Patent ID: 6524471
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
A filter system for use in a machining fluid supply system associated with a machine tool comprising:a filter unit fluidically connecting a source of machining fluid to a machine tool which uses the machining fluid; a first valve unit on said filter unit, said first valve unit being configurable in an operational flow configuration which permits flow of machining fluid in an operational flow direction through said filter unit towards the machine tool and a backwash flow configuration which permits filter backwashing fluid to flow through said filter unit in a direction opposite to the operational flow direction; a second valve unit on said filter unit, said second valve unit being configurable in the operational flow configuration and the backwash flow configuration; a counter connected to the machine tool and counting the number of times the machine tool is used and generating a signal when the machine tool has been used a preset number of times; a valve unit controller connected to said counter and moving said first and second valve units between operational and backwash flow configurations in response to the signal received from said counter; and said valve unit controller being connected to said counter to move said first and second valve units from their operational configurations into their backwash configurations after the machine tool has been used a preset number of times.