Patent ID: 6808552
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
A method for filtering solid contaminants from a stream of flowing fluid comprising the steps of:(1) providing a housing having a tubular inlet exiting at its downstream end into a conically divergent first imperforate housing conical wall section having a first taper angle of divergence in a downstream direction and terminating in a maximum diameter apex and then continuing in a conically convergent second imperforate housing conical wall section having a second taper angle of convergence and having an outlet opening of greater diameter than the diameter of the inlet opening of the first wall section at the tubular inlet, (2) providing a fluid-pervious filter element disposed within an interior chamber of the housing defined by said conical wall sections of the housing and having an exterior configuration generally complimental to that of the interior chamber of the housing, said filter element comprising a first generally conical wall section divergent at a third taper angle of divergence juxtaposed to said housing first wall section and a second generally conical wall section convergent at a fourth taper angle of convergence juxtaposed to said housing second wall and extending axially downstream from a maximum diameter apex of the filter to an outlet of said filter element, and (3) orienting the housing and filter element relative to one another and to the flowing fluid stream to thereby cause the fluid to enter the housing inlet and then to flow axially along and between the filter element and housing and then radially inwardly through the filter element and then exit via the filter element outlet whereby solid contaminants are entrained on the exterior surface of the filter element.