Patent ID: 7504032
Filing Date: 2009-03-17
Classification: B01D,B03C

Abstract:
1. A filter device for filtering a contaminated fluid containing particles, the filter device comprising: a filter tank into which the contaminated fluid is introduced; a magnetic ball filter medium which is formed of an aggregate of a large number of spherical metal balls of a magnetic material and is held in the filter tank in a manner such that the metal balls are movable relatively to one another; magnets relatively movable with respect to the magnetic ball filter medium between a first position and a second position and configured to apply a magnetic field to the metal balls, thereby causing the metal balls magnetically to attract one another and be fixed to one another, when in the first position and to cancel the magnetic attraction between the metal balls when in the second position; and holding means for relatively moving the magnets between the first position and the second position; wherein the filter tank has a dirty chamber which is defined under the magnetic ball filter medium and into which the contaminated fluid is introduced, a clean chamber which is defined over the magnetic ball filter medium and contains a cleaned fluid filtered through the magnetic ball filter medium, and a sludge disposal unit which is defined under the dirty chamber, and wherein when the magnetic ball filter medium is cleaned, the magnets are moved to the second position so that the metal balls are moveable relative to one another, and by causing the cleaned fluid in the clean chamber to fall into the sludge disposal unit through the magnetic ball filter medium and the dirty chamber, particles adhering to the metal balls are washed away.