Separatory apparatus comprising means for anchoring a semi-permeable membrane to a support member

Claim 1

Separatory apparatus especially adapted for ultrafiltration comprising a plurality of support plates of generally elongate shape and each defining a longitudinal axis, said plates secured together in a leaktight manner and spaced apart from one another at their peripheries, each support plate including two oppositely disposed faces in which are formed a plurality of longitudinally spaced fluid conducting orifices for conducting fluid to be treated, each of said faces defining a cell, a semi-permeable membrane covering each cell, said plates being arranged such that a membrane covering the cell of one of said plates faces a membrane covering a cell of an adjacent plate and is spaced therefrom to define a fluid passage therebetween which passage communicates with said orifices to conduct fluid to be treated, each support plate including parallel ribs disposed in the respective cell and extending in a direction transverse relative to said longitudinal axis, each rib defining opposite ends and an outer edge extending in said transverse direction from one of said ends to the other said end, said ribs being spaced apart along said longitudinal axis to define grooves therebetween, a discharge channel disposed adjacent a peripheral edge of each said cell and communicating with said grooves of its associated cell to receive ultrafiltrate from such grooves, said outer edges of at least some of said ribs of each cell being of irregular profile and forming alternating portions which are raised and recessed relative to one another along the respective rib outer edge so as to contact the associated membrane and define membrane anchoring means therefor, said raised portions each defining an outermost section, a plurality of said outermost sections of a respective cell defining an imaginary plane extending parallel to the respective cell, said outermost sections of each of said mutually facing cells terminating short of the imaginary plane of the other of said mutually facing cells.