Dyson unveils next-generation air purifier

The Pure Cool has a 360-degree filter

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Not content with vacuums and fans, Dyson is expanding into the realm of air purification with its Pure Cool purifier fan, which was unveiled today. Building on the company's Air Multiplier technology, it's designed to capture ultrafine particles, which are a major component of air pollution. To learn more, Gizmag talked to Dyson engineer Robert Green.

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According to Green, the Pure Cool is aimed initially at Asian markets, such as China, where air pollution is a major problem. We tend to think of air pollution as being either gases like carbon monoxide, or large, obvious solids, like soot, but it's the microscopic particles suspended in the atmosphere that are among the biggest hazards. That's because ultrafine particles can penetrate the lung's membranes and cause major damage to the cardiopulmonary system.

Green admits that the Pure Cool isn't the first air purifier on the market. In fact, purifiers are major sellers in Asia, but he claims that the Dyson purifier is one up because of the technology crossover from the company's other products.

"The filtration system in an air purifier is not that dissimilar to the HEPA filters that you'll see in a vacuum cleaner," says Green. "So it was a logical step for us to take that technology from our vacuum cleaner and apply it to our Air Multiplier range to give us this purifier product."

The Dyson Pure Cool looks very similar to the company's bladeless fans, but it differs in that it includes a 360-degree glass HEPA filter to trap ultrafine particles. The filter is made of borosilicate microfibers set in a "bird's nest" design with a wrap-around configuration to provide a much larger surface area than previous filters of similar size.

Behind this borosilicate filter is an active carbon layer to remove odors, fumes, and vapors and, unlike other systems, this active layer is an integral part of the replaceable filter. Green says that this integrated design is a first and produces a more efficient filter that only needs replacing once every 12 months. He adds that Dyson has made this economically viable thanks to piggybacking on the company's vacuum cleaner manufacturing and supply infrastructure.

In a press release, Dyson says that the Pure Cool removes 99.95 percent of ultrafine particles as small as 0.1 microns and that is was put through a series of tests, including the smoke from 228 cigarettes, and still maintained performance.

In addition, the Pure Cool is capable of handling any size room, though larger spaces require longer filtration times. Green says that the current unit can filter a 13 sq m (140 sq ft) room in about 25 minutes.

The Dyson Pure Cool is available in Japan and China and will roll out in other markets later this year. No price has been set yet.

Source: Dyson

Dyson Expands Into Air Purifiers

An illustration of air purifier Dyson Pure Cool

 

Dyson Ltd.

Dyson Ltd., the British maker of bagless vacuum cleaners and bladeless fans, plans to use its flair for finding the unconventional in conventional appliances to expand into a new area: air purifiers.

Dyson Pure Cool fans will be available first in Japan, where the company has a strong brand profile and consumers are willing to pay a premium for the highest quality products, on April 28.

Its main selling point: Dyson engineers say their latest product can catch PM0.1, a particle that is much smaller than its more famous cousin PM2.5. While Japanese appliance makers already offer a wide range of air purifiers capable of catching substances as small as PM0.1, Dyson claims its product is more efficient.

In Japan, air purifiers have become a common household item as a great number of people suffer from hay fever in the spring and there are growing worries about yellow dust flying over from China. According to research firm Euromonitor International, Japan’s air purifier market has expanded by more than three times over the past 14 years, and is expected to keep growing. Sharp Corp. is the market leader, holding almost half of the market, followed by Panasonic Corp. and Daikin Industries Ltd.

Dyson has been selling its ultra-quiet bladeless fans in Japan since 2010, but the pricey fans have yet to gain a solid foothold in the world’s third-largest economy. That compares with Dyson’s vacuum business, which is a rare example of a foreign consumer electronics maker making a success in the country that is home to many global electronics brands. Its DC-vacuum series has the fifth-largest share in Japan in terms of volume, and Dyson is the only first-tier vacuum provider in the country whose sales have increased over the past few years, Euromonitor data show.

At a news conference Tuesday, Dyson also said it would open its first directly managed store in Tokyo’s ritzy Omotesando neighborhood, where many Italian and French luxury brands have flagship stores.

For Dyson, Japan is its second-largest market after the U.S. and it says–as a sign of respect–that Tokyo is where it has unveiled its new products globally in recent years.

While release dates or pricing for other markets have not yet been announced, the Dyson Pure Cool will retail for ¥65,000 ($535).