Air filter having ductile metal frame

Claim 1

A FRAMED AIR FILTER ADAPTED TO BE BENT INTO ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF SHAPES, SAID FILTER HAVING A GENERALLY PLANAR FILTER MEDIA OF CRUSHABLE MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIAL THICKNESS PROVIDED PERIPHERAL EDGE PORTIONS AND A DUCTILE METAL FRAME FACILITATING FLEXING WITH A MINIMUM OF DISTORTIN AND ENVELOPING AND COMPACTING SAID EDGE PORTIONS, SAID FRAME COMPRISING SIDE MEMBERS HAVING AN UPPER LEG AND A LOWER LEG CLOSELY CONFINING AND GRIPPING THE CORRESPONDING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID FILTER MEDIA, AND AN OUTWARDLY CURVED LOOP JOINING SAID LEGS AT THE OUTER MARGINAL EDGE OF THE FRAME WITH SAID LEGS CONVERGING INWARDLY OF SAID LOOP TO ADDITIONALLY CRUSH THE FILTER MEDIA INWARDLY OF SAID LOOP TO A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN ITS ORIGINAL THICKNESS AND SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE FILTER MEDIA IN SAID LOOP, SAID LEGS FORMING AN ENLARGED POCKET SUBSTANTIALLY FILLED WITH THE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID FILTER MEDIA TO PREVENT SEPARATION OF THE SAME FROM THE FRAME UPON BENDING OF THE FILTER.