IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0253592
(2002-09-25)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Strauser, Daniel P.
- Troutt, Sean Stuart
- Stein, Philip Wayne
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Federal Signal Corporation
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
18 인용 특허 :
71 |
초록
▼
The invention provides a debris separation-filtration unit comprising a housing; an inlet that receives debris-laden air delivers the air in a tangential, centrifugal airflow-forming manner to the interior of housing; an inner shell that includes a number of airflow passageways; and a debris-capturi
The invention provides a debris separation-filtration unit comprising a housing; an inlet that receives debris-laden air delivers the air in a tangential, centrifugal airflow-forming manner to the interior of housing; an inner shell that includes a number of airflow passageways; and a debris-capturing filter, the sides of which filter are at least substantially surrounded by the inner shell. Due to the formation of the centrifugal airflow and presence of the inner shell in the housing, only a portion of the debris particles entering the unit come in contact with the filter. The invention also provides debris collection, separation, and filtration systems comprising one or more of the separation-filtration units of the invention; debris collection vehicles comprising one or more of such units or systems; and related methods of collecting, separating, and filtering debris.
대표청구항
▼
1. A debris collection vehicle comprising at least one combined debris separation and filtration unit, the combined debris separation and filtration unit comprising:a housing having a substantially circular cross section, which housing comprises a middle section defined by a cylindrical sidewall and
1. A debris collection vehicle comprising at least one combined debris separation and filtration unit, the combined debris separation and filtration unit comprising:a housing having a substantially circular cross section, which housing comprises a middle section defined by a cylindrical sidewall and a bottom debris-collecting section, wherein the bottom section of the housing has a reduced diameter as compared to the middle section, an inner shell positioned in the middle section of the housing and comprising a number of airflow passageways, the exterior side of the inner shell and interior side of the housing sidewall being spaced apart so as to form an outer chamber having a bottom end in communication with the bottom section of the housing, which outer chamber is substantially circular along its cross section, an inlet that communicatively engages the cylindrical sidewall such that debris-laden air entering the outer chamber through the inlet is directed in a substantially tangential path with respect to the substantially circular cross section of the outer chamber, and at least one filter, the sides of which at least one filter are at least substantially surrounded by the inner shell, wherein when the debris separation and filtration unit receives debris-laden air having a sufficient airflow rate a centrifugal airflow is formed in the outer chamber such that at least a portion of the debris particles in the debris-laden air is collected in the housing before debris-laden air passes through the airflow passageways of the inner shell and into the filter. 2. The debris collection vehicle of claim 1, in which the housing also comprises a top section that comprises an outlet wherein filtered air exits the debris separation and filtration unit,wherein the top section and middle section are separated by a filter-retaining bulkhead such that only air flow through the filters passes between the middle section and the top section. 3. The debris collection vehicle of claim 2, wherein the height of the inner shell sidewall is about equal to the height of the middle portion sidewall.4. The debris collection vehicle of claim 3, wherein the inner shell comprises a top end, a middle section, and a bottom end, wherein essentially none of the top end is open to airflow, about 20% or more of the middle section is open to airflow, and about 60% or less of the bottom end is open to airflow.5. The debris collection vehicle of claim 4, wherein the inner shell comprises a bottom flange extending from the bottom exterior of the inner shell, such that the distance between the exterior of the bottom flange and the interior of the cylindrical sidewall is only about ⅛th the width of the outer chamber.6. The debris collection vehicle of claim 5, wherein the at least one filter captures debris particles of about 10 microns in diameter or larger.7. The debris collection vehicle of claim 6, wherein the at least one filter comprises a plurality of sock filters or filter bags.8. The debris collection vehicle of claim 6, wherein the at least one filter comprises a plurality of cartridge filters.9. The debris collection vehicle of claim 5, wherein the average can velocity near the bottom of the at least one filter is about 200 ft./min or less when debris-laden air flows through the airflow passageways of the inner shell.10. The debris collection vehicle of claim 5, wherein the air-to-cloth ratio of the debris separation and filtration unit is about 3.5 ft./min or less when debris-laden air flows through the airflow passageways of the inner shell.11. The debris collection vehicle of claim 5, wherein the diameter of the cylindrical sidewall is substantially uniform throughout the middle section, the diameter of the inner shell is substantially uniform, and the cylindrical sidewall, inner shell, and at least one filters are in a concentric relationship with one another.12. The debris collection vehicle of claim 5, wherein the debris collection vehicle further comprises an airflow-generating device, wherein the debris separation and filtration unit and airflow-generating device together define a debris separation and filtration system, and wherein operation of the airflow-generating device motivates debris-laden air to enter the debris separation and filtration unit through the inlet and draws filtered air out of the debris separation and filtration unit by way of the outlet.13. The debris collection vehicle of claim 12, wherein filtered air is not subjected to any other filter that captures debris particles having an average diameter of about 100 microns or less before exiting the debris separation and filtration system.14. The debris collection vehicle of claim 12, wherein the airflow-generating device is a positive displacement blower oriented such that the blower creates a negative pressure gradient in the debris separation and filtration unit and in any other components of the debris separation and filtration system upstream of and in airflow communication with the debris separation and filtration unit when operated.15. The debris collection vehicle of claim 14, wherein the debris separation and filtration system includes a selectively openable vacuum passageway, which vacuum passageway, when open, allows filtered air to flow from the debris separation and filtration unit to the positive displacement blower and, when closed, prevents the positive displacement blower from drawing air out of the debris separation and filtration unit.16. The debris collection vehicle of claim 15, wherein the debris separation and filtration system further includes a selectively operable filter purge system.17. The debris collection vehicle of claim 16, wherein the filter purge system comprises a selectively openable purge passageway that communicatively engages the top section of the housing, wherein opening of the purge passageway causes a purging flow of filtered or atmospheric air to flow through the top section and into the filters in the direction opposite the direction that debris-laden air contacts the at least one filter and at a force such that at least a portion of the debris bound by the at least one filter is released.18. The debris collection vehicle of claim 12, wherein the debris separation and filtration system also comprises at least one debris body, wherein operation of the airflow-generating device motivates debris-laden air to enter and flow across the top of the debris body, wherein at least a portion of the debris particles in the debris-laden air settle in the debris body before entering the inlet of the debris separation and filtration unit.19. The debris collection vehicle of claim 5, wherein the debris collection vehicle comprises at least two combined debris separation and filtration units and an airflow-generating device and wherein the at least two debris separation and filtration units selectively receive debris-laden air in parallel in response to the operation of the airflow-generating device.20. A debris separation and filtration system comprising:(a) first and second debris separation and filtration units, each of which debris separation and filtration units includes a perforated inner shell and a filter that is at least partially surrounded by the inner shell; wherein each debris separation and filtration unit centrifugally separates debris-laden air that it receives and filters a portion of the debris-laden air that passes through the inner shell, (b) a detector that generates a signal upon a passage of a period of time, the occurrence of an event, the presence of a condition, or any combination thereof; (c) a debris body; (d) an airflow-generating device that, when operated, causes the debris separation and filtration units to receive debris-laden air and filtered air to exit the debris separation and filtration units; (d) first and second outlet control valves; (e) first and second purge control valves; and (f) an automatic control system, wherein, upon receiving a signal from the detector, the automatic control system causes (i) the first outlet control valve to close and the first purge control valve to open, such that filtered and/or atmospheric air is delivered into the first debris separation and filtration unit so as to purge the filter of the first debris separation and filtration unit and pneumatically transport debris from the first debris separation and filtration unit to the debris body; or (ii) the second outlet control valve to close and the second purge control valve to open, such that filtered and/or atmospheric air is delivered into the second debris separation and filtration unit so as to purge the filter of the second debris separation and filtration unit and pneumatically transport debris from the second debris separation and filtration unit to the debris body. 21. The debris separation and filtration system of claim 20, wherein the filters are purged by a backflow of filtered and/or atmospheric air that contacts the filters in the direction opposite the direction that the portion of debris-laden air contacts the filters.22. The debris separation and filtration system of claim 21, wherein the airflow-generating device is a vacuum-generating positive displacement blower.23. The debris separation and filtration system of claim 22, wherein the debris separation and filtration system comprises at least two detectors.24. The debris separation and filtration system of claim 23, wherein the detectors are ultrasonic detectors or capacitance detectors.25. A debris collection vehicle comprising the debris separation and filtration system of claim 20.
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