Air conditioner device with removable driver electrodes

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and apparatus for moving air using an air-conditioning system therein, whereby the air-conditioning system preferably includes at least one emitter electrode, at least one collector electrode, at least one driver electrode disposed adjacent to the collector electrode, and/or at least one trailing electrode positioned downstream of the collector electrode. The collector electrode and the driver electrode are removable from the device. In one embodiment, the driver electrodes are removable from the device and/or the collector electrode. The ability of remove the collector electrode as well as driver electrode allow for easy cleaning of the electrodes. In one embodiment, the present device includes a removable exhaust grill upon which the driver electrode and/or the trailing electrode are coupled to. The removable grill allows the user to easily clean the driver electrode without having to remove the collector electrode.

1 . An air-conditioning device comprising: 
 a. a housing having a grill;    b. an ion generator located in the housing; and    c. a removable driver electrode located within the housing, wherein the driver electrode is configured on an interior surface of the grill.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the ion generator further comprises: 
 a. an emitter electrode;    b. a collector electrode located downstream of the emitter electrode; and    c. a high voltage source operatively connected to at least one of the emitter electrode and the collector electrode    
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the housing is elongated and upstanding with an upper portion, the collector electrode being removable from the housing through the upper portion.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the housing has a side and the grill is removable from the side of the housing.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the ion generator further comprises a collector electrode vertically removable through the housing, the driver electrode configured to be removable laterally from the housing.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the driver electrode is removable from the grill.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the driver electrode is fixedly mounted to the grill.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a trailing electrode downstream of the driver electrode wherein the trailing electrode emits negative ions.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the driver electrode further comprises a plurality of driver electrodes coupled to the grill.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the driver electrode is adapted to electrically couple with a voltage source upon the grill being coupled to the housing.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the driver electrode is configured to extend between adjacent collector electrodes when the grill is coupled to the housing.  
   
   
       12 . An air-conditioning device comprising: 
 a. a housing which has an upper portion and a removable grill;    b. a collector electrode located in the housing, wherein the collector electrode is removable through the upper portion of the housing; and    c. a driver electrode coupled to an interior surface of the removable grill, wherein the driver electrode is removable from the housing.    
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the housing has a side and the grill is removable from the side of the housing.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the driver electrode is removable from the removable grill.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 12  further comprising a trailing electrode downstream of the driver electrode wherein the trailing electrode emits negative ions.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 12  further comprising a trailing electrode downstream of the driver electrode and configured along the interior surface of the grill.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the driver electrode further comprises a plurality of driver electrodes coupled to the grill.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the driver electrode is adapted to electrically couple to a voltage source upon the removable grill being coupled to the housing.  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 12  wherein an electrical connection between the driver electrodes and a voltage source is terminated upon the outlet grill being removed from the housing.  
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the driver electrode is configured to extend between adjacent collector electrodes when the grill is coupled to the housing.  
   
   
       21 . An air-conditioning device comprising: 
 a. a housing;    b. a collector electrode removable from the housing;    c. a driver electrode mounted to an interior surface of the grill of the housing, the driver electrode removable from the housing in a direction perpendicular to the collector electrode.    
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 20  wherein the housing has a side and the grill is removable from the side of the housing.  
   
   
       23 . The device of  claim 20  wherein the driver electrode is removable from the removable grill.  
   
   
       24 . The device of  claim 20  further comprising a trailing electrode downstream of the driver electrode and configured along the interior surface of the grill.  
   
   
       25 . The device of  claim 20  wherein the driver electrode further comprises a plurality of driver electrodes coupled to the grill.  
   
   
       26 . The device of  claim 20  wherein the driver electrode is adapted to electrically couple to a voltage source upon the removable grill being coupled to the housing.  
   
   
       27 . The device of  claim 20  wherein an electrical connection between the driver electrodes and a voltage source is terminated upon the outlet grill being removed from the housing.  
   
   
       28 . The device of  claim 20  wherein the collector electrode is vertically removable from the housing.  
   
   
       29 . An air-conditioning device comprising: 
 a. an elongated housing having a upper portion and an inlet grill and an outlet grill;    b. a plurality of collector electrodes vertically removable from the housing through the upper portion; and    c. a plurality of driver electrodes laterally removable from the housing, wherein the driver electrodes are mounted to the outlet grill.    
   
   
       30 . The device of  claim 27  wherein the driver electrodes are removable from the outlet grill.  
   
   
       31 . The device of  claim 27  further comprising a trailing electrode downstream of the driver electrodes and configured along an inner surface of the grill.  
   
   
       32 . The device of  claim 20  wherein the driver electrodes are adapted to be electrically coupled to a voltage source upon the removable grill being coupled to the housing.  
   
   
       33 . The device of  claim 20  wherein an electrical connection between the driver electrodes and a voltage source is terminated upon the outlet grill being removed from the housing.  
   
   
       34 . A method of cleaning an air-conditioning device having a collector electrode and a driver electrode, the method comprising: 
 removing a grill from a side of the housing, wherein the driver electrode is mounted to an inner surface of the grill.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising lifting the collector electrode vertically from the housing through an upper portion of the housing.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the driver electrode is removable from the grill.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 33  wherein a trailing electrode is exposed on the inner surface of the grill upon the grill being removed.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the driver electrode does not receive a voltage from a voltage source when the grill is removed from the housing.  
   
   
       39 . An air-conditioning device having a housing having an inlet grill and an outlet grill, the air-conditioning device having an emitter electrode and a collector electrode within the housing, the improvement comprising: 
 a driver electrode coupled to an interior surface of the outlet grill, wherein the outlet grill is removable from the housing.