Patent ID: 7857969
Filing Date: 2010-12-28
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
1. A filter module comprising: a plurality of draining members having outer and inner sides and including a plurality of first draining members and a plurality of separate second draining members, each first draining member including a flow element on the outer side, a sealing element on the inner side, and a draining element which extends between and contacts the flow element and the sealing element and each second draining member including a sealing element on the outer side, a flow element on the inner side, and a draining element which extends between and contacts the sealing element and the flow element; and a plurality of filter layers, each filter layer having an outer end region and an inner end region and including a deep bed filter material, wherein the draining members and the filter layers are arranged in a stack in a predetermined order in which the first and second draining members alternate relative to one another in the stack, the flow elements of the first draining members and the sealing elements of the second draining members on the outer side alternating along the stack and the sealing elements of the first draining members and the flow elements of the second draining members on the inner side being axially stacked and alternating along the stack, and in which a filter layer is positioned between each first draining member and each second draining member, the outer end region of the filter layer being compressed and sealed between the flow element of the first draining member and the sealing element of the second draining member and the inner end region of the filter layer being compressed and sealed between the sealing element of the first draining member and the flow element of the second draining member; wherein the stack has a central, axially-extending space and the alternating first and second draining members extend radially inwardly to the central space, the sealing elements of the first draining members facing the central space and being arranged in the stack to prevent fluid communication between the central space and the filter layers adjacent to the draining elements of the first draining members and the flow elements of the second draining members facing the central space and having openings which fluidly communicate between the central space and the filter layers adjacent to the draining elements of the second draining members; wherein the flow elements of the first draining members have openings which fluidly communicate between a space outside the filter module and the filter layers adjacent to the draining elements of the first draining members and the sealing elements of the second draining members are arranged in the stack to prevent fluid communication between the space outside the filter module and filter layers adjacent to the draining elements of the second draining members; and wherein the draining members include connection means on the outer side of the draining members, the connection means comprising first and second different connectors that interact radially beyond the outer end region of each filter layer and radially beyond each outer flow element and outer sealing element to mutually connect the draining members and fix the first and second draining members and the filter layers in the stack.