Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF CLEANING AIR FILTERS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to cleaning air filters, and more
particularly to
cleaning air filters, such as exhaust filters, that may be used in conjunction
with internal
combustion engines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Air filters, such as exhaust filters, or in other words filters
that are used to trap
contaminants such as particulate matter, including soot and the like, are used
in many places
including on diesel engines, in refined-gas lines, and so on.
[0003] Air filters, such as exhaust filters, used in conjunction with
diesel engines are
used to lower particulate matter emissions from diesel engines, including both
inorganic and
organic particulate matter from the exhaust gas stream of a diesel engine. The
filter is
tailored to particular requirements as determined by the specific parameters
of the diesel
engine, to maintain the most favorable exhaust backpressure for the engine and
exhaust
system.
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[0004] Typically, such filters include a housing containing a substrate
with various
passages for the exhaust to travel through. The porous substrate in the
interior of the filter
consists of thousands of small parallel channels, typically oriented along the
longitudinal
direction of the filter. Adjacent channels in the filter are alternately
plugged at each end. This
arrangement of channels and porous walls forces the exhaust gases to flow
through the
porous walls. The porous walls act as the medium for filtering out the
particulates that are
too big to pass through the porous walls, which remain deposited in the
channels.
[0005] In order to use such filters for their entire useful lifespan, the
filters must be
cleaned periodically. It is known to use an ultrasonic bath to clean these
types of filters, along
with subsequently rinsing and drying the filters. It is also known to use a
rotatable air knife to
dry the filers.
[0006] United States Patent No. 6,990,751 issued January 31, 2006, to
Rileyet al., and
entitled Rotatable Air Knife, discloses an air knife or air nozzle manifold
for drying or blowing
off passing articles moved by a conveyor system. A coupling permits rotation
of the air knife
or air nozzle manifold relative to the air inlet duct leading from a blower.
The air knife or air
nozzle manifold has opposing ends located equidistant from a longitudinal axis
of rotation
relative to a stationary element of the coupling. Thrust nozzles are provided
at each of the
opposing ends of the air knife or air nozzle manifold to deflect a certain
portion of the air from
the plenum chamber to provide thrusting jets of air that rotate the air knife
or air nozzle
manifold about the longitudinal axis. The flow of air emitted from the air
knife or air nozzle
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manifold is thereby directed onto the passing articles from different
directions as the articles
move by. The efficiency of drying and blowing off the articles to be processed
is thereby
significantly improved.
[0007] United States Patent No. 6,260,231 issued July 17, 2001, to Bybee
etal., and
entitled Air Knife Drying System, discloses a system for drying printed
circuit boards in a
liquid cleaning apparatus. The liquid cleaning apparatus includes a series of
air knife dryers
enclosed within two drying modules. The first drying module houses a first set
of top and
bottom air knife dryers which includes at least one top air knife dryer,
positioned above a
conveyor belt carrying printed circuit boards through the liquid cleaning
apparatus, and at
least one bottom air knife dryer, positioned below the conveyor belt. The air
knife dryers may
be symmetrically opposed and aligned above and below the conveyor belt. The
liquid
cleaning apparatus further includes side air knife dryers disposed along the
conveyor belt
between the first drying module and the second drying module.
[0008] United States Patent No. 5,074,242 issued December 24, 1991, to
Bricmont,
and entitled Air Knife, discloses an air knife formed of a plurality of
independently controllable
pressure chambers for permitting gas in an assortment of differential
pressures to be
simultaneously discharged from separate segmental portions along the length of
the air knife
nozzle in order to produce an essentially uniform and desired coating
thickness on a
continuously moving and continuously coated work piece regardless of strip
thickness, width,
camber, and velocity. The air knife includes a plurality of baffles positioned
inside the barrel
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of the air knife for dividing the barrel into at least three distinct pressure
chambers. The
baffles are adjustably positionable along the length of the barrel in order to
establish the
desired segmental lengths along the air knife nozzle from which the
differentially pressurized
gas is discharged from the air knife. In the first illustrated embodiment, a
computer
continuously adjusts and controls the pressure in each chamber, and the
position of air knife
with respect to the workpiece.
[0009] Canadian published Patent Application No. 2,867,961, published
April 16, 2015
to Hunter, discloses a System For Extracting Contaminants From Contaminant-
Trapping
Filters. The system comprises a contaminant-receiving container; a filter
support apparatus
for supporting a contaminant-trapping filter in contaminant-depositing
relation with respect to
the contaminant-receiving container; an air nozzle for directing a flow of air
through the
contaminant-trapping filter, thereby forcing contaminants from the contaminant-
trapping filter;
wherein, in use, a contaminant-trapping filter is placed, using the filter
support apparatus, in
contaminant-depositing relation with respect to the contaminant-receiving
container, and air
is blown by the air nozzle through the contaminant-trapping filter, to thereby
substantially
evacuate residual contaminants from the contaminant-trapping filter, for
retention of the
contaminants in the contaminant-receiving container.
[00010] It is also known to use systems and methods for cleaning filters
wherein an air
knife is not used.
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[00011] United States Patent No. 5,372,653 issued December 13, 1994, to
Gray, and
entitled Cleaning Of Filters, disclosesa method of cleaning metal filters of a
solvent spun fibre
production plant. The method comprises the step of (a) dissolving dope from
the filters using
a hot solvent for the dope, (b) washing the solvent from the filters using hot
water, (c)
pyrolysing remnants of dope or solvent in the filters, (d) ultrasonically
washing the pyrolysed
particles from the filters, (e) reheating the filters to dislodge pyrolysed
particles, (f)
ultrasonically rewashing the filters and (g) drying the filters.
[00012] United States Patent No. 5,182,832, issued February 2, 1993, to
McMahon,
and entitled Air Filter Cleaning Apparatus. The apparatus as disclosed has an
inlet tube
having a connector at one end for coupling to an air supply hose, and a rotary
head is
rotatably mounted on the other end of the inlet tube. The rotary head has an
internal air
distribution chamber connected to the inlet tube and small outlet openings in
its outer
peripheral wall for spraying air from the chamber towards an air filter unit.
Rotor or spin outlet
passageways in the peripheral wall are arranged at an angle to cause the head
to spin in a
turbine-like fashion when air flow is directed from the chamber and out
through the
passageways. The rotating head sprays air outwardly across the surface of an
air filter unit to
dislodge dirt from filter paper in a filter unit.
[00013] United States published Patent Application No. 20150000701,
published
January 1, 2015 to Tevely et al, discloses a Method And Apparatus For Cleaning
Diesel
Particulate Filters. In that document, there is taught an apparatus and method
for removing
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accumulated ash and soot from DPFs which uses a combination of ultrasonic
energy coupled
via a liquid cleaning solution to the internal and external surfaces of the
DPF to dislodge and
remove the accumulated materials, and a system of directing clean solution for
rinsing of the
filter elements by continuous filtration of the rinse solution, and a means of
drawing residual
material-laden cleaning solution from the filter to complete the cleaning
process.
[00014] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and
apparatus for
and method of cleaning air filters.
[00015] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and
apparatus for
and method of cleaning air filters, such as exhaust filters.
[00016] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and
apparatus for
and method of cleaning air filters, wherein contaminants such as particulate
matter are
thoroughly removed from the filters.
[00017] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and
apparatus for
and method of cleaning air filters, such as exhaust filters, wherein water
used to rinse the
filters is thoroughly removed from the filters so the filters are at least
close to dry.
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[00018] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and
apparatus for
and method of cleaning air filters, such as exhaust filters, and mare
particularly such as filters
used in diesel engines.
[00019] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and
apparatus for
and method of cleaning air filters, such as exhaust filters, wherein the
system and apparatus
are inexpensive to manufacture.
[00020] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and
apparatus for
and method of cleaning air filters, such as exhaust filters, wherein the
system and apparatus
are inexpensive to maintain.
[00021] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and
apparatus for
and method of cleaning air filters, such as exhaust filters, wherein the
system and apparatus
are inexpensive to operate.
[00022] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and
apparatus for
and method of cleaning air filters, such as exhaust filters, wherein the
method is inexpensive
to implement and execute.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[00023] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is
disclosed a
novel apparatus for cleaning air filters. The apparatus comprises a housing
having a filter-
receiving chamber that surrounds a filter to be cleaned and dried, an air flow
ingress in fluid
communication with the filter-receiving chamber, and an air flow egress in
fluid
communication with the filter-receiving chamber. An air flow conduit connects
the air flow
egress in air delivery relation to the air flow ingress. The air flow ingress,
the housing
includes the filter-receiving chamber, and air flow conduit form a closed-loop
air flow
circulation path. A filter support in the housing supports the filter to be
cleaned and dried in
the air flow circulation path. A fan circulates air along the air flow
circulation path. A heater
heats the air circulating air along the air flow circulation path. A
contaminant filtration
apparatus in the air flow circulation path captures contaminants in the air
circulating in the air
flow circulation path. A control device for controls the operation of the fan
and heater.
[00024] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is
disclosed a
novel system for cleaning air filters. The system comprises an ultrasonic bath
for performing
initial cleaning of the filter, a rinse apparatus for rinsing contaminants
from the filter
subsequent to the initial cleaning of the filter and an apparatus for
extracting moisture and
contamination from the filter. The filter is supported in a filter-receiving
chamber by a filter
support for cleaning and drying of the filter in an air flow circulation path.
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[00025] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is
disclosed a
novel method of cleaning air filters. The method comprises the steps of
placing the filter on a
filter support in a filter-receiving chamber in an air flow circulation path;
heating air for
subsequent circulation along the filter; circulating air along the filter to
thereby evaporate
moisture from the filter and remove contamination from the filter; and
capturing contaminants
in the air circulating in the air flow circulation path.
[00026] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is
disclosed a
novel method of cleaning air filters. The method comprises the steps of (a)
initially
ultrasonically cleaning the filter; (b) subsequently to step (a), rinsing
contaminants and
ultrasonic cleaning solution from the filter; and (c) subsequently to step
(b), circulating air
along the filter to thereby evaporate moisture from the filter and remove
contaminants from
the filter.
[00027] Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present
invention, as well
as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the
structure, and the
combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent
upon
consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims
with reference to
the accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly described herein
below.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00028] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the
present
invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation,
together with further
objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the
following drawings in
which a first illustrated embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated
by way of example.
It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of
illustration and
description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the
invention. In the
accompanying drawings:
[00029] Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the illustrated embodiment
of the system
and apparatus for and method of cleaning air filters according to the present
invention;
[00030] Figure 2 is a perspective view from the front right of the
illustrated embodiment
of the apparatus of Figure 1;
[00031] Figure 3 is a perspective view from the front left of the
illustrated embodiment
of the apparatus of Figure 1;
[00032] Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the illustrated embodiment
of the
apparatus of Figure 1;
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[00033] Figure 5 is a sectional front elevational view of the illustrated
embodiment of
the apparatus of Figure 1;
[00034] Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the illustrated embodiment
of the
apparatus of Figure 1;
[00035] Figure 7 is a top plan view of the illustrated embodiment of the
apparatus of
Figure 1;
[00036] Figure 8 is a perspective view from the front left of the housing
of the illustrated
embodiment of the apparatus of Figure 1;
[00037] Figure 9 is a front elevational view of the illustrated embodiment
of the system,
apparatus and method of Figure 1, showing the system and apparatus in use
according to
the present method; and,
[00038] Figure 10 is sectional front elevational view of the illustrated
embodiment of the
apparatus of Figure 1, showing the apparatus in use.
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LIST OF COMPONENTS AND REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 System
106 Filter(s)
110 Ultrasonic bath
112 Rectangular tank
114 Substantially hollow interior
115 Ultrasonic transducers
116 Hinged lid
120 Substantially horizontal boom arm
122a First mounting end
122b Second mounting end
126 Tracks
128 Crank handle
129a First support structure
129b Second support structure
130 Winch apparatus
132 Jaw mechanism
140 Rinse apparatus
142 Nozzle
150 Apparatus
152 Housing
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153a Front
153b Back
154a Left side
154b Right side
155a Top
155b Bottom
157d Door
157f Frame
157p Panels
158a Air flow ingress
158b Air flow egress
160 Filter-receiving chamber
162 Heater
168 Filter support
170 Collection chamber
172 Contaminant filtration apparatus
176 Sump pump
177 Flexible tube
177a Inlet
180 Fan encasement chamber
182 Fan
183 Electric motor
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184 Control device
186 Control panel
187 Green, yellow and red lights
187r Red light
187y Yellow light
187g Green light
188 Air flow conduit
190 Air pressure monitor
191 First hose
191a Inlet
192 Second hose
192a Inlet
196 First supplemental air flow conduit
196c Capped outlet
198 Second supplemental air flow conduit
198c Capped outlet
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
[00039] Reference will now be made to Figures 1 through 10, which show the
illustrated
embodiment of the present invention, as indicated by general reference numeral
100.The
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present invention comprises system 100 is for cleaning air filters.
In the illustrated
embodiment, and for the sake of clarity, filters 106 that may be used in used
in in conjunction
with internal combustion engines, such as diesel engines, will be discussed,
although the
system may be used for extracting contaminants from other types of air
filters. Accordingly,
the illustrated embodiment of the system 100 and apparatus 150 and method for
cleaning air
filters according to the present invention, as discussed and illustrated, is
for extracting
contaminants such as particulate matter from the filters, and also drying the
filters 106.
[00040]
In one aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a system 100 for
cleaning air filters 106. The system 100 may comprise an ultrasonic bath 11
for performing
initial cleaning of the filter 106, a rinse apparatus 140 for rinsing
contaminants from the filter
106 subsequent to the initial cleaning of the filter 106 and an apparatus 150
for extracting
moisture and contamination from the filter 106, as described above. The filter
106 may be
supported in a filter-receiving chamber 160 by a filter support 168 for
cleaning and drying of
the filter 106 in an air flow circulation path "P", which may be a closed-loop
air flow circulation
path "P". There may also be a pad 169 made of a pliable material such as a
rubber material
or a rubber compound material, or the like, with a central aperture 169a
therein. The central
aperture 169a may be about the same size or slightly smaller than the filter
106. The filter
106 may rest on the pad 169 or within the central aperture 169a so as to be in
substantially
sealed relation with respect to the pad 169. Accordingly, all of the air flow
in the closed-loop
air flow circulation path "P" may flow through the filter 106.
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[00041] More particularly, the system 100 may comprise an ultrasonic bath
110 for
loosening and dislodging contaminants from the filter 106. The ultrasonic bath
110 consists
of a rectangular tank 112 of appropriate size to contain up to five filters
106 therein. It has
been found that rectangular tank 112 of about sixty inches in length, thirty
inches in width and
twenty-eight inches in depth is suitable. Any other suitable size could be
used.
[00042] The rectangular tank 112 has a substantially hollow interior 114
and has a
hinged lid 116 for covering the substantially hollow interior 114 of the tank
112 during use.
Ultrasonic transducers 115 are mounted within the rectangular tank 112. An
electrically
operable winch apparatus 130 is mounted within a substantially horizontal boom
arm 120.
The controls for the electrically operable winch apparatus 130 may be mounted
in any
convenient location. The winch apparatus 130 is used to lower the filters 106
into the
ultrasonic bath 110, as indicated by arrow "A" in Figure 1, and to raise the
filters 106 from the
ultrasonic bath 110, as indicated by arrow "B" in Figure 1, thereby removing
the filters 106
from the ultrasonic bath 110.
[00043] The substantially horizontal boom arm 120 has a first mounting end
122a and a
second mounting end 122b, and tracks 126 within the boom arm 120 to permit
horizontal
travel of the winch apparatus 130 along the substantially horizontal boom arm
120 generally
between the first mounting end 122a and the second mounting end 122b. The
electrically
operable winch apparatus 130 is mounted on the horizontal boom arm 120 by
means of the
tracks 126 within the boom arm 120, for selective movement along the boom arm
120, as
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indicated by arrows "C" and by arrows "D" in Figure 1, by means of a manual
crank
mechanism having a crank handle 128 mounted adjacent the mounting end 122 of
the boom
arm 120. The motion of the crank handle 128 is indicated by arrow "E".
[00044] Alternatively, the winch 130 could be moved along the tracks 126 by
a
selectively operable electric motor (not specifically shown).
[00045] The boom arm 120 may be mounted at its first mounting end 122a on a
first
support structure 129a and at its second mounting end 122b on a second support
structure
129b. The first support structure 129a and the second support structure 129b
may be a
vertical pole anchored to a floor. As shown in Figure 1, the winch apparatus
130 is in
position to raise and lower the filters 106, as discussed above, and in
position to retain the
filter 106 within the ultrasonic bath 110 for initially loosening contaminants
from the filter 106,
also is in position to deliver the filter 106 into the rinse station 140, as
indicated by arrows "G
and "H".
[00046] Each filter 106 is clamped by a selectively operable jaw mechanism
132
connected to the free end 136 of the cable 134 from the winch apparatus 130.
When a filter
106 is in place in the ultrasonic submerged position or in the contaminant
extracting position,
the filter 106 can be selectively released from the selectively operable jaw
mechanism 132.
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[00047] In another aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a
method of
cleaning air filters 106, as is best seen in Figure 9. The method may comprise
the steps of
initially ultrasonically cleaning the filter 106. This step may be performed
in an ultrasonic
bath, such as the ultrasonic bath 110. Another step may comprise, subsequently
to the step
of initially ultrasonically cleaning the filter 106, rinsing contaminants and
ultrasonic cleaning
solution from the filter 106. This step may be performed at a rinse station
such as the rinse
apparatus 140, after being transferred from the ultrasonic bath 110, as
indicated by arrow "J"
and allows a flow of water to pass from a nozzle 142 over the filter 106, as
indicated by arrow
"I", in order to thoroughly rinse the filter. Another step may comprise,
subsequently to the
step of rinsing contaminants and ultrasonic cleaning solution from the filter
106, circulating
air, as indicated by arrow "J", and maybe heated air, along the filter 106 to
thereby evaporate
moisture from the filter 106 and remove contaminants from the filter 106. This
step may be
performed at the apparatus 150, after being transferred from the rinse
apparatus 140, as
indicated by arrow K".
[00048] In another aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed an
apparatus 150
for cleaning air filters 106. The apparatus 150 may comprise a housing 152
extending
between a front 153a, a back 153b, a left side 154a, a right side 154b, a top
155a and a
bottom 155b. The housing 152 may be divided into three chambers, which maybe a
filter-
receiving chamber 160, a collection chamber 170, and a fan encasement chamber
180. The
filter-receiving chamber 160 may occupy the top portion of the housing 152 and
may be
disposed above the collection chamber 170 and may extend downwardly from the
top 153a
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of the housing 152 to the collection chamber 170 and may extend inwardly from
the right side
154b of the housing 152 towards the left side 154a. The collection chamber 170
may be
disposed below the filter-receiving chamber 160 and may extend upwardly from
the bottom
155b of the housing 152 to the filter-receiving chamber 160 and may extend
inwardly from
the right side 154b of the housing 152 to the fan encasement chamber 180. The
fan
encasement chamber 180 may be disposed beside the collection chamber 170 and
may
extend from the left side 154a of the housing 152 to the collection chamber
170 and may
extend upwardly from the bottom 155b of the housing 152 to a top surface 156
used to
receive filters 106 that are not in the filter-receiving chamber 160
(typically either before or
after cleaning).
[00049]
The housing 152 may have a frame 157f as may be best seen in Figure 7, and
may have a plurality of panels 157p secured to the frame 157f to make up the
filter-receiving
chamber 160, the collection chamber 170, and the fan encasement chamber 180. A
door
157d may be operatively secured to the filter-receiving chamber 160 in
openable and
closable relation to permit access to the filter-receiving chamber 160 and to
permit securely
sealed closing off of the filter-receiving chamber 160 during use. The filter-
receiving chamber
160 may surround a filter 106 to be cleaned and dried, so as to preclude the
escape of
particulate matter, moisture, and so on, from the air flowing in the closed-
loop air flow
circulation path "P", as the filter 106 is being cleaned. The collection
chamber 170 may be
sealed to preclude the escape of particulate matter, moisture, and so on, from
the air flowing
in the closed-loop air flow circulation path "P", after flowing through the
filter 106. The
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collection chamber 170 may be used to collect, or in other words to receive
and retain,
particulate matter, moisture, and so on, from the air flowing in the closed-
loop air flow
circulation path "P", after flowing through the filter 106. The collection
chamber may have
about thirty (30) litres of capacity, or any other suitable capacity. It has
been found that the
full cleaning of a filter 106 may produce about one (1) litre of particulate
matter, moisture, and
so on.
[00050] The housing 152 may have an air flow ingress 158a in the filter-
receiving
chamber 160. The air flow ingress 158a may be in fluid communication with the
interior of
the filter-receiving chamber 160. Also, the housing 152 may have an air flow
egress 158b in
the filter-receiving chamber 160. The air flow egress 158b may be in fluid
communication
with the filter-receiving chamber 160. The air flow ingress 158a and the air
flow egress 158b
may be in fluid communication each with the other. An air flow conduit 188 may
connect the
air flow egress 158b in air delivery relation to the air flow ingress 158a.
[00051] There may be a filter support 168 in the housing 152 for supporting
the filter
106 to be cleaned and dried within the filter-receiving chamber 160 and in the
closed-loop air
flow circulation path "P". The filter 106 may be supported as such by the
filter support 168 for
cleaning and drying of the filter 106 in the closed-loop air flow circulation
path "P". The filter
support 168 may comprise a grate and additionally or alternatively may
comprise a wire
mesh. As can readily be seen in the figures, the filter support 168 may be
disposed adjacent
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the bottom of the filter-receiving chamber 160 and may at least in part define
the bottom
extent of the filter-receiving chamber 160.
[00052] There may be a fan 182 for circulating air along the closed-loop
air flow
circulation path "P". The fan 182 may comprise a suitable blower that may be
connected in
air receiving relation to the air flow egress 158b, and may be connected in
air delivery
relation to the air flow conduit 188. The blower may be rated at about 1900
cubic feet per
minute (c.f.m.) and may be driven by a three (3) horsepower electric motor
183. This may be
sufficient to extract any contaminants such as contaminants, including soot
and ash, on or in
the filter 106, and to dry the filter 106.
[00053] The air flow ingress 158a, the housing 152 including the filter-
receiving
chamber 160 and the collection chamber 170, the air flow egress 158b, the fan
182 and the
air flow conduit 188 together form the closed-loop air flow circulation path
"P".
[00054] In order to heat the circulating air that may be circulating along
the closed-loop
air flow circulation path "P", there may be a heater 162 disposed in the
housing 152, and
more specifically in the filter-receiving chamber 160. The heater 162 may be
operatively
disposed between the air flow ingress 158a and the filter-receiving chamber
160, and may be
disposed in the closed-loop air flow circulation path "P" immediately after
the air flow ingress
158a and the filter-receiving chamber 160. Further, the heater 162 may be
disposed in the
closed-loop air flow circulation path "P" to heat the circulating air as it
enter the filter-receiving
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chamber 160. The heater 162 may be electrically powered or gas powered, or
powered by
any other suitable source of energy.
[00055] A contaminant filtration apparatus 172 may be disposed in the
closed-loop air
flow circulation path "P", for capturing contaminants in the air circulating
in the closed-loop air
flow circulation path "P". The contaminant filtration apparatus 172 may
comprise a high
temperature air filter 106 disposed over the air flow egress 158b.
[00056] The apparatus 150 may further comprise an air pressure monitor 190
for
continuously or intermittently monitoring the air pressure at one or more
points in the closed-
loop air flow circulation path "P". The air pressure monitor 190 may comprise
an electronic
pressure differential gauge mounted within the control panel 186. The
electronic pressure
differential gauge 190 may have a first input operatively connected in fluid
communication via
a first hose 191 to the filter-receiving chamber 160 at an inlet 191a.
Further, the electronic
pressure differential gauge 190 may have a second input operatively connected
in fluid
communication via a second hose 192 to the collection chamber 170. As air
flows along the
closed-loop air flow circulation path "P", and through the filter 106, the air
pressure monitor
190 may thereby detect the air pressure differential between the filter-
receiving chamber 160
and the collection chamber 170. This pressure differential may be used to
detect the back
pressure, or in other words resistance to air flow, in the closed-loop air
flow circulation path
"P". The back pressure reading for filters being tested may be about four (4)
p.s.i. to about
seven (7) p.s.i. for a clean filter, and may be higher for a partially clogged
filter, and may be
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significantly higher for a very clogged filter. The back pressure reading will
be compared to
the OEM backpressure reading to determine the level of cleanliness of the
filter.
[00057] There may also be a control device 184 for controlling the
operation of the fan
182, the heater 162, and the air pressure monitor 190. The control device 184
may
comprises a suitable electronic controller mounted within a control panel 186
that may be
mounted on the fan encasement chamber 180. The control device 184 may connect
by wire
or wirelessly to a remote control unit, which may be a compute, a tablet, a
smart phone, or
the like (not specifically shown).
[00058] In order to remove particulate matter and/or other contaminants
that fall from
the flow of air and contaminants, a small sump pump 176, which may be a
diaphragm pump,
may be located in or on the housing 152. For ease of access, the sump pump 176
may be
located on the back of the housing 152. The sump pump 176 may be connected in
suctioning relation with the collection chamber 170 by a flexible tube 177
that may have an
inlet 177a located adjacent the bottom area of the collection chamber 170. The
sump pump
176 may be manually operated or may be operated periodically, such as once
every ten to
fifteen full cleaning cycles, to thereby remove the contaminants from the
collection chamber
170. The outlet of the sump pump 176 may be connected in fluid delivery
relation to the
ultrasonic bath 110.
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[00059] In a first mode of operation that may be used prior to cleaning the
filter 106, the
fan 182 may be operational but the heater 162 may not be operational in order
to circulate a
test flow of air through the closed-loop air flow circulation path "P". The
air pressure monitor
190, as controlled by the control device 184 measures the air pressure. The
determined
value of the air pressure may be displayed digitally or by analogue gauges on
the control
panel 186, may be communicated to the remote device and displayed, and/ or
displayed by a
series of green, yellow and red lights 187. The red light 187r may indicate
that the filter 106
may be retaining a large amount of contaminants, and may be clogged. The
yellow light
187y may indicate that the filter 106 may be retaining a medium amount of
contaminants.
The green light 187g may indicate that the filter 106 may be retaining a low
amount of
contaminants, or even no contaminants.
[00060] In a second mode of operation, the fan 182 and heater 162 may be
operated for
a full cleaning cycle that may be a selected duration of time such as fifteen
(15), thirty (30),
forty-five (45) or sixty (60) minutes, for example. A temperature gauge 163
may be disposed
at various points in the closed-loop air flow circulation path "P", such as in
the filter-receiving
chamber 160, and may be used to determine the temperature of the airflow,
which may be
displayed digitally or by analogue gauges on the control panel 186, and/or may
be
communicated to the remote device. Further, the air pressure monitor 190
(electronic
pressure differential gauge) may monitor air pressure measurements at various
points in the
closed-loop air flow circulation path "P". As stated above, the electronic
pressure differential
gauge 190 may have a first input operatively connected in fluid communication
via a first
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hose 191 to the filter-receiving chamber 160 at an inlet 191a, may have a
second input
operatively connected in fluid communication via a second hose 192 to the
collection
chamber 170. As air flows along the closed-loop air flow circulation path "P",
and through the
filter 106, the air pressure monitor 190 may thereby detect the air pressure
differential
between the filter-receiving chamber 160 and the collection chamber 170. The
pressure is
measured ten (10) times per second, or any suitable frequency. This pressure
differential
may be used to detect the back pressure, or in other words resistance to air
flow, in the
closed-loop air flow circulation path "P". The back pressure reading for
filters being tested
may be about four (4) p.s.i. to about seven (7) p.s.i. for a clean filter, and
may be higher for a
partially clogged filter, and may be significantly higher for a very clogged
filter. The back
pressure reading will be compared to the OEM backpressure reading to determine
the level
of cleanliness of the filter.
[00061] In a third mode of operation that may be used subsequent to
cleaning the filter
106, the sump pump 176 may be operational to remove the contaminants (soot and
ash-
laden liquid) from the collection chamber 170. This third mode of operation
may be used
periodically, such as once every ten to fifteen full cleaning cycles.
[00062] In another aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a
method of
cleaning air filters 106. The method may comprise the steps of placing the
filter 106 on the
filter support 168 in a filter-receiving chamber 160 in the closed-loop air
flow circulation path
"P", for subsequent cleaning and drying. Another step may comprise heating air
for
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subsequent circulation along the filter 106. Heating of the air causes the
time taken to dry
the filter 106 to be decreased. The step of heating air for subsequent
circulation along the
filter 106 may be done such that the heated air may be immediately thereafter
circulated
along the filter 106. Another step may comprise circulating the heated air
along the filter 106
to thereby evaporate moisture from the filter 106 and remove contaminants from
the filter
106. Yet another step may comprise capturing contaminants in the air
circulating in the
closed-loop air flow circulation path "P". The method may further comprise the
step of
monitoring the air pressure in the closed-loop air flow circulation path "P",
as air flows along
the closed-loop air flow circulation path "P", and through the filter 106, as
described above.
[00063] As can be seen in the Figures, there may be a first supplemental
air flow
conduit 196 connected in air receiving relation to the air flow egress 158b,
and that may have
a capped outlet 196c. There also may be a second supplemental air flow conduit
198
connected in air delivery relation to the air flow conduit 188, and that may
have a capped
outlet 198c. The first supplemental air flow conduit 196 and the second
supplemental air flow
conduit 198 may be used to connect to a filter and clean a filter that is too
large to fit into the
collection chamber 170, such as a filter that may have pipes or similar
secured to it, and may
have been removed from a vehicle.
[00064] As can be understood from the above description and from the
accompanying
drawings, the present invention provides a system and apparatus for and method
of cleaning
air filters, wherein contaminants are thoroughly removed from the filters,
wherein water used
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to rinse the filters is thoroughly removed from the filters so the filters are
at least close to dry,
wherein the filters may be used in diesel engines, wherein the system and
apparatus are
inexpensive to manufacture, wherein the system and apparatus are inexpensive
to maintain,
wherein the system and apparatus are inexpensive to operate, wherein the
method is
inexpensive to implement and execute, system, apparatus and method for
extracting
contaminants from contaminant-trapping filters, system and apparatus for and
method of
cleaning air filters, wherein contaminants are thoroughly removed from the
filters, wherein
water used to rinse the filters is thoroughly removed from the filters so the
filters are at least
close to dry, wherein the filters may be used in diesel engines, wherein the
system and
apparatus are inexpensive to manufacture, wherein the system and apparatus are
inexpensive to maintain, wherein the system and apparatus are inexpensive to
operate,
wherein the method is inexpensive to implement and execute, all of which
features are
unknown in the prior art.
[00016]
Other variations of the above principles will be apparent to those who are
knowledgeable in the field of the invention, and such variations are
considered to be within
the scope of the present invention. Further, other modifications and
alterations may be used
in the design and manufacture of the system and apparatus for and method of
cleaning air
filters, exhaust filters, according to the present invention without departing
from the spirit and
scope of the accompanying claims.
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