Filter apparatus employing hollow fibers

Abstract

A filter apparatus comprises a housing having a liquid entrance, a liquid exit, and two tubes protruding from a wall of the housing into an inner space of the housing. The tubes have openings which face each other and have at least one perforation or side opening on their walls, one of the liquid entrance and the liquid exit being connected to one of the tubes. The detachable filter cartridge comprises an outer perforated cylinder, an inner non-perforated cylinder, the outer cylinder being connected to the inner cylinder in coaxial relationship such that a respective end space for receiving a liquid is formed inside each end of the outer cylinder. A bundle of porous hollow fibers is connected between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder such that openings at both opposite ends of the hollow fibers open to allow passage of liquid from one end space for receiving liquid to another end space via the hollow fibers. The filter cartridge is arranged such that each open end of the inner cylinder sealingly receives therein a respective one of the tubes to form a liquid passage between the two tubes via the inner space of the inner cylinder, and a liquid passage between two tubes via the perforations of one tube, one of the end spaces, the porous hollow tubes, the other of said end spaces, and the perforations of another tube.