US 12,070,781 B2
Automatic emitter point cleaners
Steven Bernard Heymann, Los Gatos, CA (US); Aleksey Klochkov, San Francisco, CA (US); Juan Guerrero, Berkeley, CA (US); Edward Anthony Oldynski, Martinez, CA (US); and Gee Kuen Chong, Union City, CA (US)
Assigned to Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed by Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed on Jan. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/151,878.
Application 18/151,878 is a continuation of application No. 17/009,347, filed on Sep. 1, 2020, granted, now 11,548,039.
Application 17/009,347 is a continuation of application No. 15/928,261, filed on Mar. 22, 2018, granted, now 10,758,947, issued on Sep. 1, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/476,144, filed on Mar. 24, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0173549 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. B08B 1/32 (2024.01); B08B 1/12 (2024.01); B08B 5/02 (2006.01); H01T 19/04 (2006.01); H01T 23/00 (2006.01)
CPC B08B 1/32 (2024.01) [B08B 1/12 (2024.01); B08B 5/02 (2013.01); H01T 19/04 (2013.01); H01T 23/00 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automatic emitter point cleaning system, comprising:
an emitter point configured to produce at least one of positive ions or negative ions within or proximate to an air path;
an emitter frame configured to hold the emitter point in or proximate to the air path;
a brush;
a motor coupled to the brush to actuate the brush to move past the emitter point;
a sensor configured to detect when the brush is in a predetermined position with respect to the emitter frame; and
a processor configured to control the motor to execute a cleaning process by moving the brush around the emitter frame and to determine the cleaning process is finished when the brush is in the predetermined position.