JP2004181272A - Metal filter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a metal filter which is high in durability, can easily be backwashed, and can well remove fine foreign materials such as microorganisms. <P>SOLUTION: In a pair of metal sheets 2 the surfaces 2a of which are laid to overlap each other, a channel 8 forming a filtration passage 7 between one surface 2a and the other surface 2a of the sheets 2 is formed. The sheets 2 are laminated. The width and depth of the channel 8 is made micron order or below. The channel 8 is formed by using a photolithography method. The sheets 2 are formed as springs generating resilient force to separate the overlapped sheets 2 and made of stainless steel, a stainless steel alloy, or a copper-beryllium alloy. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a metal filter which has high durability, can easily perform backwashing, and can satisfactorily remove even fine foreign substances such as microorganisms.
[0002]
[Prior art]
BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as a filtration device such as a water purifier used for solid-liquid separation, a device using a hollow fiber membrane made of a synthetic fiber and a device using a metal porous plate are known.
[0003]
Examples of the former include, for example, a cylindrical solid porous molded body formed by binding activated carbon with a binder, and a hollow fiber membrane in which the hollow portions are filled, and the open ends of a large number of hollow fiber membranes are fixed by a potting portion. The raw water introduced from the outer peripheral surface of the molded body, which is the raw water introduction part, has a chemical substance such as chlorine adsorbed and removed while passing through the inside of the molded body toward the hollow part There is known a "water purification unit" in which water is discharged from an opening end of a hollow fiber membrane constituting a discharge part after a very large garbage is filtered and then microorganisms and the like are filtered by a hollow fiber membrane (Patent Document 1). reference).
[0004]
On the other hand, as the latter, for example, a plating sheet formed in a plate shape having fine holes by a plating method, and a metal perforated plate having holes larger than the fine holes in a mesh shape are laminated, and a gap between the holes in the metal perforated plate is formed. There is known a "filtration filter" having a structure in which a skeleton portion of the above is joined and integrated with a plating sheet (see Patent Document 2).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-263637 A [Patent Document 2]
JP, 2002-316013, A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the former filtration device using a hollow fiber membrane can remove even fine foreign substances, but since the hollow fiber membrane is a synthetic fiber, it has poor durability and can be backwashed by applying high pressure. Since it is not easy, it is regarded as a consumable that needs to be replaced, and there is a problem that running costs are high.
[0007]
In addition, although the latter made of a metal plate has high durability, it has a limit in the pore size that can be formed, and has a considerable effect in removing solid matter, but is necessary for removing microorganisms and the like. There is a problem that it is difficult to secure filtration performance on the order of microns or less, especially on the order of nanometers.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems, and has high durability and can be easily backwashed, and can also remove fine foreign matter such as microorganisms well. It is an object to provide a metal filter.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The metal filter according to the present invention is a groove for forming a filtration passage between the plate surface of one plate material and the plate surface of the other plate material among a pair of metal plate materials whose plate surfaces are overlapped with each other. Is formed. Between the plate surface of the metal plate material and the groove formed in the plate surface, a filtration passage is defined and formed, and since the metal filtration structure has high durability and can be easily backwashed. Since the grooves can be formed finely, even fine foreign matter can be removed satisfactorily.
[0010]
Further, a plurality of the metal plate members are stacked. With the laminated structure, the cross-sectional area of the filtration passage can be increased, so that a large amount of liquid can be processed.
[0011]
Further, the width and depth of the groove are on the order of microns or less. Thereby, it is possible to filter even a liquid containing finer foreign matter.
[0012]
Further, the groove is formed by using a photolithography method. Thereby, grooves on the order of microns or less can be appropriately formed, and the filtration performance can be improved.
[0013]
Further, the metal plate material is formed as a spring that generates an elastic force for separating the plate materials from each other between the superposed plate surfaces. By forming the metal plate material as a spring, a gap can be formed between the plate surfaces, and the backwashing efficiency can be improved.
[0014]
Further, the metal plate is made of any one of stainless steel, stainless steel alloy, and copper beryllium alloy. By using these materials, corrosion resistance and spring performance can be appropriately secured.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a metal filter according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the metal filter 1 according to the present embodiment is mainly formed by stacking a plurality of rectangular metal plate members 2 in which the plate surfaces 2 a are overlapped and stacked. A pair of rectangular thick plates 3 which are in contact with the metal plate 2 from both sides in the stacking direction and sandwich the metal plate 2 and are disposed between the pair of thick plates 3. By fastening, a compressive force (see FIG. 7) is generated in the laminating direction of the metal plate 2, and a fastening member 4 such as a bolt and a nut for bringing the plate surfaces 2 a of the metal plate 2 into close contact with each other. You.
[0016]
The metal filter 1 is provided between an inlet pipe 5 for introducing a stock solution and an outlet pipe 6 for flowing out a filtrate, and these pipes 5 and 6 are connected via a thick plate 3.
[0017]
The metal plate member 2 is made of stainless steel having corrosion resistance and exhibiting considerable elasticity by being processed into a plate shape, and as shown in FIG. A groove 8 is formed in the plate surface 2a of the one metal plate 2 so as to partition the filtration passage 7 between the plate 2a and the plate surface 2a of the other metal plate 2. As the metal plate 2, any material other than stainless steel may be used, but various plates made of a stainless steel or copper beryllium alloy having excellent corrosion resistance and exhibiting considerable elasticity in a plate form are used. Is preferred.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 3, a large number of the grooves 8 are formed in one direction from one end to the other end of the metal plate material 2 going from the introduction pipe 5 side to the outflow pipe 6 side. In the illustrated example, the groove 8 is formed in a linear shape, and its cross section is formed in a V-shape.
[0019]
However, the groove 8 is not limited to the above-mentioned linear shape as long as there is no corner that prevents water flow, and may be formed in a corrugated shape as shown in FIG. Can be longer than in the case of a straight line. In any case, the grooves 8 are preferably formed at a high density on the plate surface 2a, thereby increasing the filtration efficiency per unit area. Also, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 8 is not limited to the V-shape, and may be variously set.
[0020]
The width and depth of the groove 8 are set to be in the order of microns (micron units) so that a solid solution of various sizes and fine microorganisms can be collected from the stock solution to obtain a filtrate from which these substances have been removed. 1 / 1,000,000m) or less, more preferably on the order of nanometers (unit: nanometer; 1 / 1,000,000m) or on the order of nanometers.
[0021]
Such ultra-fine grooves 8 can be easily formed by using a well-known photolithography method used for manufacturing diffractive optical elements, semiconductor integrated circuits, waveguides, and the like. That is, a mask having corrosion resistance is formed on the metal plate material 2 by a photolithography method, and then the metal plate material 2 is immersed in a corrosive etching solution to form the groove 8 having a size of the order of microns or less. Can be.
[0022]
According to the photolithography method, such ultra-fine grooves 8 can be formed in large quantities at low cost as needed. Further, the photolithography method has an advantage that masks of various forms can be arbitrarily and freely formed, and grooves 8 having a complicated shape can be easily formed.
[0023]
On the other hand, the dimensions of the groove 8 can be controlled by the concentration, temperature, immersion time, etc. of the etching solution, as is well known. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the width dimension w and the depth dimension d of the groove 8 are large (w1, d1) on the side of the introduction pipe 5 into which the undiluted solution is introduced, and are gradually reduced toward the side of the outflow pipe 6 ( w2, d2) may be set. In this case, it is possible to sequentially remove foreign matters having different sizes along the forming direction of the groove 8 or along the path of the filtration passage 7.
[0024]
Then, by combining the pair of metal plate members 2, that is, by combining the plate surface 2 a of the other metal plate member 2 with the plate surface 2 a of the one metal plate member 2 in which many grooves 8 are formed, a large number of A filtration passage 7 is formed. In addition, a large number of filtration passages are formed by stacking a plurality of metal plate members 2 in a manner that their grooves 8 are aligned in the same direction and stacking a plurality of combinations of the pair of metal plate members 2. 7 is formed. The number of stacked metal plate members 2 is not limited as long as the number is two or more in pairs, but the number of filtration passages 7 can be increased by stacking a large number of metal plate members 2.
[0025]
When a larger number of filtration passages 7 are to be ensured, the configuration shown in FIG. 6 can be employed. That is, the grooves 8 are formed on the front and back plate surfaces 2a of one metal plate material 2 with their positions shifted from each other. In this way, by laminating the metal plate members 2, it is possible to form the filtering passages 7 in a number approximately twice as large as the structure shown in FIG.
[0026]
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the metal plate material 2 is bent within its elastic range, and in the illustrated example, is bent along a direction intersecting the direction in which the groove 8 is formed, thereby forming a so-called leaf spring. . Accordingly, when the metal plate 2 is deformed so as to be flattened from the curved state, an elastic force for restoring is generated.
[0027]
Therefore, when a compression force C is applied in the stacking direction by the fastening member 4 in a state where the metal plate members 2 are stacked as shown in FIG. A spring property that generates an elastic force that separates them from each other is developed, and in the fastened state, a considerable adhesion force is secured between the plate surfaces 2a, whereby the periphery of the filtration passage 7 can be sealed, and the filtration passage 7 can be sealed. Leakage can be prevented, and when the fastening is loosened, a considerable gap g can be generated between the plate surfaces 2a.
[0028]
Next, the operation of the metal filter 1 of the present embodiment will be described. The metal filter 1 laminates the metal plate 2 so that the groove 8 of one metal plate 2 faces the plate surface 2a of the other metal plate 2 and the grooves 8 are aligned in the same direction, Next, after being sandwiched between the pair of thick plates 3, they are integrally fastened by the fastening member 4. As a result, an enormous number of filtration passages 7 on the order of microns or less are formed between the metal plate members 2. And this is installed between the introduction pipe 5 and the outflow pipe 6.
[0029]
When the undiluted solution is fed from the introduction pipe 5, the metal filter 1 removes various sizes of solids and fine microorganisms from the undiluted solution in the filtration passage 7, and causes the filtrate to flow out to the outflow pipe 6. On the other hand, at the time of back washing, the washing liquid is sent from the outflow pipe 6 side to the metal filter 1 according to a usual method. The cleaning liquid is discharged to the introduction pipe 5 side together with foreign substances while cleaning the filtration passage 7.
[0030]
In particular, at this time, if the fastening member 4 is loosened, a gap g is generated between the plate surfaces 2a due to the elastic restoring force of the metal plate material 2, so that the cleaning liquid flows not only to the filtration passage 7 but also to the peripheral plate surface 2a. Can be spread and washed, and the backwash can be performed easily and very efficiently. Further, if necessary, the backwashing operation can be completed more completely and in a shorter time by feeding the cleaning solution carried by the ultrasonic vibration.
[0031]
In the metal filter 1 according to the present embodiment described above, since the filtration passage 7 is formed by the metal plate 2, the durability is higher and the reverse is higher than the hollow fiber membrane of the synthetic fiber. Washing can be performed easily and with high efficiency, thereby eliminating the need for replacement and reducing running costs. In addition, since the grooves 8 can be formed finer than holes, fine foreign substances can be removed. Can also be removed well.
[0032]
In addition, since a plurality of metal plate members 2 are laminated, the cross-sectional area of the filtration passage 7 can be increased, and a large amount of liquid can be processed. In addition, since the width and depth of the groove 8 are on the order of microns or less, it is possible to filter even a liquid containing finer foreign matter. Further, since the grooves 8 are formed by using the photolithography method, the grooves 8 on the order of microns or less can be appropriately formed, and the filtering performance can be improved.
[0033]
In addition, since the metal plate 2 is formed as a spring that generates a resilient force for separating the plate members 2 between the plate surfaces 2a to be overlapped, a gap g is generated between the plate surfaces 2a. And the backwashing efficiency can be improved. Further, since the metal plate 2 is made of stainless steel, a stainless alloy, or a copper beryllium alloy, the corrosion resistance and the spring performance required for the plate 2 can be appropriately secured.
[0034]
FIG. 8 shows a modification of the above embodiment. In this modification, the metal plate 2 is formed in an annular shape. Along with this, the pair of thick plates 3 are also formed in a circular shape, and a pipe connecting portion 9 connected to the introduction pipe 5 is formed at the center of one of the thick plates 3. An annular chamber 10 connected to the outflow pipe 6 is provided around the outer periphery of the thick plate 3 and the metal plate 2. Thus, a circular metal filter 1 is configured. Then, the undiluted solution is fed from the center of the metal plate material 2, and the filtrate is discharged from the outer peripheral portion. Of course, the connection of the introduction pipe 5 and the outflow pipe 6 may be reversed, and the flow may be reversed.
[0035]
When the metal plate 2 is formed in a circular shape as described above, various types of grooves 8 as shown in FIGS. 9 to 12 can be formed. FIG. 9 shows an example in which a linear groove 8a is formed in the radial direction of the metal plate material 2. FIG. 10 shows a linear groove 8b in which the groove 8a in FIG. FIG. 11 shows a groove 8c formed in a waveform along the direction of the linear groove, and FIG. 11 shows a groove 8d in which the linear groove 8a in FIG. 12 shows a groove 8e formed in a wavy shape along the groove direction, and FIG. 12 shows a groove 8f formed in a spiral shape from the center to the outer peripheral edge of the plate surface 2a. And various types of grooves can be formed in consideration of the length of the path. Even in such a modified example, it is needless to say that the same operation and effect as the above embodiment can be obtained.
[0036]
FIG. 13 shows an example of a usage form of the metal filter 1. As shown in the figure, a metal filter 1b having a smaller groove size 8q is connected to the downstream side of the metal filter 1a having the largest groove size 8p, and further downstream of the metal filter 1a having a groove size 8r. The filtration process is performed in multiple stages by connecting a small metal filter 1c. Even with such a configuration, the same operation and effect as those of the above embodiment can be obtained, and the configuration of the groove 8 that can be formed in one metal plate 2 is not limited. In addition, the number of filtration passages 7 and the length thereof can be freely set.
[0037]
The ultra-fine grooves 8 constituting the present invention can be formed by laser machining or electric discharge machining in addition to the method described in the above embodiment.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
In short, in the metal filter according to the present invention, a filtration passage is defined between a plate surface of a metal plate material and a groove formed in the plate surface, and a metal filtration structure is formed. Therefore, the durability is high and the backwashing can be facilitated, and the grooves can be formed finely, so that even fine foreign matters can be satisfactorily removed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a preferred embodiment of a metal filter according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a laminated state of metal plate materials incorporated in the metal filter of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a metal plate used for the metal filter of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing another example of a groove formed in a metal plate used in the metal filter of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a plane and a side cross section of a metal plate, showing still another example of a groove formed in the metal plate used in the metal filter of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing another example of a laminated state of metal plate materials incorporated in the metal filter of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view showing a state in which a metal plate material incorporated in the metal filter of FIG. 1 in a stacked state is elastically deformed.
FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing another embodiment of the metal filter according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a partial plan view showing an example of a groove formed in a metal plate used in the metal filter of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a partial plan view showing another example of a groove formed in a metal plate used in the metal filter of FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 is a partial plan view showing another example of a groove formed in a metal plate used in the metal filter of FIG. 8;
FIG. 12 is a partial plan view showing another example of a groove formed in a metal plate used in the metal filter of FIG. 8;
FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a usage form of the metal filter according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Metal filter 2 Metal plate 2a Plate surface 7 Filtration passage 8 Groove

Claims (6)

Among a pair of metal plate materials in which the plate surfaces are overlapped with each other, a metal surface is formed in the plate surface of one of the plate materials, the groove defining a filtration passage is formed between the plate surface of the other plate material. Filter. The metal filter according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the metal plate members are stacked. The metal filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a width dimension and a depth dimension of the groove are on the order of microns or less. The metal filter according to claim 1, wherein the groove is formed using a photolithography method. The metal plate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the metal plate is formed as a spring that generates an elastic force for separating the plate members from each other between the superposed plate surfaces. Filter. The metal filter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the metal plate is any one of stainless steel, a stainless alloy, and a copper beryllium alloy.

Images