Method and apparatus for integrating chemical and environmental sensors into an air purification filter through a reusable sensor post

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016354718-A1
Application number	US-201615237782-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 16, 2016
Priority date	Aug 6, 2010
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor device is disclosed for providing end of service life indication for an air purification filter. The sensor device has a cylindrical housing for insertion into a sorbent bed of a filter, and can be removed from the bed and reused at the end of the filter service. One or more sensors inside the housing are configured to sense physical/chemical characteristics of air passing through the sorbent bed, and to provide associated data to a sensor conditioning board within the housing. The sensor conditioning board processes the received data and conditions the data as desired. The housing is receivable in a cavity formed in the filter bed. A receiving structure receives the housing therein. Data from the one or more sensors can be used to calculate predicted end of service life of the filter. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

First claim

1 . A sensor device for end of service life indication, comprising:
a housing having an outer surface, a longitudinal cavity, and at least one opening along the outer surface; a sensor for detection of one or more chemicals, the sensor positioned within the longitudinal cavity adjacent the at least one opening; a sensor conditioning board for processing sensor data from the sensor; and a power supply for powering the sensor conditioning board, wherein the housing is removably insertable into a sorbent bed of a filter element, and wherein the housing is configured to be removed from the sorbent bed of the filter element and reused.

2 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is removable from the sorbent bed without disturbing the sorbent bed.

3 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the housing and the sorbent are reusable after the housing is removed from the sorbent bed.

4 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to be removed from and reinserted into and reused with the sorbent bed of the filter element, and wherein the housing is configured to be reused with another sorbent bed of another filter element.

5 . The sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a receiving structure in the sorbent bed, the receiving structure receiving a portion of the housing therein, wherein the receiving structure includes at least one opening extending from an inside of the receiving structure to an outside of the receiving structure, the opening configured to allow vapor flow from said sorbent bed to the at least one opening of the housing when the housing is placed within the receiving structure.

6 . The sensor device of claim 5 , wherein the receiving structure substantially extends the length of the sorbent bed of the filter.

7 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises one or more chemical concentration sensors positioned along a length of said housing, each of said sensors associated with an opening in said housing.

8 . The sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising an environmental sensor package within the longitudinal cavity of the housing having at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of a chemical concentration sensor, a temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, and a flow rate sensor.

9 . The sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising an external seal along the circumference of the housing, said external seal for sealing the outer surface of the housing to a receiving structure of the sorbent bed.

10 . The sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising a receiving structure in a filter bed cavity in the sorbent bed, the receiving structure receiving a portion of the housing therein, the receiving structure including a membrane at a top portion thereof for isolating an end of the housing from particulate or liquid contaminants in the sorbent bed, but allowing gas permeation.

11 . A sensor device for end of service life indication, comprising:
a housing; and a sensor positioned within the housing, wherein the sensor is configured to detect one or more chemicals, wherein the housing is removably insertable into a sorbent bed of a filter element, and wherein the housing is configured to be removed from the sorbent bed of the filter element and reused.

12 . The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein the housing is removable from the sorbent bed without disturbing the sorbent bed.

13 . The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein the housing and the sorbent are reusable after the housing is removed from the sorbent bed.

14 . The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein the housing is configured to be removed from and reinserted into and reused with the sorbent bed of the filter element, and wherein the housing is configured to be reused with another sorbent bed of another filter element.

15 . The sensor device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a sensor conditioning board for processing sensor data from the sensor; and a power supply for powering the sensor conditioning board,

16 . The sensor device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a receiving structure in the sorbent bed, the receiving structure receiving a portion of the housing therein, wherein the receiving structure includes at least one opening extending from an inside of the receiving structure to an outside of the receiving structure, the opening configured to allow vapor flow from said sorbent bed to the at least one opening of the housing when the housing is placed within the receiving structure, wherein the receiving structure substantially extends the length of the sorbent bed of the filter.

17 . The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein the sensor comprises one or more chemical concentration sensors positioned along a length of said housing, each of said sensors associated with an opening in said housing.

18 . The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of chemical concentration sensors positioned along a length of said housing, the device further comprising a plurality of seals, at least one of said seals positioned adjacent an outer surface of the housing to isolate the chemical concentration sensors from each other.

19 . The sensor device of claim 11 , further comprising a receiving structure in a filter bed cavity in the sorbent bed, the receiving structure receiving a portion of the housing therein, the receiving structure including a membrane at a top portion thereof for isolating an end of the housing from particulate or liquid contaminants in the sorbent bed, but allowing gas permeation.

20 . A sensor device for end of service life indication, comprising:
a housing; and a sensor positioned within the housing, wherein the sensor is configured to detect one or more chemicals, wherein the housing is removably insertable into a sorbent bed of a filter element, wherein the housing is configured to be removed from the sorbent bed of the filter element and reused, wherein the housing is removable from the sorbent bed without disturbing the sorbent bed, wherein the housing and the sorbent are reusable after the housing is removed from the sorbent bed, wherein the housing is configured to be removed from and reinserted into and reused with the sorbent bed of the filter element, and wherein the housing is configured to be reused with another sorbent bed of another filter element.

Assignees

• Scott Tech Inc

Inventors

• Ding Frank
• Quiring Amy E
• Parham Michael

Classifications

• A62B18/088

  Devices for indicating filter saturation · CPC title

• B01D46/444

  by flow measuring · CPC title

• B01D46/448

  by temperature measuring · CPC title

• B01D53/04 Primary

  with stationary adsorbents {(B01D53/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B01D46/429

  Means for wireless communication · CPC title