Room air purifier with integrated gaskets

A room air purifier comprising:

• an upper portion comprising an upper housing piece and a powered fan,
• a lower portion comprising a lower housing piece and an air-transmissive mandrel that is configured to receive and support a disposable, generally cylindrical, unframed, compactable, pleated air filter,
• the upper and lower portions of the room air purifier being detachably attached to each other and defining an airflow path through the room air purifier so that unfiltered air can enter through an air inlet of the lower housing piece and filtered air can exit through an air outlet of the upper housing piece, as motivated by the powered fan;
• and,
• a disposable, generally cylindrical, unframed, compactable, pleated air filter removably installed in the room air purifier by way of being disposed radially-outwardly on the mandrel with a pleat direction of the air filter aligned with a vertical axis of the room air purifier,
• wherein the upper portion of the room air purifier comprises an integrated resilient upper gasket in the form of an upper annular ring with a major lower surface that is configured to accept an upper corrugated edge of the air filter thereagainst;
• and, wherein the lower portion of the room air purifier comprises an integrated resilient lower gasket in the form of a lower annular ring with a major upper surface that is configured to accept a lower corrugated edge of the air filter thereagainst,
• and wherein with the air filter installed in the room air purifier and with the upper and lower portions of the room air purifier attached to each other, the upper and lower portions of the room air purifier apply pressure to the air filter through the upper and lower gaskets so that areas of the upper and lower gaskets that are in contact with the upper and lower corrugated edges of the pleated air filter are locally compressed by a compression factor of at least 10%.