Patent ID: 7093720

Claim:
A filter device for filtering a flowing liquid, comprising: a vessel; a vessel cover defining an inlet area and an outlet area; a central flow conduit arranged in said vessel between said inlet area and said outlet area and having an upstream end and a downstream end relative to a main filtering flow path from the inlet area to the outlet area; a compressible filter medium arranged in said vessel along said central flow conduit; a first holding surface supporting an end of said compressible filter medium proximate said upstream end of said central flow conduit; a second holding surface supporting another end of said compressible filter medium proximate said downstream end of said central flow conduit; and an actuator connected to said first and second holding surfaces and movable between first and second positions for changing a distance between said first and second holding surfaces, whereby said filter medium is compressible in response to the relative movement of said first and second holding surfaces.