Ventilation – Workstation ventilator – Covered workbench chamber
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-07
2001-06-05
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3744)
Ventilation
Workstation ventilator
Covered workbench chamber
C454S187000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241598
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to dispensing stations for chemicals and the like. More particularly, it relates to methods and apparatus for providing a clean air working environment for operators who utilize or transfer chemicals and the like.
There is a great need to provide protection for these operators. Often, they work in local areas, known as dispensing or work stations, and care must be taken to keep the chemicals or other materials from airborne dispersion beyond the stations. Additionally, the operator must be protected from airborne dispersion of the material he or she is working with. For example, within the dispensing station there may be containers of chemicals and the like which are mixed with other chemicals, transferred to other containers, or loaded for transport. The mixing, transfer, weighing and/or loading operations, whether carried out manually or automatically, will create airborne particles against which the operator in the local station and other individuals in the environment must be protected.
One method of attempting to ensure operator safety is the use of contained suits, which provide their own breathing supply and apparatus. This provides local protection for the operator-he or she is totally isolated from the external environment. The use of these suits is cumbersome, however, and they are operator dependant, that is, the material cannot be manipulated, or in some cases the room where the transfer is occurring even entered, without a suit. Additionally, the material, whether chemical or other material, may simply not require the degree of protection that a contained suit provides. Thus, the use of a room planned around contained suit handling of materials may be unduly cumbersome for some materials.
Another alternative is the use of forced air circulating through the ceiling of the room in which the stations are located. This practice, often known as downflow, provides generalized protection to the room as whole. It lessens the chance of the room air below carrying airborne particles by developing an air pattern that directs the air toward exhaust panels.
This sort of generalized airflow, however, provides less than optimum protection. It fails to protect against local eddies or other local zones of recirculation that often carry airborne particles and occur within a dispensing station because of obstructions such as the operator's head and body or other causes such as operator movement. The local zones—with their attendant particle concentrations are especially of concern if they occur in the operator's breathing area, such as when the operator stands near the container or bends over the container when scooping materials from the container.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for the provision of local comfort zones in a dispensing station environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises method and apparatus for locally controlling and directing air flows about dispensing, work and other stations, and effectively providing local isolated zones by which airborne dispersion is kept to a minimum and away from the operator. These zoned air flows provide a localized breathing zone for the operator. This localized breathing zone includes a “face wash” separately generated from the air generally circulating in the room, and usually will include a local exhaust. The face wash, in most embodiments, is combined with other local air flows circulating above and/or about the operator at the station, and in the preferred embodiments the face wash and the local exhaust maximizes the control of any air contamination.
In other embodiments, additional local isolation zones may be provided by the use of physical enclosures at the dispensing station. These enclosures, which may or may not be removed as needed, provide yet a further barrier from airborne material being dispersed. If, in certain embodiments, it is desired to recirculate the air being used, or to cleanse the air before being exhausted, filters may be used.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3354495 (1967-11-01), Lawrence, III
A. E. Porteous et al., “Clean Air Station”,IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin,vol. 13, No. 6, Nov. 1970, pp. 1437 and 1438.
Joyce Harold
Kleisser Company
LandOfFree
Dispensing station for chemicals and the like does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Dispensing station for chemicals and the like, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Dispensing station for chemicals and the like will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2460772