Apparatus for electrostatically cleaning particulates from air

An electrostatic air cleaner for use in removing particulate matter from moving air, said electrostatic air cleaner having an inlet end and an outlet end and including an electrical connection to ground potential, said electrostatic air cleaner also including an electrical connection to at least one source of high voltage electrical power, said electrostatic air cleaner having a length, width and depth, an outer surface, and a central portion, said electrostatic air cleaner comprising:

• (a) an electrically conductive frame structure connected to ground potential, said frame structure forming side walls along the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner;
• (b) an electrically conductive first strip layer having first and second planar faces, said first planar face being oriented toward said outer surface of the electrostatic air cleaner, said second face being oriented toward said central portion of the electrostatic air cleaner, said first layer being electrically connected to said frame, said first layer forming a first pattern throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said first pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel paths running throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said first pattern terminating in said central portion;
• (c) an electrically conductive second strip layer having first and second planar faces, said second planar face being oriented toward said outer surface of the electrostatic air cleaner, said second face being oriented toward said central portion of the electrostatic air cleaner, said second layer being electrically connected to a first source of high voltage electrical power, said second layer forming a second pattern through the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said second pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel paths running throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said paths being interleaved with the paths of said first pattern, said second pattern terminating in said central portion;
• (d) an electrically non-conductive third strip layer of reticulated foam having first and second planar faces, said third layer being interspersed between said first and second layers such that the first face is adjacent to the second face of said first layer, said second face of said third layer being adjacent to the first face of said second layer, said third layer forming a third pattern which continues between said first and second patterns until said first and second patterns terminate;
• (e) an electrically non-conductive fourth strip layer of reticulated foam having first and second planar faces, said fourth layer being interspersed between said first and second layers such that the first face is adjacent to the second face of said second layer, said second face of said fourth layer being adjacent to the first face of said first layer, said fourth layer forming a fourth pattern which continues between said first and second patterns until said first and second patterns terminate;
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• (f) all of said planar faces of all of said strip layers being parallel to the direction of flow of said moving air.

An electrostatic air cleaner for use in removing particulate matter from moving air, said electrostatic air cleaner having an inlet end and an outlet end and including an electrical connection to ground potential, said electrostatic air cleaner having a length, width and depth, said electrostatic air cleaner comprising:

• (a) an electrically conductive first strip layer having first and second planar faces, said first layer being electrically connected to ground potential, said first layer forming a first pattern throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said first pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel paths running throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner;
• (b) an electrically conductive second strip layer having first and second planar faces, said second layer being electrically insulated from ground potential, said second layer forming a second pattern throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said second pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel paths that are interleaved with the paths of said first pattern, said paths of said second pattern running throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner;
• (c) an electrically non-conductive third strip layer of reticulated foam having first and second planar faces, said third layer being interspersed between said first and second layers substantially throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner;
• (d) all of said planar faces of all of said strip layers being parallel to the direction of flow of said moving air;
• (e) an ionizer located upstream the inlet of said electrostatic air cleaner, said ionizer comprising a structure which can be placed in an air pathway while allowing moving air to pass through and at least one electrode which can act as a corona voltage source, said at least one electrode being located so that it creates ions which migrate to said second layer, wherein said at least one electrode is electrically connected to a source of high voltage electrical power;
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• (f) said electrically conductive second strip layer being configured to extend toward said ionizer so that a portion of the surface of its first and second planar faces is exposed to said ions created by said ionizer. PG,58

An electrostatic air cleaner for use in removing particulate matter from moving air, said electrostatic air cleaner having an inlet end and an outlet end and including an electrical connection to ground potential, said electrostatic air cleaner having a length, width and depth, an outer surface, and a central portion, said electrostatic air cleaner comprising:

• (a) an electrically conductive frame structure connected to ground potential, said frame structure forming side walls along the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner;
• (b) an electrically conductive first strip layer having first and second planar faces, said first planar face oriented toward said outer surface of the electrostatic air cleaner, said second face oriented toward said central portion of the electrostatic air cleaner, said first layer being electrically connected to said frame, said first layer forming a first pattern throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said first pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel paths running throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said first pattern terminating in said central portion;
• (c) an electrically conductive second strip layer having first and second planar faces, said second layer being electrically insulated from ground potential, said second planar face being oriented toward said outer surface of the electrostatic air cleaner, said second face being oriented toward said central portion of the electrostatic air cleaner, said second layer forming a second pattern through the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said second pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel paths running throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said paths being interleaved with the paths of said first pattern, said second pattern terminating in said central portion;
• (d) an electrically non-conductive third strip layer of reticulated foam having first and second planar faces, said third layer being interspersed between said first and second layers such that the first face is adjacent to the second face of said first layer, said second face of said third layer being adjacent to the first face of said second layer, said third layer forming a third pattern which continues between said first and second patterns until said first and second patterns terminate;
• (e) an electrically non-conductive fourth strip layer of reticulated foam having first and second planar faces, said fourth layer being interspersed between said first and second layers such that the first face is adjacent to the second face of said second layer, said second face of said fourth layer being adjacent to the first face of said first layer, said fourth layer forming a fourth pattern which continues between said first and second patterns until said first and second patterns terminate;
• (f) all of said planar faces of all of said strip layers being parallel to the direction of flow of said moving air;
• (g) an ionizer located upstream the inlet of said electrostatic air cleaner, said ionizer comprising a structure which can be placed in an air pathway while allowing moving air to pass through and at least one electrode which can act as a corona voltage source, said at least one electrode being located so that it creates ions which migrate to said second layer, wherein said at least one electrode is electrically connected to a source of high voltage electrical power;
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• (h) said electrically conductive second strip layer being configured to extend toward said ionizer so that a portion of the surface of its first and second planar faces is exposed to said ions created by said ionizer.

An electrostatic air cleaner for use in removing particulate matter from moving air, said electrostatic air cleaner having an inlet end and an outlet end and including an electrical connection to ground potential, said electrostatic air cleaner also including an electrical connection to a charge accumulator that provides high voltage electrical power, said electrostatic air cleaner having a length, width and depth, said electrostatic air cleaner comprising:

• (a) an electrically conductive first strip layer having first and second planar faces, said first layer being electrically connected to ground potential, said first layer forming a first pattern throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said first pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel paths running throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner;
• (b) an electrically conductive second strip layer having first and second planar faces, said second layer being electrically connected to said charge accumulator, said second layer forming a second pattern throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said second pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel paths that are interleaved with the paths of said first pattern, said paths of said second pattern running throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner;
• (c) an electrically non-conductive third strip layer of reticulated foam having first and second planar faces, said third layer being interspersed between said first and second layers substantially throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner;
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• (d) all of said planar faces of all of said strip layers being parallel to the direction of flow of said moving air.

An electrostatic air cleaner for use in removing particulate matter from moving air, said electrostatic air cleaner having an inlet end and an outlet end and including an electrical connection to ground potential, said electrostatic air cleaner also including an electrical connection to a charge accumulator that provides high voltage electrical power, said electrostatic air cleaner having a length, width and depth, an outer surface, and a central portion, said electrostatic air cleaner comprising:

• (a) an electrically conductive frame structure connected to ground potential, said frame structure forming side walls along the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner;
• (b) an electrically conductive first strip layer having first and second planar faces, said first planar face being oriented toward said outer surface of the electrostatic air cleaner, said second face being oriented toward said central portion of the electrostatic air cleaner, said first layer being electrically connected to said frame, said first layer forming a first pattern throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said first pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel paths running throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said first pattern terminating in said central portion;
• (c) an electrically conductive second strip layer having first and second planar faces, said second planar face being oriented toward said outer surface of the electrostatic air cleaner, said second face being oriented toward said central portion of the electrostatic air cleaner, said second layer being electrically connected to said charge accumulator, said second layer forming a second pattern through the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said second pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel paths running throughout the length and width of said electrostatic air cleaner, said paths being interleaved with the paths of said first pattern, said second pattern terminating in said central portion;
• (d) an electrically non-conductive third strip layer of reticulated foam having first and second planar faces, said third layer being interspersed between said first and second layers such that the first face is adjacent to the second face of said first layer, said second face of said third layer being adjacent to the first face of said second layer, said third layer forming a third pattern which continues between said first and second patterns until said first and second patterns terminate;
• (e) an electrically non-conductive fourth strip layer of reticulated foam having first and second planar faces, said fourth layer being interspersed between said first and second layers such that the first face is adjacent to the second face of said second layer, said second face of said fourth layer being adjacent to the first face of said first layer, said fourth layer forming a fourth pattern which continues between said first and second patterns until said first and second patterns terminate;
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• (f) all of said planar faces of all of said strip layers being parallel to the direction of flow of said moving air.