Gas separation – Combined or convertible
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-07
2003-08-26
Smith, Duane (Department: 1724)
Gas separation
Combined or convertible
C055S503000, C055S504000, C055S505000, C454S154000, C454S158000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06610116
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to fluid filters. The present invention relates more particularly to an air filter system for mitigating the exposure of an airline passenger to undesirable airborne particulate and/or chemical substances.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modern passenger aircraft, such as commercial jet airliners, commonly include a passenger support unit (PSU) located generally above each passenger's seat. The PSU typically includes a reading light, an air supply nozzle and an emergency oxygen mask for each passenger. The air supply nozzle facilitates control of the quantity and direction of air provided to the passenger.
Such contemporary air supply nozzles are typically adjusted by the passenger, so as to direct a stream of air upon the passenger's face and/or torso. This stream of air is refreshing and is intended to enhance the comfort of the passenger.
Although such contemporary air supply nozzles do typically enhance the comfort of a passenger during flight, such contemporary air supply nozzles suffer from inherent deficiencies which tend to detract from their overall utility. For example, the air flowing through an air supply nozzle and being directed toward the face of a passenger may contain undesirable airborne contaminants such as germs, dust and pollen.
The air circulation system of a commercial airliner typically has a particulate filter incorporated therein. However, such filters must be changed periodically in order to maintain their effectiveness. Although both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the aircraft manufacturer provide guidelines regarding the frequency with which aircraft air recirculation filters must be changed, there is no assurance that the airlines actually follow such guidelines.
Indeed, there is generally a substantial incentive for airline companies to disregard such guidelines, since more frequent filter replacement is costly, not only in terms of parts and labor but also in terms of the down time of the aircraft incurring such maintenance (during which the aircraft is clearly not contributing to the revenue of the airline).
There are documented cases of germs being transmitted among passengers during an airline flight. For example, in one incident reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six of 257 passengers contracted tuberculosis, presumably from a single inflected passenger aboard the airliner.
As a further example, an airliner containing one person who had the flu was known to sit on the ground for approximately three hours. Three days later, 38 of the 54 people aboard the aircraft had contracted the flu.
Anecdotal evidence of this sort is abundant. Moreover, it is not difficult to understand that when a number of people are crowded together into a comparatively small space, such as that afforded by a commercial airliner, airborne contagiums will tend to be transmitted from one passenger to another.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide an air filter system which mitigates the exposure of a passenger to undesirable airborne contaminants. More particularly, it is desirable to provide such an air filter system which is configured so that a passenger may install and utilize the air filter system personally, so as to assure the adequacy of the filtration afforded thereby.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above mentioned deficiencies associated with the prior art. More particularly, the present invention comprises an air filter system having a housing and a filter medium. The housing is configured to clamp to an air supply nozzle, such as that of a commercial airliner.
As discussed in detail below, the air supply gasper nozzles of different airliners vary considerably in their configuration or geometry. In order to enhance the utility of the present invention, the air filter system is configured so as to clamp onto a wide range of nozzle geometries utilizing a single embodiment thereof.
As used herein, the term clamp is defined to include attachment by urging together at least two generally opposed members of a first device (such as the air filter system of the present invention) so as to capture and grasp a second device (such as an air supply nozzle). Thus, according to the present invention, the term clamping includes grasping by a plurality of generally opposed fingers, as discussed in detail below. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various other structures are likewise suitable for effecting such clamping. For example, clamping may alternatively be accomplished via a common hose clamp-like device or via any other similar structure. Moreover, clamping is defined herein so as to apply to any type of device which applies a compressive force to another device, so as to attach the two devices to one another.
The housing may be configured to clamp to any desired type of air supply nozzle, as discussed in detail below. According to one aspect of the present invention, the housing is configured to clamp to the air supply nozzle of a commercial airliner, so as to provide air to a passenger of the airliner in a manner which mitigates the exposure of the passenger to undesirable airborne contaminants. Further, since the housing is configured to be clamped to the air supply nozzle by the passenger, the passenger is assured of the adequacy of the filtration afforded thereby. That is, the passenger is able to assure proper operation of the air filter system by performing the necessary filter medium changes, as needed.
The housing is configured to direct air from the air supply nozzle through the filter medium, so as to remove undesirable airborne contaminants. In this manner, the undesirable transmission of contagiums and substances associated with allergies may be mitigated. Further, a substantial portion of other undesirable airborne contaminants may be removed. Indeed, carbon, ion-exchange resin, or another desired chemical filter medium may be included so as to mitigate the presence of undesirable chemical substances such as fuel, oil, or hydraulic fluid fumes. Thus, according to the present invention, cleaner, more pure air is provided to a passenger so as to enhance the passenger's comfort during flight and also so as to mitigate health risks which might otherwise be present during the flight.
The filtered air stream from the air filter system can be utilized to force unwanted airborne contaminants away from the passenger's breathing space. Thus, germs from the surrounding passengers, cabin dust and mold from inside the cabin can all be forced away from the passenger by utilizing the filtered air stream.
Preferably, the air filter system of the present invention comprises a collet which is configured to clamp to the air supply nozzle of an airliner. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various other means for clamping the housing to the air supply nozzle are likewise suitable.
As used herein, the term collet is defined to include any generally encircling or collar-like band, ferrule, flange or other device which comprises a plurality of fingers or finger-like projections which are capable of moving inwardly, so as to grasp an air supply nozzle.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the collet comprises a plurality of elongated independently articulated fingers which are movable inwardly so as to grasp the air supply nozzle of a commercial airliner. The collet is preferably configured such that the fingers are movable inwardly so as to grasp a gasper nozzle of a commercial airliner. However, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, the collet may be configured such that the fingers thereof move inwardly so as to grasp any desired type of air supply nozzle.
A clamp sleeve preferably receives a portion of the housing and the clamp sleeve urges the plurality of fingers to move inwardly, so as to grasp the air supply nozzle, when the clamp sleeve is moved, e.g., when the clamp sleeve is rotated with respect to the housing. The
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Pham Minh-Chan T.
Smith Duane
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