US2006261000A1PendingUtilityA1

Filter cartridge and method of construction thereof

52
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: May 8, 2005Filed: May 8, 2006Published: Nov 23, 2006
Est. expiryMay 8, 2025(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Laurence W. BassettWilliam Contaxis, IiiKarl FritzeMahesh Z. Patel
C02F 1/283B01D 39/2079B01D 39/1661B01D 2201/02B01D 35/30B01D 2201/302C02F 1/001C02F 2201/006B01D 2201/4015B01D 39/16B01D 35/28B01D 39/20
52
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Claims

Abstract

A filter cartridge includes a one-piece housing having a port and a filtration element disposed in the housing. The filtration element is a coherent filter block that can be, but is not necessarily, larger in cross dimension than the port. In one embodiment, the filtration element is a coherent filter block that generally conforms to the shape of the hollow interior, but is slightly smaller than the hollow interior so as to define a gap between the filtration element and the inner surface. One method for constructing a filter cartridge includes providing a housing having a hollow interior and at least one port, introducing a granular material into the hollow interior via the port, and transforming the granular material in the hollow material into a coherent filter block. Another method for constructing a filter cartridge includes providing a filtration element in the form of a coherent filter block, and overmolding a housing around the filtration element.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A filter cartridge comprising: 
 a one-piece housing having an inner surface defining a hollow interior; and    a filtration element disposed in said housing, wherein said filtration element is a coherent filter block that generally conforms to the shape of said hollow interior but is slightly smaller than said hollow interior so as to define a gap between said filtration element and said inner surface.    
     
     
         2 . The filter cartridge of  claim 1  wherein said filtration element is a coherent filter block that is formed and set within said housing.  
     
     
         3 . The filter cartridge of  claim 2  wherein said filtration element is formed and set from a granular material.  
     
     
         4 . The filter cartridge of  claim 3  wherein said granular material includes a filtration media and a binder.  
     
     
         5 . The filter cartridge of  claim 3  wherein said granular material is formulated so that it will shrink during processing.  
     
     
         6 . The filter cartridge of  claim 1  wherein said housing includes a port.  
     
     
         7 . The filter cartridge of  claim 6  wherein said filtration element is larger in cross dimension than said port.  
     
     
         8 . The filter cartridge of  claim 6  wherein said housing is blow molded.  
     
     
         9 . The filter cartridge of  claim 1  further comprising a flow distribution tube that supports said filtration element in said housing.  
     
     
         10 . A filter cartridge comprising: 
 a housing having a port and an inner surface defining a hollow interior;    a flow distribution tube having a stem disposed in said hollow interior; and    a filtration element mounted on said stem, wherein said filtration element is a coherent filter block that generally conforms to the shape of said hollow interior but is slightly smaller than said hollow interior so as to define a gap between said filtration element and said inner surface.    
     
     
         11 . The filter cartridge of  claim 10  wherein said filtration element is a coherent filter block that is formed and set within said housing.  
     
     
         12 . The filter cartridge of  claim 11  wherein said filtration element is formed and set from a granular material.  
     
     
         13 . The filter cartridge of  claim 12  wherein said granular material includes a filtration media and a binder.  
     
     
         14 . The filter cartridge of  claim 12  wherein said granular material is formulated so that it will shrink during processing.  
     
     
         15 . The filter cartridge of  claim 10  wherein said filtration element is larger in cross dimension than said port.  
     
     
         16 . The filter cartridge of  claim 10  wherein said housing is blow molded.  
     
     
         17 . The filter cartridge of  claim 10  wherein said stem is porous.  
     
     
         18 . The filter cartridge of  claim 17  wherein said stem has a number of apertures formed therein and said flow distribution tube further includes a porous sleeve positioned over said stem.  
     
     
         19 . A method of constructing a filter cartridge comprising: 
 providing a housing having at least one port and an inner surface defining a hollow interior;    introducing a granular material into said hollow interior via said port, wherein said granular material is formulated so that it will shrink during processing; and    processing said granular material to transform said granular material into a coherent filter block that generally conforms to the shape of said hollow interior but is slightly smaller than said hollow interior so as to define a gap between said filtration element and said inner surface.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein processing said granular material comprises sintering said granular material.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said housing is a one-piece construction.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said filter block is larger in cross dimension than said port.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said housing is blow molded.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said granular material is a mixture of a filtration media and a binder.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising inserting a flow distribution tube into said housing prior to processing of said granular material so that a portion of said flow distribution tube extends through said granular material.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising compressing said granular material prior to processing of said granular material.  
     
     
         27 . A filter cartridge comprising: 
 a one-piece overmolded housing having an inner surface; and    a filtration element disposed in said housing, wherein said filtration element is a filter block that generally conforms to the shape of said hollow interior.    
     
     
         28 . The filter cartridge of  claim 27  wherein said filtration element is a coherent filter block.  
     
     
         29 . The filter cartridge of  claim 27  wherein said filtration element is a multi-stage filter block.  
     
     
         30 . The filter cartridge of  claim 27  wherein said housing includes at least one port.  
     
     
         31 . The filtration cartridge of  claim 30  wherein the port and an inlet hole are on both on the same one end of the filtration cartridge.  
     
     
         32 . The filter cartridge of  claim 27  having an inlet hole and an outlet port on opposite ends of the housing.  
     
     
         33 . The filter cartridge of  claim 31  wherein said housing is injection molded.  
     
     
         34 . A method of constructing a filter cartridge comprising: 
 providing a housing having at least one port and an inner surface defining a hollow interior;    introducing a granular material into said hollow interior via said port, wherein said granular material is formulated so that it will shrink during processing; and    processing said granular material to transform said granular material into a coherent filter block that generally conforms to the shape of said hollow interior.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein processing said granular material comprises sintering said granular material.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said housing is a one-piece construction.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said filter block is larger in cross dimension than said port.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34  wherein said housing is blow molded.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34  wherein said granular material is a mixture of a filtration media and a binder.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 34  further comprising inserting a flow distribution tube into said housing prior to processing of said granular material so that a portion of said flow distribution tube extends through said granular material.  
     
     
         41 . The filtration cartridge of  claim 27  wherein the filtration element has at least one inlet bore.  
     
     
         42 . The filtration cartridge of  claim 27  wherein the filtration element has a center bore in fluid communication with a port.  
     
     
         43 . The filter cartridge of  claim 32  wherein the housing has a second outlet port disposed in the housing in fluid communication with the filter element.

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