Pleated belt filter with suction means to remove debris

• US 5,560,835 A
• Filed: 07/11/1995
• Issued: 10/01/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pneumafil Corp. (Nederman Holding AB)
• Original Assignee: Pneumafil Corp. (Nederman Holding AB)
• Inventors: Williams, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Popovics, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US08/500,572
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 210/400, 210/791, 210/401, 210/387, 210/783, 210/493.1, 210/493.2, 210/407, 210/409, 210/416.1, 210/391, 55/290, 55/301, 55/302, 55/354, 55/400, 55/467, 95/277, 95/278
• US Class Current: 210/783
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/22 the belts travelling during filtering

Abstract

A self-cleaning filter apparatus for use in removing particulate matter from a transport fluid, such as air, which includes a housing having a pair of spaced pulleys over which an endless filter belt is positioned to present two generally straight filter reaches and two generally curved filter reaches. The endless filter belt includes a permeable substrate formed as an endless belt and a plurality of pleats of filter media extending outwardly from the surface of the substrate so that the transport fluid can pass inwardly therethrough an deposit the particulate material on the exterior surface of the pleats. A suction nozzle is positioned adjacent the outer surface of the endless filter at one of the curved reaches thereof for removing particulate matter deposited on the pleats as they pass along such curved reach.

Claims

1. A self-cleaning filter apparatus for use in removing particulate matter from a transport fluid, said filter comprising:

(a) a permeable substrate formed as an endless belt and having a plurality of pleats of filter media extending outwardly from one surface of said substrate, said pleats being arranged on said substrate so that said fluid can pass inwardly therethrough and deposit said particulate material on the exterior surface of said pleats;

(b) a housing that includes;

(i) a support frame for supporting said endless belt for movement along a predetermined path that includes at least one straight reach in which said pleats extend outwardly from said substrate in generally spaced parallel relation to one another, and at least one curved reach in which said pleats extend outwardly from said substrate in angular relation to one another such that the spacing between adjacent pleats increases along the outwardly extending direction thereof;

(ii) at least one drive element engaging said endless belt to move it along said predetermined path;

(iii) a clean fluid chamber disposed at the interior portion of said endless belt from which said transport fluid can be removed after it has passed through said pleats; and

(c) a suction nozzle positioned adjacent the outer surface of said endless belt at said curved reach thereof for removing said particulate matter deposited on said pleats.

2. A self-cleaning filter as defined in claim 1, wherein said substrate includes imperforate edge portions extending along the side edges thereof, and wherein said support frame includes a pair of support surfaces positioned in spaced relation for supporting said imperforate edge portions of said substrate, and each of said support surfaces being formed with a suction channel extending therealong beneath said substrate edge portions for drawing said substrate edge portions against said support surfaces to form a seal therebetween and for carrying away any foreign matter that may pass through such seal before such foreign matter reaches said clean fluid chamber.

3. A self-cleaning filter as defined in claim 2, wherein said pair of support surfaces extend along and adjacent to the entire length of the straight and curved reaches of said substrate.

4. A self-cleaning filter as defined in claim 2, wherein said suction channels and said suction nozzle are connected to the same suction source.

5. A self-cleaning filter as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing includes an imperforate surface for supporting said substrate at said curved reach thereof.

6. A self-cleaning filter as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a rotating roller having an imperforate cylindrical support surface for supporting said substrate at said curved reach thereof.

7. A self-cleaning filter as defined in claim 1, wherein said suction nozzle extends across the width of said endless belt with one end thereof adapted to be connected to a suction source, said suction nozzle having a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area along the extending length thereof from said one end thereof so as to generally equalize the suction force imposed on said substrate across the width thereof.

8. A self-cleaning filter apparatus for use in removing particulate matter from a transport fluid, said filter comprising:

(a) a substrate formed as an endless belt with a permeable center portion and opposed imperforate side edge portions, and said substrate having a plurality of generally U-shaped pleats of filter media extending outwardly from the outermost surface of said substrate, said pleats being arranged on said substrate so that the closed ends thereof are spaced from said substrate and with side portions extending generally perpendicularly outwardly from said substrate in spaced relation to one another so that said transport fluid can pass inwardly therethrough and deposit said particulate material on the exterior surface of said pleats; and

(b) a housing that includes;

(i) a pair of rollers spaced apart and supporting the interior surface of said substrate thereon so that it extends along a predetermined path that includes two generally curved reaches extending about the surfaces of said rollers and two generally parallel straight reaches extending between said rollers, at least one of said rollers being formed with an imperforate surface for supporting said substrate;

(ii) drive means connected to one of said rollers for rotating said one roller and moving said substrate along said predetermined path;

(iii) a pair of generally flat support surfaces extending in spaced parallel relation between said rollers at a position to support, respectively, said imperforate side edge portions of said endless belt, each said support surface being formed with a channel extending along the length thereof beneath said imperforate side edge portions of said substrate whereby said channels can be connected to a source of suction to draw said side edge portions of said moving substrate against said support surfaces in sealing relation therewith;

(iv) a clean fluid chamber disposed at the interior portion of said endless belt from which said transport fluid can be removed after it has passed through said pleats and said substrate; and

(v) a suction nozzle extending across the width of said substrate adjacent the curved reach of said substrate at said imperforate roller for removing said particulate matter deposited on the exterior surface of said pleats.

9. A method of filtering particulate matter from a transport fluid, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an endless perforate substrate with a plurality of pleats of filter media that extend outwardly from the outer surface thereof and that have surfaces extending in spaced relation to one another;

(b) moving said endless substrate along a predetermined path that includes at least one generally straight reach at which said pleats extend in generally parallel relation to one another and at least one curved reach at which said pleats are disposed in angular relation to one another so that the spacing therebetween increases in the outwardly extending direction thereof;

(c) causing the transport fluid to flow inwardly through said pleats and said substrate to deposit said particulate matter on the exterior surface of said pleats and thereby clean the transport fluid; and

(d) creating a suction at said curved reach of said endless substrate to remove said particulate matter from the exterior surfaces of said pleats while they are disposed in said angular relation to one another.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein that portion of said endless substrate which is moving through said curved reach beneath said suction is supported on an imperforate surface whereby said suction is unopposed by the flow of the transport fluid.

11. A method as defined in claim 9, and including the steps of forming the side edge portions of said substrate of imperforate material, and moving said side portions along support surfaces at said straight reach while applying a suction force at said side edge portions to draw them against said support surfaces and thereby seal said substrate thereat.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, and including the step of applying said suction force to said side edge portions along the entire length of said endless substrate.

13. A method as defined in claim 11, and including the step of utilizing a single source of suction for creating said suction at said curved reach of said endless substrate and for applying said suction force at said side edge portions of said endless substrate.

14. A method of filtering particulate matter from a transport fluid, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an endless perforate substrate with a plurality of pleats of filter media that extend outwardly from the outer surface thereof and that have surfaces extending in spaced relation to one another;

(b) moving said endless substrate along a predetermined path that includes at least one generally straight reach at which said pleats extend outwardly from said substrate with a relatively small normal spacing between each two adjacent pleats and at least one curved reach at which said normal spacing between each two adjacent pleats is increased;

(c) causing the transport fluid to flow inwardly through said pleats and said substrate to deposit said particulate matter on the exterior surface of said pleats and thereby clean said transport air; and

(d) creating a suction at said curved reach of said endless substrate to remove said particulate matter from the exterior surfaces of said pleats while they are disposed within said increased spacing therebetween.