Ventilation – Having inlet airway – Including specific air distributor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2001-06-05
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3749)
Ventilation
Having inlet airway
Including specific air distributor
C055S505000, C454S307000, C454S313000, C454S320000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241603
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to ventilation systems and more particularly to those which utilize wall vents commonly used in residences.
The quality of ambient air conditions continues to deteriorate. The is vastly more pollutants and dust in the air today than there was only fifty years ago. These pollutants find their way into our dwellings and offices, and then into our lungs.
While air conditioning does assist in removing a large percentage of air-borne pollutants and dust, some still is communicated through the duct system into the living space.
Of even more concern is the use of evaporative coolers which rely upon exterior air and an air flow through the dwelling in order to cool the room. By drawing in the ambient air, the evaporative cooler also draws in the pollutants and dust and sent it to the resident via the ducts.
While the pollutants and dust, in most situations, merely increase the number of times that the room must be cleaned, for a great many people the pollutants and dust are not just an irritant but also diminish the quality of life that the resident enjoys. People with asthma, allergies, and a host of other respiratory problems often cannot live in a house cooled by an evaporative cooler.
To help diminish the negative health affects of evaporative coolers, often an in-line filter is used. While this filter does reduce the pollutants and dust delivered, typically the filter is placed near the evaporative cooler (usually at an inconvenient place) and/or is of such large mesh that it doesn't assist those with more pronounce respiratory problems.
It is clear that there is a need for an easy to use apparatus to cleanse the air being delivered to a residence.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention creates a filtering system which is secured to a traditional air register. In this context, the air register uses the accepted meaning, a grating over an air duct used to direct air-flow from the air duct.
The filter of this invention uses a flange adapted to encircle the outlet of the traditional air register. The air register usually has a shoulder area; it is this area where the filter is secured. For air registers which do not have a shoulder, the side walls are used to secure the filter.
Connected to the flange is an air filtering material which collects the dust and pollen at the air register, before the air enters the room. In this context, the flange (and sometimes an housing for the filter material) positions and secures the filter within the air flow from the air register. The air from the air register must pass through the filter, thereby cleaning the air before it ever enters the room.
In one embodiment of the invention, an electro-static charge is used by the filtering material to assist in the collection of the dust and pollen. Those of ordinary skill in the art readily recognize a variety of mechanisms to provide this electro-static charge, including, but not limited to, the techniques described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,107 issued on Mar. 10, 1998, to Dahringer and entitled “Non-wovens of electret fiber mixtures having an improved charge stability”, and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,474, issued to Ostreicher on Sep. 25, 1984, and entitled “Charge modified microporous membrane, process for charge modifying said membrane and process for filtration of fluid”, both of which are incorporated hereinto by reference.
In some embodiments of the invention, the use of a substrate to support the filtering material is employed. The substrate is ideally a “checkered” pattern which provides the support through the creation of small windows.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the filter material traps particulate matter which is greater than ten microns in size. Such filter material is commercially available from Fiberbond Corporation under the trademark of DUSTLOK or SPOR-AX.
Once in place, the filter collects dust and pollen to protect the user. To assist the user in determining when the filter system should be replaced, the air flow pushes a flag; hence as the air flow decreases as the filter becomes clogged, the location of the flag notifies the user that the air filter system should be replaced.
The air flow flutters the flag at varying heights depending upon the force of the air flow. In one embodiment of the invention, the top of the flag is one color (say red) while the bottom of the flag is another color (say blue). The user is able to visually check the flag, if the blue color is visible (indicating that the flag is being pushed upward by the air flow) then the filter is not clogged; but, if the visible color is red, the user knows that the air flow is being curtailed by the clogging of the filter and that the filter needs to be replaced.
The use of color indicia on the flag is only one technique. Another technique is to provide written instructions such as “OPERATING” and “REPLACE” on the two sides of the flag.
The filter should be easily secured to the air register and also easily removed when it must be replaced. While a hook-and-loop fastener is sometimes used to secure the filter to the air register, the preferred embodiment uses a releasable adhesive. Those of ordinary skill in the art readily recognize a variety of adhesives which will work in this context.
In this manner, the present invention provides for a filter which is affixable to an exterior portion of a ventilation register. Ideally, no tools are used to affix the filter; thereby, allowing the filters to be easily applied and changed.
In the preferred embodiment, the filters have adhesive backed wings which are secured to the periphery of the registers face and side walls. Once properly secured to the register, all of the air flow must pass through the filter in order to enter the room.
Since individual registers are covered by the filters, a variety of filters having different properties are provided. This allows the filtration process to be as coarse or fine as the resident requires. As example, in a bedroom where a person with pronounce respiratory conditions lives, the filtering of the air flow is comparable to a HEPA filter; while in another room, the filtration removes only suspended dust particles.
In some embodiments of the invention, the filters are secured to the register using a hook-and-loop attachment mechanism. In this embodiment, a hook component of the fastener is affixed to the periphery of the register while the loop component of the fastener is provided with the filter.
Ideally the filters are manufactured to be disposable and are flame retardant. Also, ideally the filters do not contain any glass fibers which could be entrained in the air-flow and inhaled by the occupants.
In one embodiment of the invention, a cardboard grating is provided for the user to apply on the outside of the filter. This cardboard grating has adjustable louvers so that the user is able to direct the flow of air exiting the filter towards various locations with the room.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 35236 (1996-05-01), Nolen, Jr.
patent: 450322 (1891-04-01), Segal
patent: 1801949 (1931-04-01), Broudy et al.
patent: 1975686 (1934-10-01), Froelich
patent: 2222081 (1940-11-01), Leigh
patent: 4313560 (1982-02-01), Stiles
patent: 5525145 (1996-06-01), Hodge
patent: 5720660 (1998-02-01), Benedetto et al.
patent: 5863310 (1999-01-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5947815 (1999-09-01), Danforth
Joyce Harold
Milczarek-Desai Gavin J.
Ogram Mark E.
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