FR2700204A1 - Filtered air feeder for work position or production line - Google Patents

Abstract

The filtered air feeder consists of a housing (1) with a filter surface (5) and air diffusor grille, and a second housing (2) with an air extractor grille (6). The air diffusor housing can be mounted either vertically or horizontally, and is open at both ends for a through flow of air. The air diffusor and extractor housings are mounted on supports (3), and have guides (11, 12) to control the air flow between them.In a variant the diffusor and extractor housings can be mounted on opposite sides of a production area, with an illuminated ceiling above.

Description

The present invention relates to the design of modular equipment with clean laminar flow for workstations or production lines under particulate control.

The air contains a significant quantity of particles and microorganisms which can constitute contamination by their undesirable presence in a surface or in a protected space.

These particles and microorganisms can cause a qualitative and quantitative disturbance of a precise operation in which the surface or the contaminated space intervenes. This disturbance can reveal itself immediately or reveal itself only afterwards.

Technological evolution leads more and more industrialists to the production of complex products of small dimensions and composed of elements of microscopic sizes, it is the case in particular of the electronic industry, the introduction of a particle undesirable in the manufacturing process could affect the proper functioning of the product and its quality.

For other industrial sectors such as fine chemistry, pharmacology or cosmetology, an undesirable particle will have effects on the purity of the products and may cause biocontamination. This is also the case in the food industry where an undesirable presence in the manufacturing process can lead to biocontamination and infections which can prove fatal. Many other sectors are affected by contamination or biocontamination.

For these sectors it is therefore essential to work and produce in clean volumes where contamination and biocontamination are perfectly controlled.

The device according to the invention makes it possible to ensure clean volumes adapted to the needs ranging from small research laboratory to the industrial production chain.

The laboratories currently use laminar flow hoods equipped with an independent ventilation and filtration system. These hoods are of limited size and performance due to the integration of a basic ventilation system and most often without air treatment. air
They cannot have finely treated air in temperature and hygrometry due to a lack of available space in the system. The proliferation of these imperfectly equipped hoods makes the process cumbersome and costly for installation and operation. Industrialists are generally obliged to carry out "tailor-made" measures and have equipment adapted to their clean air needs usable on production lines.

The equipment according to the invention overcomes these drawbacks and offers users a flexible system adapted to their needs and easy assembly. Indeed, it is constituted by one or more similar boxes acting as conduits allowing the circulation without constraint of the treated air and each containing a filtration plan open on the filtration surface open on the working surface to diffuse or extract the 'air. Poles fixed to the ground allow these boxes to be positioned according to user needs: they can be mounted as desired for a vertical or horizontal laminar flow, be arranged in series on an alignment or two alignments of poles for adaptation to production chains or to large laboratories.

According to the principle, the box constitutes at the same time: the duct, the filtration plan and the air diffusion or extraction plan. Profiled frames are arranged at the ends of the box and on the outer perimeter of the air circulation duct allowing both to position them and to connect them together according to the needs of the users.

Figure 1 shows in section the basic equipment distributing a vertical laminar flow, and comprising a box (l) and a box (2) fixed to posts (3) themselves fixed to the ground. Boxes (1) and (2 ) constitute air circulation ducts (4) provided with filtration planes (5) and protective grids (6) mounted on movable frames (7). The ends (8) of the boxes (1) or (2) are raised externally on three sides to allow mounting of the flanges (9) for connection or attachment to the posts (3).

This equipment can be completed by a horizontal positioning spacer (10), a laminar flow protection strip (11) and a cleanliness panel (12) connecting the boxes (1) and (2).

Figure 2 shows in section an alternative arrangement of the box (1) distributing a horizontal laminar flow and placed at the work surface. The worktop can be attached to the posts (3).

FIG. 3 represents the series mounting of the equipment designated by boxes (l) ensuring the diffusion of air, boxes (2) extracting air, fixed by means of flanges (9) to the posts (3) and connecting the boxes (1) and the boxes (2) to each other.

Figure 4 shows in 3 dimensions the device for connecting the box (1) to the post (3) via a flange (9) and a spacer (10).

FIG. 5 represents a possible adaptation and a variant of this equipment on an industrial production chain.

The box (1) mounted on posts (3) diffuses a clean laminar and horizontal air flow over the production volume (14).

The flow is extracted on the opposite side by 1 or 2 boxes of triangular sections (15) to possibly allow positioning of a glazing (16) for protection and viewing of the clean volume.

All of this equipment can be supplemented by a ceiling luminaire (17) or a material acting on the qualitative aspect of production.

The equipment according to the invention is particularly intended for workstations or production lines under particulate or biological air control.

Claims (9)

1) Equipment making it possible to ensure clean volumes intended for workstations or production lines under particulate and biological control of the air, characterized in that it comprises a box (1) containing a filtration plan (5) and a grid (6) for the diffusion of air and a box (2) containing a grid (6) for the extraction of air. 2) Equipment according to claim 1 characterized in that the box (1) for the diffusion of air can be mounted as desired for a vertical flow or for a horizontal flow. 3) Equipment according to claim 1 characterized in that the box (1) is open at its two ends to allow air circulation. 4) Equipment according to claim 1 and claim 3 characterized in that the box (1) for the diffusion of air is similar in design to the box (2) for the extraction of air. 5) Equipment according to claim 1 and the preceding claims characterized in that the box (1) and (2) can be interconnected for series connection by flanges (9) placed on the outer perimeter of the circulation of the 'air. 6) Equipment according to claim 1 and the preceding claims characterized in that the boxes (1) and (2) are mounted on posts (3) via the flanges (9). 7) Equipment according to claims 1 and 3 and the preceding claims characterized in that the box (2) for extracting air is mounted on posts (3) in the same way as the mounting of the box (1) used to air diffusion. 8) Equipment according to claim 1 and 3 and the preceding claims characterized in that the box (2) may have an inclined plane (6) for the extraction of air. 9) Equipment according to the preceding claims characterized in that a manhole (16) can be placed between two extraction boxes (2).