of a sealing member changing when a fan is operated. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a flow direction of air generated by a fan has been schematically illustrated. Specifically, the solid line from among the arrows illustrated in  FIG. 2  may represent the flow direction of air moving toward the filter  200 , and the dotted line may represent the flow direction of air moving toward the gap between the filter  200  and the case  100 . 
     The sealing member  300  may cover the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200  and prevent air which has not passed through the filter  200  from being leaked to a downstream side of the filter  200 . The specific operation and configuration of the sealing member  300  may be described in detail below with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 4 , the case  100  may include a support member  110  which supports the filter  200 . 
     The support member  110  has been illustrated in a protruding form toward the filter  200 , but this is for convenience of description, and the form of the support member  110  is not limited thereto. Specifically, the support member  110  may be a portion of an inner frame which is formed corresponding to a cross-section of the filter  200 , and there is no limitation to the form so long as it is in a form capable of supporting the filter  200 . 
     The filter  200  may be changeably mounted to the support member  110 . In addition, an outer circumference the filter  200  may be supported in a shape which is inserted into an inner circumference of the support member  110 , but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The above-described filter  200  may be any one from among the high-performance filter  201 , the filter saver  202 , or the free filter  203 . 
     Based on a plurality of filters  200  being provided within the air conditioning apparatus  1 , a leak prevention structure as to be described below may be applied to each of the plurality of filters  200 , and may also be applied to the any one filter (e.g., high-performance filter) only. 
     A flow pressure of air generated by the fan may be applied to a front-surface of the upstream side of the filter  200 , and a relatively low pressure such as atmospheric pressure may be applied to the back of the downstream side of the filter  200 . Accordingly, a difference in pressure may be generated to the front-surface and back-surface of the filter  200 . 
     The filter  200  may include a side-surface member  210  which is formed along the side-surface. The side-surface member  210  may be disposed more vertically spaced apart than the support member  110  to the upstream side. 
     Based on the support member  110  and the side-surface member  210  being disposed as described above, the user may easily attach and detach the filter  200  toward the upstream direction. 
     The side-surface member  210  has been illustrated to a form protruding from the side-surface of the filter  200  toward the case  100 , but the form of the side-surface member  210  is not limited thereto. Specifically, the side-surface member  210  may be formed by an edge of the front-surface or the back-surface of the filter  200  being extended, and there is no limitation to the form so long as it is capable of supporting the sealing member  300 . 
     As illustrated above, due to the support member  110  and the side-surface member  210  which are disposed vertically spaced apart from each other, a length of the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200  may be lengthened, and because the form may become more complex, the air leakage may be more effectively prevented. 
     The sealing member  300  may be disposed in-between the gap which the support member  110  and the side-surface member  210  are vertically spaced apart, and may cover the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200 . 
     The side-surface member  210  may be formed with a groove  212  which penetrates toward a thickness direction of a one-surface  211 . Through the groove  212  which is formed on the one-surface  211  of the side-surface member  210 , the pressure of the upstream side of the filter  200  may be transferred to the sealing member  300  disposed to an other-surface of the side-surface member  210 . 
     That is, the flow pressure of air may be transferred to the front-surface of the sealing member  300 , and a relatively low pressure of the downstream side of the filter  200  may be transferred to the back-surface. Accordingly, a difference in pressure may be generated to the front-surface and back-surface of the sealing member  300 . 
     Because the front-surface of the sealing member  300  may receive a relatively higher pressure than the back-surface, the form of the sealing member  300  may be changed to a shape which is more closely in contact with the support member  110 . 
     Based on the form of the sealing member  300  changing, because the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200  becomes narrow or completely blocked, the possibility of air leaking may become even lower. 
     That is, the sealing member  300  may use the pressure difference in the front-surface and back surface of the filter  200  to actively block air from leaking through the gap between the case and the filter  200 . 
     Although not illustrated, the inside of the support member  110  may be formed with a hole for the back-surface and the side-surface of the support member  110  to be connected. The pressure of the downstream side of the filter  200  may be transferred to the back-surface of the sealing member  300  through the hole of the above-described support member  110  and gap between the support member  110  and the filter  200 . 
     That is, because the difference in pressure that the front-surface and the back-surface of the sealing member  300  are to receive may become greater, the form of the sealing member  300  may be changed to be more closely in contact with the support member  110 . Accordingly, the sealing member  300  may more effectively block air leaking through the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200 . 
     The one-end  301  of the sealing member  300  may be fixed to the filter  200 . Specifically, the one-end  301  of the sealing member  300  is formed on the filter  200 , and may be fixed in a insertable method to the recess (not shown). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the one-end  301  of the sealing member  300  may be fixed to the filter  200  in various methods such as a method of being adhered to the filter  200 , or the like. 
     Accordingly, even if the form of the sealing member  300  is changed by the air flow pressure, because the one-end  301  of the sealing member  300  is not removed from the fixed position, the sealing member  300  may stably prevent air leakage. 
     The sealing member  300  may be formed in a plate form capable of easily receiving pressure, but is not necessarily limited thereto. 
     The sealing member  300  may be formed in a flexible rubber material for change by pressure to be made easily, but is not necessarily limited thereto. 
     In particular, based on the type of filter being a high-performance filter with high pressure loss such as a HEPA filter, if the structure of the above-described sealing member  300  is applied, the difference in pressure of both ends of the sealing member may become greater and thus, the effect of blocking air from leaking may be increased. 
       FIG. 5  is a front view illustrating a configuration of  FIG. 3  seen from an upstream side of an air flow direction. Referring to  FIG. 5 , the filter  200 , the side-surface member  210 , and the support member  110  may be disposed in order from the center of the air flow-path toward the outside. 
     The groove  212  may be formed in plurality spaced apart at a predetermined interval on the one-surface  211  of the side-surface member  210 . Accordingly, the pressure of the upstream side of the filter  200  may be uniformly transferred to the front-surface of the sealing member  300 . 
     Because pressure of the upstream side of the filter  200  is equally transferred to the front surface of the sealing member  300  through the groove  212  formed at a predetermined interval, the air may be prevented from leaking due to a gap opening in any localized region of the sealing member  300 . 
     The cross-sectional forms of the filter  200  and the case  100  have been illustrated as a quadrangle, but the form may be circular, and there is no limitation to the form thereof. 
       FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a side-surface member  210  being disposed more to a downstream side of an air flow direction than a support member  110  according to an embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the configuration of the support member  110 , the side-surface member  210 , and the sealing member  300  according to an embodiment will be described, and like reference numerals will be provided with respect to configurations which are identical with the above-described embodiments and redundant descriptions may be omitted. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , unlike the above-described embodiment, the side-surface member  210  may be more vertically spaced apart than the support member  110  and disposed at the downstream side. Based on the arrangement of the support member  110  and the side-surface member  210  as described above, the user may easily attach and detach the filter  200  to a downstream direction (outside). 
     As illustrated above, due to the support member  110  and the side-surface member  210  which are disposed vertically spaced apart from each other, the length of the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200  may be lengthened, and because the form may become more complex, the air leakage may be more effectively prevented. 
     The support member  110  may be formed with a groove  112  which penetrates in a thickness direction to the one-surface  111 . Through the groove  112  formed on the one-surface  111  of the support member  110 , the pressure of the upstream side of the filter  200  may be transferred to the sealing member  300  disposed at the other-surface of the support member  110 . 
     Accordingly, because the front-surface of the sealing member  300  may receive a relatively higher pressure than the back-surface, the form of the sealing member  300  may be changed to a shape which is more closely in contact with the side-surface member  210 . 
     Based on the changed form of the sealing member  300 , because the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200  is narrowed or completely blocked, the air leaked through the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200  may be actively and effectively blocked. 
     Although not illustrated, the side-surface member  210  may be formed with a hole within for the back-surface and the side-surface of the side-surface member  210  to be connected. The pressure of the downstream side of the filter  200  may be transferred to the back-surface of the sealing member  300  through the hole of the above-described side-surface member  210  and the gap between the side-surface member  210  and the filter  200 . 
     That is, because the difference in pressure received by the front-surface and the back-surface of the sealing member  300  becomes greater, the form of the sealing member  300  may be changed to be closely in contact with the side-surface member  210 . Accordingly, the sealing member  300  may more effectively block air leaking through the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200 . 
       FIG. 7  is a front view of a configuration of  FIG. 6  seen from an upstream side of an air flow direction. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the filter  200 , the side-surface member  210 , and the support member  110  may be disposed in order from the center of the air flow-path toward the outside. 
     The groove  112  may be formed in plurality spaced apart at a predetermined interval on the one-surface  111  of the support member  110 . Accordingly, the pressure of the upstream side of the filter  200  may be uniformly transferred to the front-surface of the sealing member  300 . 
     Because the pressure of the upstream side of the filter  200  is equally transferred to the front surface of the sealing member  300  through the groove  112  formed at the predetermined interval, the air may be prevented from leaking due to a gap opening in any localized region of the sealing member  300 . 
     As described above, the cross-sectional forms of the filter  200  and the case  100  have been illustrated as a quadrangle, but the form may be circular, and there is no limitation to the form thereof. 
       FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an auxiliary frame  400  according to an embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the filter  200  may include the side-surface member  210  which is disposed horizontally spaced apart with the support member  110 . In addition, the air conditioning apparatus  1  may include an auxiliary frame  400  which is disposed vertically spaced apart with the support member  110  and the side-surface member  210 . 
     The auxiliary frame  400  may be detachably fixed to the support member or the side-surface member through the fixing device  401 . The fixing device  401  may be a bolt and a screw, but it not limited thereto. 
     Due to the support member  110 , the side-surface member  210 , and the auxiliary frame  400  being disposed as illustrated, the length of the gap between the case and the filter  200  may be lengthened, and because the form may become more complex, the air leakage may be more effectively prevented. 
     Based on the filter  200  being disposed at a terminal end on the air flow-path, the user may be subject to the inconvenience of having to disassemble all of the fan or other filters which are disposed more to the upstream side than the filter in order to change the filter  200 . 
     However, based on the auxiliary frame  400  being disposed between the case  100  and the filter  200 , the user may easily exchange the filter  200  to the downstream side (outside) by releasing the fixing of the auxiliary frame  400 . 
     In addition, due to the auxiliary frame  400 , the filter  200  may be more stably supported without being removed from the designated position despite the difference in pressure of the front-surface and the back-surface. 
     The sealing member  300  may include a first sealing member  310  which is disposed between the support member  110  and the auxiliary frame  400  and a second sealing member  320  which is disposed between the side-surface member  210  and the auxiliary frame  400 . 
     The one-end  311  of the first sealing member  310  may be fixed to the side of the case  100 , and the one-end  321  of the second sealing member  320  may be fixed to the side of the filter  200 . 
     The support member  110  and the side-surface member  210  may be formed with grooves  112  and  212  which penetrate toward the thickness direction to the one-surfaces  111  and  211  of each of the support member  110  and the side-surface member  210 . The pressure of the upstream side of the filter  200  may be transferred to each of the front-surface of the first sealing member  310  and the front-surface of the second sealing member  320  through the grooves  112  and  212  of the support member  110  and the side-surface member  210 . 
     Accordingly, because the front surfaces of the first sealing member  310  and the second sealing member  320  receives a relatively higher pressure than the back-surfaces, the forms of the first sealing member  310  and the second sealing member  320  may be changed to a shape more closely in contact with the auxiliary frame  400 . 
     Due to the changed forms of the first sealing member  310  and the second sealing member  320 , because the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200  is narrowed or completely blocked, the air leaked through the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200  may be actively and effectively blocked. 
     Although not illustrated, the inside of the auxiliary frame  400  may be formed with a hole for the back-surface and the side-surface of the auxiliary frame  400  to be connected. The pressure of the downstream side of the filter  200  may be transferred to the back-surfaces of the first sealing member  310  and the second sealing member  320  through the hole of the above-described auxiliary frame  400  and the gap between the auxiliary frame  400  and the case  100  or the filter  200 . 
     That is, because the difference in pressure received by the front and back-surfaces of the first sealing member  310  and the second sealing member  320  becomes greater, the forms of the first sealing member  310  and the second sealing member  320  may be changed to be more closely in contact with the auxiliary frame  400 . Accordingly, the first sealing member  310  and the second sealing member  320  may more effectively block air leaking through the gap between the case  100  and the filter  200 . 
       FIG. 9  is a front view of a configuration of  FIG. 8  seen from an upstream side of an air flow direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , the filter  200 , the side-surface member  210 , the auxiliary frame  400 , and the support member  110  may be disposed in order from the center part of the air flow-path toward the outside. 
     The one-surface  111  of the support member  110  may be formed with a plurality of grooves  112  spaced apart at the predetermined interval, and the one-surface  211  of the side-surface member  210  may be formed with a plurality of grooves  112  spaced apart at a predetermined interval. 
     Accordingly, the pressure of the upstream side of the filter  200  may be uniformly transferred to the front-surfaces of the first sealing member  310  and the second sealing member  320 . 
     Because the pressure of the upstream side of the filter  200  is equally transferred to the front-surfaces of the first sealing member  310  and the second sealing member  320  through the grooves  112  and  212  formed at the predetermined interval, the air may be prevented from leaking due to a gap opening in any localized region of the first sealing member  310  and the second sealing member  320 . 
     The cross-sectional forms of the filter  200 , the case  100  and the auxiliary frame  400  have been illustrated as a quadrangle, but the form may be circular, and there is no limitation to the form thereof. 
     While the disclosure has been illustrated and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, the disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.