US3739552A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air filter utilizing space trapping of charged particles
Assignee: Trane US Inc
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Filing: 1971-12-01
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Granted: 1973-06-19
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Expires: 1991-12-01
Abstract
Abstract A duct for the transmission of an air flow therethrough is provided with parallel planar arrays of electrical conductors which are angularly positioned relative to the axis of the air flow. The conductors are parallel to each other and connected to a source of alternating current voltage for generating two dimensional multipolar alternating current electrodynamic fields across the duct. The electrical forces generated by the multipolar fields trap charged particles in the air flow and the orientation of the air flow relative to the angular position of the conductor planar arrays causes the particles to be directed to a side of the duct for collection and subsequent removal. The trapping of the particles is enhanced by coating the conductors with a high dielectric strength material.
Inventors
- 👤 H Webster
- 👤 N Whetten
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 16:56
CPC Classifications
B; B03; B03C; B03C3/00; B03C3/02; B03C3/04; B03C3/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
169 words
An air filter utilizing space trapping of charged particles and comprising a duct having a first end for the admission of an air flow thereto and a second end for the exit of the air flow therefrom, means adjacent the first end of said duct for producing the flow of air which may contain particles especially in the size range of 0.01 to 100 microns in diameter, means downstream of said air flow producing means and located in said duct for electrically charging the particles in the air flow, and parallel planar means downstream of said air flow producing means and angularly positioned relative to the axis of the air flow for generating two-dimensional multipolar alternating current electrodynamic fields across said duct, the electrical forces generated by the multipolar fields trapping the charged particles, the orientation of the air flow relative to the angular position of said parallel planar means causing the trapped particles to be directed to a side of the duct which supports said parallel planar means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
169 words
An air filter utilizing space trapping of charged particles and comprising a duct having a first end for the admission of an air flow thereto and a second end for the exit of the air flow therefrom, means adjacent the first end of said duct for producing the flow of air which may contain particles especially in the size range of 0.01 to 100 microns in diameter, means downstream of said air flow producing means and located in said duct for electrically charging the particles in the air flow, and parallel planar means downstream of said air flow producing means and angularly positioned relative to the axis of the air flow for generating two-dimensional multipolar alternating current electrodynamic fields across said duct, the electrical forces generated by the multipolar fields trapping the charged particles, the orientation of the air flow relative to the angular position of said parallel planar means causing the trapped particles to be directed to a side of the duct which supports said parallel planar means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
64 words
The air filter set forth in claim 1 and further comprising means in communication with the side of said duct to which the particles are directed for removing the particles from said duct whereby the air flow exiting from the second end of said duct has a significantly smaller amount of the particles as compared to the air flow admitted to the first end.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The air filter set forth in claim 2 wherein said parallel planar means consists of a plurality of parallel planar arrays of electrical conductors connected to a source of alternating current voltage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The air filter set forth in claim 3 wherein said electrical conductors are oriented in substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other, and at the same angle relative to the axis of the air flow as are the parallel planar arrays.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The air filter set forth in claim 4 wherein alternate of said electrical conductors in each planar array are connected to the same side of the source of alternating current voltage to thereby establish the multipolar alternating current electrodynamic fields, the particular order of multipolar fields generated being determined by the particular orientation of said conductors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
The air filter set forth in claim 4 wherein adjacent said electrical conductors in each planar array are connected to opposite sides of the source of alternating current voltage to thereby establish the multipolar alternating current electrodynamic fields, the particular order of multipolar fields generated being determined by the particular orientation of said conductors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
The air filter set forth in claim 6 wherein the conductors in each planar array are equally spaced apart and aligned with corresponding conductors in adjacent planar arrays, the spacing between adjacent planar arrays being equal to the spacing between conductors in each planar array whereby the multipolar alternating current electrodynamic fields are of the quadrupole type.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
The air filter set forth in claim 6 wherein the conductors in alternate planar arrays being in alignment, conductors in first of the alternate arrays including at least one pair of closely spaced conductors and the second of the alternate arrays including at least one pair of widely spaced conductors whereby the multipolar alternating current electrodynamic fields are of the hexapole type.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The air filter set forth in claim 6 wherein the electrical conductors are coated with a high dielectric strength material thereby permitting application of higher alternating current voltage to said electrical conductors and resulting in increased efficiency of trapping of the particles.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
The air filter set forth in claim 5 wherein the electrical conductors are coated with a high dielectric strength material thereby permitting application of a sufficiently high alternating current voltage to said electrical conductors to cause corona discharge and result in the electrical charging of the particles whereby said particle electrical charging means is integrated with said parallel planar means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The air filter set forth in claim 4 wherein said electrical conductors are straight in the region traversing said duct.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The air filter set forth in claim 11 wherein the spacing between adjacent electrical conductors is in the range up to 1 inch.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The air filter set forth in claim 11 wherein the electrical conductors are each of equal diameter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The air filter set forth in claim 13 wherein the diameter of said electrical conductors is in the range up to 3/8 inch.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The air filter set forth in claim 4 wherein the alternating current voltage applied to said electrical conductors is in the range oF 0.5 to 50 kilovolts.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The air filter set forth in claim 15 wherein the alternating current voltage applied to said electrical conductors is approximately 10 kilovolts.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
44 words
The air filter set forth in claim 5 wherein the alternating current voltage source is an adjustable voltage source, an increase in the voltage applied to said electrical conductors resulting in larger size particles being trapped and directed to the side of the duct.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The air filter set forth in claim 2 wherein said particle removing means is a chamber formed in the side of said duct into which the particles are directed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The air filter set forth in claim 4 wherein said plurality of electrical conductors are arranged in at least two parallel planar arrays, each planar array including at least two electrical conductors.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
The air filter set forth in claim 19 wherein the planar arrays of electrical conductors are angularly positioned relative to the axis of the air flow forming an angle in the range of 20* to 85*.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
58 words
The air filter set forth in claim 1 wherein said particle electrical charging means comprises a second plurality of electrical conductors disposed across said duct upstream of said parallel planar means and connected to a direct current high voltage source for producing a corona discharge around the latter electrical conductors which charges the particles as they flow thereby.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
97 words
The air filter set forth in claim 8 and further comprising said electrical conductors being coated with a high dielectric strength material, and the planar arrays of coated electrical conductors further comprising a bare electrical conductor located in parallel relationship midway between each pair of widely spaced conductors thereby permitting application of a sufficiently high alternating current three phase voltage to said coated and bare electrical conductors to cause corona discharge around the bar conductors and resulting in the electrical charging of the particles whereby said particle electrical charging means is integrated with said parallel planar means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
173 words
An air filter adapted as an adjunct to a room air conditioner or the like and comprising a duct having an admission end for an air flow and an exit end, means for electrically charging particles which may be in the air flow, and a plurality of parallel planar arrays of electrical conductors positioned across said duct at an angle relative to the axis of the air flow in the range of 20* to 85*, the electrical conductors in each planar array alternately connected to opposite sides of an alternating current voltage source for generating two dimensional multipolar alternating current electrodynamic fields across the duct, the particular order of multipolar fields generated being determined by the particular orientation of the conductors, the electrical forces generated by the multipolar fields trapping the charged particles in the air flow in the duct, the orientation of the air flow relative to the angular position of the parallel planar arrays causing the charged particles to be directed to a side of the duct for subsequent removal therefrom.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
173 words
An air filter adapted as an adjunct to a room air conditioner or the like and comprising a duct having an admission end for an air flow and an exit end, means for electrically charging particles which may be in the air flow, and a plurality of parallel planar arrays of electrical conductors positioned across said duct at an angle relative to the axis of the air flow in the range of 20* to 85*, the electrical conductors in each planar array alternately connected to opposite sides of an alternating current voltage source for generating two dimensional multipolar alternating current electrodynamic fields across the duct, the particular order of multipolar fields generated being determined by the particular orientation of the conductors, the electrical forces generated by the multipolar fields trapping the charged particles in the air flow in the duct, the orientation of the air flow relative to the angular position of the parallel planar arrays causing the charged particles to be directed to a side of the duct for subsequent removal therefrom.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
65 words
The air filter set forth in claim 23 wherein the admission end of said duct is connected to the output of a room air conditioner or the like, and the electrical conductors coated with a high dielectric strength material thereby permitting application of higher alternating current voltage to said electrical conductors without causing breakdown between adjacent conductors and resulting in increased efficiency of particle trapping.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
67 words
The air filter set forth in claim 23 wherein the admission end of said duct is connected to the output of a room air conditioner or the like, and said particle electrical charging means consists of a high dielectric strength material coating on said electrical conductors thereby permitting application of a sufficieNtly high alternating current voltage to cause corona discharge around said conductors which charges the particles.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
98 words
The air filter set forth in claim 23 wherein the admission end of said duct is connected to the output of a room air conditioner or the like, a fraction of said electrical conductors are coated with a high dielectric strength material thereby permitting application of higher alternating current voltage to all of said conductors and resulting in increased efficiency of particle trapping, and said particle electrical charging means consists of the remaining fraction of conductors which are bare, the application of the higher alternating current voltage to the bare conductors corona discharge therearound which charges the particles.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-06-18 | 1976-12-18 | 1977-06-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-06-18 | 1980-12-18 | 1981-06-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-06-18 | 1984-12-18 | 1985-06-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |