A sleeve center tube and a composite spiral wound membrane structure

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of filtration device technology, and particularly to a sleeve-type central tube and a composite spiral membrane structure, wherein the sleeve-type central tube consists of a sleeve and end caps. Compared with the prior art, the sleeve-type central tube provided by this invention connects and fixes the end caps and the sleeve through connecting posts on the sleeve, creating a certain gap between the sleeve and the end caps. The first cap wall of the end cap and the tube wall of the sleeve can be sealed to both ends of the RO spiral membrane. After water is filtered by the RO spiral membrane, it enters the sleeve through the gap between the sleeve and the end caps. The space between the sleeve and the end caps can be used to accommodate integrated internal filter media to form a multifunctional filter cartridge. The combination of the sleeve and the end caps facilitates the integration with the outer RO spiral membrane without affecting the internal filter media. It has a relatively stable structure during production, which is beneficial for improving yield and reducing production costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of filtration device technology, and in particular to a sleeve center tube and a composite spiral membrane structure. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of national industrialization, water pollution has become a major problem that urgently needs to be solved. The public's pursuit of a healthy life is in stark contrast to the increasingly deteriorating quality of drinking water. To address this issue, reverse osmosis water purifiers have gained popularity among users.

[0003] In existing technologies, a membrane sheet is typically wound in a circular shape around a central tube, which is then installed inside a membrane housing. The diameter of the membrane housing is standardized and fixed within the industry. The inner diameter of the central tube is usually very small, with several inlet holes. Water filtered by the membrane enters the central tube cavity through these inlet holes. While membrane filtration removes salts and heavy metals from tap water, it does not remove odor, bacteria, or adjust the slightly acidic pH value. Therefore, an activated carbon filter or other filter media is usually used after membrane filtration to absorb organic matter, remove odor, remove bacteria, and adjust the pH value to a slightly alkaline level, which is more beneficial to the health of drinkers. This post-filter structure inevitably results in a large overall machine size, high production costs, and resource waste. Most existing reverse osmosis water purifiers are multi-stage filters. Some solutions involve directly winding the RO membrane onto filter media such as carbon rods to form multi-stage filtration. However, since most filter media have a loose structure and poor strength, the internal filter media can be easily damaged during membrane winding or other production processes.

[0004] In summary, the existing composite filter structure suffers from low structural strength and poor stability, resulting in low yield rates, which needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a sleeve center tube, comprising:

[0006] A sleeve having a tube wall, a tube bottom, and a connecting post, wherein one end of the tube wall is connected to the tube bottom;

[0007] An end cap having a first cap wall and a cap bottom, wherein the first cap wall is connected to the cap bottom;

[0008] The connecting post is located at the bottom of the pipe and extends towards the end cap along the axial direction of the pipe wall. The end of the connecting post is connected to the bottom of the cap, and there is a gap between the end of the pipe wall away from the bottom of the pipe and the first cap wall.

[0009] In some embodiments, the bottom of the cover is detachably connected to the end of the connecting post.

[0010] In some embodiments, a water outlet connector is provided at the center of the bottom of the pipe on the side opposite to the end cap, and the water outlet connector is provided with a water outlet hole that penetrates the bottom of the pipe.

[0011] In some embodiments, the connecting post is coaxially arranged with the water outlet, the diameter of the connecting post is relatively smaller than that of the water outlet, and the connecting post is connected to the bottom of the pipe through several connecting parts.

[0012] In some embodiments, the pipe wall portion includes a sealing section and a flow guiding section, the sealing section being located on a side relative to the flow guiding section closer to the bottom of the pipe; the sealing section having the same outer diameter as the cap wall portion;

[0013] The outer side of the guide section has several guide grooves, which extend from one end of the pipe wall away from the bottom of the pipe along the axial direction of the pipe wall.

[0014] In some embodiments, the end cap further includes a second cap wall portion, the outer diameter of which is relatively smaller than the outer diameter of the tube wall portion and relatively larger than the inner diameter of the tube wall portion, and the second cap wall portion is disposed on the side of the bottom of the cap facing the sleeve;

[0015] The end of the sleeve away from the bottom of the tube has a stepped hole structure. The inner diameter of the stepped hole structure is relatively larger than the outer diameter of the second cover wall. The stepped hole structure has a stepped surface with the normal parallel to the axial direction of the sleeve. Several blocks protruding towards the end cap are provided on the stepped surface. The second cover wall passes through the stepped hole structure, and the end of the second cover wall abuts against the blocks.

[0016] In some embodiments, the outer side of the second cover wall has a plurality of radially protruding first support ribs, and the stepped hole structure is sleeved on the plurality of first support ribs.

[0017] In some embodiments, an internal filter material is also included, the internal filter material having a tubular structure, the internal filter material passing through the tube wall portion, and the outer diameter of the internal filter material being relatively smaller than the inner diameter of the tube wall portion;

[0018] The surface of the connecting column is provided with several second support ribs, the internal filter material is sleeved on the connecting column, and the inner surface of the internal filter material forms several channels with the connecting column and the second support ribs that communicate with the water outlet.

[0019] In some embodiments, the internal filter material includes one or more nested combinations of carbon rods, PP cotton, modified carbon rods, ceramic rods, composite ceramic rods, and molecular sieve rods.

[0020] The present invention also provides a composite spiral wound membrane structure, comprising a sleeve center tube as described in any of the preceding claims and a spiral wound RO membrane, wherein the RO membrane is wound around the sleeve center tube and the spiral wound RO membrane is sealed to the end cap or sleeve of the center tube.

[0021] Based on the above, compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a sleeve center tube, which connects and fixes the end cap and the sleeve through the connecting post on the sleeve, so that there is a certain gap between the sleeve and the end cap. The first cover wall of the end cap and the tube wall of the sleeve can be sealed to both ends of the RO membrane. After the water is filtered by the RO membrane, it can enter the sleeve through the gap between the sleeve and the end cap. The space between the sleeve and the end cap can be used to accommodate the integrated internal filter material to form a multifunctional filter element. The combination of the sleeve and the end cap can be easily matched with the outer RO membrane without affecting the internal filter material. It has a relatively stable structure during the production process, which is conducive to improving the yield and reducing the production cost.

[0022] Other features and beneficial effects of the invention will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other beneficial effects of the invention can be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Unless otherwise specified, the positional relationships shown in the drawings in the following description are based on the direction in which the components are drawn in the figure.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a sleeve center tube structure provided by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an embodiment;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sleeve structure in an embodiment;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the sleeve structure for an embodiment.

[0028] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the end cap in the embodiment;

[0029] Figure 6 Partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the sleeve and end cap assembly structure in the embodiment.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a composite spiral wound membrane structure provided by the present invention.

[0031] Figure label:

[0032] Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. The technical features designed in the different embodiments of this utility model described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0034] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Additionally, the term "comprising" and any variations thereof mean "at least comprising."

[0035] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrally formed connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0036] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a” and “an” as used herein are also intended to include the plural. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, units, and / or components, without excluding the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, units, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0037] To achieve at least one or more advantages, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a sleeve center tube 1, including a sleeve 10, the sleeve 10 having a tube wall portion 11, a tube bottom portion 12 and a connecting post 13, one end of the tube wall portion 11 being connected to the tube bottom portion 12; and also including an end cap 20, the end cap 20 having a first cap wall portion 21 and a cap bottom portion 22, the first cap wall portion 21 being connected to the cap bottom portion 22; wherein, the connecting post 13 is disposed on the tube bottom portion 12, the connecting post 13 extending towards the end cap 20 along the axial direction of the tube wall portion 11, that is, along the central axis of the sleeve center tube 1, the end of the connecting post 13 being spaced from the tube wall portion 11 and the end of the tube bottom portion 12 being spaced from the first cap wall portion 21.

[0038] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the bottom of the cover 22 is detachably connected to the end of the connecting post 13, and a water outlet connector 14 is provided in the center of the side of the bottom of the pipe 12 away from the end cover 20. The water outlet connector 14 is provided with a water outlet hole 15, which penetrates the bottom of the pipe 12.

[0039] The connecting post 13 is coaxially arranged with the water outlet 15. The diameter of the connecting post 13 is relatively smaller than that of the water outlet 15. The connecting post 13 is connected to the bottom of the pipe 12 through several connecting parts 16. The end of the connecting post 13 has an axially arranged threaded hole, and the center of the bottom of the cover 22 has a through hole. The end cover 20 and the sleeve 10 are connected and fixed by screws and threaded holes. The length of the connecting post 13 is longer than the sum of the length of the pipe wall 11 and the length of the portion of the first cover wall 21 located on the side of the bottom of the cover 22 near the sleeve 10. Therefore, the cavity between the sleeve 10 and the end cover 20 has an opening that communicates with the outside. That is, the gap between the first cover wall 21 and the pipe wall 11 allows water from outside the central pipe 1 of the sleeve to enter the interior and flow out through the water outlet 15.

[0040] Preferably, in some embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, the pipe wall portion 11 includes a sealing section 11c and a flow guiding section 11b. The sealing section 11c is located on the side of the pipe wall portion closer to the bottom of the pipe relative to the flow guiding section 11b. The sealing section 11c has the same outer diameter as the cap wall portion. The outer surface of the pipe wall portion 11 has a plurality of flow guiding grooves 11a extending axially from one end of the pipe wall portion 11 away from the bottom of the pipe 12. The other end of the flow guiding groove 11a opposite to the starting end is a certain distance from the bottom of the pipe. The section of the pipe wall portion 11 with the flow guiding grooves 11a is the flow guiding section 11b, and the other unstructured section is the sealing section 11c. The RO membrane 2 is wound on the columnar structure formed by the sleeve 10 and the end cap 20. The sealing section 11c is connected to one side of the RO membrane 2 by adhesive or welding to form a sealed connection, and the bottom of the cap 22 is connected to the other side of the RO membrane 2 by adhesive or welding to form a sealed connection. When water seeps in from the RO membrane 2, it is easily guided through the guide groove 11a to the opening between the end cap 20 and the sleeve 10, and then enters the interior of the central tube of the sleeve. Alternatively, a water-retaining cloth is wound between the RO membrane 2 and the tube wall 11 without the guide section 11b, and the water is guided through the water-retaining cloth.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the end cap 20 further includes a second cap wall portion 23. The outer diameter of the second cap wall portion 23 is relatively smaller than the outer diameter of the tube wall portion 11 and relatively larger than the inner diameter of the tube wall portion 11. The second cap wall portion 23 is disposed on the side of the cap bottom 22 facing the sleeve 10. The end of the sleeve 10 away from the tube bottom 12 has a stepped hole structure 17. The inner diameter of the stepped hole structure 17 is relatively larger than the outer diameter of the second cap wall portion 23. The stepped hole structure 17 has a step surface 17a with its normal parallel to the axial direction of the sleeve 10. The step surface 17a is provided with a plurality of blocks 17b protruding towards the end cap 20. The second cap wall portion 23 passes through the stepped hole structure 17, and the end of the second cap wall portion 23 abuts against the blocks 17b. When the end cap 20 and the sleeve 10 are fixedly connected, a portion of the second cover wall 23 passes through the stepped hole structure 17. There is a gap between the second cover wall 23 and the stepped hole structure 17 due to the difference in radial dimensions. The end of the second cover wall 23 abuts against the stop block 17b, resulting in a gap between the end of the second cover wall 23 and the stepped surface 17a. Figure 6 As shown, the inside and outside of the central tube 1 of the sleeve can be connected through the above-mentioned interval.

[0042] In some embodiments, the outer side of the second cover wall portion 23 has a plurality of radially protruding first support ribs, and the stepped hole structure 17 is sleeved on the plurality of first support ribs. That is, the envelope surface of the plurality of first support ribs is a cylindrical surface that matches the inner wall of the stepped hole structure 17. Therefore, it can provide radial structural support for the connection between the end cap 20 and the sleeve 10, and can effectively prevent the internal connecting column 13 from being damaged by force.

[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, it also includes an internal filter material 30, which has a tubular structure and is inserted into the pipe wall portion 11. The outer diameter of the internal filter material 30 is relatively smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe wall portion 11. After the water flows into the interior of the central pipe 1 of the sleeve, it can cover the outer surface of the internal filter material 30, thereby improving the filtration efficiency.

[0044] The connecting column 13 has several second supporting ribs 13a on its surface. The internal filter material 30 is sleeved on the connecting column 13. The inner surface of the internal filter material 30, the connecting column 13, and the second supporting ribs 13a form several channels communicating with the water outlet 15. Preferably, one end of the internal filter material 30 is radially recessed into the filter material end cap 31. One end of the internal filter material 30 is located in the sleeve 10 through the filter material end cap 31. The filter material end cap 31 facilitates the insertion of the internal filter material 30 into the sleeve 10 and can prevent damage to the internal filter material 30 during assembly. The other end of the internal filter material 30 is directly located in the end cap 20, that is, in the receiving area formed by the second cap wall 23 and the cap bottom 22.

[0045] Preferably, the internal filter material 30 includes, but is not limited to, one or more nested combinations of carbon rods, PP cotton, modified carbon rods, ceramic rods, composite ceramic rods, and molecular sieve rods.

[0046] The present invention also provides a composite spiral wound membrane structure, such as Figure 7 As shown, the device includes a central tube 1 and an RO membrane 2 as described in any of the above claims. The RO membrane 2 is wound around the central tube 1 and is sealed to the sleeve 10 or end cap 20 of the central tube. Specifically, the sealing section 11c of the tube wall portion 11 is connected to one side of the RO membrane 2 by adhesive bonding or welding to form a sealed connection, and the first cap wall portion 21 is connected to the other side of the RO membrane 2 by adhesive bonding or welding to form a sealed connection.

[0047] Preferably, in some embodiments, the RO membrane roll 2 and the central tube of the sleeve can also be wound with, for example, a water-retaining cloth or other filter material.

[0048] In summary, compared with the prior art, the sleeve center tube provided by the present invention connects and fixes the end cap and the sleeve through the connecting post on the sleeve, so that there is a certain gap between the sleeve and the end cap. The first cover wall of the end cap and the tube wall of the sleeve can be sealed to both ends of the RO membrane. After the water is filtered by the RO membrane, it can enter the sleeve through the gap between the sleeve and the end cap. The space between the sleeve and the end cap can be used to accommodate the integrated internal filter media to form a multifunctional filter element. The combination of the sleeve and the end cap can be easily matched with the outer RO membrane without affecting the internal filter media. It has a relatively stable structure during the production process, which is conducive to improving the yield and reducing the production cost.

[0049] Furthermore, those skilled in the art should understand that although many problems exist in the prior art, each embodiment or technical solution of the present invention can be improved in only one or a few aspects, without necessarily solving all the technical problems listed in the prior art or the background art simultaneously. Those skilled in the art should understand that any content not mentioned in a claim should not be construed as a limitation on that claim.

[0050] Although this document frequently uses terms such as casing center tube, casing, tube wall, tube bottom, connecting post, end cap, first cap wall, cap bottom, second cap wall, and outlet connector, the possibility of using other terms is not excluded. These terms are used merely for the convenience of describing and explaining the essence of the invention; interpreting them as any additional limitation would contradict the spirit of the invention. The terms "first," "second," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0051] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sleeve center tube, characterized in that, include: A sleeve having a tube wall, a tube bottom, and a connecting post, wherein one end of the tube wall is connected to the tube bottom; An end cap having a first cap wall and a cap bottom, wherein the first cap wall is connected to the cap bottom; The connecting post is located on the bottom of the tube and extends towards the end cap along the axial direction of the tube wall. The length of the connecting post is longer than the sum of the length of the tube wall and the length of the portion of the first cap wall located near the bottom of the cap and close to the sleeve. The end of the connecting post is connected to the bottom of the cap so that there is a gap between the end of the tube wall away from the bottom of the tube and the first cap wall.

2. The sleeve center tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the cover is detachably connected to the end of the connecting post.

3. The sleeve center tube according to claim 2, characterized in that: A water outlet connector is provided at the center of the bottom of the pipe on the side opposite to the end cap. The water outlet connector has a water outlet hole that penetrates the bottom of the pipe.

4. The sleeve center tube according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting column is coaxially arranged with the water outlet, the diameter of the connecting column is relatively smaller than that of the water outlet, and the connecting column is connected to the bottom of the pipe through several connecting parts.

5. The sleeve center tube according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pipe wall portion includes a sealing section and a flow guiding section, the sealing section being located on the side relative to the flow guiding section closer to the bottom of the pipe; the sealing section has the same outer diameter as the cap wall portion; The outer side of the guide section has several guide grooves, which extend from one end of the pipe wall away from the bottom of the pipe along the axial direction of the pipe wall.

6. The sleeve center tube according to claim 5, characterized in that: The end cap further includes a second cover wall portion, the outer diameter of which is relatively smaller than the outer diameter of the tube wall portion and relatively larger than the inner diameter of the tube wall portion, and the second cover wall portion is located on the side of the bottom of the cap facing the sleeve; The end of the sleeve away from the bottom of the tube has a stepped hole structure. The inner diameter of the stepped hole structure is relatively larger than the outer diameter of the second cover wall. The stepped hole structure has a stepped surface with the normal parallel to the axial direction of the sleeve. Several blocks protruding towards the end cap are provided on the stepped surface. The second cover wall passes through the stepped hole structure, and the end of the second cover wall abuts against the blocks.

7. The sleeve center tube according to claim 6, characterized in that: The outer side of the second cover wall has several radially protruding first support ribs, and the stepped hole structure is sleeved on several of the first support ribs.

8. The sleeve center tube according to claim 4 or 7, characterized in that: It also includes internal filter media, which has a tubular structure and is inserted into the tube wall. The outer diameter of the internal filter media is relatively smaller than the inner diameter of the tube wall. The surface of the connecting column is provided with several second support ribs, and the internal filter material is sleeved on the connecting column. The inner surface of the internal filter material forms several channels with the connecting column and the second support ribs that communicate with the water outlet.

9. The sleeve center tube according to claim 8, characterized in that: The internal filter material includes one or more nested combinations of carbon rods, PP cotton, modified carbon rods, ceramic rods, composite ceramic rods, and molecular sieve rods.

10. A composite spiral wound membrane structure, characterized in that: Includes a sleeve center tube and an RO roll film as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the RO roll film is wound around the outside of the sleeve center tube and the RO roll film is sealed to the end cap or sleeve of the center tube.

Images