Door Gap Air Filtration for Pressurized Building Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air filtration systems in buildings do not effectively address the movement of contaminants, such as dust and dirt, from pressurized common areas into individual units, despite maintaining positive air pressure to prevent outside infiltration.
Innovation Solution
An air filter system with an air flow permitting opening in the wall-door system, incorporating a filter mounted over the gap between the door and door frame, allowing controlled airflow while trapping contaminants, and utilizing weatherstripping to seal edges except along the hinge side for airflow between zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If weatherstripping is used to seal the gap between door and door frame, then air tightness is improved, but airflow between zones is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The weatherstripping is selectively applied to specific portions of the door perimeter (top, bottom, and non-hinge sides) while intentionally leaving the hinge side gap unsealed. This local differentiation allows the system to achieve air tightness where needed while maintaining necessary airflow pathways through the hinge side gap for pressure equalization and controlled air movement between zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge side gap acts as an intermediary pathway that mediates between the conflicting requirements of air tightness and airflow. By leaving this specific gap unsealed while sealing other portions, the system creates a controlled intermediate zone that allows necessary air movement while maintaining overall sealing effectiveness.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the building envelope is sealed to prevent outside infiltration, then indoor air quality is improved, but air flow between interior zones is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The building envelope sealing is segmented into different levels: the exterior envelope is tightly sealed to prevent outside infiltration, while interior door assemblies include unsealed hinge side gaps to maintain airflow between zones. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of both exterior sealing and interior air movement.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sealing qualities are applied to different parts of the building envelope. The exterior envelope receives full sealing treatment to block outside contaminants, while interior door assemblies have localized unsealed portions (hinge side gaps) to permit controlled air flow between interior zones, creating a gradient of sealing intensity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively reduces the movement of contaminants from one zone to another by allowing controlled airflow while trapping dust and dirt, maintaining indoor air quality and reducing contamination within individual units.
Implementation Method 1
an air filter mounted in such opening
Implementation Method 2
weatherstripping mounted between the side and upper edges and the door frame and between the lower edge and the threshold region of the floor to substantially seal against air flow
Implementation Method 3
Air will tend to flow from zones of higher pressure to zones of lower pressure, following the gradient
Data Source
AI summary
An air filter system and an air filter therefor are provided for use in a building with first and second zones separated by a wall-door system having a wall with a door therein. Weatherstripping is mounted between side and upper edges of the door and a door frame in the wall and between the lower edge of the door and the threshold region of the floor to substantially seal against air flow between the door edges and the door frame and floor when the door is closed. An air flow permitting opening is provided in the wall-door system, sized to permit a controlled amount of airflow between the first and second zones when there is a pre-determined pressure differential between said zones. An air filter is mounted in such opening.