Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a reusable multi-panel air filter to remove contaminants from air within interior building environments. The multi-panel air filter comprises a multiplicity of reusable filter panels for filtering an airstream. The filter panels can be cleaned by removing them from the multi-panel air filter, flushing contaminants from the filter panels, and allowing the filter panels to dry. The filter panels include a compound filter medium between wire screens that are co-pleated with the filter medium. The compound filter medium includes hydrophobic pre-filter layers that provide structural protection to the compound filter medium during flushing contaminants with water. The hydrophobic pre-filter layers comprise a spunbond polyester material that is durable, washable, and is highly resistant to moisture, chemicals, and abrasion.

Abstract: A filter washing system and methods are provided for cleaning and drying reusable air filters. The filter washing system comprises a conveyor that transits dirty air filters through a series of stations for wetting, agitating, rinsing, and drying the air filters. A pre-wetting station sprays dirty air filters with water and applies a cleaning solution. The cleaning solution is given time to soak into the filter material of the air filters. The air filters are then submerged and in an ultrasonic cleaning station. Ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the submerged air filters to loosen contaminants and debris that may be entrapped in the dirty air filters. A rinsing station uses water to flush loosened contaminants, debris, and the cleaning solution from the air filters exiting the ultrasonic cleaning station. Blowers and agitators are used to dry the cleaned air filters exiting the rinsing station.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a reusable multi-panel air filter to remove contaminants from air within interior building environments. The multi-panel air filter comprises a multiplicity of reusable filter panels for filtering an airstream. The filter panels can be cleaned by removing them from the multi-panel air filter, flushing contaminants from the filter panels, and allowing the filter panels to dry. The filter panels include a compound filter medium between wire screens that are co-pleated with the filter medium. The compound filter medium includes hydrophobic pre-filter layers that provide structural protection to the compound filter medium during flushing contaminants with water. The hydrophobic pre-filter layers comprise a spunbond polyester material that is durable, washable, and is highly resistant to moisture, chemicals, and abrasion.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for a fuel bowl to supply liquid fuel to a carburetor. The fuel bowl comprises a float chamber and a fuel inlet cavity which receives a fuel delivery insert. The fuel delivery insert receives a fuel inlet valve and comprises passages to direct incoming fuel to a bottom portion of the float chamber. A float comprises an elongate member rotatably hinged within a float cavity of the fuel delivery insert, such that the float rises according to a quantity of fuel within the float chamber. The fuel inlet valve supplies liquid fuel to the float chamber by way of the passages according to the operation of the float within the float chamber. A ventilation chamber allows air and fuel vapors to exit as liquid fuel enters the float chamber while preventing liquid fuel from entering into the carburetor.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a foundation vent cover to be installed onto foundation ventilation openings of crawlspaces, garages, and buildings. The foundation vent cover comprises a mesh screen for covering a foundation vent opening and a supportive frame for retaining the mesh screen in an extended configuration over the foundation vent opening. The supportive frame may be made of a metal or any of various plastics. The mesh screen is made of a material that provides an aesthetically appealing appearance to the foundation opening while also allowing an optimal airflow through the foundation opening. The supportive frame includes holes to receive fasteners for attaching the foundation vent cover over the foundation opening. The fasteners may be wood screws, sheet metal screws, self-drilling screws, or threaded bolts and nuts. The holes may be counterbored or countersunk to hide at least a portion of the heads of the fasteners.

Abstract: A throttle-controlled intake system is disclosed that provides a driver of a vehicle with greater control over engine functions and vehicle performance. The throttle-controlled intake system includes a control module that is coupled with an aircharger air intake. The control module processes input signals from a throttle pedal of the vehicle and sends modified throttle position signals to a throttle body of the vehicle so as to increase throttle responsiveness of the vehicle. The throttle-controlled intake system further includes a wiring harness and a signal adjuster. The wiring harness electrically couples the control module with the throttle pedal and the throttle body. The control module sends signals directly to the throttle body of the engine, bypassing an electronic control unit of the vehicle. The signal adjuster includes a rheostat that enables manual adjustment of the throttle responsiveness of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a foundation vent cover to be installed onto foundation ventilation openings of crawlspaces, garages, and buildings. The foundation vent cover comprises a mesh screen for covering a foundation vent opening and a supportive frame for retaining the mesh screen in an extended configuration over the foundation vent opening. The supportive frame may be made of a metal or any of various plastics. The mesh screen is made of a material that provides an aesthetically appealing appearance to the foundation opening while also allowing an optimal airflow through the foundation opening. The supportive frame includes holes to receive fasteners for attaching the foundation vent cover over the foundation opening. The fasteners may be wood screws, sheet metal screws, self-drilling screws, or threaded bolts and nuts. The holes may be counterbored or countersunk to hide at least a portion of the heads of the fasteners.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a throttle body spacer that improves the performance of an internal combustion engine. The throttle body spacer comprises a body that includes an airflow opening for conducting airflow from a throttle body into an intake manifold. A spiral is disposed along a sidewall of the airflow opening and configured for swirling the airflow. The spiral comprises a helical shape disposed around a circumference of the sidewall and extends from an initial bore near a first contact surface of the body to a second contact surface. The helical shape includes a diameter that increases as the spiral extends toward the second contact surface, giving the body a sidewall taper angle that contributes to an increase in power output of the engine. A sawtooth cross-sectional shape of the spiral causes the airflow to swirl so as to improve atomization of an air-fuel mixture entering engine.

Abstract: A pleated filter preparation system is provided for accurately counting pleats along a continuous sheet of pleated filter material and cutting the sheet into filter strips to be formed into filters. The pleated filter preparation system includes a pleat driver having multiple drive gears that engage with the pleats of the pleated filter material to move the pleated filter material through the system. A pleat counter counts peaks and valleys of each pleat comprising the pleated filter material so as to identify a target pleat to be cut. The pleat counter clamps and stretches the target pleat to distinguish the target pleat among the other pleats. A punch cut station cuts the target pleat to form a filter strip having a desired number of pleats. A pleat compressor compresses the filter strips to a predetermined size and then ejects the filter strips into a suitable container or bin.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a reusable multi-pocket V-bank air filter to remove contaminants from air within interior building environments. The air filter includes multiple reusable filter bags for filtering an airstream. A frame supports the filter bags in V-configurations within an HVAC system. Adjacent filter bags are offset from one another and extend in the V-configurations downstream of the frame when the airstream flows into the filter bags. Elongated openings in the frame allow the airstream to flow through the frame into the filter bags. The elongated openings include filter bag retainers for individually coupling the filter bags with the frame. The filter bags can be removed from the frame for servicing without removing the frame from the HVAC system. The filter bags can be cleaned by removing them from the air filter, flushing contaminants from the filter bags, and allowing the filter bags to dry.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a pass-through dongle for accessing and interacting with vehicle performance and status data. The dongle includes a first connector for plugging into an OBD-II connector of a vehicle. A wireless connection may be established between the dongle and a mobile device that provides access to and interactivity with the vehicle performance and status data. A second connector comprising the dongle is configured to receive an auxiliary device that is configured to access vehicle status data by way of the OBD-II connection. The dongle simultaneously establishes the wireless connection with the mobile device and provides the auxiliary device with access to the vehicle performance and status data. In some embodiments, the dongle is configured to operate in conjunction with a vehicle diagnostic communication system that includes a vehicle performance system whereby the vehicle performance and status data may be interactively accessed.

Abstract: A system and methods are provided for a hydrocarbon absorbing air filter system to arrests evaporative hydrocarbon emissions from an intake duct of an internal combustion engine. The system comprises an air filter box that includes an air inlet to an air filter disposed inside the air filter box. A hydrocarbon trap outside the air filter box and in fluid communication with the air filter absorbs evaporative hydrocarbon emissions leaking from the air intake duct when the engine is not operating. The hydrocarbon trap includes an outer housing that couples with an inner housing and a hydrocarbon absorbing pad within an interior between the outer and inner housings. Ports in the inner housing allow hydrocarbon emissions to be arrested by the hydrocarbon absorbing pad. A conduit extends from the hydrocarbon trap to the air intake duct of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a reinforced V-bank air filter to remove contaminants from air within interior building environments. The reinforced V-bank air filter includes a V-bank filter element comprising a relatively large filter medium that is routed around the outside of multiple pleat supports. The pleat supports are vertically disposed and distributed at intervals between a top end plate and a bottom end plate supporting the V-bank filter element. Side rails enable attaching opposite ends of the V-bank filter element to the V-bank air filter. Seats in the top and bottom end plates maintain V-configurations of the V-bank filter element. The pleat supports and side rails enable removing the V-bank filter element from the V-bank air filter for servicing. The V-bank filter element can be cleaned by using a water hose to flush contaminants from the filter element and then allowing the filter element to dry.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a reusable multi-pocket air filter to remove contaminants from air within interior building environments. The reusable multi-pocket air filter comprises a multiplicity of reusable filter bags for filtering an airstream. A frame supports the filter bags within an HVAC system. The filter bags are arranged parallel to one another and extend downstream of the frame when the airstream flows into the filter bags. Elongated openings in the frame allow the airstream to flow through the frame into the filter bags. The elongated openings include filter bag retainers for individually coupling the filter bags with the frame. The filter bags can be removed from the frame for servicing without removing the frame from the HVAC system. The filter bags can be cleaned by removing them from the multi-pocket air filter, flushing contaminants from the filter bags, and allowing the filter bags to dry.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a reusable multi-panel air filter to remove contaminants from air within interior building environments. The reusable multi-panel air filter comprises a multiplicity of reusable filter panels for filtering an airstream. A frame supports the filter panels within an HVAC system. The filter panels are angled with respect to one another to form adjacent V-configurations. Elongated openings in the frame allow the airstream to flow into the V-configurations and through the filter panels. Seats in top and bottom end plates of the frame maintain the V-configurations of the filter panels. The filter panels can be removed from the frame for servicing without removing the entire frame from the HVAC system. The filter panels can be cleaned by removing them from the multi-panel air filter, flushing contaminants from the filter panels, and allowing the filter panels to dry.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for an air filter box for conducing filtered air to an air intake of an internal combustion engine. The air filter box includes a housing that communicates an airstream to an air filter in an interior of the housing. An opening in the housing retains a mount portion of the air filter. A tapered female surface bordering the opening receives a tapered male surface of the mount portion. The tapered surfaces establish an airtight seal when the air filter is installed into the interior of the air filter box. The mount portion includes a locking lip and an insertion stop flange. The insertion stop flange prevents the mount portion from traveling too far into the interior of the air filter box. The locking lip engages with an internal edge of the tapered female surface when the tapered male surface contacts the tapered female surface.

Abstract: A filter oil composition and a method for removing airborne molecular contaminants from air are provided. The composition includes a first portion comprising paraffinic oil by volume of the composition, a second portion comprising polyalphaolefin by volume of the composition, and a third portion comprising red dye by volume of the composition. Applying the filter oil composition to a cotton air filter material causes tackiness throughout the air filter material, thereby enhancing filtration of air passing through the filter. The composition generally is substantially non-reactive, has excellent oxidation stability, possesses good thermal stability, and retains a suitable viscosity at a normal operating temperature of an automobile engine. In an embodiment, the composition comprises 96.74% paraffinic oil by volume, 3.20% polyalphaolefin by volume, and 0.06% red dye by volume. The viscosity of the composition at 100 degrees-C ranges between substantially 7.2 and 7.6 centistokes (cSTs).