ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AIR CONDITIONING VENTILATION FILTER

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/555,244, filed Feb. 19, 2024, entitled “Environmentally Friendly Air Conditioning Ventilation Filter,” the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Filters exist in HVAC systems for cleaning the air before the air enters into the air conditioning units. These filters are used to protect particles and dust from the air conditioning units and causing problems with the equipment's mechanical or electrical components. However, dirty air may still be received into a grill or return and make its way into air conditioning ducts especially if a room or an environment is dirty. In addition, if the air conditioning ducts are dirty then registers (which deliver the air into a room) will output dirty air into a room. Accordingly, a solution to output clean air from registers and input clean air through grills or returns for an HVAC system is needed for buildings and houses. This is especially true due to a large number of people having respiratory problems and/or asthma issues.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the features, advantages and principles of the present disclosure will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, and the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a back view of a HVAC register and a front view of a ventilation filter according to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a HVAC ventilation filter according to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates a back view of an HVAC ventilation filter with wire backing according to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 4A illustrates a back view of an HVAC ventilation filter with backing, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 4B illustrates a back view of an HVAC ventilation filter with backing, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 4C illustrates a side view of a HVAC register and a HVAC ventilation filter with backing in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 4D illustrates a side view of a HVAC register and a HVAC ventilation filter with no backing in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 5 illustrates how an HVAC ventilation filter with backing is installed into an HVAC vent, in accordance with some embodiments; and

FIG. 6 illustrates locations of a register and a grill or return in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description and provides a better understanding of the features and advantages of the inventions described in the present disclosure in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein. Although the detailed description includes many specific embodiments, these are provided by way of example only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the inventions disclosed herein.

Described herein is an environmentally friendly (or green) heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”) ventilation filter for vents or grills and registers in a house or building according to exemplary embodiments. In exemplary embodiments, the entire HVAC ventilation filter may be of 100 percent recyclable materials. In other cases, everything except the filtering material may be made of 100 percent recyclable materials. In other embodiments, the entire HVAC ventilation filter and the filtering material may be made of 100 percent recyclable material but the backing material may be made of wire. Unlike other filters, the filtering material may have a three-dimensional shape in that it has more depth and has a curved shape or a raised shape in existing HVAC filters which have a specified uniform thickness (e.g., ½ inch, % inches or one inch) and are flat. In some embodiments, the filtering material may be more of a boxed or rectangular shape. This allows for additional filtering material to be utilized and provide better cleaning and removing of particulates as the air enters and/or exits the HVAC system. In addition, this allows these new and novel HVAC filters to be utilized with HVAC registers which have a depth to movable vents and flanges and other associated hardware. In addition, the HVAC filters described herein are utilized close to users and occupants of houses, rather than next to the HVAC equipment. This provides an extra protection against contaminants and/or dirt or dust that may be dispersed into the rooms or spaces because the contaminants or other material are prevented from entering a room or space or the contaminants, dirt, and/or dust are significantly reduced by the new and novel air filter.

FIG. 1 illustrates a back view of a HVAC register and a front view of a ventilation filter according to exemplary embodiments. In FIG. 1, a register 120 is illustrated along with a new and improved HVAC ventilation filter 100. In FIG. 1, the register 120 may normally connected to a wall, a floor or structure through two or more holes 121. The screws or other fasteners may be connected to the wall, floor or structure. The screws or fasteners may be on opposite sides of the register 120 to provide a secure connection. In some implementations, the register 120 may include a plate 124 with a plurality of vertical 131 or horizontal vents 131 along with the previously mentioned holes 121. Because a register is delivering air from the HVAC system to a room, the register also will include a damper 125 that is attached or coupled a plurality of adjustable horizontal louvers 130 where the damper 125 may be moved to open the louvers 130 in order to allow air to be output to the room or to close the louvers 130 in order to prevent or minimize air being output to the room. In some embodiments, the louvers and dampers add a depth or width to the register 120. In some implementations, the depth or width may be between 0.5 inches to four inches.

In exemplary embodiments, the improved air ventilation filter 100 may include a light cardboard or stiff paper frame 105, at least two holes or openings 110, filtering material 115 and a backing (not shown in FIG. 1). In exemplary embodiments, the at least two holes or opening 110 need to correspond and be in same position as the two or more holes 121 in the HVAC register plate 124. This allows the HVAC air ventilation filter 100 to be held in place and not move when air is passing through and have its efficiency compromised. In exemplary embodiments, the light cardboard or stiff paper frame 105 may be recyclable. In exemplary embodiments, the light cardboard or stiff paper frame 105 may be 2 millimeters thick or may range from 0.5 to 4 millimeters thick. The light cardboard or stiff paper frame 105 may include four sides (e.g., left side, right side, top side and bottom side) with an opening in the middle where the filtering material 115 is located. In exemplary embodiments, the opening may have edges 107 around a circumference of the opening. In exemplary embodiments, the filtering material 115 may a) be connected to cardboard or paper frame 105 by fasteners, b) be sewn to the cardboard or paper frame, or 3) may be adhered to the cardboard or paper frame 105. In exemplary embodiments, the filtering material 115 may be connected, sewn or adhered to an inner circumference of the top, bottom, left and right sides of the cardboard or paper frame 105. In exemplary embodiments, the filtering material 115 may be connected, sewn or adhered continuously to edges of the opening of the cardboard or paper frame 105 in order to not allow holes or air gaps between the filtering material 115 and the cardboard or paper frame. In exemplary embodiments, the filtering material 115 may be made of a paper material, a fiberglass material, a cotton material, or a non-woven synthetic material (or in some cases may be made of a combination of two or more of these materials). In exemplary embodiments, the filtering material 115 may be flexible in order to create any shape and may not be rigid. In exemplary embodiments, the dimensions of the cardboard or paper frame 105 may be slightly smaller than the HVAC register 120 or HVAC grill in order to fit within the dimensions of the HVAC register 120 or grill and not be seen from outside the HVAC register and grill 120 (e.g., to someone in a room or space having the HVAC register and grill 120). In exemplary embodiments, a width of side portions (left and right side portions) of the paper frame from an outside edge of the paper frame to the opening of the frame may be 1.0 inches or 0.5 inches. In other embodiments, the width of the left and right side portions from an outside edge of the paper frame to the opening in the frame may range from 0.25 inches to 6 inches. In exemplary embodiments, a width of top and bottom portions of the frame 105 from an outside edge to the opening of the frame 105 may range from 0.1 inches to 1.0 inches. In exemplary embodiments, the width of the side portions may be uniform on all sides (left, right, top and bottom). In exemplary embodiments, the width of the sides may be uniform on opposite sides (e.g., top and bottom or left and right) but the top and bottom have a different width than left and right. In exemplary embodiments, the width of the side portions may be greater than the width of the top and bottom portions of the paper frame. In exemplary embodiments, the frame (paper or cardboard or other material) may be a rigid material. In exemplary embodiments, the frame 105 may have a thickness of 0.2 millimeters. In exemplary embodiments, the frame 105 may have a thickness ranging from 0.1 millimeters to 1.0 millimeters.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a HVAC ventilation filter according to exemplary embodiments. In exemplary embodiments, the HVAC ventilation filter 100 may include a paper backing 105, two or more holes or openings 110, and filtering material 115. Reference number 141 illustrates that the filtering material 115 may be three dimensional and have a depth or thickness. In exemplary embodiments, this allows the filtering material to accommodate vents and/or louvers of a register 120.

Due to the depth or width of the register 120, in exemplary embodiments the HVAC air ventilation filter 100 cannot be flat or a uniform depth or thickness for the whole filter, as most current HVAC filters are. In exemplary embodiments, the ventilation filter 100 may have a curved back surface to allow for the varying of the thickness of the ventilation filter. In exemplary embodiments, the ventilation filter 100 may have more a boxed shaped or slope shaped back surface (e.g., formed by a backing and/or a filtering material). Thus, in exemplary embodiments, the depth or width or of the HVAC air filter 100 may range from 1 inch to 6 inches in order to not come in contact with the horizontal louvers 130 of the register 120 or to minimize contact with the vents 131 and louvers 130 of the register 120 and not get torn or damaged. For grills or returns, the depth or width of the HVAC air filter 100 may not be as important because there is no damper 125 and no plurality of horizontal louvers 130 utilized in the grill or return and thus the width or thickness of the grill or return is uniform. However, even with respect to grills and returns, the HVAC air ventilation filter 100 described herein may not have uniform thickness (the ventilation filter may have varying depth or thickness) because this is a novel feature of the presently described subject matter. This is a significant difference from the air filters existing in the market today which have uniform thickness. In exemplary embodiments, this allows more filtering material to be utilized in the filter and thus, this new and novel HVAC filter may be more efficient in removing particles and contaminants from the air.

FIG. 3 illustrates a back view of a ventilation filter with wire backing according to exemplary embodiments. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, a wire mesh or wire backing 320 may form a barrier or net to keep a shape of the filtering material 315 and/or to keep the filtering material from moving too far back into an HVAC vent. In other words, a back or backing of the HVAC air ventilation filter 300 may be an open wire mesh. In exemplary embodiments, the wire mesh or wire 320 may connected, adhered or sewn to a back of the cardboard frame or paper frame 305. In exemplary embodiments, the wire mesh or wire baking 320 may allow a flexible shape on a rear side of the HVAC air ventilation filter. In exemplary embodiments, the wire mesh or wire backing 320 may be made of a flexible material. In exemplary embodiments, the filtering material 315 may be made of a paper material, a fiberglass material, a cotton material, or a non-woven synthetic material. In some embodiments, the wire mesh or wire may be the only part of the HVAC ventilation filter 300 that is not recyclable

FIG. 4A illustrates a back view of a HVAC ventilation filter with a paper or thin cardboard back frame pattern according to exemplary embodiments. FIG. 4B illustrates a back view of a HVAC ventilation filter with a thin cardboard back frame pattern according to exemplary embodiments. FIG. 4C illustrates a side view of a HVAC register and a new and novel HVAC filter according to exemplary embodiments. FIGS. 4A,4C and 4D illustrate an entirely recyclable HVAC air ventilation filter 400 according to exemplary embodiments along with FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. In accordance with some embodiments, the paper or thin cardboard back frame pattern or backing pattern 410 may form a structure to hold in the filter material 415. In exemplary embodiments, the frame pattern 410 may need to be flexible in order to accommodate a non-uniform thickness for the HVAC filter 400 or any movement of the filtering material 415. In exemplary embodiments, the paper or thin cardboard back frame pattern or backing pattern 410 may be connected, adhered or sewn to the frame 405 of the HVAC ventilation filter 400 on an outside of where the filtering material 415 is connected, coupled, adhered or sewn to the frame 405 of the HVAC ventilation filter. In exemplary embodiments, the filtering material 415 may be made of paper or may be made of cotton and thus be recyclable. In exemplary embodiments, the paper or thin cardboard back frame pattern 410 may form an x crossing pattern across the back of the HVAC air ventilation filter. These embodiments of the HVAC filter may be green in that all of the materials may be recyclable. In exemplary embodiments, a width of the paper backing pattern 410 may be 0.25 inches or may range from 0.2 inches to 3 inches. In exemplary embodiments, the backing pattern 410 may be uniform across a back or rear side of the filtering material 415. In exemplary embodiments, a thickness of the lines or x pattern may range from 0.1 to 0.75 inches in order to provide uniform support to the filtering material.

FIG. 4D illustrates a HVAC ventilation filter without a backing pattern or backing structure according to exemplary embodiments. In exemplary embodiments, the HVAC ventilation filter 400 may not have a backing pattern. In other words, in exemplary embodiments, the HVAC ventilation filter 400 may include only a frame 405 and filtering material 415. In these embodiments, the filtering material 415 may need to be press formed or press stamped in order to create a shape to accommodate the register and louvers and/or also to maintain its boxed or curved shape. In these embodiments, the filtering material 415 may have either a curved or boxed shape. In these embodiments, the filtering material 415 may need to be made of a slightly more rigid material as compared to the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 4B and 4C so that the filtering material in FIG. 4D may not lose shape as wind or air moves through it because it has no backing pattern.

In exemplary embodiments, the filtering material 415 may have edge portions that have a different depth than central or middle portions of the filtering material. This is illustrated in FIG. 4D wherein left and right portions 480 and top and bottom edge portions 485 of the filtering material 415 have a different depth than middle or center portions 490 of the filtering material. In exemplary embodiments, a depth of the filtering material 415 for the edge portions 480 and 485 may be 6 millimeters. In other embodiments, a depth of the filtering material 415 for the edge portions 480 and 485 may range from 2 millimeters to 30 millimeters. In exemplary embodiments, a depth of the filtering material 415 for the middle or central portions 490 may be 2 inches. In other embodiments, a depth of the filtering material 415 for the middle or central portions 490 may range from 1 inch to 4 inches. In exemplary embodiments, the filtering material 415 may rise at approximately a 90 degree angle when transitioning from edge portions 480 and 485 to middle or central portions 490. In other embodiments, the filtering material 415 may rise at a range between 45 to 90 degrees with respect to a flat surface when transitioning from edge portions 480 and 485 to middle or central portions 490.

The subject matter described above would not be limited to one size or register, vent, grill or return. The subject matter described in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D would be adaptable to all varieties and sizes of HVAC registers, vents, grills or returns. Specific sizes for HVAC registers, vents, grills or returns that the subject matter described herein could be adapted to include 6 inches×6 inches, 8 inches×4 inches, 8 inches×6 inches, 8 inches×8 inches, 10 inches×4 inches, 10 inches×6 inches, 10 inches×10 inches, 12 inches×4 inches, 12 inches×6 inches, 12 inches×12 inches and/or 14 inches by 4 inches. As noted previously, the HVAC air ventilation filters described herein may have dimensions that are less than these dimensions (of the registers, grills or returns) by an amount of less than 0.1 inches. In other embodiments, the HVAC air ventilation filters described herein may have dimensions that are less than the dimensions of the registers, grills or returns by an amount ranging from 0.25 inches to 3 inches.

FIG. 5 illustrates how an HVAC ventilation filter with backing is installed into an HVAC vent, in accordance with some embodiments. In FIG. 5, the HVAC ventilation filter 100 may be placed or inserted into a wall opening 505 that includes an HVAC duct work 510. The HVAC air ventilation filter may be placed into the opening and may be connected or attached to the wall via the openings 110 on both sides of the HVAC filter 100. In many cases, the wall may not have an opening into which the connectors may be screwed into and in other cases, there is an anchor in the wall.

FIG. 6 illustrates locations of a register and a grill or return in accordance with some embodiments. In FIG. 6, a register 510 (which has an improved HVAC air ventilation filter) may be installed in a wall 507 and may distribute air or heat into a room or space. In exemplary embodiments, the room may also include a grill or return 520 installed into another wall 505. Air may return into the HVAC system through the grill or return 520.

The air ventilation filter described herein was tested for a week on registers and grills and the resulting dirt and particles that were captured were visibly apparent (there was a black residue on the HVAC air ventilation filter). This stresses the need for such an improved HVAC air ventilation filter for registers, vents or grills.

A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any process or method disclosed herein can be modified in many ways. The process parameters and sequence of the steps described and/or illustrated herein are given by way of example only and can be varied as desired. For example, while the steps illustrated and/or described herein may be shown or discussed in a particular order, these steps do not necessarily need to be performed in the order illustrated or discussed.

The various exemplary methods described and/or illustrated herein may also omit one or more of the steps described or illustrated herein or comprise additional steps in addition to those disclosed. Further, a step of any method as disclosed herein can be combined with any one or more steps of any other method as disclosed herein.

Unless otherwise noted, the terms “connected to” and “coupled to” (and their derivatives), as used in the specification and claims, are to be construed as permitting both direct and indirect (i.e., via other elements or components) connection. In addition, the terms “a” or “an,” as used in the specification and claims, are to be construed as meaning “at least one of” Finally, for ease of use, the terms “including” and “having” (and their derivatives), as used in the specification and claims, are interchangeable with and shall have the same meaning as the word “comprising.

The processor as disclosed herein can be configured with instructions to perform any one or more steps of any method as disclosed herein.

As used herein, the term “or” is used inclusively to refer items in the alternative and in combination.

As used herein, characters such as numerals refer to like elements.

Embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described as set forth herein and are provided by way of example only. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous adaptations, changes, variations and substitutions without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Several alternatives and combinations of the embodiments disclosed herein may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present disclosure and the inventions disclosed herein. Therefore, the scope of the presently disclosed inventions shall be defined solely by the scope of the appended claims and the equivalents thereof.