Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
310 words
An apparatus for filtering solid particulates from a fluid comprising: a filter of honeycomb structure comprising: a matrix of interconnected thin porous walls defining an inlet end face and an outlet end face and a multiplicity of cells extending longitudinally between the two end faces, and a porous outer wall extending between the two end faces and around the matrix of thin walls and having an exterior surface forming an outer longitudinal surface of the filter, an inlet group of the cells each being open at the inlet end face and closed at the outlet end face, an outlet group of the cells each being closed at the inlet end face and open at the outlet end face, and the thin walls and the outer wall each containing interconnected open porosity of volume and size sufficient to enable the fluid to flow completely across the narrow dimensions of the walls and the outer wall and to restrain at least a significant portion of the particulates from flowing completely across the thin walls or the outer wall; conduit means having an inner surface encircling the outer wall of the filter for transporting fluid containing the particulates to the filter and filtered away from the filter, the inner surface being spaced from the outer wall to form an annual gap therebetween; sealing means in the gap between the conduit means inner surface and the filter outer wall encircling the filter at a position remote from said outlet end face and forming a particulate barrier for preventing the particulates from bypassing the filter through the gap between the conduit means inner surface and the filter outer wall, the barrier being sufficiently narrow at the filter to allow the fluid to pass outwardly through and along a substantial portion of the exterior surface of the outer wall to the perimeter of outlet end face.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
310 words
An apparatus for filtering solid particulates from a fluid comprising: a filter of honeycomb structure comprising: a matrix of interconnected thin porous walls defining an inlet end face and an outlet end face and a multiplicity of cells extending longitudinally between the two end faces, and a porous outer wall extending between the two end faces and around the matrix of thin walls and having an exterior surface forming an outer longitudinal surface of the filter, an inlet group of the cells each being open at the inlet end face and closed at the outlet end face, an outlet group of the cells each being closed at the inlet end face and open at the outlet end face, and the thin walls and the outer wall each containing interconnected open porosity of volume and size sufficient to enable the fluid to flow completely across the narrow dimensions of the walls and the outer wall and to restrain at least a significant portion of the particulates from flowing completely across the thin walls or the outer wall; conduit means having an inner surface encircling the outer wall of the filter for transporting fluid containing the particulates to the filter and filtered away from the filter, the inner surface being spaced from the outer wall to form an annual gap therebetween; sealing means in the gap between the conduit means inner surface and the filter outer wall encircling the filter at a position remote from said outlet end face and forming a particulate barrier for preventing the particulates from bypassing the filter through the gap between the conduit means inner surface and the filter outer wall, the barrier being sufficiently narrow at the filter to allow the fluid to pass outwardly through and along a substantial portion of the exterior surface of the outer wall to the perimeter of outlet end face.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the particulate barrier contacts the outer surface in the vicinity of the inlet end face.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein substantially all of the cells around the periphery of the end faces are open at the inlet end face and closed at the outlet end face.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the particulate barrier is essentially impermeable to said fluid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interconnected open porosity of the thin walls and skin is also of a volume and size to enable the fluid to flow through the thin walls and outer surface in their longer dimensions while restraining at least a significant portion of the particulates from passing completely through the thin walls or outer wall along any wall dimension.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for restricting the movement of said filter body with respect to said conduit means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said filter is formed from ceramic materials.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
82 words
In a deisel engine exhaust system comprising and exhaust gas conduit, said exhaust gas conduit including the apparatus of claim 7 wherein said conduit means is a portion of the exhaust gas conduit containing the filter interposed across the exhaust gas path through the conduit with the inlet end face of the filter facing an upstream portion of the gas path, and the cells located around the periphery of the end faces being closed near the outlet end face of the filter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the open porosity of the outer wall is at least 25% of the outer wall bulk volume and is formed by pores having mean diameters greater than about 1 micron.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the open porosity of the outer wall and thin walls is about 40% or more of the bulk wall volume.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the thickness of the outer wall and the thickness of each thin wall is not greater than about 0.76 mm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sealing means is in contact with said conduct means inner surface and said filter outer wall.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
248 words
In a method of filtering solid particulates from a fluid comprising the steps of providing a filter body of honeycomb structure having a matrix of interconnected porous thin walls defining an inlet end face and an outlet end face and a plurality of cells extending through the structure between the two end faces, and a porous outer wall surrounding the thin walls and extending between the end faces, the thin walls and outer surfaces containing interconnected open porosity of a volume and size sufficient to enable the fluid to flow completely across or through the walls and outer surface along any of their dimensions and to restrain at least a significant portion of the particulates from passing completely across or through the thin walls or outer wall in any direction, an inlet group of the cells being open at the inlet end face and closed adjacent to the outlet end face and an outlet group of the cells being closed adjacent to the inlet end face and open at the outlet end face; wherein said method comprises conducting a fluid contaminated with solid particulates into the inlet end face of the filter body; filtering the solid particulates from the fluid by means of the thin walls; and conducting a filtered fluid away from the outlet end face of the filter body, the improvement comprising during the filtering step, the additional step of filtering the fluid outwardly through a substantial portion of the outer wall of the filter body.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
248 words
In a method of filtering solid particulates from a fluid comprising the steps of providing a filter body of honeycomb structure having a matrix of interconnected porous thin walls defining an inlet end face and an outlet end face and a plurality of cells extending through the structure between the two end faces, and a porous outer wall surrounding the thin walls and extending between the end faces, the thin walls and outer surfaces containing interconnected open porosity of a volume and size sufficient to enable the fluid to flow completely across or through the walls and outer surface along any of their dimensions and to restrain at least a significant portion of the particulates from passing completely across or through the thin walls or outer wall in any direction, an inlet group of the cells being open at the inlet end face and closed adjacent to the outlet end face and an outlet group of the cells being closed adjacent to the inlet end face and open at the outlet end face; wherein said method comprises conducting a fluid contaminated with solid particulates into the inlet end face of the filter body; filtering the solid particulates from the fluid by means of the thin walls; and conducting a filtered fluid away from the outlet end face of the filter body, the improvement comprising during the filtering step, the additional step of filtering the fluid outwardly through a substantial portion of the outer wall of the filter body.