Glove box filter system

Details Glove box filter system Glove box filter system

1999-08-25

2001-05-22

Smith, Duane S. (Department: 1724)

Gas separation

With recycle means

C055S385200, C055S481000, C055SDIG001

Reexamination Certificate

active

06235072

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter system for use with a glove box. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a glove box filter system for removing contaminants from an environment contained in a glove box.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the development of new materials used for photonics and electronics applications, the level of impurity contamination must be kept at extremely low levels, e.g. at levels below a few parts per billion. This imposes stringent requirements on particulate control in the rooms and chambers used in preparing infrared waveguide glass materials such as fluoride, telluride and chalcogenide glasses, materials which are prepared in bulk batch processes in controlled atmosphere glove boxes. The removal of all particulates from the work area, i.e. from a glove box chamber, is essential for the efficient manufacturing of high quality optical materials. Glass processing is an intrinsically particle generating process because, during the processing of glass-type materials, the work space in the glove box typically becomes contaminated with broken glass pieces and starting powder materials. Existing HEPA vacuum cleaners fail to provide adequate particle removal and filtration because, in any instances, dry oxygen gas is used as a background gas to avoid reduction of the hot glass. The dry oxygen causes deterioration of the carbon brushes used in presently available commercial vacuum cleaners, thereby generating detrimental dust in the interior glove box environment. Such dust is also generated from the use of dry argon or nitrogen.
Accordingly, a filter system for a glove box is needed for use in the preparation of highly sensitive materials, such as glass materials which are susceptible to contamination from particulates above a few parts per billion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a filter system for use in removing particles from a glove box environment contained in a glove box having an inlet and an outlet. The inventive filter system includes a flexible arm connectable to the glove box outlet for removing gas from the glove box. The arm feeds the removed gas to a first filter stage having a chamber which houses a first removable and changeable filter for filtering particles from the removed gas. A circulation conduit receives the filtered gas from the first filter stage and provides it to a second filter stage connectable to the glove box inlet. The second filter stage fine-filters particles from the gas in the circulation conduit before returning the gas to the glove box environment. A blower is connected to the circulation conduit for causing the gas to flow through the glove box inlet and outlet. One or more valves are provided for isolating the first filter stage from the glove box environment during changing of the first filter to prevent particles in the first filter and in the chamber housing the first filter from entering the glove box environment.
In a preferred embodiment, a vacuum conduit is connected to the first filter stage chamber for removing particles from the chamber during replacement of the first filter in the first filter stage.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4249463 (1981-02-01), Hornby
patent: 4704951 (1987-11-01), Pruchon
patent: 4927438 (1990-05-01), Mears et al.
patent: 5316560 (1994-05-01), Krone-Schmidt et al.
patent: 5522767 (1996-06-01), Bertsche et al.
patent: 5711705 (1998-01-01), Krainak et al.
patent: 5730765 (1998-03-01), Henry et al.
patent: 5730777 (1998-03-01), Petersen et al.
patent: 5997399 (1999-12-01), Szatmary

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