Diffusion pipe and method for cleaning diffusion pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071924-B2
Application number	US-201615152399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2013
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A diffusion pipe is provided in which the air diffusion efficiency can be quickly recovered just after conducting a cleaning process for the diffusion pipe with a cleaning solution supplied into the membrane support body, and in which air diffusion is evenly and constantly provided. The diffusion pipe includes a membrane body made of a viscoelastic material and formed in a tubular shape having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a tubular membrane support body that supports the membrane body from inside of the membrane body. The membrane body has a plurality of diffusion slits cutting therethrough between the outer surface and the inner surface. The membrane support body has through-holes on an upper side and a lower side thereof. The diffusion slits are not provided in a region of the membrane body corresponding to the through-holes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A diffusion pipe comprising:
a membrane body made of a viscoelastic material and formed in a tubular shape having an inner surface and an outer surface, the membrane body being provided with a plurality of diffusion slits cutting therethrough between the outer surface and the inner surface; and
a tubular membrane support body that supports the membrane body from inside of the membrane body, the membrane support body having a plurality of through-holes passing through a tube wall, provided on an upper side and a lower side of the membrane support body,
wherein the plurality of through-holes include:
a first group of through-holes provided on the upper side of the membrane support body; and
a second group of through-holes provided on the lower side of membrane support body, the second group of through-holes being smaller in number and smaller in a total opening area than the first group of the through-holes.

2. The diffusion pipe of claim 1 , wherein the first group of through-holes are arranged in a predetermined interval in a length direction of the membrane support body.

3. A method for cleaning the diffusion pipe of claim 1 , the method comprising:
filling an inside of the diffusion pipe with a cleaning solution by supplying the cleaning solution into the membrane support body while gas supply into the membrane support body is stopped; and
resuming the gas supply into the membrane support body after cleaning, thereby draining out the cleaning solution through the second group of through-holes and the diffusion slits, while starting spouting gas bubbles from the diffusion pipe through the first group of through-holes and the diffusions slits.

4. The diffusion pipe of claim 1 , wherein the diffusion slits are formed by avoiding at least a region of the membrane body corresponding to the through-holes.

5. The diffusion pipe of claim 1 , wherein the first group of through-holes are disposed along a top portion of the membrane support body, while the second group of through-holes are disposed along a bottom portion of the membrane support body.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Okajima Yasunobu
• Nanri Kazuo

Classifications

• C02F3/201 Primary

  Perforated, resilient plastic diffusers, e.g. membranes, sheets, foils, tubes, hoses · CPC title

• B01F2003/04319

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02W10/15

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B01F15/00025

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F2215/0052

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic