Easily shipped and installed filter and filter house

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11207629-B2
Application number	US-201916381583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2019
Priority date	Apr 11, 2018
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

Filter systems, filters, and methods of managing filter systems are provided. The filter systems utilize large filters that are too large to be manually handled by service personnel. As such, the filter systems and methods utilize filter positioning units for handling the filters during maintenance intervals. Some systems include sensor for remotely monitoring the status of the filters and the information can be used to reverse pulse the filters as well as to indicate the end of the service life of the filters. The filters can be refurbished with new filter media.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of distributing a filter for use with a filter house module, the method comprising:
shipping a filter to a site having a filter house module, the filter comprising a frame and filter media secured to the frame, the frame being formed at least in part by a shipping container for shipping the filter;
mounting the filter to the filter house module with at least a portion of the shipping container remaining attached to the filter media and mounted to the filter house module;
determining that the filter needs to be replaced;
delivering a replacement filter with a trailer;
replacing the filter with the replacement filter;
wherein replacing the filter with the replacement filter uses a filter positioning unit such that the filter and replacement filter need not be manually handled by the service personnel;
wherein:
the filter house module defines a filter mounting interface;
the filter including a filter house interface that mates with the filter mounting interface;

transitioning the filter into a mounted position adjacent the filter house module with the filter house interface adjacent the filter mounting interface to attach the filter to the filter house module;
wherein:
the filter positioning unit is one of:
a mechanical lift that forms part of the trailer used to deliver the filter; or
a forklift that is truck-mountable to the trailer used for delivering the replacement filter; and

the step of mounting the filter includes raising the filter from an unmounted position to a mounted position to engage the filter with the filter mounting interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frame defines an air inlet upstream of the filter media and the filter house interface, the air inlet forming one of the sides of the shipping container.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
covering, with a cover, the air inlet during shipment of the filter; and
moving the cover to expose the filter house for mounting the filter to the filter mounting interface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter weighs at least 50 lbs in a clean state.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein filter house module is a hub arrangement including a plurality of filter mounting interfaces fluidly communicating with a clean air volume;
further including a plurality of filters, each filter including a filter house interface that mates with a corresponding one of the filter mounting interfaces;
further including, transitioning, with the filter positioning unit, the filters into a corresponding mounting position with the corresponding filter house interface adjacent the corresponding filter mounting interface to attach the filters to the filter house module.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
transitioning at least one isolation unit positioned downstream from at least one of the filter mounting interfaces between a blocking position in which the isolation unit prevents air flow through the corresponding filter mounting interface and an open position that allows for air flow through the corresponding filter mounting interface;
removing the filter mounted to the filter mounting interface with the isolation unit in the blocking position; and
permitting air to flow through at least one other filter mounting interface to continue to allow filtered air to flow through the filter house module.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter mounting interface and filter house interface have first and second lateral dimensions that are perpendicular to one another as well as perpendicular to the flow of air through the filter mounting interface and filter house interface, each of the first and second lateral dimensions being at least 5 feet.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shipping container generally defines a first pair of spaced apart and parallel rectangular sides with each side having dimensions of at least five feet by five feet; a second pair of spaced apart and parallel rectangular sides with each side having dimensions of at least five feet by 15 feet, the second pair of spaced apart and parallel rectangular sides extending perpendicularly between the first pair of spaced apart and parallel rectangular sides; a third pair of spaced apart and parallel rectangular sides with each side having dimensions of at least five feet by 15 feet, the third pair of spaced apart and parallel rectangular sides extending perpendicularly between the first pair of spaced apart and parallel rectangular sides and extending perpendicularly between the second pair of spaced apart and parallel rectangular sides.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter media has at least 800 square feet of filter media.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising maintaining filter media in a constant position relative to the frame defined by the shipping container during shipping as well as after the filter is mounted to the filter house module and is in use.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter house module defines a clean air volume downstream of the filter mounting interface, the clean air volume having a depth that is generally parallel to a flow of clean air through the filter mounting interface, the filter having a dimension parallel to the depth of the clean air volume when mounted to the filter house module, the dimension of the filter being less than the depth of the clean air volume.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter house module is formed as an intermodal shipping container.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing the filter from the filter house module;
shipping, at least the frame, to a reconditioning facility;
removing spent filter media from the frame;
replacing the filter media with new filter media to form a refurbished filter; and
using the refurbished filter as the replacement filter to filter air.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
monitoring the filter while in use in the filter house module;
communicating the need to replace the filter to service personnel;
dispatching service personnel with the replacement filter.

15. The method of claim 13 , analyzing the filter at the reconditioning facility.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of communicating the need to replace the filter sends information to a central service center; wherein the central service center dispatches the service personnel with the replacement filter.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring the filter while in use in the filter house module;
communicating the need to replace the filter to service personnel;
dispatching service personnel the replacement filter.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the filter house module has a plurality of filters mounted thereto;
further comprising isolating the filter being replaced such that no air passes through the filter being replaced but continuing to allow air to pass through at least one of the other filters such that the filter house module still has clean air passing therethrough while the filter is being replaced.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter has a width of at least three feet, a height of at least three feet and a length of at least three feet and has a weight of 150 kg.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shipping container is an intermodal shipping container.

21. The method of clam 1 , wherein the replacement filter is a refurbished filter that had been previously in service;
further comprising forming the replacement

Assignees

• Green Thomas B
• Tate Jason Lamarr
• Castellano Leonard R
• Hiner Stephen David
• Pastrana Ryan Margate
• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Green Thomas B
• Tate Jason Lamarr
• Castellano Leonard R
• Hiner Stephen David
• Pastrana Ryan Margate

Classifications

• B01D35/30

  Filter housing constructions · CPC title

• B01D46/62

  connected in series · CPC title

• B01D41/04

  of rigid self-supporting filtering material · CPC title

• B01D46/88

  Replacing filter elements · CPC title

• B01D46/0005 Primary

  Mounting of filtering elements within casings, housings or frames (B01D46/2422 takes precedence) · CPC title