WO2000061262A1

WO2000061262A1 - Brush filter

Info

Publication number: WO2000061262A1
Application number: PCT/IT2000/000143
Authority: WO
Inventors: Romano Murri
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-04-13
Filing date: 2000-04-13
Publication date: 2000-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 2001-10-13
Also published as: AU4312700A; IT1307555B1; ITRM990222A1

Abstract

A multiple action filter with components structured in a 'cord' or also a 'ribbon' form is in the first case filter element to be inserted in a conduit, and in the second case, besides being inserted, it may also form conduit itself. The principles of action are basically dynamic: adhesion, cohesion, capillarity and chemical, physical, magnetic, electric or others which may be exploited wholly or partially.

Description

BRUSH FILTER

DESCRIPTION The device consists of filter elements of various shapes and/or composition to be placed along the obligatory flow of the smoke or of the fluid to be filtered, elements which have dynamic position which is such that it conditions the movement of the polluting particles towards sites from which it is increasingly difficult for them to come out. It is particularly designed in relation to use in tobacco smoke for an application inside the cigarette or in another smoking device.

There follows a description of the principles of functioning and the manufacturing with a descriptive and not a limiting coverage of the possibilities for the manufacture and use of the device which consists of a filter element combining the inertia action of the flow with the effects based on adhesion, cohesion, capillarity, chemical, electrical and other possible properties such as magnetism and any others, individually or in combination, in order to obtain the result of maximum filtering to remove the elements from which the flow requires cleaning. A basic characteristic of the device is that it may be a "cord" type, used in parts whose length varies according to the result to be obtained, used by placing these parts along a conduit of fluid to be filtered. The filter elements, which may be of the "cilia" type, like small lamellas of various shapes best suited to retaining the particles or the substances to be filtered.

In the case of a "cord" system these will be trapped in an element consisting of a continuous structure which may be used in sections of various lengths according to the requirements and the possibilities involved in the type of use, in the case of a "ribbon" structure arranged on the surface so that the filter can be placed, by suitably positioning the ribbon, along the flow to be filtered.

In both cases the work of the filter elements may be optimised by elements conditioning the flow path, which may be integrated in the two structures or also be independent and used on a complementary basis only in the final assembly. Obviously the two types of construction may be used together and the same structure may be modular, utilising the various systems and any elements for conditioning the flow. In the most basic version illustrated here with a descriptive and not a limiting coverage of the possibilities of manufacturing and use, the filter element may consist of a series of cilia which are basically longitudinal elements suitably oriented in order to better act on the pollutants contained in the fluid passing along them. There is basically a brushing effect in which it is not the brush that moves but rather the flow that moves along it, with a further action of retaining the filtered elements according to the structure and of position and shape of the filter elements, which may be in the form of hairs, lamellas, spiral, small solid or hollow cylinders or any other shape and composition deemed and verified to be the best suited to achieve the required filtering effect. Studying and testing the efficiency and the structure of these elements, one can also choose the percentage of efficiency of the filter or the specificity of the substances to be filtered.

For example, if we want to filter larger particles from a flow the sequence of elements can be made thicker until the required result is achieved; on the other hand, if we want to hold the smallest particles, the structure must be such that larger particles are not retained in the spaces of the filter, as shown in the attached drawings.

If the aforesaid filter elements are structured in such a way as to be based on a "ribbon" type element, all of the above would have the same effect with the suitable positioning of the ribbon, and therefore the filter elements (considering among these the retaining elements and the any eventual flow conditioning elements) with respect to the flow to be filtered.

It should be considered that the filter elements, if the part to be filtered had characteristics other than larger or smaller size, colloidal properties or other features, they should have characteristics making them suited to retaining the substances to be filtered. In order to better illustrate the functioning with a descriptive and not a limiting coverage, given the great variety possible solutions in the context of the principle stated above, with the hypothesis of a tubular conduit which can be part of the filter or an external component in which the filter is inserted; insertion in a straight, curved or other parallelepiped section is also valid. In this tubular element, taken by way of example with a descriptive and not a limiting coverage, we assume that an element is inserted inside, being composed of a pile with the shape, length and structure of the hairs specifically designed in order to optimise the filtering yield according to the position of the filters, and the characteristics of the flow and of the elements to be filtered, originating in the central part of the conduit and having the ends pointing towards the fluid input so that any particles coming into contact with these elements will flow along them to their base, where the greater number of these hairs compared to the open space and their closeness to one another would form a sort of trap from which only a energy in the opposite direction would manage to free them and make them flow freely. In order to enhance this function of the system if the flow were to be determined by a depression force downstream from the filter itself, one of the many possible hypothetical solutions is the insertion in the conduit of a solid spiral structure or with alternating blockage elements obliging the flow to go along the part left free by these elements, and to pass along a spiral or zigzag path going from the inlet to the outlet. In the part of the space left free and available for the flow, elements are inserted which may have a wide variety of shapes, though we conceive of them as being similar to hairs or thin lamellas installed in a radial fashion with respect to the section of the tubular element; in the central part they will naturally be much thicker than in the peripheral part, thus almost stopping the flow, which will pass more easily by moving away from the central part although this path is longer. This creates an ideal path between the resistance of the filter elements and the length of the path in such a way that the maximum filter effect is achieved with the least energy. If these cilia elements are arranged in such a way that that the ends are in the direction of the flow inlet, these would form traps for the larger size particles. Furthermore, or example, if we wanted to clean the humid part of a fluid, the filter elements could consist of thin strips of absorbent material and so on, considering, for example the electric charge of the particles to be retained and that of the filter elements and any other possible relationship between the material to be filtered and filter element considered individually or in combination with other factors. The structure of the aforesaid cilia elements could enhance the particles flow (for example, tar) in a longitudinal direction and not in a crosswise direction with respect to the cilia.

We should also consider the possibility by which the path is made longer by elements placed alternatively across it with respect to the direction of the flow, elements which may be simple obstacles or filter elements. The combination of these elements and of one or more spiral elements is also possible, as long as they are blocking or filtering elements, or elements which are in any case suited to the intended purpose.

Inside the conduit of the fluid to be filtered, according to the section and length characteristics of the conduit, and the density, of velocity, duration etc. of the fluid, and also according to of the characteristics of the substances to be filtered, we can choose to intensify or reduce the spiral elements, the elements blocking the flow, the cilia or lamellar elements or other features for the required purpose; we can therefore multiply the spiral element or multiply the number of conduits and/or the concentration of the filter elements, as illustrated in the drawings, as always with a descriptive and not a limiting coverage. Reference will mainly be made to systems suited for insertion in cigarettes since research and testing was conducted above all in this field, although any other use shall be deemed to be included in this patent where the construction and use follow the same principles. Basically, the principles consist in the fact that filter elements are installed along a central "cord" element or along an element having a size considerably smaller than for the "ribbon" element. These elements, cord or ribbon, placed along a conduit or curved and mounted in such a way as to form a conduit, mounted individually, jointly, with or without elements designed to alter the dynamics of the fluid (which elements may also jointly have a filter function) are dimensioned and used in such a way as to achieve the desired result.

The dynamics of the conduit, the shape and position of the filter elements and the fact that in their agglomeration of these or points of contact with the surface to which the adhere form traps for the material to be filtered, represent the flexibility of application of the "cord" or "ribbon" system mentioned above.

We shall try to illustrate a wide range of solutions, while stating elements which are indicative of and not limiting on the infinite possibilities of manufacturing on the basis of a number of factors, starting from the result to be achieved with regard to the elements to be filtered and their composition, and considering the physical and chemical structure of the materials to be used, the industrial process necessary for manufacturing, the industrial development of the product to be installed inside the filters, the industrial cost of manufacturing and installation, the choice on how to consider the presence of these filters and a wide variety of other considerations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS Illustration 1 :

Fig. 1 shows a spiral "lamellar" filter element. The arrow SD indicates the direction of the flow through the concentration of filter elements in the centre of the structure, near the axis central cord.

Fig. 2 shows a filter element consisting of hairs, which starting from the central element, point against the flow.

Illustration 2:

Fig. 3 shows a cord structure with a spiral arrangement of cilia elements, Fig. 5 shows a detail of the structure near the central cord, and Fig. 4 shows the density of the filter elements with respect to the cross-section of the conduit. Illustration 3

Fig. 6 Shows a ribbon filter element with cilia elements, which as can be seen, due to curving, become thicker in the central part; if the elements had sizes varying on a cyclical basis, they could generate spiral structures with alternately increasing dimensions and other possibilities. Fig. 7 shows a section of the conduit determined by the ribbon element used as an essential component of the conduit. The ribbon element could obviously be inserted in a conduit lengthwise, in a straight position or with a rotation and therefore a spiral position, with elements on one or both sides of the ribbon. Fig. 8 and 9 show two sections of a conduit with lamellar filter elements with alternating points of origin on the external ribbon, which can be useful according to the direction of the flow.

Illustration 4

Fig. 10 shows a "cilia" ribbon element terminating in the part forming the conduit, with SD being the direction of the flow which would achieve the result indicated in Fig. 12 with particles tending to deposit mainly in the peripheral area, near the point of origin of the cilia elements; this point of origin may be structured to collect the pollutants as shown in the enlargement of the detail.

Fig. 13 shows the same structure used in an inverse way with the collection in the central part; here the cilia elements may be structured at the end in such a way as to collect and retain pollutants, as shown in the enlargement of the detail.

Fig. 11 shows a ribbon structure a ribbon with "spatula" elements which can be structured according to the elements to be collected.

CF shows a section of two flow conveyors suited to improving the functioning. Illustration 5

Fig. 14 shows a spiral lamellar structure in which in which the shape of the lamellas is shown purely by way of example and could obviously have the widest possible variety of shape, thickness and other characteristics. Fig. 15 shows the same type of structure but with cilia elements. Fig. 16 shows a cord structure containing three spiral conduits in which the cilia elements are thicker towards the axis and thinner towards the periphery.

Illustration 6

Fig. 17, 18 and 19 show three sections of cord structures containing flow conveyor elements indicated with CF.

Illustration 7 Fig. 20 shows the insertion of a cord element along the spiral spaces created by a flow conveying structure labelled CF; FD is the flow direction of the flow that seems to be the most suitable for application in a filter for cigarettes.

Illustration 8

Fig. 21 shows a spiral structure with the cord filter element installed and with the picture of the result obtainable.

Illustration 9

Fig. 21 shows a filter element with a spiral conveying structure; Fig. 22 and 23 show two types of spiral structures which could be applied in the filtering of tobacco smoke.

Illustration 10 Fig. 24 shows the section of a ribbon structure a ribbon with conveying elements CF and filter elements EF; Fig. 25 shows a cross-section of the tubular filter created by the ribbon element a ribbon and the some with a longitudinal section in Fig. 26.

Illustration 11 Fig. 27, 28 and 29 show three pictures of parts of cord structures to be inserted in a tubular conduit in which the smoke would follow a spiral path tending to take the shortest route and therefore the one with the greatest density of filter elements.

Illustration 12

Fig. 30 shows the section of a cord element with: CF flow conveying element, EF filter elements, F direction of the flow; in Fig. 31, a cross-section of the same and in Fig. 31 the longitudinal section of a cigarette with a cord filter, with T being the part containing the tobacco and SD the direction of the smoke inhaled by the smoker.

Claims

1. Filter consisting of - a central element with a longitudinal structure from which filter elements start.

52. As in point 1 but with filter elements placed in a radial fashion.

3. As in points 1 and 2 but with filter elements placed in a spiral fashion.

4. As in points 1, 2, 3 but with filter elements inclined against the direction of the flow.

5. As in points 1, 2, 3, but with filter elements inclined in the direction of the flow.

6. As in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, but with filter elements inclined in any direction.

107. Filter consisting of a ribbon element on the surface or on part of which the filter elements start.

8. As in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, but with the central element consisting of a continuos ring.

9. As in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, but with the central element used in parts of varying length.

10. As in point 7, with the ribbon placed longitudinally in a conduit. 1511. As in points 7, 10, with ribbon acting as a flow container element.

12. As in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, with filter elements formed by bodies resembling cilia.

13. As in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, with filter elements formed by bodies resembling lamellas or spatulas.

2014. As in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, with filter elements of various shapes, regular or irregular.

15. As in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, with filter elements of one material only.

16. As in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, with filter elements composed of 25 various materials.

17. As in puntil, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, with elements designed to condition the flow.

18. As in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, with elements designed to condition the flow with a filtering function.

3019. As in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, with the various systems used wholly or partially in an individual or joint fashion.