Filtered air moving apparatus

• US 5,433,762 A
• Filed: 07/20/1994
• Issued: 07/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Consumer Products, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Consumer Products, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Chiu, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Santiago, Amalia L.
• Application Number:
  US08/277,811
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 422/122, 422/124, 422/107, 422/110, 422/112, 55/213, 55/274, 55/467, 55/470, 55/472, 55/473, 95/19, 95/22, 95/23
• US Class Current: 96/416
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2273/30 Means for generating a circulation of a fluid in a filtration system, e.g. using a pump or a fan
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2275/40 Porous blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/10 Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filter plates, sheets or pads having plane surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/444 by flow measuring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0071 with means for purifying supplied air perfuming or deodorising means F24F1/008
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/39 Monitoring filter performance
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/10 by separation, e.g. by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/108 using dry filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A filtered air moving device including a housing defining an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air flow path therebetween; a blower disposed in the housing and arranged to move air in the flow path from the inlet to the outlet; a multiple speed electrical motor rotatably coupled to the blower; and an air filter disposed within the housing in the air flow path. Also included is a control circuit for connecting the motor to a voltage source and including an electrical switch operable between a first condition providing rotation of the blower at a given speed and a second condition providing rotation of the blower at a predetermined speed greater than the given speed; a tubulation providing communication between a location in the air flow path downstream of the filter and a position remote therefrom; an indicator responsive to the rate of air flow through the tubulation, and a selector for varying the level of resistance to air flow provided by the tubulation.

Claims

1. Filtered air moving apparatus comprising:

housing means defining an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air flow path therebetween;

a blower means disposed in said housing means and arranged to move air in said flow path from said inlet to said outlet;

drive means rotatably coupled to said blower;

air filter means disposed within said housing means in said air flow path;

tubulation means providing fluid communication between a particular location in said air flow path and a position separate from said particular location, said tubulation means including a hollow at least partially transparent viewing section defining a curved inner surface and a curved outer surface juxtaposed thereto; and

float means retained in said viewing section and movable therein between a first position in response to a given rate of air flow through said tubulation means and a visible second position in response to another rate of air flow through said tubulation means different than said given rate, said inner and outer surfaces forming a lens means that magnifies said float means in said second position so as to provide thereof a virtual image larger than its actual size and at least as large as it appears in said first position, and wherein said location and said position establish through said tubulation means a differential pressure that produces said second position of said float means in response to a clogged condition of said air filter means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said float means is also visible in said first position, and said lens means magnifies said float means in said first position so as to provide thereof a virtual image substantially equal in size to said virtual image provided in said second position.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said viewing section is substantially vertical and has an upper end communicating with said location and a lower end communicating with said another position.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said position is at substantially atmospheric pressure.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said blower means is in said air flow path downstream from said filter means and said another rate of air flow is greater than said given rate of air flow.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said viewing section is substantially vertical and has an upper end communicating with said location and a lower end communicating with said another position.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said position is at substantially atmospheric pressure.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said blower means is in said air flow path downstream from said filter means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said viewing section is a hollow cylindrical tube.