Patent Application
20220008969
This application claims priority to copending U.S. application Ser. No. 15/962,966, filed on Apr. 25, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
The present disclosure relates generally to accessories for laboratory fume hoods. In particular devices for channeling air and supporting laboratory equipment within the laboratory fume hood are described.
Existing methods of using laboratory fume hoods are not entirely satisfactory for the range of applications in which they are employed. For example, existing laboratory fume hoods may become clogged with laboratory equipment, obstructing air flow where it is needed most and causing dangerous conditions within the laboratory fume hood.
Thus, there exists a need for systems that improve upon and advance the design of accessories for existing laboratory fume hoods. Examples of new and useful systems relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below.
In one embodiment, a laboratory fume hood equipment air channeling system may include a platform having a plurality of vertical air channels therethrough, support legs configured to hold the platform above the countertop work surface of a laboratory fume hood, and an air chamber formed beneath the platform. The platform may include a lattice of interconnected horizontal slats forming a plurality of vertical air channels through the platform. The platform may have sidewall surfaces, an upper surface, and a lower surface. The support legs may be attached to the platform to hold the platform above the countertop work surface of the laboratory fume hood. The countertop work surface and the lower surface of the platform may form the air chamber beneath the platform. The air chamber may be in fluid communication with the vertical air channels increasing air flow through the vertical air channels and increasing air flow horizontally from front to back of the laboratory fume hood along the countertop work surface. The air chamber being in fluid communication with the vertical air channels increases the air flow around all sides of one or more laboratory equipment located on the upper surface of the platform. The sidewall surfaces, the upper surface, and the lower surface of the platform with the vertical air channels may together define a bulk volume of the platform, the bulk volume having void space defined by the vertical air channels. In one example, the bulk volume comprises at least 70% void space.
The disclosed laboratory fume hood air channeling devices will become better understood through review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the figures. The detailed description and figures provide merely examples of the various inventions described herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed examples may be varied, modified, and altered without departing from the scope of the inventions described herein. Many variations are contemplated for different applications and design considerations; however, for the sake of brevity, each and every contemplated variation is not individually described in the following detailed description.
Throughout the following detailed description, examples of various laboratory fume hood air channeling devices are provided. Related features in the examples may be identical, similar, or dissimilar in different examples. For the sake of brevity, related features will not be redundantly explained in each example. Instead, the use of related feature names will cue the reader that the feature with a related feature name may be similar to the related feature in an example explained previously. Features specific to a given example will be described in that particular example. The reader should understand that a given feature need not be the same or similar to the specific portrayal of a related feature in any given figure or example.
With reference to
Device 100 includes a platform 101 including vertical air channels 110, support legs 130, and an air chamber 140.
As can be seen in
The platform 101 may be sized to fit within the laboratory fume hood (as shown in
Support legs 130 function to hold the platform 101 above the countertop work surface of the laboratory fume hood. For example, the support legs 130 may position the platform 101 such that the lower surface of the platform 101 is several inches above, and essentially parallel with, the countertop work surface in the laboratory fume hood. Thus, a long horizontal air chamber 140 may be formed beneath platform 101
Support legs 130 may be attached to the exterior of the platform 101 via fasteners 135. In the illustrated embodiment, the support legs 130 comprise L-shaped metal bodies. In other embodiments, the support legs 130 may comprise cylindrical or tubular members. The support legs 130 may be made of plastic, glass, carbon, metal and/or composite. In some embodiments, the support legs 130 may be adjustable in height. For example, the support legs 130 may include a series of holes sized to accept the fastener 135, thus the height of the support legs 130 may be adjusted by selecting another one of the series of holes to place the fastener 135 through. In other embodiments, the support legs 130 may be telescoping or otherwise adjustable.
Turning now to
The platform may be constructed of plastic, glass, carbon, metal and/or composite. In one embodiment, the platform 101 is comprised of one or more materials having a Class A fire rating, as defined by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Turning now to
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The disclosure above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in a particular form, the specific embodiments disclosed and illustrated above are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed above and inherent to those skilled in the art pertaining to such inventions. Where the disclosure or subsequently filed claims recite “a” element, “a first” element, or any such equivalent term, the disclosure or claims should be understood to incorporate one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements.
Applicant(s) reserves the right to submit claims directed to combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed inventions that are believed to be novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in the present application or in a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to the same invention or a different invention and whether they are different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are to be considered within the subject matter of the inventions described herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15962966 | Apr 2018 | US |
| Child | 17367007 | US |
