Reusable Filter Frame with Modular Pleated Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional air filter cartridges are disposable, environmentally unfriendly, prone to deformation under air pressure, and occupy excessive space, leading to high transportation costs and reduced filtration efficiency due to pleated designs that allow bypass airflow.
Innovation Solution
A reusable air filter system with a modular frame and interchangeable pleated filter material, featuring holders and linkers that secure the pleated structure, allowing for easy assembly, disassembly, and compact storage, maintaining filtration efficiency while reducing volume and transportation costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If pleated filter cartridges are used to provide greater surface area, then filtration capacity is improved, but the filter becomes prone to deformation due to air pressure and occupies excessive space
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is divided into multiple pleated panels that are arranged in a compact configuration. Each panel is supported by a rigid frame structure that segments the overall filter into manageable sections, allowing high surface area while maintaining compact volume through the segmented panel arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The pleated panels are nested within a rigid frame structure that allows them to be compacted when not in use. The panels can be folded or collapsed into a nested configuration within the frame, reducing volume for storage and transportation while expanding to provide full filtration surface area during operation.
2Quantity of substance
If pleated filter materials are used to increase surface area, then filtration capacity is improved, but transportation costs increase due to large volume
Solution Approach 1:
The filter panels are designed to be dynamically collapsible and expandable. During transportation, the panels are collapsed to minimize volume. During operation, they expand to provide the necessary filtration surface area. This dynamic transformation allows the same structure to serve both low-volume transport and high-surface-area filtration requirements.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional disposable filter cartridges are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but environmental sustainability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding the entire filter cartridge after use, the design separates the reusable rigid frame from the replaceable pleated panels. The frame is recovered and reused multiple times, while only the consumable panels are discarded after their service life. This significantly reduces waste generation while maintaining manufacturing simplicity for the panel components.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid frame structure is designed as a universal component that can accommodate multiple different pleated panels. Once the frame is manufactured, it can be reused with various panel types and configurations, making the frame a multi-functional, long-lasting component that reduces overall waste while maintaining ease of manufacture for standardized parts.
4Quantity of substance
If pleated filter cartridges are used to maximize surface area, then filtration capacity is improved, but filtration efficiency deteriorates due to bypass airflow from edges and sides
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid frame structure provides beforehand support to the pleated panels, preventing edge deformation and collapse before airflow can cause bypass. The frame acts as a pre-established structural cushion that maintains the integrity of the filtration edges, ensuring that air must pass through the pleated media rather than bypassing around the edges.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid frame serves as an intermediary structure between the pleated panels and the external environment. It mediates the mechanical stresses from airflow and pressure, protecting the pleated edges from deformation. This intermediary frame ensures that the filtration interface remains intact, preventing bypass airflow while allowing the pleated panels to maintain their high surface area configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A reusable filter system (1000) for a interchangeable pleated filter (1100), comprising: (a) a reusable frame (1200), comprising a first, second, third and fourth holders; (b) at least one flexible sheet (10410), configured to attach to at least a portion of the upper pleat tip face (10101) and/or lower pleat tip face and to extend outward from the first pleated edge (10120) and the second pleated edge (10130); and (c) at least one spline (10310), wherein the first, second, third and fourth holders are configured to be reversibly connected with each other to form the reusable frame (1200), and wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth holders further comprises a spline (10310) receiving portion sized and shaped to receive the spline (10310).