filter

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a filter that can be easily installed in a casing having a narrow opening without damage to either the filter or the casing, and that can be used in a filter installation position having a curved shape without leakage.　This invention is a filter comprising a pleated filter medium and a longitudinal frame body on both end faces of the pleated filter medium in the width direction, the longitudinal frame body comprising a nonwoven fabric and having a Young's modulus of 1.0 to 20.0 MPa.

Description

Filter

[0001] The present invention relates to a filter that can be used for general industrial purposes, air conditioning, air purifiers, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, automobiles, etc.

[0002] Air conditioners and air purifiers used in buildings, factories, automobiles, and homes use air filters with filter media packed into a frame. These filters are pleated to increase the filtering area, allowing more filter media to be packed into a limited space. The pleated filter media is held in place by using beads containing hot melt adhesive to ensure gaps between the pleats, and the combined filter and frame form a filter unit.

[0003] Such filters generally have a rigid frame attached around a pleated filter material, and are assembled into an approximately rectangular, curved, or cylindrical shape to fit the mounting portion of the equipment to be installed.

[0004] In recent years, pleated filters have been increasingly installed in a wide range of applications, including air conditioners, in addition to air purifiers and automobiles. However, due to the design of the equipment, it may not be possible to secure a sufficient opening for the filter installation area, and the filter installation area may also be curved.

[0005] According to Patent Document 1, conventional filters with fixed pleat spacing cannot be attached to devices where the opening is smaller than the filter, and even if they can be attached, the filter can be damaged. Patent Document 1 discloses a filter unit surrounded by a frame, in which at least one of the four sides of the pleated filter in the pleat width direction is open, and the length (L2) of the pleated filter when compressed to a length (L1) that is 75% of the pleat length (L0) of the pleat direction and held for one minute, after which the stress is released, satisfies the condition L2 / L0 > 0.9.

[0006] Patent Document 2 discloses a filter characterized in that the filter portion is flexible and can be attached to and detached from a casing with a narrow opening without damaging the casing.

[0007] Patent Document 3 discloses an automobile air filter characterized in that a flexible resin frame material is fixed to both ends or four sides of a filter material folded like an accordion, and a pair of shape retainers are fitted to both ends in a direction perpendicular to the folding direction to determine the overall shape of the filter body.

[0008] JP 2011-121056 A JP 2004-089982 A JP 11-280570 A

[0009] With regard to these conventional air filters, the filter of Patent Document 1 can be inserted into a casing with a narrow opening by shrinking it in the pleating direction of the filter, and the filter of Patent Document 2 can be inserted into a casing with a narrow opening by twisting the filter, but the filter installation location on the casing must be approximately rectangular, and if the filter installation location is curved, they cannot be used without leaking.

[0010] Furthermore, the filter of Patent Document 3 can be used without leaks even when the filter installation location is curved, but because a pair of shape retainers is attached to the filter, it cannot be easily installed in a casing with a narrow opening without damaging both the filter and the casing.

[0011] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a filter that can be easily installed in a casing with a narrow opening without damaging both the filter and the casing, and that can be used in a curved filter installation location without leaks.

[0012] As a result of extensive research to solve the above problems, the present invention was achieved.

[0013] That is, the present invention is a filter having a pleated filter medium and a longitudinal frame body on both widthwise end faces of the pleated filter medium, the longitudinal frame body being made of nonwoven fabric, and the Young's modulus of the longitudinal frame body being 1.0 MPa or more and 20.0 MPa or less.

[0014] The filter of the present invention can be easily installed in a casing with a narrow opening without damaging either the filter or the casing, and can be used without leaking even in a curved filter installation location.

[0015] 1. A perspective view of a filter of the present invention having a longitudinal frame 20. 2. A perspective view of a filter of the present invention having a longitudinal frame 20 and a widthwise frame 30. 3. A perspective view of a casing used in a casing installation test. 4. A front view of a casing used in a casing installation test. 5. A view of a casing used in a casing installation test, viewed from direction P. 6. A view of a casing used in a casing installation test, viewed from direction Q. 7. A cross-sectional view of a casing used in a casing installation test, taken at cross section X. 8. A view of a filter of the present invention deformed by applying an external force. 9. A view of a filter of the present invention deformed by applying an external force. 10. A perspective view of a filter of the present invention attached to a casing. 11. A perspective view of a pair of curved shape retainers.

[0016] [Pleated Filter Medium] The filter of the present invention has a pleated filter medium.

[0017] (Filter material) The pleated filter material may be a laminate of one layer or two or more layers.The material of the filter material can be a breathable sheet.For example, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, knitted fabric, netting can be used as the breathable sheet.In addition, in the case of a laminate of two or more layers, granular, powdery or other solid matter can be sandwiched between layers, and in the case of a single layer, it can be fixed to the breathable sheet.

[0018] Examples of materials that can be used for the breathable sheet include polypropylene fibers, polyester fibers (e.g., PET fibers), vinylon fibers, polyamide fibers, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, polyaramid fibers, carbon fibers, glass fibers, and metal fibers.

[0019] Examples of the non-breathable granular, powdery or other solid material that can be used include porous materials having gas adsorption ability such as activated carbon, silica gel and zeolite, as well as antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, antiviral agents and aromatic agents.

[0020] As a method for producing a filter medium by laminating two or more layers, for example, multiple layers may be simply stacked, or breathable sheets may be bonded via an adhesive, such as a heat-sealing resin or a moisture-curing resin. The method of bonding breathable sheets with an adhesive is particularly preferred because the breathable sheets are less likely to peel off during pleating. When using a heat-sealing resin as an adhesive, powdered heat-sealing resin can be sprinkled on one breathable sheet, heated in an oven, and then laminated with another breathable sheet. Alternatively, powdered heat-sealing resin can be sprinkled on one breathable sheet, and then sandwiched between heated rolls while overlapping other fiber sheets to form a laminate. A heat-sealing resin can be applied to one breathable sheet using a hot melt spray, and then the other fiber sheet can be laminated. When using a moisture-curing resin as an adhesive, a moisture-curing resin can be applied to one breathable sheet, and then the other fiber sheet can be laminated.

[0021] The thickness of the filter material is preferably 0.1 mm or more, more preferably 0.3 mm or more, in order to facilitate pleating and framing. Also, in order to facilitate pleating, the thickness is preferably 3.0 mm or less, more preferably 2.0 mm or less.

[0022] The weight of the filter material is 10 g / m to provide the necessary collection performance for the filter. ２ It is preferable that the content is 20 g / m or more. ２ It is more preferable that the density is 500 g / m or more in order to provide the necessary breathability for the filter. ２ Preferably, the weight is 300 g / m or less. ２ More preferably, it is:

[0023] (Pleating) Pleating is the process of folding filter media into an accordion shape. Pleated filter media is called pleated filter media. There are two types of pleating methods, for example, the reciprocating method and the rotary method, and either method can be used.

[0024] Hereinafter, the direction parallel to the mountain folds and valley folds of the pleated filter material is also referred to as the width direction. The processing direction in pleating is also referred to as the longitudinal direction. The direction in the filter of the present invention is also defined in the same way based on the direction of the pleated filter material.

[0025] [Pleated Shape] The shape of the pleated filter medium in the filter of the present invention can have a pleated height, defined as the distance between adjacent mountain folds and valley folds, of 2 mm or more and 100 mm or less, for example.

[0026] In addition, pleat shape can be expressed by α / β, where α (mm) is the fold height and β (mm) is the pleat interval.In order to prevent and reduce the pressure loss caused by the overlapping of pleated filter material in filter or the distance being too close, α / β is preferably below 25, more preferably below 20, and even more preferably below 18.In addition, in limited filter size, use many filter material to ensure a large filtration area, thereby reducing pressure loss, and reduce the passing speed of fluid on filtration surface, thereby improving the removal and separation efficiency of material from fluid, α / β is preferably above 0.5, more preferably above 2.0, and even more preferably above 3.0.

[0027] [Pleat spacing retainer] In order to maintain the spacing between the ridges of the pleated filter material in the filter, a pleat spacing retainer may be provided in a substantially linear shape, intersecting the ridges of the pleated filter material.The material of the pleat spacing retainer is preferably resin, more preferably thermoplastic resin, and even more preferably flexible thermoplastic resin.Examples of thermoplastic resin include olefin resin and ethylene vinyl acetate resin.

[0028] The width of the pleat spacing holder is preferably 0.3 mm or more, more preferably 0.5 mm or more, in order to maintain the function of pleat spacing. In addition, in order to suppress the increase in air resistance due to covering the air permeable surface of the filter medium, the width is preferably 3.0 mm or less, more preferably 2.5 mm or less.

[0029] The pleat spacing members are preferably in the form of a zigzag, V-shape or comb shape, more preferably in the form of a zigzag or V-shape.

[0030] [Longitudinal Frame] The filter of the present invention has longitudinal frames on both widthwise end faces of the pleated filter medium. The longitudinal frames are installed as shown in 20 in Figures 1 and 2.

[0031] The longitudinal frame is made of nonwoven fabric, which allows the filter to be easily installed in a casing with a narrow opening without damaging either the filter or the casing, and allows the filter to be used in a curved installation location without leaking.

[0032] Examples of materials that can be used to form the nonwoven fabric include polyester fibers, polyolefin fibers, polyurethane fibers, polypropylene fibers, rayon fibers, polystyrene fibers, polyvinyl chloride fibers, polyamide fibers, glass fibers, and pulp, with polyester fibers and polyurethane fibers being more preferred.

[0033] In order to make the filter flexible while maintaining the pleated shape of filter material, and to install it in the curved casing without gap, the longitudinal frame preferably has flexibility, and the Young's modulus of the longitudinal frame is 1.0 MPa or more and 20.0 MPa or less.The Young's modulus of the longitudinal frame is 1.0 MPa or more, more preferably 2.0 MPa or more, so that the performance of maintaining the pleated shape of filter material is excellent.In addition, the Young's modulus of the longitudinal frame is 20.0 MPa or less, more preferably 10.0 MPa or less, so that the flexibility of the filter is excellent, and the performance of installing it in the curved casing without gap can be effectively obtained.

[0034] In order to ensure a sufficient amount of filter material is used within the limited filter size and to facilitate the framing process, the thickness of the frame in the longitudinal direction is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, more preferably 1.0 mm or more as the lower limit, and more preferably 3.5 mm or less as the upper limit.

[0035] In order to maintain the pleated shape of the filter material while providing flexibility to the filter and facilitating the framing work, the bending resistance of the frame body in the longitudinal direction is preferably 5 mN or more and 100 mN or less, more preferably 10 mN or more as the lower limit, and more preferably 50 mN or less as the upper limit.

[0036] The weight of the frame in the longitudinal direction is 50 g / m ２ More than 1000g / m ２ The lower limit is preferably 150 g / m or less. 2 More preferably, the upper limit is 700 g / m ２ More preferably, it is:

[0037] The width of the frame in the longitudinal direction is preferably 10 mm or more and 40 mm or less.

[0038] The ratio γ / δ of the width γ of the frame body in the longitudinal direction to the length δ of the frame body in the longitudinal direction is preferably 0.025 or more and 0.5 or less.

[0039] [Width direction frame] The filter of the present invention may have a width direction frame on at least one of the longitudinal end faces of the pleated filter medium. The width direction frame is installed as shown in FIG. 2 at 30.

[0040] The material of the frame in the width direction is preferably nonwoven fabric, resin, or metal, and more preferably nonwoven fabric.

[0041] The thickness of the frame in the width direction is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less.

[0042] In order to provide flexibility to the filter and to facilitate the framing work, the bending resistance of the frame in the width direction is preferably 5 mN or more and 250 mN or less, with a lower limit of 10 mN or more being more preferable and an upper limit of 100 mN or less being more preferable.

[0043] The basis weight of the frame in the width direction is 50 g / m ２ More than 1000g / m ２ The following is preferred:

[0044] [Frame Adhesion] Methods for adhering the frame and filter medium include, for example, hot melt adhesives, urethane adhesives, synthetic rubber adhesives, flexible adhesives, adhesive tape, ultrasonic bonding, and thermal bonding.

[0045] When an adhesive is used to bond the frame and the filter material, in order to bond the frame and the filter material, maintain the bond, maintain the strength of the filter, and make the filter flexible, the hardness of the adhesive is preferably 10 or more and 90 or less, with a lower limit of 20 or more being more preferable, 30 or more being even more preferable, and 40 or more being even more preferable, and an upper limit of 80 or less being more preferable, and 75 or less being even more preferable.

[0046] The filter of the present invention may be combined with a breathable sheet or other filter on either or both of the upstream and downstream sides of the filter, or a breathable sheet or other filter may be combined on the side of the filter of the present invention. The functions and materials of the breathable sheet or other filter to be combined are not particularly limited, but they may have functions such as particle removal, gas removal, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and aromatic properties, and the breathable sheet or other filter may contain a filter medium, a gas-adsorbing porous body, an antibacterial agent, an antifungal agent, an antiviral agent, or an aromatic.

[0047] The present invention will be specifically described below using examples.

[0048] [Measurement and Evaluation Methods] (1) Basis Weight The sheet to be evaluated was cut into a size of 316 mm x 316 mm, and the mass was measured to calculate the mass per unit area, i.e., basis weight. Measurements were taken at four locations, and the average value was used as the evaluation value.

[0049] (2) Thickness The thickness of the sheet to be evaluated was measured using a dial thickness gauge (TECLOCK SM-114, measuring point diameter 10 mmφ, graduation 0.01 mm, measuring force 2.5 N or less). Measurements were taken at four locations, and the average value was used as the evaluation value.

[0050] (3) Young's modulus The sheet to be evaluated was cut into a piece 30 mm wide x 50 mm long, and the Young's modulus was measured using a tabletop material testing machine (Orientec Co., Ltd. STA-1150). The Young's modulus was calculated using the following formula. Five sheets were measured, and the average value was used as the evaluation value. Stress (σ) = Load / Cross-sectional area of ​​test piece Strain (ε) = Elongation of test piece / Length of test piece Young's modulus = (σ ２ -σ １ ) / (ε ２ -ε １ ) σ １ :ε １ Stress σ at 0.05% ２ :ε ２ = Stress at 0.25%.

[0051] (4) Bending Resistance Bending resistance was measured using a Gurley softness tester (manufactured by Toyo Seiki Seisakusho, Ltd.) in accordance with JIS L 1913 (2010) 6.7.4 Gurley method. The bending resistance using the Gurley tester was determined using the following method. Five test pieces were taken, with the length direction of the nonwoven fabric (the direction in which the nonwoven fabric flows during the manufacturing process: MD direction) as the length direction of the test piece. Using the following formula, the average value was calculated for a total of 10 tests, one on each side, for five test pieces, and rounded to one significant digit to calculate the bending resistance (mN) of the sample. Note that the front and back sides of the nonwoven fabric were arbitrarily designated as the front side and the opposite side as the back side. In this specification, the bending resistance measured by the Gurley method may be referred to as "Gurley bending resistance" or "bending resistance". S = R × (D1W1 + D2W2 + D3W3) × (L1 - 12.7) ２ / b x 3.375 x 10 －５ Where, S: Gurley stiffness (mN) R: reading on the scale plate D1, D2, D3: distance from the pendulum fulcrum to the weight attachment position [25.4 mm (1 in.), 50.8 mm (2 in.), and 101.6 mm (4 in.)] W1, W2, W3: mass (g) of the weights attached to each hole in D1, D2, and D3 L1: length (mm) of the test piece b: width (mm) of the test piece.

[0052] (5) Hardness The hardness was measured based on JIS K 6253-3 (2012) using a Type A durometer (Asker Rubber Hardness Tester Type A manufactured by Kobunshi Keiki Co., Ltd.) described in JIS K 6253-3 (2012). The hardness was measured in an environment of 25°C by pressing the hardness tester against the sample, reading the maximum value immediately after pressing, measuring five times, and taking the median value.

[0053] (6) Casing Installation Test The filter was installed in the casing shown in Figs. 3 to 7, and the installation property was evaluated.

[0054] In the evaluation tests of Examples 1 to 10 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4, the casing had a casing length L20 of 153 mm (inner dimension 151 mm), a casing width W20 of 303 mm (inner dimension 301 mm), a casing height H20 of 17.5 mm (inner dimension 15.5 mm), a casing material thickness D20 of 1.0 mm, a casing frame width A20 of 21 mm, and a curvature radius r of 100 mm (a curvature defined by 1 / r of 0.01 mm). －１ )

[0055] In the evaluation tests of Examples 11 to 15 and Comparative Examples 5 to 8, the same casings as above were used except that the casing height H20 was 33 mm (inner dimension 31 mm).

[0056] When a filter was inserted into a casing, if it could easily pass through the opening of the casing without damaging the filter or casing, it was rated as [+] for passability through narrow openings, and if it could not pass through or could pass through but there was damage to the filter or casing, it was rated as [-] for passability through narrow openings.

[0057] Furthermore, when the filter was installed in the curved casing, if the filter could be installed with little force and without any gaps between it and the casing, it was rated as [++] for ease of installation in a curved shape; if the filter could be installed with no gaps between it and the casing, it was rated as [+] for ease of installation in a curved shape; if gaps were formed or the filter or casing was damaged, it was rated as [-] for ease of installation in a curved shape; and if the filter was rated as [-] in the test for passability through narrow openings and the evaluation could not be performed, it was rated as [NA].

[0058] [Example 1] (filter material) As filter material, use the breathable sheet of two-layer structure, one of which is the short fiber nonwoven fabric that is made of glass fiber, polyester fiber, pulp, vinylon fiber and binder, and the other is the melt-blown nonwoven fabric that is made of polypropylene fiber, and two layers are bonded.The thickness of this filter material is 0.4mm, and the basis weight is 50g / m ２ It was.

[0059] (Pleating) The above filter medium was pleated to a pleated height of 13.5 mm, and cut into 51 pleats.

[0060] (Longitudinal frame) The longitudinal frame is a nonwoven fabric made of polyester fiber, polyurethane fiber, etc., and has a basis weight of 290 g / m ２ A nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 2.6 mm, a Young's modulus of 5.0 MPa, and a bending resistance of 36 mN was cut into two pieces having a width of 15 mm and a length of 150 mm.

[0061] (Adhesive) A polyolefin hot melt resin with a hardness of 70 was used as the adhesive for bonding the pleated filter medium and the frame.

[0062] (Frame adhesion) The pleat of the above-mentioned pleated filter material is pasted with the above-mentioned longitudinal frame on both widthwise end faces with adhesive, and the filter size is 150mm in the longitudinal direction of the pleated filter material, 300mm in the width direction of the pleated filter material, and is molded into the approximate rectangular parallelepiped shape of 15mm height.The folding height α of the pleated filter material is 13.5mm, the pleat interval β is (150 / 51)mm, and α / β is 4.6.

[0063] No frame was attached in the width direction.

[0064] [Example 2] (Width direction frame) The width direction frame is a nonwoven fabric made of polyester fiber, polyurethane fiber, etc., and has a basis weight of 290 g / m ２ A nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 2.6 mm, a Young's modulus of 5.0 MPa, and a bending resistance of 36 mN was cut into two pieces having a width of 15 mm and a length of 300 mm and used.

[0065] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the above-mentioned widthwise frames were attached to both longitudinal end faces of the pleated filter medium.

[0066] [Example 3] (Width direction frame) The width direction frame is a nonwoven fabric made of polyester fiber, rayon fiber, etc., and has a basis weight of 360 g / m ２ A nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 1.2 mm, a Young's modulus of 42.0 MPa, and a bending resistance of 45 mN was cut into two pieces having a width of 15 mm and a length of 300 mm and used.

[0067] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the above-mentioned widthwise frames were attached to both longitudinal end faces of the pleated filter medium.

[0068] [Example 4] (Longitudinal frame) As the longitudinal frame, a nonwoven fabric made of polyester fiber, polyurethane fiber, etc., having a basis weight of 250 g / m ２ A nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 1.5 mm, a Young's modulus of 10.0 MPa, and a bending resistance of 40 mN was cut into a width of 15 mm and a length of 150 mm.

[0069] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the above-described frame was used as the longitudinal frame.

[0070] [Example 5] (Longitudinal frame) The longitudinal frame is a nonwoven fabric made of polyester fiber, polyurethane fiber, etc., and has a basis weight of 320 g / m ２ A nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 3.0 mm, a Young's modulus of 3.5 MPa, and a bending resistance of 28 mN was cut into a width of 15 mm and a length of 150 mm.

[0071] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the above-described frame was used as the longitudinal frame.

[0072] Example 6 (Adhesive) A synthetic rubber-based hot melt resin with a hardness of 30 was used as the adhesive.

[0073] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the adhesive described above was used.

[0074] Example 7 (Adhesive) A synthetic rubber-based hot melt resin with a hardness of 30 was used as the adhesive for bonding the pleated filter medium to the frame in the longitudinal direction.

[0075] The adhesive used to bond the pleated filter medium to the frame in the width direction was the same as that used in Example 2.

[0076] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the above adhesive was used as the adhesive for adhering the pleated filter medium to the frame in the longitudinal direction.

[0077] [Example 8] (Adhesive) A synthetic rubber-based hot melt resin with a hardness of 30 was used as an adhesive for bonding the pleated filter medium to the frame in the longitudinal direction.

[0078] The adhesive used to bond the pleated filter medium to the frame in the width direction was the same as that used in Example 2.

[0079] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the above adhesive was used as the adhesive for adhering the pleated filter medium to the frame in the longitudinal direction.

[0080] Example 9 (Adhesive) A synthetic rubber-based hot melt resin with a hardness of 30 was used as the adhesive.

[0081] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 4, except that the adhesive described above was used.

[0082] Example 10 (Adhesive) A synthetic rubber-based hot melt resin with a hardness of 30 was used as the adhesive.

[0083] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the adhesive described above was used.

[0084] Example 11 (Pleating) A pleated filter medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the pleating height was set to 28.5 mm.

[0085] (Longitudinal Frame) A longitudinal frame was prepared using the same material as used in Example 1, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 150 mm in length.

[0086] (Adhesive) A synthetic rubber-based hot melt resin with a hardness of 30 was used as the adhesive for bonding the pleated filter medium and the frame.

[0087] (Frame adhesion) Use the above-mentioned pleated filter material, longitudinal frame and adhesive, respectively, and mold the filter size to be 150mm in the longitudinal direction of pleated filter material, 300mm in the width direction of pleated filter material, and the approximate rectangular parallelepiped shape of 30mm in height, in the same manner as in Example 1, prepare filter.The fold height α of pleated filter material is 28.5mm, pleat interval β is (150 / 51)mm, and α / β is 9.7.

[0088] [Example 12] (Pleating) A pleated filter medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the pleating height was set to 28.5 mm.

[0089] (Longitudinal Frame) A longitudinal frame was prepared using the same material as used in Example 2, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 150 mm in length.

[0090] (Width-Direction Frame) A width-direction frame was the same as that used in Example 2, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 300 mm in length.

[0091] (Adhesive) A synthetic rubber-based hot melt resin with a hardness of 30 was used as an adhesive for bonding the pleated filter medium to the frame in the longitudinal direction.

[0092] The adhesive used to bond the pleated filter medium to the frame in the width direction was the same as that used in Example 2.

[0093] (Frame adhesion) Use the above-mentioned adhesives for pleated filter material, longitudinal frame, widthwise frame, and pleated filter material and longitudinal frame to be bonded, and mold filter size to be the approximate rectangular parallelepiped of pleated filter material longitudinal direction 150mm, pleated filter material widthwise direction 300mm, and height 30mm, in the same manner as in embodiment 2, prepare filter.The fold height α of pleated filter material is 28.5mm, pleat interval β is (150 / 51)mm, and α / β is 9.7.

[0094] Example 13 (Pleating) A pleated filter medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the pleating height was set to 28.5 mm.

[0095] (Longitudinal Frame) A longitudinal frame was prepared using the same material as used in Example 3, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 150 mm in length.

[0096] (Width-Direction Frame) A width-direction frame was the same as that used in Example 3, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 300 mm in length.

[0097] (Adhesive) A synthetic rubber-based hot melt resin with a hardness of 30 was used as an adhesive for bonding the pleated filter medium to the frame in the longitudinal direction.

[0098] The adhesive used to bond the pleated filter medium to the frame in the width direction was the same as that used in Example 3.

[0099] (Frame adhesion) Use the above-mentioned adhesives for pleated filter material, longitudinal frame, widthwise frame, and pleated filter material and longitudinal frame to be bonded, and mold filter size to be the approximate rectangular parallelepiped of pleated filter material longitudinal direction 150mm, pleated filter material widthwise direction 300mm, and height 30mm, in the same manner as in embodiment 3, prepare filter.The fold height α of pleated filter material is 28.5mm, pleat interval β is (150 / 51)mm, and α / β is 9.7.

[0100] Example 14 (Pleating) A pleated filter medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the pleating height was set to 28.5 mm.

[0101] (Longitudinal Frame) A longitudinal frame was prepared using the same material as used in Example 4, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 150 mm in length.

[0102] (Adhesive) A synthetic rubber-based hot melt resin with a hardness of 30 was used as the adhesive.

[0103] (Frame adhesion) Use the above-mentioned pleated filter material, longitudinal frame and adhesive, respectively, and mold the filter size to be the approximate rectangular parallelepiped of pleated filter material longitudinal direction 150mm, pleated filter material width direction 300mm, and height 30mm, in the same manner as in Example 4, prepare filter.The fold height α of pleated filter material is 28.5mm, pleat interval β is (150 / 51)mm, and α / β is 9.7.

[0104] Example 15 (Pleating) A pleated filter medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the pleating height was set to 28.5 mm.

[0105] (Longitudinal Frame) A longitudinal frame was prepared using the same material as used in Example 5, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 150 mm in length.

[0106] (Adhesive) A synthetic rubber-based hot melt resin with a hardness of 30 was used as the adhesive.

[0107] (Frame adhesion) Use the above-mentioned pleated filter material, longitudinal frame and adhesive, respectively, and mold the filter size to be the approximate rectangular parallelepiped of pleated filter material longitudinal direction 150mm, pleated filter material width direction 300mm, and height 30mm, in the same manner as in Example 5, prepare filter.The fold height α of pleated filter material is 28.5mm, pleat interval β is (150 / 51)mm, and α / β is 9.7.

[0108] [Comparative Example 1] (Longitudinal Frame) The longitudinal frame is a nonwoven fabric made of polyester fiber, rayon fiber, etc., and has a basis weight of 360 g / m ２ A nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 1.2 mm, a Young's modulus of 42.0 MPa, and a bending resistance of 45 mN was cut into a width of 15 mm and a length of 150 mm.

[0109] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the above-described frame was used as the longitudinal frame.

[0110] [Comparative Example 2] (Longitudinal Frame) As the longitudinal frame, a nonwoven fabric made of polyester fiber, rayon fiber, etc., having a basis weight of 360 g / m２ A nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 1.2 mm, a Young's modulus of 42.0 MPa, and a bending resistance of 45 mN was cut into two pieces having a width of 15 mm and a length of 150 mm and used.

[0111] (Width Direction Frame) For the width direction frame, the same nonwoven fabric as used for the length direction frame was cut into two pieces each having a width of 15 mm and a length of 300 mm.

[0112] (Frame adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the above-mentioned frame was used as the longitudinal frame, and the above-mentioned widthwise frame was attached to both longitudinal end faces of the pleated filter material.

[0113] [Comparative Example 3] (Longitudinal Frame) The longitudinal frame was made of nitrile rubber and had a basis weight of 1600 g / m ２ A sheet having a thickness of 1.0 mm, a Young's modulus of 1.0 MPa, and a bending resistance of 10 mN was cut into a width of 15 mm and a length of 150 mm and used.

[0114] (Frame Adhesion) A filter was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the above-described frame was used as the longitudinal frame.

[0115] [Comparative Example 4] (Longitudinal Frame) The longitudinal frame was made of nitrile rubber and had a basis weight of 1600 g / m ２ A sheet having a thickness of 1.0 mm, a Young's modulus of 1.0 MPa, and a bending resistance of 10 mN was cut into a width of 15 mm and a length of 150 mm and used.

[0116] (Frame Adhesion) Except for using the above-mentioned frame in the longitudinal direction, frame adhesion was performed in the same manner as in Example 1. Furthermore, a filter was produced by fitting the widthwise end of the pleated filter material into a shape retainer made of ABS resin, 1.5 mm thick, 10 mm deep, and having the shape shown in Figure 11.

[0117] Comparative Example 5 (Pleating) A pleated filter medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the pleating height was set to 28.5 mm.

[0118] (Longitudinal Frame) A longitudinal frame was prepared using the same material as used in Comparative Example 1, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 150 mm in length.

[0119] (Frame adhesion) Use the above-mentioned pleated filter material and longitudinal frame, and mold the filter size to be 150mm in the longitudinal direction of pleated filter material, 300mm in the width direction of pleated filter material, and 30mm in height, approximately rectangular parallelepiped, in the same manner as in comparative example 1, prepare filter.The fold height α of pleated filter material is 28.5mm, pleat interval β is (150 / 51)mm, and α / β is 9.7.

[0120] Comparative Example 6 (Pleating) A pleated filter medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the pleating height was set to 28.5 mm.

[0121] (Longitudinal Frame) A longitudinal frame was prepared using the same material as used in Comparative Example 2, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 150 mm in length.

[0122] (Width-Direction Frame) A width-direction frame was prepared using the same material as used in Comparative Example 2, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 300 mm in length.

[0123] (Frame adhesion) Use the above-mentioned pleated filter material, longitudinal frame and widthwise frame, and mold the filter size to be the approximate rectangular parallelepiped of pleated filter material longitudinal direction 150mm, pleated filter material width direction 300mm, and height 30mm, in the same manner as in comparative example 2, prepare filter.The fold height α of pleated filter material is 28.5mm, pleat interval β is (150 / 51)mm, and α / β is 9.7.

[0124] Comparative Example 7 (Pleating) A pleated filter medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the pleating height was set to 28.5 mm.

[0125] (Longitudinal Frame) A longitudinal frame was prepared using the same material as used in Comparative Example 3, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 150 mm in length.

[0126] (Frame adhesion) Use the above-mentioned pleated filter material and longitudinal frame, and mold the filter size to be 150mm in the longitudinal direction of pleated filter material, 300mm in the width direction of pleated filter material, and 30mm in height, approximately rectangular parallelepiped, in the same manner as in comparative example 3, prepare filter.The fold height α of pleated filter material is 28.5mm, pleat interval β is (150 / 51)mm, and α / β is 9.7.

[0127] Comparative Example 8 (Pleating) A pleated filter medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the pleating height was set to 28.5 mm.

[0128] (Longitudinal Frame) A longitudinal frame was prepared using the same material as used in Comparative Example 4, except that the cut size was 30 mm in width and 150 mm in length.

[0129] (Frame adhesion) Use the above-mentioned pleated filter material and longitudinal frame, and mold the filter size to be 150mm in the longitudinal direction of pleated filter material, 300mm in the width direction of pleated filter material, and 30mm in height, approximately rectangular parallelepiped, in the same manner as in comparative example 4, prepare filter.The fold height α of pleated filter material is 28.5mm, pleat interval β is (150 / 51)mm, and α / β is 9.7.

[0130] Tables 1 to 3 show the results of a casing installation test carried out using the filters of the examples and comparative examples.

[0131] In Examples 1 to 15, the filters could be deformed by applying an external force to them, allowing them to pass through narrow openings, and the filters and casings were not damaged, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 5, they could be installed without gaps in a curved casing, as shown in Figure 3. In particular, in Examples 6 to 15, the filters had high flexibility and were easily installed in a curved casing.

[0132] On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the filter was able to pass through a narrow opening by applying an external force to the filter to deform it, and the filter and casing were not damaged, but when it was installed in the curved casing, the filter could not be installed in the curved casing without any gaps.

[0133] In Comparative Examples 2, 5, and 6, applying an external force to the filter caused it to deform, allowing it to pass through a narrow opening, and the filter and casing were not damaged. However, when installing the filter in a curved casing, it was not possible to install the filter in the curved casing without leaving any gaps.

[0134] In Comparative Examples 3 and 7, applying an external force to the filter caused it to deform, allowing it to pass through a narrow opening, and the filter and casing were not damaged. However, when the filter was installed in a curved casing, the longitudinal frame of the nitrile rubber caused significant friction with the casing, making it impossible to install the filter in the curved casing without any gaps.

[0135] In Comparative Examples 4 and 8, even when an external force that would not damage the filter was applied, the filter did not pass through a narrow opening. Because the filter did not pass through a narrow opening, it was not possible to test the installability to a curved casing.

[0136]

[0137]

[0138]

[0139] 10: Filter media 20: Longitudinal frame 30: Widthwise frame 60: Casing 80: Shape retainer L10: Filter length W10: Filter width H10: Filter height L20: Casing length L21: Length of casing viewed from the front W20: Casing width H20: Casing height D20: Casing material thickness A20: Casing frame width

[0140] The filter of the present invention can be used in home air purifiers, air conditioners, and air conditioning equipment for buildings, factories, vehicles, etc.

Claims

1. A filter comprising: a pleated filter medium; and a longitudinal frame body on both widthwise end faces of the pleated filter medium, the longitudinal frame body being made of a nonwoven fabric, the Young's modulus of the longitudinal frame body being 1.0 MPa or more and 20.0 MPa or less, an adhesive layer having a hardness of 10 or more and 90 or less being disposed between the pleated filter medium and the longitudinal frame body, the adhesive of the adhesive layer being a synthetic rubber-based adhesive.

2. 2. The filter of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer has a hardness of 40 or less.

3. 3. The filter according to claim 1, wherein a ratio γ / δ of a width γ of the frame body in the longitudinal direction to a length δ of the frame body in the longitudinal direction is 0.025 or more and 0.5 or less.

4. The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thickness of the frame in the longitudinal direction is 0.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less.

5. The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the width of the frame in the longitudinal direction is 10 mm or more and 40 mm or less.

6. 6. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the bending resistance of the frame in the longitudinal direction is 5 mN or more and 100 mN or less.

7. The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ratio α / β of the pleated filter medium's fold height α to the pleat spacing β is 0.5 or more and 25 or less.