Electro-kinetic air transporter-conditioner devices with an upstream focus electrode

A device that transports and conditions air including

• a housing with an air inlet and an air outlet
• a first electrode having a centerline;
• a pair of second electrodes positioned off-center relative to the centerline;
• said first electrode located closer to said air inlet than said pair of second electrodes;
• said pair of second electrodes located closer to said air outlet than said first electrode;
• a potential generator electrically coupled to the first electrode and the pair of second electrodes in order, when energized, to create a flow of air in a downstream direction from the first electrode to the pair of second electrodes;
• wherein the centerline is substantially parallel to the flow of air;
• and
• a pair of a focus electrodes located upstream of the first electrode in order to urge the flow of air toward the pair of second electrodes;
• wherein each of the focus electrodes is arranged so that the focus electrode, the first electrode, and a corresponding second electrode are aligned.

An electro-kinetic air transporter-conditioner having an ion generator, the ion generator comprising:

• a first electrode having a centerline;
• a pair of second electrodes downstream of the first electrode and positioned off-center relative to the centerline;
• a focus electrode upstream of the first electrode;
• and
• a voltage generator electrically coupled with the first electrode and the pair of second electrodes;
• wherein the focus electrode is arranged so that the focus electrode, the first electrode, and a corresponding second electrode are aligned.

An ion generator comprising:

• a first electrode;
• a pair of second electrodes;
• a voltage generator electrically coupled to the first electrode and the pair of second electrodes in order, when energized, to create a flow of air in a downstream direction from the first electrode to the pair of second electrodes;
• and
• a focus electrode located upstream of the first electrode, the focus electrode having one of a concave and a convex surface relative to the first electrode;
• wherein the focus electrode urges the flow of air toward a corresponding second electrode from the pair of second electrodes;
• wherein the focus electrode is arranged so that the focus electrode, the first electrode, and the corresponding second electrode are substantially aligned.

An ion generator comprising:

• a pair of first emitter electrodes;
• a second emitter electrode arranged between the first emitter electrodes and having a centerline;
• a pair of collector electrodes downstream from said first and second emitter electrodes, each of the collector electrodes being arranged substantially equidistant from the second emitter electrode and a corresponding first emitter electrode from the pair of first emitter electrodes;
• a voltage generator electrically coupled to the first and second emitter electrodes and the pair of collector electrodes in order, when energized, to create a flow of air in a downstream direction from the first and second emitter electrodes to the pair of collector electrodes;
• a pair of first focus electrodes located upstream of the pair of first emitter electrodes, each of the first focus electrodes being aligned with one of the first emitter electrodes and the corresponding collector electrode;
• and
• a second focus electrode located upstream of the second emitter electrode such that the second focus electrode and the second emitter electrode are aligned substantially along the centerline of the second emitter electrode.

An ion generator comprising:

• an emitter electrode;
• a pair of collector electrodes located downstream from the emitter electrode;
• a pair of trailing electrodes arranged downstream of the pair of collector electrodes;
• a voltage generator electrically coupled to the emitter electrode and the pair of collector electrodes in order, when energized, to create a flow of air in a downstream direction from the emitter electrode to the pair of collector electrodes;
• a first pair of focus electrodes located upstream of the emitter electrode;
• a second pair of focus electrodes located upstream of the first pair of focus electrodes;
• wherein one of the first pair of focus electrodes, one of the second pair of focus electrodes, the emitter electrode and one of the pair of collector electrodes are aligned;
• and
• wherein the other of the first focus electrodes, the other of the second pair of focus electrodes, the emitter electrode and the other of the pair of collector electrodes are aligned.

An ion generator comprising:

• a pair of emitter electrodes;
• a collector electrode arranged downstream from the emitter electrode, the collector electrode further being arranged substantially equidistant from each of the pair of emitter electrodes;
• a pair of focus electrodes arranged upstream from the pair of emitter electrodes;
• a pair of trailing electrodes arranged downstream of the pair of collector electrodes;
• a voltage generator electrically coupled to the pair of emitter electrodes and the collector electrode in order, when energized, to create a flow of air in a downstream direction from the pair of emitter electrodes to the collector electrode;
• wherein one of the pair of emitter electrodes, one of the pair of focus electrodes and the collector electrode are aligned;
• and
• wherein the other of the pair of emitter electrodes, the other of the pair of focus electrodes and the collector electrode are aligned.