Patent ID: 7578940

Claim:
A hollow fiber membrane cartridge, having one or more hollow fiber membrane bundles each comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes and having opposite ends fixedly bonded by an adhesion fixation layer, a cartridge head fixed to an outer periphery of one end of the hollow fiber membrane bundles in a liquid tight manner, and a lower ring fixed to an outer periphery of the other end of the hollow fiber membrane bundles, wherein a hollow portion of each of the hollow fiber membranes is opened at the cartridge head-side end of the cartridge, the hollow portion of the hollow fiber membrane is sealed in a lower ring-side adhesion fixation layer, and a plurality of through-holes are formed in the lower ring-side adhesion fixation layer, and wherein the through-holes are arranged in the hollow fiber membrane bundle, an end of the lower ring projects from an end surface of the lower ring-side adhesion fixation layer, and at least part of the hollow fiber membrane bundles are divided into at least two, plural small bundles between the lower ring-side adhesion layer and the cartridge head-side adhesion fixation layer, such that there are more bundles at the head-side adhesion fixation layer than the lower ring-side adhesion layer.