Patent ID: 6911061

Claim:
A gaseous filter for protecting a gas analyzer from particulate contamination, comprising: a HEPA filter element comprising a stainless steel filter media arranged in a plurality of connected overlapping adjacent panels, the adjacent panels being separated by stainless steel metal screening forming a filter media support, the panels each having a downstream side and an upstream side; a stainless steel housing containing the filter element, the housing having an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber separated from one another by the filter element the housing including first and second shells, each shell including a peripheral flange, the peripheral flanges being joined together with a peripheral edge of the filter media sandwiched therebetween; a filter inlet fixed to the downstream chamber and a filter outlet connected to the upstream chamber; a pair of couplings connected to the filter inlet and filter outlet, and a connection block having an inlet port and an outlet port not in communication with the inlet port, the ports being for connection in an inlet line of the gas analyzer, the connection block further having an inlet filter connection port and an outlet filter connection port opening laterally of the inlet and outlet ports, each having secondary coupling structures complementing the first pair of coupling structures, wherein gas must pass through the filter element to pass from the inlet port of the connection block when the filter is coupled to the connection block, whereby the filter is readily removable from the connection block by releasing the coupling structures.