US 11,730,849 B2Granted

Air treatment method

AssigneeBluezone IP Holding LLC

InventorsKaren Benedek, Philip C. Carbone, Peter J. Loftus, Anna Cheimets, David Hensel

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A built-in apparatus and method for treating air including a housing with an air inlet and an air outlet. An air mover positioned near the air outlet is configured to draw the air through the air inlet. The housing encloses an air treatment zone, such as including an oxidizing zone, and an ozone removal zone positioned downstream of the air treatment zone and oxidizing zone. The air treatment zone includes UV light and/or ozone that partially oxidizes the chemical contaminants in the air treatment zone. A catalyst in the oxidizing zone oxidizes elements within the air treatment zone. The ozone removal zone includes a second, different catalyst material. A UV bulb that may or may not generate ozone is positioned within or downstream of the first and/or second catalyst materials to assist catalyst oxidation and/or self-clean the apparatus.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for treating air, the method including the steps of:

providing an air treatment apparatus having a housing and a housing inlet in a kitchen including a ventilation hood or a cooking appliance;
determining with an electronic control device that the ventilation hood or the cooking appliance has been turned off;
in response to determining the ventilation hood or the cooking appliance has been turned off, operating the air treatment apparatus to treat air by causing the air treatment apparatus to operate as set by the electronic control device in an air cleaning mode followed by a self-cleaning mode, the air cleaning mode including:
causing air flow into the air treatment apparatus through the housing inlet;
causing air flow through the air treatment apparatus at a first flow rate;
oxidizing or inactivating contaminants in the air flow via a first application of ozone and/or ultraviolet light within an air treatment zone in the air treatment apparatus wherein the ultraviolet light generates ozone;
oxidizing or inactivating contaminants via a first catalyst layer including a first catalyst material, downstream of the first application of ozone and/or ultraviolet light;
and
removing ozone through a second catalyst layer including a second catalyst material downstream of the first catalyst layer;
and
exhausting treated air from the air treatment apparatus;
and
the self-cleaning mode including:
causing air flow through the air treatment apparatus at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate, the second flow rate being a non-zero flow rate;
oxidizing or inactivating contaminants via the first catalyst material;
and
removing ozone via the second catalyst material.

14 more elements

A method for treating air, the method including the steps of:

providing an air treatment apparatus having a housing and a housing inlet in a kitchen including a ventilation hood or a cooking appliance;
determining with an electronic control device that the ventilation hood or the cooking appliance has been turned off;
in response to determining the ventilation hood or cooking appliance has been turned off, operating the air treatment apparatus to treat air by causing the air treatment apparatus to operate as set by the electronic control device, treatment of air by the air treatment apparatus including:
operating the air treatment apparatus to treat air by causing the air treatment apparatus to operate in an air cleaning mode followed by a self-cleaning mode, the air cleaning mode including:
causing air flow through the air treatment apparatus at a first flow rate;
oxidizing or inactivating contaminants via application of ozone and/or ultraviolet light in the air treatment apparatus, wherein the ultraviolet light generates ozone;
oxidizing or inactivating contaminants via a first catalyst material in the air treatment apparatus;
and
removing ozone via a second catalyst material in the air treatment apparatus;
and the self-cleaning mode including:
causing air flow through the air treatment apparatus at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate, the second flow rate being a non-zero flow rate and causing the first catalyst material to operate at a space velocity that is lower than for the air cleaning mode;
oxidizing or inactivating contaminants via the first catalyst material, the first catalyst material being exposed to an ozone concentration that is higher than that for the air cleaning mode;
and
removing ozone via the second catalyst material.

11 more elements

A method for treating air, the method including the steps of:

providing an air treatment apparatus having a housing and a housing inlet in a kitchen including a ventilation hood or a cooking appliance;
determining with an electronic control device that the ventilation hood or the cooking appliance has been turned off;
in response to determining the ventilation hood or cooking appliance has been turned off, operating the air treatment apparatus to treat air by causing the air treatment apparatus to operate as set by the electronic control device, treatment of air by the air treatment apparatus including:
operating an air treatment apparatus to treat air by causing the air treatment apparatus to operate in an air cleaning mode for a first predetermined time period followed by a self-cleaning mode for a second predetermined time period, the air cleaning mode including:
causing air flow through the air treatment apparatus at a first flow rate;
oxidizing or inactivating contaminants via application of ozone and/or ultraviolet light in the air treatment apparatus, wherein the ultraviolet light generates ozone;
oxidizing or inactivating contaminants on a first catalyst material in the air treatment apparatus;
and
removing ozone via a second catalyst material in the air treatment apparatus;
and the self-cleaning mode including:
causing air flow through the air treatment apparatus at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate, the second flow rate being a non-zero flow rate;
operating a heater to increase a temperature of the air in the air treatment apparatus;
oxidizing or inactivating contaminants on the first catalyst material at a space velocity less than 50,000 hr−1;
and
removing ozone via the second catalyst material.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/180,979Filed 22 Feb 2021 · continuation
Priority: 16 Mar 2017
Published: US 2021/0170063 A110 Jun 2021
Granted: 22 Aug 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification45 codes

A61L 9/205
Ultraviolet radiation: using a photocatalyst or photosensitiser
A61L 9/046
Using substances evaporated in the air without heating: with the help of a non-organic compound
A61L 9/12
Using substances evaporated in the air without heating: apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor
A61L 9/20
Radiation: ultraviolet radiation

Family

Application15/461,433Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Mar 2017
Application15/878,598Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Jan 2018
Application62/626,548Us provisional application · filed 5 Feb 2018
Application16/268,145Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Feb 2019
US 2021/0170063 A1Pre-grant publication · published 10 Jun 2021
US 10,933,159 B2Parent of this continuation
US 10,898,604 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application16/268,145Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2018/0264157 A1Published application
US 2018/0264160 A1Published application
US 2019/0240371 A1Published application
US 11,730,849 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.