Pressure and Heat Molded Polymer Tube, ect.

Abstract

A pressure and heat molded polymer tube, formed of miniscule polyethylene beads, each in the vicinity of 115 um powder in diameter, which when compression molded forms pores that are of uniform diameter throughout their length within the range of 5 um-10 um, the tube having an upper flange, that mates within a correspondently shaped grommet, which when applied to the transverse plate of an air filtration housing, functions to cleanse highly efficiently the dust particles and debris from the air being filtered, when passing through the filtration system, so that such purified air can be discharged safely.

Claims

1. A pressure and heat molded polymer tube having uniform miniscule pores extending through the tubs to prevent dust passage during air filtration when used with the conveyance of granular and powdery materials, said filtration tube used in a dust filtering and collection system for application with a vacuum loading/unloading vehicle, said system for use for moving products such as fine granular or powdery particles in use with a vacuum source for conveying such materials to and from a conveying or storage chamber, and wherein said system includes a filtration housing incorporating a suspension member in its upper interior and wherein at least one of said filtration tubes being suspended for filtering of the dust laden particles from the incoming air during usage of the filtration system while air filtering; said filtration tube formed as a molded cylindrical tube of substantial length, said tube having an integral flange formed at its upper end, said tube and flange formed by molding of polyethylene beads, said beads being of a diametric width within the range between about 90 microns to 130 microns, and molded with optimum heat to fuse beads together without causing thermal degradation; the molded tube forming pores therethrough that are of a uniform diameter throughout between 5 microns to 10 microns and thereby allowing for flow of the cleansing air through the filtration system but preventing the passage of any debris or dust materials therethrough; and said at least one filtration tube being secured within the housing by means of a grommet.

2. The filtration tube of claim 1 and wherein said molded tube is seamless.

3. The filtration tube of claim 2 and wherein said molded tube has a flat bottom, and capable of filtering the air therethrough.

4. The air filtering system of claim 2 and wherein said suspension member provided within the filtration housing comprising a transverse plate extending across the approximate upper end of said housing, and said transverse plate provided for supporting a plurality of the filtration tubes.

5. The filtration tube of claim 2 wherein said tube is about 0.25″ to 0.8″ inch in internal diameter, and said tube is about 24″ to 48″ in length.

6. The filtration tube of claim 5, and wherein said tube is 36″ in length, and said tube having an outside diameter of 0.620″.

7. The filtration tube of claim 1 wherein said polymer polyethylene beads being cast molded having a diameter of approximately 115 microns.

8. The filtration system of claim 4 wherein said grommet securing to the upper end of the molded tube, and held thereto upon the integral flange of said filtration tube, and said transverse plate having an aperture provided therethrough, and said tube and attached grommet securing through said plate aperture and locking said grommet onto the associated plate.

9. The filtration system of claim 8 wherein there are a plurality of tube supporting grommets secured to said transverse plate.

10. The filtration system of claim 9 wherein there are at least 120 tube holding grommets secured through said transverse plate during operation of the filtration system.

11. The filtration system of claim 8, wherein said grommet includes an integrally extending flange that secures against the upper surface of said transverse plate when installed, and said grommet includes at least one integral barb at its lower end and capable of biasing against the lower surface of said transverse plate to thereby lock said grommet and its supported tube with the transverse plate when installed for filtration usage.

12. A pressure and heat molded polymer tube having uniform miniscule pores extending through the tubes to prevent dust passage during air filtration when used with the conveyance of granular and powdery materials, said filtration tube used in a dust filtering and collection system for application with a pressure loading/unloading vehicle, said system for use for moving products such as fine granular or powdery particles in use with a pressure source for conveying such materials to and from a conveying or storage chamber, and wherein said system includes a filtration housing incorporating a suspension member in its upper interior and wherein at least one of said filtration tubes being suspended for filtering of the dust laden particles from the incoming air during usage of the filtration system while air filtering; said filtration tube formed as a molded cylindrical tube of substantial length, said tube having an integral flange formed at its upper end, said tube and flange formed by molding of polyethylene beads, said beads being of a diametric width within the range between about 90 microns to 130 microns, and molded with optimum heat to fuse beads together without causing thermal degradation; the molded tube forming pores therethrough that are of a uniform diameter throughout between 5 microns to 10 microns and thereby allowing for flow of the cleansing air through the filtration system but preventing the passage of any debris or dust materials therethrough; and said at least one filtration tube being secured within the housing by means of a grommet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In referring to the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the pressure and heat molded polymer tube of this invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

[0028] FIG. 3 is a top view;

[0029] FIG. 4 is a bottom view;

[0030] FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the tube taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

[0031] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

[0032] FIG. 7 is isometric view of the grommet that holds the molded polymer tube within the filtration system;

[0033] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the grommet taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

[0034] FIG. 9 shows a plurality of the grommet supported molded filtration tubes applied to a portion of a transverse plate of the filtration system;

[0035] FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the grommet and supporting transverse plate showing holding in an interlock relationship of the upper end of the filtration tube within its associated grommet;

[0036] FIG. 11 is a view looking interiorly of the air filtration system utilizing the tubes of this current invention and showing how the dust particles accumulated upon the surface of the tubes creating depth filtration during performance of a filtration procedure; and

[0037] FIG. 12 shows usage of the tubes of this current invention and how after the cleaning process, the tubes are completely clean, with the dust particles filtered falling from the smooth surface of such formed molded tubes during the air filtration process, allowing the clean filter tubes to perform at the same efficiency as new tubes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0038] The concept of this invention, and previously summarized, comprises the manufacture of a specific type of polymer tubing, as noted at 1, in FIG. 1, and its inter-engagement with a particularly stylized and configured grommet, as seen at 2, in FIG. 7, and the inter-fitting of the grommet, its supported tube, all secured through a transverse plate, as noted at 3, in FIG. 9.

[0039] As can be noted, in FIGS. 1-4, the configured polymer tube one is fabricated by pressure and heat molding of a polymer, such as polyethylene, which is formed by usage of the casting of said polymer beads, into a molding machine, which can mold the style of tube as noted, and as can be seen in said figures. Through the molding of these tubes of various beads, the beads are a form of polymer powder having generally a dimension in the vicinity of 115 um, or microns, and when compressed together, under heat and pressure, melts the beads into a solid configuration forming the style of tube as noted. The preferred tube includes a cylindrical portion 4 and as formed at its upper end an integral boss type flange 5, and as can be noted, the flange has a rather squared off configuration, having an annular flattened edge, as noted at 6, and which can conveniently cooperate with the grommet 2, when located therein, to lock the upper end of the tube into position, within said grommet 2, as can be seen in the FIG. 10.

[0040] As previously summarized, the polymer beads of these dimensions when pressure molded are compressed together in the formation of a smooth cylindrical tube, smoothest on its outer surface, as at 7, designed for facilitating the slide off of any dust particles that accumulate against the outer surface of the tubing, when such polymer tubes are located within the filtration housing (not shown), but as noted in select prior applications as identified herein, so that the accumulated dust will slide off the tube, into the bottom of the filtration housing, leaving the surface of the variety of tubes that are clean, and receptive of the filtering of further incoming air, during its processing. These molded polyethylene beads have been designed to form uniform pores through their cylindrical walls, and said pores are in the range of approximately 5 um-10 um, (microns), which are smaller usually than the diameter of the incoming dust laden air, so that the air will pass for filtering therethrough, but the dust particles will remain upon the surface of the tubes, to assure the cleanliness of the air passing through the filtration system, is unadulterated when used for conveying of the various granular materials and powders that are being conveyed by the types of identified vehicles, in which the filtration system of this invention is utilized.

[0041] These FIGS. 1-4, generally provide a schematic appearance of the variety of beads as compressed together, during the compression molding process, but which still has some very small porosity, to allow for passage of dust laden air through them, to cleanse the air, but to separate the dust and keep it exteriorly of the tube length, as can be noted. Furthermore, the filtration process, as can be seen, is undertaken throughout the entire length of the tube, as noted, and as can be seen in FIG. 4, even the bottom of the tube is reasonably molded in a squared off configuration, as noted at 8, and therefore also provides a surface that can separate the dust from the moving air, during its cleansing process. Hence, the efficiency of usage of the molded tube for dust filtering purposes is essentially available over 100% of the formed cast molded polymer tube, as can be understood.

[0042] The flange 5, as noted in FIG. 3, does have its squared off annular edge, as noted at 6, to provide for its conveniently inter-fitting within the associated grommet, when the two are assembled, in preparation for their installation within the transverse plate 3 of the filtration system.

[0043] The grommet, as noted in FIG. 7, includes a length of cylindrical member, as can be seen at 9, it has an upper portion that forms a higher boss like member 10, which is wider diametrically than the plate aperture through which it inserts, as can be seen in FIG. 9, and interiorly thereof, the boss has a shaped groove, as noted at 11, and into which the tube flange 5 conveniently inserts, when the tube is inserted through the flexible grommet, and locates its upper end within the same, so that the flange 5 locks into position within the groove 11, to interconnect these two components together.

[0044] As can also be seen, the bottom of the grommet has at least one barb like configuration, as at 12, and this portion of the grommet is designed for fitting under the plate 3, when installed therein, and prevents the grommet from rising up at a significant distance within the plate, and holds its associated filtration tube in position, when subject to the operations and pressures of the air filtration system of this invention. It can also be seen that the bottom of the boss like flange 10, as at 13, biases against the upper surface of the plate 3, as can be noted in FIG. 9, and therefore, in combination with the barbs at 12, conveniently locks the grommet into position with the plate, and prevents its displacement, as when subjected to significant air pressure, during operations of the filtration system of this invention. Furthermore, as can be seen, there are a series of integral O-type ring like members 14 that engage against the inner edge of the plate aperture, to assure that the air will not bypass the grommet, and to seal the grommet into position within the structured plate, in addition to its supported filtration tube, as can be understood.

[0045] Hence, heretofore, when the filter tubes just had a crimped upper edge, the pressure of the air sometimes uncrimps the upper end of the tube, and pushes the tube from the grommet, thereby substantially decreasing if not eliminating the ability of the filtration system to filter out the dust particles from the passing air, during usage. With this construction of the components as defined herein, there is little potential for the tube coming free from the grommet, or grommet coming free from its suspension within the aperture of the associated plate 3, during its usage.

[0046] FIGS. 5 and 6 provide enlarged sectional views of the air filtration tube 4 with its smooth outer surface 7, and the various pores, as noted at 15, while being expanded in size to provide for its showing of the porosity of the tube, as along its outer surface 7, and through the interior thereof, while appearing to be sizable of passage, are actually in that porosity range as previously described as between about 5 um-10 um (microns) in size. It can also be seen at the bottom of the tube, as noted at 8, also has those pores, as can be seen at 16, provided therethrough, to also furnish air filtration at the bottom of the tube, as can be understood. These pores also are within the same micron range as previously described for the side walls of the cylindrical air filtration tube 4, as previously reviewed.

[0047] Also, as can be seen in FIG. 8, the interior 17 of the grommet has a knurled interior surface, as can be seen at 18, and this is provided for securing the upper end of the filtration tube therein when installed as noted in FIG. 10, to assure that the upper end of the tube remains in place, and cannot be displaced by means of any highly pressurized air, that may be passing through the tube, during the air filtration process.

[0048] FIG. 11 shows the tubes of the current invention, but as noted, when viewed after a filtration process, the dust particles have accumulated on the exterior surface of the tubes. FIG. 12 shows the usage of the tubes of the current invention, located within the filtration housing, at the end of a cleaning process, and as can be noted, the tubes are completely clean, because of the smooth outer surface of the tubes, when formed, containing those various miniscule pores, that does not allow for the dust particles to accumulate within the tubes, or wedge therein, but keep the dust upon the outer surface of the tubes, and which when the filtration process is completed, such accumulated dust just simply falls off of the tubes of the entire filtration system, as noted.

[0049] Basically, the concept of this invention is to utilize a particular range of polyethylene beads, in powder form, somewhere in the vicinity of 115 um (microns), which when molded under heat and pressure, forms those miniscule air passing pores, within that 5 um-10 um range, so that air will pass and be cleansed, but that dust and any other debris will remain exteriorly thereof, and be filtered from the clean air as required for further usage in conveying of the identified type of granular materials, as previously explained.

[0050] Variations or modifications to the subject matter of this invention may occur to those skilled in the art upon review of the development as explained herein, and such variations, if within the spirit of this invention, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of any claims to patent protection issuing herein. The definition of the invention in the Specification, and its depiction in the Drawings, are set forth for illustrative purposes only