Air cleaner

Abstract

An air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing including a suction portion through which external air is suctioned and a discharge portion through which the suctioned air is discharged; a filter disposed between the suction portion and the discharge portion and configured to purify the suctioned air; a gas pump connected with the discharge portion and configured to rotate so as to discharge the air purified by the filter to the discharge portion and a controller configured to control a rotation direction of the gas pump, wherein the gas pump includes a rotor including a gas pump base disk disposed in and rotatably supported by the housing, a gas pump disk array in which segment disks having an open center area are disposed on the gas pump base disk to be spaced apart from each other, and a rotor magnet installed on the gas pump base disk and a stator including a stator coil disposed in the housing and installed to face the rotor magnet.

1 . An air cleaner comprising:
 a housing including a suction portion through which external air is suctioned and a discharge portion through which the suctioned air is discharged;   a filter disposed between the suction portion and the discharge portion and configured to purify the suctioned air;   a gas pump connected with the discharge portion and configured to rotate so as to discharge the air purified by the filter to the discharge portion; and   a controller configured to control a rotation direction of the gas pump,   wherein the gas pump includes:   a rotor including a gas pump base disk disposed in and rotatably supported by the housing, a gas pump disk array in which segment disks having an open center area are disposed on the gas pump base disk to be spaced apart from each other, and a rotor magnet installed on the gas pump base disk; and   a stator including a stator coil disposed in the housing and installed to face the rotor magnet.   
     
     
         2 . The air cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water tank configured to store water; and   a liquid pump connected with the same rotating shaft as the gas pump to be rotated in the same direction as the gas pump and configured to suction the water from the water tank and spray the water onto the disk array when the gas pump rotates in a forward direction and not to spray the water onto the disk array when the gas pump rotates in a reverse direction.   
     
     
         3 . The air cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the liquid pump includes:
 a liquid pump housing including an outlet formed to face a forward rotation direction of the gas pump;   a liquid pump base disk disposed in the liquid pump housing and connected with the same shaft as the gas pump to be rotatably supported by the liquid pump housing; and   a liquid pump disk array in which segment disks spaced apart from each other and having an open center area are stacked on the liquid pump base disk.   
     
     
         4 . The air cleaner of  claim 2 , further comprising a sensor configured to measure a temperature or humidity of external air,
 wherein the controller is operated in a humidification mode in which air with a high moisture content is discharged by rotating the gas pump in the forward direction when the humidity of external air measured by the sensor is lower than a predetermined humidity range and is operated in a dehumidification mode in which air with a low moisture content is discharged by rotating the gas pump in the reverse direction when the humidity of external air measured by the sensor is higher than the predetermined humidity range.   
     
     
         5 . The air cleaner of  claim 2 , further comprising a cooling element disposed between the suction portion and the discharge portion and configured to cool moisture in the air being suctioned or heat the cooled moisture according to a direction of a current flow applied from the controller. 
     
     
         6 . The air cleaner of  claim 5 , further comprising a dew condensation sensor configured to measure a freezing level of dew formed in the cooling element,
 wherein the controller is configured to freeze moisture in the air by allowing a current to flow to the cooling element in a forward direction when the freezing level measured by the dew condensation sensor is lower than a predetermined freezing level and re-melt the frozen moisture by allowing a current to flow to the cooling element in a reverse direction when the freezing level measured by the dew condensation sensor is higher than the predetermined freezing level.   
     
     
         7 . The air cleaner of  claim 5 , further comprising a sterilizing part connected with the water tank or the cooling element and configured to sterilize water by electrolyzing the water in the water tank or the cooling element. 
     
     
         8 . The air cleaner of  claim 7 , further comprising a water turbidity sensor configured to measure a pollution level of the water tank or the cooling element,
 wherein the controller operates the sterilizing part when turbidity measured by the water turbidity sensor is higher than a predetermined turbidity.