|Publication number||US7364610 B2|
|Application number||US 11/191,859|
|Publication date||Apr 29, 2008|
|Filing date||Jul 28, 2005|
|Priority date||Jul 28, 2005|
|Also published as||US20070022881|
|Publication number||11191859, 191859, US 7364610 B2, US 7364610B2, US-B2-7364610, US7364610 B2, US7364610B2|
|Inventors||Michael D. Falcon|
|Original Assignee||Michael D. Falcon|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (22), Referenced by (4), Classifications (25), Legal Events (3)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present invention is directed towards an audible sensor. More specifically, the present invention is directed towards a sensor for an air filter to indicate a replacement thereof.
Heating and cooling systems for houses and other dwellings and for at least some commercial establishments include a system for transmitting heated or cooled air throughout the dwelling or commercial establishment. These systems for transmitting heated or cooled air also include filtration equipment for removing particulate matter from the heated or cooled air and this filtration equipment, particularly for dwellings, normally includes one or more mechanical filters formed from fibrous materials.
These filter materials serve the function of mechanically blocking particulate matter that is in the air flowing in circuitous paths through the filter material. The particulate matter becomes attached to individual fibers and, over a period of time, progressively restricts the air flow paths. This trapped particulate matter simultaneously causes a reduction of the air flow rate through the filter.
This reduced air flow rate reduces the efficiency of the heating or cooling system and the effective heating or cooling of the dwelling or commercial establishment. The partially clogged filter also causes increased back pressure to be applied to the blower or fan which generates the air flow and this back pressure increases the work that must be performed and the energy consumed by the blower or fan unit. The resulting increased load increases the wear rate of the moving parts in the heating or cooling system and also results in increased operating costs.
In order to determine when an air filter needs to be changed, a person normally must gain access to the filter. The filter must then be removed and visually inspected. If it is evident through this visual inspection that there is a significant build up of particulate matter on the outside surface of the air filter it is usually replaced with a new filter. This procedure has various deficiencies. This procedure means that the air filter must be periodically checked in order to determine when the filter needs to be changed. This is time consuming and can often result in dirty filters not being changed on time due to the failure to remember to check the filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,646 to Williams describes a whistle audibly responsive to extremely small pressure differentials. The whistle comprises an inlet portion of a first diameter and an outlet portion of a second diameter. The whistle produces an audible sound when a pressure differential exists across the inlet and outlet portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,255 to Taft describes a noise maker apparatus for an air filter. The noise maker has a housing having a hole and a weighted member in resilient relationship over the hole. The weighted member is responsive to a pressure change across the hole.
However, the replacement of air filters may be a function of time. More specifically, air filters may be replaced based upon a manufacturer's suggested time. To that, there is a need for an improved sensor for air filters.
The present invention is directed towards a sensor including, inter alia, a body having first and second spaced-apart apertures, the first aperture having a shape producing an audible noise upon a fluid passing therethrough; a piston positioned within the body; and a chamber having an additional fluid disposed therein, with a volume of the additional fluid placing the piston between first and second positions, the first position impeding the first volume of fluid and the second position allowing the first volume of fluid to pass through the first aperture. These and other embodiments are described more fully below.
To that end, air filter 10 may be exposed to a flow of fluid from the HVAC system (not shown). The flow of fluid may have contained therein, inter alia, particulate matter. To that end, air filter 10 filters the flow of fluid such that the particulate matter becomes entangled with and lodged upon filter material 16. However, over a period of time, an increasing quantity of particulate matter becomes entangled with and lodged upon filter material 16 causing detrimental effects upon air filter 10. Such effects include, inter alia, reducing an air flow rate through air filter 10. As a result, an efficiency of the HVAC system is reduced, which is undesirable. To prevent the aforementioned detrimental effects, air filter 10 may be replaced periodically. To that end, described below is a sensor to provide a signal indicating a replacement of air filter 10.
Sensor 12 further comprises apertures 30 and 32 having a pathway 34 extending therebetween. Aperture 30 may be positioned proximate to first end 22 and aperture 32 may be positioned adjacent to second end 24. Pathway 34 may have a fluid 36 flowing therein. Aperture 30 may be in superimposition with cavity 28 and may comprise an angled portion 37. In a further embodiment, aperture 30 may comprise a removable portion 40, shown in
Positioned upon a side 38 of body 18 is a chamber 42. Chamber 42 may be formed from materials including but not limited to polypropylene, high density polyethylene, glass, ceramic, cardboard, and metal. In a further embodiment, chamber 42 may be positioned upon side 43 of body 18, as shown in
Positioned within section 20 of body 18 is a aperture 62. Aperture 62 may be in superimposition with chamber 42, and more specifically, in superimposition with an aperture 64 positioned on side 38 of body 18. Attached to plate 48 is a piston 66. As shown, piston 66 comprises a cylindrical shape, however, piston 66 may comprise any geometrical shape desired. In a further embodiment, piston 66 may be contiguous with plate 48. In still a further embodiment, plate 48 may comprise a plurality of pistons 66 attached thereto.
As shown, piston 66 may be placed in a first position. More specifically, piston 66 may be placed to extend thru aperture 64 and pathway 34 to be positioned within aperture 62. Piston 66 may be placed in the first position as a result of a force F2 exerted by fluid 46 upon plate 48. A magnitude of force F2 depends upon, inter alia, a volume of fluid 46. Plate 48 may function to spread force F2 equally about piston 66. To that end, the aforementioned flow of fluid 36 may be impeded as a result of piston 66 being positioned in the first position. More specifically, piston 66 may be placed transverse to the flow of fluid 36.
To that end, as mentioned above, fluid 46 may be in fluid communication with wick 56. More specifically, first segment 58 of wick 56 absorbs a portion of fluid 46, with the portion of fluid 46 diffusing into second segment 60 of wick 56. The portion of fluid 46 disposed in second segment 60 may then evaporate into the surrounding environment. This process results in an evaporation/absorption process that continues until bladder 44 may be substantially absent of fluid 46. In a further embodiment, wick 56 may be in electrical communication with a heating source (not shown). The heating source (not shown) may facilitate evaporation of the portion of fluid 46 disposed in second segment 60 of wick 56.
To that end, as a result of a portion of fluid 46 evaporating thru wick 56, a volume of fluid 46 may decrease. As mentioned above, force F2 may be dependent upon the volume of fluid 46. As a result of the decrease in the volume of fluid 46, a magnitude of force F2 upon plate 48 and piston 66 may decrease, and thus, plate 48 and piston 66 may translate towards chamber 42. In a further embodiment, the reduction of the volume of fluid 46 may create a vacuum within chamber 42, and thus facilitate the translation of plate 48 and piston 66 towards chamber 42.
To that end, the aforementioned predetermined amount of time may be dependent upon, inter alia, the evaporation rate of fluid 46. As a result, the composition of fluid 46 may be chosen such that the sensor 12 may produce the aforementioned audible noise after a desired period of time.
The embodiments of the present invention described above are exemplary. Many changes and modifications may be made to the disclosure recited above, while remaining within the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.
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|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US7621978 *||Nov 24, 2009||3M Innovative Properties Company||Filter timer|
|US20070277672 *||May 30, 2006||Dec 6, 2007||3M Innovative Properties Company||Filter timer|
|US20100229544 *||Mar 12, 2010||Sep 16, 2010||Sustainx, Inc.||Systems and Methods for Improving Drivetrain Efficiency for Compressed Gas Energy Storage|
|US20120118163 *||Nov 17, 2010||May 17, 2012||Aaron Gorga||Audible Indicator of Air Filter Status|
|U.S. Classification||96/421, 116/200, 116/112, 116/109, 368/244, 96/419, 96/424, 368/89, 368/97, 116/70|
|International Classification||G01F23/00, B01D39/00, G01L19/12, B01D46/00, G04B23/02, G04F1/00, G01D11/00, G08B21/00|
|Cooperative Classification||B01D46/0086, F24F11/0086, B01D46/008, F24F2011/0093|
|European Classification||B01D46/00R80, B01D46/00S10, F24F11/00R9|
|Dec 12, 2011||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Apr 29, 2012||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|Jun 19, 2012||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20120429