EP1852185A1

EP1852185A1 - Laboratory filtration hood

Info

Publication number: EP1852185A1
Application number: EP06425301A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sergio.c/o Gruppo Strola S.A.S. Tosetti
Original assignee: Gruppo Strola Sas
Current assignee: Gruppo Strola Sas
Priority date: 2006-05-03
Filing date: 2006-05-03
Publication date: 2007-11-07

Abstract

A multifunction molecular filtration hood (1) is described, comprising: a containing cabin (3); at least one filtering body (5); at least one sucking system (7) placed downstream of the filtering body (5); and means (9) for switching between an air expulsion mode through an opening (14) exclusively with recirculation in the environment after filtration, and an air expulsion mode exclusively outside the environment through an extraction channel (16) after filtration.

Description

The present invention refers to a multifunction molecular filtration hood.
Molecular filtration hoods are protection tools for technical operators in chemical laboratories, such operators being subjected to the risk of inhalation of toxic, obnoxious, allergic vapours etc.
The main components of a molecular filtration hood are:

containing cabin, where risky handlings are performed; such cabin is kept under vacuum (negative pressure), in order to guarantee a containment of toxic substances inside the cabin;
filtering body, normally composed of a battery of active carbon filters, or impregnated for the molecular filtration, and/or Hepa/Ulpa absolute filters for the absolute filtration of parts;
sucking system, through electric fan downstream of the filtering body, which decompresses the containing cabin and takes care of expelling the filtered air into the environment.

Currently, molecular filtration hoods operate in two modes:

1 - by expelling air, only with recirculation in the environment, after filtration
2 - by expelling air exclusively outside of the environment, through suitable extraction channels, after filtration.

Object of the present invention is providing a molecular filtration hood in which it is possible to realise a third operating mode, which allows the standard use of the molecular filtration hood with air recirculation in the environment according to the operating modes with which the filtration hood was created. If however there is the risk of lack of safety of the filtering system, or if the operators simply so desire, air, after filtration, can be expelled outside through the expulsion channel.
Substantially, both operating modes can be used on a single type/model of hood through a by-pass system of any type or operation, which, upon a simple request from the operator, can send air, normally expelled into the confined environment in which the hood is placed, completely under total expulsion outside said confined environment.
The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained from a molecular filtration hood as claimed in Claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are claimed in the dependent Claims.
The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a filtration hood according to the present invention in a first operating mode thereof; and
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, in which the hood is shown in a second operating mode thereof.

With reference to the Figures, a preferred embodiment of the molecular filtration hood of the present invention is shown and described. It will be immediately obvious to the skilled people in the art that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to the described hood, without departing from the scope of the invention, as claimed in the enclosed claims.
With reference to the Figures, a multifunction molecular filtration hood 1 according to the present invention substantially comprises:

a containing cabin 3;
at least one filtering body 5 contained in the cabin 3, and possibly equipped with a pre-filter 6;
at least one sucking system 7 contained in the cabin 3, placed downstream of the filtering body 5 and actuated by a motor 8; and
means 9 for switching between an air expulsion mode through an opening 14 exclusively with recirculation in the environment after filtration (as shown in Fig. 2), and an air expulsion mode exclusively outside the environment through an extraction channel 16 after filtration (as shown in Fig. 1).

Substantially, the inventive hood 1 proposes a third operating mode, which allows the standard use of the molecular filtration hood with air recirculation in the environment, according to the operating modes with which the filtration hood was created.
Moreover, when there is the risk of a lack of safety of the filtering system, or if simply the operators so desire, air, after filtration, can be expelled outside through the expulsion channel.
In practice, both operating possibilities can be used on a single type/model of hood 1, through the means 9, which are preferably composed of a by-pass system of any type or operation, which, upon a simple operator's request, can send air, normally expelled in the confined environment in which the hood is placed, completely in expulsion outside said confined environment.
The by-pass systems 9 can be of any type and nature, provided that they allow using filtration hoods in a standard way and, simultaneously, upon request, can allow expulsion after filtration.
The means 9 can be realised inside the hood 1 (as shown in the Figures, in which 10 schematically designates a non-limiting actuator, for the alternate closure of opening 14 and channel 16), or outside the hood 1, in an easy way to realise, for example in the first part of the expulsion pipe, with a throttle system (not shown) to which a pipe can be connected, which re-sends air into the environment.
In addition to possible manual by-pass systems, electric servo systems (not shown) can be used, equipped with electronic controls which can monitor the assembly safety.
As regards the intrinsic safety of the hood 1, it will be possible to apply servos to thermal or electro-chemical sensors, or to remote controls (not shown).

Claims

Multifunction molecular filtration hood (1) comprising:
- a containing cabin (3);

- at least one filtering body (5) contained in said cabin (3);

- at least one sucking system (7) contained in said cabin (3) and placed downstream of said filtering body (5) ;
characterised in that it further comprises:
- means (9) for switching between an air expulsion mode through an opening (14) exclusively with recirculation in the environment after filtration, and an air expulsion mode exclusively outside the environment through an extraction channel (16) after filtration.
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said means (9) are composed of a by-pass system.
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said means (9) are composed of an electric servo system equipped with electronic controls adapted to monitor the safety of said hood (1).
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said means (9) are placed inside said hood (1).
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said means (9) are placed outside said hood (1).
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that said means (9) are composed of a throttle system placed in the first part of the expulsion pipe, to which a pipe which resends air into the environment is connected.
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said hood (1) further comprises servos with thermal or electrochemical sensors.
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said hood (1) further comprises remote controls.
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said containing cabin (3) is adapted to be kept under vacuum or at negative pressure to guarantee a containment of toxic substances inside the cabin (3).
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said filtering body (5) is composed of a battery of active carbon filters.
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said filtering body (5) is composed of a battery of filters with impregnated substances for the molecular filtration.
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said filtering body (5) is composed of a battery of Hepa/Ulpa absolute filters for the absolute filtration of parts.
Molecular filtration hood (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said sucking system (7) is composed of an electric fan placed downstream of said filtering body (5), said electric fan being adapted to decompress said containing cabin (3) and expel the filtered air into the environment.