Filter for removing harmful particles from gaseous media

Abstract

The invention relates to a filter for removing harmful particles from a gaseous medium. Figure for the abstract: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Filter for the removal of harmful particles from gaseous media

[0001] The object of the utility model is a filter for filtering harmful particles from a gaseous medium; the filter comprises a filter material arranged in a filter housing.

[0002] Air, whether in an open or enclosed environment, can be polluted by chemicals, biofuels, or particles and fibers that can be harmful to health. These pollutants can be of natural origin (pollen, volcanic emissions, etc.) or related to human activity (particles from industrial activities, agriculture, or road transport, volatile organic compounds from building materials, etc.). In the case of indoor air, the nature of the pollutants depends in particular on the characteristics of the building, activities, and behavior (tobacco, DIY products, paint, etc.). Outdoors, activities that emit pollutants, such as industrial activities, transport, building heating, and agriculture, also affect the chemical composition of emissions. Air quality has been a concern for years and a major public health issue.

[0003] US patent 2008 / 0190772 A1 discloses an apparatus and method for removing particles from the air. The device comprises a filter housing and filter layers arranged within the filter housing, where electrical potential differences are created between the individual filter layers for improved and designed filtration efficiency. The resulting electrostatic field provides more efficient filtration from the gaseous medium, most often and essentially from air. The drawback of the proposed solution is that, due to the targeted filtration efficiency and the operating principle, several filter layers of different materials, such as expanded metal, are required, and external power is essential for the equipment to function.

[0004] US Patent 6,989,051 B2 discloses a portable air filter system in which the air to be cleaned enters the filter housing on one inlet side and the cleaned air exits on one outlet side. The filter housing is equipped with an ionization filter chamber in which almost any conventional filter material can be used, such as woven, non-woven, fibrous, and similar materials. Another drawback of this proposed solution is that external energy is required for the equipment to operate, specifically for ionization, and the filtration efficiency cannot exceed the efficiency of the chosen filter cartridge. among the known and classic materials used.

[0005] Increasing environmental pollution places growing demands on filters and the filter inserts used in them. These demands are most often met through combined mechanisms of action and / or by increasing or thickening the applied filter insert. However, this is no longer feasible in many locations due to physical limitations, thus creating a need for a new type of filtration technique that combines small size with high filtration efficiency. The objective of the utility model is to provide such a universally applicable filter.

[0006] It was realized that this can be better achieved in practice by using a different material that absorbs more dirt than before.

[0007] According to the utility model, this task has been solved with a filter for filtering particles harmful to health from gaseous media, in particular air, the filter comprises a filter material arranged in a filter housing, where the filter material is sodium silicate, Na2SiO3, with a particle size in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 mm, commonly called soluble glass, which in this form is an excellent absorbing material.

[0008] According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, a powdered filter material is inserted into the filter housing.

[0009] According to another preferred embodiment of the utility model, granules of filter material are inserted into the filter housing.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the filter housing is designed as a metal casing, preferably made of steel, with openings for the flow of the gaseous medium to be filtered. In this case, it is advantageous for the walls of the filter housing to be formed of a dense metal mesh.

[0011] In order to prevent the small particle size filter material from falling out of the filter housing, in a preferred embodiment, the filter material is placed in a housing made of a material permeable to gaseous fluids and forms a filter insert. In such a case, it is also advantageous for the cover of the filter insert to form a pre-filtration or post-filtration layer with respect to the flow direction of the flowing gaseous medium.

[0012] According to another preferred embodiment of the utility model, the filter insert has a shape-retaining frame resulting in a filter cartridge.

[0013] According to another preferred embodiment of the utility model, the filter housing itself is designed as a filter frame into which the filter insert can be inserted, stored and removed.

[0014] According to another preferred embodiment of the utility model, a support structure is arranged in the filter cartridge to ensure a uniform distribution of the loaded filter material. According to a preferred embodiment, this support structure has a honeycomb design, which, together with the loaded filter material, is closed by the cover forming the filter insert so as to prevent the filter material from escaping.

[0015] The material of the support structure may depend on the field of use, for example in the case of use in the automotive industry it may be made of stainless steel.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment, one or more sensor(s) is / are arranged in the filter cartridge, for the insertion of which, preferably, a lockable door is formed on the filter cartridge.

[0017] According to another preferred embodiment, the terminals of the sensor(s) are in electrical communication with respective connector surfaces arranged on the filter cartridge.

[0018] According to another preferred embodiment, the filter cartridge has a lockable door for inserting the sensor(s).

[0019] The filter according to the utility model can be considered universal, because its construction and unlimited geometry allow a custom-cut filter with specific production parameters to be integrated into a target system.

[0020] The utility model will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0021] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a possible embodiment of the filter according to the utility model,

[0022] Figure 2 shows a filter cartridge that can be placed in the filter housing of one possible embodiment of the filter according to the utility model, partially cut out.

[0023] Figure 3 shows another filter cartridge design that can be placed in the filter housing of one possible embodiment of the filter according to the utility model, and

[0024] Fig. 3 shows a detail of a cross-section of a possible filter cartridge that can be used in the filter according to the utility model.

[0025] The proposed filter embodiment shown in the Figures comprises a filter cartridge 2 arranged in a filter housing 1. In the example shown, the filter housing 1 is made of stainless steel, but it can be made of other suitable materials, such as plastic, but also wood or even cardboard. An opening 3 is formed in the filter housing 1 through which the filter cartridge 2 can be inserted. In the present example, the opening 3 can be closed with a door 4 in the filter's operating state, but the door 4 can be omitted if the filter cartridge 2 is sufficiently full. The interior of the filter housing 1 is designed so that the gaseous medium to be filtered, in this example air, cannot bypass the filter cartridge 2, which could render the filtration ineffective. In this example, the side walls of the filter housing 1, extending perpendicularly to the airflow, are formed by a dense wire mesh 5, but one or more openings 6 can be formed in the side walls to allow the airflow to be filtered through the filter without a significant pressure drop.

[0026] The cutout in [Fig. 2] shows an example of the structure of the filter cartridge 2. The filter cartridge 2 comprises a frame 7 surrounding a filter insert 8. The function of the frame 7 is to hold the layers of material used for filtration and, of course, the filter material 9 together, and to provide the necessary mechanical strength. In the filter insert 8, as shown in the example, a honeycomb support structure 10 is arranged, which ensures a uniform distribution of the loaded filter material 9, in this example, granules. Such a support structure 10 is most necessary in the case of a filter material 9 in powder or fine-grained granule form, and in the case of larger granules, a uniform distribution of the filter material 9 can be considered as assured.

[0027] Two external boundary surfaces of the filter insert 8 are formed by pre-filtration and post-filtration layers 11, 12, which in this example are made of stainless steel, but a HEPA filter can also be used. In the filter given as an example, the thickness of the filter material 9 in the filter insert 8 is 20 mm and the thickness of the layers 11, 12 is 5 mm, which, in experiments, has been shown to provide the targeted filtration efficiency without a significant pressure drop. Of course, the application, number, and arrangement of the layers 11, 12 can be implemented differently depending on the respective task.

[0028] In the example shown, the filter insert 8, with moderate mechanical resistance, is inserted into a filter cartridge 2, which provides the required mechanical resistance and easy handling. This solution allows filter cartridges 8 with the appropriate parameters to be inserted quickly and easily into a filter cartridge 2. Of course, the filter, according to the utility model, can also be designed so that the filter insert 8 itself acts as a filter cartridge 2, and the filter insert 8 can be inserted independently into the filter housing 1.

[0029] It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that structural elements not shown in the drawing can be mounted or formed on the filter housing 1, by means of which the filter can be connected to other components, such as ventilation ducts, vehicle cleaning systems, etc., depending on the particular application.

[0030] In order to monitor filtration efficiency or other filtration-related values ​​during use, one or more sensor(s), such as a detection module Air quality ZP07-MP503 can also be included in the filter cartridge 2 either during manufacturing or can be inserted later during assembly for use. In [Fig. 2], a door 13 is used for this purpose, through which a selected sensor 14, shown only symbolically in the figure, can be inserted and secured. In this example, the sensor 14 has two terminals that communicate with connector surfaces 15 formed on the wall of the filter cartridge 2. These are preferably formed near the sensor 14, which is shown at the top of the filter cartridge 2 in [Fig. 2] for illustrative purposes only.In this case, contacts not shown in the drawing are arranged in the filter housing 1 which are connected to the connector surfaces 15 of the inserted filter cartridge 2 in any manner known in the art, for example via springs made of electrically conductive material, and electronic equipment receiving and processing the monitored parameter is connected to the sensor 14 via these contacts. The number of connector surfaces 15 and the contacts functionally connected to them depend, respectively, on the respective sensor 14 and the number of sensors 14, respectively. It is also possible to install one or more sensors 14 in the filter cartridge 2, each with its own power source and wireless communication unit, whose lifespan is compatible with the ease of use and the lifespan of the filter insert 8. In this case, no connector surfaces or spring contacts are required. List of reference symbols used:

[0031] filter housing 1

[0032] filter cartridge 2

[0033] opening 3

[0034] door 4

[0035] wire mesh 5

[0036] opening 6

[0037] frames 7

[0038] Filter insert 8

[0039] filter media 9

[0040] Support structure 10

[0041] Layer 11, 12

[0042] door 13

[0043] sensor 14

[0044] connector surface 15

Claims

Demands

1. Filter for filtering harmful particles from a gaseous medium, comprising a filter material (9) arranged in a filter housing (1), characterized in that the filter material (9) is made of sodium silicate with a particle size in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 mm.

2. Filter according to claim 1, characterized in that powdered sodium silicate is introduced as filter material (9) into the filter housing (1).

3. Filter according to claim 1, characterized in that sodium silicate granules are inserted into the filter housing (1) as filter material (9).

4. Filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the filter housing (1) is designed as a housing made of metal, preferably steel, with openings (6) for the flow of the gaseous medium to be filtered.

5. Filter according to claim 4, characterized in that the openings (6) are formed by a metal mesh (5).

6. Filter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the filter material (9) is enclosed in a housing of material permeable to gaseous fluids, forming a filter insert (8).

7. Filter according to claim 6, characterized in that a cover of the filter insert (8) forms a pre-filtration or post-filtration layer (11, 12) with respect to the flow direction of the flowing gaseous medium.

8. Filter according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the filter insert (8) has a shape retention frame (7) resulting in a filter cartridge (2).

9. Filter according to any one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that the filter housing (1) itself is designed as a filter frame (2) into which the filter insert (8) can be inserted, stored and removed.

10. Filter according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that a support structure (10) is arranged in the filter insert (8), which ensures a uniform distribution of the filter material present inside (9).

11. Filter according to claim 10, characterized in that the support structure (10) has a honeycomb design and the support structure (10), together with the loaded filter material (9), is closed by the lid forming the filter insert (8) so as to prevent the filter material from escaping.

12. Use of the filter according to claim 10 or 11 in the automotive industry, characterized in that the support structure (10) is made of stainless steel.

13. Filter according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that one or more sensor(s) (14) is / are arranged in the filter cartridge (2).

14. Filter according to claim 13, characterized in that the terminals of the sensor (14) are in electrical communication with respective connector surfaces (15) arranged on the filter cartridge (2).

15. Filter according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the filter cartridge (2) has a lockable door (13) for inserting the sensor(s) (14).