Capsule filter

Abstract

To provide long capsule filters that can be easily manufactured. [Solution] The housing 40 has a cylindrical capsule tube 30 and a first capsule cap 10 and a second capsule cap 20 provided at both ends of the capsule tube, the capsule tube has a cylindrical tube body 31 and cylindrical first mounting portion 32 and second mounting portion 33 provided at both ends thereof, the first capsule cap and the second capsule cap each have a bottomed cylindrical cap body portion 11 and 21, the cap body portion has cylindrical third mounting portions 11h and 21h, the first mounting portion 32 and the third mounting portion 11h are fixed with the other inserted into the hollow part of the other, the second mounting portion 33 and the third mounting portion 21h are fixed with the other inserted into the hollow part of the other, and the length of the capsule tube is greater than or equal to the length of the cap body portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a capsule filter.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a filter capsule including a hollow filter capsule housing, a filter module, a module alignment element, and a hollow cylindrical cap end. The module alignment element includes a side wall having at least one circumferential groove for accommodating an elastic ring, and the elastic ring is adapted to provide a seal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the invention described in Patent Document 1, the hollow filter capsule housing includes three parts (a hollow upper housing part, a hollow middle housing part, and a hollow lower housing part), which are integrated by welding. However, when the cylindrical hollow middle housing part is long, it is difficult in processing technology to join the hollow upper housing part or the hollow lower housing part and the hollow middle housing part by welding.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a capsule filter with a long length that can be easily manufactured.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the capsule filter according to the present invention comprises, for example, a housing and a filter element provided inside the housing, wherein the housing has a cylindrical capsule tube and a first capsule cap and a second capsule cap provided at both ends of the capsule tube, respectively, the capsule tube has a cylindrical tube body and a cylindrical first mounting portion and a cylindrical second mounting portion provided at both ends of the tube body, respectively, the first capsule cap and the second capsule cap each have a bottomed cylindrical cap body portion with one end covered, the cap body portion of the first capsule cap is provided with a liquid inlet, the cap body portion of the second capsule cap is provided with a fluid outlet, the cap body portion has a cylindrical third mounting portion, the first mounting portion and the third mounting portion are fixed with the other inserted into the hollow part of the other, the second mounting portion and the third mounting portion are fixed with the other inserted into the hollow part of the other, and the length of the capsule tube is greater than or equal to the length of the cap body portion.

[0007] According to the capsule filter of the present invention, the length of the capsule tube is greater than or equal to the length of the cap body, and the first mounting portion and the third mounting portion, and the second mounting portion and the third mounting portion are fixed in a state where the other is inserted into the hollow portion of the other. This makes it possible to provide a capsule filter with a long length that can be easily manufactured.

[0008] The first and third mounting portions may have a plurality of protrusions on one side and a plurality of holes into which the protrusions are inserted on the other side, and the second and third mounting portions may have a plurality of protrusions on one side and a plurality of holes into which the protrusions are inserted on the other side. This eliminates the need for precise alignment during assembly and simplifies manufacturing.

[0009] The holes are provided in the protruding portion, the plate thickness of the protruding portion is constant, and the protruding portion may be provided with notches located between adjacent holes. This makes the protruding portion less likely to be damaged even when the pressure inside the housing increases, and expands the pressure range in which the capsule filter can function.

[0010] The first, second, and third mounting portions are cylindrical in shape, and the protrusions and holes may be provided at eight or more locations evenly spaced in the circumferential direction. This makes it less likely for the protrusions to be damaged even when the pressure inside the housing increases, and expands the pressure range in which the capsule filter can function.

[0011] The projection has one first projection and a second projection that differs in size or shape from the first projection, and the hole has a first hole into which the first projection is inserted and a second hole into which the second projection is inserted, and the first hole and the second hole differ in size or shape, and the second projection does not necessarily have to be able to be inserted into the first hole. This makes it easy to position the capsule cap and the capsule tube in the circumferential direction.

[0012] The first, second, and third mounting portions are cylindrical in shape, and the first and third mounting portions may have a male thread on one end and a female thread on the other end that can be screwed into the male thread, while the second and third mounting portions may have a male thread on one end and a female thread on the other end that can be screwed into the male thread. This makes it difficult for the capsule filter to be damaged even if the pressure inside the housing increases. In particular, it is suitable for use under conditions where the pressure inside the housing is higher compared to a configuration in which a projection is inserted into a hole for assembly.

[0013] The pitch of the male and female threads may be 1.5 mm or more. This prevents damage to the capsule filter due to the male and female threads coming apart.

[0014] An elastic sealing member is provided between the first mounting portion and the third mounting portion, and between the second mounting portion and the third mounting portion. The mounting portion of the first, second, and third mounting portions that has the female thread has a first hole that opens at one end to the other end, and a second hole that opens at one end to the first hole and is formed at a position further from the other end than the first hole. The diameter of the second hole is smaller than the diameter of the first hole, and the female thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the second hole. The sealing member may come into contact with the first hole. This provides a high level of effectiveness in preventing liquid leakage. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide long capsule filters that can be easily manufactured. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic of a capsule filter 1, which is one embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is a cross-sectional view from the front and (B) is a right side view. [Figure 2] This diagram shows a schematic representation of the capsule cap 10, where (A) is a cross-sectional view and (B) is a view of (A) from the direction of arrow A. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the capsule tube 30. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the mounting of the mounting part 11h and the mounting part 32. (A) is a close-up view of part of the mounting part 11h, (B) is a close-up view of part of the mounting part 32, and (C) shows the assembled state of the mounting part 11h and the mounting part 32. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing an overview of a comparative example. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating a variation. [Figure 7] This is a diagram illustrating a variation. [Figure 8] This is a diagram illustrating a variation. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram of capsule filter 2. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an outline of the capsule filter 3 according to the third embodiment, (A) is a cross-sectional view when viewed from the front, and (B) is a right side view. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an outline of the capsule cap 10D, (A) is a cross-sectional view, and (B) is a front view. [Figure 12] It is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the attachment part 32D.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The capsule filter of the present invention has a high effect of preventing liquid leakage and is mainly used for low-flow filtration of harmful liquids in small and medium-sized manufacturing lines and research facilities.

[0018] <The First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a capsule filter 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention, (A) is a cross-sectional view when viewed from the front (however, part of the hatching showing the cross-section is omitted), and (B) is a right side view. The capsule filter 1 mainly includes a housing 40 and a filter element 50. The housing 40 is formed of a resin (for example, polypropylene). The filter element 50 is provided inside the housing 40. Since the filter element 50 is well-known, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0019] The housing 40 has capsule caps 10, 20 and a capsule tube 30. The capsule tube 30 is cylindrical. The capsule caps 10, 20 are provided at both ends of the capsule tube 30, respectively.

[0020] The capsule caps 10, 20 mainly have cap main body parts 11, 21 (corresponding to the cap main body part of the present invention) and protruding parts 12, 13, 22, 23, respectively. The capsule caps 10, 20 have the same shape. Hereinafter, the capsule caps 10, 20 will be described using the capsule cap 10.

[0021] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the capsule cap 10, where (A) is a cross-sectional view and (B) is a view taken along arrow A in (A).

[0022] The cap body portion 11 is a bottomed cylindrical member with one end covered. The capsule tube 30 (see Figure 1) is inserted into the cap body portion 11 through the opening 11a of the cap body portion 11. The bottom surface 11b of the cap body portion 11 is provided at the end opposite the opening 11a. A protrusion 12 is provided on the bottom surface 11b.

[0023] The protruding portion 12 extends from the bottom surface 11b toward the side opposite the cap body portion 11. Additionally, a protruding portion 13 is provided on the bottom surface 11b toward the inside of the cap body portion 11.

[0024] The tip of the protrusion 13 is in contact with the filter element 50 (see Figure 1). The protrusions 12 and 13 are provided with holes 14 through which liquid passes. The holes 14 penetrate the bottom surface 11b of the cap body 11.

[0025] The cap body portion 11 has a cylindrical (here, cylindrical) side surface 11c. However, the shape of the side surface 11c is not limited to a cylindrical shape. The bottom surface 11b covers one end of the side surface 11c. In Figure 2, the imaginary line indicating the boundary between the bottom surface 11b and the protrusions 12 and 13 is shown as a dotted line. The length of the cap body portion 11, that is, the length between the opening 11a and the bottom surface 11b, is L2.

[0026] Furthermore, the cap body portion 11 has a plurality of protrusions 11d provided on the outer circumferential surface of the side surface 11c. At least one of the positions or sizes of the protrusions 11d is uniform in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, eight protrusions 11d of the same size are provided at equal intervals.

[0027] Furthermore, an annular projection 11e and an annular groove 11f are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the side surface 11c. A drain hole 11g is also provided on the side surface 11c. The capsule tube 30 is attached to the mounting portion 11h (corresponding to the third mounting portion of the present invention) on the side surface 11a side of the projection 11e of the side surface 11c.

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the capsule tube 30. The capsule tube 30 mainly comprises a cylindrical tube body 31 (corresponding to the tube body of the present invention) and cylindrical mounting portions 32 (corresponding to the first mounting portion of the present invention) and mounting portions 33 (corresponding to the second mounting portion of the present invention) provided at both ends of the tube body 31. In this embodiment, the diameter of the tube body 31 is smaller than the diameters of the mounting portions 32 and 33, but the diameter of the tube body 31 may be larger than the diameters of the mounting portions 32 and 33 (see Figure 6, which will be described in detail later), or the diameter of the tube body 31 and the diameters of the mounting portions 32 and 33 may be the same.

[0029] The mounting portions 32 and 33 are cylindrical (here, cylindrical in shape). The mounting portions 32 and 33 each have protrusions 32a and 33a and holes 32b and 33b, respectively. The holes 32b and 33b are provided in the protrusions 32a and 33a, respectively. The protrusions 32a and 33a and the holes 32b and 33b are provided at eight evenly spaced locations in the circumferential direction. The plate thickness of the protrusions 32a and 33a, i.e., the plate thickness around the holes 32b and 33b, is constant. Note that the shape of the protrusions 32a and 33a is not limited to this.

[0030] The protrusions 32a and 33a are provided with notches 32l and 33l, respectively. The notches 32l and 33l are positioned between adjacent holes 32b and 33b, respectively. As a result, the areas on the tip 32d and 33d sides of the protrusions 32a and 33a are separated into multiple tip portions 32e and 33e, making the tip portions 32e and 33e more easily deformable. The tip portions 32e are located on the tip 32d side of hole 32b, and the tip portions 33e are located on the tip 33d side of hole 33b.

[0031] In this embodiment, the shape of the tips 32d and 33d is wavy due to the notches 32l and 33l, but the shape of the tips 32d and 33d, i.e., the shape of the notches 32l and 33l, is not limited to the form shown in Figure 3. For example, the notches 32l and 33l may be simple slits, but they can be various shapes such as triangular, trapezoidal, semicircular, or semi-elliptical. Also, in this embodiment, the bottom of the notches 32l and 33l is located on the center line c along the circumferential direction of the holes 32b and 33b, but the position of the bottom of the notches 32l and 33l, i.e., the depth of the notches 32l and 33l, is not limited to this.

[0032] Returning to the explanation of Figure 1, the housing 40 is assembled by inserting the filter element 50 inside and attaching the capsule caps 10 and 20 to both ends of the capsule tube 30, respectively. At this time, mounting parts 11h and 21h are attached to mounting parts 32 and 33, respectively. Mounting part 11h is inserted into the hollow part of mounting part 32, and mounting part 21h is inserted into the hollow part of mounting part 33.

[0033] The filter element 50 is attached to the capsule cap 20 by inserting its protrusion 50a into the opening 23a at the tip of the protrusion 23. The filter element 50 is not fixed to the capsule cap 10.

[0034] The housing 40 is characterized by its long capsule tube 30. For example, the length of the capsule tube 30 is greater than or equal to the length of the cap body parts 11 and 21. In this embodiment, the length L1 of the capsule tube 30 (see also Figure 3) is more than twice the length L2 of the cap body parts 11 and 21 (see also Figure 2). In addition, making the capsule tube 30 longer also makes the filter element 50 longer. For example, it is desirable that the length L3 of the filter element 50 be 20 cm or more. Note that in Figure 1, parts of the tube body 31 and the filter element 50 are omitted.

[0035] In this embodiment, one capsule tube 30 with a length L3 is provided inside the housing 40, but multiple shorter capsule tubes may be connected and provided inside the housing 40. In this case, the total length of the connected multiple capsule tubes should be L3.

[0036] The hole 14 in the capsule cap 10 is a liquid inlet that allows liquid to flow into the housing 40 (see the white arrow in Figure 1), and the hole 24 in the capsule cap 20 is a liquid outlet that allows liquid to flow out from the inside of the housing 40 (see the white arrow in Figure 1). The liquid that flows in through the hole 14 passes through the gap between the protrusion 13 and the filter element 50, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 1, and is filtered as it flows from the outside to the inside of the filter element 50, and flows into the hollow part of the filter element 50. The filtered liquid passes through the outlet 50b of the filter element 50, which is connected to the capsule cap 20, and flows out through the hole 24.

[0037] Figure 4 illustrates the mounting of the mounting portion 11h and the mounting portion 32. (A) is a close-up of a portion of the mounting portion 11h, (B) is a close-up of a portion of the mounting portion 32, and (C) shows the assembled state of the mounting portion 11h and the mounting portion 32. The mounting of the mounting portion 21h and the mounting portion 33 is the same as the mounting of the mounting portion 11h and the mounting portion 32, so the explanation is omitted.

[0038] When the mounting portion 11h is inserted into the mounting portion 32, the opening 11a abuts against the bottom surface 32c of the mounting portion 32, the tip 32d of the protruding portion 32a abuts against the projection 11e, and the projection 11d is inserted into the hole 32b. At this time, the tip 32e deforms, and the protruding portion 32a overcomes the projection 11d.

[0039] A sealing member 41, such as an O-ring, is inserted into the groove 11f. Therefore, the gap between the mounting portion 32 and the mounting portion 11h is sealed to prevent liquid leakage.

[0040] When the projection 11d is inserted into the hole 32b, the mounting part 11h is fixed to the mounting part 32, and the capsule cap 10 and the capsule tube 30 are integrated. Since the projection 11d has a triangular cross-section, it is easy to insert the projection 11d into the hole 32b. Also, since the tip 32e abuts against the vertical surface 11i of the projection 11d, it is difficult for the tip 32e to go over the projection 11d, and the capsule cap 10 and the capsule tube 30 are firmly fixed together.

[0041] When filtering liquid with the filter element 50, the pressure inside the housing 40 increases, and a force F (see arrow in Figure 4(C)) is applied to the mounting portion 11h and the mounting portion 32 in a direction that causes the mounting portion 32 to detach from the mounting portion 11h. By making the height h of the projection 11d greater than or equal to the plate thickness t of the projection portion 32a (in this embodiment, the height h is approximately the same as the plate thickness t), the mounting portion 32 becomes less likely to detach from the mounting portion 11h. In addition, by not making the plate thickness of the tip portion 32e thinner than the plate thickness of the portion 32f of the projection portion 32a other than the tip portion 32e, and by making the projection portion 32a a constant plate thickness t, the projection portion 32a becomes less likely to be damaged. Furthermore, since the projection 11d and the holes 32b are provided evenly in the circumferential direction at 8 locations, the projection portion 32a is less likely to be damaged even when the force F is large.

[0042] According to this embodiment, long capsule filters 1 can be easily manufactured. In particular, since it is only necessary to insert the projection 11d into the hole 32b, capsule filters 1 can be easily manufactured even when using a long capsule tube 30 in which the length of the tube body 31 is greater than or equal to the length of the cap body portions 11 and 21.

[0043] Since capsule filters are primarily used for low-flow filtration, small capsule filters with short housing components have been common. However, in recent years, there has been a growing demand for capsule filters with higher filtration efficiency and longer lengths.

[0044] For example, in conventional capsule filters, the components that make up the housing are integrated by welding. Examples of welding include spin welding and heat welding, but welding requires a jig to hold the components that make up the housing. With conventional short, small capsule filters, the components could be held without problems using a jig, but as the components that make up the housing become longer, the jig becomes larger and exceeds the processing area of ​​the welding machine, making welding difficult from a processing technology standpoint.

[0045] Furthermore, with spin welding, precise positioning of parts is difficult, making it challenging to weld large parts. In addition, with heat welding, variations in the heat conductivity of the resin make it unavoidable to produce defective welded products that do not meet pressure resistance standards, even when processed under consistent conditions, resulting in a poor yield.

[0046] In contrast, in the capsule filter 1 of this embodiment, the capsule caps 10 and 20 and the capsule tube 30 are assembled by inserting the protrusions 11d and 21d into the holes 32b and 33b, so the housing 40 can be assembled regardless of the length of the capsule caps 10 and 20 and the capsule tube 30. Furthermore, precise alignment is not required during assembly, making manufacturing easier. In addition, since heat is not used during the assembly of the capsule filter 1, the yield is stable and parts loss during the assembly process can be prevented.

[0047] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the plate thickness t of the protrusions 32a and 33a is constant, even if the pressure inside the housing 40 increases, the protrusions 32a and 33a are less likely to be damaged, and the effect of preventing liquid leakage to the outside is high.

[0048] Generally, to facilitate insertion of the projection 11d into the hole 32b, the thickness of the tip portion 32e' is made thinner than the thickness of the other portion 32f of the projection 32a', as shown in Figure 5. However, if the thickness of the tip portion 32e' is thin, the tip portion 32e' may break if the pressure inside the housing 40 increases.

[0049] In contrast, in the capsule filter 1 of this embodiment, since the plate thickness t of the protrusions 32a and 33a is constant, the protrusions 32a and 33a are less likely to be damaged even when the pressure inside the housing 40 increases, thus widening the pressure range in which the capsule filter 1 can perform its function and making the capsule filter 1 easier to use.

[0050] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the protrusions 11d, 21d and holes 32b, 33b are evenly distributed at eight locations in the circumferential direction, the protrusions 32a, 33a are less likely to be damaged even if the pressure inside the housing 40 increases, thus providing a high level of effectiveness in preventing liquid leakage. Therefore, the pressure range in which the capsule filter 1 can function is widened, resulting in a user-friendly capsule filter 1.

[0051] In this embodiment, eight protrusions 11d, 21d and holes 32b, 33b were provided evenly in the circumferential direction, but the number of protrusions 11d, 21d and holes 32b, 33b is not limited to this. To enable the capsule filter to be used at higher pressures, eight or more protrusions 11d, 21d and holes 32b, 33b may be provided.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the capsule caps 10 and 20 (mounting portions 11h and 21h) are provided with projections 11d and 21d, and the capsule tube 30 (mounting portions 32 and 33) is provided with holes 32b and 33b. However, holes may be provided in the capsule caps 10 and 20, and projections may be provided in the capsule tube 30. Also, in this embodiment, the mounting portions 11h and 21h are inserted inside the mounting portions 32 and 33. However, the mounting portions of the capsule tube 30 may be inserted inside the mounting portions of the capsule caps 10 and 20. Moreover, in this embodiment, the projections 11d and 21d protrude outward (away from the central axis ax). However, the projections may protrude inward (towards the central axis ax).

[0053] For example, as shown in Figure 6, the cylindrical mounting portion 32g of the mounting portion 32A of the capsule tube 30A may be inserted inside the cylindrical mounting portion 11j of the capsule cap 10A, the mounting portion 32A has a projection 32h, and the mounting portion 11j has a hole 11k, and the capsule cap 10A and the capsule tube 30A may be fixed together by the projection 32h being inserted into the hole 11k. In this way, by inserting the mounting portion 32g of the capsule tube 30A inside the mounting portion 11j of the capsule cap 10A, even if the pressure inside the capsule tube 30A increases during filtration and the capsule tube 30A expands, the insertion of the projection 32h into the hole 11k becomes firmer, making it difficult for the capsule cap 10A to come off the capsule tube 30A. Similarly, with respect to the capsule cap 20A (not shown), the cylindrical mounting portion of the capsule tube 30A may be inserted inside the cylindrical mounting portion of the capsule cap 20A, the mounting portion of the capsule tube 30A may have a projection, and the mounting portion of the capsule cap 20A may have a hole, with the projection being inserted into the hole to fix the capsule cap 20A and the capsule tube 30A together.

[0054] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 7, for example, the cylindrical mounting portion 11m of the capsule cap 10B may be inserted inside the cylindrical mounting portion 32n of the mounting portion 32B of the capsule tube 30B, the mounting portion 32B may have a projection 32m that protrudes inward, the mounting portion 11m may have a hole 11n, and the capsule cap 10B and capsule tube 30B may be fixed together by the projection 32m being inserted into the hole 11n. Similarly, for the capsule cap 20B (not shown), the cylindrical mounting portion of the capsule cap 20B may be inserted inside the cylindrical mounting portion of the capsule tube 30B, the mounting portion of the capsule tube 30B may have a projection that protrudes inward, the mounting portion of the capsule cap 20B may have a hole, and the capsule cap 20B and capsule tube 30B may be fixed together by the projection being inserted into the hole.

[0055] Although not shown in the figures, the cylindrical mounting portion of the capsule tube may be inserted inside the cylindrical mounting portion of the capsule cap, the mounting portion of the capsule cap may have a projection that protrudes inward, and the mounting portion of the capsule tube may have a hole, so that the projection of the capsule cap is inserted into the hole of the capsule tube, thereby fixing the capsule cap and the capsule tube together.

[0056] Furthermore, these modified examples and the embodiments shown in Figure 4, etc., can be combined separately. For example, capsule caps 10A and 20 may be used as capsule caps, and the capsule tube may have mounting portions 32A and 33.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the protrusions 11d and 21d are of equal size, meaning that all eight protrusions 11d and 21d and holes 32b and 33b are the same shape. However, there may be protrusions and holes that differ in size or shape from the protrusions 11d and 21d and holes 32b and 33b. For example, as shown in Figure 8, the capsule cap 10B may have a protrusion 11l that differs in size or shape from the protrusion 11d, and the capsule tube 30B may have a protrusion 32i and a hole 32j that differ in size or shape from the protrusions 32a and hole 32b. The protrusion 11l is larger than the protrusion 11d, and the protrusion 11l can be inserted into hole 32j but not into hole 32b. This makes it easy to position the capsule cap 10B and the capsule tube 30B in the circumferential direction. Similarly, the capsule cap 20B (not shown) and the capsule tube 30B can be positioned in the circumferential direction by the same method. Note that the number of protrusions 11d and 11l is not limited to this. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the positions of the protrusions 11d and 21d were evenly spaced in the circumferential direction, but the positions of the protrusions 11d and 21d do not have to be evenly spaced in the circumferential direction. For example, two of the eight protrusions 11d and 21d and holes 32b and 33b may be provided adjacent to each other.

[0058] <Second Embodiment> Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the capsule filter 2 according to the second embodiment. Note that the parts identical to those of capsule filter 1 are omitted from the explanation.

[0059] The capsule filter 2 mainly comprises a housing 40C and a filter element 50 (not shown). The housing 40C has capsule caps 10C and 20C and a capsule tube 30C.

[0060] Capsule caps 10C and 20C differ from capsule caps 10 and 20 in that they have four protrusions 11d and 21d.

[0061] The capsule tube 30C has mounting portions 32C and 33C. The mounting portions 32C and 33C have four protrusions 32k and 33k and holes 32b and 33b. The protrusions 32k and 33k are stronger than the protrusions 32a and 33a. For example, the protrusions 32k and 33k may be made by insert molding, with thin metal plates inserted into the resin. Alternatively, the protrusions 32k and 33k may be reinforced by partially increasing the thickness of the plates of the protrusions 32a and 33a.

[0062] According to this embodiment, by increasing the strength of the protrusions 32k and 33k, the number of projections 11d and 21d and holes 32b and 33b can be reduced. However, even if the size and strength of the protrusions 32k and 33k are adjusted, at least two protrusions 32k and 33k are still required.

[0063] <Third Embodiment> Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the capsule filter 3 according to the third embodiment, where (A) is a cross-sectional view from the front and (B) is a right side view. Parts identical to those of capsule filter 1 are omitted from the explanation.

[0064] The capsule filter 3 mainly comprises a housing 40D and a filter element 50. The housing 40D has capsule caps 10D and 20D and a cylindrical capsule tube 30D. The capsule caps 10D and 20D are provided at both ends of the capsule tube 30D, respectively.

[0065] Capsule caps 10D and 20D each mainly consist of a cap body portion 11D and 21D (corresponding to the cap body portion of the present invention) and protrusions 12, 13, 22, and 23, respectively. Capsule caps 10D and 20D have the same shape. Hereinafter, capsule caps 10D and 20D will be described using capsule cap 10D as an example.

[0066] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the capsule cap 10D, where (A) is a cross-sectional view and (B) is a front view.

[0067] The cap body portion 11D is a bottomed cylindrical member with one end covered. The cap body portion 11D has a cylindrical side surface 11o. The opening 11a is one end of the side surface 11o, and the bottom surface 11b covers the other end of the side surface 11o. The capsule tube 30D is inserted through the opening 11a. The length of the cap body portion 11D, i.e., the length between the opening 11a and the bottom surface 11b, is L2.

[0068] The outer circumferential surface of the side surface 11o is provided with an annular projection 11e and an annular groove 11f. The capsule tube 30 is attached to the mounting portion 11p (corresponding to the third mounting portion of the present invention) on the side of the side surface 11o closer to the opening 11a than the projection 11e. The mounting portion 11p also includes a male thread 11q formed on the outer circumferential surface of the side surface 11o.

[0069] Returning to the explanation of Figure 10, the capsule tube 30D mainly consists of a cylindrical tube body 31 (corresponding to the tube body of the present invention) and cylindrical mounting portions 32D (corresponding to the first mounting portion of the present invention) and 33D (corresponding to the second mounting portion of the present invention) provided at both ends of the tube body 31. Mounting portions 32D and 33D are identical in shape. Hereinafter, the mounting portions 32D and 33D will be explained using mounting portion 32D as an example.

[0070] Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the mounting portion 32D. The mounting portion 32D has holes 32o and 32p. Hole 32o (corresponding to the first hole of the present invention) opens at one end to end 32r. Hole 32p (corresponding to the second hole of the present invention) is formed at a position further from end 32r than hole 32o, and opens at one end to hole 32o. The diameter of hole 32p is smaller than the diameter of hole 32o. A female thread 32q is formed on the inner circumferential surface of hole 32o.

[0071] Returning to the explanation of Figure 10, the housing 40D is assembled by inserting the filter element 50 inside and attaching the capsule caps 10D and 20D to both ends of the capsule tube 30D, respectively. The housing 40D is characterized by the length of the capsule tube 30D. For example, the length L1 of the capsule tube 30D is greater than or equal to the length L2 of the cap body parts 11D and 21D.

[0072] The capsule caps 10D and 20D are attached to the capsule tube 30 by attaching the cap body parts 11D and 21D to the mounting parts 32D and 33D, respectively. The cap body parts 11D and 21D are inserted into the mounting parts 32D and 33D, respectively, and the male threads 11q and 21q are screwed into the female threads 32q and 33q, respectively, thereby fixing the mounting parts 11p and 21p to the mounting parts 32D and 33D, respectively. The mounting parts 11p and 21p are inserted into the mounting parts 32D and 33D until the projections 11e and 21e, respectively, abut against the ends 32r and 33r.

[0073] Since sealing members 41 are provided in grooves 11f and 21f, when mounting parts 11p and 21p are attached to mounting parts 32D and 33D respectively, sealing members 41 are provided between mounting part 11p and mounting part 32D and between mounting part 21p and mounting part 33D. The sealing members 41 abut against holes 32o and 33o.

[0074] In this way, the mounting parts 11p and 21p are attached to the mounting parts 32D and 33D respectively, and the capsule caps 10D and 20D and the capsule tube 30D are integrated, making the capsule filter 3 usable. The liquid flowing in from the hole 14 passes through the gap between the protrusion 13 and the filter element 50, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 10, and is filtered as it flows from the outside to the inside of the filter element 50, and flows into the hollow part of the filter element 50. The filtered liquid passes through the outlet 50b of the filter element 50, which is connected to the capsule cap 20D, and flows out from the hole 24.

[0075] When filtering liquid with the filter element 50, the pressure inside the housing 40D increases, and a force is applied to the mounting parts 11p, 21p and mounting parts 32D, 33D in a direction that expands their diameter. By attaching the capsule caps 10D, 20D to the capsule tube 30 using male threads 11q, 21q and female threads 32q, 33q, the mounting parts 11p, 21p are less likely to detach from the mounting parts 32D, 33D even when the pressure inside the housing 40D increases, and the capsule filter 3 is less likely to be damaged.

[0076] The ease with which mounting parts 11p and 21p detach from mounting parts 32D and 33D is influenced by the length (engagement) of the male threads 11q and 21q and the female threads 32q and 33q, as well as the thread height. The thread height is proportional to the thread pitch, and by setting the pitch to 1.5 mm or more, mounting parts 11p and 21p become less likely to detach from mounting parts 32D and 33D. Furthermore, it is desirable to have four or more effective threads, in other words, a thread length of 10 mm or more.

[0077] For example, when the inner diameter of mounting parts 11p and 21p is 72 mm, the pitch is 1.5 mm, and the effective thread length is 4, mounting parts 11p and 21p did not detach from mounting parts 32D and 33D when the pressure inside housing 40D was 1 MPa.

[0078] Furthermore, since the sealing member 41 is in contact with the holes 32o and 33o, that is, the sealing member 41 is provided outside (on the end 32r and 33r side) of the male threads 11q and 21q and the female threads 32q and 33q, even if the pressure inside the housing 40D increases and the cap body portions 11D and 21D deform in a direction that expands, reducing the engagement of the male threads 11q and 21q and the female threads 32q and 33q, the seal is maintained to prevent liquid leakage.

[0079] According to this embodiment, long capsule filters 3 can be easily manufactured. Furthermore, since assembly is performed by screwing the male threads 11q and 21q with the female threads 32q and 33q, the capsule filter 3 is less likely to be damaged even if the pressure inside the housing 40D increases. In particular, the capsule filter 3 is more suitable for use under conditions where the pressure inside the housing 40D is even higher than that of capsule filters such as the capsule filter 1, which is assembled by inserting the protrusions 11d and 21d into the holes 32b and 33b.

[0080] For example, a snap-in type device like capsule filter 1 can withstand an internal housing pressure of up to approximately 0.9 MPa, while a screw-in type device like capsule filter 3 can withstand an internal housing pressure of up to approximately 1.95 MPa. Capsule filters like the one in this embodiment, which are suitable for low-flow filtering of hazardous liquids in small to medium-sized manufacturing lines and research facilities, may be used at an internal housing pressure of up to approximately 0.49 MPa. By using a screw-in type capsule filter 3, it is possible to accommodate all anticipated usage environments.

[0081] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the sealing member 41 is provided outside the male threads 11q, 21q and the female threads 32q, 33q, it is highly effective in preventing liquid from leaking out.

[0082] In this embodiment, the housing 40D was assembled by inserting the cap body portions 11D and 21D into the mounting portions 32D and 33D, respectively, and screwing the male threads 11q and 21q formed on the cap body portions 11D and 21D into the female threads 32q and 33q formed on the mounting portions 32D and 33D, respectively. However, the housing 40D may also be assembled by inserting the mounting portions 32D and 33D into the cap body portions 11D and 21D, respectively, and screwing the male threads formed on the mounting portions 32D and 33D into the female threads formed on the cap body portions 11D and 21D, respectively.

[0083] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of this invention. For example, the above embodiments are described in detail to make the present invention easier to understand, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace some of the configurations of an embodiment with those of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations in an embodiment.

[0084] Furthermore, in this invention, "approximately" is a concept that includes not only cases where the two are strictly identical, but also errors or modifications that do not result in a loss of identity. For example, "approximately orthogonal" is a concept that includes errors of, for example, a few degrees, and is not limited to cases where the two are strictly orthogonal. Also, for example, when simply using terms such as orthogonal, parallel, or coincident, it includes not only cases where the two are strictly orthogonal, parallel, or coincident, but also cases where they are approximately parallel, approximately orthogonal, or approximately coincident.

[0085] Furthermore, in this invention, "neighborhood" means a region that includes a certain range (which can be arbitrarily defined) near a reference position. For example, when we say "neighborhood of an edge," it refers to a region that is near an edge, and may or may not include the edge. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 1, 2, 3: Capsule filters 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D: Capsule caps 11, 21, 11D, 21D: Cap body 11a: Opening 11b: Bottom 11c: Side 11d, 11e, 21d: Protrusion 11f: Groove 11g: Drain hole 11h, 21h: Mounting part 11i: Vertical plane 11j: Mounting part 11k: hole 11l: Protrusion 11m: Mounting part 11n: Hole 11o: Side 11p, 21p: Mounting part 11q, 21p: Male screw 12, 13, 22, 23: Protrusion 14, 24: Hole 30, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D: Capsule tubes 31: Tube body 32, 32A, 32C, 32D, 33, 33C, 33D: Mounting part 32a, 32a', 33a: Protrusion 32b, 33b, 32i, 32k, 33k: hole 32c: Bottom 32d: Tip 32e, 32e': tip 32f :partial 32h: Protrusion 32j :hole 32k, 33k: Protrusion 32L, 33L: Notch 32m: Protrusion 32n: Mounting part 32o, 33o: hole 32p: Hole 32q, 33q: Female thread 32r, 33r: Edge 40, 40C, 40D: Housing 41: Sealing material 50: Filter element 50a:Protrusion 50b: Outlet

Claims

1. Housing and The housing comprises a filter element provided inside the housing, The housing comprises a cylindrical capsule tube and a first capsule cap and a second capsule cap provided at both ends of the capsule tube, The capsule tube comprises a cylindrical tube body and a cylindrical first mounting portion and a cylindrical second mounting portion provided at both ends of the tube body, The first capsule cap and the second capsule cap each have a bottomed cylindrical cap body portion with one end covered, The cap body of the first capsule cap is provided with a liquid inlet. The cap body of the second capsule cap is provided with a fluid outlet. The cap body has a cylindrical third mounting portion, The first mounting portion and the third mounting portion are fixed together with the other inserted into the hollow portion of the other. The second mounting portion and the third mounting portion are fixed together with the other inserted into the hollow portion of the other. The length of the capsule tube is greater than or equal to the length of the cap body. A capsule filter characterized by the following features.

2. The first mounting portion and the third mounting portion are provided with a plurality of protrusions on one side and a plurality of holes into which the protrusions are inserted on the other side. The second and third mounting portions are provided with a plurality of protrusions on one side and a plurality of holes into which the protrusions are inserted on the other side. The capsule filter according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a capsule filter.

3. The aforementioned hole is provided in the protruding portion, The thickness of the protruding portion is constant. The protruding portion is provided with a notch located between adjacent holes. The capsule filter according to claim 2, characterized in that it is as described above.

4. The first mounting portion, the second mounting portion, and the third mounting portion are cylindrical in shape. The aforementioned protrusions and holes are provided at eight or more locations evenly spaced in the circumferential direction. The capsule filter according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that it is as described above.

5. The projection has one first projection and a second projection that differs in size or shape from the first projection. The hole has a first hole into which the first projection is inserted and a second hole into which the second projection is inserted. The first hole and the second hole differ in size or shape, and the second projection cannot be inserted into the first hole. A capsule filter according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized by the features described herein.

6. The first mounting portion, the second mounting portion, and the third mounting portion are cylindrical in shape. The first mounting portion and the third mounting portion are provided with a male thread on one end and a female thread on the other end that can be screwed into the male thread. The second and third mounting portions are each provided with a male thread on one end and a female thread on the other end that can be screwed into the male thread. The capsule filter according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a capsule filter.

7. The pitch of the male and female threads is 1.5 mm or more. The capsule filter according to claim 6, characterized in that it is as described above.

8. An elastic sealing member is provided between the first mounting portion and the third mounting portion, and between the second mounting portion and the third mounting portion. The mounting portion of the first, second, and third mounting portions that is provided with the female thread has a first hole that opens at one end to the other end, and a second hole that opens at one end to the first hole and is formed at a position further from the other end than the first hole. The diameter of the second hole is smaller than the diameter of the first hole. The female thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the second hole. The sealing member abuts against the first hole. The capsule filter according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that it is as described above.

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