Furnace filter system

• US 6,491,735 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HMI Industries, Inc. (1670255 Ontario, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: HMI Industries, Inc. (1670255 Ontario, Inc.)
• Inventors: Najm, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Jason M.
• Application Number:
  US09/988,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 553/51, 553/52, 553/53, 553/54, 554/22, 554/90, 554/92, 796/429, 796/916, 242/916
• US Class Current: 55/492
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0086 Filter condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/20 the belts combined with drums
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/446 by pressure measuring

Abstract

A furnace filter system or kit for installation on an existing furnace duct having upper and lower supply roll supports respectively mountable on the top and bottom walls of the duct adjacent one side wall of the duct for removably receiving a supply roll of filter media therebetween, and upper and lower take-up roll supports respectively mounted on the top and bottom walls of the duct adjacent the other side thereof for removably receiving a filter media take-up roll therebetween. Slots are provided in the side walls of the duct inwardly adjacent the corresponding one of the supply roll and take-up roll and between the top and bottom walls of the duct, and a filter media supporting frame assembly is received in the duct and has opposite sides provided with guide slots therein aligned with the duct slots. Filter media is threaded through the supporting frame assembly from the supply roll to the take-up roll, and the latter is adapted to be periodically rotated by a motor on the upper take-up roll support to advance the filter media from the supply roll to the take-up roll. A control unit provides for the advancement of the filter media to be achieved, selectively, through one of a manual switch, timer and pressure sensor responsive to a pressure drop across the filter media in the duct.

Claims

1. A disposable filter cartridge for supporting a roll of disposable, air-permeable filter material for use in a non-disposable furnace filter system, said filter cartridge comprising an elongated cylinder having an axis and a length of filter material wound on said cylinder, axially opposite ends and a radially outer surface between said opposite ends, an end wall at each of said opposite ends transverse to said axis and having a planar axially outer surface intersecting said radially outer surface at the corresponding end of said cylinder, and a non-circular opening in one of said end walls coaxial with said axis and an opening in the other of said end walls coaxial with said axis.

2. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 1, wherein said non-circular opening is substantially star-shaped and said opening in said other end wall is substantially circular.

3. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 1, further including a filter material retaining element to releasably secure said filter material to said cylinder, said retaining element extending along said radially outer surface between said opposite ends of said cylinder for radial outward displacement relative thereto.

4. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 2, further including a filter material retaining element to releasably secure said filter material to said cylinder, said retaining element extending along said radially outer surface between said opposite ends of said cylinder for radial outward displacement relative thereto.

5. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 3, wherein said filter material has an inner end releasably retained on said cylinder by said retaining element, said retaining element at least partially secured to said cylinder.

6. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 4, wherein said filter material has an inner end releasably retained on said cylinder by said retaining element, said retaining element at least partially secured to said cylinder.

7. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 1, wherein said radially outer surface of said cylinder is the radially outermost extremity of said cartridge.

8. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 2, wherein said radially outer surface of said cylinder is the radially outermost extremity of said cartridge.

9. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 3, wherein said radially outer surface of said cylinder is the radially outermost extremity of said cartridge.

10. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 5, wherein said radially outer surface of said cylinder is the radially outermost extremity of said cartridge.

11. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 6, wherein said radially outer surface of said cylinder is the radially outermost extremity of said cartridge.

12. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 1, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

13. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 2, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

14. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 3, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

15. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 7, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

16. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 8, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

17. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 9, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

18. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 10, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

19. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 11, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

20. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 1, wherein said filter material is non-reusable.

21. A disposable filter cartridge for supporting a roll of non-reusable, clean, air permeable filter material for use in a non-disposable furnace filter system and for supporting a roll of used filter material after said clean filter material has been dispensed from said filter cartridge, said filter cartridge comprising an elongated cylinder having an axis and a length of filter material wound on said cylinder, axially opposite ends and a radially outer surface between said opposite ends, an end wall at each of said opposite ends transverse to said axis and having a planar axially outer surface intersecting said radially outer surface at the corresponding end of said cylinder, a non-circular opening in one of said end walls coaxial with said axis and an opening in the other of said end walls coaxial with said axis, and a filter material retaining element secured to said cylinder to releasably secure a rear end of said clean filter material to said cylinder and to secure a front end of said used filter material to said cylinder, said retaining element extending along said radially outer surface between said opposite ends of said cylinder for radial outward displacement relative thereto.

22. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 21, wherein said non-circular opening is substantially star-shaped and said opening in said other end wall is substantially circular.

23. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 21, wherein said radially outer surface of said cylinder is the radially outermost extremity of said cartridge.

24. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 22, wherein said radially outer surface of said cylinder is the radially outermost extremity of said cartridge.

25. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 21, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

26. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 22, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

27. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 23, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.

28. The filter cartridge as defined in claim 24, wherein the planar outer surface of each of said end walls is the axially outermost extremity of said cartridge at the corresponding end of said cylinder.