Air treatment system

• US 5,925,172 A
• Filed: 06/11/1996
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Amway Corporation (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Niezgoda, Thomas, Rick, Bradley G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Jay H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOPKINS, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US08/661,604
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 55/274, 55/271, 96/467, 96/424, 96/421, 96/422, 96/417, 96/397, 96/167, 96/FOR 167, 96/FOR 170, 96/400
• US Class Current: 96/397
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/10 Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filter plates, sheets or pads having plane surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0071 with means for purifying supplied air perfuming or deodorising means F24F1/008
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/24 Means for preventing or suppressing noise
• 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: F24F 8/158 using active carbon
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

An air treatment system having a relatively large capacity yet a relatively small footprint and low sound level. The air treatment system includes a housing defining adjacent vertically extending inlet and outlet chambers. A blower is mounted within the inlet chamber to move air through the system. A generally planar filter is contained within the outlet chamber and is spaced apart from the rear wall of the housing to define a plenum. The rear wall of the housing is curved so that the plenum is tapered to provide uniform pressure over the face of the filter. The system is adapted to rest upon the floor or mount either vertically or horizontal to a wall. Additionally, the system includes a control mechanism that allows the system to run at full speed for a predetermined period of time and then automatically return to its previous speed level.

Claims

1. An air treatment system comprising:

a housing;

a filter mounted within said housing;

a blower mounted within said housing to move air through said filter; and

a control means for controlling operation of said blower in one of a plurality of normal modes of filtration operation, said control means including timing circuitry for recording passage of time and blower speed control circuitry for controlling operation of said blower at one of a plurality of normal blower speeds, said control means including input means for allowing selection of one of said plurality of said normal modes of operation and one of said plurality of said normal blower speeds, said control means having a current mode of operation including a selected normal mode of operation and a blower speed selected from said plurality of blower speeds, said control means further including a high-speed mode of operation selected by depression of a single button in which said control means operates said blower at a maximum speed in excess of any of said normal blower speeds for a fixed period of time following which said control system returns directly and solely to said current mode of operation.

2. The air treatment system of claim 1 wherein said control means includes uniform volume control circuitry for monitoring a status of said filter and providing uniform air flow volume over the life of the filter by progressively increasing blower speed as a function of said status.

3. The air treatment system of claim 2 wherein said blower includes a direct current motor, said control means controlling said speed of said blower by varying a command voltage supplied to said motor.

4. The air treatment system of claim 3 wherein said input means includes a control panel mounted to said housing.

5. The air treatment system of claim 4 wherein said input means further includes a remote control for providing remote operation of said control means.

6. The air treatment system of claim 5 wherein said uniform volume control circuitry includes pressure sensing means for sensing air pressure within said housing.

7. The air treatment system of claim 6 wherein said uniform volume control circuitry includes current draw sensing means for sensing current draw of said blower.

8. The air treatment system of claim 7 wherein said uniform volume control circuitry includes air flow speed sensing means for sensing air flow speed within said housing.

9. The air treatment system of claim 8 wherein said uniform volume control circuitry includes blower speed sensing means for sensing blower speed.

10. The air treatment system of claim 9 wherein said uniform volume control circuitry includes time monitoring means for monitoring and recording time elapse.