Filter cap for clean room ceiling grid system

Claim 1

A system for providing an airtight/particle tight hermetically sealed clean room environment consisting of a clean room bounded by a ceiling, a floor, and sidewalls extending therebetween; said clean room including a ceiling grid filter system comprising a plurality of ceiling mounted grid members arranged in a pattern beneath said clean room ceiling; said ceiling grid members defining a plurality of apertures receiving filter panels therein, said filter panels being mounted on peripheral portions of said grid members defining said apertures, and said filter panels each having an upper end constructed and arranged for receiving supply air, a lower end constructed and arranged for emitting filtered air into said clean room, and filter panel sidewalls; said filter panel sidewalls defining sides of a chamber located between adjacent filter panels, and between filter panels and adjacent clean room sidewalls; and, said ceiling grid filter system comprising filter caps each having upper ends and a lower end, said filter caps each having sidewalls extending between said filter cap upper ends and said filter cap lower end, said filter cap sidewalls comprising angled attaching means at said filter cap upper ends for removably attaching said filter caps to angled means on said filter panel sidewalls, said filter caps extending downwardly into said clean room and each comprising means for hermetically sealing said filter panel sidewalls and for providing substantially laminar flow of clean room air beneath said filter cap lower end.

Claim 2

A system for providing an airtight/particle tight hermetically sealed clean room environment consisting of a clean room bounded by a ceiling, a floor, and sidewalls extending therebetween; said clean room including a ceiling grid filter system comprising a plurality of ceiling mounted grid members arranged in a pattern beneath said clean room ceiling; said ceiling grid members defining a plurality of apertures receiving filter panels therein, said filter panels being mounted on peripheral portions of said grid members defining said apertures, and said filter panels each having an upper end constructed and arranged for receiving supply air, a lower end constructed and arranged for emitting filtered air into said clean room, and filter panel sidewalls; said filter panel sidewalls defining sides of a chamber located between adjacent filter panels, and between filter panels and adjacent clean room sidewalls; and, said ceiling grid filter system comprising filter caps each having upper ends and a lower end, said filter caps each having sidewalls extending between said filter cap upper ends and said filter cap lower end, said filter cap sidewalls comprising angled attaching means at said filter cap upper ends for removably attaching said filter caps to angled means on said filter panel sidewalls, said filter caps extending downwardly into said clean room and each comprising means for hermetically sealing said filter panel sidewalls and for providing substantially laminar flow of clean room air beneath said filter cap lower end.

Claim 7

A system for providing an airtight/particle tight hermetically sealed clean room environment consisting of a clean room bounded by a ceiling, a floor, and sidewalls extending therebetween; said clean room including a ceiling grid filter system comprising a plurality of ceiling mounted grid members arranged in a pattern beneath said clean room ceiling; said ceiling grid members defining a plurality of apertures receiving filter panels therein, said filter panels being mounted on peripheral portions of said grid members defining said apertures, and said filter panels each having an upper end constructed and arranged for receiving supply air, a lower end constructed and arranged for emitting filtered air into said clean room, and filter panel sidewalls; said filter panel lower end comprising a lower circumferential flange having a subjacent vertically oriented lower edge member to provide connection between said lower circumferential flange and an angled surface member; said filter panel sidewalls defining sides of a chamber located between adjacent filter panels, and between filter panels and adjacent clean room sidewalls; and, said ceiling grid filter system comprising filter caps each having upper ends and a lower end, said filter caps each having sidewalls extending between said filter cap upper ends and said filter cap lower end, said filter cap upper ends comprising angled flange portions constructed and arranged for conformal mating with said filter panel angled surface member at said filter panel lower ends, said filter caps extending downwardly into said clean room and each comprising means for providing substantially laminar flow of clean room air beneath said filter cap lower end.

Claim 8

A system for providing an airtight/particle tight hermetically sealed clean room environment consisting of a clean room bounded by a ceiling, a floor, and sidewalls extending therebetween; said clean room including a ceiling grid filter system comprising a plurality of ceiling mounted grid members arranged in a pattern beneath said clean room ceiling; said ceiling grid members defining a plurality of apertures receiving filter panels therein, said filter panels being mounted on peripheral portions of said grid members defining said apertures, and said filter panels each having an upper end constructed and arranged for receiving supply air, a lower end constructed and arranged for emitting filtered air into said clean room, and filter panel sidewalls; said filter panel lower end comprising a lower circumferential flange having a subjacent vertically oriented lower edge member to provide connection between said lower circumferential flange and an angled surface member; said filter panel sidewalls defining sides of a chamber located between adjacent filter panels, and between filter panels and adjacent clean room sidewalls; and, said ceiling grid filter system comprising filter caps each having upper ends and a lower end, said filter caps each having sidewalls extending between said filter cap upper ends and said filter cap lower end, said filter cap upper ends comprising angled flange portions constructed and arranged for conformal mating with said filter panel angled surface member at said filter panel lower ends, said filter caps extending downwardly into said clean room and each comprising means for providing substantially laminar flow of clean room air beneath said filter cap lower end.

Claim 12

A system for providing an airtight/particle tight hermetically sealed clean room environment consisting of a clean room bounded by a ceiling, a floor, and sidewalls extending therebetween; said clean room including a ceiling grid filter system comprising a plurality of ceiling mounted grid members arranged in a pattern beneath said clean room ceiling; said ceiling grid members defining a plurality of apertures receiving filter panels therein, said filter panels being mounted on peripheral portions of said grid members defining said apertures, and said filter panels each having an upper end constructed and arranged for receiving supply air, a lower end constructed and arranged for emitting filtered air into said clean room, and filter panel sidewalls; each of said filter panels comprising a lower circumferential flange having a subjacent angled surface member; said filter panel sidewalls defining sides of a chamber located between adjacent filter panels, and between filter panels and adjacent clean room sidewalls; and, said ceiling grid filter system comprising filter caps each having upper ends and a lower end, said filter caps each having sidewalls extending between said upper ends and said lower end in a generally V-shape in vertical cross section and having an angle of slope in a direction away from a filter panel air flow axis of between about 4° and about 12°, and said filter cap sidewalls being constructed and arranged to permit an unobstructed transition of air flow from said filter panels onto said filter cap sidewalls, said filter cap upper ends comprising angled flange portions constructed and arranged for removable attachment to said filter panel angled surface member, and said filter caps extending downwardly into said clean room and each comprising means for hermetically sealing said filter panel sidewalls and for providing substantially non-separated and laminar flow of clean room air along said sidewalls and beneath said filter cap lower end.

Claim 13

A system for providing an airtight/particle tight hermetically sealed clean room environment consisting of a clean room bounded by a ceiling, a floor, and sidewalls extending therebetween; said clean room including a ceiling grid filter system comprising a plurality of ceiling mounted grid members arranged in a pattern beneath said clean room ceiling; said ceiling grid members defining a plurality of apertures receiving filter panels therein, said filter panels being mounted on peripheral portions of said grid members defining said apertures, and said filter panels each having an upper end constructed and arranged for receiving supply air, a lower end constructed and arranged for emitting filtered air into said clean room, and filter panel sidewalls; each of said filter panels comprising a lower circumferential flange having a subjacent angled surface member; said filter panel sidewalls defining sides of a chamber located between adjacent filter panels, and between filter panels and adjacent clean room sidewalls; and, said ceiling grid filter system comprising filter caps each having upper ends and a lower end, said filter caps each having sidewalls extending between said upper ends and said lower end in a generally V-shape in vertical cross section and having an angle of slope in a direction away from a filter panel air flow axis of between about 4° and about 12°, and said filter cap sidewalls being constructed and arranged to permit an unobstructed transition of air flow from said filter panels onto said filter cap sidewalls, said filter cap upper ends comprising angled flange portions constructed and arranged for removable attachment to said filter panel angled surface member, and said filter caps extending downwardly into said clean room and each comprising means for hermetically sealing said filter panel sidewalls and for providing substantially non-separated and laminar flow of clean room air along said sidewalls and beneath said filter cap lower end.

Claim 14

A system for providing an airtight/particle tight hermetically sealed clean room environment consisting of a clean room bounded by a ceiling, a floor, and sidewalls extending therebetween; said clean room including a ceiling grid filter system comprising a plurality of ceiling mounted grid members arranged in a pattern beneath said clean room ceiling; said ceiling grid members defining a plurality of apertures receiving filter panels therein, said filter panels being mounted on peripheral portions of said grid members defining said apertures, and said filter panels each having an upper end constructed and arranged for receiving supply air, a lower end constructed and arranged for emitting filtered air into said clean room, and filter panel sidewalls; each of said filter panels comprising a lower circumferential flange having a subjacent angled surface member; said filter panel sidewalls defining sides of a chamber located between adjacent filter panels, and between filter panels and adjacent clean room sidewalls; and, said ceiling grid filter system having filter caps each having upper ends and a lower end, said filter caps each having sidewalls extending between said filter cap upper ends and said filter cap lower end with each sidewall comprising at least one stepped section including a width defining surface oriented generally perpendicularly to the axis of air flow from one of said filter panels and a height defining surface oriented generally parallel to the axis of air flow from said one of said filter panels and said stepped sections each having a width to height ratio of between about 1:1.5 and about 1:7 and comprising means for controlling vortices of clean room air between said filter cap upper ends and said filter cap lower end, said filter cap upper ends comprising angled flange portions constructed and arranged for removable attachment to said filter panel angled surface member, and said filter caps extending downwardly into said clean room and each comprising means for providing substantially laminar flow of clean room air beneath said filter cap lower end.

Claim 15

A system for providing an airtight/particle tight hermetically sealed clean room environment consisting of a clean room bounded by a ceiling, a floor, and sidewalls extending therebetween; said clean room including a ceiling grid filter system comprising a plurality of ceiling mounted grid members arranged in a pattern beneath said clean room ceiling; said ceiling grid members defining a plurality of apertures receiving filter panels therein, said filter panels being mounted on peripheral portions of said grid members defining said apertures, and said filter panels each having an upper end constructed and arranged for receiving supply air, a lower end constructed and arranged for emitting filtered air into said clean room, and filter panel sidewalls; each of said filter panels comprising a lower circumferential flange having a subjacent angled surface member; said filter panel sidewalls defining sides of a chamber located between adjacent filter panels, and between filter panels and adjacent clean room sidewalls; and, said ceiling grid filter system having filter caps each having upper ends and a lower end, said filter caps each having sidewalls extending between said filter cap upper ends and said filter cap lower end with each sidewall comprising at least one stepped section including a width defining surface oriented generally perpendicularly to the axis of air flow from one of said filter panels and a height defining surface oriented generally parallel to the axis of air flow from said one of said filter panels and said stepped sections each having a width to height ratio of between about 1:1.5 and about 1:7 and comprising means for controlling vortices of clean room air between said filter cap upper ends and said filter cap lower end, said filter cap upper ends comprising angled flange portions constructed and arranged for removable attachment to said filter panel angled surface member, and said filter caps extending downwardly into said clean room and each comprising means for providing substantially laminar flow of clean room air beneath said filter cap lower end.