FOLDABLE FILTER

Abstract

A foldable filter comprising a pleated section, said pleated section having a plurality of pleats and where said filter is in its operating configuration, each pleat has an operating width (W) from an air direction facing tip of one pleat to an air direction facing tip of the next pleat which is from 5 to 10% of a pleat amplitude (A), where said pleat amplitude is from 15 to 30 mm, and wherein said filter comprises an adhesive melt on a portion of the pleat tips to prevent those pleats extending substantially beyond said operating width (W) and wherein the means for preventing a portion of the pleats from extending beyond said operating width is adhesive fixed to a plurality of air direction facing tips. The invention also relates to an air purifier comprising such a foldable filter, as well as the foldable filter in a folded configuration and a packaged foldable filter comprising secondary packaging.

Claims

1. A foldable filter comprising a pleated section, said pleated section having a plurality of pleats and where said filter is in its operating configuration, each pleat has an operating width (W) from an air direction facing tip of one pleat to an air direction facing tip of the next pleat which is from 5 to 10% of a pleat amplitude (A), where said pleat amplitude is from 5 to 35 mm, and wherein said filter comprises an adhesive melt on a portion of the pleat tips to prevent those pleats extending substantially beyond said operating width (W) and wherein the means for preventing a portion of the pleats from extending beyond said operating width is adhesive fixed to a plurality of air direction facing tips.

2. The foldable filter according to claim 1 which is frameless.

3. The foldable filter according to claim 1, comprising a first and second end at opposite ends of the filter from one another and a means for attaching said first and second end to a cooperating means on an air purifying device or to the other of the first or second end.

4. The foldable filter according to claim 1 wherein the means for preventing a portion of the pleats from extending beyond said operating width is a strap connected to a plurality of air direction facing tips.

5. The foldable filter according to claim 1 in a folded configuration.

6. The foldable filter according to claim 1 wherein the foldable filter is packaged in a primary package and further packaged in secondary packaging.

7. An air purifier comprising a housing, a motor which is operated by a power source, an air displacement means, an air inlet and an air outlet and a removable and foldable filter according to claim 1.

8. The foldable filter according to claim 6 wherein the secondary packaging is shrink wrap, paper or cardboard.

Description

[0029] Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting drawings in which

[0030] FIGS. 1a and 1b show a filter in schematic and in perspective view,

[0031] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a filter in an air purifier,

[0032] FIGS. 3a and 3b are a schematic showing how the filter pleats are held in an operating configuration,

[0033] FIGS. 4a and 4b are a similar schematic for an alternative embodiment,

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a folded and packaged filter and FIG. 6 shows an unfolded filter and the means for attaching to a device.

[0035] FIG. 1a is a schematic representation of the pleat structure to show the relationship between the pleat tips and the air direction.

[0036] The air direction is shown by the arrows and the ambient air is forced through the pleated filter and purified as a result.

[0037] The pleat contains a series of opposing tips, the first set of tips (1) face the air flow while those on the opposite side (2) face the opposite direction.

[0038] The imaginary line (3) linking the air direction facing tips (1) is shown as is the imaginary line (4) linking the opposite tips (2). The distance between them is shown by distance (5). Similarly, the distance between neighbouring tips is also shown (6).

[0039] FIG. 1b is the same filter in perspective view.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a filter (1) disposed in a circular configuration in an air purifier (3). The filter has a fan (2) which drives air through the device.

[0041] The filter (1) is connected to an operating module (4) by means of attachment means (6 and 7). The operating module (4) has an operating knob (5).

[0042] FIGS. 3a and 3b show a filter in an unfolded (3a) and folded (3b) configuration.

[0043] In 3a the filter is maintained in an operating configuration by a strap (2) which is fixed to the filter (1) at the pleat tips (3). The strap (2) is unable to stretch beyond that which is required to maintain an operating width between the adjacent tips (3).

[0044] In 3b the same filter is folded and the strap (2) is in a relaxed, un-stretched state as the pleat tips (3) are closer together.

[0045] In FIGS. 4a and 4a the tips distances are controlled by an adhesive (4) which is sufficiently resilient that the tips are maintained apart no more than a working distance when in operating configuration (4a) and yet can be squashed together when in a folded configuration (4b).

[0046] In FIG. 5 the filter (1) is folded and maintained in secondary packaging in the form of shrink fit packaging (3).

[0047] In FIG. 6 are shown the filter (1) and a pair of attachment means (2) and (3) on the opposing ends of the filter. These ends are used to attach to the air purifier to help maintain the filter in a stretched configuration during operation.