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Air-treatment apparatus and methods are disclosed that are especially suitable for treating the air in a room or other dwelling or working space. An apparatus embodiment of the subject apparatus includes a housing having air-intake and air-output openings. A gas-filter assembly inside the housing re

Air-treatment apparatus and methods are disclosed that are especially suitable for treating the air in a room or other dwelling or working space. An apparatus embodiment of the subject apparatus includes a housing having air-intake and air-output openings. A gas-filter assembly inside the housing receives air entering the air-intake opening and includes a dual-media filter element having a matrix of fibers to which particles of activated carbon are adhered at mutual points of contact without using an extraneous binder. As air passes through the gas-filter assembly, the carbon particles adsorb odor compounds from the air. At least one electrostatic 3-dimensional (E3D) filter assembly downstream of the gas-filter assembly includes a respective charging element sandwiched between dielectric-fiber filters sandwiched between two respective electrically conductive screens. The screens are electrically grounded while the charging element (which is conductive) is connected to a source of high-voltage DC power. The resulting charges on fibers of the dielectric-fiber filters polarize and attract particles in air passing therethrough.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An air-treatment apparatus, comprising:a housing enclosing an interior space, the housing defining an air-intake opening through which air enters the interior space for treatment, and an air-output opening through which treated air exits the interior space;a gas-filter assembly situated within th

1. An air-treatment apparatus, comprising:a housing enclosing an interior space, the housing defining an air-intake opening through which air enters the interior space for treatment, and an air-output opening through which treated air exits the interior space;a gas-filter assembly situated within the interior space so as to receive air entering through the air-intake opening, the gas-filter assembly being permeable to air-flow therethrough and comprising a dual-media filter element, the dual-media filter element comprising a matrix of fibers to which particles of activated carbon are adhered at mutual points of contact without using an extraneous binder, the particles of activated carbon being configured to adsorb compounds including volatile organic compounds from the air as the air passes through the gas-filter assembly; andat least one electrostatic 3-dimensional (E3D) filter assembly situated within the interior space downstream of the gas-filter assembly so as to receive and pass air that has passed through the gas-filter assembly, each E3D filter assembly comprising a respective charging element sandwiched between respective dielectric-fiber filters that are sandwiched between two respective electrically conductive screens that are electrically grounded, the charging element being electrically conductive and being connected to a source of high-voltage DC power so as to impose electrical potentials on the fibers of the dielectric-fiber filters sufficient to polarize and attract particles in the air passing through the at least one E3D filter assembly.2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas-filter assembly further comprises a pre-filter located upstream of the dual-media filter element to receive air entering through the air-intake opening, the pre-filter comprising a network of fibers configured to remove large particulates from the air as the air passes through the pre-filter.3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gas-filter assembly further comprises a frame peripherally surrounding the pre-filter and the dual-media filter element arranged superposedly, with the pre-filter situated upstream of the dual-media filter element.4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the frame further comprises a pull tab for use in removing the gas-filter assembly from the interior space.5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in the gas-filter assembly, the fibers of the dual-media filter element comprise bicomponent fibers arranged as a non-woven matrix in which the fibers are bonded to each other at mutual points of contact without using an extraneous binder.6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one fan situated and configured to urge a flow of air through the air-intake opening into the interior space, through the gas-filter assembly, and through the E3D filter assembly, and to exit the interior space through the air-output opening.7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one fan is located downstream of the E3D filter assembly, between the E3D filter assembly and the air-output opening.8. The apparatus of claim 7, comprising multiple fans that operate in parallel to urge the flow of air.9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a UV lamp situated and configured to illuminate an upstream surface of the at least one E3D filter assembly.10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the UV lamp produces a germicidal wavelength of UV light sufficient to kill microorganisms captured on the upstream surface as the air flows through the at least one E3D filter assembly.11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the germicidal wavelength does not include an ozone-generating wavelength of UV light.12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the UV light produced by the UV lamp includes 254-nm light but not 185-nm UV light.13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:at least two E3D filter assemblies are provided inside the housing; andthe UV lamp is situated between the E3D filter assembly in a manner allowing the UV lamp to illuminate UV light on respective upstream surfaces of each of the E3D filter assemblies.14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:the interior space comprises a first space and a second space; andthe first space is situated between the gas-filter assembly, and the second space is situated between the at least one E3D filter assembly and the air-output opening, such that the air flows from the gas-filter assembly through the first space to the at least one E3D filter assembly, and from the at least one E3D filter assembly through the second space to the air-outlet opening.15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in the at least one E3D filter assembly the charging element comprises a network of dielectric fibers coated with an electrically conductive layer of carbon.16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the high-voltage DC power is a negative DC voltage.17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:in the at least one E3D filter assembly the charging element is connected to the high-voltage source of DC power via a probe assembly; andthe probe assembly comprises a conductive pin mounted in a dielectric holder configured to extend the conductive pin through one of the dielectric-fiber filters to the charging member without shorting the DC power to the respective grounded screen.18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in the at least one E3D filter assembly the dielectric-fiber filters are bonded to the charging element so as to surround the charging element and form a particle-filter unit.19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the dielectric-fiber filters comprises a respective non-woven matrix of spun-glass fibers.20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in the E3D filter assembly each conductive screen is peripherally mounted to a respective frame.21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the respective frames are electrically conductive and connected to electrical ground.22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the frames are hinged to each other to allow the respective screens to be opened for insertion and removal of the respective dielectric-fiber filters and charging member.23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one E3D filter assembly treats air flowing therethrough by impingement of particles from the air, by polarization of particles in the air so as to produce electrical charges on the particles by which the particles are attracted to the fibers of the dielectric-fiber filters, and by agglomeration of particles to each other that have acquired electrical charges while being polarized.24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:the housing has a front and a rear;the air-intake opening is defined in the rear of the housing; andthe air-output opening is defined in the front of the housing, facing a space in which the air is to be treated using the apparatus.25. An air-treatment apparatus, comprising:housing means enclosing an interior space, said housing means defining air-intake-opening means for allowing passage of air into the interior space for treatment in the interior space, and air-output-opening means for allowing treated air to exit the interior space;gas-filter means, situated within the interior space, for receiving air entering through said air-intake-opening means, said gas-filter means comprising dual-media-filter means including a matrix of fibers and particles of activated carbon adhered to the fibers of the matrix at mutual points of contact without using an extraneous binder, the particles of activated carbon being configured to adsorb compounds including volatile organic compounds from the air as the air passes through said gas-filter means; andat least one electrostatic 3-dimensional (E3D) filter means situated within the interior space downstream of the gas-filter means so as to receive and pass air that has passed through the gas-filter means, each E3D filter means comprising respective charging-element means sandwiched between respective dielectric-fiber-matrix means that are sandwiched between respective electrically grounded screen means, said charging-element means being electrically conductive and being connected to a source of high-voltage DC power so as to impose electrical potentials on fibers of the dielectric-fiber-matrix means sufficient to polarize and attract particles in the air passing through the at least one E3D filter means.26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising UV-irradiation means for irradiating an upstream surface of the E3D filter means with a wavelength of UV light that is germicidal to microorganisms trapped on said upstream surface.27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising air-movement means for urging the passage of air.28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the gas-filter means includes pre-filter means, situated upstream of the dual-media-filter means, for removing large particulate matter from air, passing through said gas-filter means, before the air reaches said dual-media-filter means.29. An apparatus for treating air, comprising:a housing enclosing an interior space, the housing defining an air-intake opening through which air enters the interior space for treatment, and an air-output opening through which treated air exits the interior space;a gas-filter assembly situated within the interior space so as to receive air entering through the air-intake opening, the gas-filter assembly being permeable to air-flow therethrough and comprising an upstream pre-filter and a downstream dual-media filter element, the pre-filter comprising a matrix of fibers sufficient for removing large particulate matter from air passing through the pre-filter, the dual-media filter element comprising a matrix of fibers to which particles of activated carbon are adhered at mutual points of contact without using an extraneous binder, the particles of activated carbon being configured to adsorb compounds including volatile organic compounds from the air as the air passes through the dual-media filter element;at least one electrostatic 3-dimensional (E3D) filter assembly situated within the interior space downstream of the gas-filter assembly so as to receive and pass air that has passed through the gas-filter assembly, each E3D filter assembly comprising a respective charging element sandwiched between two respective dielectric-fiber filters that are sandwiched between two respective electrically conductive screens that are electrically grounded, the charging element comprising a porous matrix coated with electrically conductive carbon and being electrically connected to a source of high-voltage DC power so as to electrically charge the charging element and thus impose electrical potentials on the fibers of the dielectric-fiber filters sufficient to polarize and attract particles in the air passing through the at least one E3D filter assembly;a UV lamp situated and configured to illuminate a respective upstream surface of the at least one E3D filter assembly with UV light comprising a germicidal wavelength but not an ozone-generating wavelength; andat least one fan situated and configured to urge a flow of air into the air-intake opening, through the gas-filter assembly, past the UV lamp, through the at least one E3D filter assembly, and out through the air-output opening.30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein at least one fan is situated between the at least one E3D filter assembly and the air-output opening.31. A method for treating air, comprising:removing volatile organic compounds from the air by passing the air through a dual-media filter element including a matrix of fibers to which particles of activated carbon are adhered at mutual points of contact without using an extraneous binder;after passing the air through the dual-media filter element, removing particulate matter and microorganisms from the air by passing the air through an electrostatic 3-dimensional (E3D) filter assembly comprising an air-permeable, electrically conductive charging element sandwiched between upstream and downstream dielectric-fiber filters that are sandwiched between upstream and downstream electrically conductive screens that are electrically grounded, while the charging element is being energized with high-voltage DC power so as to impose electrical potentials on the fibers of the dielectric-fiber filters, thereby causing the fibers to polarize and attract particles in the air passing through the E3D filter assembly; andwhile passing the air through the E3D filter assembly, irradiating the upstream screen and upstream dielectric-fiber filter of the E3D filter assembly with a germicidal wavelength of UV light so as to kill microorganisms trapped on said screen and filter.32. The method of claim 31, further comprising irradiating the air with the germicidal wavelength of UV light as the air passes from the dual-filter media element to the E3D filter assembly.33. The method of claim 31, further comprising, before passing the air through the dual-media filter element, passing the air through a pre-filter to remove the large particulate matter from the air before the air reaches the dual-media filter element.34. The method of claim 31, wherein, in the irradiating step, the germicidal wavelength of UV light does not include an ozone-generating wavelength of UV light.35. The method of claim 31, further comprising actively urging flow of the air through the dual-media filter assembly and the E3D filter assembly.36. The method of claim 35, wherein the air is urged at a selected velocity through the dual-media filter and the E3D filter assembly.37. The method of claim 31, wherein, as the air is passed through the E3D filter assembly, particles in the air are removed by a combination of impingement, polarization, and agglomeration of the particles as performed by the E3D filter assembly.38. A method for treating air, comprising:providing a housing defining an interior space, an air-intake opening, and an air-output opening;situating in the interior space a dual-media filter element relative to the air-intake opening so as to receive air from the air-intake opening, the dual-media filter element including a matrix of fibers to which particles of activated carbon are adhered at mutual points of contact without using an extraneous binder;situating in the interior space an electrostatic 3-dimensional (E3D) filter assembly relative to the dual-media filter element and air-output opening so as to receive air from the dual-media filter element and to discharge air, passing through the E3D filter assembly, through the air-outlet opening, the E3D filter assembly comprising an air-permeable, electrically conductive charging element sandwiched between upstream and downstream dielectric-fiber filters that are sandwiched between upstream and downstream electrically conductive screens that are electrically grounded, while the charging element is being energized with high-voltage DC power so as to impose electrical potentials on the fibers of the dielectric filters that cause the fibers to polarize and attract particles in the air passing through the E3D filter assembly;introducing air into the interior space through the air-intake opening;removing volatile organic compounds from the air by passing the introduced air through the dual-media filter element;after passing the air through the dual-media filter element, removing small particulate matter and microorganisms from the air by passing the air through the E3D filter assembly; andwhile passing the air through the E3D filter assembly, irradiating the upstream screen and upstream dielectric-fiber filter of the E3D filter assembly with a germicidal wavelength of UV light so as to kill microorganisms trapped on said screen and filter.39. The method of claim 38, further comprising irradiating the air with the germicidal wavelength of UV light as the air passes from the dual-filter media element to the E3D filter assembly.40. The method of claim 38, further comprising, before passing the air through the dual-media filter element, passing the air through a pre-filter to remove large particulate matter from the air before the air reaches the dual-media filter element.41. The method of claim 38, wherein, in the irradiating step, the germicidal wavelength of UV light does not include an ozone-generating wavelength of UV light.42. The method of claim 38, further comprising the steps of:providing in the interior space at least one fan situated and configured to urge flow of air whenever the fan is running; andrunning the at least one fan in a manner that urges flow of air into the housing through the air-intake opening, through the dual-media filter assembly, through the E3D filter assembly, and out of the housing through the air-outlet opening.43. The method of claim 42, wherein the at least one fan is run at a selected velocity.