Room air cleaner with removable filter panels

• US 6,174,340 B1
• Filed: 03/22/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph Hodge
• Original Assignee: Joseph Hodge
• Inventors: Hodge, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US09/273,707
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 553/851, 554/67, 554/71, 554/72, 554/82, 554/86, 555/11, D23/364, D23/377
• US Class Current: 55/385.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/10 Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filter plates, sheets or pads having plane surfaces

Abstract

A room air filter apparatus includes a multi-sided housing having longitudinally spaced first and second ends, a plurality of sides between the first and second ends, and a plenum inside the housing. Each of the sides has an empty space frame by outer edges of the housing side. A fan is mounted to the housing and is operably disposed, preferably, within the plenum to draw air from the plenum and to exhaust the air outside of the housing. Filter panels are removably attached to the outer surfaces of the edges and filter material is mounted in the panels to cover the empty spaces. Magnets mounted on edges of the panels may be used as attachment devices as well as other devices for clipping the panels onto the outer surfaces of the edges of the housing. The filter material is preferably a self-charging electrostatic washable material.

Claims

1. A room air filter apparatus comprising:

a multi-sided housing frame having longitudinally spaced first and second ends,

a plurality of sides between said first and second ends,

a plenum inside said housing frame,

each of said sides having an empty space framed by edges of said each of said sides,

an exhaust fan mounted to said housing frame and operably disposed to draw air from said plenum and to exhaust the air through said first end,

filter panels on said sides, each of said panels removably attached to outer surfaces of said edges,

filter material mounted in said panels to cover said empty spaces wherein said filter material is a self-charging electrostatic washable material,

attachment means to removably attach said filter panels to said sides and hold said filter panels against said outer surfaces of said edges, and

a lamp fixture and shade assembly mounted to and outside of said housing frame.

2. A room air filter apparatus comprising:

multi-sided housing frame having longitudinally spaced first and second ends,

a plurality of sides between said first and second ends,

a plenum inside said housing frame,

each of said sides having an empty space framed by edges of said each of said sides,

an exhaust fan mounted to said housing frame and operably disposed to draw air from said plenum and to exhaust the air through said first end,

filter panels on said sides, each of said panels removably attached to outer surfaces of said edges,

filter material mounted in said panels to cover said empty spaces wherein said filter material is a self-charging electrostatic washable material,

attachment means to removably attach said filter panels to said sides and hold said filter panels against said outer surfaces of said edges, and

a ceiling fan including ceiling fan motor, said ceiling fan mounted to said second end to be suspended and below said housing frame.

3. The room filter apparatus of claim 2, further comprising mounting means attached to said second end to mount and suspend said housing frame from a ceiling.

4. An air filter apparatus comprising:

a multi-sided housing frame having longitudinally spaced first and second ends,

a plurality of sides between said first and second ends,

a plenum inside said housing frame,

each of said sides having an empty space framed by edges of said each of said sides,

an exhaust fan mounted to said housing frame and operably disposed to draw air from said plenum and to exhaust the air through said first end,

filter panels on said sides, each of said panels removably attached to outer surfaces of said edges,

filter material mounted in said panels to cover said empty spaces wherein said filter material is a self-charging electrostatic washable material,

attachment means to removably attach said filter panels to said sides and hold said filter panels against said outer surfaces of said edges, and

said housing frame is sized for use in a car and includes an automobile power cord with a cigarette lighter adapter connected to said fan to power said exhaust fan.

5. A room air filter apparatus comprising:

a multi-sided housing frame having longitudinally spaced first and second ends,

a plurality of sides between said first and second ends,

a plenum inside said housing frame,

each of said sides having an empty space framed by edges of said each of said sides,

an exhaust fan mounted to said housing frame and operably disposed to draw air from said plenum and to exhaust the air through said first end,

filter panels on said sides, each of said panels removably attached to outer surfaces of said edges,

filter material mounted in said panels to cover said empty spaces wherein said filter material is a self-charging electrostatic washable material,

attachment means to removably attach said filter panels to said sides and hold said filter panels against said outer surfaces of said edges, and

an overhead light fixture mounted to said second end.

6. The room filter apparatus of claim 5, further comprising mounting means attached to said first end to mount and suspend said housing frame from a ceiling.

7. A room air filter apparatus comprising:

a multi-sided housing frame having longitudinally spaced first and second ends,

a plurality of sides between said first and second ends,

a plenum inside said housing frame,

each of said sides having an empty space framed by edges of said each of said sides,

an exhaust fan mounted to said housing frame and operably disposed to draw air from said plenum and to exhaust the air through said first end,

filter panels on said sides, each of said panels removably attached to outer surfaces of said edges,

filter material mounted in said panels to cover said empty spaces,

attachment means to removably attach said filter panels to said sides and hold said filter panels against said outer surfaces of said edges,

each of said panels comprising a filter frame having sidewalls between an open front end and an open back end and said filter frame having a channel with channel wall elements extending generally perpendicular to and inwardly of said sidewalls such that said channel opens inwardly of said sidewalls,

a mounting means attached to said first end for mounting and suspending said housing frame from a ceiling, and

a first sheet of said filter material behind a grill, both of which are peripherally disposed within said channel.

8. The room filter apparatus of claim 7, wherein said filter material is a self-charging electrostatic washable material.

9. The room filter apparatus of claim 8, wherein said attachment means comprises magnets on said edges.

10. The room filter apparatus of claim 8, wherein said attachment means comprises magnets on said filter panels.

11. The room filter apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a lamp mounted to and outside of said housing frame.

12. The room filter apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an overhead light fixture mounted to said second end.

13. The room filter apparatus of claim 8, wherein said grill and first sheet of filter material are sized and sufficiently flexible so as to be removably insertable into said channel.

14. The room filter apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a second sheet of a second filter material disposed in said channel behind said first sheet of filter material.

15. The room filter apparatus of claim 14, wherein said second filter material includes activated charcoal.

16. The room filter apparatus of claim 15 wherein said filter material comprises a woven polypropylene.

17. The room filter apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first sheet of said woven polypropylene has heat sealed finished edges such that said filter material can support its own weight within said filter frame.