FILTER ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

Abstract

The invention relates to a filter element for a filter press having at least one press plate with a first filter side and a second filter side, both filter sides being connected by a central channel, the filter element comprises a first part of filter material to be disposed in the first filter side of the press plate and a second part of filter material to be disposed on the second filter side of the press plate, wherein the first part and the second part of filter material are connected by the connection tube to be inserted into the central channel of the press plate. According to the invention, the connection tube comprises a tube body having an inner diameter, an outer diameter and a substantially wall thickness, wherein at least at one end of the connection tube a ring-shaped front face is formed having a width according to the wall thickness of the connection tube, and one part of filter material is directly fixed on the ring-shaped front face of the connection tube. Furthermore, the invention relates to a filter press and a method for producing such a filter element.

Claims

1. A filter element for a filter press having at least one press plate with a first filter side and a second filter side, both filter sides being connected by a central channel, the filter element comprises a first part of filter material to be disposed on the first filter side of the press plate and a second part (14) of filter material to be disposed on the second filter side of the press plate, wherein the first part and the second part of filter material are connected by a connection tube to be inserted into the central channel of the press plate, wherein the connection tube comprises a tube body having an inner diameter, an outer diameter and a substantially constant wall thickness, wherein at least at one end of the connection tube a ring-shaped front face (24) is formed having a width according to the wall thickness of the connection tube, and one part of filter material is directly fixed on the ring-shaped front face of the connection tube.

2. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the connection tube comprises a first ring-shaped front face at one end and a second ring-shaped front face at the other end, and the first part of filter material is fixed to the first front face and the second part (14) of filter material is fixed to the second front face.

3. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ring-shaped front face is planar.

4. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein, the part of filter material is fixed to the front face by gluing.

5. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the filter material and/or the connection tube are made out of a thermoplastic material and are fixed together by welding, melting or extruding.

6. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the filter material and/or the material of the connection tube comprises PA, PVC, PMMA or any other suitable thermoplastic polymer.

7. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the connection tube comprises at least two tube parts being connected, wherein a first tube part is fixed to the first part of filter material and a second tube part is fixed to the second part of filter material.

8. The filter element according to claim 7, wherein the first tube part and the at least second tube part are connected together by releasable connecting means.

9. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the part of the filter material comprises a central through hole, which has a diameter that is equal or larger than the internal diameter of the ring-shaped front face and smaller than the outer diameter of the ring-shaped front face.

10. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the filter material comprises a filter cloth, a woven or non-woven filter material and/or a filter membrane.

11. A filter press having one or more press plates with a first filter side and a second filter side, both filter sides being connected by a central channel, wherein at least one filter element according to claim 1 is provided.

12. The method for producing a filter element according to claim 1, wherein a connection tube is provided, the connection tube comprising a tube body having an inner diameter, an outer diameter and a substantially constant wall thickness, wherein at least at one end of the connection tube a ring-shaped front face is formed having a width according to the wall thickness of the connection tube, and one part of filter material is directly fixed on the ring-shaped front face of the connection tube.

Description

[0029] The invention is described hereunder with reference to preferred embodiments that are schematically illustrated in the attached drawings. The illustrations show the following:

[0030] FIG. 1 a perspective view of a filter element according to the invention, and

[0031] FIG. 2 a perspective view of a connection tube for a filter element according to the invention.

[0032] An inventive filter element 10 having a central connection tube 20 and a first part 12 and a second part 14 of flat filter material is shown in FIG. 1.

[0033] As is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 2, the connection tube 20 is formed by a tube body 22 usually made by cutting out of a regular plastic tube. The connection tube 20 has a defined length according to the width or thickness of a press plate of a filter press to which the filter element should be mounted. Furthermore, the connection tube 20 has a given outer diameter and a given inner diameter and a substantially constant wall thickness. At one end a flat first ring-shaped front face 24 and at the other end a flat second ring-shaped front face 26 are provided.

[0034] The first part 12 and the second part 14 of filter material have a rectangular shape according to the contour of the press plate to which the filter element 10 is to be mounted. In a central portion the first part 12 and the second part 14 of filter material a through hole 28 is arranged. In this embodiment of a filter element 10, the diameter of the through hole 28 is identical to the inner diameter of the connection tube 20.

[0035] According to the invention, the first part 12 and the second part 14 of filter material are fixed directly on the first ring-shaped front face 24 and the second ring-shaped front face 26, respectively. Preferably, the fixation is carried out by gluing or welding, particularly by ultrasonic welding. In such a case, the connection tube 20 is made out of a thermoplastic polymer material.

[0036] According to the thickness of the connection tube 20, a connection edge 30 is provided around the through hole 28 at each part 12, 14 of filter material. The fixation process is carried out in the area of this connection edge 30 or connection seam.

[0037] As can be seen from FIG. 1, a filter element 10 is formed without out any radial flange at the connection tube 20. Consequently, the inventive filter element 10 can be efficiently produced, easily mounted on a filter press plate and a great surface area for filtration is provided without any reduction of the surface by the flange. Furthermore, without any flange, the filter element 10 can be cleaned more easily and efficiently.