Filtration device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9737856-B2
Application number	US-201414572825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Oct 4, 2007
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A vacuum filter device comprising a filter body having two holders on opposite sides of a filter. Each holder contains a closed container in a fluid-tight, sealed relationship. The filter is retained by a compression sealing element and the sealing element is maintained in place by a compression element formed of a ring. The compression element is bonded to a portion of the body to hold it, the sealing element and filter in place under a compression seal. Optionally a port in the compression element is formed to align with the vent of the device. Further, an alignment feature on the compression element ensures the port is in alignment with the vent of the device. The device also includes a vacuum port communicating with the downstream side of the filter, and hence the filtrate container.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of forming a vacuum filter device comprising;
a. providing a filter body having a lower holder and a top holder disposed from one another, each of the holders adapted to receive respective first and second fluid containers, each fluid container having an open end and a closed end, each of the holders including sealing element for creating a liquid and air tight seal when the first and second fluid containers are coupled to the filter body, each of the fluid containers forming liquid tight receptacles when coupled to said filter body, one or more filters within said filter body retained between the holders by a compression element that is formed of a sealing element and a separate compression element, the compression element having an outer surface, a top surface and a bottom surface, the compression element being within the lower holder and having a diameter substantially equal to that of a diameter of an inner sidewall of the lower holder and wherein the bottom surface of the compression element is in compressive contact with the sealing element that is in compressive contact with an upper surface of the filter, the top holder being mounted over the compressive element within the lower holder; a vacuum port extending through the filter body and being in fluid communication with the second fluid container at a downstream side of the filter, the vacuum port adapted to be connected to a vacuum source for drawing the liquid from the first fluid container through the filter and into the second fluid container; and a vent passageway in the filter body configured to permit gas in the atmosphere surrounding the vacuum filter device to be in direct fluid communication with the first fluid container on an upstream side of the filter and not to be in direct fluid communication with the second fluid container;
b. compressively sealing the one or more filters within the filter body between the holders by the compression element;
c. bonding the top holder to the inner sidewall of the lower holder so as keep the compressive element in compressive contact with the sealing element and the sealing element in compressive contact with the upper surface of the one or more filters so that liquid in the first fluid container must pass through the filter prior to entering the second fluid container and
d. attaching the open end of the first fluid container to the top holder and the open end of the second fluid container to the lower holder, each of the open ends of the fluid containers being attached to the respective holder in a liquid and air tight manner.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the compression element has an opening in a side wall and an alignment feature to ensure that the opening in the side wall of the compression element and the vent passageway align.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the compression element further comprises an opening in a side wall and one or more alignment features and the lower holder into which the compression element is inserted has one or more corresponding alignment pieces equal in number to the number of the one or more alignment features of the compression element so as to ensure alignment between the compression element and the lower holder to ensure that the opening in the side wall of the compression element and the vent passageway align.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the compression element further comprises an opening in a side wall and an alignment feature to ensure that the opening in the side wall of the compression element and the vent passageway align wherein the alignment feature of the compression element is in the form of a tab that extends outwardly from an outer wall surface of the compression element.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the compression element further comprises an opening in a side wall and an alignment feature in the form of an outwardly extending tab from an outer wall surface of the compression element and the lower holder into which the compression element is inserted has a corresponding alignment piece for the tab so as to ensure the alignment between the compression element and the lower holder.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the compression element further comprises an opening in a side wall and an alignment feature in the form of an outwardly extending tab from an outer wall surface of the compression element and the lower holder into which the compression element is inserted has a corresponding alignment piece for the tab in the form of a slot so as to ensure the alignment between the compression element and the lower holder.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the compression element further comprises an opening in a side wall and an alignment feature in the form of an outwardly extending tab from an outer wall surface of the compression element and the lower holder into which the compression element is inserted has a corresponding alignment piece for the tab in the form of a slot so as to ensure the alignment between the compression element and the lower holder and wherein the slot has a set depth to prevent the compression element from being extended too far into the lower holder and overcompress the sealing element or filter.

8. A method of forming a vacuum filter device comprising;
a. providing a filter body having a lower holder and a top holder disposed from one another, each of the holders adapted to receive respective first and second fluid containers, each fluid container having an open end and a closed end, each of the holders including sealing element for creating a liquid and air tight seal when the first and second fluid containers are coupled to the filter body, each of the fluid containers forming liquid tight receptacles when coupled to said filter body, one or more filters within said filter body retained between the holders by a compression element that is formed of a sealing element and a separate compression element, the compression element having an outer surface, a top surface and a bottom surface, the compression element being within the lower holder and having a diameter substantially equal to that of a diameter of an inner sidewall of the lower holder and wherein the bottom surface of the compression element is in compressive contact with the sealing element that is in compressive contact with an upper surface of the filter, the top holder being mounted over the compressive element within the lower holder; a vacuum port extending through the filter body and being in fluid communication with the second fluid container at a downstream side of the filter, the vacuum port adapted to be connected to a vacuum source for drawing the liquid from the first fluid container through the filter and into the second fluid container; and a vent passageway in the filter body configured to permit gas in the atmosphere surrounding the vacuum filter device to be in direct fluid communication with the first fluid container on an upstream side of the filter and not to be in direct fluid communication with the second fluid container;
b. compressively sealing the one or more filters within the filter body between the holders by the compression element;
c. bonding the top holder to the inner sidewall of the lower holder so as keep the compressive element in compressive contact with the sealing element and the sealing element in compressive contact with the upper surface of the one or more filters so that liquid in the first fluid container must pass through the filter prior to entering the second fluid container, wherein the compression element has an opening in a side wall and an alignment feature to ensure that the opening in the side wall of the compression element and the vent passageway align and the opening of the compression element and the opening are aligned usi

Assignees

• Emd Millipore Corp

Inventors

• Clark Phillip
• Doyle John

Classifications

• B01D29/01

  with flat filtering elements (B01D29/39 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D2313/04

  Specific sealing means · CPC title

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title

• B01D2201/342

  Axial sealings · CPC title

• B01D35/301

  Constructions of two or more housings (B01D35/12 takes precedence) · CPC title