Device and process for the manufacture of hollow fiber membrane bundles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11607647-B2
Application number	US-201816497642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2018
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to devices and processes for the production of hollow fiber membrane bundles. The bundles are used for the manufacture of filtration and/or diffusion devices, e.g., capillary dialyzers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A winding wheel equipped with a plurality of devices for wrapping a bundle of hollow fiber membranes, wherein each of the plurality of devices comprises:
a base featuring a trough in the shape of a cylinder section; and
on each longitudinal side of the trough, a rigid flap with an inner surface forming a cylinder section, each of the two flaps being connected to the base via a hinge, the hinges being located on the longitudinal brims of the trough, so that each of the two flaps is moveable between a first position and a second position,
wherein each of the plurality of devices comprises a sheet of wrapping material and is configured to receive the sheet of wrapping material and a plurality of fibers when both flaps are in the first position, and the trough and the two flaps together frame a cylindrical void when both flaps are in the second position.

2. The winding wheel of claim 1 , wherein one of the two flaps of each of the plurality of devices is larger than the other of the two flaps.

3. The winding wheel of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the flaps of each of the plurality of devices comprises fingerlike protrusions.

4. The winding wheel of claim 3 , wherein the two flaps of each of the plurality of devices comprise finger-like protrusions which interlock when the two flaps are in the second position.

5. The winding wheel of claim 1 , wherein the two flaps of each of the plurality of devices do not touch each other when the two flaps are in the second position.

6. The winding wheel of claim 1 , wherein only a part of the circumference of the cylindrical void of each of the plurality of devices is covered by the trough and the two flaps together when the two flaps are in the second position.

7. The winding wheel of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of devices comprises means for fastening a sheet of wrapping material in the device.

8. The winding wheel of claim 7 , wherein the means for fastening a sheet of wrapping material in the device comprise a suction device.

9. The winding wheel of claim 7 , wherein the means for fastening a sheet of wrapping material in the device comprise holding elements which lock opposite edges of the sheet of wrapping material.

10. The winding wheel of claim 1 , wherein the wrapping material is a polymer film or paper.

11. The winding wheel of claim 1 , additionally comprising means for moving the flaps of the devices back and forth between the first position and the second position.

12. A process for preparing a plurality of bundles of hollow fiber membranes, each bundle being enveloped in a sheet of wrapping material, said method comprising the steps of:
a) moving both flaps of each of the devices of a winding wheel according to claim 1 into the first position;
b) introducing a sheet of wrapping material into each of the devices;
c) introducing a plurality of hollow fiber membranes into each of the devices by winding a strand of hollow fiber membranes onto the winding wheel into the troughs of the devices, so that the hollow fiber membranes are located atop the sheets of wrapping material;
d) forming a cylindrical bundle of hollow fiber membranes and enveloping it with the wrapping material by successively moving the flaps of each of the devices into the second position; and
e) sealing the longitudinal edge of the sheets of wrapping material.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the process additionally comprises the step of f) cutting the hollow fiber membranes in between the devices subsequently to step e).

14. The process of claim 12 , wherein the hollow fiber membranes are subsequently removed from the winding wheel.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the hollow fiber membranes are transferred to an apparatus for placing the fiber bundles into tubular filter casings.

16. The process of claim 12 , wherein step b) comprises use of a transport apparatus.

17. The process of claim 12 , wherein step b) comprises transfer of a sheet of wrapping material from a stack into the devices.

18. The process of claim 16 , wherein a transport apparatus removes a sheet of wrapping material from the stack and places the wrapping material into the devices.

19. The process of claim 16 , wherein a sheet of wrapping material is cut from a spool of wrapping material, contacted by the transport apparatus, and placed into the devices.

20. The process of claim 16 , wherein the transport apparatus comprises suction nozzles which aspirate the sheet of wrapping material, pliers to pick up the sheet of wrapping material, or pincers to pick up the sheet of wrapping material.

Assignees

• Gambro Lundia Ab

Inventors

• Baumeister Franz
• Bauer Ulrich
• Hirssig Christian

Classifications

• B01D2313/57

  Tools used for removal of membranes · CPC title

• B01D63/0223

  by fixing the hollow fibres prior to encapsulation · CPC title

• B01D2313/042

  Adhesives or glues · CPC title

• B01D2313/56

  Specific mechanisms for loading the membrane in a module · CPC title

• B01D63/0233 Primary

  forming the bundle · CPC title