# US 2014/0196423 A1 · Tactile Air Filter Media > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196423 A1 - Document ID: US20140196423A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/739,634 - Filed: 2013-01-11 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-11 - Assignees: American Air Filter Company, Inc. - Applicants: American Air Filter Company Inc - Inventors: William D. Barrows; Lewis Sanders - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196423A1 ## CPC - B01D 46/10: Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filter plates, sheets or pads having plane surfaces - B01D 39/2024: {otherwise bonded, e.g. by resins} - B01D 46/0001: {Making filtering elements} - B01D 2239/086: Binders between particles or fibres - 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) ## Abstract An apparatus and method for a tactile air filter including a filter media composed primarily of glass fibers having a softening finish applied thereto. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tactile air filter comprising: a filter media formed substantially of a plurality of glass fibers and having at least one surface and an interior; a cured base resin interspersed over said at least one surface and throughout said interior and bonded thereto in an effective amount to substantially adhere said plurality of glass fibers together; a layer of fiber finish interposed between said cured base resin and an atmosphere of ambient air in an effective amount to substantially soften said filter media; said layer of fiber finish substantially bonded to said cured base resin and encapsulating said cured base resin and said plurality of glass fibers; and said layer of fiber finish interspersed over said at least one surface and throughout said interior of said filter media. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tactile air filter of claim 1, wherein said cured base resin is substantially urea formaldehyde. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tactile air filter of claim 1, wherein said layer of fiber finish is substantially a hydrocarbon film resulting from melting a polybutene polymer emulsion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The tactile air filter of claim 1, wherein said cured base resin has a dry base resin component and said fiber finish has a dry fiber finish component: said plurality of glass fibers having a weight approximately equal to 1.8 to 4 times a weight of said dry base resin component; and said dry fiber finish component having a weight approximately 2% of said weight of said dry base resin component. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The tactile air filter of claim 1, further comprising a frame that substantially frames said filter media, said cured base resin, and said layer of fiber finish. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The tactile air filter of claim 5, further comprising a truss structure attached to said frame that at least partially covers said at least one surface of said filter media. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The tactile air filter of claim 5, wherein said filter media is at least partially compressed by said substantially rigid frame thereby creating a friction fit between said filter media and said substantially rigid frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The tactile air filter of claim 7, wherein said frame is adhered to said filter media. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The tactile air filter of claim 1, wherein said layer of fiber finish softens said filter media to provide a tactile feel similar to polyester fiber air filter media. ### Claim 10 A method of forming a tactile air filter, comprising the steps of: forming a web of glass fibers into a filter media suitable for filtering a fluid flow; atomizing a base resin; spraying said atomized base resin from a spray head substantially in a spray direction toward said web of glass fibers; dripping a fiber finish drip in a drip direction transverse to said spray direction; wherein said fiber finish drip is interposed between said filter media and said spray head during said spraying of said atomized base resin; agglomerating said atomized base resin spray and said fiber finish into a separate binary composite; depositing said separate binary composite on said web of glass fibers; curing said base resin on said filter media at a temperature sufficiently high to melt said fiber finish, thereby melting said fiber finish; wherein said cured base resin is sufficiently adhesive to bond to said glass fibers and to bond said glass fibers together at intersections of said glass fibers; and wherein said melted fiber finish has a sufficiently low surface energy in relation to said base resin that said fiber finish substantially migrates to an outer position proximate to an atmosphere of ambient air, thereby forming an outer fiber finish layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said separate binary composite is deposited on said web of glass fibers during said forming of said filter media. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said separate binary composite drip is deposited on said web of glass fibers after said forming of said filter media. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein each of said glass fibers substantially has a diameter of approximately 5 to 50 microns. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said base resin is substantially urea formaldehyde. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said fiber finish is substantially polybutene polymer and said fiber finish layer is substantially a hydrocarbon film. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said base resin has a dry base resin component and said fiber finish has a dry fiber finish component: said web of glass fibers having a weight approximately equal to 1.8 to 4 times a weight of said dry base resin component; and said dry fiber finish component having a weight approximately 2% of said weight of said dry base resin component. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said base resin is thermosetting and is cured to said glass fibers for approximately 0.5 to 2 minutes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said thermosetting base resin film is cured at a temperature of approximately 300 to 650 degrees Fahrenheit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said fiber finish is dripped in said drip direction at a volumetric rate approximately equal to 2% of a volumetric spray rate of said atomized base resin spray. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein said volumetric spray rate of said atomized base resin spray in said spray direction is approximately 100-200 cubic centimeters per minute. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein said atomized base resin spray is sprayed in said spray direction at a velocity of approximately 100-500 feet per second. ### Claim 22 A method of forming a tactile air filter, comprising the steps of: forming a web of glass fibers into a filter media suitable for filtering a fluid flow; atomizing a base resin; atomizing a fiber finish; spraying said atomized base resin through a first port of a spray head substantially in a spray direction toward said web of glass fibers; spraying said atomized fiber finish through a second port of said spray head substantially in said spray direction toward said web of glass fibers; agglomerating said atomized base resin spray and said atomized fiber finish spray into a separate binary composite; depositing said separate binary composite on said web of glass fibers; curing said base resin on said filter media at a temperature sufficiently high to melt said fiber finish, thereby melting said fiber finish; wherein said cured base resin is sufficiently adhesive to bond to said glass fibers and to bond said glass fibers together at intersections of said glass fibers; and wherein said base resin is sufficiently viscous in relation to said melted fiber finish film that said base resin film substantially migrates to an inner position proximate to said glass fibers and said melted fiber finish film is displaced to an outer position relative to said glass fibers, having said cured base resin film interposed therebetween, thereby forming an outer fiber finish layer. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein said separate binary composite is deposited on said web of glass fibers during said forming of said filter media. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein said separate binary composite is deposited on said web of glass fibers after said forming of said filter media. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein each of said glass fibers substantially has a diameter of approximately 5 to 50 microns. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein said base resin is substantially urea formaldehyde. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein said fiber finish is substantially polybutene polymer and said fiber finish layer is substantially a hydrocarbon film. ### Claim 28 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein said base resin has a dry base resin component and said fiber finish has a dry fiber finish component: said web of glass fibers having a weight approximately equal to 1.8 to 4 times a weight of said dry base resin component; and said dry fiber finish component having a weight approximately 2% of said weight of said dry base resin component. ### Claim 29 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein said base resin is thermosetting and is cured to said glass fibers for approximately 0.5 to 2 minutes. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein said thermosetting base resin film is cured at a temperature of approximately 300 to 650 degrees Fahrenheit. ### Claim 31 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein said fiber finish is dripped in said drip direction at a volumetric rate approximately equal to 2% of a volumetric spray rate of said atomized base resin spray. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein said volumetric spray rate of said atomized base resin spray in said spray direction is approximately 100-200 cubic centimeters per minute. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The method of claim 32, wherein said atomized base resin spray is sprayed in said spray direction at a velocity of approximately 100-500 feet per second.