Patent ID: 8220641
Filing Date: 2012-07-17
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
1. A filter module comprising a body of wound layers of a depth filter sheet material maintained in a compressed state, said body having an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface, a winding axis and a passage extending along the winding axis of said body and in fluid communication with said inner peripheral surface, said sheet material having a plurality of openings formed therein, said openings forming two types of channels within the wound layers of sheet material of said body, said channels extending in a direction from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface, a first type of channels being open at one end at said outer peripheral surface of the body and closed at the other end located adjacent to said inner peripheral surface, a second type of channels being open at one end at said inner peripheral surface of the body, in fluid communication with said passage and closed at the other end located adjacent to said outer peripheral surface, said channels of the one type being separated from the channels of the other type by portions of sheet material, one of said types of channels being inlet channels communicating with a fluid inlet of said filter module, the other of said types of channels being outlet channels communicating with an outlet of said filter module, wherein the sheet material has areas at edges of the openings forming the inlet channels, the thickness of the areas being smaller than the thickness of the sheet material remote from the openings forming the inlet channels, wherein the areas of smaller thickness extend to adjacent openings of the same type, the areas of reduced thickness forming continuous channels allowing fluid flow therethrough and forming one or more flow paths extending along the winding direction of the sheet material, the areas of reduced thickness also allowing fluid to directly contact the areas of reduced thickness at a surface of the sheet material, and pass through the sheet material.