Environmental enclosure apparatus with air flow control and balancing

• US 5,664,995 A
• Filed: 06/21/1996
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Air Technologies Corporation, O.K. Filters Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: O.K. Filters Company, Inc.
• Inventors: O'Keefe, Kevin Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US08/669,878
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 454/52, 454/56, 454/57, 454/58, 454/60, 454/187, 454/255
• US Class Current: 454/58
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 15/023 Fume cabinets or cupboards, e.g. for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 Activity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/167 Clean rooms, i.e. enclosed spaces in which a uniform flow of filtered air is distributed air distribution by perforated walls F24F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

An environmental enclosure apparatus is presented with air flow control and air balancing. The apparatus includes a housing having a work chamber, multiple adjustable fans for moving air into the work chamber, a filter for filtering particulate from the air moving into the chamber and a control mechanism for controlling each of the multiple adjustable fans. The control mechanism is responsive to a sensor which determines a change in position of at least one component within the work chamber. The at least one component could comprise a work product, a work tool or other product handling device. Air balancing is achieved through the provision of multiple chases within the enclosure, some of which have inlets at a bottom of the enclosure for drawing in external air and some of which have openings internal to the work chamber adjacent to a work surface for facilitating air flow balancing. Preferably, at least some of the chases have controllable dampers and/or controllable draw means coupled to the control mechanism for further facilitating of automatic air flow balancing within the work chamber.

Claims

1. An environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a housing having a work chamber;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber, said fan apparatus comprising multiple adjustable fans;

a filter for filtering particulate from gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

sensing means for sensing a change within said work chamber, said change comprising repositioning of a work component within said work chamber;

control means coupled to said sensing means and to said multiple adjustable fans, said control means causing an automatic adjustment in at least one adjustable fan of said multiple fans in response to said sensing means sensing said change within the work chamber; and

wherein said work component comprises a work tool and said sensing means further comprises means for sensing movement of the work tool within said work chamber, and wherein said control means responds to movement of the work tool within the work chamber by automatically varying gaseous fluid flow through the at least one adjustable fan of said multiple adjustable fans.

2. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 1, wherein each adjustable fan of said multiple adjustable fans is independently controllable by said control means for varying its moving of gaseous fluid into the work chamber.

3. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 2, wherein each adjustable fan of said multiple adjustable fans directs gaseous fluid into a different area of the work chamber.

4. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sensing means comprises at least one motion detector within said work chamber, and wherein said control means includes means for varying the gaseous fluid flow through the at least one adjustable fan, said at least one adjustable fan being directed to a current position of the work tool within the work chamber.

5. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 4, wherein said fan apparatus is disposed at a top portion of said housing and said multiple adjustable fans move gaseous fluid downward into the work chamber.

6. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 1, wherein said work component further comprises a work product undergoing processing within said work chamber, and said sensing means comprises means for sensing movement of the work product within said work chamber, and wherein said control means responds to movement of the work product within the work chamber by automatically varying gaseous fluid flow through at least one adjustable fan of said multiple adjustable fans based on a current position of the work product.

7. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 6, wherein said sensing means comprises at least one motion detector within said work chamber, and wherein said control means includes means for varying the gaseous fluid flow through the at least one adjustable fan directed to a current position of the work product within the work chamber.

8. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 7, wherein said fan apparatus is disposed at a top portion of said housing and said multiple adjustable fans move gaseous fluid downward into the work chamber.

9. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 1, wherein said work component further comprises a material handling device and said sensing means further comprises means for sensing movement of the material handling device within the work chamber, and wherein said control means responds to movement of the material handling device within the work chamber by automatically varying gaseous fluid flow through the at least one adjustable fan of the multiple adjustable fans.

10. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 9, wherein said sensing means comprises at least one motion detector within the work chamber, and wherein said control means includes means for varying of the gaseous fluid flow through the at least one adjustable fan, said at least one adjustable fan being directed to a current position of the material handling device within the work chamber.

11. An environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a housing having a work chamber;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber, said fan apparatus comprising multiple adjustable fans;

a filter for filtering particulate from gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

sensing means for sensing a change within the work chamber, said change comprising repositioning of a work component within said work chamber;

control means coupled to said sensing means and to said multiple adjustable fans said control means causing an automatic adjustment in at least one adjustable fan of said multiple fans in response to said sensing means sensing said change within the work chamber; and

further comprising multiple chases within said housing for supplying gaseous fluid to said fan apparatus, at least some of said multiple chases each having a controllable damper, and wherein said control means further includes means for automatically adjusting said controllable dampers of said at least some chases to maintain a desired gaseous fluid condition within the work chamber.

12. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 11, wherein said housing includes a work surface, and wherein at least one chase of said at least some chases having said adjustable dampers has an inlet in said work chamber adjacent to said work surface for drawing gaseous fluid therefrom.

13. An environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a housing having a work chamber;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber, said fan apparatus comprising multiple adjustable fans;

a filter for filtering particulate from the gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

sensing means for monitoring a pressure difference between pressure within said work chamber and pressure external to the environmental enclosure apparatus, said sensing means including at least one internal pressure sensor within said work chamber and at least one external pressure sensor external to the environmental enclosure apparatus; and

control means coupled to said sensing means and to said multiple adjustable fans, said control means causing an automatic adjustment in at least one adjustable fan of said multiple adjustable fans in response to said sensing means sensing a change in the pressure differential between said pressure within the work chamber and said pressure external to the environmental enclosure apparatus.

14. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 13, wherein said control means varies gaseous fluid flow through said at least one adjustable fan of said multiple adjustable fans in response to a change in the pressure differential between pressure internal to the work chamber and pressure external to the environmental enclosure apparatus so as to re-establish a desired pressure differential therebetween.

15. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 14, wherein said housing includes a service opening to said work chamber, and said change in pressure differential between pressure internal to the work chamber and pressure external to the environmental enclosure apparatus is due to presence of a material handling device at said access opening to said work chamber, said at least one external pressure sensor of said sensing means being disposed adjacent to said access opening to said work chamber.

16. An environmental enclosure apparatus for disposition in a room containing conditioned gaseous fluid, the environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a workstation stand having a work chamber defined within the workstation stand;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber;

a filter for filtering particulate from gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

at least one chase for supplying gaseous fluid to the fan apparatus, each chase being disposed within said workstation stand and extending from a lower portion of said workstation stand to an upper portion of said workstation stand;

wherein an inlet to each chase is disposed at said lower portion of said workstation stand and positioned within said workstation stand for drawing in said conditioned gaseous fluid from the room for supply to said fan apparatus; and

wherein said environmental enclosure apparatus is sized to reside within said room containing said conditioned gaseous fluid.

17. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 16, wherein the room comprises a first space, and wherein the environmental enclosure apparatus is sized to partially separate the first space and a second space, said second space containing unconditioned gaseous fluid.

18. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 16, wherein said workstation stand includes a front wall containing a service opening into said work chamber, and wherein said at least one chase is disposed within said front wall.

19. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 17, wherein said at least one chase comprises a plurality of chases within said workstation stand for supplying gaseous fluid to said fan apparatus, each chase having an inlet disposed in a wall of the workstation stand adjacent to a bottom of said workstation stand and an outlet in the upper portion of said workstation stand at said fan apparatus.

20. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 19, wherein the inlets of at least some chases of said plurality of chases face inward to the work chamber, and wherein said front wall includes a lower opening in a lower portion thereof to allow conditioned gaseous fluid from said room to reach the inlets of said at least some chases, and wherein said workstation stand includes a work surface, said lower opening being disposed beneath said work surface.

21. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 19, wherein said workstation stand has an inner wall and an outer wall, and wherein said plurality of chases are defined between said inner wall and said outer wall of said workstation stand, and wherein said work chamber is defined at least partially by said inner wall of said workstation stand.

22. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 19, wherein said fan apparatus is disposed at an upper portion of said workstation stand and moves said gaseous fluid downward into the work chamber.

23. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 22, wherein said environmental enclosure apparatus comprises a workstation for processing semiconductor wafers, said room comprises a clean room area and said second space comprises a core area, and wherein said workstation stand includes a work surface disposed within said work chamber, said work surface including holes to allow said gaseous fluid to pass therethrough, and wherein at least some chases of said plurality of chases at least partially draw gaseous fluid from within said work chamber.

24. The environment enclosure apparatus of claim 16, further comprising at least one balance chase disposed within the workstation stand with an inlet disposed for drawing gaseous fluid from the work chamber of the workstation stand for supply to the fan apparatus.

25. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 24, wherein said workstation stand includes a work surface, and wherein the inlet to the at least one balance chase is disposed adjacent to said work surface.

26. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 20, wherein the inlet of at least one chase of said plurality of chases faces outward from the workstation stand into said room containing said conditioned gaseous fluid.

27. An environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a housing having a work chamber and a work surface within said work chamber;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber;

a filter for filtering particulate from gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

multiple chases within the housing each having an inlet disposed within said work chamber adjacent to said work surface and an outlet at said fan apparatus, wherein said inlets to said multiple chases are disposed within said work chamber adjacent to said work surface to balance fluid flow within the work chamber to ensure a substantially uniform fluid flow within the work chamber.

30. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 27, wherein said multiple chases draw gaseous fluid from said work chamber, and wherein said environmental enclosure apparatus further comprises at least one supply chase, said at least one supply chase being disposed within the housing and supplying gaseous fluid from said fan apparatus to said work chamber, said supply chase having an outlet near said work surface.

31. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 30, wherein said at least one supply chase comprises multiple supply chases, each supply chase of said multiple supply chases having an outlet adjacent to said work surface for supply of gaseous fluid from said fan apparatus into said work chamber, and wherein said environmental enclosure apparatus further comprises control means for balancing drawing of gaseous fluid through said multiple chases for supply to said fan apparatus and supply of gaseous fluid from said fan apparatus into said work chamber at least partially through said multiple supply chases.

32. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 30, wherein said control means comprises damper means on at least some of said multiple chases and said multiple supply chases for control of gaseous fluid flow therethrough.

28. An environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a housing having a work chamber and a work surface within said work chamber;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber;

a filter for filtering particulate from gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

multiple chases within the housing each having an inlet disposed within said work chamber adjacent to said work surface and an outlet at said fan apparatus, wherein said inlets to said multiple chases are disposed within said work chamber adjacent to said work surface to balance fluid flow within the work chamber to ensure a substantially uniform fluid flow within the work chamber; and

wherein said fan apparatus includes multiple adjustable fans, and wherein said environmental enclosure apparatus further comprises;

sensing means for sensing pressure at multiple locations within the work chamber; and

control means coupled to the sensing means and to the multiple adjustable fans, said control means automatically varying said adjustable fans in response to an imbalance in pressure within said work chamber sensed by said sensing means.

29. An environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a housing having a work chamber and a work surface within said work chamber;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber;

a filter for filtering particulate from gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

multiple chases within the housing each having an inlet disposed within said work chamber adjacent to said work surface and an outlet at said fan apparatus, wherein said inlets to said multiple chases are disposed within said work chamber adjacent to said work surface to balance fluid flow within the work chamber to ensure a substantially uniform fluid flow within the work chamber; and

wherein each chase of said multiple chases has an adjustable draw means associated therewith for adjusting drawing of gaseous fluid from the work chamber through said chase, and wherein said environmental enclosure apparatus further comprises;

sensing means for sensing pressure at multiple locations within said work chamber; and

control means coupled to the sensing means and to each adjustable draw means, said control means automatically varying the adjustable draw means associated with at least one chase of said multiple chases in response to said sensing means sensing a pressure imbalance within the work chamber.

33. An environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a housing having a work chamber;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber;

a filter for filtering particulate from gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

multiple chases for supplying said gaseous fluid to the fan apparatus, said multiple chases being disposed within said housing, each chase of said multiple chases having an inlet positioned to face inward to said work chamber;

adjustable draw means associated with at least one chase of said multiple chases for actively drawing gaseous fluid from said work chamber for supply to said fan apparatus;

sensing means for sensing a pressure change within said work chamber; and

control means coupled to the sensing means and to each adjustable draw means, said control means automatically adjusting said adjustable draw means associated with said at least one chase in response to said sensing means sensing said pressure change within the work chamber.

34. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 33, wherein said housing includes a work surface in said work chamber, and wherein at least some chases of said multiple chases are disposed with their inlets positioned adjacent to said work surface.

35. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 33, wherein said adjustable draw means is associated with each chase of said multiple chases for actively drawing gaseous fluid from said work chamber, and wherein said control means includes means for controlling said adjustable draw means so as to maintain air balancing within said work chamber.

36. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 33, wherein said fan apparatus includes at least one adjustable fan, and wherein said control means is coupled to said at least one adjustable fan for varying gaseous fluid flow therethrough in response to a pressure change within said work chamber.

37. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 36, wherein said sensing means further comprises means for sensing movement of a work tool within said work chamber, and said control means responds to sensing movement of the work tool by varying gaseous fluid flow through the at least one adjustable fan.

38. An environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a housing having a work chamber;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber, said fan apparatus including at least one adjustable fan;

a filter for filtering particulate from said gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

at least one chase within said housing for supplying gaseous fluid to said fan apparatus, said at least one chase including an adjustable damper and having an inlet within said work chamber;

sensing means for sensing gaseous fluid pressure within the work chamber; and

control means, coupled to the at least one adjustable fan, the adjustable damper of the at least one chase and the sensing means, for balancing gaseous fluid pressure within the work chamber by automatically adjusting said at least one adjustable fan and said adjustable damper of said at least one chase to maintain a desired gaseous fluid pressure balance within the work chamber.

39. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 38, wherein said fan apparatus is disposed at an upper portion of said housing and moves said gaseous fluid downward into the work chamber, and wherein said inlet to said at least one chase is disposed adjacent to a work surface within said work chamber.

40. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 39, further comprising means for actively drawing gaseous fluid from said work chamber through said at least one chase, said means for actively drawing said gaseous fluid being controllable by said control means for balancing gaseous fluid pressure within said work chamber.

41. A method for balancing gaseous fluid pressure within a work chamber of an environmental enclosure apparatus, said method comprising:

(a) employing multiple adjustable fans to move gaseous fluid into the work chamber;

(b) filtering particulate from the gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

(c) sensing a change within the work chamber, said change comprising movement of a work tool within the work chamber; and

(d) varying, in response to said change within the work chamber, said moving of gaseous fluid into the work chamber by varying fluid flow through said at least one adjustable fan of said multiple adjustable fans being employed in said step (a).

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said change further comprises movement of a work product within the work chamber, and wherein said sensing step (c) comprises sensing said movement of said work product, and said step (d) comprises varying said moving of gaseous fluid into said work chamber in response to said movement of said work product.

43. An environmental enclosure apparatus for disposition in a room containing conditioned gaseous fluid, the environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a workstation stand having a work chamber therein, said work chamber including a work surface disposed intermediate an upper portion and a lower portion of the workstation stand;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber;

a filter for filtering particulate from gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber;

multiple chases for supplying gaseous fluid to the fan apparatus, a first chase of said multiple chases being disposed within said workstation stand to extend from the lower portion of the workstation stand to the upper portion of the workstation stand such that an inlet to said first chase is disposed in said lower portion of the workstation stand to draw in gaseous fluid for supply to said fan apparatus, and wherein a second chase of said multiple chases is disposed with an inlet adjacent to said work surface for drawing gaseous fluid from adjacent said work surface for supply to said fan apparatus; and

control means for controlling the amount of gaseous fluid drawn through at least one of said first chase and said second chase, said control means comprising means for facilitating balancing of said gaseous fluid flow within said work chamber.

44. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 43, wherein said workstation stand comprises multiple double wall sections, each double wall section being defined by an inner wall and an outer wall, and wherein said first chase and said second chase are disposed within a same double wall section of said multiple double wall sections.

45. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 43, wherein the inlet to said first chase is disposed to face outward from said workstation stand to draw in said conditioned gaseous fluid from said room, while the inlet to said second chase is disposed to face inward to the work chamber to draw gaseous fluid from within the work chamber.

46. An environmental enclosure apparatus comprising:

a housing having a work chamber and a work surface within said work chamber;

a fan apparatus for moving gaseous fluid into the work chamber;

a filter for filtering particulate from gaseous fluid moving into the work chamber; and

multiple chases within the housing, a first chase of said multiple chases supplying gaseous fluid to the fan apparatus, and a second chase of said multiple chases supplying gaseous fluid from said fan apparatus into said work chamber, said second chase having an outlet adjacent to said work surface.

47. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first chase includes an inlet disposed to face inward to said work chamber so as to draw gaseous fluid from said work chamber.

48. The environmental enclosure apparatus of claim 47, further comprising control means for controlling gaseous fluid flow through at least one of said first chase and said second chase.