Air filtration device including filter change indicator

• US 6,315,821 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2001
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Smith, Michael E., Pillion, Lawrence M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US09/758,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 554/67, 554/71, 55D/IG.34, 964/17, 964/16, 964/24, 116/DIG.25
• US Class Current: 96/416
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2265/026 with means for avoiding false mounting
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2273/30 Means for generating a circulation of a fluid in a filtration system, e.g. using a pump or a fan
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0043 containing fixed gas displacement elements or cores
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0086 Filter condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/103 Curved filtering elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/4254 Allowing or improving visual supervision, e.g. lamps, transparent parts, windows
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0071 with means for purifying supplied air perfuming or deodorising means F24F1/008
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/39 Monitoring filter performance
• 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: Y10S 116/25 Air filter condition indicator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/34 Indicator and controllers

Abstract

An air filtration device for intake of atmospheric air, removal of contaminants from the atmospheric air, expulsion of filtered air, includes a housing configured for application directly to an electrical outlet and provides air intake from the front surface of the housing and air expulsion from the side of the housing to utilize a wall surface to disperse the filtered air. A filter change indicator is provided to communicate that a filter should be changed, and a filter orientation system is provided to allow proper orientation of the filter with respect to air flow.

Claims

1. An air filtration device for intake of atmospheric air, removal of contaminants from the atmospheric air, and expulsion of filtered air, said air filtration device comprising:

a housing defining an air flow path;

an air inlet formed in said housing;

an air outlet formed in said housing in spaced relation to said air inlet, said air flow path extending between said air inlet and said air outlet;

a filter located in said air flow path; and

a filter change indicator including an indicator member movably supported by said housing, indicia supported by at least one of said indicator member and said housing for selective positioning relative to the other of said housing and said indicator member at one of a plurality of set positions, each said indicia indicating time and associated with one of said set positions wherein the positioning of said indicator member relative to said housing provides an indication of when said filter should be replaced.

2. The air filtration device of claim 1 further comprising:

an impeller for moving air through said housing along said air flow path from said air inlet to said air outlet; and

a motor operably connected to said impeller.

3. The air filtration device of claim 2 further comprising a pair of electric prongs extending outwardly from said housing for operational engagement with an electrical wall outlet for supplying electrical power to said motor.

4. The air filtration device of claim 1 wherein said indicia comprise symbols representing months of a calendar year arranged in successive chronological order.

5. The air filtration device of claim 1 wherein said indicator member comprises a wheel rotatably supported by said housing and including a peripheral outer surface supporting said indicia.

6. The air filtration device of claim 5 wherein said housing further includes a viewing window, a portion of said indicia supported by said outer surface of said wheel visible through said viewing window.

7. The air filtration device of claim 5 further comprising an indexing device operably associated with said wheel for releasably retaining said wheel from rotational movement in one of said plurality of set positions relative to said housing.

8. The air filtration device of claim 7 wherein said indexing device comprises a resilient finger supported by said housing and a plurality of circumferentially spaced indexing recesses formed within said wheel for receiving said finger.

9. The air filtration device of claim 5 wherein said wheel comprises an annular indicia ring defining said peripheral outer surface supporting said indicia, and an annular gripping ring coaxlely disposed relative to said indicia ring and including an outer peripheral surface having a plurality of alternating projections and recesses for facilitating gripping of said wheel.

10. An air filtration device for intake of atmospheric air, removal of contaminants from the atmospheric air, and expulsion of filtered air, said air filtration device comprising:

a housing;

an air flow path extending within said housing;

a filter located within said air flow path;

a date wheel rotatably supported by said housing, said date wheel including an annular indicia ring having an outer peripheral surface, indicia supported by said outer peripheral surface for selective positioning relative to said housing at one of a plurality of set positions, each said indicia indicating time and associated with one of said set positions; and

an indexing device operably associated with said date wheel for rotationally and releasably retaining said wheel in one of said plurality of set positions, wherein the positioning of said date wheel relative to said housing provides an indication of when said filter should be replaced.

11. The air filtration device of claim 10 wherein said indicia comprise symbols representing months of a calendar year arranged in successive chronological order.

12. The air filtration device of claim 10 wherein said housing further includes a viewing window, a portion of said indicia ring visible through said window.

13. The air filtration device of claim 10 wherein said indexing device comprises a resilient finger supported by said housing and a plurality of circumferentially spaced indexing recesses formed within said date wheel for receiving said finger.

14. The air filtration device of claim 13 wherein said date wheel further includes a substantially cylindrical inner wall, said indexing recesses extending substantially radially outwardly within said inner wall, and said finger biased substantially radially outwardly relative to said inner wall for releasable engagement with said indexing recesses.

15. The air filtration device of claim 14 wherein said date wheel further comprises a substantially cylindrical outer wall concentrically disposed relative to said inner wall, said indicia ring defined by said outer wall.

16. The air filtration device of claim 15 wherein said date wheel further comprises an annual gripping ring defined by said outer wall, said gripping ring including an outer peripheral surface having a plurality of alternating projections and recesses for facilitating gripping of said wheel.