Hopper-Shaped Filter Media Retainer for Uniform Air Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter media retainers fail to distribute air uniformly under low air pressure differentials and are difficult to manufacture in large, strong single pieces with small slots that do not distort under pressure.
Innovation Solution
A filter media retainer with a plate having hopper-shaped compartments, sloped walls, and slots configured to allow filtered water to pass downward and backwash fluid to pass upward, featuring longitudinal and transverse ribs for strength and uniform air distribution, with specific slot configurations and orientations to manage pressure and prevent distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a large single piece plastic filter media retainer is manufactured with small slots, then the slots can effectively retain filter media, but the retainer becomes difficult to manufacture and may distort under pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The filter media retainer is divided into multiple separate plates instead of being manufactured as a single large piece. Each plate contains slots and can be independently manufactured with precise dimensions, then assembled together to form the complete retainer structure. This segmentation allows small slots to be accurately formed in smaller, more manageable components.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple separate plates are combined through assembly to form the complete filter media retainer structure. The plates are positioned and secured together to create the full retainer system, merging the individual components into a functional whole that achieves both manufacturing precision and structural integrity.
2Device complexity
If traditional flat slotted plates are used for filter media retention, then the structure is simple, but air distribution during backwash is non-uniform and requires high pressure differential
Solution Approach 1:
The plates are formed with curved surfaces instead of flat surfaces. The curvature is specifically designed to optimize air flow distribution during backwash operations, allowing uniform air distribution across the filter media while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure. The curved geometry naturally directs and distributes the backwash air flow more evenly.
3Ease of manufacture
If the retainer structure is made simple and flat, then manufacturing is easier, but the structure distorts under backwash pressure
Solution Approach 1:
Curved surfaces are incorporated into the plate structures to provide inherent strength and resistance against backwash pressure. The curvature distributes applied pressures more evenly across the plate surfaces, preventing localized distortion while maintaining manufacturing feasibility. This geometric strengthening allows the use of simpler materials and manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the retainer into multiple smaller plates rather than one large plate, each individual plate experiences reduced stress and is less prone to distortion under pressure. The segmented structure allows each component to maintain its structural integrity independently while working together as a complete system.
Data Source
AI summary
A filter media retainer has a plate having a first end wall, a second end wall, and a pair of longitudinal sidewalls connected to opposing sides of the first end wall and the second end wall. The plate has a top surface opposite a bottom surface. A plurality of hopper-shaped compartments are formed on the top surface and have a first sloped wall and a second sloped wall angled toward the first sloped wall in a direction from the top surface toward the bottom surface. The plate further has a top sidewall on the top surface of the plate separating adjacent hopper-shaped compartments from each other. The plate further has at least one first slot extending through at least one of the first sloped wall and the second sloped wall, and at least one second slot extending through the top sidewall.