Electro-kinetic air transporter and/or conditioner devices with features for cleaning emitter electrodes

Abstract

Systems and methods for cleaning emitter electrodes of air conditioner systems are provided. The air conditioning system includes an emitter electrode, a collector electrode and a high voltage generator to provide a high voltage potential difference between the emitter and collector electrodes. The system also includes a cleaning member having a channel through which the emitter electrode passes. A plunger mechanism and a spring, or a lever and a fulcrum, are used to force the cleaning member to travel upward along the emitter electrode to thereby frictionally removing debris from the emitter electrode. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures and the claims.

1 . An air conditioning system, comprising: 
 an emitter electrode;    a collector electrode;    a high voltage generator to provide a high voltage potential difference between said emitter electrode and said collector electrode;    a cleaning member associated with said emitter electrode; and    means for projecting said cleaning member upward along said emitter electrode;    wherein said cleaning member frictionally removes debris from said emitter electrode as it projects upward along said emitter electrode.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said cleaning member include a channel through which said emitter electrode passes  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said means for projecting said cleaning member upward comprises: 
 a spring; and    a plunger mechanism to compress said spring, and said spring to project said cleaning member upward along said emitter electrode when said spring is allowed to expand after being compressed.    
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said means for projecting said cleaning member to travel upward comprises: 
 a lever including a first end and a second end, said second end resting at least partially under said cleaning member; and    a fulcrum positioned between said first and second ends of said lever;    wherein a downward force on said first end of said lever translates to an upward force on said second end of said lever, as said lever pivots about said fulcrum, thereby causing said cleaning member to project upward along said emitter electrode and to frictionally remove debris from said emitter electrode.    
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an actuating means for maneuvering said means for projecting said cleaning member upward.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a controller to control said actuating means so that said cleaning member is periodically projected upward along said emitter electrode to remove debris from said emitter electrode.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a controller to control said actuating means so that said cleaning member is projected upward along said emitter electrode to remove debris from said emitter electrode, in response to detecting arcing between said emitter electrode and said collector electrode.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a button or switch that activates said actuating means.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said means for projecting said cleaning member upward can be manually operated.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising an indicator that identifies to a user that they should manually operate said means for projecting said cleaning member upward.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a freestanding housing within which said emitter electrode, said collector electrode, and said high voltage generator are contained, said housing including at least one air vent.    
     
     
         12 . An air conditioning system, comprising: 
 an emitter electrode;    a collector electrode;    a high voltage generator to provide a high voltage potential difference between said emitter electrode and said collector electrode;    a cleaning member associated with said emitter electrode;    a spring; and    a plunger mechanism to compress said spring, and said spring to project said cleaning member upward along said emitter electrode when said spring is allowed to expand after being compressed;    wherein said cleaning member frictionally removes debris from said emitter electrode as it projects upward along said emitter electrode.    
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said cleaning member includes a channel through which said emitter electrode passes.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein gravity will cause said cleaning member to travel downward along said emitter electrode, after said cleaning member has been projected upward along said emitter electrode; and wherein said cleaning member frictionally removes debris from said emitter electrode as it travels downward along said emitter electrode.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising an electromagnetic solenoid to pull said plunger mechanism in a downward direction, thereby compressing said spring.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a piezoelectric actuator to pull said plunger mechanism in a downward direction, thereby compressing said spring.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising an actuating means for pulling said plunger mechanism in a downward direction, thereby compressing said spring.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a controller to control said actuating means so that said cleaning member is periodically projected upward along said emitter electrode to remove debris from said emitter electrode.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a controller to control said actuating means so that said cleaning member is projected upward along said emitter electrode to remove debris from said emitter electrode, in response to detecting arcing between said emitter electrode and said collector electrode.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a button or switch that activates said actuating means.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said plunger mechanism can be manually pulled in a downward direction to compress said spring.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising an indicator that identifies to a user that they should manually pull down said plunger mechanism and then release said plunger mechanism.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a freestanding housing within which said emitter electrode, said collector electrode, and said high voltage generator are contained, said housing including at least one air vent.    
     
     
         24 . An air conditioning system, comprising: 
 an emitter electrode;    a collector electrode;    a high voltage generator to provide a high voltage potential difference between said emitter electrode and said collector electrode; and    a cleaning member;    a lever including a first end and a second end, said second end resting at least partially under said cleaning member; and    a fulcrum positioned between said first and second ends of said lever;    wherein a downward force on said first end of said lever translates to an upward force on said second end of said lever, as said lever pivots about said fulcrum, thereby causing said cleaning member to be projected upward along said emitter electrode and to frictionally remove debris from said emitter electrode.    
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein said cleaning member includes a channel through which said emitter electrode passes.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein gravity will cause said cleaning member to travel downward along said emitter electrode, after said cleaning member has been projected upward along said emitter electrode; and wherein said cleaning member frictionally removes debris from said emitter electrode as it travels downward along said emitter electrode.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein said second end of said lever includes a slit so that said second end can straddle said emitter electrode.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 24 , further comprising an indicator that identifies to a user that they should manually push down said first end of said lever.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 a freestanding housing within which said emitter electrode, said collector electrode, and said high voltage generator are contained, said housing including at least one air vent.    
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 at least one of an electromagnetic solenoid and a piezoelectric actuator to maneuver the first end of the lever.    
     
     
         31 . An air conditioning system, comprising: 
 an emitter electrode;    a collector electrode;    a high voltage generator to provide a high voltage potential difference between said emitter electrode and said collector electrode;    a freestanding housing within which said emitter electrode, said collector electrode, and said high voltage generator are contained, said housing including at least one air vent;    a cleaning member associated with said emitter electrode;    an actuating means for projecting said cleaning member upward along said emitter electrode;    wherein said cleaning member frictionally removes debris from said emitter electrode as it projects upward along said emitter electrode; and    a controller to control said actuating means so that said cleaning member is automatically projected upward along said emitter electrode to remove debris from said emitter electrode.    
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein said controller controls said actuating means to periodically project said cleaning member upward along said emitter electrode.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein said controller controls said actuating means to project said cleaning member upward along said emitter electrode, in response to detecting arcing between said emitter electrode and said collector electrode.