Break-away filter housing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780376-B2
Application number	US-201715415842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Jan 25, 2016
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A disposable filter cup and stem assembly with a filter disc or membrane secured between the cup and the stem. A frangible filter cup disengagement strip is formed on the filter cup about an end adjacent the stem. The filter disc or membrane is secured in the assembly in close proximity to the disengagement strip. Force applied to the disengagement strip separates the filter cup from the stem to expose the top, upstream surface of the filter disc or membrane and to permit removal of the filter disc from the assembly in an intact, substantially horizontal position. A disposable filter capsule assembly formed with a frangible filter capsule disengagement strip encloses a filter disc or membrane and permits separation of the capsule into two sections so as to expose an upstream surface of the filter disc or membrane and to permit removal of the filter disc or membrane in an intact condition after fluid processing. Disposable filter capsules with capsule halves having mated snap-fit surfaces and optional O-ring or luer lock type sealing surfaces, permit access to enclosed filter discs or membranes after fluid processing. Upon separation of the filter capsule halves, the upstream surfaces of the enclosed filter discs or membranes are exposed and the discs or membranes are accessible for removal in intact condition. O-ring free media holders constructed with weld spots permit access to enclosed free media by disengaging the weld spots after fluid processing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A breakaway disposable filter capsule comprising:
a two-piece shell that defines a filter chamber; wherein the shell comprises a top shell half and a bottom shell half secured together with a frangible strip formed about registration surfaces of the shell halves and substantially coplanar with the registration surfaces, wherein the frangible strip defines a pull strip and a pair of spaced grooves each having thicknesses less than the thickness of the frangible strip, wherein the pair of spaced grooves define a border between the frangible strip and the pull strip;
a filter disc secured in the filter chamber;
an annular shoulder formed at a radially outward edge of the shell to register against a perimeter of the filter disc to secure the filter disc's orientation in the chamber;
an inlet port extending from the top shell half on an upstream side of the filter, wherein the port is in fluid communication with the filter chamber; and,
an outlet port extending from the bottom shell half on a downstream side of the filter, wherein the outlet port is in fluid communication with the filter chamber.

2. The filter capsule of claim 1 wherein the pull strip comprises a a pull tab formed on an end of the pull strip.

3. The filter capsule of claim 2 wherein the frangible strip is substantially coplanar with the filter disc.

4. The filter capsule of claim 2 wherein the filter capsule further comprises an annular ridge formed on a bottom surface of the top shell half to register against and compress the filter disc against a top surface of the bottom shell half.

5. The filter capsule of claim 4 further comprising an annular support shelf formed on a top surface of the bottom shell half radially inwardly from a perimeter of the shell half, wherein the support surface supports the filter disc.

6. The filter capsule of claim 5 wherein an annular shoulder extends upwardly from a perimeter of the bottom shell half to register against a recess formed in the perimeter of the top shell half.

7. The filter capsule of claim 1 , wherein the pair of spaced grooves are substantially parallel.

8. The filter capsule of claim 7 wherein the grooves further comprise perforations spaced along the grooves to reduce the material that comprises the grooves.

9. The filter capsule of claim 7 wherein at least one groove comprises at least two regions having different thicknesses, wherein the larger of the two thicknesses is less than the thickness of the frangible strip.

10. The filter capsule of claim 1 further comprising an O-ring secured in the capsule and registered against a perimeter of the disc filter.

11. A snap-fit filter capsule apparatus comprising:
a shell defining a filter chamber and having a top shell half and a bottom shell half, wherein the top shell half is formed with laterally extending tabs and the bottom shell half is formed with an upwardly extending, annular outer shoulder defining slots corresponding to, and dimensioned to receive, the tabs, wherein axial insertion and registration of the laterally extending tabs into the slots creates a mechanical lock between the top shell half and the bottom shell half;
a filter disc secured in the filter chamber;
an annular ridge formed inside the shell to register against a perimeter of the filter disc to secure the filter disc's orientation in the chamber;
an inlet port extending from the top shell half on an upstream side of the filter, wherein the port is in fluid communication with the filter chamber; and,
an outlet port extending from the bottom shell half on a downstream side of the filter, wherein the outlet port is in fluid communication with the filter chamber.

12. The filter capsule of claim 11 wherein the tabs and slots are positioned in substantially the same plane when engaged, wherein disengagement of the shell halves exposes an upstream surface of the filter disc.

13. The filter capsule of claim 11 further comprising an O-ring registered against a perimeter of the filter disc to create a fluid-tight seal.

14. The filter capsule of claim 11 wherein the tabs are formed with a plurality of substantially parallel ribs on at least one surface of the tabs.

15. A filter cup/filter stem assembly comprising:
a filter cup with a frangible strip formed or attached to a bottom end of the filter cup, the bottom end defining a cup fluid transfer channel, wherein the frangible strip defines a pull strip and a pair of spaced grooves each having thicknesses less than the thickness of the frangible strip, wherein the pair of spaced grooves define a border between the frangible strip and the pull strip;
a filter stem having a filter disc receiving surface, wherein the filter disc receiving surface defines a stem fluid transfer channel and comprises a plurality of spaced ribs extending radially between a perimeter edge of the filter stem and the portions of the receiving surface defining the fluid transfer channel;
a filter disc media or membrane positioned on the filter disc receiving surface;
an O-ring positioned about a perimeter edge of the filter disc; and,
an outlet extending downwardly from the filter disc support surface and defining an outlet channel, wherein the outlet channel is in fluid communication with the stem transfer channel and the cup fluid transfer channel, and wherein the frangible segment has a lower lip that extends radially inwardly from a perimeter of the frangible segment and registers against a lower surface of the stem filter disc support surface to releasably lock the filter stem to the filter cup.

16. The filter cup/filter stem of claim 15 wherein the pull strip comprises a pull tab formed on and end of the pull strip.

17. The filter cup/filter stem of claim 16 wherein the frangible strip is substantially coplanar with the filter disc.

18. The filter cup/filter stem of claim 15 wherein an annular shoulder extends upwardly from a perimeter of the stem filter disc support surface to register against a corresponding recess formed in the perimeter of the bottom end of the filter cup.

19. The filter capsule of claim 15 , wherein the pair of spaced grooves are substantially parallel.

20. The filter capsule of claim 19 wherein the grooves further comprise perforations spaced along the grooves to reduce the material that comprises the grooves.

Assignees

• Saint Gobain Performance Plastics Corp
• Saint Gobain Performance Plastics

Inventors

• Adrian Kenneth D
• Lin Zhenwu

Classifications

• B01L3/5635 Primary

  connecting two containers face to face, e.g. comprising a filter · CPC title

• B01D2313/2011

  Pressure vessels · CPC title

• B01D69/10

  Supported membranes; Membrane supports · CPC title

• B01D2313/02

  Specific tightening or locking mechanisms · CPC title

• B01L2300/0681

  Filter · CPC title