Ductless fumehood system

• US 7,766,732 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fipak Research And Development Company
• Original Assignee: Fipak Research And Development Company
• Inventors: Hauville, Francois P.
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister; Steve
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kosanovic; Helena
• Application Number:
  US11/821,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20080072763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 454/56, 454/61, 454/62
• US Class Current: 454/56
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 15/023 Fume cabinets or cupboards, e.g. for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/163 Clean air work stations, i.e. selected areas within a space which filtered air is passed
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/108 using dry filter elements

Abstract

A ductless fumehood system comprising: at least one ductless fumehood comprising a housing; a workspace formed within the housing; a door for selectively closing off the workspace; an air inlet for introducing air into the workspace; a master module for receiving air from the workspace, purging unwanted substances from that air, and then exhausting that filtered air to the ambient room atmosphere; and a slave module for receiving air from the workspace, purging unwanted substances from that air, and then exhausting that filtered air to the ambient room atmosphere; wherein the slave module is in communication with the master module such that the master module central processing unit is capable of (i) controlling the operation of the active elements of the slave module, (ii) detecting a function failure of the slave module, and (iii) activating the master module alarm in the event of a failure within that slave module.

Claims

1. A ductless fumehood system comprising:

at least one ductless fumehood, the ductless fumehood comprising;

a housing;

a workspace disposed within the housing;

a door for selectively closing off the workspace;

an air inlet for introducing air from an ambient atmosphere into the workspace;

a master module disposed in said housing for receiving air from the workspace, filtering unwanted substances from the air, and exhausting filtered air to the ambient atmosphere, wherein the master module comprises;

a master module filter;

a master module filter sensor for determining functioning of the master module filter;

a master module exhaust fan for moving air from the workspace, through the master module filter and out into the ambient atmosphere;

a master module alarm for alerting an operator of a failure within the ductless fumehood; and

a master module central processing unit for (i) controlling operation of active elements of the master module, (ii) detecting a failure of the master module, and (iii) activating the master module alarm in the event of a failure within the master module; and

at least one slave module disposed in said housing for receiving air from the workspace, filtering unwanted substances from the air, and exhausting filtered air to the ambient atmosphere, wherein the slave module comprises;

a slave module filter;

a slave module filter sensor for determining functioning of the slave module filter;

a slave module exhaust fan for moving air from the workspace, through the slave module filter and out into the ambient atmosphere;

wherein the at least one slave module is in communication with the master module such that the master module central processing unit is capable of (i) controlling operation of active elements of the slave module, (ii) detecting a failure of the slave module, and (iii) activating the master module alarm in the event of a failure within the slave module.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one ductless fumehood further comprises:

a sensor for monitoring door closure; and

a sensor for monitoring ambient room air.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one ductless fumehood further comprises a communication module for enabling communication between the master module central processing unit and a remote monitor unit.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein the system comprises a plurality of ductless fumehoods, wherein each of the ductless fumehoods further comprises a communication module for enabling communication between the fumehood'"'"'s master module central processing unit and the remote monitor unit.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one ductless fumehood further comprises:

an air outlet for removing air from the workspace; and

a filter system comprising said master module filter and slave module filter for receiving air from the air outlet, filtering unwanted substances from the air, and exhausting the filtered air to the ambient air.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein the at least one ductless fumehood further comprises:

a sensor for monitoring operation of the filter system;

a sensor for monitoring function of the air outlet;

a sensor for monitoring door closure; and

a sensor for monitoring ambient room air.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein the master module central processing unit is adapted for receiving data from the filter system sensor, the air outlet sensor, the door closure sensor and the ambient room air sensor.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein the at least one ductless fumehood further comprises a touchscreen display monitor for facilitating communication between the central processing unit and a user.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one ductless fumehood further comprises a card reader, and the at least one ductless fumehood is enabled only when an access card is introduced to the card reader and found by the card reader to be appropriate.

10. A system according to claim 5 wherein the filter system comprises a plurality of modular filter units.

11. A system according to claim 1 wherein the system comprises a plurality of ductless fumehoods.

12. A system according to claim 1,

wherein the system further comprises a remote monitor unit for receiving information from the at least one ductless fumehood and issuing an alert upon the occurrence of a pre-determined condition at the at least one ductless fumehood;

and

wherein the at least one ductless fumehood further comprises a communication module for enabling communication between the master module central processing unit and the remote monitor unit.

14. The fumehood system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the master module and slave module are each adapted to retain at least one filter, the filter being adapted to filter out a selected unwanted substance.

15. The fumehood system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the system comprises a plurality of like fumehoods.

16. The fumehood system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the number of slave modules disposed in the workplace is limited only by a selected size of the housing.

13. A ductless fumehood system, the system comprising:

at least one ductless fumehood, the ductless fumehood comprising;

a housing;

a workspace formed within the housing;

a door for selectively closing off the workspace;

a master module disposed in said housing for receiving surrounding ambient air, filtering unwanted substances from the received air, and passing filtered air to the workspace, wherein the master module comprises;

a master module filter;

a master module filter sensor for determining functioning of the master module filter;

a master module fan for moving air from the ambient atmosphere, through the master module filter and into the workspace;

a master module alarm for alerting an operator of a function failure within the ductless fumehood; and

a master module central processing unit for (i) controlling the operation of active elements of the master module, (ii) detecting a function failure of the master module, and (iii) activating the master module alarm in the event of a failure within the master module; and

at least one slave module disposed in said housing for receiving ambient air, filtering unwanted substances from the air, and passing filtered air to the workspace, wherein the slave module comprises;

a slave module filter;

a slave module filter sensor for determining proper functioning of the slave module filter;

a slave module fan for moving air from the ambient atmosphere, through the slave module filter and into the workspace;

wherein the at least one slave module is in communication with the master module such that the master module central processing unit is capable of (i) controlling the operation of active elements of the slave module, (ii) detecting a function failure of the slave module, and (iii) activating the master module alarm in the event of a failure within the slave module.