# US 5,704,954 A · Air purification apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,704,954 A - Document ID: US5704954A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/595,977 - Filed: 1996-02-06 - Granted: 1998-01-06 - Earliest claimed: 1995-08-11 - Inventors: Hideaki Takagi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704954A ## CPC - B01D 47/08: with rotary nozzles - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract The air purification apparatus includes a waterproof chamber having a water supply inlet, a drain, an air inlet, and an air outlet. At least two cylinders are mounted to spin about their respective axes within the chamber in parallel alignment adjacent to each other, and a motor drives each of the cylinders to rotate at high speed. The surfaces of the cylinders have numerous small holes formed therein. A pump circulates water through the water supply inlet to the inside of each of the cylinders. By rotating the cylinders at high speed, the water pumped to the inside of each of the cylinders is injected by centrifugal force through the numerous small holes therein at high speed such that streams of water droplets are forced to collide against each in the typhoon chamber and particularly between the cylinders. These forceful collisions produce infinitesimally small water particles with negative ions that have high air purification ability. An air blower circulates air through the chamber for purification. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air purification apparatus comprising: (a) a typhoon chamber, said typhoon chamber having at least one water supply line opening at least one drain hole, at least one air inlet opening, and at least one air outlet opening; (b) a first spinning cylinder mounted within said typhoon chamber for rotational movement about a central axis of said first spinning cylinder, said first spinning cylinder having at least a cylindrical side wall with a plurality of small holes formed therein; (c) a second spinning cylinder mounted within said typhoon chamber for rotational movement about a central axis of said second spinning cylinder, said second spinning cylinder having at least a cylindrical side wall with a plurality of small holes formed therein, and said second spinning cylinder being mounted in parallel alignment to said first spinning cylinder; (d) drive means operatively connected to said first and second spinning cylinders for spinning said first and second spinning cylinders; (e) water circulation means for delivering water through said at least one water supply line into said typhoon chamber and to the interior of each of said first and second spinning cylinders; (f) air circulation means for circulating air through said air inlet opening, through said typhoon chamber, and through said air outlet opening; whereby the centrifugal force of the first and second spinning cylinders throws streams of water droplets to the interior of said typhoon chamber between said first and second spinning cylinders such that the water droplets are forced to collide against each other to form infinitesimally small water particles and negative ions, which purify the air circulating through said typhoon chamber and are loaded into the air circulating through said typhoon chamber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An air purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said water supply line opening is positioned near an upper portion of said typhoon chamber and said drain hole is positioned toward a lower portion of said typhoon chamber, whereby water circulated through said typhoon chamber substantially falls downward from the upper portion thereof toward the lower portion thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An air purification apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said air inlet opening is positioned toward the lower portion of said typhoon chamber and said air outlet opening is positioned toward the upper portion of said typhoon chamber, whereby air circulated through said typhoon chamber substantially moves upward from the lower portion thereof toward the upper portion thereof, which produces an additional counter-current effect between the substantially downwardly falling water and the substantially upwardly moving air that assists in mixing the water and air within the typhoon chamber for loading the air with infinitesimally small water particles and negative ions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An air purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second spinning cylinders are mounted within said typhoon chamber such that the central axes of the first and second spinning cylinders are substantially vertical and parallel to one another. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) An air purification apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first and second spinning cylinders are both rotated in the same direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An air purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second spinning cylinders each additionally have a bottom wall enclosing the lower end thereof, whereby water is retained within said first and second spinning cylinders so that it can be forced out through said plurality of small holes in said cylindrical side walls by the centrifugal effect of the spinning of the cylindrical side walls of said first and second spinning cylinders. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An air purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interiors of the side wall of said first and second spinning cylinders are additionally covered with a substantially cylindrical sponge sheet for absorbing water and maintaining an even distribution of water on the interior of said side walls of said first and second spinning cylinders, whereby water is more evenly dispersed on the interior of said side walls of said first and second spinning cylinders and is more evenly forced through said plurality of small holes of said side walls. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An air purification apparatus according to claim 1, additionally comprising: at least a third spinning cylinder mounted within said typhoon chamber for rotational movement about a central axis of said third spinning cylinder. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An air purification apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first, second, and third spinning cylinders are mounted within said typhoon chamber such that the central axes of the first, second, and third spinning cylinders are substantially vertical and parallel to one another. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) An air purification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the central axes of said first, second, and third spinning cylinders are arranged in a linear row. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) An air purification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the central axes of said first, second, and third spinning cylinders are arranged in a triangle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) An air purification apparatus according to claim 1, additionally comprising: at least a third spinning cylinder mounted within said typhoon chamber for rotational movement about a central axis of said third spinning cylinder; and at least a fourth spinning cylinder mounted within said typhoon chamber for rotational movement about a central axis of said fourth spinning cylinder. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) An air purification apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth spinning cylinders are mounted within said typhoon chamber such that the central axes of said first, second, third, and fourth spinning cylinders are substantially vertical and parallel to one another. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) An air purification apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the central axes of said first, second, third, and fourth spinning cylinders are positioned in a square arrangement. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) An air purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive means comprises: a motor having a drive shaft, a drive pulley connected to said drive shaft of said motor, a mounting shaft for each of said first and second spinning cylinders, a first and second transfer pulley connected to each of the mounting shafts of said first and second spinning cylinders, respectively, and at least one drive belt connected between said drive pulley and said first and second transfer pulleys for transferring rotational movement of said drive shaft to each of said mounting shafts of said first and second spinning cylinders. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An air purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said water circulation means comprises: a water tank, a water circulation pump in fluid communication with said water tank, water supply piping for delivering water from said water tank through said at least one water supply line into said typhoon chamber and to the interior of each of said first and second spinning cylinders. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) An air purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air circulation means comprises: a blower suction duct connected to the air outlet of said typhoon chamber, an air blower having a suction side and a blower side, the suction side of said air blower connected to said blower suction duct, and an air delivery duct connected to the blower side of said air blower for delivering air to any desired location outside of said typhoon chamber, whereby air is drawn through said air inlet opening, through said typhoon chamber, and through said air outlet opening to said remote location. ### Claim 18 An air purification apparatus comprising: a typhoon chamber of waterproof structure having a water supply inlet opening, a drain, and air inlet and outlet openings; a plurality of spinning cylinder assemblies mounted within said typhoon chamber in parallel alignment to each other, and the surface of each of the spinning cylinder assemblies having numerous small holes formed therein; a motor operatively connected to each of said spinning cylinder assemblies to each of said plurality of spinning cylinder assemblies at high speed; a water tank; a water pump operatively connected between said water tank and said spinning cylinder assemblies for pumping water from said water tank to said plurality of spinning cylinder assemblies in said typhoon chamber; an air blower operatively connected through a duct to at least one of said air inlet and outlet openings of said typhoon chamber for circulating air through said typhoon chamber; whereby by operating said motor and rotating said plurality of spinning cylinder assemblies at high speed, and by pumping water from said water tank to said plurality of spinning cylinder assemblies, water pumped to the inside of each of the plurality of spinning cylinder assemblies is injected by centrifugal force through said numerous small holes at high speed such that water drops are forced to collide against each other, which produces infinitesimally small water particles and negative ions that have high air purification ability. ### Claim 19 An air purification apparatus comprising: a typhoon chamber of waterproof structure having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening; a plurality of spinning cylinder assemblies, the surface of each having numerous small holes being formed therein, said spinning cylinder assemblies being supported in parallel alignment to each other; a driving means for rotating each said plural spinning cylinder assemblies at high speed; a water pump connected to a water supply source to deliver water to said spinning cylinder assemblies within said typhoon chamber; an air blower device connected to at least one of said air inlet or said air outlet openings of said typhoon chamber; whereby water that is supplied to said spinning cylinder assemblies is injected through said numerous small holes at high speeds such that water drops are forced to collide against each other, which produces infinitesimally small water particles and negative ions exhibiting high air purification power, which is delivered to a desired location via said air blower device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) An air purification apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said plurality of spinning cylinder assemblies have an inside surface that is covered by spongy absorptive material. ### Claim 21 An air purification apparatus comprising: (a) a typhoon chamber, said typhoon chamber having at least one water supply line opening, at least one drain hole, at least one air inlet opening, and at least one air outlet opening, wherein said water supply line opening is positioned near an upper portion of said typhoon chamber and said drain hole is positioned toward a lower portion of said typhoon chamber, whereby water circulated through said typhoon chamber substantially falls downward from the upper portion thereof toward the lower portion thereof, and wherein said air inlet opening is positioned toward the lower portion of said typhoon chamber and said air outlet opening is positioned toward the upper portion of said typhoon chamber, whereby air circulated through said typhoon chamber substantially moves upward from the lower portion thereof toward the upper portion thereof; which produces a counter-current effect between the substantially downwardly falling water and the substantially upwardly moving air that assists in mixing the water and air within said typhoon chamber for loading the air with tiny water particles and negative ions; (b) a first spinning cylinder mounted within said typhoon chamber for rotational movement about a central axis of said first spinning cylinder, said first spinning cylinder having at least a cylindrical side wall with a plurality of small holes formed therein and the interior of the side wall of said first spinning cylinder is covered with a substantially cylindrical sponge sheet for absorbing water and maintaining an even distribution of water on the interior of the side wall; (c) a second spinning cylinder mounted within said typhoon chamber for rotational movement about a central axis of said second spinning cylinder, said second spinning cylinder having at least a cylindrical side wall with a plurality of small holes formed therein and the interior of the side wall of said second spinning cylinder is covered with a substantially cylindrical sponge sheet for absorbing water and maintaining an even distribution of water on the interior of the side wall; (d) a motor having a drive shaft, a drive pulley connected to said drive shaft of said motor, a mounting shaft for each of said first and second spinning cylinders, a first and second transfer pulley connected to each of the mounting shafts of said first and second spinning cylinders, respectively, and at least one drive belt connected between said drive pulley and said first and second transfer pulleys for transferring rotational movement of said drive shaft to each of said mounting shafts of said first and second spinning cylinders; (e) a water tank, a water circulation pump in fluid communication with said water tank, water supply piping for delivering water from said water tank through said at least one water supply line into said typhoon chamber and to the interior of each of said first and second spinning cylinders; (f) air circulation means for circulating air through said air inlet opening through said typhoon chamber, and through said air outlet opening; whereby the centrifugal force of said first and second spinning cylinders throws streams of water droplets to the interior of said typhoon chamber between said first and second spinning cylinders such that the water droplets are forced to collide against each other to form infinitesimally small water particles and negative ions, which purify the air circulating through said typhoon chamber and are loaded into the air circulating through said typhoon chamber.