Laundry appliance having a micro-particle filtration and collection system
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsMuhammad Khizar, Omar R. Murad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laundry appliance includes a tub that is positioned within an outer cabinet. A processing space is defined within the tub. A fluid path delivers a process fluid through the tub for treating articles within the processing space. A micro-particle filter is positioned within the fluid path. The micro-particle filter separates micro-sized particles from the process fluid. A secondary flow mechanism delivers the micro-sized particles from the micro-particle filter to a removable collection chamber.
Claims20
A method for filtering a media, the method comprising steps of:
- disposing a hydrophobic material onto a filter membrane of a dynamic filter;
- delivering process fluid to the filter membrane;
- operating a rotor of the dynamic filter about a rotational axis to produce a centrifugal force;
- increasing a fluid pressure within the dynamic filter;
- moving microparticles in a direction parallel to the filter membrane according to the centrifugal force to capture the microparticles within the hydrophobic material;
- moving the process fluid perpendicular to and through the filter membrane using the fluid pressure to define filtered process fluid;
- removing the hydrophobic material and the captured microparticles from the filter membrane;
- and
- delivering the hydrophobic material and the captured microparticles to a collection chamber.
A method for filtering a media, the method comprising steps of:
- delivering a process fluid from a fluid path and through a filtration chamber having a filter membrane;
- accumulating microparticles from the process fluid onto a leading surface of the filter membrane to define captured microparticles within a hydrophobic material disposed on the filter membrane;
- directing the process fluid in a downstream direction and through the filter membrane to define filtered process fluid;
- directing a backflow portion of the filtered process fluid in an upstream direction and through a backside of the filter membrane;
- and
- moving the hydrophobic material and the captured microparticles from the filter membrane to a collection chamber using the backflow portion of the filtered process fluid.
A method for filtering a media, the method comprising steps of:
- disposing a hydrophobic material onto a filter membrane of a dynamic filter;
- delivering process fluid to the filter membrane;
- operating a rotor of the dynamic filter about a rotational axis to produce a centrifugal force;
- increasing a fluid pressure within the dynamic filter;
- moving microparticles in a direction parallel to the filter membrane according to the centrifugal force to capture the microparticles within the hydrophobic material;
- moving the process fluid perpendicular to and through the filter membrane in a downstream direction using the fluid pressure to define filtered process fluid;
- delivering a portion of the filtered process fluid to a backflow reservoir to define a backflow fluid;
- removing the hydrophobic material and the captured microparticles from the filter membrane using the backflow fluid from the backflow reservoir moved in an upstream direction through the filter membrane;
- and
- delivering the hydrophobic material and the captured microparticles to a collection chamber using the backflow fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.