U.S. patent number 3,902,877 [Application Number 05/411,710] was granted by the patent office on 1975-09-02 for container for air treating agent.
Invention is credited to Charles M. Swaim.
United States Patent |
3,902,877 |
Swaim |
September 2, 1975 |
Container for air treating agent
Abstract
A container for an air treating agent such as an air freshener,
deodorizer, or antibacterial agent, which may be easily placed in
an air circulation system, as by attachment to an air filter
customarily employed in such systems. The container includes a top
and a bottom with the bottom having an upstanding peripheral wall.
The top, bottom and peripheral wall are perforated to allow air
flow therethrough and the bottom and the top are provided with
outwardly extending portions which are adapted to embrace and
sandwich opposite sides of an air filter to hold the container in
place. Interengaging snap-fit connectors are provided on opposed
elements to allow the same to be assembled on an air filter.
Preferably the distance between the outwardly extending portions is
no greater than, and preferably somewhat less, than the thickness
of the air filter so that the container may be firmly mounted in
place.
Inventors: |
Swaim; Charles M. (Batavia,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
23629994 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/411,710 |
Filed: |
November 1, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
55/490; 55/510;
422/5; 261/DIG.88; D23/366; 220/4.21; 422/123; 96/222; 96/226 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D
46/10 (20130101); F24F 13/28 (20130101); A61L
9/122 (20130101); A61L 9/12 (20130101); Y10S
261/88 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61L
9/12 (20060101); F24F 13/00 (20060101); B01D
46/10 (20060101); F24F 13/28 (20060101); B01D
046/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;55/279,307,315,316,482,488,489,490,495,503,510,519,DIG.35
;21/74R,78,126,DIG.1 ;220/87,4B,306 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
246,261 |
|
Jan 1926 |
|
GB |
|
71,167 |
|
Oct 1946 |
|
DT |
|
125,091 |
|
Apr 1928 |
|
CH |
|
Primary Examiner: Lutter; Frank W.
Assistant Examiner: Lacey; David L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman
& McCord
Claims
I claim:
1. For use in a ventilation system, the combination comprising: an
air filter including a layer of filtering material sandwiched
between a pair of perforated backing members; and a container
adapted to receive an air treating agent, said container including
a top and a bottom, a peripheral upstanding side wall secured to
said bottom to define therewith an air treating agent receiving
cavity, said top and said bottom or said upstanding side wall
having portions extending outwardly from the periphery of said
upstanding side wall and embracing opposite sides of said air
filter, said upstanding side wall having a height such that the
respective outwardly extending portion on said top and said bottom
or said side wall are spaced a distance corresponding to the
thickness of said air filter; a releasable securing formation on
said top, a complementary releasable securing formation on said
upstanding side wall or said bottom for coacting with said
releasable securing formation on said top to hold said top, bottom
and upstanding side wall in assembled relation while allowing
access to said cavity whereby an air treating agent may be placed
therein; and a plurality of apertures extending through each of
said top, said bottom and said upstanding side wall so that vapor
from an air treating agent in said cavity may exit said container
into the ventilation system which said device is employed to be
circulated thereby; said container extending through said layer and
said backing members with said outwardly extending portions on said
container sandwiching said backing members to secure said container
to said filter.
2. The combination of claim 1 further including a post within said
cavity and secured to said containers for impaling a cake of an air
treating agents and maintaining the same in a predetermined
position within said cavity.
3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said releasable securing
formation and said complementary releasable securing formation
comprises interengaging snap fit connectors.
4. The combination of claim 3 further including a post within said
cavity and secured to one part of said container for impaling a
cake of an air treating agent and maintaining the same in a
predetermined position within said cavity; one of said snap fit
connectors being located on the end of said post opposite its point
of securement to said one part of said container, the other of said
snap fit connectors being located on another part of said container
and aligned with said post.
5. An air treating device for use in treating air circulating in a
forced air circulation system, comprising:
an air filter including a layer of filtering material sandwiched
between a pair of perforated backing members;
an air-pervious container having an interior cavity adapted to
receive an air treating agent and a selectively openable cover
whereby access to said cavity may be achieved to initially place or
subsequently replenish an air treating agent in said cavity;
and
means releasably securing said container to said air filter whereby
said container may be removed from said air filter to replenish the
air treating agent to be contained in said cavity and/or to permit
said air filter to be disposed of without disposing of said
container thereby permitting said container to be reused;
said means releasably securing said container to said air filter
includes at least one element engaging one of said perforated
backing members;
said element being on said selectively openable cover.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to air treatment and air circulation systems
and, more particularly, to a container which may be easily fitted
in place on an air filter customarily used in air circulation
systems, which container may contain any one of a variety of
different types of air treating agents.
Increasingly, particularly in residential structures, there has
been resort to forced air heating and cooling systems, including
window air conditioning units. While residential structures housing
such units typically are closed during winter to preclude heat
loss, the ever-increasing use of air conditioning has resulted in
such residential structures being closed during the summer
months.
As a result, while there is some leakage from the interior to the
exterior of virtually every structure, the turnover of air from the
interior to the exterior is minimized. Consequently, the air within
a structure that is air conditioned frequently becomes stale. This
problem is compounded when, particularly in residential structures,
cooking takes place which, of course, generates odors which cannot
be completely exhausted to the exterior even when range hoods are
employed.
Finally, the desirability of providing an antibacterial action in
residences has long been recognized, particularly where the
residence is heated and/or cooled with a forced air system. For
example, for some years, there has been commercially available,
treated air filters for use in such systems, which air filters are
treated with an antibacterial agent as, for example,
hexachlorophene. In this respect, reference may be made to U.S.
Pat. No. 3,116,969 issued to Coleman.
While air freshening materials or deodorants could be used in lieu
of, or in addition to, antibacterial agents, one substantial
difficulty presents itself. Because, according to Coleman, such
materials are coated on the air filter itself, any unused material
remaining on the filter when it is discarded is wasted.
Alternately, the air treatment agent coated on the filter may
exhaust itself before the filter is discarded. In this situation,
the desired air treatment action is provided for only a fraction of
the life of the filter.
Moreover, because the type and nature of the air treating agent is
determined by the manufacturer of the filter, the individual
purchaser cannot determine what type of agent he would wish to
employ in his own residence or structure and is left to those made
available by the manufacturer of the filters.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the invention to provide new and
improved means whereby forced air circulation systems may be easily
equipped for air treatment, by chemical means, which air treatment
is not dependent upon the life of an air filter, does not promote
wastage of air treating material, and which permits the individual
user to select, according to his own needs, the type of air
treatment to be employed.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a
container for an air treating material which may be easily affixed
to an air filter employed in a forced air system and which may be
periodically reloaded with any desired type of air treating agent
as necessary.
The exemplary embodiment achieves the foregoing objects through the
use of a container which is adapted to receive any desired air
treating agent. The container includes a top and a bottom, with the
latter having a peripheral upstanding wall to define an air
treating agent receiving cavity.
Both the top and one of the bottom and the side wall have portions
extending outwardly from their respective peripheries which are
adapted to engage and embrace opposite sides of an air filter to
which the container may be attached. Preferably, the side wall has
a shape complementary to the perforations in the backing in a
standard air filter and just slightly smaller than such
perforations so that, after the filter material is parted, the
container may be fitted through aligned perforations in the opposed
backing members on the filter. Once a top is placed on the
container, the outwardly extending portions serve to hold the
container in place.
In this respect, the upstanding side wall is so related to the
outwardly extending portions as far as height is concerned such
that the distance between facing edges of the outwardly extending
portions will be equal to or slightly less than the thickness of
the air filter.
The top and one of the bottom or upstanding side walls are provided
with complementary releasable securing formations so as to provide
for rigid assembly once applied to an air filter, as well as
removability to allow replenishment and initial insertion of the
air treating agent into the cavity.
Each of the top, bottom and side wall is provided with a plurality
of apertures so that, as air circulates through the filter, it will
also circulate through the container so that an air treating agent
in the cavity will sublime and be carried through the circulation
system to be distributed throughout the structure housing the
same.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a post is provided
within the cavity and is secured to either the top or the bottom.
The post may impale a cake of an air treating agent to maintain the
same in a predetermined position within the cavity so as to insure
uniform air flow thereabout.
In another embodiment, the post includes a snap-fit connector on
one end while the top or the bottom to which the post is not
secured includes a complementary and alignable snap-fit connector
which define the complementary releasable securing formations.
If desired, the side wall may be substantially larger than the
perforations in the backing of the air filter, in which case, the
air filter may be punched to form a somewhat larger size aperture
to receive the container.
In still another embodiment, the outwardly extending portion on
either the bottom or the side wall may serve as a base for a
plurality of upstanding side walls, each defining a respective air
treating agent receiving cavity, which cavities are so oriented on
the base as to be alignable with the pattern of perforations on the
backing of an air filter.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent
from the following specification taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a container made
according to the invention, illustrating its application to an air
filter;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the container applied to an air
filter;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary section showing one form of
releasable connecting formations by which the top may be secured to
the container defined by the bottom and the side wall;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view illustrating a
modified releasable securing formation by which the parts may be
secured together; and
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view illustrating a modified
embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1
and is seen to include a top or cover, generally designated 10; a
bottom, generally designated 12; the bottom 12 having an upstanding
peripheral side wall, generally designated 14. The upstanding side
wall 14 and the bottom 12 define a cavity for receipt of an air
treating agent such as a cake 16 of air treating agent, although a
granular material could be used if desired.
As illustrated, the side wall 14 has a circular periphery and,
preferably is dimensioned to be just slightly smaller than the
apertures 18 in the backing 20 of an air filter, generally
designated 22.
The filter 22 will typically have opposed ones of the backing
members 20 having the apertures therein in alignment across the
fibrous filter material 24 sandwiched between the backing members
20. The fibrous filter material 24 typically will be glass fibers
and, therefore, can be parted, as illustrated, to permit insertion
of the bottom 12 and side wall 14 through a resulting opening,
generally designated 26, to receive the top or cover 10 on the
opposite side.
The top 10 includes a plurality of apertures 28 which may be in the
form of radially extending slots, as illustrated, while similar
apertures 30 are provided in the bottom 12. Apertures 32 are
provided in the side wall 14. As a result, when the container is
installed in a forced air circulation system, including the filter
22, air may pass through the apertures 28, 30 and 32 about the air
treating agent causing the same to sublime with the vapors being
carried throughout the structure housing the system.
With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottom 12 includes a
radially outwardly extending peripheral lip 34. While the lip 34 is
shown as an extension of the bottom 12, those skilled in the art
will immediately recognize that the same could be formed on the
side wall 14, such as is illustrated in FIG. 5 at 34'.
A radially outwardly extending portion is also provided on the
cover 10 in the form of a peripheral ring 36. As seen in FIG. 2,
the purpose of the radially outwardly extending portions 34 and 36
is to overlie the backing 20 of the filter 22 about the periphery
of the opening 18 therein so as to retain the container in place.
To this end, the height of the side wall 14 is selected in
connection with the location of the outwardly extending portions 34
and 36 and the width of the filter 22 such that the distance
between facing surfaces of the radially extending portions 34 and
36 is equal to or slightly less than the width of the filter 22,
including the backing 20. As a result, a solid connection is formed
so that the container will not rattle when subjected to vibration
as, for example, typically generated by a furnace fan in operation.
Preferably, this distance is made just slightly less than the width
of the filter so that the inherent resilience of the latter will
exert a small degree of force on opposite sides of the container to
firmly affix it in place.
For purposes of firmly but releasably affixing the cover 10 to the
remainder of the container defined by the bottom 12 and the side
wall 14, releasable connecting elements are provided on both the
cover 10 and one or the other of the bottom 12 and the side wall
14. FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the invention wherein the
releasable connecting elements are formed on the top 10 and the
side wall 14.
Near the end of the side wall 14, opposite from the bottom 12, a
peripheral, radially outwardly directed tongue 40 is provided,
while on the inner surface of the lip 36, a peripheral groove 42 is
provided. As a result, a releasable snap-fit connection is
defined.
FIG. 4 illustrates an alternate embodiment wherein the center of
the top 10 includes a central opening 44 that is frusto-conical in
shape and has its narrow end on the side of the top 10 adjacent the
bottom 12. The bottom 12, in turn includes a post 46 extending
inwardly into the cavity for receiving the air treating agent 16.
The end of the post 46 remote from the bottom 12, includes a
bulb-like formation 48 a maximum circumference just slightly
greater than the smallest dimension of the opening 44 so as to be
capable of being forced therethrough, as illustrated in FIG. 4, to
again establish a snap-fit connection. In the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 4, the post 46 serves an additional function in
terms of impaling a cake 16 of air treating agent so as to locate
the same within the cavity at a predetermined central position.
Thus, as the cake 16 diminishes in size, it will be maintained
centrally located within the cavity for uniform air flow thereabout
to maximum uniformity of air treatment.
It should be appreciated that the post 46 need not be secured to
the bottom 12. Rather, the same could be secured to the top 10 and
the bottom 12 provided with an aligned opening similar to the
opening 44.
To facilitate economy of construction, it is preferred that the
various parts of the container be made of plastic.
In some instances, it may be desired to form the container and,
specifically, the size of the side wall 14, to be greater than the
size of the apertures 18 normally provided in the backing members
20 in a typical air filter 22. When such is the case, the air
filter may be preformed or punched with an enlarged opening just
slightly greater in size than the circumference of the side wall
32. Alternately, the radially extending lip 34 may take on the form
of a web and, in turn, mount a plurality of the side walls 14, each
defining an individual chamber. In such a case, the location of the
plural side walls 32 will be on the web in the same pattern as the
apertures 18 are located in the backing 20 of the air filter 22 so
as to be capable of simultaneous insertion through a plurality of
adjacent ones of such openings. Of course, in such a case, an
additional number of the tops 10 corresponding to the number of the
side walls 32 will be provided.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the invention
provides economically used means for incorporating air treating
agents in forced air circulation systems installed in residences or
the like. It will also be appreciated that the container can be
reused even though a filter on which it was once installed has been
consumed and must be discarded. It will also appreciated that in
the event the filter on which the container is installed has not
been exhausted, when required, the air treating agent can be
replenished simply by removing the top 10 and inserting a new cake
16 or the like.
Finally, it will be appreciated that the invention allows the user
thereof to select any particular type of air treating agent he
wishes to employ, as desired.
* * * * *