Patent ID: 8709320

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional filter comprising: a. providing a first mold part with a cavity defining peaks and valleys and defining a frame including a wall forming a periphery that defines a space within the periphery; b. providing a second mold part with a cavity defining peaks and valleys and defining the frame including the wall forming the periphery that defines the space within the periphery, the second mold part arranged in a complementary fashion with respect to the peaks and valleys and with respect to the frame of the first mold part and, the second mold part further having voids defining a pattern for a skeletal structure within the space within the periphery and connected to the wall; c. laying a filter media over the first mold part; d. closing the first mold part and the second mold part thereby deforming the filter media to conform to the peaks and valleys of the first mold part; e. injecting a thermoplastic material into the voids of the second mold part to form the wall and the skeletal structure on the filter media; and f. cooling the injected thermoplastic material so that the wall and skeletal structure bond to the filter media.