Field of invention
The present invention relates to an air purification device. The present invention more
particularly relates to a portable air purification device.
5
Prior art
Population growth compounded with rapid urbanisation has amplified the potential for
bacteria and viruses to spread quickly. Accordingly, there is an increasing need for
purification and disinfection of air in order to eliminate the risk of infecting vulnerable
10 hospitalised people and nursing home residents. The Coronavirus Disease COVID-19 has
brought the risk of infecting vulnerable older or hospitalised people as well as nursing home
residents with various diseases into focus.
Thus, there is a need for an air purification device that can reduce the risk for infecting
15 vulnerable people with viruses such as the Coronavirus causing the Coronavirus Disease
COVID-19.
Most viruses vary in diameter from 20 nm to 400 nm. Accordingly, even though many prior
art air purification devices comprise an efficiency standard of air filter such as a high20 efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, these purification devices cannot effectively
disinfect viruses due to the small size of viruses. Accordingly, the prior art air purification
devices cannot be used to protect from airborne or aerosolised pathogens.
Filters meeting the HEPA standard must remove from the air that passes through the filter
25 at least 99.95% (European Standard) or 99.97% (ASME, U.S. DOE), respectively, of
particles whose diameter is equal to 0.3 μm.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air purification device that can efficiently
purify virus containing air and thus reduce the risk for infecting vulnerable people with
30 viruses that cause infectious diseases.
3
Summary of the invention
The object of the present invention can be achieved by a purification unit as defined in claim
1 and by a method as defined in claim 12. Preferred embodiments are defined in the
dependent sub claims, explained in the following description and illustrated in the
5 accompanying drawings.
The purification device according to the invention is a purification device for disinfecting
and filtering intake air, wherein the purification device comprises:
- a housing provided with a number of inlet perforations for allowing the intake air to enter
10 the housing and a number of air outlet perforations for allowing air purified by the
purification device to leave the housing;
- a fan arranged inside the housing to suck the intake air into the housing and blow the
purified air out of the housing;
- an ultraviolet radiation lamp arranged inside the housing to irradiate the intake air;
15 - a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter surrounding the ultraviolet radiation lamp
and being arranged to filter the intake air before the intake air leaves the housing as purified
air, wherein the filter comprises a plurality of pleats arranged in such a manner that the angle
between adjacent pleats is 30 degrees or less.

We Claim,
1. A purification device (2) for disinfecting and filtering intake air (4), wherein the
purification device (2) comprises:
5 - a housing (10) provided with a number of inlet perforations (8) for allowing the
intake air (4) to enter the housing (10) and a number of air outlet perforations (8’)
for allowing air (6) purified by the purification device (2) to leave the housing (10);
- a fan (12) arranged inside the housing (10) to suck the intake air (4) into the
housing (10) and blow the purified air (6) out of the housing (10);
10 - an ultraviolet radiation lamp (14) arranged inside the housing (10) to irradiate the
intake air (4);
- a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter (20) surrounding the ultraviolet
radiation lamp (14) and being arranged to filter the intake air (4) before the intake
air (4) leaves the housing (10) as purified air (6),
15 characterised in that the filter (20) comprises a plurality of pleats (32) arranged in
such a manner that the angle () between adjacent pleats (32) is 30 degrees or less.
2. A purification device (2) according to claim 1, characterised in that
the lowest position of the UV lamp (14) is the distal portion of the UV lamp (14)
20 and that an air gap (44) is provided between bottom plate (46) of the housing (10)
and the distal portion of the UV lamp (14).
3. A purification device (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the
housing (10) comprises a bottom portion (16) and a top portion (18) configured to
25 be detachably attached to the bottom portion (16).
4. A purification device (2) according to claim 3, characterised in that the fan (14)
is arranged in the top portion (18) and that the light irradiation portion of the UV
lamp (14) is arranged in the bottom portion (16).
30
28
5. A purification device (2) according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the inlet
perforations (8) are provided in the top portion (18), whereas the outlet perforations
(8’) are provided in the bottom portion (16).
5 6. A purification device (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised
in that the fan (12) has a horizontally orientated intake portion and a vertical output
portion so that air (4) pressurised by the fan (12) leaves the fan (12) in a downwardly
vertical direction.
10 7. A purification device (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised
in that an additional layer (40) is sandwiched between the housing (10) and the filter
(20), wherein the additional layer (40) comprises activated carbon.
8. A purification device (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised
15 in that the top portion (18) comprises a coarse filter (26) slidably arranged in one or
more filter tracks extending axially near the rim of the top portion (18).
9. A purification device (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised
in that the purification device (2) comprises a particle sensor arranged to detect the
20 level of particles in the air.
10. A purification device (2) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the purification device (2) comprises a smoke alarm.
25 11. A purification device (2) according to one of the preceding claims 9-10,
characterised in that the purification device (2) comprises a control unit configured
to control the speed of the fan (12) in dependence of the detected level of particles
in the air.
30 12. A method for disinfecting and filtering intake air (4), wherein the method
29
comprises the following steps:
- sucking intake air (4) into a housing (10) by means of a fan (12) arranged inside
the housing (10), wherein the intake air (4) enters the housing through a number of
inlet perforations (8) provided in the housing (10);
5 - blowing purified air (6) by means of the fan (12) out from the housing (10) through
a number of air outlet perforations (8’) provided in the housing (10);
- irradiating the intake air (4) by means of an ultraviolet radiation lamp (14) arranged
inside the housing (10);
- filtering the intake air (4) by means of a HEPA filter (20) surrounding the
10 ultraviolet radiation lamp (14) before the intake air (4) leaves the housing (10) as
purified air (6),
characterised in that the method comprises the step of applying a filter (20) that
comprises a plurality of pleats (32) arranged in such a manner that the angle ()
between adjacent pleats (32) is 30 degrees or less.