Particle-Removal System and Method

Abstract

The present invention includes a portable particle removal system that utilizes negative air pressure to remove particles from a room or other indoor space. The present invention also includes a method for utilizing said portable particle removal system

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional application of, and claims priority to, U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/747,177 (filed on Oct. 18, 2018).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to a particle-removal system as well as a method for utilizing said system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is not uncommon to have a need to efficiently and effectively remove dust, fumes, or other particles from a room or other interior space within a home, shop, or other building. This is especially true in connection with construction or remodeling. For example, many construction or remodeling projects or home workshops generate a large amount of dust and other particles, and these particles may interfere with the occupant's well-being and may also interfere with the quality of the project (such as when a dust-free environment is needed prior to staining or refinishing floors or cabinets).

There are “clean rooms” which include systems which create a very low or particle free environment within those rooms; however, those system are not portable and cannot replicate a reduced or particle-free environment in other rooms.

Today, there are also some devices that may assist in removing or reducing the level of particles from a room or other interior space, including air scrubbers, HEPA filter systems, JET air systems, as well as many free-standing after-market filters. However, most of these processes are costly and inefficient, especially for the amount of air that they move. Also, most of these devices are difficult to transport and cumbersome to use. Furthermore, most of these devices only reduce particles from the areas immediately adjacent to those devices because they don't help circulate the flow of air within other portions of the room not directly adjacent to the devices, which is necessary to effectively filter and remove particles from those other non-adjacent portions of the room or interior space.

It is also not uncommon for someone who wishes to reduce particles from a room or interior space to use a fan or blower to blow air into or out of a room; however, these devices alone are inefficient and can create messes in adjacent areas. One example would be a room that was not adjacent to any exterior walls of a structure. Using a fan or blower to blow air into or out of this room to reduce particles within the room would lead to a situation where the particles were simply moved to another room or space within the same structure.

In short, none of the current methods for removing or reducing particles from within an interior room or space are portable and easy to use, efficient, and inexpensive to produce.

As such, there is a need for a new and improved particle removal system which utilizes negative air pressure, which is efficient, easy to transport and use, which can be set up in minutes and in many rooms or other interior spaces, and which can move high volumes of air and particles to reduce or eliminate particles from within a room or interior space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves this need and other problems related to particle removal systems.

The present invention relates generally to a negative air particle-removal system and the method to use said system, as well as to accessories to use said system.

Various aspects and embodiments of the invention include a negative air particle-removal unit including one or more fans through the unit.

Additional embodiments of the invention include one or more baffle attachments which allow the negative air particle-removal unit to be installed in door or window openings of various sizes.

Further embodiments of the invention include flexible duct tubing, filtered and non-filtered shrouds, and a reinforced film to allow for increased versatility in dust and fume abatement and to assist in filtering and transporting particles when using the present particle-removal system.

Additional embodiments of the invention include a method for using the particle-removal system to assist in removing particles.

Other aspects, features, and advantages of the various embodiments of the invention will become apparent with respect to the remainder of this document.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages are apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the attached figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a drawing of a negative air door unit.

FIG. 2 is a drawing of the upper portion of a negative air door unit.

FIG. 3 is a drawing of a baffle attachment.

FIG. 4 is a drawing of a filtered door shroud.

FIG. 5 is a drawing of a negative air door unit door with flex tube, flex tube adapter, and floor shroud.

FIG. 6 is a drawing of a flex tube adapter

FIG. 7 is a drawing of a floor shroud.

FIG. 8 is a drawing of a reinforced sheeting.

FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing of two adjacent rooms indicating placement within some embodiments of the negative air system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This Detailed Description merely describes exemplary embodiments in accordance with the general inventive concepts and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. In fact, the invention described in the specification is broader than and unlimited by the exemplary embodiments set forth herein, and all terms used herein have their full and ordinary meaning. The general inventive concept may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be through and will convey the scope of the general inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. The terminology set forth in this Description is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the general inventive concepts. Moreover, singular forms, such as “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

A particle-removal system and method in accordance with the present invention is shown in the drawings and generally designated.

Generally, the invention can be implemented by placing a negative air door unit (or window unit as appropriate) in a door opening (or window opening with either being referred to as an “Opening”). Ideally, the negative air door unit or window unit (each a “Negative Air Unit”) would completely fill the Opening, although it is not required to do so and can still be within the scope of the invention if the Negative Air Unit does not completely fill the Opening. Each Negative Air Unit includes at least one fan which is installed within the Negative Air Unit so that when the fan, or fans, is(are) turned on, air will pass through the Negative Air Unit. In many embodiments of the present invention, the fan or fans installed within the Negative Air Unit are variable speed fans, capable of being operated at multiple speeds and capable of being operated at speeds independent of any other fans that may be installed within the Negative Air Unit.

A user of a Negative Air Unit would place the Negative Air Unit in the Opening. If the Negative Air Unit does not fill, or substantially fill, the Opening, the user would attempt to fill or substantially fill the Opening using other means, such as the baffle attachment described herein. Once the Opening was filled or substantially filled, the user would initiate fan or fans in the Negative Air Unit (such as powering such fan(s) through an electrical outlet or generator). The fans would pull air out of the room or area in which the Negative Air Unit is used (the “Cleaning Area”). In turn, the air flow through the fan or fans causes particles to flow out of the Cleaning Area through the Negative Air Unit. Because the fan(s) would be pulling a large amount of air from the Cleaning Area, this may quickly lead to an area of low pressure within the Cleaning Area, and may cause additional air to flow into the Cleaning Area, such as from small gaps in other portions of the Cleaning Area or from air conditioner vents or registers, which increases the flow of air within the Cleaning Area and further improves the particle removal effect of use of the Negative Air Unit.

In addition to simply removing particles from the Cleaning Area, additional embodiments of the present invention would allow the user to filter or collect the particles for disposal or otherwise.

FIG. 1 illustrates a Negative Air Unit in accordance with an embodiment of this invention. This Negative Air Unit 1 includes a panel 2 through which two air fans 4 have been installed. The panel 2 would include at least two surfaces, one surface, the “Filtered Side” surface 5, would be on the surface from air would flow when the fan(s) were engaged and operating, with another surface, the “Exhaust Side” surface 6, which be generally parallel to the Filtered Side 5. Any generally planar panel 2 would be within the scope of the invention, although generally it is expected that the panel 2 would approximate the size of common-sized door Opening so that the panel 2 would fill, or approximately fill, the Opening for which the Negative Air Unit 1 is being used. The panel 2 can be made of wood, pressed wood, plastics, composites, metal, or any other suitable material.

For a large Opening, such as a door-sized Opening, two air fans 4 are preferred; however, some Negative Air Units—in accordance with the present invention—may be produced for smaller openings, such as a window Opening, that only require one air fan.

Additional embodiments of the present invention also include a means to secure a Negative Air Unit into an Opening. Such means may include use of a tension rod, zip pole, or other similar devices.

The embodiment reflected in FIG. 1 also includes a cord hole 3, which is large enough to allow an electrical extension cord to pass through the Negative Air Unit 1 so as to permit the fans to receive power from either side of the Negative Air Unit 1; however, it is not necessary for the panel 2 to include a cord hole 3.

FIG. 2 reflects an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, in this embodiment, the upper surface 8 of the Negative Air Unit 1 includes two holes 7. These holes 7 assist a user in attaching a baffle attachment (as described elsewhere herein) to or from the upper surface 8.

FIG. 3 illustrates a baffle attachment 9 in accordance with various embodiments of this invention. The baffle attachment 9 includes a baffle 10 and at least two baffle poles 11 (although only one baffle pole is required in other embodiments of this invention). The baffle 10 may be made of cloth, paper, or other suitable material. The baffle poles 11 may be made of wood, pressed wood, plastics, composites, metal, or any other suitable material. A user may attach a baffle attachment 9 to a Negative Air Unit 1 by fitting one or more baffle poles 11 into holes 7 that would be included in the upper surface 8 of the Negative Air Unit. The baffle attachment 9 would assist a user of the system to lengthen, or shorten, the height of the baffle attachment to ensure that there is minimal space between: (i) the Opening, and (ii) the upper surface 8 of the combined Negative Air Unit 1 and baffle attachment 9.

So as to help ensure that there is minimal space between the Opening and the upper surface 8 of the combined Negative Air Unit 1 and baffle attachment 9, it may be preferable for the baffle attachment to be able to remain in a raised or extended position. Certain embodiments of the present invention accompany this through having the baffle poles 11 be telescoping poles or by having a spring or similar device in the hole(s) 7 which are in the upper surface 8 of the Negative Air Unit 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a filtered door shroud 12 in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. A filtered door shroud 12 includes a slot 13 in which a user could place a filter which would filter particles from the air as the air passes through the Negative Air Unit 1. A user would attach a filtered door shroud 12 to either the Filtered Side surface 5 or the Exhaust Side surface 6 so that it approximately covered the appropriate side of a fan 4 of the Negative Air Unit 1; however, it is preferred to attach the filtered door shroud 12 to the Filtered Side surface 5 of a Negative Air Unit 1 so as that the particles would be filtered prior to entering into the mechanical and electrical components of the fan 4, thereby extending its use, and thereby minimizing the amount of particles omitted from the Exhaust Side surface 6 of the Negative Air Unit 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates a Negative Air Unit 1, along with a flex tube adapter 15, flexible duct tubing 16, and a floor shroud 17, in accordance with other embodiments of this invention, particularly where a user desires to direct particles that pass through a Negative Air Unit 1 an extended distance, such as where the Cleaning Area is not directly adjacent to the area where the user desires to deposit or expel the particles after their removal from the Cleaning Area (such situation being described more fully in connection with the description of FIG. 9). A flex tube adapter 15 and floor shroud 17 (and their respective components as described herein) may be made of metal, plastics, wood, composites, or any other suitable material.

The flexible duct tubing 16 can be of any length or diameter; however, for ease of use and storage, it would be preferable for the duct tubing be able to contract or extend in an accordion-like manner, as needed, and it would be preferable for the diameter of the duct tubing to approximate the diameter of one of the fans 4 installed in the Negative Air Unit 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flex tube adapter 15. The flex tube adapter 15 includes a collar 14 which would extend from a surface 18 of the flex tube adapter 15. The flex tube adapter 15 assists a user to connect flexible duct tubing 16 to a Negative Air Unit 1, with the flexible duct tubing 16 generally being placed inside or outside the collar 14.

FIG. 7 illustrates a floor shroud 17. The floor shroud 17 includes a collar 14 which extends from a surface 18 of the floor shroud 17, and a slot 13. As discussed further in connection with FIG. 9, a user could insert a filter into the slot 13 while using the Negative Air Unit 1 to keep particles from entering into the flexible duct tubing 16 so as to keep the flexible duct tubing clean and to extend its lifespan.

From time to time, a user may desire to use a Negative Air Unit 1 with sheeting, such plastic sheeting. One example when this may occur is when the Cleaning Area does not encompass an entire room (such as where one desires to refinish a large piece of furniture but doesn't want to remove the furniture from a room during the refinishing process and still wants to keep the remainder of the room usable during the refinishing process). In this situation, the user could enclose the Cleaning Area with plastic sheeting and could utilize flexible duct tubing through an orifice in the plastic sheeting. However, in order to maximize the efficiency of such use and to prevent tears in the plastic sheeting, the use of reinforced sheeting is preferred.

FIG. 8 illustrates reinforced sheeting in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The reinforced sheeting comprises plastic sheeting 19 as well as reinforcing film 20 to reinforce the area around the orifice in the plastic sheeting. The reinforcing film 20 may be made of a plastic, composite, or other suitable material. One surface of the reinforcing film 20 would be coated with an adhesive which would be capable of affixing the reinforcing film 20 to the plastic sheeting 19. The reinforcing film 20 has a hole 21 which approximates the size of the flexible duct tubing 16. A user would affix the surface of the reinforcing film 20 containing the adhesive over a portion of the plastic sheeting 19 for which the user desires to create an orifice in the plastic sheeting 19. After affixing the reinforcing film 20 to the plastic sheeting 19, the user would use the hole 21 in the reinforcing film 20 as a template to cut an orifice in the plastic sheeting 19.

FIG. 9 reflects another instance in which a user may desire to use plastic sheeting in connection with a Negative Air Unit 1. Such an instance arises where the Cleaning Area is an interior room that does not have direct access to an exterior door and the user desires to have the particles to be carried—via flexible duct tubing—through another room (the “Passthrough Room”) to be expelled out of a separate exterior door. FIG. 9 is a flooring schematic reflecting placement of various components in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. In this embodiment, the Cleaning Area 22 abuts the Passthrough Room 23. A user would affix a flex tube adapter 15 to a Negative Air Unit 1. A user would also install plastic sheeting 19 in the Opening between the Cleaning Area 22 and the Passthrough Room 23 and create a reinforced orifice through the plastic sheeting 19 using reinforcing film 20 as discussed in the previous paragraph. The user would position the floor shroud 17 inside the Cleaning Area 22 in such a manner that the collar of the floor shroud 17 would extend through the orifice in the plastic sheeting 19 and into the Passthrough Room 23. The user would attach one end of the flexible duct tubing 16 to the collar of the floor shroud 17 and the other end of the flexible duct tubing 16 to the collar of the flex tube adapter 15 which is affixed over a fan 4 of the Negative Air Unit 1. The user would position the Negative Air Unit 1 through a second Opening in the Passthrough Room 23 so that the Filtered Side surface 6 of the Negative Air Unit 1 was inside the Passthrough Room 23. Once the second Opening was filled or substantially filled (whether by the Negative Air Unit 1 alone or in conjunction with a baffle attachment 9), the user would initiate the fan 4 in the Negative Air Unit 1 which is affixed to the flex tube adapter 15. This fan would pull air through flexible duct tubing 16 and out of the Cleaning Area 22. In turn, this air flow would cause particles to flow out of the Cleaning Area 22 via the orifice in the plastic sheeting 19. A user could either have the particles flow through the flexible duct tubing 16, or—in order to keep particles from entering into the flexible duct tubing 16 and pass through the initiated fan, a user may insert a filter in the slot 13 of a floor shroud 17 so that particles would be filtered after they exited the Cleaning Area 22.

In this instance, if the Negative Air Unit 1 contained more than one fan 4, it would be preferable to initiate the fan 4 which is connected to the flex tube adapter 15 at a higher speed than the fan 4 which is not connected to the flex tube adapter 15. By doing so, this would help prevent the plastic sheeting 19 from caving into the Passthrough Area 23 and from potentially detaching from the Opening in which the plastic sheeting 19 was attached.

The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustration and disclosure of embodiments of the invention. Changes, deletions, additions, and modifications may be made to the structures disclosed above without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. While various inventive aspects and features of the general inventive concepts are described and illustrated herein in the context of various exemplary embodiments, these various aspects and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the general inventive concepts. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts and features of the inventions (such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, devices and components) may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, Whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the general inventive concepts even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the inventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure; however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes are not limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases, nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed as required or necessary unless expressly so stated.

Claims

1. A portable particle removal system comprising:

a panel having at least two surfaces which are substantially parallel to each other;

at least one aperture through such panel and such surfaces; and

a fan which is installed in each such aperture and which is capable of directing air through such fan and through such surfaces.

2. A portable particle removal system according to claim 1 wherein such fan or fans are capable of operating at different speeds.

3. A portable particle removal system according to claim 1 wherein there are at least two apertures that have been installed through the panel and wherein a fan has been installed in each such aperture.

4. A portable particle removal system according to claim 1, further comprising a device which attaches to the panel and which, in combination with the panel, fills or substantially fills a door or window opening;

5. A portable particle removal system according to claim 1, further comprising a shroud which affixes over one facade of at least one such fan and which is capable of holding a removable filter.

6. A portable particle removal system according to claim 1, further comprising an apparatus which affixes over one facade of at least one such fan and which is capable of attaching duct tubing to such portable particle removal system.

7. A portable particle removal system according to claim 6, further comprising duct tubing and a second shroud which is capable of holding a removable filter.

8. An attachment apparatus capable of attaching duct tubing to a portable particle removal system according to claim 1, the attachment apparatus comprising

a means to be attached to such portable particle removal system,

an opening through the attachment apparatus which approximates the diameter of an opening in the duct tubing;

a collar which is capable of being attached to the duct tubing

9. An attachment apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a means to hold a filter.

10. A method for removing particles from a room by placing a portable particle removal system according to claim 1 in a door or window opening in such room and by using the fan or fans in such system to create negative air pressure in such room.

11. A method for removing particles from a room or other indoor space, such method comprising:

closing off such room or space with plastic sheeting,

creating an orifice in such plastic sheeting, such opening being approximately the size and shape of duct tubing,

connecting one end of duct tubing to the orifice in the plastic sheeting,

placing a portable particle removal system according to claim 1 into a door or window opening which is not part of the room or space from which particles are to be removed,

connecting the other end of the duct tubing to the portable particle removal system according to claim 1, and

using the fan or fans in such system to create negative air pressure in the room or space from which particles are to be removed.