Vehicle exhaust filtration system and method

• US 6,584,768 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ARS Networks, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Majestic Companies Ltd.
• Inventors: Hecker, Michael, Corbett, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, BINH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/714,741
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 603/11, 602/95, 602/97, 602/99, 603/03, 602/86, 553/18, 553/501, 553/59, 553/853, 55D/IG.3
• US Class Current: 60/297
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2260/22 for preventing theft of exhaust parts or devices, e.g. anti-theft arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2450/30 Removable or rechangeable blocks or cartridges, e.g. for filters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2590/08 for heavy duty applications, e.g. trucks, buses, tractors, locomotives
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/035 with catalytic reactors , e.g. catalysed diesel particulate filters

Abstract

A Vehicle Exhaust Filtration System and Method is disclosed. Also disclosed is a system and method that reduces the airborne contaminants leaving the exhaust pipe of any internal combustion engine to which the system is attached. Furthermore, the method and system involves the use of recyclable cartridges that can be exchanged on a planned maintenance program. Still further, the disclosed system and method prohibits engines failing to have acceptably clean filter/converters from being started. It is another aspect of the present invention that the method and system provide an alert to the user, and potentially to external individuals, that the change out deadline is approaching.

Claims

1. A system for removing undesirable particulate and chemical contaminants from the exhaust stream of an internal combustion engine, said engine producing said exhaust stream from an exhaust manifold pipe, the system comprising:

a filter/purifier assembly attached to said exhaust manifold pipe, said assembly comprising;

a particle filtration means cartridge for filtering particulates out of said exhaust stream;

a gas converter means cartridge for removing chemical contaminants from said exhaust stream, said gas converter means aligned in series with said particle filtration means cartridge;

cartridge tracking indicia displayed on each said cartridge; and

a master tracking system configured to cooperate with said cartridge tracking indicia to maintain status and history data for each said cartridge.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said particle filtration means comprises a rejuvenatable filter cartridge and said gas converter means comprises a rejuvenatable catalytic converter cartridge, said cartridges aligned adjacent to each other in series.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising sensor and control means for determining when said cartridges require rejuvenation.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising cartridge information display means for displaying information related to the status of said cartridges to the driver of said vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising starter disable means for disabling the starter system of said internal combustion engine responsive to said sensor and control means.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising external display means for displaying warnings external to said vehicle, responsive to said sensor and control means, said warnings being perceptible to the human senses.

7. An improved contaminant removal assembly for removing undesirable particulate and chemical contaminants from the exhaust stream of an internal combustion engine, the assembly comprising:

particle filtration means for filtering particulates out of said exhaust stream;

gas converter means for removing chemical contaminants from said exhaust stream, said gas converter means aligned in parallel with said particle filtration means; and

a lower hub assembly from which extends an actuating handle, said actuating handle configured to cooperate with said lower hub assembly, said particle filtration means and said gas purification means to alternatively lock said particle filtration means and said gas purification means into an in-service position and release said particle filtration means and said gas purification means to an out-of-service position.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein said lower housing assembly further comprises a cam plate for said cooperating with said actuating handle to alternatively achieving said in-service position and said out-of-service position.

9. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising an upper housing assembly, said upper housing assembly further comprising biasing means for biasing said particle filtration means and said gas converter means against said lower housing assembly.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said particle filtration means comprises a rejuvenatable filter cartridge.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein said gas converter means comprises a rejuvenatable catalytic converter.

12. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising sensor means for determining when said particle filtration means and said gas converter means require rejuvenation.

13. The assembly of claim 12, further comprising starter disable means for disabling the starter system of said internal combustion engine responsive to said sensor means.

14. The assembly of claim 13, further comprising:

cartridge tracking indicia displayed on said particle filtration means and said gas purification means, said cartridge tracking indicia cooperating with a master electronic tracking system for maintaining records of the status and history of said particle filtration means and said gas converter means.

15. A method for removing undesirable particulate and chemical contaminants from the exhaust stream of an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

passing said exhaust stream through a filter/purifier assembly, said assembly comprising a particle filter cartridge and a gas converter cartridge;

monitoring the performance of said cartridges;

generating an alert perceptible to the human senses responsive to said monitoring;

deactivating said cartridges;

replacing said cartridges responsive to said alert; and

restoring said cartridges to service.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said generating comprises:

generating a starter disable signal to disable the starter system of said vehicle; and

generating an external alert signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said deactivating comprises placing said cartridges in an out-of-service position.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of removing at least one said cartridge from said filter/purifier assembly.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising a rejuvenation step after said removing step, said rejuvenation step comprising rejuvenating said cartridges for later restoration in service.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said monitoring step further includes monitoring the duration that said cartridges have been in service.