The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 21, 2013
Filed:
Aug. 13, 2010
Michael S. June, Raleigh, NC (US);
Chunjian NI, Durham, NC (US);
Mark E. Steinke, Durham, NC (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
An air moving apparatus includes an axial fan and an electrostatic device. The axial fan has a rotatable shaft defining a central axis of the axial fan, a plurality of blades secured to the shaft, and an air inlet opening. The electrostatic device is disposed immediately upstream of the air inlet opening of the axial fan, and includes a collector and an emitter. In one embodiment, the electrostatic device includes a cylindrical collector coupled to ground and has a central axis aligned with the central axis of the axial fan. The electrostatic device further includes a plurality of emitter wires coupled to a terminal of a direct current source and extending lengthwise within the cylindrical collector. During operation of the axial fan, the application of an electrical potential between an emitter and a collector causes ionic air movement radially outwardly away from a central axis of the axial fan.