Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-11
2001-07-31
Sells, James (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S073100, C156S176000, C156S267000, C156S269000, C156S290000, C156S292000, C156S522000, C156S580100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267832
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to framed flow-through media containing unit filters and more particularly to a method and apparatus for the automated manufacture of such unit filters.
A number of types of flow-through unit filters which include flow-through frame members with filter media extending across the flow-through frame opening for filtering fluid filters are generally well known in the art, as are the methods and apparatus for manufacturing the same. Automated filter unit manufacture also is known in the art, attention being directed to U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,609, issued to Scott L. Sanders on Jun. 1, 1993, wherein a pocket type unit filter with a frame inserted into the pocket is automatically produced with select pocket seams thereof being ultrasonically welded during the continuous automated manufacturing process, this patent acknowledging that the use of ultrasonic welding techniques are generally well known in fabric production.
The present invention provides a new, useful and unobvious automated manufacturing method and apparatus for manufacturing unit flow-through fluid filters which are of a type particularly useful for treating gas flow streams such as air to remove particulate matter therefrom. The present invention provides a unique way for assembling unit flow-through filter frames to one or more sheets of continuously fed filter media, placing and holding the frames in preselected position and for a preselected distance together with the one or more continuously moving sheet or sheets of filter media and then ultrasonically welding the continuously moving frame and media assembly together in tight fashion along the unit frame perimeters prior to the automatic severance of each media covered flow-through unit frame from the continuous process arrangement.
The present invention accomplished the unique process with a unique arrangement which is straight-forward and economical, requiring a minimum of space, operating steps and operational parts and at the same time assuring positive holding and positioning on unit frames assembled in a spaced continuous manner with one or more tightly welded or fused sheets of filter media. Further, the present invention recognizes and utilizes preselected and treated flow-through materials so as to provide for the unique holding and aligning of the frames in assembled relation with the filter media and to subsequently detect and ultrasonically weld the assembled filter media covered unit frames along the entire frame periphery. In addition, the present invention provides for a novel manner of treating and spacing filter medium in a unit frame, if so elected to do so.
It is to be understood that various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
More particularly, the present invention provides for automatedly manufacturing unit filters, each unit including a frame defining opening with filter media extending thereacross comprising: continuously feeding at lease one preselectively sized first sheet of filter medium from a supply zone to a correspondingly sized unit flow-through frame supply zone, the frame supply zone including stacked unit frames with each unit frame defining a flow-through opening and cooperative unit frame holding and alignment means, the stacked unit frames and holding and alignment means being further cooperative with the continuously fed sheet of filter medium to selectively hold and align and position each unit frame into cooperatively assembled relation with the continuously fed sheet of filter medium for a preselected distance so that the filter medium extends across the flow-through opening of each of the spaced flow-through unit frames; continuously feeding the aligned and assembled flow-through frames and filter media to a sealing zone to seal the filter media to the periphery of each of the assembled unit flow-through frames; and; removing the assembled filter media sealed flow-through frames from the continuous process arrangement.
In addition, the present invention provides for unique apparatus for manufacturing unit filters comprising: a motorized upstream supply zone feed means to feed filter medium as a continuous filter sheet or layer from a supply roll disposed therein to a downstream framing zone; a filter framed stacker means disposed in the downstream framing zone to sequentially feed flow-through unit filter frames to one face of the continuous filter sheet or layer; a filter frame holding and alignment means to hold and align each of the flow-through unit filter frames on the filter medium sheet or layer in a preselected, spaced position on the filter medium sheet or layer for a preselected distance while covering the flow-through opening; sonic sealing means to seal the filter medium sheet or layer to the surrounding peripheral edges of each filter unit frame; and, control means to sequence successive operation of the sheet or layer feed means, stacker means, holding and alignment means and sealing means.
In addition, the present invention provides for the unique selection of magnetizable frame units to enhance the magnetic holding and alignment of such frame units for assembly operations and for the further detection and sonic welding of the assembled units.
It is to be understood that various changes can be made by one skilled in the art in one or more of the several steps of the novel method disclosed herein and in one or more of the several parts of the novel apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5215609 (1993-06-01), Sanders
patent: 5238474 (1993-08-01), Kahlbaugh et al.
patent: 5846360 (1998-12-01), Gil
patent: 5968373 (1999-10-01), Choi
patent: 6159316 (2000-12-01), Holt et al.
AAF International
Polster Lieder Woodruff & Lucchesi
Sells James
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