KR-20260068034-A - STEP-EMBEDDED ENTRANCE DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME

KR20260068034AKR 20260068034 AKR20260068034 AKR 20260068034AKR-20260068034-A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stepped embedded entrance dust collection system and a method of operating the same, characterized by utilizing a stepped space formed between a lower section, where shoes are removed at an apartment entrance, and a higher section, which is the indoor floor. The system includes a suction grille formed on the vertical surface of the stepped section to suck in external air and foreign substances, a flow chamber installed embedded in a hollow space below the floor of the higher section and communicating with the suction grille, a blower motor providing suction force to the flow chamber, and a discharge path for discharging the sucked air and foreign substances to the outside of the hollow space. Depending on the embodiment, at least one of a filter section, a cyclone unit, a wet scrubber, an electrostatic dust collector, a photocatalytic purification section, a piezoelectric harvesting section, an air curtain, an IoT communication section, and an AI user identification section may be selectively combined, and the system may be provided in the form of a post-installation module for interlocking with a building ventilation system or for remodeling. Furthermore, the present invention provides a stepwise differential suction force operation method comprising a user detection step, an active dust collection step, a subsequent dust collection step, and a maintenance step. Accordingly, it blocks the entry of foreign substances into the interior at the generation stage without encroaching on the effective area of the residential space, and simultaneously provides energy efficiency based on the source-based capture principle, capture efficiency based on gravity-matched flow, and spatial efficiency based on structural spatial redefinition.

Inventors

안범주

Assignees

안범주

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20260424

Claims (20)

In a smart home clean system utilizing a step space formed between a lower section for removing shoes at the entrance of an apartment and a higher section of the indoor floor, A suction grille formed on the vertical surface of the above step to suck in external air and foreign substances; A flow chamber embedded in the hollow space below the floor of the above-mentioned high section, communicating with the suction grille section to allow sucked air and foreign substances to pass through; A blower motor that provides suction force to the above-mentioned fluid chamber; A discharge channel connected to the downstream side of the above-mentioned flow chamber for discharging the inhaled air and foreign substances to the outside of the above-mentioned hollow space, Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 1, A control module further comprising a control module that detects the entry of a user into the above-mentioned entrance area and controls the above-mentioned blower motor. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 2, The above control module is characterized by being configured to automatically operate the blower motor at predetermined time intervals to periodically remove foreign matter accumulated in the lower section through the suction grille. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 1, A filter unit further comprising a filter unit mounted at the rear of the intake grille unit and filtering foreign substances in the air sucked in through the intake grille unit. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 1, The above-mentioned exhaust path includes a connection part communicating with the exhaust line of a forced ventilation system already installed in the building, and is characterized in that air and foreign substances sucked in through the intake grille part are not recirculated into the indoor space but are discharged to the outside of the building via the forced ventilation system. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 1, A cyclone unit is disposed inside the above-mentioned flow chamber to impart centrifugal force to the air flowing in from the intake grille, and the cyclone unit is characterized by including a foreign matter collection section in which centrifugally separated foreign matter accumulates by gravity, and an exhaust port that guides the air from which foreign matter has been separated to the discharge path. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 6, The inner wall of the above-mentioned cyclone unit is characterized by having at least one of a low-friction coating layer that reduces the friction coefficient and an antistatic layer that prevents static electricity accumulation, thereby suppressing foreign substances separated by centrifugation from adhering to the inner wall. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 6, The above foreign matter collection unit is characterized by being formed as a drawer structure that can be pulled out to the outside of the hollow space through an opening formed in either the horizontal or vertical plane of the step. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 1, The above-described flow chamber comprises a water tank portion for receiving water and a gas-liquid contact portion for bringing air introduced from the intake grille portion into contact with the water in the water tank portion, characterized in that foreign substances and odor components in the air are captured in the water. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 9, A dehumidification unit is further disposed on the downstream side of the above-mentioned flow chamber to condense or absorb and remove moisture from the air passing through the above-mentioned gas-liquid contact part, and at least one of a silver ion-emitting electrode and a UV-C light source is disposed in the above-mentioned water tank to sterilize microorganisms remaining in the stored water. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In a stepped embedded dust collection module that can be subsequently installed in the stepped space between the lower and upper sections formed in the entrance of an existing building, A front cover formed with a shape that aligns with the vertical plane of the above step and has an intake grille portion formed thereon; A main body housing having an external shape that can be inserted into the hollow space below the bottom of the upper section and having a fluid chamber formed inside that communicates with the suction grille section; A blower motor disposed within the main body housing and providing suction force to the fluid chamber; and Characterized by including a flexible exhaust duct extending from the main body housing and optionally connectable to the outside of the hollow space or a ventilation duct of a building, and installed embedded in the stepped space without involving the removal of the flooring and structure of the entrance. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection module.
In Article 1, The above-described intake grille comprises a plurality of louvers arranged to be inclined downward toward the lower section with respect to the normal direction of the vertical plane of the step, and the plurality of louvers are configured to provide directionality of the intake airflow toward the surface of the shoe placed on the lower section and the boundary area of the bottom surface of the lower section, so that the intake airflow acts intensively on the sole and side of the shoe. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 2, A pressure sensing unit for detecting the user's foot load is disposed on the upper surface of the lower section, and the control module preemptively operates the blower motor during the dwell time during which the user's shoe removal is expected, starting from the point when the pressure sensing unit detects a load exceeding a predetermined threshold, so that dust collection on the lower section is performed before the user moves to the upper section. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 2, A dust sensor that detects the concentration of fine dust in the air by a light scattering method or an optical method is disposed in at least one of the upstream side of the intake grille and the interior of the flow chamber, and the control module is characterized by variably controlling at least one of the rotational speed and operating duration of the blower motor in proportion to the dust concentration detected by the dust sensor. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 2, A capacitive or optical moisture sensor is disposed in the entrance area to detect the moisture content of shoes placed on the lower section, and a heating unit is disposed in the flow chamber or the branch of the discharge path to heat the sucked air, and the control module is characterized by switching to a hot air circulation drying mode in which, when moisture exceeding a predetermined reference value is detected by the moisture sensor, the heating unit is activated so that the heated air is discharged to the upper part of the lower section and then re-sucked into the suction grille section. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 1, A photocatalytic coating layer containing titanium dioxide is formed on at least a portion of the inner wall of the above-mentioned fluid chamber, and a UV-C LED or UV-A LED that emits ultraviolet rays in the activation wavelength band of the above-mentioned photocatalytic coating layer is disposed inside the above-mentioned fluid chamber, characterized in that volatile organic compounds, bacteria, and viruses contained in the inhaled air are oxidatively decomposed by the above-mentioned photocatalytic reaction. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 2, A piezoelectric harvesting unit that converts displacement caused by a user's walking load into electrical energy is disposed on at least one of the floor portions of the lower portion and the upper portion, and the electrical energy generated by the piezoelectric harvesting unit is supplied to a standby state maintenance circuit of the control module and at least one of the sensors disposed in the entrance area, so that standby power and sensor driving power are independently secured without additional installation of commercial power lines. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 4, An air curtain discharge port is formed at the upper corner portion of the step that discharges downward toward the lower portion, and at least a portion of the air purified by passing through the filter portion is ejected downward along the vertical plane of the step through the air curtain discharge port to form an airflow barrier that blocks the contaminated air layer formed at the lower portion from spreading into the indoor area of the upper portion. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 2, The above control module includes a communication unit that wirelessly communicates with at least one of an external weather information server and an atmospheric environment information server, and receives at least one of a fine dust concentration in a residential area, yellow dust occurrence information, and a pollen concentration index through the communication unit, and is characterized by automatically switching to an adaptive operation profile that shortens the periodic operating interval of the blower motor or increases the suction power during the period when the received index exceeds a predetermined reference value. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.
In Article 2, The control module comprises a user identification unit for identifying a user in the entrance area and a machine learning model for determining a dust collection operation profile corresponding to the identified user, wherein the user identification unit comprises at least one of an image sensor, a directional microphone, a shoe recognition sensor, and a smart device identification module, and wherein the machine learning model takes the identified user's past return time, time spent outside, and shoe type history as input to determine the suction power, operation duration, and whether to apply a hot air drying mode to the user. Step-mounted built-in entrance dust collection system.

Description

Step-embedded entrance dust collection system and method of operating the same The present invention relates to a dust collection system installed in the entrance of a residential building and a method of operating the same. More specifically, it relates to a stepped-type entrance dust collection system and a method of operating the same, which fundamentally blocks the spread of pollutants into the indoor space by utilizing a stepped space formed between a lower section where shoes are removed at the entrance and a higher section forming the indoor floor, thereby actively capturing foreign substances and fine dust in the air that flow in from or accumulate on the lower section. With increasing interest in Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), various technologies are being developed to reduce fine dust, ultrafine dust, and various airborne pollutants in residential spaces. In particular, numerous studies on indoor environments have reported that a significant proportion of foreign substances enter indoors attached to clothing, shoes, and personal belongings worn by residents during their return home; these substances are known to resuspend in the indoor air and cause respiratory diseases. Conventionally, to address the aforementioned problem, various methods have been proposed, including: first, placing an air purifier indoors to filter out pollutants already present; second, laying mats at the entrance to remove foreign substances attached to shoe soles; and third, adapting large air shower booths used in commercial facilities to spray high-pressure air onto the resident's entire body. However, the air purifier method removes pollutants retrospectively after they have already diffused indoors, making it impossible to avoid exposure to contamination during the diffusion process. The mat method is merely a passive, static capture method that fails to effectively capture fine particles and entails the inconvenience of requiring regular washing or replacement. Furthermore, the full-body air shower method requires a separate booth space, posing significant spatial and cost constraints for application in typical residential spaces. Meanwhile, in many countries including South Korea, the entrances of residential apartments or multi-unit dwellings typically have a step difference ranging from about 10 cm to 30 cm between the lower section, where residents put on and take off shoes, and the upper section, which forms the indoor floor surface. While this step structure partially serves to physically delay the entry of dirt and dust from shoes into the interior, the vertical surface of the step and the space beneath the upper section floor essentially remain as dead volumes in the architectural design and are not functionally utilized. In addition, conventional indoor air purification devices have the disadvantage of consuming a large amount of airflow energy because they must process the entire volume of air in the indoor space, and the main body of the device is exposed indoors, encroaching on the effective area of the living space. Furthermore, conventional devices, which rely on active operation by the resident, have the problem that they are not activated in a timely manner when pollution actually enters, such as when returning home, and are frequently left in a non-operational state or have user operation omitted. Accordingly, there is a growing demand for a dust collection system that captures foreign substances in the spatial and temporal proximity where pollutants enter, linked to the resident's return from the entrance, without eroding the effective area of the residential space or impairing the aesthetics through buried installation, and furthermore, allows for the selective application of various dust collection methods such as filters, cyclones, wet scrubbers, and electrostatic precipitators as needed. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a stepped embedded entrance dust collection system according to one embodiment of the present invention installed in an apartment entrance. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken along the line AA' of Figure 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a stepped embedded entrance dust collection system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the combined relationship of the intake grille, flow chamber, blower motor, and exhaust path. Figure 5 is a front view of the intake grille portion formed on the vertical surface of the step and a partial enlarged view of the shape of the grille opening. Figure 6 is an airflow diagram illustrating the flow path of air and foreign substances from the intake grille to the exhaust path. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the detailed configuration of a control module according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a timing chart illustrating the time change of the blower motor output according to user entry detection