Eastman-kodak Company

Donald M Forster

Peter J Despard

Gregory P Guyette

A sealed filter unit is provided having end caps which engage fluid connectors which are in turn connectable to external piping conveying fluid through the filter and which provide a preliminary seal upon mounting the filter unit in the filter holder. The filter unit assures that all fluid passing through the unit is filtered in a single pass without wetting the filter holder into which the filter unit is mounted via the fluid connectors. The filter holder allows rapid and reliable insertion and removal of the filter unit to and from the filter holder. The filter holder will accept various sizes of filter units as required by the process. In the preferred embodiment, the fluid connectors are a part of the filter holder. In the absence of fluid pressure, the filter unit can be manually removed from the filter holder fluid connectors for replacement of the filter unit. The end caps deform under internal fluid pressure to lock the filter unit in place and to improve the fluid-tight seals between the end caps and the fluid connectors. A dutchman is provided for operations in which a filter element is not required or cleaning is required.

Filter assembly includng filter unit having deformable sealing end caps

Disclosed herein is a housing for a disk of filter material. The housing includes two disk-shaped parts. One of the housing parts includes a radially-inwardly facing cylindrical surface for locating a filter disk. The other housing part includes a radially-outwardly facing cylindrical surface. The two cylindrical surfaces telescope together during assembly and serve to locate the housing parts relative to one another in directions parallel to the general plane of a filter disk in the housing. The radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface serves to locate a filter disk during assemble. Radially inwardly of the cylindrical surfaces is resilient means for engaging and squeezing the annular peripheral margin of the filter disk for at least partially preventing material being filtered passing radially outwardly of the filter disk and for totally preventing material bypassing the filter disk. Radially outwardly of the cylindrical surfaces is second resilient means providing a seal between the two housing parts for preventing any leakage out of the filter disk, passing to the exterior of the housing.

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Penfield, NY, United States of America

Donald M Forster