Air filter system and air cleaning method

Abstract

The invention relates to an air filter system comprising at least one drum filter, the surface area of this filter being provided with a filter medium, and a suction device for cleaning the inside of the surface area, wherein a driving device displaces at least one suction element for the cleaning process in circular motions along the inside of the surface area as well as axially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the drum filter. It is provided that the drum filter (4) is disposed with the longitudinal axis (6) extending vertically.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings illustrate the invention by way of an exemplary embodiment, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air filter system,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the air filter system,

FIG. 3 is a side view of the air filter system rotated 900 in relation to FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a top view of the air filter system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 to 4 show an air filter systems 1 comprising a machine frame 2. The basic structure of the machine frame 2 is square. Inside the machine frame 2, a drum filter group 3 is disposed, which in the present exemplary embodiment comprises four drum filters 4. Each drum filter 4 has a surface area 5 extending concentrically to the central longitudinal axis 6 of each drum filter 4. The drum filters 4 are each disposed with the longitudinal axes 6 thereof extending vertically, which is to say they are installed such that they stand up and are held in this position by the machine frame 2. The surface areas 5 of the drum filters 4 are formed by filter media 7. The lower face 8 of each drum filter 4 is configured to be open, forming an inflow opening 9 for the air to be cleaned. The upper face 10 of each drum filter 4 is provided with an air-impermeable cover 11.

Air from a room or exhaust air from a machine, for example a textile machine, is fed into the inflow openings 9 by means of air conveyance and guidance means, which are not shown. The air exits radially from the surface areas 5 of the drum filters 4, wherein particles, suspended matter and the like filtered from the insides 12 of the surface areas 5 configured as filter media 7 are removed as filter cake.

A suction device 13 is provided to remove the filter cakes from the insides 12 of the drum filters 14 by means of suction. The device comprises for each drum filter 4 at least one suction element 14 (FIG. 2), wherein in FIG. 2 two suction elements 14 are provided per drum filter 4 by way of example, the elements, which are diametrically opposed from one another in relation to the longitudinal axis 6, enclosing a right angle with the longitudinal axis 6. Accordingly, the tubular suction elements 14 extend radially and rest against the insides 12 of the respective drum filters 14. The suction elements 14 are connected such that they communicate with the respective elongated element 15, which has a tubular shape and extends coaxially to the respective longitudinal axis 6. The length of each elongated element 15 is selected such that in the position of the air filter system 1 shown in FIG. 2 the suction elements 14 can reach the lower inner border area of the drum filter 4. The elongated elements 15 are mounted rotatably on a carriage 16, wherein each individual carriage 16 retains all four elongated elements 15 rotatably about the respective longitudinal axis 6.

In the center of the machine frame 2 a cross-arm spindle 17 of a cross-arm spindle driving device 18 is rotatably mounted, wherein the cross-arm spindle 17 is disposed such that it extends vertically and is axially stationary.

According to FIG. 2, the carriage 16 is mounted vertically displaceably by means of a guide 35, wherein furthermore the elongated elements 15 rotatably and displaceably penetrate openings 19 in two upper cross-bars 20 of the machine frame 2. The guide 35 extends parallel to the cross-arm spindle 17, wherein the movable part of the guide 35 at the lower end thereof is provided with a spindle nut 36 (latch) that meshes with the cross-arm spindle.

The elongated elements 15, which are connected to the suction elements 14 configured as suction nozzles 22 such that they can communicate with them, are connected to suction pipes 23 converging in a star-shaped manner above the carriage 16, the suction pipes leading to a collector 24, wherein the suction connector 25 of the collector is connected to an air conveyance device, which is not shown.

A cross-arm spindle driving motor 26 is disposed stationary on the machine frame and configured as an electric motor. Via a pulley 27 and a belt 28, the motor drives a pulley 29, which is non-rotatably connected to the cross-arm spindle 17 (FIG. 3). In this way, the cross-arm spindle 17 can be put in rotation. A further pulley 30 (FIG. 2) can be rotated by means of a rotary driving motor 37 provided on the carriage 16, wherein the pulley is coupled via a belt 31 to a pulley 32, which is disposed non-rotatably on one of the elongated elements 15. All elongated elements 15 comprise pulleys 33 (FIG. 2), around which a common belt 34 is wrapped.

This configuration produces the following function: When the cross-arm spindle driving motor 26 is switched on, the cross-arm spindle 17 starts to rotate. The spindle nut 36 meshes with the cross-arm spindle 17, causing the carriage 16 to be displaced up and down. This displacement is performed in the vertical direction. The rotary driving motor 37, which is in operation at the same time, drives all elongated elements 15 in a rotatory manner via the belts 31 and 34 and the elements are rotated about the vertical longitudinal axes 6, so that the suction nozzles 22 are displaced in a circular fashion along the insides 12 of the drum filters 4. Superimposed with these rotatory movements is the axial up and down displacement of the carriage, so that the suction nozzles 22 clean the insides 12 of the drum filters 4 along helical paths and in this way remove the filter cakes forming there.

It is clearly apparent from FIGS. 1 to 4 that the suction device, together with the associated components serving the cleaning of the surface areas 5 of the drum filters 4, are provided above the drum filters 4. Particularly when the suction nozzles 22 are displaced completely to the top, also the carriage 16 is displaced to the top, without requiring any additional base area for the air filter system 1. This demonstrates that, as a result of the open space provided on the cleaning device above the drum filters 4, the air filter system 1 according to the invention has no large base area requirement. This is due to the fact that the drum filters 4 are installed with vertically extending longitudinal axes 6.

The invention will be addressed again below in concrete details, wherein also alternatives are mentioned to the exemplary embodiment described above. The air filter system according to the invention preferably comprises a vertically disposed drum filter or a drum filter group with at least two drum filters that are disposed vertically. The air to be cleaned flows from the inside out in each drum filter 4, wherein the inflow occurs from beneath and the outflow occurs toward the top and/or side. The drum filters 4 are cleaned continuously or intermittently on the inside. Cleaning may be performed continuously, in a time-controlled and/or in a pressure-controlled manner. The cleaning operation is performed by means of a vacuum using suction units or suction elements, particularly suction nozzles, wherein at least one suction unit is provided for each drum filter 4. The cleaning process is performed in fractions inside each drum filter 4. In particular, it is provided that cleaning is performed by superimposing two motions, meaning a rotatory movement and a vertical transaxial movement. The movements can be treated and driven separately from each other. During the vertical, transaxial movement toward the top and bottom, it is preferable if the entire suction train is displaced. The vertical displacement is preferably performed via a spindle drive, which does not follow the displacing movement. The spindle is preferably driven electrically or pneumatically. It can be driven either directly or via a belt. The rotary drive is preferably provided on the vertically moving suction train. The rotational driving motion is performed by an electric motor, particularly by a geared motor. With respect to the rotary drive, it may be provided that each drum filter 4 is driven separately by belts. The power transmission via belts is preferably performed without additional coupling or tensioning elements. In particular, it may be provided that the weight of the suction unit is compensated for at least partially or almost completely by means of a counterweight guided by deflection, so that the driving power for the up and down movements is very low. On the cross-arm spindle driving device, it may be provided that only one driving motor is available, which brings about the vertical displacement as well as the rotatory displacement.

Above, belt drives were described. Instead of belt drives, it is also conceivable to use chain drives.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. An air filter system comprising: at least one drum filter, the at least one drum filter including a surface area provided with a filter medium;a suction device for cleaning the inside of the surface area; anda driving device displacing at least one suction element for the cleaning process in circular motions along the inside of the surface area and axially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the drum filter;wherein the drum filter has a vertically extending longitudinal axis.

16. The air filter system according to claim 15, wherein the suction element is disposed on an elongated element which extends along the longitudinal axis of the drum filter.

17. The air filter system according to claim 15, wherein the elongated element is mounted rotatably about the longitudinal axis on a carriage of a cleaning device, the carriage being mounted vertically displaceably.

18. The air filter system according to claim 15, wherein the driving device comprises a spindle drive for axial displacement.

19. The air filter system according to claim 15, wherein the spindle drive includes a spindle motor disposed in a stationary manner.

20. The air filter system of claim 19, wherein the spindle motor is a cross-arm spindle motor.

21. The air filter system according to claim 15, wherein the driving device comprises a rotary drive for the circular motions.

22. The air filter system according to claim 17, wherein the driving device comprises a rotary drive for the circular movements, and wherein a rotary driving motor of the rotary drive is disposed on the carriage.

23. The air filter system according to claim 15, wherein the driving device is a cross-arm spindle driving device.

24. The air filter system according to claim 15, wherein the drum filter includes a lower face for receiving air to be filtered.

25. The air filter system according to claim 16, wherein the elongated element serves as a suction duct.

26. The air filter system according to claim 15, wherein the suction element is a suction nozzle.

27. The air filter system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one drum filter includes a plurality of drum filters combined to form a vertical drum filter group, at least one suction element being associated with each drum filter.

28. The air filter system according to claim 27, further comprising a common driving device associated with the suction elements.

29. An air cleaning method using an air filter system at least one drum filter, the surface area of the filter being provided with a filter medium, and a suction device for cleaning the inside of the surface area, a driving device displacing at least one suction element for the cleaning process both in circular motions along the inside of the surface area and axially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the drum filter, the drum filter being installed with the longitudinal axis extending vertically.