Liquid purification or separation – Filter – Within flow line or flow line connected close casing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-22
2003-10-21
Savage, Matthew O. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Filter
Within flow line or flow line connected close casing
C210S440000, C210S455000, C210S456000, C210S457000, C210S458000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06634509
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to filtration apparatus and cartridge filters for use for example in the field of semiconductor production, food industry, pharmaceutical industry and the like and methods of attaching the same, and particularly to filtration apparatus and cartridge filters reliably achieving precision filtration while saving a component associated with the filter and periodically exchanged as the filter's filtration performance is chronologically impaired and methods of attaching the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
In the fields of electronic component industry, food industry, pharmaceutical industry, pure-water production and the like, filtration apparatus are widely used. For example, electronic components are washed with highly pure agents. If impurity, metal particles or the like in particular, are introduced into these agents, it causes a short circuit or the like between fine interconnections of the semiconductor integrated circuit and the circuit can no longer be expected to normally function. Agents used to wash semiconductor substrates can be repeatedly used and they are thus recycled to safeguard resources, protect environment and also reduce the cost for manufacturing semiconductor devices. However, as has been described above, small metal particles and the like are introduced during the washing and agent recovery process. As such the introduced matters are removed via a filter and then recycled. The filter, initially clean, becomes foul in time as residue attributed to filtering an introduced matter accumulates. The filter in the end would be clogged and no longer sufficiently filter fluid. Accordingly, the filtration apparatus employs a filter periodically exchanged after a set period for use over which the filter's filtration ability decreases and thus reaches a predetermined level. Thus, a cartridge filter has been used to facilitate exchanging the filter.
FIG. 5
is a view for illustrating a conventional cartridge filter. A housing
110
is configured of a bowl
111
, a bag nut
112
and a head
113
. Bowl
111
has a step, which engages with a bottom edge of bag nut
112
. Head
113
is threaded into bag nut
112
to press an O ring
122
and fix the engagement to integrate bowl
111
, bag nut
112
and head
113
together as the housing. Head
113
and bowl
111
have their boundary sealed by O ring
122
. Housing
110
has an outlet
115
having an internal opening, which corresponds to a filter receiving portion
125
receiving an attachment
108
of cartridge filter
101
. Cartridge filter
101
is configured of an outer cylinder
102
, a filter
103
surrounded by the outer cylinder, an inner cylinder (not shown), and top and bottom end caps
106
and
105
fixed to the filter at the top and bottom ends, respectively, fluid-tight. At least one of the two end caps has an opening communicating with the outlet or the inlet. In
FIG. 5
, top end cap
106
has an opening
107
communicating with outlet
115
. Opening
107
also serves as attachment
108
protruding from the end cap outward and inserted into filter receiving portion
125
and attached thereto to allow an O ring
121
fit on the attachment to provide sealing. The attachment attaches through a force provided by a reaction force of O ring
121
. In housing
110
, head
113
is provided with inlet
114
and outlet
115
arranged to allow fluid to be filtered to be introduced through the inlet, pass through filter
103
and reach the outlet. Head
113
also has a pressure gage connection
116
also serving as an air exhaust port, an air exhaust port
117
and a pressure gage connection
118
. Furthermore the bowl has a fluid exhaust port
119
. It is needless to say that the air exhaust ports, the fluid exhaust port and the like are closed in operation.
FIG. 6
illustrates a procedure of assembling the
FIG. 5
filter apparatus. It can be clearly understood from
FIG. 6
that the filter apparatus is configured of integrated filter
101
, head
113
and bowl
111
. Furthermore, in
FIG. 7
, attachment
108
with O ring
121
fit thereon is attached to the head's receiving recess and cartridge filter
101
is thus attached to housing
110
.
Using the cartridge filter as described above allows the cartridge filter to be conveniently, periodically exchanged to maintain the filter's ability of precision filtration having at least a predetermined level.
However, whether exchanging the cartridge filter in the manner as described above is the best way is still an issue to be addressed in order to save resources, minimize refuse, achieve cost reduction, and the like. More specifically, whether exchanging an outer cylinder, a filter, an inner cylinder and top and bottom end caps as one cartridge is the best way or not, is needed to be considered. Desirably, a cartridge should provide a sufficient function of precise filtration while it should have any component thereof saved if possible to contribute to saving resources and minimizing refuse as much as possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention contemplates an ecological filtration apparatus and cartridge filter providing a sufficient function of precision filtration while contributing to saving resources and minimizing refuse and a method of attaching the same.
The present invention provides a filtration apparatus including: a housing having an inlet and an outlet; an outer cylinder fixed to the housing; and a cartridge filter configured mainly of a cylindrical filter, an inner cylinder positioned internal to the cylindrical filter and end caps fluid-tight fixed to top and bottom ends, respectively, of the cylindrical filter. The cartridge filter is detachably attached to the housing, accommodated in the outer cylinder, blocking a channel extending from the inlet to the outlet.
Thus, the outer cylinder serves as a housing member and it is not exchanged. This can reduce refuse otherwise corresponding to the outer cylinder and also contribute to saving resources. Furthermore, the material(s) for the outer cylinder can be saved and the cost therefor can thus be saved if the cost for considerations including packing is taken into account. The present filtration apparatus provides a function of precision filtration equal to that of conventional filtration apparatus. Note that the aforementioned cartridge filter corresponds to the ecological cartridge filter of the present invention.
In the above one aspect desirably the filtration apparatus for example has at least one of the end caps that has an opening communicating with the outlet.
Thus, the outer cylinder is positioned close to the inlet receiving a fluid to be filtered and the inner cylinder is positioned close to the outlet outputting the fluid having been filtered. As such in the present invention the inner cylinder, close to the outlet outputting a filtered fluid, is exchanged. This can maintain clean the inner cylinder close to a portion passing a filtered, highly pure agent. The outer cylinder, which is a portion contacting a fluid before it is filtered, is not particularly disadvantageous if it is not exchanged.
Thus, resources can be saved and refuse can be minimized while precision filtration can be achieved to constantly supply a highly pure agent.
In the above one aspect the filtration apparatus can for example be detachably attached and thus fixed to the housing.
As such, if the outer cylinder is for example accidentally damaged the outer cylinder can be independently exchanged. Furthermore, if between the outer cylinder and the filter the outer cylinder's inner surface is for example severely contaminated the outer cylinder can be removed and cleaned with an agent. Thus, precision filtration can be constantly provided to supply a highly pure agent.
The present invention provides a cartridge filter detachably attached to a housing, arranged internal to an outer cylinder fixed to the housing. The cartridge filter includes: a cylindrical filter; an inner cylinder positione
Fasse W. F.
Fasse W. G.
Kurabo Industries Ltd.
Savage Matthew O.
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