Abstract:
A filtering system for water treatment including a head member having fluid inlet and outlet ports, a bracket member adapted to be secured to stationary support means, the head member being secured to the bracket member, a disposable filter cartridge closed at one end and being equipped at its other end with a closure member, the closure member having inlet and outlet passages formed therein to communicate with the interior of said filter cartridge, the closure member portion of the filter cartridge being insertable into the head member, its inlet and outlet passages formed so as to communicate with the inlet and outlet ports in the head member, and coacting locking means formed on the head member and the bracket member to secure the filter cartridge in place during operation of the filter system and also permit easy insertion of the closure member into and withdrawal of the closure member from the head member.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a filtering system and more particularly to a system in which a disposable filter cartridge can be quickly inserted into and removed from a head member which is permanently mounted in a fluid conduit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide in a water treatment system a convenient economical filter assembly wherein a disposable filter cartridge can easily be installed in the line by hand without the use of cumbersome extra tools. 
     Another object is to provide a low cost filter assembly in which the filter cartridge is easily locked and held in place under line pressure conditions. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional view in elevation taken along line 1--1 of FIG. 2 of the filter assembly embodying the invention herein in an assembled position; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bracket member and head member in which the filter cartridge is mounted; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bracket member used for supporting the filter cartridge and head member; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the bracket member of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view in elevation of the closure member fitted in the upper open end of the pressure vessel; 
     FIG. 6 is a top sectional view taken at line 6--6 of FIG. 5 showing the shape of inlet and outlet passages at designated points in the closure member; 
     FIG. 7 is a top sectional view taken at line 7--7 of FIG. 5 showing the shape of inlet and outlet passages at other designated points in the closure member; 
     FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the head member taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 9 is a sectional view in elevation of another embodiment of a filter assembly embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view in elevation of still another embodiment of a filter assembly embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view in elevation of a shut-off valve which may be associated with the inlet to the filter assembly; and 
     FIG. 12 is a plan view taken along line 12--12 of FIG. 9. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts the filter assembly 10 includes a bracket member 12 for supporting a head member and a filter cartridge, a head member 14 secured to the bracket member and a filter cartridge 16 which is inserted into and supported in the head member. 
     The bracket member 12 includes a generally laterally extending plate-like portion 20 with a substantially vertically extending integral portion 22. A pair of openings 26 are formed in vertical portion 22 for mounting on a supporting structure. A reinforcing plate 28 as seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 adds strength to the bracket member. The bracket member 12 may be mounted against the inside wall of a tank or other supporting structure. 
     A circular opening 34 is formed in the laterally extending portion 20 for receiving therethrough the upper end of the filter cartridge. A pair of oppositely disposed bayonet openings 36a and 36b are connected to the opening 34. The width A of opening 36 a is narrower than width B of opening 36b for reasons to be subsequently explained. 
     The head member 14 preferably of a molded plastic is an inverted cylindrical cup-like structure formed with two oppositely disposed flanges 38a and 38b by which it is secured to the bracket member. A bore 40 is formed in the head member 14 for receiving the upper end of a filter cartridge therein. A pair of ports 42 and 44, one and inlet and the other an outlet, and formed in the cylindrical wall 46 of the head member. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 42 is the inlet port and 44 is the outlet port although these may be reversed depending on the type of filter arrangement within the pressure vessel as will be subsequently described in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 9. Appropriate connections made to these ports 42 and 44 is what incorporates the filter assembly into a fluid conduit which provides the water to the unit or device which ultimately uses the filtered or treated water. 
     The bore 40 is enlarged at its lower end in the form of a counterbore 41. A pair of circumferentially spaced stops 48a and 48b are formed at the lower enlarged end of bore 40 to limit the rotation of the filter cartridge 16 in the head member 14 as hereinafter more fully explained. 
     The filter cartridge 16 of FIG. 1 includes a pressure vessel 50, a closure member 52 a filter septum 54 and a filter media 56. The filter cartridge is designed to be a disposable unit which may be easily inserted into the head member 14 and removed therefrom by hand all without the use of special tools. 
     The pressure vessel 50 which may be of metal or plastic is closed at its lower end as shown in FIG. 1, and the closure member 52 is sealingly fitted into the open end of the pressure vessel by appropriate means. 
     The closure member 52 which preferably is made of a plastic material includes an annular base portion 58, which is the portion fitted into the open end of the pressure vessel, and an elongated generally cylindrical portion 60 formed integrally with the base portion. The cylindrical portion 60 is inserted into the head member 14 in the filter assembly. 
     A pair of substantially axially extending fluid inlet and outlet passages 62 and 64 are formed in the elongated cylindrical portion 60 of the closure member and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, 62 is the inlet passage and 64 is the outlet passage. The passages 62 and 64 are both disposed slightly off center from the axis of the closure member. A fluid port 66 is formed in the sidewall of the cylindrical portion 60 in communication with passage 62. A fluid port 68 is formed in the upper end of cylindrical portion 60 in communication with passage 64. In the assembly of FIG. 1 fluid port 66 communicates with inlet port 42 formed in head member 14, and fluid port 68 communicates with outlet port 44 formed in head member 14. As will be noted from FIG. 1 when the closure member of the filter cartridge is in place in the head member, the closure member does not extend to the very top of the head member thus leaving a well 70 at the upper end of the head member which communicates with the fluid port 68, outlet passage 64 and outlet port 44. 
     O-ring seals 72 and 74 are disposed on the outer surface of the closure member. It will be observed that O-ring seal 72 is disposed at the upper end of the closure member so that in the assembly, inlet fluid entering the filter assembly by way of inlet port 42 will be sealed off from outlet fluid exiting through port 44. O-ring seal 74 is positioned at a point on the closure member to prevent leakage of inlet fluid to the outside. 
     A pair of oppositely extending bayonet lugs 76 and 78 are formed on the exterior of cylindrical portion 60 of the closure member 52. When the filter cartridge is inserted into the head member, the cylindrical portion 60 of the closure member with its attached bayonet lugs must first pass through opening 34 and bayonet openings 36a and 36b in the bracket member 12. As previously mentioned the bayonet openings 36a and 36b are of different sizes, one being narrower than the other. Likewise the bayonet lugs are of correspondingly different sizes one being narrower than the other so that the filter cartridge can be inserted into the head member in only one position. A counterbore 41 of a predetermined depth in the lower end of the head member 14--substantially the same depth as the thickness of the bayonet lugs--limits the depth to which the filter cartridge can be inserted into the head member. 
     After insertion into the head member the filter cartridge is then rotated a quarter turn until the one side of each of the bayonet lugs 76 and 78 come to rest against stops 48a and 48b. Rotation of the filter cartridge to this position aligns the fluid inlet port 66 in the side wall of cylindrical portion of the closure member with inlet port 42 in the head member. The filter cartridge now also is clamped in position ready to withstand fluid pressure in the fluid system which might tend to disengage the filter cartridge from the head member, because the bayonet lugs 76 and 78 are secured between the bracket member and the bottom of counterbore 41. Thus the bayonet lugs are effective through coaction with the stop means to align the fluid port means and are further effective through coaction with the bracket member to secure the filter cartridge against being blown out of the head member. 
     A tubular screen strainer 80 is associated with the fluid inlet passage 62, the upper end of the strainer 80 being attached to the closure member by some appropriate well-known means. 
     One type of filter means that may be used in the filter cartridge includes the filter septum 54 as shown in FIG. 1. It may be made, for example, of a woven material. It is disposed near the bottom of the pressure vessel and attached to the outlet passage 64 by a tube 82 which in turn is attached to the closure member and forms part of the outlet passage 64. The filter means also may include a filter media 56 which may fill up as much as 2/3 or more of the pressure vessel. The filter media preferably is a granular activated carbon. Therefore, when influent enters the inlet 42 and proceeds through inlet passage 62 it moves through the filter media 56, then through the collector or filter septum 54, into tube 82 and out through the outlet passage 64 and outlet port 44. 
     The insertion and removal of the disposable filter cartridge from the system is a simple task. Since influent, usually water, is supplied to the system under pressure, a shut-off valve (not shown) usually will be provided in the inlet line somewhere upstream from inlet port 42. This valve is shut off during installation or replacement of a filter cartridge into the system. With the shut-off valve closed the filter cartridge is inserted into the head member by lining up the bayonet lugs 76 and 78 with the appropriate size bayonet openings 36a and 36b. Once properly lined up the filter cartridge is inserted into the head member until the bayonet lugs contact the shoulder 84 and then turned a quarter turn until the bayonet lugs contact the stops 48a and 48b. Opening the shut-off valve again places the system in operation. 
     Two additional embodiments are shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The embodiments of FIGS. 9 and 10 differ from that of FIG. 1 principally in the use of a different type of filter within the pressure vessel. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, for example, a cylindrical filter unit 90 is used. It is formed with a central passage 92 closed at its lower end which is aligned with outlet passage 64 in the closure member. The unit 90 may be a string wound filter unit or a spun bonded unit. A spirally wound cartridge also may be used. In each case the influent water enters through inlet port 42, fills the pressure vessel and passes radially inwardly through the filter unit 90 to the center thereof into central passage 92 and out through outlet passage 64 and outlet port 44. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 9 the use of a folded or pleated filter septum 94 is illustrated. Powdered filter media 96 also at least partially fills the pressure vessel 50. The filter media could be finely powdered carbon and/or other well known powdered filter media, such, for example, as diatomaceous earth or powdered silver cellulose. The septum 94 is connected to and supported on a septum support tube 95 which is connected to passage 62. The tube 95 thus functions both as a septum support tube and as an outlet tube from the septum 94 to carry filtered liquid from the septum 94 through inlet 97 in support tube 95 and then to passage 62. In this embodiment the inlet and outlet ports and passages are reversed--port 44 becomes the inlet port and port 42 becomes the outlet port. An inlet tube 98 is connected to passage 64 of the closure member and extends down through the filter septum 94 to the bottom of the pressure vessel. 
     A check valve 100, which may be of the flapper type, is connected to the lower end of tube 98. Inlet fluid, therefore, passes downwardly through tube 98, check valve 100 and the powdered filter media 96, through the filter septum 94, through tube 95 and out through passage 62 and outlet port 42. 
     In this particular embodiment of FIG. 9 a shutoff valve 104 as shown, for example, in FIG. 11 may be mounted in the upper end of head member 14 to control the inlet of fluid into the filter cartridge through the inlet port. As shown in FIG. 11 the head member 14 can be slightly modified by adding thereto an elongated boss 106 into which an elongated stem 108 of the shut-off valve extends. The lower end of the stem 108 controls the inlet of fluid through port 44a. When the filter cartridge is to be replaced the shut-off valve 104 is closed so that the cartridge can be removed and replaced without being subject to fluid pressure at the inlet. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be appreciated that this is shown by way of example only, and the invention is not to be limited thereto as other variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its fullest interpretation within the terms of the following claims.