Patent US4723480A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4723480A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Manufacturing apparatus with air cleaning device
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1986-04-18
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Granted: 1988-02-09
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Expires: 2006-04-18
Abstract
Abstract A manufacturing apparatus equipped with product transfer means is arranged along the flow of products and provided with an air cleaning device. A partition panel is provided the downstream side of the clean air blow-off vent of the air cleaning device so as to form a clean air passageway and prevent dust from penetrating into the passageway, so that goods are manufactured and transferred in the cleaned air passageway.
Inventors
- 👤 Katsuhito Yagi
- 👤 Yuuji Isayama
- 👤 Tatsuo Yoshitomi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 15:22
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24F; F24F3/00; F24F3/12; F24F3/16; F24F3/163
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
249 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, said manufacturing apparatus comprising: manufacturing means for manufacturing goods to be manufactured in clean surroundings; clean air blow-off vent means for supplying clean air to said manufacturing means; hood means for forming a clean air current sent out of said clean air blow-off vent in the neighborhood of the goods to be manufactured in clean surroundings, said partition means being arranged on the downstream side of said clean air blow-off vent means; and outer shell means for covering said manufacturing means and forming a passageway for the clean air downstream of the goods to pass the clean air around said manufacturing means; said hood means being between said vent means and said outer shell means for containing the clean air around the goods and maintaining a flow of clean air from the goods to said manufacturing means to prevent contaminents produced by the manufacturing means from reaching the goods; clean air supply means communicating with the upstream side of said clean air blow-off vent means for supplying pressurized clean air serially through said vent means, said hood means and around the goods, through said outer shell means and around said manufacturing means, and to the outside of the apparatus; and clean air exhaust resistance means for maintaining a positive air pressure within said hood means and said outer shell means to prevent air and contaminants exterior of said apparatus from penetrating to the environment of the goods within said hood means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
249 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, said manufacturing apparatus comprising: manufacturing means for manufacturing goods to be manufactured in clean surroundings; clean air blow-off vent means for supplying clean air to said manufacturing means; hood means for forming a clean air current sent out of said clean air blow-off vent in the neighborhood of the goods to be manufactured in clean surroundings, said partition means being arranged on the downstream side of said clean air blow-off vent means; and outer shell means for covering said manufacturing means and forming a passageway for the clean air downstream of the goods to pass the clean air around said manufacturing means; said hood means being between said vent means and said outer shell means for containing the clean air around the goods and maintaining a flow of clean air from the goods to said manufacturing means to prevent contaminents produced by the manufacturing means from reaching the goods; clean air supply means communicating with the upstream side of said clean air blow-off vent means for supplying pressurized clean air serially through said vent means, said hood means and around the goods, through said outer shell means and around said manufacturing means, and to the outside of the apparatus; and clean air exhaust resistance means for maintaining a positive air pressure within said hood means and said outer shell means to prevent air and contaminants exterior of said apparatus from penetrating to the environment of the goods within said hood means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, according to claim 1, wherein said manufacturing means is for manufacturing goods on an assembly line basis, said manufacturing means being equipped with product transfer means passing through at least one of said outer shell means and said hood means and arranged along the flow of goods.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said clean air supply means includes a support supportedly fixed on said outer shell and installed along said manufacturing means to supply clean air from the upper side of said transfer means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
88 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, further including case means encasing said air supply means and disposed above said clean air blow-off vent, and means supporting said case means on the floor independently of said outer shell means, hood means and manufacturing means, and said case means, vent means and clean air supply means being spaced from said outer shell means and separately therefrom sufficiently to prevent the transmission of vibrations from said clean air supply means to said manufacturing means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, according to claim 1, wherein the through flow cross-sectional area of said hood means for the passage of the clean air is substantially smaller than the throughflow cross-sectional area of said outer shell means sufficiently to keep the air pressure adjacent the goods substantially higher than the air pressure around the manufacturing means within said outer shell means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
92 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, according to claim 1, wherein said clean air supply means includes a blower installed separate and apart from said manufacturing apparatus, a cylindrical filter installed horizontally in the upper portion of said hood means and having an inlet, duct means communicating between said filter inlet and the outlet of said blower, and said cylindrical filter is equipped with a radially folded filter medium around the periphery thereof; and wherein said hood means is of a substantially U-shape opening downwardly toward said outer shell means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, according to claim 1, further comprising support means mounted independently of said outer shell means and manufacturing means for pivotally supporting said clean air supply means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, according to claim 1, wherein said hood means includes a transparent hood pivotally mounted between an operative position for maintaining pressure within said hood means and a repair position providing access.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein said resistance means is a perforated plate extending across the through flow cross-sectional area of said outer shell means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein said resistance plate extends between different portions of said manufacturing means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein said resistance plate extends across and forms an exhaust opening for said outer shell means downstream of all of said manufacturing means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, according to claim 1, wherein said partition means includes a perforated portion for passing a clean air flow downwardly onto the goods and a larger through flow cross-sectional peripheral slot for passing an air curtain downwardly to the side of the goods.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
64 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, according to claim 1, wherein said air supply means includes two filters, with one of the filters having a substantially greater filtering efficiency than the other filter, and an air plenum with means to provide parallel air flow through the two filters to provide a combined filtering efficiency between the filtering efficiencies of the two filters.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
169 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, said manufacturing apparatus comprising: manufacturing means for manufacturing goods to be manufactured in clean surroundings; clean air blow-off vent means for supplying clean air to said manufacturing means; partition means for forming a clean air current sent out of said clean air blow-off vent in the neighborhood of the goods to be manufactured in clean surroundings, said partition means being arranged on the downstream side of said clean air blow-off vent means; outer shell means for covering said manufacturing means; clean air supply means communicating with the upstream side of said clean air blow-off vent means, said clean air supply means including a plenum above said clean air blow-off vent means, a filter installed within said plenum, a blower installed within said outer shell, an air passage duct communicating between the downstream side of said blower and the plenum upstream of said filter, and means communicating the suction port of the blower directly with the exterior of said outer shell means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
169 words
A manufacturing apparatus with an air cleaning device, said manufacturing apparatus comprising: manufacturing means for manufacturing goods to be manufactured in clean surroundings; clean air blow-off vent means for supplying clean air to said manufacturing means; partition means for forming a clean air current sent out of said clean air blow-off vent in the neighborhood of the goods to be manufactured in clean surroundings, said partition means being arranged on the downstream side of said clean air blow-off vent means; outer shell means for covering said manufacturing means; clean air supply means communicating with the upstream side of said clean air blow-off vent means, said clean air supply means including a plenum above said clean air blow-off vent means, a filter installed within said plenum, a blower installed within said outer shell, an air passage duct communicating between the downstream side of said blower and the plenum upstream of said filter, and means communicating the suction port of the blower directly with the exterior of said outer shell means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-02-08 | 1991-08-10 | 1992-02-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-02-08 | 1995-08-10 | 1996-02-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-02-08 | 1999-08-10 | 2000-02-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |