US2640558A - Air purifying and circulating device - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1953 G. s. DAUPHINEE 2,640,558

AIR PURIFYING AND CIRCULATING DEVICE Filed July 25, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l l 0 l\ 3 N d M m 31 ix I! l' I I (i1 7-:1' t3 d 5 0000 O ogo o! N oooooo 00000 O O a n a 00 8 T W G g I a 6 d 3 5, & g; I "II C I; N

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INVENTOR.

GEORGE S DAUPH! NEE ATTORNEY June 2, 1953 G. s. DAUPHINEE AIR PURIFYING AND CIRCULATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 23, 1949 V INVENTOR. eeomea s. DAuPHmEE ATTOQNE-Y Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR PURIFYING AND CIRCULATING DEVICE George S. Dauphinee, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to W. B. Connor Engineering Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 23,1949, Serial No. 106,472

(Cl. ice-4.8)

7 Claims. 1

ference of odors and flavors will normally occur unless particular care is exerted to provide airtight packaging and segregation of the potentially ofiensive food articles. Such segregation and packaging is troublesome, time-consuming and expensive. Furthermore, recent research indicates that when the air within such refrigerated cabinets is maintained at a low concentration with respect to deleterious adulterant gases, the storage life of the food-products is greatly prolonged and odor or flavor transference is not perceptible even without segregation of the food products or special packaging.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a device for effectively adsorbing odors and circulating air in a refrigerated enclosure of the type indicated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an air purifying and circulating device which is designed and constructed in such a manner as not to require an enclosing housing or cabinet and which may be fabricated as an extremely simple and compact unit at low cost.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated which provides not only for air circulation through an adsorbent medium, such as activated carbon, but which includes novel means for adjusting the air discharge direction.

A further object of the invention is the provision ofa device of the character indicated having improved means for varying the quantity or volume of air circulated therethrough and which is further characterized by a simple means of installation within the storage space or cabinet.

The foregoing objects as well as additional objects and advantages of the invention will be readily understood in the course of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of an air purifying and. circulating device embodying the features of the invention; I

Fig. 2 is a top plan view partly broken away to illustrate the manner of mounting the carbon canisters on the device;

2 Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device taken on the discharge or blower side, or on the left of Fig. 2; and

. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the intake side of the device with one of the canisters removed, as seen on the right of Fig. 2.

. Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the device includes a blower assembly generally designated by reference numeral H] which is adjustable for varying the direction of air discharge, as will be more fully described hereinbelow. Blower assembly I is operatively associated with an air purification unit II which may conveniently take the form of double-walled perforate canisters I2 containing suitable adsorbent material, such as granular activated carbon l3.

A motor I4 is mounted in any suitable manner on blower housing l5 for powering the blower fan IS in order to discharge purified air through the blower outlet duct H. An important feature of the invention resides in mounting blower housing I5 on base plate [8 in such a manner as to vary the direction of air discharge therefrom. For this purpose blower housing I5 is provided with a dished ring l9 secured thereto in any preferred manner as by means of welding. Ring 19 thus provides a circular track or channel for base plate l8 which is provided with a suitably dimensioned central aperture defining an air inlet 20 to the blower housing l5. By reason of the described arrangement blower assembly l0 may-be rotated to discharge air in any desired direction, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 in broken outline, and the blower housing l5 will be retained in any adjusted position by means of frictional engagement between dished ring l9 and base plate I8 or, if desired, additional retaining means may be employed. The marginal edges of base plate It are bent inwardly as shown at 2| to provide the desired stiffness and rigidity for said plate. i

I The air purification unit 11- including the carbon canisters l2 is secured to base plate ill by means of a manifold box or pan 22 which may be secured to said base plate by means of connecting bolts 23. Manifold box 22 is provided with mounting apertures 24 for the reception of the ends of carbon canisters [2 thus the base plate l8 together with the manifold box 22 form a plenum chamber wherein the air drawn through erably extending diametrically with respect to the air inlet 28, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, said suitable mounting holes 28 of suspension bar 25 and extend substantially axially of the canisters l2 to project slightly outwardly of the outer end caps [2b. A cover plate 29 is mounted on retainer rod 2? abutting outer end cap I2'b of canister l2 and wing-nut 38 is clamped against cover plate 29 on the threaded outer end of each retainer rod. Cover plate 29 is preferably provided with an inwardly turned flange 29awhich extends over the projecting rim of canister end cap, 12b in order to prevent distortion when clamping pressure is applied by wing nut 34!. As shown in Fig. 2, the hooked end 21a of each retainer rod is formed in such a manner as to prevent easy removal of said rod when it is desired'to remove and renew the canisters 12.

Thus when blower fan [6 is in operation, odorladen air is drawn from the atmosphere surrounding the canisters l2, first passing through the perforated "outer wall 3|, then through the activated carbon l3 or other adsorbent material and then through the inner wall 32 of each of said canisters, whereupon the objectionable odoriferous adulterants are removed and the purified air passes into the manifold box 22. The purified air then passes into the blower housing 55 through the air inlet opening 2e delined in base plate I8 to be finally discharged from the device in a directed stream through blower outlet duct I? under the influence of blower fan it.

In addition to the described means for adjusting the air discharge direction, the device is provided with damper means for varying the volume of air circulated therethrough so that a single standard size unit may serve effectively for a large number of differently sized refrigerated cabinets. 33 is pivotally mounted on the inside of base plate ill at 34 for throttling the air inlet 29 to blower housing i 5. The damper travel is controlled by means of an externally accessible screw 35 fixed to damper plate 33 and extending through an arcuate guide slot St in base plate I8. A clamping nut 3'! operated to lock the damper plate 33in any desired adjusted position.

By adjusting the damper plate to positions intermediate the open position of Fig. 3 (in dotted outline) and the maximum throttled position of Fig. 4 (in dot-dash outline) the device may be readily adjusted to the desired discharge volume of purified air.

The device may be easily mounted atany convenient space on the wall or ceiling of the refrigerated cabinet by means of slotted hanger lugs 38 which may be spot welded to the top and bottom of manifold box 22. Thus only two screws or other fastening elements are required and by backing off the screws a couple of turns, the device may be easily removed for inspection, adjustment or removal of the canisters I2.

The design and construction of the present invention makes possible a device characterized by extreme simplicity, compactness and adaptability to varying requirements. The employment of an enclosing jacket or cabinet is eliminated For this purpose a damper plate and the incorporation of novel adjustable features for varying the direction of air discharge and volume of air circulated through the device makes it possible to fabricate a low-cost unit which will serve effectively for refrigerated cabinets of varying size. The efiiciency of the device is attested to empirically by the fact that a satisfactory degree of purity was maintained when air was circulated through cocoanut shellactivated carbon at a rate of one air turnover in ten to fifteen minutes.

Since certain modifications may be made in the device of the present invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that allv matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings, be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In an air purifying and circulating device, a base element having an attached manifold member, a blower housing rotatablymounted on one side of said base element for varying the direction of air discharge therefrom, removable air-permeable odor adsorbent members mounted on the opposite side of said base element against the manifold member, said members comprising double-walled perforate canisters, 'a suspension element secured to said manifold member for re; taining said adsorbent members, hookbolts carried by said suspension element and adapted to support said canisters in substantially axial position, each of said canisters having a cover plate insertable over the free outer end of a respective hookbolt, and a clamping memberengageable on each of said hookbolts and against a respective cover plate, said base element defining an inlet opening into said blower housing for conveying purified air thereinto from said odor-adsorbent members, said base element having adjustably pivoted damper means for controlling the air flow from the blower housing and after the air has passed through the canisters.

2. In an air purifying and circulating device,

. a base element, a blower housing rotatably let opening into said housing, said housing having a dished ring frictionally engaged about the aperture of said base element, a manifold element secured to said base element, a plurality of air-permeable, odor-adsorbent members removably associated with said manifold element, said members comprising double-walledperforate canisters, a suspension element secured to said manifold element for retaining said adsorbent members, hookbolts carried by said suspension element and adapted to support said canisters in substantially axial position, each of said canisters having a cover plate insertable over the free outer end of a respective hookbolt, and a clamping member engageable on each of said hookbolts and against a respective cover plate."

3. In an air purifying and circulating device, a base element, a blower housing rotatably mounted with respect to said base element, said base element having an aperture defining an inlet opening into said housing, said housing having a dished ring frictionally engaged about to said manifold element for retaining said adsorbent members, hookbolts carried by said suspension element and adapted to support said canisters in substantially axial position, each of said canisters having a cover plate insertable over the free outer end of a respective hookbolt, and a clamping member engageable on each of said hookbolts and against a respective cover plate, said base element having adjustably pivoted damper means accessible externally thereof for throttling the inlet opening into said blower housing.

4. In an air purifying and circulating device, a base element forming a plenum chamber, a blower housing rotatably mounted on one side of said base element for varying the direction of air discharge therefrom, said blower housing having an air-discharge outlet, air-permeable odoradsorbent means mounted on the opposite side of said base element, said base element defining an inlet opening into said blower housing for conveying purified air into said plenum chamber from said odor-adsorbent means, and a powerdriven fan mounted inside said blower housing for drawing odor-laden air through said odoradsorbent means and through said plenum chamber and discharging purified air from the outlet of said housing, and throttling means located between the odor-adsorbent means and the air-discharge outlet for regulating the amount of air drawn through said odor-adsorbent means.

5. In an air purifying and circulating device, a base element forming a plenum chamber, a blower housing rotatably mounted on one side of said base element for varying the-direction of air discharge therefrom, said blower housing having an air-discharge outlet, air-permeable odor-adsorbent members mounted on the opposite side of said base element, said members comprising double-walled perforate canisters closed at their outer ends, said base element defining an inlet opening into said blower housing for conveying purified air into said plenum chamber from said odor-adsorbent members, a power-driven fan mounted inside said blower housing for drawing odor-laden air through said odor-adsorbent members and through said plenum chamber and discharging purified air from said housing, and throttling means located between the odor-adsorbent members and the airdischarge outlet for regulating the amount of air drawn through said odor-adsorbent means.

6. In an air purifying and circulating device a base element, a manifold element secured thereto, a blower housing rotatively mounted with respect to the base element, said base element having an aperture defining an inlet opening into said housing, said housing having a dished ring extending over and frictionally engaging the marginal edge of the base element around said aperture to thereby securely but ad- .iustably attach the housing to said base member, the manifold element consisting of a boxlike enclosure having one wall formed by the base member and having a second wall spaced from said base member and provided with canister-receiving openings, odor-adsorbent members in the form of double-walled perforate canisters mounted on the second wall of the manifold member and seated in the openings therein, a suspension element extending across the manifold element between the walls thereof for retaining said canisters, means for attaching the canisters to the manifold member and supporting said canisters in substantially axial position, each of the canisters having a cover plate on its free outer end held in position by a hook-bolt.

'7. In an air purifying and circulating device, a base element forming a plenum chamber, a blower housing mounted on one side of said base element for varying the direction of air discharge therefrom, a plurality of air-permeable odoradsorbent elements mounted on the opposite side of said base element, each of said odor-adsorbent elements consisting of a double-walled cylinder having an outer foraminous wall and a spaced inner foraminous wall with odor-adsorbent material arranged in the spacing between the said inner and outer walls, said space between the walls being closed at each end of the cylinder, the cylinders being arranged in spaced relation and being exposed to room air, the base element having apertures in one of its walls against which one end of each cylinder is arranged to thereby establish communication between the interior of each of the cylinders and the plenum chamber,

said base element defining an inlet opening into said blower housing for conveying purified air which has passed through the Wallsof the cylinders into said plenum chamber, a power-driven fan mounted inside of the blower housing for drawing odor-laden air through said odor-adsorbent means and through the plenum chamber and discharging purified air from the housing, and means at the outer ends of the cylinders for closing said ends of the cylinders.

GEORGE S. DAUPHINEE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 860,465 Hancock et a1 July 16, 1907 1,714,854 Dollinger May 28, 1929 1,865,538 Horquist July 5, 1932 2,265,317 Schlirf Dec. 9, 1941 2,303,333 Dauphinee Dec. 1, 1942 2,420,707 Hinger May 20, 1947 2,440,487 Rayburn Apr. 27, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 227,343 Great Britain Jan. 15, 1925

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