Furnace filter assembly

• US 6,632,269 B1
• Filed: 04/02/2001
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph L. Najm
• Original Assignee: Joseph L. Najm
• Inventors: Najm, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Jason M.
• Application Number:
  US09/823,226
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 553/51, 553/52, 553/54, 554/22, 554/95, 554/97, 554/98, 554/99, 555/00, 555/01, 555/06, 554/81, 964/21, 964/23, 964/29, 95/19, 95/26, 952/73, 952/77, 206/223
• US Class Current: 95/273
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/62 connected in series

Abstract

A furnace filter assembly for removing dirt and contamination from air entering an existing furnace is installable on the existing furnace without the need for modification thereof, and includes a filter frame, a supply roll for supporting a continuous length of bulk filter media, a take-up roll for receiving the filter media as it is advanced from the supply roll across the filter frame, a motor for rotating the take-up roll for advancing the filter media, all of which components are mounted on the filter frame. The assembly further includes a motor control system having a pressure sensor, a timer, and a switch in electrical communication with a controller for energizing and de-enegizing the motor in response to conditions of the filter media.

Claims

1. A furnace filter assembly comprising:

a filter frame having a top, a bottom, a front, a back, a first end, and a second end;

a supply roll having top and bottom ends on said filter frame for supporting filter media;

a top supply roll end plate and a bottom supply roll end plate extending radially outwardly at said top and bottom ends of said supply roll, respectively;

a take-up roll with top and bottom ends on said filter frame for receiving filter media from said supply roll;

a top take-up roll end plate and a bottom take-up roll end plate extending radially outwardly at said top and bottom ends of said take-up roll, respectively;

filter media on said supply roll extending from said supply roll and through said filter frame between said front and said back to said take-up roll;

a motor on said frame driveably connected to said take-up roll for advancing said filter media from said supply roll to said take-up roll; and

a top roll mounting assembly and a bottom roll mounting assembly at said top and said bottom of said filter frame, respectively, at said first end, said supply roll being rotatably supported on said filter frame between said top roll mounting assembly and said bottom roll mounting assembly at said first end.

2. The furnace filter assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said top and bottom roll mounting assemblies comprises a top and bottom roll mounting plate, respectively, said mounting plates being adapted to flex away from each other for mounting said supply roll on said filter frame.

3. The furnace filter assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said end plates includes a cylindrical hub having an axis, a bearing boss coaxial with said hub, and a cylindrical stub shaft extending coaxially from said bearing boss.

4. The furnace filter assembly of claim 3 wherein each of said top and bottom roll mounting plates has at least two roll mounting areas for receiving said stub shafts and rotatably supporting said supply roll, each of said mounting areas having an axis, and said mounting plates being disposed at said first end such that said axes of said mounting areas of said top roll mounting plate are coaxial with said axes of said mounting areas of said bottom roll mounting plate.

5. The furnace filter assembly of claim 4 further comprising a second top roll mounting assembly and a second bottom roll mounting assembly at said top and said bottom of said filter frame, respectively, at said second end, said take-up roll being rotatably supported on said filter frame between said second top roll mounting plate and said second bottom roll mounting plate at said second end.

6. The furnace filter assembly of claim 5 wherein each of said second top and bottom roll mounting assemblies comprises a second top roll mounting plate and a second bottom roll mounting plate, respectively, each of said second top and bottom roll mounting plates having at least two roll mounting areas for receiving said stub shafts and rotatably supporting said supply roll, each of said mounting areas having an axis, and said mounting plates being disposed at said first end such that said axes of said mounting areas of said top roll mounting plate are coaxial with said axes of said mounting areas of said bottom roll mounting plate.

7. The furnace filter assembly of claim 1 wherein said filter frame includes a plurality of filter media guides, said guides extending between said bottom and said top of said filter frame, one of said plurality of filter guides being supported on said filter frame at said first end, and another of said plurality of filter guides being supported on said filter frame at said second end.

8. The furnace filter assembly of claim 1 wherein said take-up roll is rotatably supported on said filter frame between said top roll mounting assembly and said bottom roll mounting assembly at said first end.

9. The furnace filter assembly of claim 8 wherein said filter frame includes a plurality of filter media guides, said plurality of filter guides extending between said bottom and said top of said filter frame, one of said plurality of filter guides being attached to said filter frame at said second end, said filter media on said supply roll extending from said supply roll through said filter frame along one of said back and front and about said one of said plurality of filter guides at said second end of said filter frame, and then through said filter frame along the other of said back and said front to said take-up roll.

10. The furnace filter assembly of claim 8 wherein each of said top and said bottom roll mounting assemblies comprises a top and bottom roll mounting plate, respectively, having at least two mounting areas for rotatably supporting said supply roll and said take-up roll, each of said mounting areas of each of said mounting plates having an axis, and said mounting plates being disposed at said first end such that the axes of said mounting areas of said top roll mounting plate are coaxial with said mounting areas of said bottom roll mounting plate.

11. The furnace filter assembly of claim 1 further comprising an electrical control system for controlling said motor.

12. The furnace filter assembly of claim 11 further comprising a second top roll mounting assembly and a second bottom roll mounting assembly at said top and said bottom of said filter frame, respectively, at said second end, said take-up roll being rotatably supported on said filter frame between said second top roll mounting assembly and said second bottom roll mounting assembly at said second end.

13. The furnace filter assembly of claim 11 wherein said filter frame includes a plurality of filter media guides, said guides extending between said bottom and said top of said filter frame, one of said plurality of filter guides being supported on said filter frame at said first end thereof, and another of said plurality of filter guides being supported on said filter frame at said second end thereof.

14. The furnace filter assembly of claim 11 wherein said electrical control system includes:

a power supply for driving said motor;

signal generator means for providing a motor control signal; and

,

a controller responsive to said signal from said signal generator means for connecting said motor to said power supply for advancing said filter media.

15. The furnace filter assembly of claim 14 wherein said control system further includes an indicator for indicating the quantity of filter media on said supply roll of said filter assembly.

16. The furnace filter assembly of claim 15 wherein said signal generator means includes a manual switch, a timer, and a differential pressure sensor.

17. The furnace filter assembly of claim 16 wherein the controller includes selector means for selecting one of said switch, timer and pressure sensor.

18. The furnace filter assembly of claim 11 wherein said take-up roll is rotatably mounted on said filter frame at said first end.

19. The furnace filter assembly of claim 18 wherein said filter frame includes a plurality of filter media guides, said plurality of filter guides extending between said bottom and said top of said filter frame, one of said plurality of filter guides being attached to said filter frame at said second end, said filter media on said supply roll extending from said supply roll through said filter frame along one of said back and front and about said one of said plurality of filter guides at said second end of said filter frame, and then through said filter frame along the other of said back and said front to said take-up roll.

20. The furnace filter assembly of claim 19 wherein each of said top and bottom roll mounting assemblies comprises a top and bottom roll mounting plate, respectively, having at least two mounting areas for rotatably supporting said supply roll and said take-up roll, each of said mounting areas of each of said mounting plates having an axis, and said mounting plates being disposed at said first end such that said axes of said mounting areas of said top roll mounting plate are coaxial with said mounting areas of said bottom roll mounting plate.

21. The furnace filter assembly of claim 20 wherein said electrical control system includes:

a power supply for driving said motor;

signal generator means for providing a motor control signal; and

,

a controller responsive to said signal from said signal generator means for connecting said motor to said power supply for advancing said filter media.

22. A furnace filter kit for installation on an existing furnace comprising:

a filter frame having a front, a back, a top, a bottom, a first end, and a second end;

a supply roll with top and bottom ends for supporting a length of filter media;

a first top roll end plate and a first bottom roll end plate extending radially outwardly at said top and bottom ends of said supply roll, respectively;

a take-up roll with top and bottom ends for receiving said filter media;

a second top roll end plate and a second bottom roll end plate extending radially outwardly at said top and bottom ends of said take-up roll, respectively;

a motor driveably connected to said take-up roll; and

a top roll mounting plate and a bottom roll mounting plate extending outwardly of said top and said bottom of said filter frame, respectively, at one of said first end and said second end.

23. The furnace filter kit of claim 22 wherein said top and said bottom roll mounting plates extend from said first end of said filter frame, and each of said plates has at least two roll mounting areas for rotatably supporting said supply roll and said take-up roll.

24. The furnace filter kit of claim 22 further comprising a second top-roll mounting plate and a second bottom roll mounting plate extending outwardly of said top and bottom of said filter frame, respectively, at the other of said first end and said second end.

25. The furnace filter kit of claim 22 further comprising an electrical control system.

26. The furnace filter kit of claim 25 wherein said electrical control system includes:

a power supply for driving said motor;

signal generator means for providing a motor control signal; and

a controller responsive to said signal from said signal generator means for connecting said motor to said power supply.

27. The furnace filter kit of claim 26 wherein said control system further includes an indicator for indicating the quantity of filter media on said supply roll.

28. The furnace filter assembly of claim 27 wherein said signal generator means includes a manual switch, a timer, and a differential pressure sensor.

29. The furnace filter assembly of claim 28 wherein said controller includes selector means for selecting one of said switch, timer and pressure sensor.

30. A furnace filter assembly for use on a furnace having an air intake duct with a top wall, a bottom wall, and a pair of spaced apart side walls extending therebetween, said side walls having opposing slots extending between said top wall and said bottom wall, said furnace filter assembly comprising:

a filter frame having a front, a back, a top, a bottom, a first end and a second end, said filter frame being receivable in the slots of a furnace duct for said top of said filter frame to be adjacent the top wall of the duct, said bottom of said filter frame to be adjacent the bottom wall of the duct, and for each of the first and second ends to be outwardly adjacent a different one of the slots in the duct;

a supply roll having a top, a bottom, and an end plate at each of said top and said bottom of said supply roll, each of said supply roll end plates including a cylindrical hub having an axis, a bearing boss coaxial with said hub, and a cylindrical stub shaft extending coaxially from said bearing boss, said supply roll being rotatably supported on one end of said frame for supporting a supply of filter media;

a take-up roll having a top, a bottom, and an end plate on each of said top and said bottom of said take-up roll, each of said take-up roll end plates including a cylindrical hub with an axis, a bearing boss coaxial with said hub, and a cylindrical stub shaft extending coaxially from said bearing boss, said take-up roll being rotatably supported on one end of said frame for receiving filter media from said supply roll;

filter media extending from said supply roll through said filter frame between said front and said back to said take-up roll;

a motor driveably connected to said take-up roll;

an electrical control system having a power supply for driving said motor, signal generator means for providing a motor control signal, and a controller responsive to said control signal connecting said motor to said power supply for advancing said filter media;

a top roll mounting plate and a bottom roll mounting plate on said top and said bottom of said filter frame, respectively, at said first end for mounting said supply roll to said filter frame;

said top and bottom roll mounting plates being adapted to flex axially away from each other to release one of said rolls therebetween and to facilitate mounting one of said rolls therebetween.

31. The furnace filter assembly of claim 30 wherein each of said mounting plates at said first end has at least two roll mounting areas for receiving said stub shafts and rotatably supporting said supply roll, each of said mounting areas having an axis, and said mounting plates being disposed at said first end such that said axes of said mounting areas of said top roll mounting plate are coaxial with said axes of said mounting areas of said bottom roll mounting plate.

32. The furnace filter assembly of claim 31 wherein said motor has an output shaft and at least one of said stub shafts of each of said rolls has a non-circular drive recess for driveably engaging with said output shaft of said motor.

33. The furnace filter assembly of claim 30 wherein said filter frame supports a second top roll mounting plate and a second bottom roll mounting plate on said top and said bottom, respectively, at said second end for mounting said take-up roll to said filter frame, each of said second top and bottom roll mounting plates having at least one roll mounting area for rotatably supporting said take-up roll, each of said mounting areas of each of said mounting plates having an axis, and said first top and bottom roll mounting plates being disposed at said first end and said second top and bottom roll mounting plates being disposed at said second end such that said axes of said mounting areas of said respective top mounting plates are coaxial with said axes of said mounting areas of said respective bottom mounting plates.

34. The furnace filter assembly of claim 30 wherein said second top and bottom roll mounting plates are adapted to flex away from each other for mounting said take-up roll on said filter assembly.

35. The furnace filter assembly of claim 30 wherein said filter frame further includes filter support means in an opening in one of said front and said back.

36. The furnace filter assembly of claim 35 wherein said filter support means comprises a plurality of filter support wires across an opening in one of said front and said back.

37. The furnace filter assembly of claim 30 wherein said generator means includes a manual switch, a timer, and a differential pressure sensor.

38. A method of installing a furnace filter assembly having at least two flexible roll mounting plates on an existing furnace intake duct having opposing duct walls and slots in the duct walls, comprising the steps of:

mounting a supply roll having end plates on the top and bottom ends and a length of filter media wound thereon between two of said mounting plates on said filter frame;

feeding said filter media from said supply roll, through said filter frame, and to a take-up roll having end plates on the top and bottom ends;

inserting said filter frame with said supply roll, take-up roll, and said filter media into said slots in the furnace intake duct; and

connecting an electrical control system for said assembly to a power supply.