KR20040021619A - Filtration module including unitary filter cartridge-bowl construction - Google Patents

Abstract

The filtration module 1 comprises a manifold 3, a filtration cartridge 50 and a bowl 2 containing the filtration cartridge 50. The filtration cartridge 50 and the bowl 2 are connected to each other by a snap fit structure to form a unitary structure. The filtration cartridge 50 and the bowl 2 are in fluid communication with the manifold 3 which prevents mixing of the fluid supplied to the module 1 with the permeate removed from the module.

Description

Filtration module with single filter cartridge bowl structure {FILTRATION MODULE INCLUDING UNITARY FILTER CARTRIDGE-BOWL CONSTRUCTION}

Control of particle contamination in the filtration process in the semiconductor industry requires the use of ultra-clean filters with membranes that remove particles less than 1 micron. It is known that any particle deposited on a semiconductor wafer will cause defects if the particle is large enough. Typically in the semiconductor industry, defects can be created by particles as small as about one tenth of the smallest semiconductor chips. Therefore, membrane filters are used in all stages of manufacturing semiconductor chips for purifying working liquids and gases.

Many different designs have been developed for filtration modules used for ultra clean liquid filtration, but two designs are common. In one module design, the liquid to be filtered flows from one end of the filtration module to the other end. In this kind of filtration module, the feed and permeate connections are arranged at opposite ends of the filter to allow liquid flow to flow from one end to the other. The flow structure is referred to as an in line flow configuration. The filtration module suffers from two disadvantages. Firstly, the module is sandwiched between two sets of connections, making it more difficult to connect the module to the process equipment. Secondly, because at least one connection is located at the bottom of the module, some free liquid remaining in the module drains quickly when the module is not connected.

The second filtration module design places all connections at the same end of the module. For modules of this type, the supply and transmission ports are typically oriented horizontally at the "head" end of the module on top or on opposite sides thereof. Due to this shape, the modules are referenced to have a T, L or U shape. The shape facilitates connection of the head to the remainder of the filtration module including the bowl and a filtration cartridge disposed within the bowl. In this design, the bowl and the filtration cartridge consist of separating elements. Thus, when manufacturing the filtration module, the filtration cartridge and the bowl are detachably fixed to the manifold head and sealed. In addition, upon completion of filtration, the bowl and cartridge are removed from the head. The separate removal requires moving the bowl substantially longer than the entire length of the cartridge to expose the cartridge to allow removal of the cartridge. The exposed cartridge is then removed by hand or hand tool. Since filter cartridges are often filled with corrosive or toxic filtrates, the cartridge removal step puts the operator at risk. In addition, since the bowl must be moved by the length of the cartridge, the interior space in which the bowl and cartridge are placed must accommodate the removal step.

It is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,114,572 to provide a filter assembly incorporating a bowl to produce a filter cartridge-bowl structure that can be detached as a single unit from a manifold. The filter cartridge is connected to the bowl by bayonet connections on the cartridge that fit into the grooves in the bowl inner surface. The bayonet connection requires that a flange extending from the outer surface of the filter cartridge is disposed in a groove extending vertically in the bowl and then in a groove extending horizontally in the bowl. The connector shape requires that when the cartridge is mounted in the bowl, the cartridge is first moved vertically in the vertical groove and then rotated in the horizontal groove. Conversely, when the cartridge is to be removed from the bowl upon completion of the filtration process, the cartridge must be rotated and lifted out of the bowl in a single operation. Removal of the cartridge from the bowl requires the action of a force on the fluid conduit disposed on the top of the cartridge, and since the diameter of the conduit is smaller than the diameter of the cartridge, there is no effect of the force on the cartridge. When performing the removal of the cartridge from the bowl, which requires the use of hand tools, this requires a significant force on the cartridge. The action of torque and lift force as a single operation increases the difficulty of separating the bowl from the filter cartridge. Separation of the cartridge from the bowl is particularly difficult when toxic or corrosive fluid is filtered by the filtration device.

In addition, current designs have cartridge seals to the manifold and are lightly fixed (friction-fit) to the manifold. When back pressure is applied to the cartridge, some action of back pressure does not seal the cartridge from the manifold, making filtration inefficient.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a filtration module structure that avoids separating and removing the filter cartridge rather than the bowl from the manifold while allowing the filter cartridge and bowl to be removed from the manifold as a single unit. In addition, it is desirable to provide such a structure that avoids applying forces in multiple directions to remove the bowl and cartridge from the manifold. Such a structure easily separates the cartridge and bowl from the manifold, eliminates the risk to the operator in removing the filter cartridge after filtration, and reduces the space required to install the filtration module. Finally, by forming the cartridge and bowl into a single structure and securing the structure to the manifold, the problem of removing the cartridge from the manifold when back pressure is applied is avoided.

The present invention relates to a membrane filtration module that is hygienic and easier to install and replace than currently available filtration modules. In particular, the present invention relates to membrane filtration modules formed from filtration cartridges, retaining bowls and manifolds joined together.

1 is a side view of the bowl and filter cartridge of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of an attachment for forming the bowl of the present invention.

3 is a side view of an alternative bowl and filter cartridge of the present invention.

4 is a side view of an alternative filter cartridge of the present invention.

5 is a side view of the filter cartridge of FIG. 4 disposed within the bowl of the present invention.

Figure 6 shows in cross section a first embodiment of the invention for retaining a filter cartridge and bowl in a manifold.

7 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention for retaining a filter cartridge and a bowl in a manifold.

8 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention for retaining a filter cartridge and bowl in a manifold.

9 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention for retaining a filter cartridge and bowl in a manifold.

According to the present invention, the filtration module is provided to include a manifold and a combination of filtration cartridges and bowls joined together to be installed and removed as a piece from the manifold. The filter cartridge and the bowl are joined together by force in a predetermined direction, ie in a vertical direction, at a given time. The bowl and the filtration cartridge are joined together by a snap fit, and the melt elements on the bowl and the filtration cartridge are formed to be held together by friction requiring force to release the bowl and the filtration cartridge. The structure allows release of the filter cartridge and bowl from the manifold at one time. In one embodiment, when the filter cartridge and the bowl are to be removed from the manifold, the coupling means can be configured such that the filter cartridge and the bowl have a threaded locking ring and can be removed as a piece.

The present invention relates to a filtration module formed from a manifold, a filtration cartridge and a bowl. The manifold provides a fluid passageway with the filtration cartridge for fluid feed and permeate removal from the filtration cartridge. The bowl provides a fluid feed storage means that permits fluid to enter the filtration cartridge or is guided from the filtration cartridge to the manifold and then stores permeate from the filtration module. The fluid feed may enter the filtration cartridge from outside the filtration cartridge or from inside the filtration cartridge through the manifold. The fluid in the bowl adjacent the filtration cartridge can be a fluid feed or permeate. In some cases, the fluid feed enters the filtration module from the manifold and the permeate is removed from the filtration module in the manifold.

The filtration module and the bowl are sealed with a manifold and are configured to be separated from contact with the manifold as a piece. Thus, the bowl and filtration module are formed of two pieces that are joined together by moving the bowl and the filtration cartridge in only one direction relative to each other at a given time. After the bowl and the filtration module are connected to the manifold, the bowl and the filtration module are joined together so as not to separate during filtration of the fluid.

After filtration, the bowl and filtration module are removed from the manifold as one piece rather than two separate pieces. Since the bowl and filtration module are removed together, the filtration module does not need to be removed from the bowl. Thus, a space substantially equal to the combined length of the filtration module and the bowl need not be provided. In fact, only the space of the bowl needs to be provided. This allows the filtration module of the invention to be installed in a smaller space compared to the space required for existing filtration modules. In addition, since the filtration module is removed with the bowl, it does not have to be handled by the operator by hand or by hand. In addition, any fluid located between the bowl and the filtration module need not be removed upon filtration completion. This effectively reduces the likelihood that fluid in the bowl will contact the operator. Alternatively, the bowl may include a drain to remove fluid prior to removal.

1 and 2, the apparatus of the present invention includes a bowl 10, a filter cartridge 12, and a retaining ring 14. Filter cartridge 12 includes filter 14a, fitting 16 and flange 18. The flange 18 fits into the retaining ring 14 by being secured to the keyway 20 of the prong 22. The flange 18 is also disposed on the slots 24, 26 of the prongs 28, 30. The retaining ring 14 is fixedly disposed on the bowl 10 by any convenient means such as attachment, or is formed in one piece with the bowl 10 by such as molding.

Referring to Figure 3, the retaining ring 14b is fixedly disposed on the bowl 10 and includes two or more (good) including a keyway 36 fitting the flange 38 of the filter cartridge 40. And three) prongs 32 and 34. The filter cartridge 40 also includes a fitting 42 for hermetic fluid communication between the filter cartridge 40 and the manifold (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 4, the filter cartridge 50 of the present invention includes a filter 52, a fitting 54 and a flange 56 disposed on the outer surface of the filter 52 rather than the fitting portion as shown in FIG. It is shown to include. Flange 56 functions in the same manner as flange 18 of FIG. Retaining ring 14 is sealed to bowl 60.

The arrangement of the filter cartridge of FIG. 5 in the bowl is also shown in FIG. Bowl 60 includes retaining ring 14 with prongs 28 and 26 (not shown) and prongs 56 of FIG. The prong functions in the same manner as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to Fig. 6, a filter housing 1 is shown. Although the present invention works equally well with inline and other such housing designs, the housing 1 is a U-shaped line design. The housing 1 is formed of a bowl 2 and a manifold 3. The threaded ring 4 is in effect fixed in position on the bowl 2. The thread 5 of the ring 4 is easily screwed into the corresponding thread 6 formed on the manifold 3.

In this embodiment as shown in Fig. 6, the first element 2 is a cartridge bowl and the second element 3 is a manifold. Bowl 2 includes a retaining ring 14 with prongs 26 and 28 (not shown) and prong 22 in FIG. The prong functions in the same manner as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Since the ring 4 is in fact fixed in position with respect to the first element, which in this case is the bowl 2, the ring cannot move any substantial distance along the bowl 2. When the threads 5 of the ring are joined correspondingly to the threads 6 on the second element 3, which in this case are manifolds, and the threads 5, 6 are pulled together, the ring 4 is the first element or bowl. (2) is to ensure reliable contact with the second element or manifold (3). Conversely, when the ring 4 is rotated to separate the threads 5, 6 from each other, the first element or bowl 2 is reliably separated from the second element or manifold 3.

The device used to fix the position of the ring 4 to one of the two elements can be a variety of devices. As shown in Fig. 6, the ring 4 is loosely fixed to the first component 2, which bowl is held on the ring 4 held in the keyway 8 formed in the bowl 2 in this embodiment. Use the key 7 formed in the. The ring 4 can be rotated by hand. The ring 4 is shown in the shape 9 knurled in part of the outer surface. The use of knurling or other such devices to easily provide a non-slip surface to the ring is known and can be used in the present invention. In addition, the use of lugs or tapered surfaces on the outer surface of the ring can be used to attach a wrench or other device to move the ring relative to other threaded elements. While it is contemplated in the preferred embodiment of the present invention where no ranch or other device is necessary to move the ring, it is still within the scope of the present invention.

Although the ring 4 is shown fixed to the bowl 2 in this embodiment, the ring can be easily fixed to the manifold 3 as shown in FIG. 7 (the same numbers as in FIG. Applies). Bowl 14a includes a retaining ring 14 having prongs 28, 26 (not shown) and prong 22 in FIG. 2. The prong functions in the same manner as mentioned above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 to hold the filter cartridge 50. The ring 4 is here attached to the manifold 3 rather than the bowl 2 of FIG. 6. The keyway 8 is formed on the manifold surface and the key 7 of the ring 4 is locked therein. The threads 5 of the ring 4 engage with the threads 6 of the manifold 3 to drive the bowl 2 and the manifold 3 together and separately.

Other embodiments may also be used. For example, the bracket or surface on which the manifold is mounted may have a portion that extends over the ring and is locked to the manifold when the manifold is secured in place. Other embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

In FIG. 8, bowl 14a includes a retaining ring 14 having prongs 28 and 26 (not shown) and prong 22 in FIG. The prong functions in the manner mentioned above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 to hold the filter cartridge 50. The thread 18a of the ring 14 engages with the thread 16a of the manifold 13a to drive the bowl 14a and the manifold 13a in response to each other.

Figure 9 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention and clearly shows what the term "virtually fixed" means. In this embodiment, the ring 41a is mounted to the bowl 42a and is held in the bowl 42a by a ridge 43a, which is a circular ring, in this embodiment along a portion of the outer side wall of the bowl 42a. Is placed. The bowl 42 also has a lip 44a extending outward from the top of the sidewall outer surface of the bowl 42a. Thread 45a of ring 41a engages thread 46a of manifold 47a.

As shown, there is substantial clearance between the lip 44a and the ridge 43 along the sidewall length of the bowl 42a. However, this embodiment still shows the ring 41a in a substantially fixed position relative to the bowl 42a. By the term "virtually fixed" it is meant that the ring is held in one element of the housing in such a way that the movement along the length of the element is less than 50% of the length. Preferably, the amount of movement allowed in the ring relative to the length of the element is less than 25% of the element length.

In other words, the length of the movement of the ring relative to the element length should be at least for the portion of the thread that has rotated between the ring and the second element, and there is a driving force generated by the thread of the ring to reliably move the element. Preferably, the travel length is limited so that the ring thread begins to rotate with respect to the thread of the other component for a certain setting (as required by the manufacturer) before the ring thread is in position to drive the two elements together or reliably. . In this way, one staggers the load applied to the ring, making its use easier, faster and simpler.

Alternatively, one can use other devices such as band clamps, lugs and the like to hold the ring in a predetermined virtually fixed position relative to the mounted element. A position that is substantially fixed relative to the attached element, as long as it allows the two elements to move properly to form a complete liquid seal with each other and maintains the ring in a manner that reliably drives the two elements together and separately when necessary The device used to hold the ring in is not critical.

The choice of filtration media used in the filtration cartridge can be anything that is commonly used in industrial sites. Typically, the medium is a deep membrane filter media, such as flat membrane membranes, spirally wound flat membranes, pleated flat membrane membranes, spirally corrugated flat membrane membranes, hollow fiber membranes, spirally wound continuous fiber deep filter media, sintered metal filter media, ceramic media , Particulate media comprising membranes with ligands for removing selected materials from active trapping materials, such as resins or ceramic beads, or fluids attached to the surface, anionic resins incorporated or hollowed into membrane structures, cations Including but not limited to resins and any combination of the above resins.

Finally, the bowls and manifolds in all of the above embodiments include plastics, preferably thermoplastics comprising polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, including ultra high molecular weight polyethylene; Copolymers or terpolymers of polyolefins; nylon; PTFE resins, PFA, PVDF, ECTFE and other fluorinated resins, in particular perfluorinated thermoplastic resins; Polycarbonate; Metallocenes extracted from polymers, polysulfones; Modified polysulfones such as polyethersulfone, polyarylsulfone or polyphenylsulfone; Any glass or other tempered plastic; Or metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, copper, bronze, brass, nickel, chromium or titanium or alloys or composites thereof.

Claims (8)

A filtration module comprising a manifold, a filtration cartridge and a bowl to receive the filtration cartridge, The filtration cartridge and the bowl are snap-fitted together to form a unitary structure, And the filtration cartridge and the bowl are in fluid communication with the manifold in a manner that prevents mixing of the permeate removed from the filtration cartridge with the fluid feed to the filtration cartridge. The filtration module of claim 1, comprising an inlet for a fluid feed to the bowl and an outlet for permeate from the filtration cartridge. The filtration module of claim 1, comprising an inlet for a fluid feed to the filtration cartridge and an outlet for permeate from the bowl. The filter cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filter cartridge and the bowl are formed of three or more separable pieces comprising a collar extending around the outer periphery of the filter cartridge. Filtration module. The filter cartridge of claim 1, wherein the filtration cartridge comprises a flat plate membrane, a spiral wound membrane, a pleated plate membrane, a spiral pleated plate membrane, a hollow fiber membrane, a deep filter medium, a particle medium containing an active collecting material, an ion exchange medium, and combinations thereof. Filtration module comprising at least one medium selected from the group comprising. 6. The filtration module of claim 1, 2, 3 or 5 wherein the filter cartridge includes a flange that snaps into a plurality of prongs extending from the bowl. 7. The filtration module of claim 6 wherein the prong extends against a collar that fits into an inner surface of the bowl. The filtration module of claim 6, wherein the prong is integrally formed with the bowl.