Particulate and/or gas filters and associated filtering equipment to purify air to be breathed by persons in vehicles and/or buildings, and manufacture and installation of these filters

Claim 2

For installation in fluid filtering equipment, a fluid filter cartridge comprising at least two layers of filter materials each of said layers including random multiple through passageways of non-uniform, varying diameters, a consequential portion of said passageways being oversized with respect to the predetermined porosity of said filter material, said two layers being juxtaposed and retained in a fixed, face-to-face relationship, so that the air to be purified passes directly through both of said layers in substantially undeviating fashion and whereby there is no substantial alignment of said oversized passageways in the filter materials through which fluid might pass without being sufficiently filtered.

Claim 3

For installation in fluid filtering equipment, a fluid filter cartridge comprising at least two layers of filter materials each of said layers including random multiple through passageways of non-uniform, varying diameters, a consequential portion of said passageways being oversized with respect to the predetermined porosity of said filter material, said two layers being juxtaposed and retained in a fixed, face-to-face relationship, so that the air to be purified passes directly through both of said layers in substantially undeviating fashion and whereby there is no substantial alignment of said oversized passageways in the filter materials through which fluid might pass without being sufficiently filtered.

Claim 4

For installation in fluid filtering equipment, a fluid filter cartridge comprising at least two layers of filter materials each of said layers including random multiple through passageways of non-uniform, varying diameters, a consequential portion of said passageways being oversized with respect to the predetermined porosity of said filter material, said two layers being juxtaposed and retained in a fixed, face-to-face relationship, so that the air to be purified passes directly through both of said layers in substantially undeviating fashion and whereby there is no substantial alignment of said oversized passageways in the filter materials through which fluid might pass without being sufficiently filtered.

Claim 5

For installation in fluId filtering equipment, a fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 1, comprising, in addition, adhesive means to secure the fluid filter cartridge in place without requiring other fastening means which might otherwise decrease the cross-sectional fluid flow area of any structure in which the fluid filtering equipment is installed.

Claim 6

For installation in particulate and/or gas filtering equipment to purify air to be breathed by persons in vehicles and/or buildings, a filter cartridge, comprising two layers of filter materials each of said layers including random multiple through passageways of non-uniform, varying diameters, a consequential portion of said passageways being oversized with respect to the predetermined porosity of said filter material, said two layers being juxtaposed and retained in a fixed, face-to-face relationship, so that the air to be purified passes directly through both of said layers in substantially undeviating fashion and whereby there is no substantial alignment of said oversized passageways in the filter materials through which incoming outside air might pass without being sufficiently filtered.

Claim 7

For installation in particulate and/or gas filtering equipment to purify air to be breathed by persons in vehicles and/or buildings, a filter cartridge, comprising two layers of filter materials each of said layers including random multiple through passageways of non-uniform, varying diameters, a consequential portion of said passageways being oversized with respect to the predetermined porosity of said filter material, said two layers being juxtaposed and retained in a fixed, face-to-face relationship, so that the air to be purified passes directly through both of said layers in substantially undeviating fashion and whereby there is no substantial alignment of said oversized passageways in the filter materials through which incoming outside air might pass without being sufficiently filtered.

Claim 8

A fluid filter cartridge to filter incoming fluids, which is insertable into a fluid passageway of uninterrupted cross-sectional area and thereafter is expandable to conform, at least in one location, with the entire uninterrupted cross-sectional area of this fluid passageway, comprising, a fluid filtering body comprising two layers of filter materials each of said layers including random multiple through passageways of non-uniform, varying diameters, a consequential portion of said passageways being oversized with respect to the predetermined porosity of said filter material, said two layers being juxtaposed and retained in a fixed, face-to-face relationship, so that the air to be purified passes directly through both of said layers in substantially undeviating fashion and whereby there is no substantial alignment of said oversized passageways in the filter materials through which incoming fluids might pass without being sufficiently filtered, said fluid filtering body further having multiple folds substantially throughout the filtering body which are useful during the insertion and expansion of the fluid filter into fluid passageways of many shapes of uninterrupted cross-sectional area.

Claim 9

A fluid filter cartridge to filter incoming fluids, which is insertable into a fluid passageway of uninterrupted cross-sectional area and thereafter is expandable to conform, at least in one location, with the entire uninterrupted cross-sectional area of this fluid passageway, comprising, a fluid filtering body comprising two layers of filter materials each of said layers including random multiple through passageways of non-uniform, varying diameters, a consequential portion of said passageways being oversized with respect to the predetermined porosity of said filter material, said two layers being juxtaposed and retained in a fixed, face-to-face relationship, so that the air to be purified passes directly through both of said layers in substantially undeviating fashion and whereby there is no substantial alignment of said oversized passageways in the filter materials through which incoming fluids might pass without being sufficiently filtered, said fluid filtering body further having multiple folds substantially throughout the filtering body which are useful during the insertion and expansion of the fluid filter into fluid passageways of many shapes of uninterrupted cross-sectional area.

Claim 10

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 1, having stiffening means secured on the fluid filtering body and folded to match its multiple folds.

Claim 11

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 1, having a fastening means secured in part to the fluid filtering body portion and folded to match its multiple folds and arranged so its other part is securable to the entire cross-sectional area of an incoming fluid passageway.

Claim 12

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 1, having stiffening means on the fluid filtering body folded to match its multiple folds, and having a fastening means secured in part to the fluid filtering body and folded to match its multiple folds, and arranged so its other part is securable to the entire cross-sectional area of an incoming fluid passageway.

Claim 13

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid filtering body having multiple folds presents a filtering surface area to the oncoming fluids which is much greater than the cross-sectional area of the fluid passageway, as the folded portions are positioned throughout a length of the fluid passageway.

Claim 14

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fluid filtering body having multiple folds is arranged as a pleated conical fluid filtering body.

Claim 15

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 9, wherein the pleated conical fluid filtering body has, in addition, deformable stiffening means pleated to match in part the pleats of the conical fluid filtering body.

Claim 16

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 9, wherein the pleated conical fluid filtering body has, in addition, a fastening means secured in part to An end of the fluid filtering body and pleated to match its multiple pleats and arranged so its other part is securable to the entire cross-sectional area of a fluid passageway.

Claim 17

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 9, wherein the pleated conical fluid filtering body has, in addition, deformable stiffening means pleated to match in part the pleats of the conical fluid filtering body, and also has a fastening means secured in part to an end of the pleated conical fluid filtering body to match its multiple pleats and be arranged so its other part is securable to an entire cross-sectional area of a fluid passageway.

Claim 18

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid filtering body is composed of random laid fibers.

Claim 19

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 13, wherein the fluid filtering body is composed of random fibers, such as fibers of hemp, and synthetic and inorganic fibers.

Claim 20

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 13, wherein the random laid fibers of the fluid filtering body also include activated carbon.

Claim 21

A fluid filter cartridge, as claimed in claim 15, wherein the activated carbon is bonded to the random laid fibers.

Claim 22

Particulate and/or gas filtering equipment to purify air to be breathed by persons in vehicles, comprising: a. a substantially, uniformly throughout, conformable, compactable, and expandable filter cartridge having a greater surface area than the uninterrupted cross-sectional area of a vehicle plenum into which it is to be expandably placed, after first being inserted through a restrictive size opening which initially generally requires its compaction, and b. accessory structures, as required, to block water from entering the filter cartridge, and to block any possible bypass opening through which incoming outside air might pass without passing through the conformable, compactable and expandable filter cartridge enroute to a vehicle compartment occupied by passengers.

Claim 23

Particulate and/or gas filtering equipment to purify air to be breathed by persons in vehicles, comprising: a. a substantially, uniformly throughout, conformable, compactable, and expandable filter cartridge having a greater surface area than the uninterrupted cross-sectional area of a vehicle plenum into which it is to be expandably placed, after first being inserted through a restrictive size opening which initially generally requires its compaction, and b. accessory structures, as required, to block water from entering the filter cartridge, and to block any possible bypass opening through which incoming outside air might pass without passing through the conformable, compactable and expandable filter cartridge enroute to a vehicle compartment occupied by passengers.

Claim 24

Particulate and/or gas filtering equipment, as claimed in claim 17, wherein the conformable, compactable and expandable filter cartridge is composed of an activated carbon bonded to random laid fibers.

Claim 25

Particulate and/or gas filtering equipment, as claimed in claim 17, wherein the conformable, compactable, and expandable filter cartridge is reformably stiffened by spaced dead soft aluminum tape applied with adhesive and conformed to the surface of the filter.

Claim 26

Particulate and/or gas filtering equipment, as claimed in claim 17, wherein the conformable, compactable and expandable filter cartridge is completely secured in place in the plenum at a designated cross-sectional location be using an adhesive tape secured in part to the filter and in part to the plenum structure of the vehicle and, as necessary, to accessory structures used to block air which otherwise would not pass through the filter.

Claim 27

Particulate and/or gas filtering equipment, as claimed in claim 17, wherein the conformable, compactable and expandable filter cartridge is composed of at least two layers which are arranged so any possible holes larger than proper filtering size holes resulting from high production tolerances in the respective layers are not in alignment, thereby insuring, to a greater degree, air passing through the overall filter will be thoroughly filtered.