Patents by Inventor Yuan-Ming Tang

Yuan-Ming Tang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6589317
    Abstract: An electrostaticly charged filtration media is provided including a plurality of polymeric structured polymeric film layers having a structured surface defined on at least one face of each structured film layer forming at least in part flow channels. The plurality of structured film layers are configured as a stack with the structured surfaces defining a plurality of ordered inlets open through a face of the stack that are in fluid communication with ordered fluid pathways. Each fluid pathway is defined at least in part by at least one discrete flow channel such that fluid can flow substantially unimpeded from one of the inlets to an outlet opening at another face of the stack. A layer of fluid pathways is defined by two opposing charged film layers at least one of which is a structured film layer. The flow channels have an average height of from 0.1 mm to 5 mm and an average width of from 0.05 mm to 50 mm and an average aspect ratio of from 0.5 to 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Zhiqun Zhang, Tien T. Wu, Yuan-Ming Tang, Brian E. Spiewak
  • Publication number: 20030089236
    Abstract: An electrostaticly charged filtration media is provided comprising a plurality of polymeric structured polymeric film layers having a structured surface defined on at least one face of each structured film layer forming at least in part flow channels, the plurality of structured film layers configured as a stack with the structured surfaces defining a plurality of ordered inlets open through a face of the stack that are in fluid communication with ordered fluid pathways each fluid pathway defined at least in part by at least one discrete flow channel such that fluid can flow substantially unimpeded from one of the inlets to an outlet opening at through another face of the stack wherein layer of fluid pathways is defined by two opposing charged film layers at least one of which is a structured film layer that has flow channels with an average height of from 0.1 mm to 5 mm and an average width of from 0.05 mm to 50 mm and an average aspect ratio of from 0.5 to 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Zhiqun Zhang, Tien T. Wu, Yuan-Ming Tang, Brian E. Spiewak
  • Patent number: 6277176
    Abstract: There is provided an air delivery device and method of moving and filtering air. The air delivery device comprises a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet. Between the air inlet and the air outlet is located an air delivery fan having at least two rotating air moving elements, the rotating air moving elements intersects the flow of air between the air inlet and the air outlet and establishes a higher pressure zone at the air outlet relative to the air inlet. The air delivery fan further comprises at lest one filter element, having at least one upstream filter face and at least one downstream filter face, defining at least one primary flow channel, and rotating along the same axis of rotation as the air moving elements and preferably forming the air moving elements at least in part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Yuan-Ming Tang, Ricardo Lira, Michael Harms
  • Patent number: 6102988
    Abstract: There is provided an air delivery device and method of moving and filtering air. The air delivery device comprises a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet. Between the air inlet and the air outlet is located an air delivery fan having at least two rotating air moving elements, the rotating air moving elements intersects the flow of air between the air inlet and the air outlet and establishes a higher pressure zone at the air outlet relative to the air inlet. The air delivery fan further comprises at lest one filter element, having at least one upstream filter face and at least one downstream filter face, defining at least one primary flow channel, and rotating along the same axis of rotation as the air moving elements and preferably forming the air moving elements at least in part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Yuan-Ming Tang, Ricardo Lira, Michael Harms
  • Patent number: 6099609
    Abstract: There is provided a moving sorbent filter within an air delivery device. The air delivery device has a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, between the air inlet and the air outlet is located an air delivery fan having at least two rotating air moving means. The rotating air moving means intersect the flow of air between the air inlet and the air outlet and establish a higher pressure zone at the air outlet relative to the air inlet. The air delivery fan further comprising a moving porous sorbent filter formed of at least one sorbent filter element. The sorbent filter has at least one air passage allowing substantially unimpeded airflow into and through the sorbent filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Ricardo Lira, Yuan-Ming Tang, Michael Harms
  • Patent number: 6099608
    Abstract: A filtration system that rotates in conjunction with a blower wheel, and a method of attaching the same. The blower wheel typically has a plurality of fan blades arranged in a spaced relationship radially around a blower cavity to define a flow path extending radially outward from the blower cavity through the fan blades when the blower wheel is rotating. The filtration system includes a filter cartridge releasably attachable to the blower wheel in an engaged configuration. The filter cartridge includes a filter medium defining a generally center opening and a filter surface configured to be positioned generally adjacent to the fan blades and to extend across at least a portion of the flow path. In one embodiment, a plurality of flow passages extending through the filter medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Michael Harms, Yuan-Ming Tang, Ricardo Lira, James R. Larson
  • Patent number: 5336405
    Abstract: A filter cartridge is provided with an end cap and a lock ring which capture a filter element therebetween on assembly and which include projections extending beyond the outer surfaces of the end cap and the lock ring. The application of heat to the projections causes the material of the projections to fuse together and provide a leak-proof seal between the end cap, the lock ring and the filter material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Yuan-Ming Tang, Gregory H. C. Stephan
  • Patent number: 5332426
    Abstract: A self-supporting filter of adsorbent particles is provided by agglomerating the adsorbent particles with a thermoplastic binder and forming a self-supporting filter with a low pressure drop and high efficiency suitable for use as an automotive cabin filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Yuan-Ming Tang, John C. Kostecki, Eric G. Graeve
  • Patent number: 4842739
    Abstract: New, high surface area per unit volume, generally cylindrical filter cartridge for gaseous or liquid filter applications are described. These filter cartridges which comprise a nested arrangement of substantially disk shaped layers having a radial pleat pattern embossed therein, are capable of achieving higher surface areas per unit volume than can be achieved with conventionally pleated filter cartridges. Utilization of the filter media is extremely high as blocking of adjacent layers of filter media is avoided and fluids are evenly distributed over the total area of the filter media as a result of the series of channels created by the nesting of the disk shaped pleated layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Yuan-Ming Tang