A filter element for filtering a fluid is provided with a filter bellows made of a filter medium folded along fold edges in a zigzag shape to form folds, wherein the folds extend between oppositely positioned end face edges of the filter bellows. The filter bellows defines a raw side and a clean side of the filter element, wherein a fluid to be filtered flows from the raw side to the clean side. The filter medium has faces that are flowed through by the fluid to be filtered. The filter medium is provided at least on one of the faces that are flowed through with beads extending transversely to the fold edges. In a proper operating state of the filter bellows, the beads effect a flow of at least a portion of the fluid to be filtered in a direction perpendicular to the fold edges.

A pleated filter media comprises a plurality of pleats comprised of pleat segments extending in an axial direction between first and second axial ends and extending in a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the axial direction between first and second sets of pleat tips at least partially defined by first and second sets of bend lines. Axial flow channels are defined between the pleat segments in the lateral direction and the plurality of pleats has a width in the transverse direction that varies along the axial direction.

The invention relates to a filter manufacturing apparatus (1) comprising:a feed path (3) adapted to continuously feed a filter material along a longitudinal transport direction;a forming device (4) connected to a terminating end of the feed path and adapted to form the filter material into a rod-shaped continuous filter body and deliver the formed continuous filter body, the forming device including: a tubular element (8) adapted to allow the filter material to pass therethrough to form the filter material into the continuous filter body; a heat source (6) adapted to heat the filter material passing in the tubular element;a diameter measuring device (10) positioned at the outlet of the forming device and adapted to measure a diameter of the continuous filter body.

A pleated air filter media with a plurality of continuous-contact reinforcing filaments on at least one face of the pleated air filter. The filaments have locally-thinned bending zones each of which is registered with pleat tip or pleat valley of the pleated air filter media.

An apparatus for packing a food product in a container to be used in infusion machines, preferably to obtain a beverage such as coffee, includes a frame for supporting means for feeding an external body of the container and means for making and inserting a bag configured with fluted sidewalls in the external body. The means for making and inserting the bag has at least one operating unit with a bag making component, an insertion component, and a conveyance for transporting the bag between the making component and the insertion component.

A pleated filter preparation system is provided for accurately counting pleats along a continuous sheet of pleated filter material and cutting the sheet into filter strips to be formed into filters. The pleated filter preparation system includes a pleat driver having multiple drive gears that engage with the pleats of the pleated filter material to move the pleated filter material through the system. A pleat counter counts peaks and valleys of each pleat comprising the pleated filter material so as to identify a target pleat to be cut. The pleat counter clamps and stretches the target pleat to distinguish the target pleat among the other pleats. A punch cut station cuts the target pleat to form a filter strip having a desired number of pleats. A pleat compressor compresses the filter strips to a predetermined size and then ejects the filter strips into a suitable container or bin.

The present invention describes a method and a machine for the formation of a capsule (100) for producing beverages in which the capsule (100) comprises a pleated capsule body (101) and a reinforcing element (102). The method comprises the following steps: a step of forming the pleated capsule body (101) of the capsule (100) in a first station (110); a step of supplying the reinforcing element (102) in a second station (111) different from the first station (110); a step of transporting the pleated capsule body (101) from the first station (110) to the second station (111); a step of insertion in the second station of the pleated capsule body (101) in the reinforcing element (102); a step of coupling between the pleated capsule body (101) and the reinforcing element (102) in the second station (111).

The present invention provides a method of forming a filter rod (R) of separated fibres and/or randomly oriented filter material fibres (F) for the tobacco processing industry, the method comprising: supplying separated filter material fibres (F) to an inlet (I) of a conveyor device (2), conveying the separated filter material fibres (F) along a process path (P) in a conveying direction (D) from the inlet (I) to an outlet (O) of the conveyor device (2), whereby a strand (4) of the filter material fibres (F) is formed along the process path (P), introducing at least one additive (A), especially a binder, to the strand (4) of filter material fibres (F) on the process path (P) in the conveyor device (2) at a position that is closer to the outlet (O) than the inlet (I), and consolidating the filter material fibres (F) into a filter rod (R) by wrapping the strand (4) of filter material fibres (F) with a wrapper material (6) after the strand (4) exits the outlet (O) of the conveyor device (2) in the conveying direction (D). Desirably, the at least one additive (A) is introduced or applied to the strand (4) of filter material fibres (F) proximate or adjacent to the outlet (O) of the conveyor device (2). The invention also provides an apparatus (1) for forming such a filter rod (R) of separated and/or randomly oriented filter material fibres (F).

A pleated filter media comprises a plurality of pleats comprised of pleat segments extending in an axial direction between first and second axial ends and extending in a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the axial direction between first and second sets of pleat tips at least partially defined by first and second sets of bend lines. Axial flow channels are defined between the pleat segments in the lateral direction and the plurality of pleats has a width in the transverse direction that varies along the axial direction.

A piece of substrate material is formed under heat and pressure against a cavity into a shaped substrate sheet having one or more depressions. Two substrate sheets are bonded together to form a substrate wherein the one or more depressions form one or more interior channels. The substrate, if not formed with pre-coated substrate material, is coated with a dope and quenched to form a filtering membrane. A plurality of membranes may be placed side by side to form a bundle with permeating ends of the membrane, which are open to the one or more interior channels, separated by gaps or spacers. The bundle is connected to a header to produce a module. The module can be assembled into a cassette.