# US 11,305,227 B2 · Heated moisture pump having a differential valve area > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,227 B2 - Document ID: US11305227B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/336,252 - Filed: 2017-10-06 - Published: 2019-08-22 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-10-07 - Assignees: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. - Applicants: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. - Inventors: Earl Ball; Michael Keough; David T DeGuiseppi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305227B2 ## CPC - B01D 53/0446: {Means for feeding or distributing gases} - B01D 53/0438: {Cooling or heating systems} - B01D 53/261: {by adsorption} - B01D 53/28: Selection of materials for use as drying agents - F21S 45/33: specially adapted for headlamps - B01D 2253/106: Silica or silicates - B01D 2253/1124: Metal oxides - B01D 2253/202: Polymeric adsorbents - B01D 2253/25: Coated, impregnated or composite adsorbents - B01D 2253/34: Specific shapes - B01D 2257/80: Water - B01D 2259/40003: Methods relating to valve switching - B01D 2259/40096: by using electrical resistance heating - B01D 2259/4525: for storage and dispensing systems - B01D 2259/4566: for use in transportation means - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS ## Abstract Systems including a moisture pump for removing moisture from an inside environment to an outside environment. The moisture pump includes a housing defining a chamber with a heater, a heat spreader, and a desiccant for selectively adsorbing water vapor in the heating chamber when the heater is off and desorbing water vapor into the heating chamber when the heater is on. A valve assembly is also maintained by the housing transitionable between an adsorption position and desorption position. The adsorption position allows water vapor to be selectively transmitted into the heating chamber from the inside environment. The desorption position allows water vapor to be transmitted from the heating chamber for transmission into the outside environment. The adsorption and desorption ports can have asymmetric adsorption and desorption areas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a) a housing comprising: i. a first chamber having a heater, ii. at least one adsorption port into the first chamber, and iii. a desiccant disposed proximate to the at least one adsorption port; b) a valve assembly located within the housing and being transitionable between an adsorption position and a desorption position, where in the adsorption position the at least one adsorption port is open and when in the desorption position a desorption port is formed between the valve assembly and the housing, and c) a heat spreader disposed in the first chamber and in contact with the heater and the desiccant; wherein the at least one adsorption port defines an adsorption area and the desorption port defines a desorption area, and the adsorption area is larger than the desorption area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the at least one adsorption port comprises a plurality of openings in the housing to define the adsorption area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the desiccant comprises a flexible material capable of conforming to a curvature with a radius of less than three millimeters without producing particulates. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the desiccant comprises a material having a substantially uniform thickness. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an inner wall of the first chamber is cylindrical, wherein the desiccant is arranged and facing the inner wall of the first chamber across a void. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the at least one adsorption port comprises a plurality of openings in the housing arrayed in a parallel set of openings, each opening being arranged perpendicular to a direction of travel of the valve assembly such that, when the valve assembly cycles between the adsorption position and the desorption position, each opening of the at least one adsorption port becomes blocked or unblocked by the valve assembly, and each opening of the plurality of openings being blocked in the desorption position and unblocked in the adsorption position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the housing is cylindrical and has an exterior radius at the at least one adsorption port of less than or equal to 25 mm, and the adsorption area is at least 850 mm2. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adsorption area is at least two times the desorption area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the valve assembly comprises a blocking member having a plurality of blocking member adsorption openings corresponding to a plurality of adsorption openings in the housing and a plurality of blocking regions disposed between valve assembly adsorption openings, and a first width of each adsorption opening of the plurality of adsorption openings is less than or equal to a second width of a corresponding blocking region such that, when the valve assembly is in the desorption position, each opening of the plurality of adsorption openings is blocked by a corresponding blocking region of the blocking member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the desiccant has a packing efficiency of 50% to 90% by mass. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the desiccant comprises a fluoropolymer and a metal oxide or gel thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the desiccant withstands temperatures of at least 95° C. without deforming under its own weight. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heater is configured to heat the desiccant to a desorption temperature that is greater than or equal to 95° C. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the desiccant has a flex durability, as measured in a mandrel roll test, wherein the desiccant can be rolled onto a mandrel at 0.125 inches radius or less at a rate of 0.16 in/sec in both X and Y directions without visible surface cracking and without generation of particles observable under an optical microscope under 1.5 X to 2X magnification. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a condensation chamber defined by a venting port between the desorption port and an exterior environment and outside the first chamber, the venting port comprising a vapor permeable membrane. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the desiccant desorbs at least 40% of captured moisture at an exterior relative humidity of 50% and exterior temperature of 22° C. within 20 minutes at a desorption temperature of 95° C. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly comprises an actuator configured to move the valve assembly relative to the housing, the actuator being heat activated such that, when the heater is supplying heat, the actuator moves the valve assembly to the desorption position. ### Claim 18 An apparatus comprising: a) a housing comprising: i. a first chamber having a heater, ii. at least one adsorption port into the first chamber, and iii. a desiccant disposed proximate to the at least one adsorption port; and b) a valve assembly located within the housing and being transitionable between an adsorption position and a desorption position, where in the adsorption position the at least one adsorption port is open and when in the desorption position a desorption port is formed between the valve assembly and housing, wherein: the at least one adsorption port comprises at least one opening in a wall of the housing, the wall being proximate to and substantially parallel to the desiccant; and c) a heat spreader disposed in the first chamber and in contact with the heater and the desiccant. ### Claim 19 An apparatus comprising: a) a housing comprising: i. a first chamber having a heater, ii. at least one adsorption port into the first chamber, and iii. a desiccant disposed proximate to the at least one adsorption port; b) a valve assembly located within the housing and being transitionable between an adsorption position and a desorption position, where in the adsorption position the at least one adsorption port is open and when in the desorption position a desorption port is formed between the valve assembly and housing, wherein: a wall of the housing at least partially surrounds the desiccant and is removed from the desiccant, and the at least one adsorption port comprises a plurality of openings in the wall of the housing facing the desiccant and c) a heat spreader disposed in the first chamber and in contact with the heater and the desiccant.