Apparatuses for conditioning air with means to extend exposure time to anti-microorganism lamp

Abstract

An electronic device generates an output airflow that may be subjected to UV radiation from a germicidal lamp within the device. The airflow preferably is created electro-kinetically by coupling a high voltage across an electrode system that includes emitter and collector electrodes. The airflow is also accompanied by generation of ions and/or ozone. Means, such as one or more vanes, are provided to increase the amount of time that the airflow is subjected to UV radiation.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for conditioning air, comprising: 
 a housing defining an input port and an output port, and an air channel therebetween;    an electro-kinetic system, disposed in the housing, to create an airflow moving from the input port to the output port, through the air channel, without the use of moving parts;    a germicidal ultraviolet lamp that emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation upon being energized, the germicidal lamp disposed in the housing such that UV radiation emitted from the lamp radiates at least a portion of the air channel; and    at least one vane disposed within the air channel and positioned so as to intentionally retard velocity of the airflow, to thereby increase an effective dwell time that UV radiation emitted from the lamp can act upon the airflow.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the air channel comprises an elongated channel that has a greater length than width; and    wherein the at least one vane extends across at least half of the width of the elongated channel.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one vane is angled with respect to the a normal direction of the airflow so as to impart a vortex-like spin to the airflow.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the air channel comprises an elongated channel that has a greater length than width; and    the lamp comprises an elongated cylindrical shaped lamp positioned within the air channel generally parallel to the length of the channel, the thereby increase an exposure time, of the airflow through the elongated channel, to UV radiation emitted from the lamp.    
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one vane extends across at least half of the width of the elongated channel.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one vane is angled with respect to the a normal direction of the airflow so as to impart a vortex-like spin to the airflow.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one vane is angled with respect to the a normal direction of the airflow so as to impart a vortex-like spin to the airflow.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , 
 wherein the elongated cylindrical shaped lamp includes first and second distal ends, the first distal end being closer to the input port than to the output port, the second distal end being closer to the output port than to the input port; and    wherein the at least one vane includes: 
 a first vane located near the first distal end of the lamp so as to retard velocity of a portion of the airflow about to enter a region of the air channel adjacent to the lamp; and  
 a second vane located near the second distal end of the lamp so as to retard velocity of a portion of the airflow about to exit the region of the air channel adjacent to the lamp.  
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein each of the first and second vanes is angled with respect to the a normal direction of the airflow so as to impart a vortex-like spin to the airflow.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one vane further comprises an intermediate vane located between the first and second vanes.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein each of the vanes is angled with respect to the a normal direction of the airflow so as to impart a vortex-like spin to the airflow.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the lamp includes first and second distal ends, the first end being closer to the input port than to the output port, the second end being closer to the output port than to the input port; and    wherein the at least one vane includes: 
 a first vane located near the first distal end of the lamp so as to retard velocity of a portion of the airflow about to enter a region of the air channel adjacent the lamp; and  
 a second vane located near the second distal end of the lamp to retard velocity of a portion of the airflow about to exit the region of the air channel adjacent the lamp.  
   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second vanes is angled with respect to the a normal direction of the airflow so as to impart a vortex-like spin to the airflow.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one vane further comprises an intermediate vane located between the first and second vanes.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein each of the vanes is angled with respect to the a normal direction of the airflow so as to impart a vortex-like spin to the airflow.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for conditioning air, comprising: 
 a housing defining an input port and an output port, and an air channel therebetween;    an electro-kinetic system, disposed in the housing, to create an airflow moving from the input port to the output port through the air channel, the electro-kinetic system including: 
 a first electrode array;  
 a second electrode array downstream from the first electrode array; and  
 a high voltage generator adapted to provide a potential difference between the first electrode array and the second electrode array;  
 the second electrode array including an elongated hollow electrode;  
 the first electrode array including a pin-like electrode that is generally co-axial with the elongated hollow electrode of the second electrode array; and  
   a germicidal ultraviolet lamp that emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation upon being energized, the germicidal lamp disposed in the housing such that UV radiation emitted from the lamp radiates at least a portion of the air channel.    
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the lamp is positioned downstream from the elongated hollow electrode of the second electrode array.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the lamp is positioned within the elongated hollow electrode of the second electrode array.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein a majority of the lamp is positioned within the elongated hollow electrode of the second electrode array.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising at least one vane positioned within the elongated hollow electrode of the second electrode array, so as to intentionally retard velocity of the airflow, to thereby increase an effective dwell time that UV radiation emitted from the lamp can act upon the airflow.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one vane extends across at least halfofa width of the elongated hollow electrode.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one vane is angled with respect to the a normal direction of the airflow so as to impart a vortex-like spin to the airflow.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 at least one vane disposed within the air channel and positioned so as to intentionally retard velocity of the airflow, to thereby increase an effective dwell time that UV radiation emitted from the lamp can act upon the airflow.    
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one vane is angled with respect to the a normal direction of the airflow so as to impart a vortex-like spin to the airflow.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the pin-like electrode tapers from abase to a distal end that is directed toward the hollow elongated electrode.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the pin-like electrode terminates in a plurality of individual fibers that act as individual pointed electrodes.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus for conditioning air, comprising: 
 a housing defining an input port and an output port, and an air channel therebetween;    an electro-kinetic system, disposed in the housing, to create an airflow moving from the input port to the output port, through the air channel;    a germicidal ultraviolet lamp that emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation upon being energized, the germicidal lamp disposed in the housing such that UV radiation emitted from the lamp radiates at least a portion of the air channel;    first and second vanes disposed within the air channel and positioned so as to intentionally retard velocity of the airflow, to thereby increase an effective dwell time that UV radiation emitted from the lamp can act upon the airflow, the second vane being located downstream from the first vane.    
     
     
         28 . An apparatus for conditioning air, comprising: 
 a housing defining an input port and an output port, and an elongated air channel therebetween, the elongated air channel having a greater length than width;    an electro-kinetic system, disposed in the housing, to create an airflow moving from the input port to the output port, through the air channel;    a germicidal ultraviolet lamp that emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation upon being energized, the germicidal lamp disposed in the housing such that UV radiation emitted from the lamp radiates at least a portion of the air channel; and    first and second vanes disposed within the air channel and positioned so as to intentionally retard velocity of the airflow, to thereby increase an effective dwell time that UV radiation emitted from the lamp can act upon the airflow, the second vane being located downstream from the first vane.    
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein each of the first and second vanes are angled with respect to the a normal direction of the airflow so as to impart a vortex-like spin to the airflow.  
     
     
         30 . An apparatus for conditioning air, comprising: 
 a housing defining an input port and an output port, and an elongated air channel therebetween that has a greater length than width;    an electro-kinetic system, disposed in the housing, to create an airflow moving from the input port to the output port, through the elongated air channel;    a germicidal ultraviolet lamp that emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation upon being energized, the germicidal lamp disposed in the housing such that UV radiation emitted from the lamp radiates at least a portion of the elongated air channel; and    the lamp comprises an elongated cylindrical shaped lamp positioned within the elongated air channel generally parallel to the length of the channel, the thereby increase an exposure time, of the airflow through the elongated channel, to UV radiation emitted from the lamp.    
     
     
         31 . An apparatus for conditioning air, comprising: 
 a housing defining an input port and an output port;    an electro-kinetic system, disposed in the housing, to create an airflow moving from the input port to the output port, the electro-kinetic system including: 
 a first electrode array;  
 a second electrode array downstream from the first electrode array; and  
 a high voltage generator adapted to provide a potential difference between the first electrode array and the second electrode array;  
 the second electrode array including an elongated tubular collector electrode;  
 the first electrode array including an emitter electrode upstream from the elongated collector electrode of the second electrode array; and  
   a germicidal ultraviolet lamp that emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation upon being energized, the germicidal lamp disposed in the housing such that UV radiation emitted from the lamp radiates at least a portion of an interior of the elongated tubular collector electrode.    
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , further comprising at least one vane positioned so as to intentionally retard velocity of a portion of the airflow in proximity to the interior of the elongated tubular electrode, to thereby increase an effective dwell time that UV radiation emitted from the lamp can act upon the airflow.