Gas separation – With means securing or retaining separating media
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-10
2001-04-10
Simmons, David A. (Department: 1724)
Gas separation
With means securing or retaining separating media
C055S493000, C055S498000, C055S508000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06214077
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention involves a door assembly in general, and in particular, a door assembly utilized with an industrial dust collector.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In air filter assemblies commonly referred to as dust collector systems, filter cartridges are used to remove impurities from air that is drawn into a dirty-air chamber. Such air is drawn from various sources including fume and ventilation hoods used in various industrial applications such as welding and chemical and pharmaceutical processing.
Over a period of time, the filters used in the dust collector systems must be changed as they become clogged with dust. Given the need to maintain a substantially sealed interface between various air zones within the dirty-air chamber as well as the need to support the filters once they are placed in the chamber, a door assembly that would be easy to remove to allow for ease of access to the cartridge as well as transfer enough force along the axis of the filter to provide for constant sealing of the cartridges in place would be an important improvement in the art.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a new device for securing an elongated filter cartridge in a dirty-air chamber that overcomes some of the problems and shortcomings of the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new device for securing an elongated filter cartridge in a dirty-air chamber that allows for ease of handling by an operator.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new device for securing an elongated filter cartridge in a dirty-air chamber which applies constant pressure against the seal and is removable in one piece thereby allowing easy access to the filter cartridge.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new device for securing an elongated filter cartridge in a dirty-air chamber that allows for the use of the same style of filter cartridge on both the front and back filters in a multi-cartridge arrangement. How these and other objects are accomplished will become apparent from the following descriptions and from the drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention involves a device for securing an elongate filter cartridge in a dirty-air chamber. The dirty-air chamber is enclosed on all sides and has a door wall that includes a passageway or access opening. A rod extends from the passageway through the cartridge to the opposing end wall of the chamber where it is secured with respect to the end wall. The first end of the rod which extends through the passageway includes a securement feature. A cartridge having an end cover that forms an opening is inserted in the chamber around the rod. A mounting plate is engaged with the cover so as to substantially seal the cartridge opening. An outer door having an aperture through which the first end of the rod extends is engaged with the door wall so as to substantially seal the passageway. A spring assembly which is positioned about the rod connects the door to the mounting plate. The spring assembly includes a plurality of guide pins spaced around the rod. These guide pins have both a proximal and a distal end. Such pins are affixed at their proximal ends to either the door or the mounting plate. The distal end of the guide pins slideably extend through and are in substantially sealed engagement with the other of the door or mounting plate. Such distal ends are retained so as to prevent them from backing out of the sealed engagement. A compression spring extends between the door and mounting plate, and a holder is tightenably and removably engaged with the securement feature of the rod thereby applying a closing force along the rod and sealing the cartridge in position in the dirty-air chamber.
In one embodiment of the invention, a second filter cartridge of the same style as the first filter cartridge is aligned in registry with the first filter cartridge and adjacent to the second end cover of such first filter. In this embodiment, the rod extends through the second filter cartridge such that the second end of the rod is secured with respect to the end wall of the dirty-air chamber.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the door is circumscribed by an outer edge. At least one support is located on the outer door wall outside of the air chamber. This support is in contact with the outer edge of the door so as to help support the door. In one particular version of this embodiment, the support is mounted at the bottom of the door. In yet a more preferred version of such embodiment, the support is comprised of a plurality of guide pins that are equally spaced around the outer edge of the door. Such guide pins contact the outer edge where they not only support the door, but also act as a guide to assist the operator in positioning the door on the dirty-air chamber.
In still another preferred embodiment of the invention, the mounting plate, spring assembly, and outer door are joined together so as to form a single unit. This embodiment allows all of the components of the door assembly to be removed as one when the door is removed thereby greatly facilitating the changing of the filter cartridges.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the compression spring is positioned in the spring assembly so that one end is adjacent to an internal spacer that is in sealable engagement with the door while the other end is adjacent to a compression spring guide plate that is in sealable engagement with the mounting plate. In a particular version of such embodiment, a guide pin seal is located between the compression spring guide plate and the mounting plate and one of the ends of the guide pins extends through the compression spring guide plate, the guide pin seal, and the mounting plate.
In one embodiment of the invention, the filter cartridge has a first cross-dimension, the mounting plate has a second cross-dimension, and the door has a third cross-dimension. In such embodiment, the third cross-dimension is greater than the first cross-dimension which is greater than the second cross-dimension.
In still another embodiment, one of the ends of each of the guide pins has a hole through it that is in close proximity to the end. In such embodiment, a wire retainer is threaded through the hole in each guide pin in such a manner that it acts as a retainer thereby preventing the guide pins from backing out of their connection.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the filter cartridge is cylindrical although nothing in the invention precludes the cartridge from being in any one of a number of geometric shapes. Also in the preferred embodiment, the first end of the rod is threaded thus allowing the holder to be screwed onto the rod in order to secure the door.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4209310 (1980-06-01), Berkhoel
patent: 4735638 (1988-04-01), Ciliberti et al.
patent: 4822386 (1989-04-01), Duchesneau
patent: 5062872 (1991-11-01), Williams
patent: 5409512 (1995-04-01), Wilkerson et al.
patent: 5599364 (1997-02-01), Hawkins
patent: 5746796 (1998-05-01), Ambs et al.
patent: 5803954 (1998-09-01), Gunter et al.
patent: 5895510 (1999-04-01), Butler et al.
patent: 2181967 (1987-05-01), None
Bitner Glenn W.
Gerardi Michael T.
Wichlinski, Jr. Andrew J.
Jansson & Shupe & Munger Ltd.
Pham Minh-Chau T.
Simmons David A.
Venturedyne Ltd.
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