JPH0510121B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a filter unit. More specifically, the present invention relates to a filter unit that is easy to disassemble, assemble, and replace.

[Prior Art] Recently, research has been conducted to improve the specific surface area and reduce the filtration resistance by molding filters into thinner walls to adopt a surface filtration method. As a result, in recent years, ceramic filters have achieved advanced precision filtration due to uniform pore size distribution and thin-walled molding, due to the sophisticated classification of sintered particles that form pores and advances in molding technology. Surface filtration is becoming possible by reducing pressure loss.

However, although this ceramic filter has excellent properties, it is a brittle material that is not flexible, so there are problems with its support structure and shape, which makes it difficult to realize surface filtration. there was. For this reason, conventional ceramic filters generally employ a thick-walled volume filtration system mainly composed of diatomaceous earth, which cannot avoid a decrease in filtration accuracy and an increase in pressure loss.

Therefore, in order to improve the filtration accuracy and reduce pressure loss of this ceramic filter, the filter is made into a cylindrical body with a honeycomb structure, and the ends of the cell pores are sealed alternately in a checkerboard pattern on the inlet and outlet sides. Several methods have been proposed in recent years. However, in the case of this honeycomb type ceramic filter, the filtration surface cannot be observed from the outside, making it difficult to visually inspect clogging conditions and discover defects such as pinholes. Since it is extremely difficult to clean, it is practically impossible to reuse it.

Therefore, a ceramic filter unit having a pseudo-honeycomb structure has been devised, in which cylindrical sintered filters are bundled and both ends are fixed and bonded with resin or the like.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, even in the case of the above-mentioned ceramic filter in which cylindrical filters are bundled and the end portions are fixed with resin, a brush is attached to the ceramic filter arranged inside during cleaning. It has the disadvantage that physical removal such as cliffs cannot be done. Furthermore, in the case of the above-mentioned filter, since the bundled cylindrical filters are fixedly bonded using resin or the like, there is a problem in that the manufacturing process is time-consuming and the cost is high.

The present invention was made to solve these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a filter unit that is easy to disassemble and assemble, and can be physically cleaned.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention for achieving the above object consists of two pairs of filters each having a fluid passage formed therein, a filter support portion at one end, and a unit connection portion at the other end. a casing tube which is removably attached to both ends of the two connector pipes with their respective filter support portions located inside, and which together with the connector pipes form a pair of filter units; ,
one end has a closed end and the other end has an open end, and the closed end is brought into contact with the filter support portion of one of the connector pipes to allow fluid flow between the casing tube and the casing tube. A filter made of ceramics is disposed through a passageway, and an opaque member is provided that connects the filter support portion and the open end with the open end of the filter facing the filter support portion of the other connector pipe. A filter unit characterized by having a liquid elastic tube.

[Function] In the present invention having the above configuration, the closed end of the ceramic filter is supported in contact with the filter support portion of one connector pipe,
Since the open end is connected to the filter support part of another connector pipe by an elastic tube, the unit can be easily disassembled and reassembled, and even if a shock is applied, the filter will swing around the closed end. , vibrations are absorbed and damage to the filter is prevented. In addition, it is difficult to make ceramic filters long due to their strength, but by interconnecting a large number of units with the unit connection part of the connector pipe, a filtration device with a sufficient filtration area can be created. .

[Example] Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail based on an example shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a partially cutaway front view of an embodiment of a filter unit according to the present invention. This filter unit 1 has two connector pipes 4, each of which has a filter support part 4a at one end and a unit connection part 4b at the other end, and has a fluid passage 19 inside. is formed. These two connector pipes 4 are attached to both ends of the casing tube 3 on the respective filter support portions 4a sides. As shown in FIG. 1, each connector pipe 4 has an outer cylinder part 12 integrated with the outside of the filter support part 4a via an annular gap 13, and both ends of the casing tube 3. is adapted to be inserted into the gap 13 of each connector pipe 4, and an O-ring 14 is disposed at the bottom of the annular gap 13 to prevent fluid leakage.

The connector pipe 4 is fixed to both ends of the casing tube 3 by screwing a union nut 10 to a threaded portion formed on the outer cylindrical portion of the connector pipe 4 having a double pipe structure. In this way, each connector pipe 4 is removably attached to both ends of the casing tube 3 by means of the union joint portion 8 as a joint member.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ceramic filter 2 has a tubular shape, having a closed end 2a at one end and an open end 2b at the other end. This filter 2 is supported at its closed end 2a in contact with a filter support portion 4a of one connector pipe 4, and its open end 2b faces the other connector pipe 4. The open end 2b of the filter 2 is connected to the filter support portion 4a of the other connector pipe 4 by an elastic tube 5. The elastic tube 5 and the O-ring may be formed integrally. A fluid flow path 6 is formed between the filter 2 and the casing tube 3. Therefore, the fluid that has flowed into the fluid passage 19 of the connector pipe 4 located on the lower side in FIG. It flows out from the fluid passage 19 of the pipe 4.

The tubular filter 2 is made of a porous ceramic material, and a bottom portion is formed by bonding a hemispherical lid made of the same material to a cylindrical body. In this embodiment, the filter has a cylindrical shape, but the filter can have any shape as long as it can form a flow path for discharging the filtered liquid. For example, it can be formed into a serration shape. Further, the outer diameter of the ceramic cylindrical hollow filter used in the filter unit 1 of this embodiment is preferably 12 mmφ or less. This is because, considering the characteristics of microporous filters, an outer diameter of 12 mm or more is wasted space when considering pressure loss and flow rate, and the smaller the filter diameter, the more difficult it is to withstand tension stress when external force due to filtration pressure acts on the filter. This is because it is effective.

In the case of the above-mentioned tubular filter 2, in this embodiment,
Porous ceramics with controlled pore size made by kneading aggregates with uniform and fine polyhedral particle shapes made of one or more types of artificial raw materials with the addition of an inorganic binder and an organic plasticizer, extrusion molding, and sintering. Consists of.
Here, alumina, mullite, silicon carbide, silica, etc. are used as the synthetic raw material serving as the aggregate. After mechanical pulverization, only fine powders of uniform diameter are selected by screening such as water classification. The reason why the diameter is made uniform is to narrow the pore size distribution after sintering. Further, the reason why a polyhedral particle shape is desired as the aggregate is to form good constricted cavities after sintering and to facilitate the crosslinking phenomenon caused by the target particles.

As the inorganic binder, clay and/or soda lime glass cullet is used, and as a sintering accelerator, carbonates and/or boric acids are appropriately added. The particle size is preferably as small as possible.

Examples of organic plasticizers include gum arabic, starch paste, wax, carboxymethylcellulose, and thermoplastics such as vinyl resins such as polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyvinyl acetal, and acrylic acid resins such as acrylic acid ester polymers. Although synthetic resins are used, thermoplastic synthetic resins, particularly polyvinyl alcohol, which provide sufficient plasticity even in small amounts are preferred. In addition to imparting plasticity to the aggregate, organic plasticizers help improve porosity after sintering.

As the molding method, extrusion molding is preferred.
This is because the extrusion molding method allows a cylindrical body with the same cross-sectional shape to be obtained in any length. The molded product is dried and fired at room temperature to about 80°C.

The firing temperature varies depending on the type of aggregate, particle size, etc.
The temperature is appropriately selected within the range of 900 to about 1300°C. Since the firing in this example uses an inorganic binder, the sintering is easier to control than self-sintering, and porous ceramics with uniform pore diameters can be obtained.

In addition, the pore size controlled porous ceramic sintered in this manner does not use an inorganic clay type plasticizer, but an organic one with a low ash component, and the inorganic material is used as a binder. Since the amount of sintering is kept to the minimum necessary amount, inorganic substances other than the aggregate will not remain in unnecessary parts after sintering and will not have any adverse effects.

The casing tube 3, which surrounds and protects the fragile tubular filter 2 formed with the above-mentioned composition and forms a fluid flow path 6 with the filter 2, is made of a rigid material or structure. A liquid-impermeable or non-permeable tube formed by In this embodiment, the casing tube 3 is made of a transparent plastic tube, and is provided so that the state of dirt on the internal tubular filter 2 can be observed from the outside. Of course, it is also possible to use an opaque tube such as a stainless steel pipe as the casing tube 3. Furthermore, flanges 7 are provided at both ends of the casing tube 3 to which the connector pipe 4 is attached. This flange 7
It is not necessary to exist on the entire circumferential surface of the casing tube 3, and it is sufficient that at least two or three of them are arranged symmetrically.

The tip of the tubular filter 2 attached to one of the aforementioned connector pipes 4 via an elastic tube 5 is not connected to the other connector pipe 4 but is opposed to the other connector pipe 4 with a slight gap therebetween. Between the tip of this tubular filter 2 and the casing tube 3,
In some cases, spacers (not shown) are installed to prevent collisions. This spacer needs to have a structure that does not obstruct the flow of fluid, and is preferably made of an elastic material such as rubber. However, as shown,
If a slit 15 or a communication hole 16 is bored in the side wall of the inner cylindrical part 11 of the connector pipe 4,
The tip of the tubular filter 2 can be held by pressing it against the inner cylindrical portion 11 of the connector pipe 4, and can be used instead of a spacer.

The elastic tube 5 that connects the tubular filter 2 and the connector pipe 4 is an elastic tube that absorbs thermal expansion or vibration of the tubular filter 2 and does not allow fluid to pass through, and is made of, for example, rubber, soft plastic, or glass. It is made of metal fabric, etc. In this embodiment, this elastic tube 5
The connector pipe 4 and the tubular filter 2 are fastened together using a wire 17, but it is also possible to fasten them with other fasteners such as metal bands or rubber bands, or to attach annular protrusions or grooves on the tubular filter 2 side. By providing this to improve the workability of the fixing work, it may be possible to prevent it from coming off during backwashing or the like.

According to the filter unit constructed as described above, it can be easily assembled and disassembled as described below, and can be used for a long time in a suitable state after physical cleaning.

That is, in the filter unit 1 of the present invention, one of the connector pipes 4 attached to both ends of the casing tube 3 is removed by loosening the union nut 10, and an elastic tube is inserted into the inner cylinder 11 of the connector pipe 4. It is easily set by attaching the tubular filter 2 through the tube 5, inserting it into the casing tube 3, and tightening the connector pipe 4 and the casing tube 3 by operating the union nut 10 again.

Moreover, since this filter unit 1 houses the tubular filter 2 in the casing tube 3 and supports it elastically, even if pressure fluctuations or external shocks are applied during filtration, the elastic tube 5 part can cushion the impact. This prevents the light from being transmitted to the filter 2, which is brittle and easily damaged.

Furthermore, the filter unit 1 can be cleaned not only by backwashing in its original state, but also by physical cleaning since it is easy to disassemble. That is, the connector pipe 4 supporting the tubular filter 2
Loosen the union nut 10 and connect the connector pipe 4.
When removed from the casing tube 3, the tubular filter 2 connected to the connector pipe 4 is removed together. Therefore, the tubular filter 2 is subjected to physical cleaning such as direct brushing or chemical cleaning using chemicals. This cleaning effect is ensured by visual inspection. However, if efficient filtration cannot be achieved even with these physical cleaning methods, or if the target to be captured changes, the tubular filter 2 must be replaced. It can be easily carried out by just

This filter unit 1 can be easily attached to other piping by using the connector pipes 4 at both ends. For example, it is possible to connect it as it is in the middle of a water pipe or other liquid supply pipe as a pipe or a part of the pipe. In this way, when the filter unit 1 of the present invention is used alone, it can be easily placed indoors or in a corner of the device, making effective use of space, and is especially suitable as a filter for use in a rationally designed home kitchen. The conventional product is installed in a work space close to the user's hand and has problems such as obstructing the view and reducing the effective space, but this product is suitable because it does not cause any such problems. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, it is possible to realize efficient precision filtration by connecting filter units 1 in series with built-in tubular filters 2 with successively narrower meshes, and further, as shown in Fig. 3. As shown, by connecting filter units 1 having the same pore diameter in parallel, it is possible to almost eliminate the change in flow rate due to filtration resistance.

According to the filter unit 1 of the present invention in which the cylindrical filter is elastically supported and protected by the casing tube 3 as described above, it is also possible to employ a brittle filter made of thin-walled ceramics that enables surface filtration.

Therefore, precision filtration with less pressure loss can be achieved. For example, average pore diameter 5μm, outer diameter 10mmφ,
When filtering tap water using a tubular ceramic filter 2 with an inner diameter of 8 mmφ and a length of 900 mm, the filtration flow rate is 15.6/min at a pressure loss of 1 Kg/ ^cm2 .
If the filter has the same shape and size and the average pore size is 1.6 μm, highly transparent and clean water can be obtained with a pressure loss of 1 Kg/cm ² and a filtration flow rate of 1.5/min. In addition, by adjusting the pore diameter of the ceramic filter 2, it can be used for sterilization equipment, pure water production equipment, chemical filtration in the pharmaceutical industry, fuel or lubricating oil filtration, electroplating liquid filtration, solvent recovery, gas or air Widely used for general filtration, such as cleaning equipment. Incidentally, the pore size of the filter can be controlled by the aggregate particle size, so by making the aggregate particle size finer, the porosity of the sintered body is 40 to 50% and the average pore diameter is the same as that of the target bacterial cells. If you use a filter that is less than twice the length of the smallest part and has a cumulative pore diameter distribution ratio of 90% or more within twice the average pore diameter, most bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli will be eliminated. Can be captured.

Further, in the filter unit of the present invention, since the casing tube 3 serves as a tank for the liquid to be filtered,
The filtration effect can be enhanced by filling this space 6 with an adsorbent such as activated carbon or ion exchange resin, or a porous material such as porous glass or porous ceramic.

Furthermore, the filter unit 1 of the present invention provides additional effects to the performance of the filter by applying various coatings to the tubular filter 2.

For example, when the filter is used for bacterial cell filtration, a sterilizing effect can be added by adsorbing metal ions, such as copper and silver ions, that have a sterilizing effect to the tubular filter 2. Adsorption methods for copper, silver ions, etc. include methods of adsorbing copper and silver sulfates and nitrates as they are, and methods of adsorbing copper and silver ions as they are.
Adsorption is carried out by a known method such as a method in which copper and silver ions are adsorbed by immersion in silver sulfate or nitrate through a substitution reaction, or a method using a silver mirror reaction. Further, when the filter is used for gas and air filtration, the effect of removing moisture in the gas can be added by coating the tubular filter 2 with a water-repellent material such as silicone resin. For example, in the case of silicone resin, the coating method may be any method such as a method using a silane monomer, a method using silicone oil, or a method using silicone varnish. The coating is applied by painting or dipping, and if necessary, heat-treated to form a coating. It is also coated with synthetic zeolite to form a double layer, which efficiently separates nitrogen and oxygen gases and contributes to the combustion process. Furthermore, by thinly coating a cellulose-based reverse osmosis membrane, it is possible to easily operate it as a desalination device. In addition, when used in the field of fermentation chemistry, it is also possible to plant fermentation yeast or the like in a cylindrical filter body and ferment the filtrate. However, this type of coating must of course not close the pores of the filter and impair its filtration performance.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiment is merely an example, and it goes without saying that modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of tubular filters 2 may be incorporated. In FIG. 4, members common to those in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals. As shown in Figure 4,
In the figure, a lid member 20 serving as a joint member is screwed to the two upper connector pipes 4, and a casing tube 3 is screwed to the lid member 20. Further, this casing tube 3 is adapted to be directly screwed to two connector pipes 4 shown on the lower side in FIG. 4. A slit (not shown) is formed in the lower connector pipe 4, similar to the connector pipe 4 shown in FIG. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, when two filters 2 are housed in one casing tube 3, the open ends of each of the two filters 2 are connected to one connector pipe,
The closed end may be supported by the other connector pipe.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, the filter unit of the present invention is strong against external impact, and allows the use of thin ceramic filters that are brittle and easily damaged. That is, by realizing the use of a thin ceramic filter, surface filtration with high filtration accuracy and low pressure loss can be realized.

In addition, this filter unit has a simple structure in which the tubular filter is connected to the connector pipe via an elastic tube and is housed in the casing tube, so it is easy to assemble and disassemble, and the manufacturing cost is low. It is easy to install and can be installed using supports and tools similar to those used in pipe plumbing work.
Moreover, with this filter unit, the tubular filter can be easily taken out and exposed by simply removing it from the connector pipe and casing tube, making it possible to reliably perform physical cleaning such as direct brushing on the filter as well as chemical cleaning using chemicals. Can be implemented. In addition, by connecting multiple units through the unit connection part of the connector pipe,
A filtration device with a large filtration area can be obtained by using a ceramic filter that cannot be made long due to its brittleness.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing an embodiment of the filter unit according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the use of the filter unit, and FIG.
This figure is a perspective view showing another example of use, and FIG. 4 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing one of the modified examples of the filter unit. 1, 1A...Filter unit, 2, 2A...
...Tubular filter, 3,3A...Casing tube, 4...Connector pipe, 5...Elastic tube, 6
...Fluid channel, 19...Fluid passage.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1 A pair of connector pipes each having a fluid passage formed therein, having a filter support portion at one end and a unit connection portion at the other end; A casing tube, which is removably attached to both ends with a screw member with a supporting part located inside, and forms a pair of filter units with the connector pipe, and a casing tube having a closed end at one end and an open end at the other end. and a ceramic filter disposed in the casing tube with the closed end in contact with the filter support portion of one of the connector pipes via a fluid flow path between the filter and the casing tube; A filter characterized by having a liquid-impermeable elastic tube connecting the filter support part and the open end with the open end of the filter facing the filter support part of the other connector pipe. unit. 2. The filter unit according to claim 1, wherein the filter has an outer diameter of 12 mmφ or less.