Patent ID: 8557188

Claim:
A unitized photocatalytic air sterilizer device, comprising: a plurality of stacked parallel catalytic plates, each said catalytic plate having a central opening, thus creating a plurality of stacked central openings; at least one electronic UV light source positioned inside said plurality of stacked central openings so that said at least one electronic UV light source spans said plurality of stacked central openings; electronic circuitry capable of powering said at least one electronic UV light source; wherein said catalytic plates comprise a non-catalytic base material and a catalytic semiconductor outer coating; said catalytic semiconductor outer coating being chosen so as to catalytically react with UV light source energy produced by said at least one electronic UV light source, trace amounts of water vapor in the air, and produce oxidizing chemicals capable of killing bacteria, molds, and viruses; wherein the unitized photocatalytic air sterilizer device is removably attached to an air purifier device, the air purifier device having one or more of: an electrical connection plug to supply power to the unitized air sterilizer device, an air inlet and an air outlet aligned in parallel to the orientation of the plurality of stacked catalytic plates, and a motor driven air mover to drive air through the air inlet and the air outlet and past the unitized air sterilizer device in the direction substantially parallel to the orientation of the plurality of stacked catalytic plates; and said each of said catalytic plates has a square or rectangular shape with four edges; said catalytic plates are attached, by one of said four edges, to a plurality of support plates positioned substantially perpendicular to said catalytic plates, wherein each of the plurality of support plates supports a plurality of catalytic plates on one side, thus creating the plurality of stacked parallel catalytic plates with four faces in which each face corresponds to one of said four edges; in which each of said plurality of support plates is alternately positioned at opposite sides of said catalytic plates so as to provide support on one side for the plurality of stacked parallel catalytic plates without creating a full barrier to the free flow of air in the direction substantially parallel to the orientation of the plurality of stacked catalytic plates and across said plurality of stacked parallel catalytic plates from any one of said four faces.