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US 10,518,207 B2Granted
Automatic air filter with enhanced air flow filtering area
AssigneeAutomatic Air, LLC
InventorsJames Eric Taylor, Scott Edward Morehouse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air filter system in accordance with the present invention includes a filter housing that defines an airflow channel. A supply roll of a filter medium, and a take-up roll for receiving the filter medium from the supply roll are positioned parallel to each other in the airflow channel. A plurality of wire mesh diverter-screens are positioned between the supply roll and the take-up roll to establish a tortuous path for statically positioning the filter medium across the airflow channel. Periodically, the take-up roll can be rotated to draw replacement filter medium into position on the tortuous path.
Claims19
An air filter which comprises:
- a filter housing defining an airflow channel and a filter plane, wherein the airflow channel has a narrowed entry and a relatively wider exit, and wherein the filter plane is oriented perpendicular to the direction of air flowing through the airflow channel of the filter housing;
- a supply roll of a filter medium mounted on the filter housing in the airflow channel for rotation around a first axis;
- a take-up roll mounted on the filter housing in the airflow channel for rotation around a second axis, wherein the first axis of the supply roll and the second axis of the take-up roll are parallel and spaced apart from each other, and wherein the take-up roll is connected with the filter medium to receive and collect the filter medium from the supply roll;
- a pair of diverter-screens mounted on the filter housing in the airflow channel between the supply roll and the take-up roll to establish a tortuous path for the filter medium, wherein the tortuous path passes around the diverter-screens and crosses back and forth through the filter plane in the airflow channel to provide an enhanced surface area of filter medium across the airflow channel for filtering air as it moves through the airflow channel defined by the filter housing, wherein each diverter-screen is removable and is made of a porous wire mesh;
- and
- a motor for periodically rotating the take-up roll to advance the filter medium from the supply roll to the take-up roll, to present a replacement portion of the filter medium along the tortuous path established by the diverter-screens.
3 more elements
An air filter system which comprises:
- a filter housing for defining an airflow channel and a filter plane, wherein the airflow channel has a narrowed entry and a relatively wider exit, and wherein the filter plane is oriented perpendicular to the direction of air flowing through the airflow channel;
- a plurality of guide rollers and a pair of diverter-screens cooperate in combination to establish a tortuous path in the airflow channel, wherein the tortuous path crosses back and forth through the filter plane in the airflow channel, wherein each diverter-screen is removable and is made of a porous wire mesh;
- and
- a take-up roller for periodically advancing a filter medium along the tortuous path to provide an enhanced surface area of filter medium across the airflow channel for filtering air as it moves through the airflow channel.
1 more element
A method for employing an air filter system in a Heating-Ventilating-Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system which comprises the steps of;
- positioning a filter housing in the ducting of a Heating-Ventilating-Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system, wherein the filter housing defines an airflow channel and a filter plane, wherein the airflow channel has a narrowed entry and a relatively wider exit, and wherein the filter plane is oriented perpendicular to the direction of air flowing through the airflow channel of the filter housing, and the filter housing supports a supply roll of a filter medium mounted on the filter housing in the airflow channel for rotation around a first axis and a take-up roll mounted on the filter housing in the airflow channel for rotation around a second axis, wherein the first axis of the supply roll and the second axis of the take-up roll are parallel and spaced apart from each other, and wherein the take-up roll is connected with the filter medium to receive and collect filter medium from the supply roll, with a pair of diverter-screens mounted on the filter housing in the airflow channel between the supply roll and the take-up roll to establish a tortuous path for the filter medium, wherein the tortuous path passes around the diverter-screens and crosses hack and forth through the filter plane in the airflow channel, wherein each diverter-screen is removable and is made of a porous wire mesh;
- and
- periodically rotating the take-up roll to advance the filter medium from the supply roll to the take-up roll along the tortuous path to provide an enhanced surface area of filter medium across the airflow channel for filtering air as it moves through the airflow channel defined by the filter housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.