Patent ID: 7416586

Claim:
Filter apparatus for extracting water vapors from a gas, said filter apparatus comprising, in combination: a housing defining a housing interior; a cartridge having two, spaced cartridge ends containing a desiccant between said cartridge ends disposed in said housing interior, said cartridge for receiving the gas and directing flow of the gas through the desiccant, one of said cartridge ends being an open end and the other of said cartridge ends being a closed end; a follower in said cartridge operatively engaging said desiccant; biasing means for biasing said follower toward said desiccant to exert compressive forces on said desiccant; and gas flow path defining structure extending through said desiccant for delivering the gas under pressure from said open end toward said closed end without engaging said desiccant, and said gas under pressure subsequently flowing from said closed end to said open end through said desiccant in engagement therewith to remove water vapor therefrom, said gas flow path defining structure comprising a hollow elongated member having a gas inlet and a gas outlet and a spacer located at or closely adjacent to said gas outlet and engageable with said cartridge to maintain said gas outlet positioned at a predetermined location spaced from the closed end, the gas exiting said gas outlet flowing between said spacer and the closed end before flowing from said closed end said open end through said desiccant in engagement therewith.