Patent ID: 7811438

Claim:
A device adapted for collecting particulates from a flowing medium, the device comprising: a body defining an inlet including an inlet wall having an angled bend configured to diffuse a laminar flow medium, an outlet, opposing bottom and top walls extending at least partially therebetween and defining an expansion cavity, the expansion cavity including a collection wall, disposed orthogonally to the outlet, extending from a downstream region of the bottom wall, an upper surface of the inlet wall being in a plane distinct from an upper surface of the bottom wall, the expansion cavity contains a first path adjacent to the inlet and a second path adjacent to the outlet, each with a first height, and the expansion cavity with a height larger than the first height to connect the inlet and the outlet via the first path and the second path; a first traveling wave grid disposed along the bottom wall and adapted to transport particulates within a given charge to size ratio proximate to the grid, to the collection wall; a second traveling wave grid adjacent the collection wall and adapted to transport particulates to a destination location on the second traveling wave grid, wherein the second traveling wave grid transports particulates in a direction different from the direction particulates are transported by the first traveling wave grid; and a fin extending within the expansion chamber positioned such that the initial dispersion of the particulates is compacted by forcing a majority of the particulates to travel over the fin upon entering the expansion cavity, where the fin is generally elongated along a direction of the laminar flow.