Abstract: A disposable assembly for filtering air drawn into an air intake and for muffling noise exiting from the air intake is provided. The assembly includes a unitary cylindrical housing having air inlet apertures at a proximal end thereof and a longitudinal filter assembly disposed therein. This filter assembly includes a hollow filter element having an air inlet side which is adjacent but spaced from the lateral enclosure of the housing and an air outlet side opposite thereto with an air impermeable silencing member disposed adjacent the air outlet side. This silencing member includes a plurality of discrete air holes therein and forms a second acoustic chamber interiorly thereof. A coupling member at the housing proximal end removably attaches the assembly to the air intake. The various chambers in the assembly as well as the silencing member and filter serve to dampen the noise.

Abstract: A filter and muffler device for use with a vacuum mechanism having an outlet port is particularly designed to muffle sound exiting from the outlet port as well as to filter the outlet exhaust. The device includes a filter element which is generally rectangular in plan view and which has opposed lateral sides and opposed longitudinal sides. The filter element has a direction of filtration from a planar bottom to a planar top thereof, and is preferably a HEPA type filter. The device also includes a housing in which the filter element is located. This housing includes a generally flat upper wall parallel to and spaced from the top of the filter element; respective lateral and longitudinal side walls connected to the upper wall and extending generally parallel to the respective lateral and longitudinal sides of the filter element; and a lower wall spaced from the upper wall, extending between the lateral and longitudinal side walls of the housing, and located opposite the bottom of the filter element.