Contamination freeing work arrangement

Details Contamination freeing work arrangement Contamination freeing work arrangement

2002-01-16

2003-02-11

Boles, Derek (Department: 3749)

Ventilation

Workstation ventilator

Covered workbench chamber

C055S299000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06517429

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for removing contaminant materials from an air stream to be filtered and more particularly to a unique and novel arrangement for isolating a worker from direct contact with an object to be worked upon while contaminant particles from the work object are carried through a filtration area during work treating operations.
Contamination-freeing work stations have been long known in the filtration art, attention being directed to U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,061, issued to C. K. Hensick et al on Apr. 29, 1975, wherein an air stream is moved in an endless loop over a work surface with entrained contaminants being removed from the air stream. Attention is further directed to the grease collecting arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,882, issued to A. S. Kaufman on Jan. 29, 1991; to the clean air cabinet of U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,128, issued to M. D. Peters et al on Sep. 9, 1997; to the comparatively complex down flow, isolation work station with the upstream and downstream looped circuit, filtration arrangement in U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,705, issued to R. E. Kraniek, et al on Jan. 27, 1998 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,010, 400, issued to R. E. Krainiak et al on Jan. 4, 2000; and, to the duel control high pressure to low pressure dust settling arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,368 B1, issued to S. A. Bradbury et al on Jan. 23, 2001.
For the most part, the past known arrangements have been comparatively complex in construction, assembly and maintenance, often requiring a downdraft or rear-entry table which creates air currents resulting in low pressure areas with particulate matter being swept into an ambient user breathing zone.
The present invention provides a unique and novel unified arrangement wherein a worker positioned in an ambient area is isolated from a work area, insuring air pressure within such work area lower than ambient air pressures to prevent “back flow” into such isolated user breathing zones.
In accordance with the present invention, ambient air is caused to enter into a work station in the form of a low pressure laminar air stream and to exit through a high efficiency filtration arrangement and an air moving system which is located downstream of the filtration system. In addition, the present invention provides a unique and novel arrangement for accommodating detritus materials, which might otherwise accumulate in the work area and block particulate filtration during working operations.
Although the unified present invention has particular utility as a mail shelter to minimize the danger of airborne contamination, it can find a myriad of other uses where it would be desirable to work on an object in an area isolated from a worker who would be positioned in surrounding ambient space.
Upon reading the disclosure herein, it will be readily understood that the apparatus and method of the present invention is comparatively straightforward and economical in manufacture, assembly and usage, allowing ready apparatus portability, ready filter assembly, and requiring a minimum of space and parts, along with a minimum of operating steps in carrying out the unified novel method set forth herein.
Various other features of the present unified invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure herein.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
More particularly, the present invention provides a contamination freeing work structure positionable in ambient surroundings comprising: a first isolation chamber providing a work station therein sized to supportingly accommodate a work object to be handled by a worker positioned in ambient surroundings, the first chamber including a cover wall with a portion thereof being translucent and a portion thereof being movably attached to the cover wall to allow introduction of the work object into the work station chamber and to be subsequently closed therearound to be visible to the worker positioned in the ambient surroundings, the first chamber further including ambient air inlets to allow ambient air to pass therethrough and working port means having flexible glove means sealingly attached thereto to extend into the first chamber to permit such worker to handle the work object indirectly in sealed relation therefrom; a second chamber communicably connected downstream the first chamber, the second chamber having a flow-through particulate filter removably disposed therein; and, a third chamber connected to the second chamber, the third chamber including a blower and a clean air outlet connected to ambient for moving air through the first and second chambers maintaining said upstream chamber pressures below ambient pressure, filtering the air as it passes through the particulate filter in the second chamber to the clean air outlet in the third chamber. The present invention further provides a fourth chamber communicating with the first chamber to readily receive detritus material therefrom.
In addition, the present invention provides a unique and novel method of treating an isolated work supported object within ambient surroundings having sufficient space to accommodate at least one worker comprising: introducing the work object into a first enclosed slotted work supporting zone positioned in ambient surroundings, the first zone including means for an isolated worker to view and manipulate the work supported object in such first zone without direct contact and connected to a second filtration zone and a third air moving zone; and, actuating the air moving zone to draw air through the zones to provide air pressure in at least said first and second zones below ambient pressure surroundings.
It is to be understood that various changes can be made by one skilled in the art in one or more of the several parts and several steps of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the unified invention disclosed herein.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2067434 (1937-01-01), Charipar
patent: 3301167 (1967-01-01), Howard et al.
patent: 3880361 (1975-04-01), Hensiek et al.
patent: 3895570 (1975-07-01), Eagleson, Jr.
patent: 4102656 (1978-07-01), Koritz
patent: 4987882 (1991-01-01), Kaufman
patent: 5665128 (1997-09-01), Peters et al.
patent: 5711705 (1998-01-01), Krainak et al.
patent: 6010400 (2000-01-01), Krainak et al.
patent: 6176368 (2001-01-01), Bradbury et al.
patent: 6254653 (2001-07-01), Choi et al.
Ppgs 13.5-13.7, “1999 ASHRAE Applications Handbook” B10.

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