ELEMENT OF, CARTRIDGE AND CONTAINER WITH, FILTER FOR SLURRY

Abstract

A long-life in filters is required as filter members for slurry liquid having high-viscosity and high-solid-content ratio. It is provided to solve the problem, the filter element for filtering slurry liquid, wherein nets and non-woven fabrics are alternately layered, wherein each of the nets has first fibers parallelly extending in one direction and second fibers parallelly extending in a direction angled to the one direction and contacting sides of the first fibers, wherein the first and second fibers forms mesh-pores at portions surrounded by the first and second fibers, wherein each of the non-woven fabrics has protrusions on surfaces of the each of the non-woven fabrics in a thickness-direction, the protrusions formed to repeatedly come out on the surfaces of the each of the non-woven fabrics in a surface-direction of the each of the non-woven fabrics.

Claims

1 -11. (canceled)

12. A filter element for filtering slurry liquid, the filter element comprises a layered member of nets and non-woven fabrics in which each of the nets and the non-woven fabrics are alternately layered, wherein each of the nets has first fibers parallelly extending in one direction and second fibers parallelly extending in a direction angled to the one direction and contacting sides of the first fibers, wherein the first fibers and the second fibers forms mesh-pores at portions surrounded by the first fibers and the second fibers, wherein each of the non-woven fabrics has protrusions on surfaces of the each of the non-woven fabrics in a thickness-direction of the each of the non-woven fabrics, the protrusions formed to repeatedly come out on the surfaces of the each of the non-woven fabrics in a surface-direction of the each of the non-woven fabrics, and wherein in the protrusions in the thickness-direction, a height of anyone of the protrusions and the mesh-pores of the each of the nets are formed such that from one of the surfaces of a net among the nets next to anyone of the non-woven fabrics, through anyone of the mesh-pores corresponding to the anyone of the protrusions among the protrusions, the anyone of the protrusions among the protrusions of the non-woven fabrics does not reach an opposite side to the one of the surfaces of the net next to anyone of the non-woven fabrics.

13. A filter element according to claim 12, wherein the layered member is formed by winding a set of a net and a non-woven fabric each of which contacts with each other on a cylindrical core member with multiple winding turns.

14. A filter element according to claim 12, wherein the non-woven fabrics are formed with fibers in which 20 percentages of the fibers having a thickness twice or more of an average fiber diameter are mixed into remaining of the fibers selected to be ranged within the average fiber diameter.

15. A filter element according to claim 13, wherein the non-woven fabrics are formed with fibers in which 20 percentages of the fibers having a thickness twice or more of an average fiber diameter are mixed into remaining of the fibers selected to be ranged within the average fiber diameter.

16. A filter element according to claim 12, wherein the protrusions have plural types of shapes, the protrusions having each of the plural types of shapes repeatedly come out in a predetermined direction on the surfaces of the each of the non-woven fabrics.

17. A filter element according to claim 13, wherein the protrusions have plural types of shapes, the protrusions having each of the plural types of shapes repeatedly come out in a predetermined direction on the surfaces of the each of the non-woven fabrics.

18. A filter element according to claim 16, wherein the protrusions have plural types of the shapes, in areas where the protrusions having each of the plural types of shapes, areas where same shape-types among the plural types of the shapes are not positioned in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

19. A filter element according to claim 17, wherein the protrusions have plural types of the shapes, in areas where the protrusions having each of the plural types of shapes, areas where same shape-types among the plural types of the shapes are not positioned in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

20. A filter element according to claim 12, wherein the protrusions have plural types of shapes, the protrusions having each of the plural types of shapes are formed such that average diameters at foot portions of the plural types of shapes on the non-woven fabrics are different, or average heights between top portions and foot portions of the plural types of shapes on the non-woven fabrics are different.

21. A filter element according to claim 13, wherein the protrusions have plural types of shapes, the protrusions having each of the plural types of shapes are formed such that average diameters at foot portions of the plural types of shapes on the non-woven fabrics are different, or average heights between top portions and foot portions of the plural types of shapes on the non-woven fabrics are different.

22. A filter element according to claim 12, wherein the protrusions have plural types of shapes, the protrusions having at least one shape-type among the each of the plural types of shapes are formed such that a shape of the at least one shape-type are elongated shape on the surfaces of the non-woven fabrics.

23. A filter element according to claim 13, wherein the protrusions have plural types of shapes, the protrusions having at least one shape-type among the each of the plural types of shapes are formed such that a shape of the at least one shape-type are elongated shape on the surfaces of the non-woven fabrics.

24. A filter container comprising a filter element according to anyone of claim 12, the filter container contains the filter element inside.

25. A filter cartridge comprising a filter element according to anyone of claim 12, and a mesh-type cover including cylindrical shape in which the filter element is contained on an outside of the filter element.

26. A filter cartridge according to claim 25, wherein the filter cartridge is detachably attached inside any filter container in which slurry liquid passes.

27. A filter container comprising a filter cartridge according to claim 26.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a filter container in which a filter element as an embodiment of the present invention is contained.

[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating a filter element and a filter cartridge with the filter element, showing the inside of the filter container of FIG. 1.

[0015] FIG. 3A is a photo enlarging the surface of a net-structure that is a part of the filter element as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 3B is a schematic view illustrating the fabric construction of a net-structure that is a part of the filter element as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 3C is a Y-Y cross-section view of FIG. 3B, illustrating the schematic view of the fabric construction in a net-structure that is a part of the filter element as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 4A is a photo enlarging the surface of a non-woven fabric that is a part of the filter element as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 4B is a schematic view of a Z-Z cross-section of FIG. 4A illustrating the cross-section shape of a fabric construction of a non-woven fabric that is a part of the filter element as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the relationship between a non-woven fabric and a net-structure in the filter element as an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0021] As follows, with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, it is explained, a filter element of the present invention. At first, with reference to FIG. 1, it is explained, a filter element 1 and a filter container 6 with the filter element 1. FIG. 1 represents a filter element 1 in an embodiment of the present invention and a filter container 6 having the filter element 1. The filter container 6 is a container in which slurry liquid is flown inside to filter the liquid by the filter element 1. The filter container 6 has a guide pipe 61 to guide slurry liquid S therein and a discharge pipe 62 to discharge the liquid S from the inside of the filter container 6. The slurry liquid S, as shown in FIG. 1, is guided in the inside of the filter container 6 from the guide pipe 61 so that the liquid S is flown into the outside of the filter element 1. And then, liquid S flows toward the center along a radial direction of the filter element 1 from the outside of the filter element 1 to reach the center of the filter element 1 so that the liquid S is filtered. The filtered liquid S is discharged to the outside from the discharge pipe 62.

[0022] The filter element 1 can be fixedly attached onto the filter container 6. Or, as shown in FIG. 1, the filter cartridge 11 including the filter element 1 inside can be detachably attached to the inside of the filter container 6. Hereinafter, it is explained as the example in which the filter element 1 is contained in the filter cartridge 11 as a part thereof.

[0023] Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, they are explained, the filter element 1 and filter cartridge 11. FIG. 2 shows the filter cartridge 11 extracted from the inside in FIG. 1 with the filter element 1 on which a net and a non-woven fabric are winded, in the broken state, wherein a part of the winded of the filter element 1 are peeled off in the view. FIGS. 3A to 3C show the net 3 as a part of the filter element 1. FIGS. 4A to 4C show the non-woven fabric 4 as a part of the filter element 1. FIG. 5 shows the relationship of layers between the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 as the filter element 1 that is the cross-section X-X of FIG. 2. Although the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 are shown in a separate state to facilitate understanding in FIG. 2, the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 contact with each other in the assembled state in FIG. 5. The filter cartridge 11 has a filter element 1 and a mesh-type cover 2. The mesh-type cover 2 is representatively a member having a cylindrical shape and a hollow portion with openings at both ends, and is attached on the outside of the filter element 1 as an outer shell so as to contain the filter element 1 in the hollow portion. The mesh-type cover 2 in a number of through-holes that penetrate between the outside and the inside, the through-holes being a flow path of the liquid S between the outside surface of the filter element 1 and the inside surface of the filter element 1.

[0024] The filter element 1 is formed so that the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 are alternately layered to be representatively a layered member having a cylindrical shape whose inside is hollow. The net 3 is provided to keep a distance to the non-woven fabric 4 adjacent as a filter element. Although he layered method can be freely chosen, the filter element 1 as a layered member can be representatively formed by winding a layered set plural times on the outer surface of the core member 5 having a cylindrical shape that has a hollow portion 5 inside, with loads of a predetermined tension, the layered set formed so that the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 are doubled by adding a load with a predetermined tension each of the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4. By that, the filter element 1 is layer-formed so that the net 3 or the non-woven fabric 4 alternately comes out in the radius direction in the filter element 1.

[0025] In the filter element 1, in the case where the filter element 1 is composed as a part of filter cartridge 11, the filter element 1 is contained in the mesh-type cover 2 and openings on the both ends are closed with the end cap 7. One end cap 7 between them has a circular-plate-shape having a donut-shape with a center hole 7a. In the state where the end cap 7 is attached to the filter cartridge 11, the center hole 7a connects to the hollow portion 5a of the core member 5 to form a guide path to guide the filtered liquid S to the discharge conduit 62. No center hole 7a is provided on the other end cap 7 to guide the liquid to the outer surface of the filter element 1 as a surface to block the liquid S.

[0026] Next, with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3C, the net 3 included in the filter element 1 is explained. FIG. 3A is a photo of representative aspect of the net 3. FIG. 3B is a schematic view showing the relationship of fibers of the net 3. FIG. 3C shows the Y-Y cross-section of FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the net 3 includes first fibers formed to extend in a direction and second fibers 32 formed to extend another direction angled to the direction in which the first fibers extend. Each of the first fibers 31 extends in parallel with each other, and each of the second fibers 32 extends in parallel with each other. The direction in which the first fibers 31 extend and the direction angled to the direction in which the first fibers 31 extend can be chosen as an arbitrary angle, it is chosen representatively as 90 degrees, that is the relationship in which the first fibers 31 perpendicularly intersect the second fibers 32.

[0027] In the net 3, mesh-pores 33 is formed in the portions surrounded by the first fibers 31 and the second fibers 32. Plural mesh-pores 33 are formed in the portion surrounded by the first fibers 31 and the second fibers 32. The first fibers 31 and the second fibers 32 are formed to be fixed to respectively contact and fuse with sides of them. That is, the net 3 has a spaced-fibers-crossing-structure in which one surface of the net 3 has pits and protrusions by the first fibers 31 and the opposite surface (other surface) of the net 3 has pits and protrusions by the second fibers 32. The thickest protrusions of the net 3 are formed at the crossings of the first fibers 31 and the second fibers 32.

[0028] That is, in the net 3, as one surface of the net 3 is formed as the first fibers 31 are arranged with predetermined distances in parallel, and the opposite surface (other surface) of the net 3 is formed as the second fibers 32 are arranged with predetermined distances in parallel, so that the surfaces are formed to adjacent with each other. The fiber diameter of each of the first fibers 31 and the second fibers 32 can be chosen 250 micrometers to 350 micrometers in average. The predetermined distances of the first fibers 31 and the second fibers 32 of the net 3 is determined, for example, as 900 micrometers in average for the whole of surfaces of the net 3. The details are explained later in the portion about the layered structure of the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4.

[0029] Next, with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C, the non-woven fabric 4 is explained. FIG. 4A is a photo in which the surface of the non-woven fabric 4 is enlarged. In FIG. 4A, representatively, the portion indicated with a broken line circle corresponding to the protrusion P. FIG. 4B is a schematic view showing the Z-Z cross-section of FIG. 4A. The non-woven fabric 4 is a non-woven fabric having surface structure in which protrusions P repeatedly come out in a surface direction so that the protrusions P protruded in a thickness direction repeatedly come out in a surface direction of the non-woven fabric 4. The protrusions P repeatedly come out in a predetermined direction of the non-woven fabric 4. To repeatedly come out in a predetermined direction is meant as the protrusions P are formed so that pits and protrusions are formed arbitrarily in a predetermined direction W. The predetermined direction is not necessary to be strictly in horizontal or in vertical while the protrusions P tend to be formed in an arbitrary direction. The protrusions P is defined as the portion whose height is higher than the average surface height around the protrusions P of the non-woven fabric. Also, furthermore, the protrusions P has one type of shapes, while plural types of shapes can be chosen. In FIG. 4A, it is shown, an example in which plural types of shapes of the protrusions P are formed on the non-woven fabric 4. The plural types of shapes of the protrusions P, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A, can be the first types of shapes of the protrusions p1, and the second types of shapes of the protrusions p2. In this case, the first types of shapes of the protrusions p1, and the second types of shapes of the protrusions p2, are formed so that the first types of shapes of the protrusions p1, and the second types of shapes of the protrusions p2, are respectively formed in an arbitrary predetermined direction W on the non-woven fabric 4. The size of the protrusions P preferably has 1000 micrometers width, 4000 micrometers lengths and 800 micrometers peak height tmax in average values.

[0030] That is, for example, the first types of shapes of the protrusions p1 are formed in the band area α formed in the predetermined direction W, while similarly the second types of shapes of the protrusions p2 are formed in the band area β formed in the predetermined direction V. Then, the band area α and the band area β are formed alternatively provided in the direction W and the direction V perpendicular to the direction W. That is, they are formed as the band area α and the band area β are not positioned at the next with each other, and the same types of shapes of the protrusions P are not positioned at the next with each other. The first types of shapes of the protrusions p1, and the second types of shapes of the protrusions p2 can be representatively formed as the average area on the non-woven fabric 4 about foot portions of the protrusions P are different or formed as the average height from the foot portions to the tip portions of the protrusions P are different. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4A, the shapes of the foot portions on the non-woven fabric 4 of the second types of shapes of the protrusions p2 can be elongated, while the shapes of the foot portions on the non-woven fabric 4 of the first types of shapes of the protrusions p1 can be shorter than those. As long as the non-woven fabric 4 has surfaces such that the protrusions P appears repeatedly in the surface direction of the non-woven fabric 4, no limitation is needed for the non-woven fabric 4.

[0031] In the non-woven fabric 4, as the fibers included in the non-woven fabrics, they are mixed, 20 percentages of fibers having diameters twice of the average fiber diameter, and remaining of fibers having fibers having diameters within the average fiber diameter. That is, for example, the fibers in the non-woven fabrics are chosen as 80 percentages of the fibers having fiber diameters within the range of 20 micrometers to 30 micrometers and 20 percentages of the fibers having fiber diameters that exceeds 50 micrometers.

[0032] Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 5, in the filter element 1, it is explained how the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 are configured. FIG. 5 is a figure showing the relationship between the mesh-pores 33 and the protrusions P of the non-woven fabric 4. As described above, the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 are formed so that the layered set of the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 are winded plural times with addition of a predetermined tension on the outer surface of the core member 5 in the condition where the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 are doubled. In this time, by winding of the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 with the predetermined tension, the inner surface of the net 3 and the outer surface of the non-woven fabric 4 are respectively pressured and in contact with each other so that the filter member 1 is formed as a layered member in which the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 are alternatively winded.

[0033] In this state, each of the protrusions contacts one of the crossing of the first fibers 31 and the second fibers 32, or meets each of the mesh-pore 33. In this case, the portion where each of the protrusions contacts one of the crossing of the first fibers 31 and the second fibers 32 is a portion where each of the protrusions P as the thickest portion in the net 3 and each of the protrusions as the peak-thickness tmax portion in the non-woven fabric 4 intersect with each other, and a flow path of the liquid S between the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 is easily secured. In the contrast, the portions where each of the protrusions of the non-woven fabric 4 meets each of the mesh-pores 33 of the net 3 is a portion where each of the protrusions of the non-woven fabric 4 enters into each of the mesh-pores 33 of the net 3 to be difficult to secure a flow path of the liquid S between the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4.

[0034] In the present invention, however, the fiber diameters of each of the first fibers 31 and the second fibers 32 of the net 3 and the interval distance between the first fibers 31 and the second fibers 32 can be adjusted by selecting specification factors of the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 and their configurations, so that as shown in FIG. 5, the protrusions P of the non-woven fabric 4 does not reach even ¼ of the thickness of the net 3. That is, in the present invention, in the net 3, because the interval distance of the second fiber 32 can prevent the protrusions P of the non-woven 4 from entering into the mesh-pores 33, the non-woven fabric 4 does not reach the portion of the first fibers 31 of the net 3 at these portions. That is, the sizes of the mesh-pores 33 of the net 3 are defined as the sizes in which the protrusion P of the non-woven fabric 4 does not reach from one side to the other side as the opposite side of the net 3 at these portions. That is, the heights of the protrusions P of the non-woven fabric are selected to be equal to or less than the thickness of the net 3 because the whole of the protrusions P easily enters into the mesh-pores 33 of the net 3 in the case where the mesh-pores 33 of the net 3 is larger than widths and length of the protrusions P (for example, like the protrusions p1 in FIG. 4A). On the other hand, the heights of the portions of among the protrusions P entering into mesh-pores 33 are selected to be equal to or less than the thickness of the net 3 because the whole of the protrusions P does not enter into the mesh-pores 33 of the net 3 in the case where the mesh-pores 33 of the net 3 is smaller than widths and length of the protrusions P (for example, like the protrusions p2 in FIG. 4A).

[0035] By configuring the filter element 1 as above, in the case where the inner surface of the net 3 and the outer surface of the non-woven fabric 4 are respectively pressured and contacts with each other, even if the contact degree is made to be higher by increasing the predetermined tension at some level, that is, by increasing the pressure given by the non-woven fabric 4 onto the net 3, it is possible by those to keep a sufficient gap between the net 3 and the non-woven fabric 4 to secure the flow path of the liquid S at the portion where each of the protrusions of the non-woven fabric 4 meets each of the mesh-pores 33 of the net 3.

[0036] This application claims the priority on Japanese patent application No. 2020-080190 filed on Apr. 30, 2020, and the contents of the application is recited as a part of this application.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0037] 1 filter element

[0038] 2 mesh-type cover

[0039] 3 net

[0040] 4 non-woven fabric

[0041] 5 core member

[0042] 5a hollow portion

[0043] 6 filter container

[0044] 7 end cap

[0045] 7a hole

[0046] 11 filter cartridge

[0047] 31 first fiber

[0048] 32 second fiber

[0049] 33 mesh-pores