Device for renewing air in a confined enclosure

Abstract

Device (10, 110) for renewing air in an enclosure, including a discharge means (14) for the air inside the enclosure containing harmful vapors and/or polluted air and/or humidity, a fan (22) being located within the discharge means and being suitable to convey this inside air through the discharge means, and a means (26) for opening the door of the enclosure that makes it possible to lock and unlock the door, the unlocking of the door being subsequent to a manual or automatic opening command from an opening control means, the door remaining locked when the opening means is activated, its deactivation being performed after unlocking conditions are met. The device additionally includes at least a means (17, 27) for purifying the air before it is evacuated through the exhaust duct.

1 . A device ( 10 ,  110 ) for renewing air in a confined enclosure ( 12 ) comprising
 a means ( 14 ) for discharging the air inside the enclosure containing harmful vapours and/or polluted air and/or humidity,   a fan ( 22 ) being located within said discharge means and being suitable to convey this inside air through said discharge means ( 14 ), and   a means ( 26 ) for opening a door of said enclosure that makes it possible to lock and unlock the door, the unlocking of the door being subsequent to a manual or automatic opening command thanks to an opening control means, the door remaining locked as long as said opening means is activated, its deactivation being performed after unlocking conditions are met; and   at least one means ( 17 ,  27 ) for purifying the air before it is discharged through said exhaust duct.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said fan continues to operate after the enclosure door has been opened and does not stop until the door is subsequently closed. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said exhaust means ( 14 ) includes a damper ( 16 ) which, when open, allows the air inside the enclosure to exit the enclosure. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 3 , comprising a PLC ( 28 ,  128 ) for controlling the opening of said damper ( 16 ) and the start-up of said fan, as well as the opening of the door of said enclosure by said opening control means. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein said opening means is an electromagnet ( 26 ), the deactivation of which, controlled by said PLC, causes the refrigerator door to unlock. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein an air inlet duct ( 30 ) is fixed to one of the walls of the enclosure so as to renew the air inside the enclosure as the polluted air and/or harmful vapours are discharged and comprises a damper, the opening of which is controlled by said PLC ( 28 ). 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for purifying the air discharged from said enclosure ( 12 ) is a means ( 17 ) for retaining harmful particles from the discharged air. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for purifying the air discharged from said enclosure ( 12 ) is a means ( 27 ) for reducing the humidity level of the discharged air. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein said means ( 27 ) for reducing the humidity level of the discharged air is a device for separating droplets by inertia, composed of a set of sinusoidal blades in which the water droplets are trapped due to their greater inertia and gather to form a liquid drained by gravity to a retention tank ( 29 ). 
     
     
         10 . The device according  claim 1 , wherein a vacuum detector inside the enclosure provides a measure which is added to the conditions necessary for the door of the enclosure to unlock. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein said opening control is manual and is associated with said opening control means mainly comprising a push button ( 25 ), the depression of which by an operator causes a signal to be sent to said PLC ( 28 ,  128 ) which causes said PLC to command the opening of the door, said push button being an indicator which flashes as long as the door is not unlocked and which remains permanently illuminated as soon as the door is unlocked. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein said enclosure ( 12 ) is a refrigerator comprising a temperature sensor which provides a measurement of the temperature inside said enclosure which adds to the conditions necessary for the door of said enclosure to unlock. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein said opening control means also comprises an infrared detection cell or a presence detector. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein said opening command is automatic after a predetermined time has elapsed during which no door opening command has been initiated. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein said enclosure ( 12 ) is a dishwasher and wherein said air renewal device ( 110 ) is electronically connected to the electronic card ( 39 ) of said dishwasher. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 15 , wherein said automatic opening command is subsequent to the reception of a washing cycle end signal ( 37 ) originating from said electronic card ( 39 ) of said dishwasher. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 15 , wherein said unlocking conditions depend on data measured by sensors ( 31 ) for temperature, humidity level and the amount of harmful particles in the charged air coming from inside the dishwasher, said unlocking conditions being reached when each piece of said measured data reaches a certain threshold programmed and recorded in said PLC ( 128 ) . 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 15 , wherein said recovery tank ( 29 ) is connected to the draining system of the dishwasher. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 18 , wherein the emptying of said recovery tank ( 29 ) is automatically carried out at the end of the ventilation cycle by a solenoid valve controlled by said PLC ( 128 ).