Modular filter capsule apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10279288-B2
Application number	US-201615210830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2016
Priority date	Feb 24, 2011
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is a capsule apparatus having a filter housing defining a filter chamber with a top cap having a plurality of ports extending substantially laterally from a top end of the top cap. The lateral and substantially uniform orientation of the ports facilitates connection to panel mount assemblies and improves filter maintenance processes. A transfer tube extending the length of the capsule allows the introduction of heated fluids from a top mounted inlet port to a bottom of the capsule chamber to allow or a substantially uniform heat gradient in the capsule filter chamber. A dispersion ring or dispersion plate may be secured to a distal end of the transfer tube to promote uniform dispersion of liquids and/or gases introduced into the capsule apparatus. An alternative shield secured in the housing defines a first chamber in fluid communication with an inlet and a second chamber wherein the two chambers are in fluid communication via an opening defined by a lower end of the shield and a bottom of the filter chamber. An alternative capsule apparatus has an outlet tube extending downwardly from a top mounted outlet port in fluid communication with an enclosed filter membrane secured below a column of loose filter media.

First claim

What we claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A heat equalizing filter capsule apparatus comprising:
a container having a container wall and portions defining a container bottom end;
a top cap secured to a top end of the container, wherein the combination of the container wall, the bottom end and the top cap define a filter chamber having a top chamber end and a bottom chamber end;
a filter secured in the filter chamber, wherein an annular space is defined by an inner surface of the container wall and an exterior surface of the filter, wherein the annular space extends uninterrupted the entire axial length of the filter, wherein a bottom space is defined at the bottom chamber end by a bottom end of the filter, a top inner surface of the container bottom end and an annular segment of the inner surface of the container wall below the plane occupied by the bottom end of the filter, wherein the bottom space is uninterrupted and in uninterrupted fluid communication with the annular space, and wherein heated fluid is permitted to enter the filter radially inwardly along the axial length of the filter from the annular space;
a plurality of ports including an inlet port extending from the top cap, and,
a transfer tube having an elongate tube cylindrical wall, in fluid isolation from the annular space and the filter, connected along its length to, and extending along the length of, the container wall, wherein a portion of the tube cylindrical wall along its axial length is integral with, or registered against, the container wall, wherein a fluid receiving first end is secured to, and in fluid communication with, the inlet port and a fluid delivery second end is secured in close proximity to, and not embedded in or defined by, the bottom end of the container, wherein the second end does not extend into, but is in direct fluid communication with, the bottom space of the chamber, whereby higher-heat, lower-density heated fluid introduced into the filter capsule enters through the inlet port, travels downwardly inside the transfer tube, exits the transfer tube second end into the uninterrupted bottom space of the filter chamber, and flows upwardly in the uninterrupted annular space of the filter chamber into the filter, whereby the heated fluid transfers heat to lower-heat, higher-density fluid positioned at a higher elevation than the in-flowing heated fluid in a fluid column formed in the filter chamber to maintain all the fluid in the fluid column at a substantially uniform temperature throughout the axial length of the filter chamber.

2. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ports extend from the top cap in a uniform direction.

3. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 2 wherein the plurality of ports occupy substantially the same plane wherein the plane is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the container.

4. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 2 wherein the plurality of ports occupy substantially the same plane wherein the plane is substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the container.

5. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 2 wherein the plurality of ports occupy substantially the same plane wherein the plane is +/−45° from a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the container.

6. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 4 wherein at least one of the plurality of ports has a quick connect connector secured to the one port.

7. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of ports has an integral quick connect connector.

8. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 4 wherein at least one port of the plurality of ports has a check valve secured to the one port.

9. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of ports has a dedicated check valve secured thereto.

10. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transfer tube is secured to an inner surface of the exterior wall of the container.

11. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transfer tube is secured to an outer surface of the exterior wall of the container.

12. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an RFID chip secured to the container.

13. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an RFID chip embedded in material forming the container.

14. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 1 wherein the top cap has portions defining a projection chamber, wherein the projection chamber is in fluid communication with one of the plurality of ports.

15. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a mounting port formed on a bottom of the container.

16. A filter capsule apparatus comprising:
a container having a container wall;
a container bottom cap secured to a bottom end of the container;
a container top cap secured to a top end of the container, wherein the container wall, container bottom end and container top end define a chamber;
a filter secured in the chamber;
a plurality of ports including an inlet port extending from a top end of the top cap; and,
a cylindrical shield secured in the chamber spaced radially outwardly from, and around, the filter, wherein the shield extends from a top end of the chamber to a plane proximal to, but not in contact with, a bottom end of the chamber wherein an inner wall of the container in combination with an outer wall or surface of the shield defines a first annular chamber in fluid communication with the inlet port, wherein an inner wall or surface of the shield in combination with an outer surface of the filter defines a second annular chamber, and wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are in fluid communication via an opening defined by the combination of an inner surface of the container bottom cap and a bottom annular edge of the shield.

17. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 16 wherein the plurality of ports extend from the top cap in a uniform direction.

18. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 17 wherein at least one port of the plurality of ports has a check valve secured to the at least one port.

19. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 17 wherein at least one port of the plurality of ports has a quick connect connector secured to an end of the at least one port.

20. The filter capsule apparatus of claim 16 wherein the top cap has a portion defining a projection chamber, wherein the projection chamber is in fluid communication with one of the plurality of ports.

Assignees

• Saint Gobain Performance Plastics Corp

Inventors

• Lin Zhenwu
• Lorusso Mark D

Classifications

• B01D35/30 Primary

  Filter housing constructions · CPC title

• B01D35/18 Primary

  Heating or cooling the filters · CPC title

• B01D29/15

  arranged for inward flow filtration · CPC title

• B01D46/2414

  End caps including additional functions or special forms · CPC title

• B01D46/4263

  Means for active heating or cooling · CPC title