FILTER

Abstract

A filter is provided for filtering dirty water. The filter has an inlet opening for the dirty water, which inlet opening is at the top during normal use of the filter, and a filter element, by which the water passing through the filter is filtered. The filter element is designed to retain microplastic particles or microplastic fibers having diameters or lengths of 200 m and the filter has a holding structure, by which the filter can be fastened to the upper edge of a bucket corresponding thereto in the dimensions of the bucket, in such a way that the filter, hanging on the outside of the bucket, can be used as a pouring filter for filtering the dirty water running out of the bucket when the bucket is tipped.

Claims

1. A filter (1) for filtering dirty water, with an inlet opening (2) for the dirty water, provided on the upper side for use of the filter (1) as intended, and with a filter element (8), by which the water passing through the filter (1) is filtered, wherein: the filter element (8) is designed for holding back microplastic particles or fibers having diameters or lengths of 200 m and in that the filter (1) has a holding structure (4), with which the filter (1) can be fastened on the upper rim (5) of a bucket (6) having dimensions corresponding to it, in such a way that the filter (1), hanging on the outside of the bucket (6), is able to function as a pouring filter for filtering the dirty water running out of the bucket (6) when the bucket (6) is tipped.

2. The filter (1) of claim 1, wherein the holding structure (4) comprises two holding brackets (3), with which the filter (1) can be hung on the upper rim (5) of the bucket (6).

3. The filter (1) of claim 1, wherein the filter (1) can be hung in the manner of a pendulum on the upper rim (5) of a bucket (6) by appropriate configuration of the holding structure (4), so that, when the bucket (6) is tipped, the filter (1) is able to swing, under its own weight and/or under the additional weight of the water running into the filter (1), away from the bucket (6) in such a way that, despite the tipping of the bucket (6), it at least largely retains its spatial orientation imposed when the bucket (6) is standing upright.

4. The filter (1) of claim 1, wherein at least one stop element (9) is provided on the filter (1), which element, in cooperation with a bucket rim (5) projecting outwardly on the bucket, prevent slipping of the filter (1) when the bucket (6) is being tipped.

5. The filter (1) of claim 1, wherein the filter element (8) overlays at least one cutout in at least one wall bounding an interior space of the filter (1).

6. The filter (1) of claim 1, wherein the holding structure (4) of the filter (1) is formed by at least one fastening tape (12, 13), with which the filter (1) can be fastened in the region of the upper rim (5) of the bucket (6), in particular by the fact that the at least one fastening tape (12, 13) encircles the upper rim (5) of the bucket and (6) is suitably fixed there.

7. The filter (1) of claim 6, wherein the at least one fastening tape (12, 13) has a a hook-and-loop fastener (14).

8. The filter (1) of claim 6, wherein the at least one fastening tape (23, 13) and/or the hook-and-loop fastener (14) is dimensioned and/or disposed in such a way that the filter (1) is suitable, within given limits, for fastening on buckets (6) of various sizes and/or on buckets (6) with different cross-sectional geometry.

9. The filter (1) of claim 6, wherein the filter (1) has a filter bag (15) equipped with the inlet opening (2) for the water to be filtered.

10. The filter (1) of claim 9, wherein the filter bag (1) is made from two layers (16a, 16b) joined to one another peripherally, especially stitched to one another by means of reinforcing tapes (17), of which at least on first layer (16a, 16b) functions at least in some regions as a filter element (8).

11. The filter (1) of claim 9, wherein the filter bag (15) has a notch (18) that is V-shaped or can be spread apart in V-shaped manner in the region of the inlet opening (2) on two opposite sides, in which notch the rim (5) of the bucket (6) is able to penetrate at least partly when the filter (1) is fastened as intended on a bucket (6).

12. The filter (1) of claim 9, wherein all rim regions of the filter bag (15) are reinforced with reinforcing tapes (17).

13. The filter (1) of claim 6, wherein two fastening tapes (12, 13) are provided, each of which is branched into a first and second fastening tape portion (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b), wherein the two fastening tape portions (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) of each fastening tape (12, 13) are positioned on different limbs of the V-shaped notch (18) of the filter bag (15).

14. The filter (1) of claim 13, wherein the two branched fastening tape portions (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) of each fastening tape (12, 13) have different lengths.

15. The filter (1) of claim 1, wherein the entire filter (1) including filter element (8) and holding structure (4) is made from a single material, especially from a polyamide.

16. The filter (1) of claim 1, wherein the filter element (9) is formed by a filter fabric, especially a thermoset plastic screen fabric, having a mean mesh width of 5 m-200 m, preferably of 20-100 m.

17. A kit comprising a bucket (6) and a filter (1) fastened thereon according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0030] The present invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter on the basis of the drawing, wherein

[0031] FIGS. 1-6 show a first exemplary embodiment of an inventive filter with a holding structure, which can be fastened as a pouring filter on a bucket, and

[0032] FIGS. 7-10 show a second exemplary embodiment of an inventive filter, in some cases in the kit with a bucket, in photorealistic and schematic representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] FIGS. 16 show, in various perspectives and in various orientations, a first exemplary embodiment of an inventive filter 1 with an inlet opening 2 provided at the upper side of filter 1 for dirty water to be filtered, which filter has a holding structure 4 having (preferably) two holding brackets 3, with which filter 1 can be fastened or braced on the upper rim 5 of a (suitably dimensioned) bucket 6. In this filter 1, which functions as a pouring filter for dirty water to be emptied from bucket 6, inlet opening 2 is of rectangular shape. The water running out of tipped bucket 6 according to arrow P of FIG. 2 enters filter 1 through upper inlet opening 2 and runs out of the filter once again through filter element 8 provided in a side face 7 extending to the lower periphery of filter 1.

[0034] Filter 1 may consist of a thin-walled material, e.g. plastic, wherein filter element 8 consisting of a filter fabric with suitable small meshes is provided in a cutout of the side 7 of filter 1 facing away from bucket 6. In the present case, filter element 8 is formed by a large-area filter fabric of a thermoset plastic (screen) fabric of polyamide 6.6 having a mean mesh width of, for example, 50 m.

[0035] FIGS. 3-6, showing a side view of bucket 6 with filter 1 suspended on its upper rim 5, illustrate that the given holding structure 4 is created in such a way that filter 1 is fastened in the manner of a pendulum on bucket 6, so that filter 1 occupies a substantially constant orientation in space regardless of the respective tipped position of bucket 6. The stops 9 provided on filter 1 underneath holding brackets 3 reliably prevent slipping of filter 1 from bucket 6, by the fact that they become stopped against the leading rim 5 of bucket 6 when bucket 6 is being tipped at a large inclination.

[0036] Two wing portions 10, 11 of a flexible material, provided on filter 1 at the left and right sides, bearing on bucket 6 with preload when bucket 6 is standing upright and also forming stop elements 9, ensure that the free spacing between holding brackets 3 and stop elements 9 decreases when filter 1 swivels due to its pendulum-type suspension when bucket 6 is being tipped. Hereby filter 1 is always held reliably on bucket 6. By pulling wing portions 10, 11 laterally apart, the spacing between them and holding brackets 15 is increased, wherewith filter 12 may be easily removed from bucket 14.

[0037] Finally, FIGS. 7-10 further illustrate in photorealistic (FIGS. 7 and 8) and schematic (FIGS. 9 and 10) representation a second exemplary embodiment of an inventive filter 1, which can be hung or fastened on upper rim 5 of a bucket 6 having dimensions corresponding to it in such a way that, while hanging on the outside of bucket 6 (see FIGS. 8 and 10), it functions in the inventive sense as a pouring filter for filtering the dirty water running out of bucket 5 when bucket 6 is tipped.

[0038] As holding structure 4, this filter 1 has two fastening tapes 12, 13 which, for fastening of filter 1 on bucket 6 in its upper or uppermost rim region, can be guided on the left and right sides (typically directly underneath a rim 5 projecting outwardly from bucket 6) around bucket 6 and in the region of their free ends can be joined to one another by means of a hook-and-loop fastener 14 on the side of the bucket opposite filter 1. If the two fastening tapes 12, 13 are joined with light tension, fastening of filter 1 on bucket 6 that is sufficiently stable for the desired purpose can be achieved.

[0039] Furthermore, filter 1 illustrated in FIGS. 7-10 has a filter bag 15 in which the water to be filtered is able to flow through an inlet opening 2. In the given example, filter bag 15 is made from two layers 16a, 16b of a filter fabric functioning as a large-area filter element 8, wherein the two layers 16a, 16b bounding filter bag 15 on different sides are respectively reinforced in their peripheral region with a reinforcing tape 17.

[0040] The two layers 16a, 16b of filter fabric are suitable in the inventive sense for holding back microplastic particles or fibers with lengths/diameters of approximately 200 m. For this purpose, they may be made, for example, from the materials already mentioned hereinabove and are joined or stitched to one another peripherally in the region of the (respective) reinforcing tape 17.

[0041] In this case, the stitching yarn, the reinforcing tapes 17, the fastening tapes 12, 13constructed in the given example as one-piece continuations of the reinforcing tapes 17as well as the hook-and-loop fastener 14 may be made of the same material as the filter fabric.

[0042] In FIGS. 7 and 9, it can be clearly recognized that filter bag 15 has a notch 18 that is V-shaped or can be spread apart in V-shaped manner in the region of inlet opening 2 on two opposite sides, so that, in the region of the notches 18, upper rim 5 of bucket 6 is able to penetrate at least partly between the two layers 16a, 16b (or between the opposite peripheral regions) of filter bag 15 when filter 1 is fastened as intended on bucket 6. Hereby layer 16a of filter bag 15 directly facing the outside of the bucket is disposed (up to its uppermost peripheral region) underneath bucket rim 5, while upper peripheral portion 19 (see FIG. 8) of the opposite layer 16b of filter bag 15 is able to extend beyond the bucket rim, so that, when bucket 6 is being tipped, the dirty water contained in bucket 6 is able to run very largely without loss from above through inlet opening 2 disposed between the two layers 167a, 16b into filter 1.

[0043] Dirt particles and especially microplastic particles and fibers are reliably held back in filter bag 15 during passage of the water through filter bag 15, provided their diameter or length is larger than the mesh width of the filter fabric being used.

[0044] Finally, in FIGS. 7-10, it can also be clearly recognized that each fastening tape 12, 13, starting from its free end (in the region of the hook-and-loop fastener), branches in the direction of filter bag 15 into two fastening tape portions 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b respectively, wherein the two fastening tape portions 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b respectively of each fastening tape 12, 13 are positioned on a different limb of a V-shaped notch of filter bag 15 or are continued from there as reinforcing tape 17 for the two layers 16a, 16b of the filter fabric forming filter bag 15. In FIG. 9, it can be clearly recognized that the two branched fastening tape portions 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b respectively of each fastening tape (12, 13) have different lengths.

[0045] Finally, FIG. 8 also shows the filtered water W emerging from filter bag 15 at the lower end during tipping of bucket 6.