Filter Housing Base Surface Inclination for Liquid Drainage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing filter housings in the biopharmaceutical industry often leave liquid residues on the base surface near the end face of the filter, which are difficult to drain and remain during filtration and cleaning processes due to the lack of effective drainage mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

The base surface is inclined inwardly towards the longitudinal axis of the housing, with a sealing groove delimited by an inner collar, facilitating reliable liquid drainage by ensuring that even the last residues can drain off automatically, and the angle of inclination is optimized to be greater than 2°, preferably 5°, to enhance this effect.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the base surface is made flat and horizontal, then the manufacturing is simple and easy, but liquid residues remain on the base surface during filtering and cleaning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidliquid drainage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The base surface is designed with an inclination angle relative to the horizontal plane, creating an asymmetric geometry that directs liquid flow toward the drainage opening. This asymmetric design ensures that liquid residues do not remain on the base surface, resolving the drainage issue while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standard angular machining practices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

2Reliability

If the base surface is inclined towards the longitudinal axis, then liquid drainage is improved, but the sealing groove configuration becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliquid drainageVSAvoidsealing groove configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing groove is configured within the inclined base surface geometry, with the sealing element nested between the inclined base surface and the housing dome. This nesting approach integrates the sealing function into the inclined structure itself, achieving effective sealing without adding separate complex sealing mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Area of stationary object

If the base surface area is increased, then the filter support area is improved, but liquid residues are more likely to remain on the base surface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilter support areaVSAvoidliquid drainage
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The base surface is designed with different local qualities: a larger inclined area for filter support that maintains adequate structural area, while the inclination angle ensures liquid flow toward the drainage opening. The sealing groove is positioned at a specific location to ensure proper sealing without interfering with the overall base surface area requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design effectively prevents liquid residues from remaining on the base surface during filtering and cleaning, ensuring efficient drainage and reducing the risk of residual liquids in the filter housing.

Implementation Method 1

the base surface is inclined inwards towards the longitudinal axis of the housing in relation to a horizontal plane arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis of the housing... even the last residues of liquid on the base surface can drain off by itself

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP2830733B1Filter housing for replaceable filters
Publication Date: 2018.02.21 SARTORIUS STEDIM BIOTECH GMBH
  • EP2830733B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2830733B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2830733B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a filter housing for exchangeable filters, having a housing base for accommodating the filter and having a housing dome which engages over the filter, wherein the housing base and the housing dome are connected to one another by means of an aseptic clamping connection which has a groove-type clamping fitting on the housing base and has a flange-type clamping fitting on the housing dome, these being fixed against one another in their connected position by means of a clamp, wherein the groove-type clamping fitting has a seal groove with a seal by means of which the groove-type clamping fitting can be sealed off with respect to the flange-type clamping fitting, wherein the housing base has a port for the supply of liquid to be filtered and has a port for the discharge of filtered liquid, and wherein the housing base has, transversely with respect to the housing longitudinal axis, a base surface which is adjacent to the face surface of the inserted filter.