Patent Application
20250235808
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The disclosure relates to air filters and more particularly pertains to a new air filter for facilitating insertion and removal of the air filter from an air conditioning unit.
The prior art relates to air filters. More particularly, the prior art relates to air filters that are positionable within air conditioning units to filter the air within a dwelling or building. The air conditioning units typically have a narrow slot for receiving the air filters. The air filter can be difficult to grip or grasp when the air filter is inserted into the slot. The narrow slot may also have sharp edges, posing a danger to a user who is trying to replace the air filter without using protective hand coverings. Some people use knives or screwdrivers to pry the used air filters out of the air conditioning unit, which can also be dangerous and risk injury. Thus, there is a need for an air filter device that includes handles to facilitate the user in removing the air filter from the air conditioning unit. Ideally, the handles would extend and retract from the edges of the air filter so that the air filter retains its size and compatibility with existing air conditioning units.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a filter element that is configured to be positioned within an air conditioning unit. A frame is coupled to and extends around the filter element. A handle is coupled to the frame wherein the handle is configured to facilitate a user in removing the frame and the filter element from the air conditioning unit. The handle is movably coupled to the frame wherein the handle is extendable and retractable relative to the frame. A cutout extends into the frame. The cutout is aligned with the handle. The cutout has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the handle wherein the handle is positionable within the cutout when the handle is retracted relative to the frame and wherein the handle is extendable outwardly from the cutout when the handle is extended relative to the frame. An outer surface of the handle is flush with an exterior side of the frame when the handle is fully retracted relative to frame.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The frame 14 may further comprise a front wall 18, back wall 20, and a peripheral wall 22 that is coupled to and extends between the front wall 18 and the back wall 20. The peripheral wall 22 may have a top side 24, a bottom side 26, a first lateral side 28, and a second lateral side 30.
A plurality of handles 32 may be coupled to the frame 14 wherein the plurality of handles 20 is configured to facilitate a user 34 in removing the frame 14 and the filter element 12 from the air conditioning unit 36. The plurality of handles 32 may be positioned on one or more of the top side 24, the bottom side 26, the first lateral side 28, and the second lateral side 30 of the peripheral wall 22 of the frame 12. Each of the plurality of handles 32 is movably coupled to the frame 14 wherein the plurality of handles 32 is outwardly extendable and inwardly retractable relative to the frame 14.
Each handle of the plurality of handles 32 may further comprise a primary end 38 and a secondary end 40. The secondary end 40 is generally distal to the primary end 38. An elongated body 42 is coupled to and extends between the primary end 38 and the secondary end 40. The elongated body 42 has an outer surface 44 that may be flush with the peripheral wall 22 when the respective handle 32 is fully retracted into the frame 14. The outer surface 44 may be spaced from the peripheral wall 22 when the respective handle 32 is fully extended from the frame 14.
A plurality of cutouts 46 may extend into the frame 14. The plurality of cutouts 46 is aligned with the plurality of handles 32. The plurality of cutouts have a shape that is complementary to the plurality of handles 32 wherein the respective handle 32 is positionable within a respective cutout of the plurality of cutouts 46 when the respective handle 32 is retracted relative to the frame 14 and wherein the respective handle 32 is extendable outwardly from the respective cutout 46 when the respective handle 32 is extended relative to the frame 14.
Each of the primary end 38 and the secondary end 40 of the respective handle 32 may have a width exceeding a width of the elongated body 42 of the respective handle 32.
A pair of end pockets 48 may extend into the frame 14. Each end pocket of the pair of end pockets 48 is aligned with a lateral edge of a pair of opposing lateral edges 50 of the respective cutout 46 to receive one of the primary end 38 and the secondary end 40 of the respective handle 32. Each of the primary end 38 and the secondary end 40 of the respective handle 32 may be slidably engaged with one of the pair of end pockets 48 to facilitate extension and retraction of the respective handle 32.
Each end pocket of the pair of end pockets 48 may further comprise an open end 52. The open end 52 may be positioned adjacent to the lateral edge of the pair of opposing lateral edges 50 of the respective cutout 46. A closed end 54 may be spaced from the open end 52. A pair of sides 56 may extend between the open end 52 and the closed end 54. A width between the pair of sides 56 may be greater than a width of the one of the primary end 38 and the secondary end 40 of the respective handle 32.
The respective handle 32 may slide toward the open end 52 when the respective handle 32 is extended. The respective handle 32 may slide toward the closed end 54 when the respective handle 32 is retraced.
A catch 58 may into each of the pair of end pockets 48. The catch 58 may be positioned between the open end 52 of each of the pair of end pockets 48 and the lateral edge of the pair of opposing lateral edges 50 of the respective cutout 46. The catch 58 may have a width that is smaller than the width of the one of the primary end 38 and the secondary end 40 of the respective handle 32. The catch 58 retains the one of the primary end 38 and the secondary end 40 of the respective handle 32 within the one of the pair of end pockets 48. The catch 58 may have a width exceeding a width of the elongated body 42 of the respective handle 32 wherein the elongated body 42 of the respective handle 32 is movable through the catch 58.
In use, the user 34 can position the air filter device 10 within the air conditioning unit 12 as usual. Because the plurality of handles 32 are flush with the frame 14 when fully retracted, the air filter device 10 is compatible with existing air conditioning units and other heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. The air filter device 10 can be manufactured to the same dimensions as existing air filters. However, inserting and removing the air filter device 10 is facilitated by the plurality of handles 32, which can extend outwardly from the frame 14 to facilitate the user 34 in gripping air filter device 10.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
