BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cut-away view of the vacuum device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a top elevational perspective view of the filter shroud having a lofted top.
FIG. 3 is a top elevational perspective view of the filter shroud not having a lofted top.
FIG. 4 is a bottom elevational view of the filter shroud.
FIG. 5 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the filter shroud wherein the inner wall is arcuate in design having parallel straight extensions.
FIG. 6 is a bottom elevational perspective view of the filter shroud.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-6 wherein like identifying numerals refer to like features throughout the description.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum device 2 of the present invention comprises a sealed container 4 having a top 6, a bottom 8, and at least one side wall 10 connecting the top 6 and bottom 8. In use, there is water 12 at the bottom 8 of the device 2 which wets and removes contaminating particles from incoming air. This will be referred to as a filtering process. There is an air inlet 14 which may be placed in any desired location for the passage of contaminated air. There is an air outlet 16 for the passage of the clean air through a conventional vacuum motor 18 with rotating vanes which cause the flow of air from the air inlet 14 to the air outlet 16. A coupling 20 seals the air inlet 14 while allowing the air to pass through, unimpeded, directly through an inlet hose 22 to a hose coupling 24 on a filter shroud 26. The hose coupling 20 has a variety of diameters making it suitable for use with inlet hoses of various diameters. The inlet hose 22 may end at the barrier plate 28 of the filter shroud 26, or between the barrier plate 28 and the water 12 in which case air passes downwardly onto the water 12 to agitate the water 12 and wet the contaminating particles. Alternatively, the inlet hose 22 may end beneath the surface of the water 12, in which case contaminated air is bubbled through the water 12 to wet the contaminating particles. It is not desirable for the inlet hose 22 to end more than four inches beneath the surface of the water 12. The inlet hose 22 may end anyplace between the barrier plate 28 and the water 12. In any alternative, a vast majority of the contaminating particles fall to the bottom 8 of the vacuum device 2. These particles may be removed by conventional means and are not available in the air to clog the dry filter 30.
The filter shroud 26 has an arcuate outer wall 32 and a coaxial arcuate inner wall 34 as best shown in FIGS. 2-6 (for clarity, not shown in FIG. 1). The outer wall 32 contains a plurality of notches 36 for the free passage of water 12. Additionally, the outer wall 32 is not completely closed, but contains a gap 38. The size of the gap 38 is not critical and may be from about 30° to about 60°.
The inner wall 34 is placed coaxial with the outer wall 32 and the center of the inner wall 34 is near the center of the gap 38 in the outer wall 32. Thus, contaminated air enters the water 12 near the center of the inner wall 34, proceeds around the inner surface 40 of the inner wall 34, makes a 180° turn and proceeds through a channel 42 between the inner 34 and outer 32 walls to exit at the gap 38 in the outer wall 32. This reversing of direction serves to disperse the air flow and prevents the air from carrying any water 12 in the air current. During this passage, the contaminating particles are wetted by the water 12 and drop to the bottom 8 of the vacuum device 2. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, the inner wall 34 may have parallel extensions 44. When splash droplets are projected from the surface of the water 12, the droplets usually travel in a diagonal trajectory toward the sides of the inner wall 34. With the addition of the parallel extensions 44 the droplets are trapped by the extensions 44. The droplets then run down the walls and back into the water 12 reservoir.
As may be seen in FIG. 1, there is a lofted water barrier plate 28 with an adequate gap 46 between the barrier plate 28 and the outer wall 32 to allow for excess airflow to escape without allowing the energy of the water turbulence to escape. This water barrier plate 28 serves to deflect any splash water that may reach it. The trajectory of the splash is prevented from traveling in a straight line from any point below the water barrier plate 28 to contact the dry filter 30 while at the same time adequate air flow is allowed inside the filter shroud 26. This is especially desirable in the case of higher airflow situations. The turbulence is thereby kept within the filter shroud 26. The filter shroud 26 is configured in such a way as to contain the droplets and to direct them horizontally away from the inner terminal 48 of the inlet hose 22 into the channel 42 between the inner 34 and outer 32 walls.
Alternatively, the water barrier plate 28 may be attached to the outer walls 32 of the filter shroud 26, thus creating a condition wherein all of the contaminated air exiting from the inlet hose 22 passes through the water 12 inside the filter shroud 26. In such a circumstance, the filter shroud 26 has a tendency to float unless it is firmly attached to the bottom 8 of the container 4.
The vacuum device 2 contains a conventional dry filter 30 which removes remaining contaminate particles. The air entering the channel 42 between the inner 34 and outer 32 walls of the filter shroud 26 passes up to the dry filter 30. This air is free of most of the contaminants and all of the water 12 when it reaches the dry filter 30.
The inner wall 34 and water barrier plate 28 serve as splash guards to prevent water 12 from hitting the dry filter 30. In the absence of the inner wall and barrier plate in a conventional vacuum device, when air is introduced into a water filter, it strikes the surface of the water and churns up a great deal of vapors and droplets. These get on the filter and subsequently make the dry filter useless.
The filter shroud 26 contains adjustable legs 50, as seen in FIG. 1. The bottom of the filter shroud 26 is held slightly above the bottom 8 of the vacuum device 2 to allow for water 12 flow. This water 12 flow will carry contaminants beneath the filter shroud 26 and thus enables the full use of the bottom 8 of the device 2. This water 12 flow also serves to prevent the filter shroud 26 from being lifted when air enters the filter shroud 26 through the inner terminal 48 of the inlet hose 22.
The filter shroud 26 may be configured in such a way that it either has legs 50 and sits on the bottom 8 of the vacuum device 2 or it has flotation devices (not shown) built into it or onto it so that if the water 12 level changes, the inner terminal 48 of the air inlet hose 22 will stay at the same height relative to the surface of the water 12. The filter shroud 26 has an indicator 52 on its outer wall 32 which indicates the desired level of water 12 in the container 4 relative to the shroud 26.
Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example, and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.
Patent Application
20080092327
