Filter with a tubular filter element

Claim 1

A filter comprising: (a) a perforated support tube; (b) a tubular filter element wrapped around the support tube, said element having a plurality of corrugations in cross-section and being divided into a plurality of filtering portions in the form of corrugations in its circumferential direction so as to form a plurality of flexible portions which are also in the form of corrugations and which are capable of expanding and contracting between the two adjoining filtering portions, the opposite ends of each filtering portion being solidified by filling the spaces between the adjoining corrugations with solidifying material in the form of an arc corresponding to the peripheral surface of the support tube so that a specific pitch of the corrugations of the filtering portions can be maintained in a state wherein the adjoining ridges and the adjoining bottom valleys of the corrugations are respectively spaced apart from each other; (c) two end plates having flange portions and fitted to the opposite ends of the support tube so that the flange portions of the end plates face the end faces of the filter element, respectively; (d) a plurality of filling members inserted into the opposite ends of each flexible portion, respectively; and (e) means for fastening the solidified opposite ends of each filtering portion together with the filling members inserted into the opposite ends of each flexible portion to the opposite ends of the support tube.