JP7221780B2 - Hollow fiber membrane module and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a hollow fiber membrane module and a manufacturing method thereof.

Conventionally, a hollow fiber membrane blood purifier (herein referred to as a "hollow fiber membrane module") that purifies blood using a hollow fiber membrane loaded in a main container has been used for hemodialysis, hemofiltration, and plasma separation. Various types have been developed according to extracorporeal circulation type blood purification therapies such as plasma component fractionation, and are used in many blood purification therapies using membrane separation technology.

A hollow fiber membrane module is generally made by loading a bundle of hollow fiber membranes into a cylindrical main body container (cylindrical container) provided with a port on the side, and sealing the end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle with a potting material such as urethane. After embedding and fixing the part in the main container, the module is constructed by attaching headers to both ends of the main container. In hemodialysis using this hollow fiber membrane module, dialysate flows through the port on the inlet side and flows out from the outlet port to circulate inside the main body container, and blood flows from the header on the blood inlet side to the hollow fiber membrane. , and circulate toward the blood outlet side header.

When performing such hemodialysis, liquid-tight sealing is required to prevent liquid from leaking from the joint between the header and the main container. A method of joining by pressing is used. In this method, the parts to be welded of the header and the parts to be welded of the main container are brought into contact with each other, and vibrations are applied from an ultrasonic horn to generate heat and melt them, thereby obtaining liquid tightness and airtightness. It is used as a suitable method for this purpose (see Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example). According to such ultrasonic welding, pressure resistance welding strength between the header and the main container is improved. It is possible to avoid phenomena such as partial damage to the welded part of the module and leakage of the treatment liquid to the outside of the system (outside the module).

Further, in order to further improve the pressure-resistant welding strength between the header and the cylindrical container, a method of increasing the welded length of the welded portion is sometimes adopted. In such a case, the welding time required for ultrasonic welding is correspondingly longer.

WO2017/171015 Japanese Patent No. 494105

However, if the welding time is lengthened in order to obtain a high pressure-resistant welding strength in the conventional method, the deformation of the header may cause scratches that pose a problem in terms of appearance.

A specific example will be given for explanation. When the opening end of the main container and the protruding portion of the header are ultrasonically welded, the protruding portion of the header receives a radially outward force Fo from the peripheral surface of the main container. (See circle marks and symbols W1 and W2 indicating interference portions that are contact/welded portions), and may be deformed outward. As a result, the top surface of the header is warped to form an annular recessed portion (in other words, looking at the cross-sectional shape, a shape similar to an anchor shoulder), and the contact area with the ultrasonic horn is reduced. As a result of the uneven narrowness, scratches may occur on the top surface of the header.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a hollow fiber membrane module in which the top surface of the header is not damaged when the header and the cylindrical main container are welded together, and a method for manufacturing the same.

In order to solve such problems, a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
a cylindrical container with one end and the other end open;
a hollow fiber membrane bundle loaded in a cylindrical container;
a potting portion that embeds and fixes the hollow fiber membrane bundle at both ends of the cylindrical container;
headers provided at both ends of the tubular container in the central axis direction, each having a nozzle portion serving as a fluid inlet and outlet, and a header projecting portion projecting toward the tubular container;
In a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module comprising
As the header, a header with an annular inclined portion in which the top surface of the header is higher toward the outer periphery than the center in the radial direction is used,
While applying an external force to the header from the outside in the radial direction, an ultrasonic wave is oscillated from an ultrasonic welder brought into contact with the top surface of the header to weld a part of the header to the cylindrical container.

As described above, when the opening end of the main container and the protruding portion of the header are ultrasonically welded, the protruding portion of the header receives a radially outward force from the peripheral surface of the main container and deforms outward. On the other hand, in the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to one aspect of the present invention, a portion of the header is welded to the cylindrical container while applying an external force to the header from the outside in the radial direction. avoids such deformations from occurring.

In addition, when welding is performed while applying an external force from the outside in the radial direction of the header in this way, as the header deforms inward, part of the top surface of the header deforms into a convex shape, creating a gentle mountain-like shape (in other words, If you do, it can be shaped like a sloping shoulder). In this embodiment, in anticipation of such deformation, the top surface of the header after deformation is flat or approximated by using a header having an annular inclined portion in which the top surface of the header becomes higher as it approaches the outer peripheral portion. state can be According to this, it is possible to prevent the top surface of the header from being damaged by avoiding narrowing of the contact area between the header and the ultrasonic horn.

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module as described above, the header may be one in which the inclined portion of the top surface of the header has an inclination angle of 3 degrees or less with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis.

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module as described above, the container and the header may be welded together at a plurality of locations.

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module as described above, the header protrusion may be welded to the cylindrical container.

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module as described above, the tubular container may further have an annular recess into which a part of the header projecting portion is fitted.

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module as described above, an external force may be applied to the side portion of the header from the outside in the radial direction.

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module as described above, an external force may be applied from the radially outer side to the side portion of the header protruding portion.

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module as described above, the starting points of the plurality of welding points may start from the outside of the header projecting portion.

In the manufacturing method of the hollow fiber membrane module as described above, the container and the header may be welded together by a shear joint structure.

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module as described above, an ultrasonic wave may be oscillated from an ultrasonic welder in contact with the top surface of the header while applying an external force from the annular recess to the side portion of the header from the outside in the radial direction. .

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module as described above, an ultrasonic welder is brought into contact with the top surface of the header, and a pressing force is applied from the ultrasonic welder to bring the projection of the header into contact with the annular recess. The header protrusion may be welded to the tubular container while applying an external force from the radially outer side to the header protrusion from the recess.

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module as described above, an ultrasonic wave may be oscillated from an ultrasonic welder in contact with the top surface of the header while applying an external force from the outer frame member to the side portion of the header in the radial direction. .

Further, the hollow fiber membrane module according to one aspect of the present invention is
a cylindrical container with one end and the other end open;
a hollow fiber membrane bundle loaded in a cylindrical container;
a potting portion that embeds and fixes the hollow fiber membrane bundle at both ends of the cylindrical container;
headers provided at both ends in the central axis direction of the tubular container, each having a nozzle portion serving as an inlet and outlet for fluid;
In a hollow fiber membrane module comprising
This is a hollow fiber membrane module in which a header having an annular inclined portion in which the top surface of the header becomes higher toward the outer peripheral portion than the center in the radial direction is attached to the cylindrical container.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the top surface of the header from being damaged when the header and the cylindrical main container are welded together.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a hollow fiber membrane module; FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining a case where the external force that the header projecting portion receives when the main container and the header are ultrasonically welded is a radially outward force that is applied from the peripheral surface of the main container. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining a case where the external force received by the projecting portion of the header when the main container and the header are ultrasonically welded is a radially inward force received from the outer projecting portion of the main container. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining a top surface angle of a header; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module; 4 is a table showing various conditions such as the top surface angle and the size of melt scratches under the conditions in Examples and Comparative Examples of the present invention.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are given to the same elements, and overlapping explanations are omitted. In addition, unless otherwise specified, positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right are based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of the drawings are not limited to the illustrated ratios. Moreover, the following embodiments are examples for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

<Structure of Hollow Fiber Membrane Module>
First, the configuration of the hollow fiber membrane module according to this embodiment will be described (see FIG. 1, etc.). FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a hollow fiber membrane module 1. FIG. The hollow fiber membrane module 1 includes a cylindrical container 2, a hollow fiber membrane bundle 3, a potting section 4, a header 5 and the like.

The cylindrical container 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and both ends 2a in the longitudinal direction (the direction of the central axis P of the cylinder) are open. A hollow fiber membrane bundle 3 is accommodated inside the tubular container 2 . For example, two ports 10 are formed on the side surface of the cylindrical container 2 to serve as inlets and outlets for fluid.

The hollow fiber membrane bundle 3 is a bundle of a large number of hollow fiber membranes, and is accommodated in the cylindrical container 2 along the longitudinal direction. The hollow fiber membrane bundle 3 functions as a separation membrane, and can separate the components of the fluid to be separated between the inner region and the outer region of each hollow fiber membrane.

The potting part 4 is made of a potting resin, and embeds the both ends 3 a of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 3 inside the both ends 2 a of the cylindrical container 2 . 2a is fixed. The potting portion 4 has an outer peripheral portion 4a composed only of the potting resin, and an inner side thereof serving as a portion 4b in which the potting resin enters the gaps between the hollow fiber membranes of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 3. As shown in FIG. Potting resins include, for example, polyurethane resins, epoxy resins, and silicon resins, but are not particularly limited to these.

The headers 5 are provided at the openings of both ends 2a of the cylindrical container 2 as lid members for these ends 2a. The header 5 includes a tubular nozzle portion 20 arranged along the central axis P serving as an inlet and outlet for fluid, a plate-like top plate portion 21 extending radially from the nozzle portion 20, and an outer peripheral edge of the top plate portion 21. It has a header projecting portion 22 projecting from the side toward the cylindrical container 2 side.

The nozzle part 20 has a screw structure for connecting an external tube. The top plate portion 21 has an inner surface 21 a that faces the end portion 3 a of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 3 and whose diameter gradually increases from the nozzle portion 20 toward the end portion 2 a of the cylindrical container 2 . Between the inner surface 21a of the header 5 and the end portion 3a of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 3, a space 23 is formed through which the fluid flowing in from the nozzle portion 20 or the fluid flowing out from the nozzle portion 20 passes.

The header projecting portion 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the central axis P as the axis. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the header projecting portion 22 has a base portion 30, a middle step portion 31 and a tip portion 32 in this order from the top plate portion 21 toward the cylindrical container 2 side. The base portion 30, the intermediate step portion 31, and the tip portion 32 have different thicknesses in the radial direction.

The base portion 30 is a portion continuous from the top plate portion 21, and has, for example, a tapered first inner peripheral surface 30a having an inner diameter within a predetermined range. In FIG. 2, reference sign R1 indicates the inner diameter of the first inner peripheral surface 30a near the middle of the tapered slope. The inner diameter R1 of the first inner peripheral surface 30a is larger than the inner diameter R0 of the lower end (maximum diameter portion) of the inner surface 21a of the top plate portion 21 . Between the inner surface 21a of the top plate portion 21 and the first inner peripheral surface 30a of the base portion 30, an annular surface (stepped portion) 40 that is perpendicular to the central axis P or tapered in a tapered shape is formed. there is

The middle step portion 31 has a second inner peripheral surface 31a having an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter R1. In FIG. 2, the inner diameter of the tapered second inner peripheral surface 30a near the middle of the tapered slope is denoted by R2. The inner diameter R2 has a size within a predetermined range.

The tip portion 32 has a third inner peripheral surface 32a and an outer peripheral surface 32b. In this embodiment, both the third inner peripheral surface 32a and the outer peripheral surface 32b are tapered, and the distal end portion 32 has a tapered cross-sectional shape (see FIGS. 2 and 3). A flat or inclined annular surface (stepped portion) 42 is formed between the outer peripheral surface 31b of the intermediate step portion 31 and the outer peripheral surface 32b of the tip portion 32 .

The end portion 2a of the cylindrical container 2 has an inner protruding portion 50 and an outer protruding portion 51 that protrude in a cylindrical shape doubly toward the header 5 side, so to speak, so as to have a bifurcated structure. The inner protruding portion 50 and the outer protruding portion 51 each have a cylindrical shape centered on the central axis P, and are arranged concentrically. The inner protruding portion 50 is axially longer than the outer protruding portion 51 and protrudes toward the header 5 (outward in the direction of the central axis P). The inner peripheral surface 50 a of the inner projecting portion 50 constitutes a part of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical container 2 .

The outer protruding portion 51 is formed by a flange that protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the cylindrical container 2 and is bent from the outer edge thereof toward the end portion 2a side (nearest header 5 side). Further, between the inner protrusion 50 and the outer protrusion 51, an annular recess 52 is formed in which a portion of the header 5 (specifically, a portion including the tip portion 32) is fitted and coupled to each other. is formed (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

<Joint structure between header and cylindrical container>
The header 5 and the cylindrical container 2 are welded by ultrasonic welding with a part of the header projecting portion 22 inserted into the annular recess 52 between the inner projecting portion 50 and the outer projecting portion 51 of the cylindrical container 2 . ing. The inner protruding portion 50 faces the intermediate step portion 31 and the tip portion 32 of the header protruding portion 22 , and the outer protruding portion 51 faces the tip portion 32 .

The header 5 and the cylindrical container 2 have a welded portion W1, which is an interference portion between the vicinity of the tip of the inner projecting portion 50 and the middle step portion 31 of the header projecting portion 22, and the tip of the inner projecting portion 50 and the header 5. Welded portions include welded portion W2, which is an interference portion between header 32 and welded portion W3, which is an interference portion between outer protruding portion 51 and tip portion 32 of header 5. In this way, by providing two or more welded portions in at least the radial direction to achieve double welding or welding with more overlap, the liquid leakage suppressing effect and pressure resistance can be further improved.

In the present embodiment, an example of welding at three points, the welded portion W1, the welded portion W2, and the welded portion W3 is shown (see FIGS. 2 and 3). This is only a preferred example of a mode in which welding is performed at a plurality of locations. In addition, for example, a structure (two-point welding) that is welded at two locations, the welded portion W1 and the welded portion W3, may be employed (see FIG. 4).

The welded portion W1 is formed at a portion (interference portion) between the end face (upper end face in FIGS. 2 and 3) of the inner protrusion 50 and the middle step portion 31 of the header protrusion 22 where they interfere with each other.

The welded portion W<b>2 is formed at the radially inner edge near the tip of the tip portion 32 of the header projecting portion 22 . The welded portion W2 of the present embodiment is arranged radially outside of the tubular container 2 relative to the welded portion W1 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). When the welded portion W2 is formed at a position apart from the welded portion W1 as in the present embodiment, the header protruding portion 22 and the inner protruding portion 50 are not in contact with each other between the welded portion W2 and the welded portion W1. A space (indicated by numeral 75 in FIG. 2) may be formed.

The welded portion W3 is formed at the radially outer edge portion of the tip portion 32 of the header projecting portion 22 . The welded portion W3 of the present embodiment is arranged radially outside of the tubular container 2 relative to the welded portion W2 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

The welded portion W1, the welded portion W2, and the welded portion W3 are formed so that the cylindrical container 2 and the header 5 are welded to each other at each position of the welded portion W1, the welded portion W2, and the welded portion W3. At least one of the header protruding portion 22, the inner protruding portion 50 and the outer protruding portion 51 of the portion is preliminarily provided with a portion that interferes when the cylindrical container 2 and the header 5 are joined together to form a welding margin (interference portion). formed.

If at least one of the welded portion W1, the welded portion W2, and the welded portion W3 is continuously formed over the entire circumferential direction of the header protruding portion 22, the rest is intermittent in the circumferential direction. may be formed intentionally. However, it is preferable that two or all of the welded portion W1, the welded portion W2, and the welded portion W3 are formed continuously over the entire circumference.

Further, in this embodiment, a shear joint is adopted as a joint design for a part or all of the welding portion W1, the welding portion W2, and the welding portion W3 that weld the header 5 and the cylindrical container 2 together.

The raw materials for the tubular container 2 and the header 5 are not particularly limited and are selected from various thermoplastic resins. Examples of crystalline resins include copolymers of ethylene and α-olefin, polyethylene resins such as low-density polyethylene and high-density polyethylene, polymers of propylene alone, copolymers of propylene and ethylene, or propylene and ethylene. Polypropylene-based resins such as copolymers with other α-olefins can be mentioned. On the other hand, amorphous resins include resins such as polyester, polycarbonate, polystyrene, styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBS), and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). well or may be used as a mixture. A suitable resin in the present embodiment is a polypropylene-based resin among the above, and among them, a random copolymer of propylene and ethylene is preferable from the viewpoint of rigidity and heat resistance, and propylene with an ethylene content adjusted to 1 to 8% by mass. and ethylene random copolymers are more preferred.

Further, in this embodiment, the cylindrical container 2 and the header 5 are configured such that the welded portion W1, the welded portion W2, and the welded portion W3 are configured as follows (see FIG. 3).

That is, when the header 5 is pressed against the cylindrical container 2 and ultrasonically welded, the header 5 and the cylindrical container 2 are first brought into contact with each other at the welded portion W3, and then at the welded portions W1 and W2. ing. When the header 5 and the cylindrical container 2 first come into contact at the welded portion W3, a radial An external force Fi directed from the outside to the inside acts from the outer projecting portion 51 of the cylindrical container 2 (see FIG. 3). In the hollow fiber membrane module 1 of the present embodiment as described above, the welded portion W3 positioned radially outward among the plurality of welded portions serves as a starting point, and welding is subsequently performed at the welded portions W2 and W3.

<Shape of top surface of header>
Furthermore, in this embodiment, as the header 5 constituting the hollow fiber membrane module 1, a header 5 having an annular inclined portion 25 in which the top surface 24 of the header is higher toward the outer periphery than the center in the radial direction is adopted (see FIG. 3). reference). The header 5 has a shape such as a so-called "anchor shoulder" in which the vicinity of the outer circumference of the top surface 24 of the header is partially warped. When the header 5 having this shape is included in the component, as will be described later in the manufacturing method section, the header top surface 24 can be prevented from being damaged during the manufacturing process. In order to prevent the header top surface 24 from being scratched, it goes without saying that the scratch should be completely eliminated. Note that included.

The top surface angle of the slanted portion 25 of the header 5 (refers to the inclination or gradient of the slanted portion 25 of the header top surface 24 with respect to the plane Q perpendicular to the central axis P, and is represented by the symbol θ in this specification and drawings. 3 and 4) is not particularly limited as long as the header top surface 24 can be prevented from being damaged during the manufacturing process. It can vary according to factors such as shape, size and material. A specific example is to set the top surface angle θ to 3 degrees or less. For details, refer to Examples and Comparative Examples described later.

Further, a specific example of the region of the header top surface 24 that is to be partially warped is also limited as long as it is within a range that prevents the header top surface 24 from being scratched during the manufacturing process. never. However, the point of view is to make the contact area with the ultrasonic horn (ultrasonic welder) 90 as flat as possible in the manufacturing process (or to make the shape match the shape of the contact surface of the ultrasonic horn 90 with the header 5 as much as possible). In view of this, it is an example of a preferred embodiment to form only a local annular region of the header top surface 24, mainly the region in contact with the ultrasonic horn 90, so as to be partially warped (see FIG. 4). reference).

<Joining Process of Header and Cylindrical Container>
Next, a method for manufacturing the hollow fiber membrane module 1 will be described, particularly focusing on the process of joining the header 5 and the tubular container 2 (see FIG. 3, etc.).

First, a hollow fiber membrane bundle 3 longer than the finally required length is prepared and accommodated in the cylindrical container 2 . Next, a potting portion 4 is formed inside the cylindrical container 2 . The potting portion 4 fixes the hollow fiber membrane bundle 3 to the inner peripheral surface 50 a of the cylindrical container 2 while embedding both ends 3 a of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 3 . Next, unnecessary portions of the potting portion 4 (both end portions 3a of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 3) are cut along a cross section perpendicular to the central axis P to form a potting portion cut surface.

The header 5 is then welded to the tubular container 2 . In this embodiment, as described above, the header 5 formed so that the top surface 24 of the header is partially warped is pressed against the tubular container 2 by the ultrasonic horn 90 and ultrasonic waves are oscillated for ultrasonic welding. At this time, the ultrasonic horn 90 is brought into contact with and pressed against the periphery of the top surface 24 of the header which is formed so as to be partially warped (see FIG. 4).

That is, when the header 5 is pressed against the cylindrical container 2 and ultrasonically welded, the header 5 and the cylindrical container 2 are first brought into contact with each other at the welded portion W3, and then at the welded portions W1 and W2. ing. When the header 5 and the cylindrical container 2 first contact at the welded portion W3, the side portion 26 of the header 5 (the side portion of the header protruding portion 22 in this embodiment) is radially outwardly directed to the inner side. An external force Fi acts from the outer projecting portion 51 of the tubular container 2 (see FIG. 3). When the external force Fi is applied, the header 5 is deformed so as to warp inward, and the portion of the top surface 24 of the header including the inclined portion 25 is deformed into a convex shape to be flat or approximately flat. As a result, the contact area between the header 5 and the ultrasonic horn 90 can be prevented from becoming uneven and narrow, and ultrasonic welding can be performed while pressing, so that the top surface 24 of the header is not damaged. can do.

It should be noted that frequency, pressure, amplitude and time are important for the ultrasonic vibrations oscillated by the ultrasonic horn 90 . For example, the frequency is 15 kHz, 20 kHz, 30 kHz, 40 kHz, 50 kHz, 70 kHz, the amplitude is 20 to 125 μm, the pressure is 50 N to 3000 N, and the time is 0.1 to 1 second. However, depending on the situation, relatively low-frequency ultrasonic vibration (for example, a low frequency of about 15 kHz when ultrasonic waves with a frequency of about 20 kHz are generally used) may be used. In such a case, ultrasonic vibrations are more likely to reach a position distant from the ultrasonic horn 90 . Some or all of the amplitude, pressure and time values may be increased if a stronger weld is desired. If the ultrasonic vibration is too strong to damage the cylindrical container 2 or the header 5, some or all of these values may be reduced or a higher frequency may be adopted.

The speed at which the header 5 and the tubular container 2 are pushed in during ultrasonic welding is 0.5 to 10 mm/sec, preferably 1 to 3 mm/sec. The slower the speed, the greater the amount of fusion due to frictional heat at the welded portion, which increases the bonding strength.

Although the above-described embodiment is a preferred example of the present invention, it is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, in the joining process, the outer protruding portion 51 of the cylindrical container 2 is brought into contact with the side portion of the header protruding portion 22 to apply the external force Fi from the radially outer side to the inner side. (See FIG. 3), which is just one preferred example. Alternatively, for example, an annular outer frame member (eg, anvil) 120 may be used to apply the external force Fi to the header 5 (FIG. 5). As the outer frame member 120, an annular or tubular member is used that regulates the side portion 26 of the header 5, prevents the header 5 from deforming outward during ultrasonic welding, and acts as a reaction against the external force Fi. can be done.

Further, the structure of the hollow fiber membrane module 1 shown in the above-described embodiment is merely a preferred example, and for example, the structure of the header protruding portion 22 of the header 5, the structure of the inner protruding portion 50 and the outer protruding portion 51 of the cylindrical container 2, etc. The structure and the like are not limited to those described above. Moreover, the overall structure of the cylindrical container 2 and the header 5 is not limited to those described above. Further, the application of the hollow fiber membrane module 1 is not limited to the processing of liquids such as blood, and may be the processing of gases.

Examples and comparative examples are shown below (see FIG. 6). In the following, the case where the header 5 with the top surface angle θ set to each of the following values is ultrasonically welded while applying an external force Fi radially inward from the outer projecting portion 51 of the cylindrical container 2 (hereinafter referred to as “welding Header generated in the contact area with the ultrasonic horn 90 when ultrasonic welding is performed while applying an external force Fi using an anvil (outer frame member 120). 5 were investigated and compared with each other.

[Example 1]
The header 5 having the top surface angle θ of 1 degree was ultrasonically welded to the cylindrical container 2 while welding from the welding portion W3. No melt scars occurred.

[Example 2]
The header 5 having a top surface angle θ of 2.5 degrees was ultrasonically welded to the cylindrical container 2 while welding from the welding portion W3. A small melt wound occurred.

[Example 3]
A header 5 having a top surface angle θ of 2.5 degrees was ultrasonically welded to the cylindrical container 2 while applying an external force Fi using an anvil. A small melt wound occurred.

[Comparative Example 1]
A header 5 having a top surface angle θ of 1 degree was ultrasonically welded to the cylindrical container 2 without applying an external force Fi. A large melt wound occurred.

[Comparative Example 2]
A header 5 having a top surface angle θ of −1 degree (that is, a header formed so that the outer periphery of the header top surface 24 is lower than the outer circumference) is welded to the cylindrical container 2 from the welded portion W3. ultrasonically welded. A large melt wound occurred.

[Comparative Example 3]
The header 5 having a top surface angle θ of 5 degrees was ultrasonically welded to the cylindrical container 2 while welding from the welding portion W3. A large melt wound occurred.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitable for application to a hollow fiber membrane module manufactured by joining a header and a cylindrical container by ultrasonic welding.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Hollow fiber membrane module 2... Cylindrical container 2a... End part 3... Hollow fiber membrane bundle 3a... End part 4... Potting part 5... Header 10... Port 20... Nozzle part 21... Top plate portion 21a inner surface 22 header protrusion 23 space 24 top surface of header 25 inclined portion 26 side portion of header 30 base 30a first inner peripheral surface 31 Middle step portion 31a Second inner peripheral surface 32 Tip end portion 32a Third inner peripheral surface 32b Outer peripheral surface 40 Flat surface (stepped portion) 42 Annular surface (stepped portion) 50... Inner protrusion, 50a... Inner peripheral surface, 51... Outer protrusion, 52... Annular recess, 75... Non-contact space, 90... Ultrasonic horn (ultrasonic welder), 120... Anvil (outer frame member) , P... Central axis, Q... Plane perpendicular to central axis P, W1... Welding part, W2... Welding part, W3... Welding part, θ... Top surface angle of header

Claims (13)

a cylindrical container with one end and the other end open;
a hollow fiber membrane bundle loaded in the cylindrical container;
a potting portion embedding and fixing the hollow fiber membrane bundle at both ends of the cylindrical container;
headers provided at both ends of the cylindrical container in the central axis direction, the headers having nozzle portions serving as inlets and outlets for fluid; and header projecting portions projecting toward the cylindrical container;
In a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module comprising
As the header, a header having an annular inclined portion in which the top surface of the header is higher toward the outer periphery than the center in the radial direction is used,
A hollow fiber membrane module in which a part of the header is welded to the cylindrical container by oscillating ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic welder in contact with the top surface of the header while applying an external force to the header from the outside in the radial direction. Production method. 2. The method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein the header has an inclination angle of 3 degrees or less with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the inclined portion of the top surface of the header. 3. The method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein the container and the header are welded at a plurality of locations. The method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the header protrusion is welded to the tubular container. 5. The method of manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 4, wherein the cylindrical container further has an annular recess into which a part of the header protrusion is fitted. The method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an external force is applied to the side portion of the header from the outside in the radial direction. 7. The method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 6, wherein an external force is applied to the side portion of the header projecting portion from the outside in the radial direction. 8. The method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein starting points of the plurality of welding points start from the outside of the header projecting portion. The method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the container and the header are welded together by a shear joint structure. 9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein an ultrasonic wave is oscillated from an ultrasonic welder in contact with the top surface of the header while applying an external force from the annular recess to the side portion of the header from the radially outer side. A method for producing the described hollow fiber membrane module. The ultrasonic welder is brought into contact with the top surface of the header, a pressing force is applied from the ultrasonic welder to bring the header protrusion into contact with the annular recess, and the header protrusion is radially extended from the annular recess. The method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the header protrusion is welded to the tubular container while applying an external force from the direction outside. 8. The ultrasonic wave is oscillated from an ultrasonic welder in contact with the top surface of the header while applying an external force from the outer frame member to the side portion of the header from the radial outside. A method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module. a cylindrical container with one end and the other end open;
a hollow fiber membrane bundle loaded in the cylindrical container;
a potting portion embedding and fixing the hollow fiber membrane bundle at both ends of the cylindrical container;
headers provided at both ends in the central axis direction of the cylindrical container, each having a nozzle portion serving as an inlet and outlet for fluid;
In a hollow fiber membrane module comprising
As the header, a header having an annular inclined portion in which the top surface of the header becomes higher toward the outer periphery than the center in the radial direction is attached to the cylindrical container ,
A hollow fiber membrane module, wherein the tubular container includes a member that applies an external force to the header from the outside in the radial direction when the header is attached to the tubular container.

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