Gas separation – Combined or convertible
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-07
2001-07-17
Simmons, David A. (Department: 1724)
Gas separation
Combined or convertible
C055S471000, C055S473000, C055S486000, C055S489000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261332
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to air filtration devices and more specifically to an air filtration system adapted for use with a bed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Current air filtration devices for use in the home generally are stand alone units having a single enclosure containing one or more filters through which air is drawn and from which the filtered air exits radially at high speeds. These devices are rated, based on the amount and rate at which air is filtered, as cubic feet per minute (CFM). Using a standard size room as a basis, a rating for an air filter is usually given as “room air changes per hour” which is derived from the CFM ratio. However, despite the suggestion that all the air in a room is cleaned several times per hour, only the air exiting from the device is truly clean. For illustration, unfiltered air, being drawn towards the air intake port, is continuously contaminating the filtered air exiting from the same device. Therefore, even if one of these currently available filtration devices is placed in a bedroom, a person sleeping in a bed in the room is not actually breathing clean, filtered air, but rather is breathing air that is only somewhat cleaner than air that is wholly unfiltered.
Moreover, current filtration devices are highly inefficient because, as single, stand alone units, at least some of the filtered air exiting radially from these devices is being drawn directly back into the intake ports. Location of the device then becomes an important factor with current devices. Rather than cleaning all the air in a given room, these devices tend to inefficiently refilter the same air in a portion of the room over and over again. Although these devices can be placed alongside or at the foot of a bed, they do not deliver truly clean air to someone lying in the bed. Unless a room is air tight, which virtually all rooms are not, air borne contaminants are constantly being replenished by outside, unfiltered air.
Furthermore, the ability of these devices to clean more air at a faster rate is dependent on the power and speed of the fans employed in the devices. Thus the noise level of these fans, especially with the larger units, renders these devices unsuitable for use while a person is sleeping. In addition, dust mites and other allergens associated with mattresses, pillows and bed linens may not be filtered at all by current filtration devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide an air filtration device which delivers filtered air directly to the head area of a person lying down in a bed.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an air filtration device adapted for use with a bed that is more efficient than previous air filtration systems.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an air filtration device capable of drawing and filtering dust mites and other allergens from the mattress, box spring, pillows and/or bed linens.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an air filtration device that requires less horsepower than previous devices, thus a device that is quieter and more suited to use while a person is sleeping.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an air filtration device capable of delivering filtered air directly to a person sleeping in a bed immediately after the device is actuated.
The filtration system of the invention is the result of efforts to design an efficient air filter which specifically directs clean, filtered air to the head area of a person sleeping in bed. The invention is intended for use with all types of standard beds. The invention is intended to provide relief to a person who suffer from air borne allergens while the person sleeps. The device is designed to fill the gap between the mattress/box spring and the headboard. The device is held in place by a tab which is pinched between the mattress and the box spring. The invention may also be used in connection with a mattress which sits on a bedboard rather than on a box spring.
The invention is designed to provide quiet, efficient relief by locating the intake port, fan and motor underneath the bed in a sound deadening enclosure. Filtered air is pushed at a plenum located between the bed and the headboard. The filter air effectively envelopes a person lying in the bed with clean air. Since the intake port is located under the bed and the filtered air exits away from the intake port and is directed at a sleeping person's head, the design is substantially more efficient than previous designs. The design is more efficient because the filtered air is not drawn immediately back into the intake port as it exits, less filtered air is needed because the air is directed at the user's head and less horsepower is needed to drive the fan because less air is needed.
In addition, there is no recovery period and relief begins immediately. There is also no need to clean all the air in the room prior to sleep, there is no need to maintain scrupulously clean carpets, drapes or bed linens, and doors and windows may be left open.
A preferred embodiment of the air filtration system of the invention which is adapted to filter contaminants and is intended for use with a bed having a head area, comprises: one or more air intake ports adapted to be located under the bed; one or more fans adapted to be located under the bed and downstream of the intake port; a first air filter downstream of the intake port; and one or more conduits, downstream of the air intake port, at least one of which is capable of transporting ail filtered by the first filter towards one or more air outlet ports located proximate the head area. The system may further comprise a second filter downstream of the first filter, wherein at least one of the conduits is preferably located between the first filter and the second filter, wherein the first filter is capable of filtering at least gross contaminants and wherein the second filter is a low pore size filter. At least one of the conduits is preferably a plenum located between the first filter and the second filter.
If the bed with which the system is used includes at least one mattress which sits on a box spring or a bedboard, the system may further comprise: an upper housing in which at least one of the outlet ports is disposed; and a support means, to maintain the upper housing proximate the head area of the bed, of which at least a portion of the support means is capable of being inserted and held between the mattress and the box spring or the bedboard. The system may also comprise a lower housing in which at least one of the intake ports, at least one of the fans, and the first filter are disposed, wherein at least one of the conduits transports air from the lower housing to the upper housing. Similar a second filter may be used having a low pore size, such as a HEPA filter, and disposed in the upper housing. At least one of the conduits is preferably a plenum located between the first filter and the second filter. The bed may also include a headboard, in which case, the upper housing may be adapted to be maintained between the mattress and the headboard.
Another preferred embodiment of the air filtration system of the invention which is adapted to filter contaminants and is intended for use with a bed having a head area, comprises: one or more air intake ports adapted to be located under the bed; one or more prefilters downstream of the intake ports for removing at least gross contaminants; one or more fans downstream of the prefilter and adapted to be located under the bed; one or more low pore size filters downstream of the prefilter; and one or more plenums, located between the prefilter and the low pore size filter, capable of transporting air from the prefilter to the filter and adapted to direct filtered air to the head area. Similar to the first described preferred embodiment, the system may be used with a bed which includes it least one mattress which sits on a box spring or a bedboard. With such a bed, the system preferably further comprises a
Dingman Brian M.
Hopkins Robert A.
Richard Bernard J.
Simmons David A.
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