Disposable air filter assembly
View Patent ↗A disposable air filter and grill assembly is disclosed which eliminates the undesirable need of cleaning conventional air filter grills. The assembly includes a frame which can be mounted within a grid of a drop ceiling or other opening loading to a space to be heated and/or cooled. The frame includes a plurality of clips to removably secure a disposable filter unit therein. The disposable filter unit includes an outer shell within which filter media is positioned. After the unit has been used a sufficiently long period of time and needs to changed, the clips can be disengaged, the disposable filter unit can be removed, and a new unit can be installed. Accordingly, as opposed to cleaning existing grills which often result in a less than properly maintained facility or an aesthetically undesirable facility, the apparatus disclosed herein provides an aesthetically pleasing, functional, and easily maintained system.
1. A method of filtering air in an air vent while decorating the air vent, which comprises:
providing a combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly, said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly including an outer shell and filter media, said outer shell having an outer face with slots formed therein, said outer shell appearing like an HVAC grill, and said filter media being integrally held within said outer shell;
covering a HVAC conduit opening with said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly with the outer face of the filter-and-frame assembly facing outward;
maintaining visibility of said outer face during normal operation of a HVAC unit connected to the HVAC conduit;
using said outer face of said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly as an outermost grill over the HVAC conduit opening;
removing the combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly after operating the HVAC unit; and
replacing the combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly with a new combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly after removing the initial HVAC filter-and-frame assembly.
2. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:
inserting said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly into an air-duct opening, said air duct opening defining an outer surface; and
placing the outer surface of said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly flush with the outer surface of the air-duct opening.
3. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises securing the combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly relative to the HVAC conduit during the operation of the HVAC unit by supporting the HVAC filter-and-frame assembly from outside the outer face.
4. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises moving air from a room through said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly and into the air vent.
5. The method according to claim 4 , which further comprises disposing of dirt visible in the room by removing said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly from the air vent.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the dirt collected on said combined disposable HVAC filter is visible during operating of a HVAC unit.
7. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises forming a plurality of concentric non-overlapping rectangular slots in said outer face of said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly.
8. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises disposing said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly after removing said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HVAC conduit opening is disposed on a ceiling.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said outer shell of said filter-and-frame assembly includes cellulosic material.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said filter media is fiberglass fibers.
12. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises replacing an outer grill with said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly.
13. The method according to claim 1 , which further placing said outer face of said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly at an outermost location on the air vent.
14. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises obviating an additional outermost grill for decorating or supporting said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly.
15. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:
seating said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly in a frame with a clip; and
maintaining unobstructed visibility of said outer face of said combined disposable HVAC filter-and-frame assembly except where said clip overlies said outer face during normal operation of the HVAC.