Ultra-filtration vacuum system

• US 5,922,093 A
• Filed: 10/14/1997
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Miracle Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Miracle Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Edgington, Michael John, Hatch, Guy Merideth, James, Randy Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): BUSHEY, CHARLES S
• Application Number:
  US08/949,742
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 55/318, 55/322, 55/327, 55/337, 96/318, 96/321, 96/335, 96/336, 96/337, 96/347, 96/349, 96/350, 96/352, 96/364, 96/FOR 127, 96/FOR 140, 96/FOR 145, 96/FOR 155
• US Class Current: 55/322
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/181 Separating by passing the air through a liquid bath
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/182 Separating by passing the air over a liquid bath arrangement of cyclones A47L9/16
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/185 Means for the mechanical control of flow of air, e.g. deflectors, baffles or labyrinths
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/187 with filtering means, e.g. separators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 47/00 Separating dispersed particles from gases, air or vapours by liquid as separating agent B01D45/10 takes precedence; fractionating columns or parts thereof B01D3/16
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 47/021 by bubbling the gas through a liquid bath
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 50/00 Combinations of methods or devices for separating particles from gases or vapours

Abstract

An ultra-filtration vacuum system with a first liquid stage filter and that has structure to direct particle laden air into a vortex in a circular cyclone chamber over a surface of a first liquid filter medium to direct particulates in the air to a wall of the cyclone chamber for collection by the first liquid filter medium. An open-pore labyrinth filter is provided for further filtering air from the first liquid stage. A second liquid stage is provided to filter for filtering air from the labyrinth filter and has a dispersion chamber with an inlet that directs the particle laden air from the labyrinth filter directly into a second liquid filter medium to transfer momentum of the air directly to the second liquid filter medium, the dispersion chamber constructed with surfaces against which medium is propelled by the energy of the injected air to disperse the medium in the air, the dispersion chamber shaped such that a cascading and undulating liquid surface is formed.

Claims

1. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system comprising;

a first liquid stage filter comprising structure to direct particle laden air into a vortex in a circular cyclone chamber over a surface of a first liquid medium to direct particulates in the air to a wall of the cyclone chamber for collection by the first liquid filter medium and to create sufficient turbulence in the liquid medium to at least periodically wet the wall,

an open-pore labyrinth filter for filtering air coming from the first liquid stage, which provides a convoluted path through which the air passes,

a second liquid stage filter for filtering air coming from the labyrinth filter and comprising a dispersion chamber with an inlet that directs the particle laden air from the labyrinth filter directly into a second liquid filter medium to transfer momentum of the air directly into the second liquid filter medium, the dispersion chamber constructed with surfaces against which the second liquid filter medium is propelled by the energy of the injected air to disperse the medium in the air,

surfaces upon which water droplets dispersed in air leaving the second liquid stage impact and become retained to remove essentially all of the liquid droplets in the air coming from the second liquid stage.

2. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system as in claim 1 additionally comprising;

a mechanical filter stage following the second liquid filter and the surfaces for removing liquid droplets the mechanical filter stage for removing fine particles from liquid-free, particle depleted air coming from the second liquid stage.

3. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system as in claim 1 wherein the first and second liquid filter media are the same or different and comprise water.

4. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system as in claim 3 wherein the filter media additionally comprises one or more substances functioning as one or more of a low-sudsing agent, a surfactant, a disinfectant, an anti-static agent, and an odor-modifying agent.

5. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system as in claim 1 wherein a check valve is disposed after the first liquid stage to prevent air and fluid from passing into the labyrinth filter and the second liquid stage when fluid level in the first liquid medium rises to a predetermined level.

6. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system as in claim 1 wherein the dispersion chamber is generally cylindrical about a vertical axis with generally vertical side walls and the air inlet is constructed and configured to inject air into the liquid medium in a tangential direction to create an action that forces liquid medium to flow upon the vertical side walls and form a cascading liquid surface.

7. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system as in claim 1 wherein the second liquid stage filter comprises structure for directing the air into the second liquid medium through vanes that direct the air and transfer momentum to the second liquid medium in a tangential direction.

8. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system as in claim 1 wherein the dispersion chamber comprises a circular bottom and cylindrical side wall with a rounded transition between the circular bottom and side wall.

9. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system as in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the surfaces against which liquid is propelled are provided by one or more splash plates.

10. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system as in claim 9 wherein the one or more splash plates provide surfaces that collect liquid upon which the liquid flows to be further dispersed in the dispersion chamber.

11. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system suitable for both wet and dry cleaning applications that comprises a series of stages ordered for optimum removal of air-entrained liquid or solid particles from a particle laden air stream, the stages in succession comprising:

a first liquid stage where particles are extracted by directing particle laden air into a vortex over a surface of a first liquid medium in a cyclone chamber sufficient to create turbulence in the liquid;

a labyrinth filter stage where particles are removed by directing the air coming from the first liquid filter through a labyrinth filter comprising convoluted labyrinth passages;

a second liquid stage where particles are removed by directing air coming from the labyrinth filter into a dispersion zone of air and a liquid second medium,

surfaces upon which liquid droplets in air from the second liquid stage impact and are retained to remove essentially of the water droplets from air coming from the second liquid stage.

12. An ultrafiltration vacuum cleaning system as in claim 11 additionally comprising a mechanical filter stage following the second liquid stage and the surfaces for removing the water droplets for removing fine particles from liquid-free, particle depleted air coming from the second liquid stage.