Dual fan hepa filtration system

Claim 1

A device for use with at least one workspace, comprising: a chamber including an outer wall and end walls forming the chamber; filter means defining an inner wall of said chamber and being the sole outlet of air entering said chamber; a fan motor mounted inside said filter means and including a drive shaft extending axially out from motor in two directions; an intake fan mounted on one end of the shaft, including first path defining means for defining a sealed path which is the sole air inlet to said chamber; an exhaust fan mounted on the other end of shaft, including second path defining means for defining a path from said sole outlet to said exhaust fan for exhausting air in a generally axial direction; and baffle means for deflecting air in said axial direction to a radial direction while reducing the velocity of said air to laminar flow.

Claim 2

A device for use with at least one workspace, comprising: a chamber including an outer wall and end walls forming the chamber; filter means defining an inner wall of said chamber and being the sole outlet of air entering said chamber; a fan motor mounted inside said filter means and including a drive shaft extending axially out from motor in two directions; an intake fan mounted on one end of the shaft, including first path defining means for defining a sealed path which is the sole air inlet to said chamber; an exhaust fan mounted on the other end of shaft, including second path defining means for defining a path from said sole outlet to said exhaust fan for exhausting air in a generally axial direction; and baffle means for deflecting air in said axial direction to a radial direction while reducing the velocity of said air to laminar flow.

Claim 9

A device for use with at least one workspace, comprising: a chamber including an outer wall and end walls forming the chamber; HEPA filter means requiring about 150 CFM for optimum filtration efficiency and defining an inner wall of said chamber and being the sole outlet of air entering said chamber; a fan motor mounted inside said inner wall of the chamber and including a drive shaft extending axially out from motor in two directions, said motor being rated at less than 2 amp and producing at least 150 CFM of exhaust air; an intake fan mounted on one end of the shaft, including first path defining means for defining a sealed path which is the sole air inlet to said chamber including seal means for preventing air flow to said shaft; an exhaust fan mounted on the other end of shaft, including second path defining means for defining a path from said sole outlet to said exhaust fan for exhausting air in an axial direction; and baffle means for deflecting air in said axial direction to a radial direction while reducing the velocity of said air to laminar flow comprising an upper terminal lid and a plurality of annular stepped vanes for dividing axially exhausted air into turbulent air streams and converting said turbulent air streams into radial laminar flow to thereby produce noise proximate thereto of less than 47 decibels in an umbrella of clean room air for a distance of at least one meter from said device and having 98% fewer particles than the air in the area at least three meters from said device.

Claim 10

A device for use with at least one workspace, comprising: a chamber including an outer wall and end walls forming the chamber; HEPA filter means requiring about 150 CFM for optimum filtration efficiency and defining an inner wall of said chamber and being the sole outlet of air entering said chamber; a fan motor mounted inside said inner wall of the chamber and including a drive shaft extending axially out from motor in two directions, said motor being rated at less than 2 amp and producing at least 150 CFM of exhaust air; an intake fan mounted on one end of the shaft, including first path defining means for defining a sealed path which is the sole air inlet to said chamber including seal means for preventing air flow to said shaft; an exhaust fan mounted on the other end of shaft, including second path defining means for defining a path from said sole outlet to said exhaust fan for exhausting air in an axial direction; and baffle means for deflecting air in said axial direction to a radial direction while reducing the velocity of said air to laminar flow comprising an upper terminal lid and a plurality of annular stepped vanes for dividing axially exhausted air into turbulent air streams and converting said turbulent air streams into radial laminar flow to thereby produce noise proximate thereto of less than 47 decibels in an umbrella of clean room air for a distance of at least one meter from said device and having 98% fewer particles than the air in the area at least three meters from said device.

Claim 13

A method of providing an umbrella of clean room air in at least one workspace for a distance of at least one meter within said workspace and having 98% fewer particles than the air in the area at least three meters from said workspace, comprising the steps of: providing a chamber proximate a workspace, said chamber having an outer wall, end walls and an inner wall defined by filter means to form a sealed chamber in which said filter means is the sole outlet of air entering said chamber; said air being drawn into said chamber by a fan motor mounted proximate the center of the filter means and including a drive shaft extending axially out from motor in two directions; drawing air into said chamber using an intake fan mounted on one end of the shaft along a first path defining means for defining a sealed path which is the sole air inlet to said chamber; exhausting air in an axial direction using an exhaust fan mounted on the other end of shaft, by defining a second path from said sole outlet to said exhaust fan; and deflecting air in said axial direction to a radial direction with baffle means including an upper terminal lid for said device and a plurality of annular stepped vanes to divide axially exhausted air into turbulent air streams and convert said turbulent air streams into radial laminar flow with reduced velocity of deflected air to have laminar flow.

Claim 14

A method of providing an umbrella of clean room air in at least one workspace for a distance of at least one meter within said workspace and having 98% fewer particles than the air in the area at least three meters from said workspace, comprising the steps of: providing a chamber proximate a workspace, said chamber having an outer wall, end walls and an inner wall defined by filter means to form a sealed chamber in which said filter means is the sole outlet of air entering said chamber; said air being drawn into said chamber by a fan motor mounted proximate the center of the filter means and including a drive shaft extending axially out from motor in two directions; drawing air into said chamber using an intake fan mounted on one end of the shaft along a first path defining means for defining a sealed path which is the sole air inlet to said chamber; exhausting air in an axial direction using an exhaust fan mounted on the other end of shaft, by defining a second path from said sole outlet to said exhaust fan; and deflecting air in said axial direction to a radial direction with baffle means including an upper terminal lid for said device and a plurality of annular stepped vanes to divide axially exhausted air into turbulent air streams and convert said turbulent air streams into radial laminar flow with reduced velocity of deflected air to have laminar flow.