Filter cartridge with a connector seal

Claim 2

A filter cartridge for removing particulates from a destructive fluid, said filter cartridge comprising a cylindrical filter arrangement having a generally annular cross section and including a cylindrical microporous fluoropolymeric filter for removing particulate contaminants from fluid flowing through the filter and further including a cylindrical fluoropolymeric structure coaxially disposed adjacent the filter for supporting the filter, first and second impervious fluoropolymeric end caps concentrically disposed adjacent first and second ends, respectively, of the filter arrangement, said first end cap including a cylindrical protrusion projecting away from the filter arrangement and containing means defining a central aperture communicating with the center of the filter arrangement and said second end cap enclosing said second end of said filter arrangement, and a sealing ring cooperatively arranged with the first end cap, at least the external surface of said sealing ring comprising a fluoropolymeric material.

Claim 3

The filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein the filter comprises a composite including at least one layer of a microporous filtering means disposed between an upstream and a downstream mesh, the filtering means being fabricated from a PTFE polymer and the upstream and downstream mesh being fabricated from a PVDF polymer.

Claim 4

The filter cartridge of claim 2 wherein the filtering means comprises a microporous membrane.

Claim 5

The filter cartridge of claim 2 wherein the composite is pleated.

Claim 6

The filter cartridge of claim 2 wherein said filtering means has an absolute pore rating of at least about 0.01 micrometer.

Claim 7

The filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical support structure comprises a perforated cylinder fabricated from a PVDF polymer and disposed downstream from the filter for supporting the filter.

Claim 8

The filter cartridge of claim 6 further comprising a perforated cylinder fabricated from a PVDF polymer and disposed upstream from the filter.

Claim 9

The filter cartridge of claim 7 wherein said filter cartridge is formed by fashioning a filter composite by compositing a downstream PVDF mesh, a PTFE membrane and upstream PVDF mesh, forming pleats in said filter composite, arranging said filter composite in a cylindrical configuration with said pleats running axially, joining the axially aligned ends of the pleated filter composite by heating and compressing said ends of the pleated filter composite; forming the filter arrangement by inserting said filter composite between said downstream perforated cylinder and said upstream perforated cylinder; and heatmelt sealing first and second ends of said filter arrangement to the ends of said first and second end caps, respectively.

Claim 10

The filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein the first and second end caps comprise a PFA fluorocarbon polymer.

Claim 11

The filter cartridge of claim 9 wherein the filter comprises a composite including at least one layer of a microporous filtering means disposed between upstream and downstream layers of PTFE fibers.

Claim 12

The filter cartridge of claim 10 wherein the cylindrical support structure comprises a PFA fluorocarbon polymer.

Claim 13

The filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein the first and second end caps are fabricated from a PVDF polymer.

Claim 14

The filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein said sealing ring comprises an elastomeric O-ring sheathed in a PTFE material, said O-ring mounted within an external circumferential groove formed in said cylindrical protrusion.

Claim 15

A filter assembly for removing particulates from a destructive fluid, said filter comprising a series of coaxially aligned, cylindrical filter arrangements including an initial filter arrangement having a first end facing away from the series of filter arrangements and a final filter arrangement having a second end facing away from the series of filter arrangements, each filter arrangement in the series having a generally annular cross section and including a cylindrical, microporous fluoropolymeric filter for removing particulate contaminants from fluid flowing through the filter and further including a cylindrical fluoropolymeric structure coaxially disposed adjacent the filter for supporting the filter; a first impervious fluoropolymeric end cap concentrically mounted to the first end of the initial filter arrangement and including a cylindrical protrusion facing away from the initial filter arrangement and containing means defining a central aperture communicating with the center of the initial filter arrangement; a second impervious end cap concentrically mounted to and enclosing the second end of the final filter arrangement; means disposed between adjacent filter arrangements for coaxially connecting the filter arrangements, and a sealing ring cooperatively arranged with the first end cap, at least the external surface of said sealing ring comprising a fluoropolymeric material.

Claim 16

A filter assembly for removing particulates from a destructive fluid, said filter comprising a series of coaxially aligned, cylindrical filter arrangements including an initial filter arrangement having a first end facing away from the series of filter arrangements and a final filter arrangement having a second end facing away from the series of filter arrangements, each filter arrangement in the series having a generally annular cross section and including a cylindrical, microporous fluoropolymeric filter for removing particulate contaminants from fluid flowing through the filter and further including a cylindrical fluoropolymeric structure coaxially disposed adjacent the filter for supporting the filter; a first impervious fluoropolymeric end cap concentrically mounted to the first end of the initial filter arrangement and including a cylindrical protrusion facing away from the initial filter arrangement and containing means defining a central aperture communicating with the center of the initial filter arrangement; a second impervious end cap concentrically mounted to and enclosing the second end of the final filter arrangement; means disposed between adjacent filter arrangements for coaxially connecting the filter arrangements, and a sealing ring cooperatively arranged with the first end cap, at least the external surface of said sealing ring comprising a fluoropolymeric material.

Claim 17

A filter cartridge for removing particulates from a destructive fluid, said filter cartridge comprising a cylindrically-shaped filter arrangement including a composite means for filtering particulates from the destructive fluid while resisting the deteriorative effects of the destructive fluid, said composite means comprising a microporous PTFE membrane having an absolute pore rating of at least about 0.01 micrometer and upstream and downstream layers fashioned from nonwoven PTFE fibers for supporting the membrane and further including a perforated PTFE core disposed coaxially within the composite means and a perforated PTFE cage disposed coaxially about the composite means for supporting the composite means; a first impervious PTFE end cap joined to one end of the cylindrically-shaped filter arrangement and including a cylindrical protrusion facing away from the filter arrangement and containing means defining a central aperture communicating with the center of the filter arrangement; a second impervious PTFE end cap joined to and enclosing the other end of the cylindrically-shaped filter arrangement; and a sealing ring operatively associated with the first end cap, at least the external surface of the sealing ring comprising a fluoropolymeric material.

Claim 18

A filter cartridge for removing particulates from a destructive fluid, said filter cartridge comprising a cylindrically-shaped filter arrangement including a composite means for filtering particulates from the destructive fluid while resisting the deteriorative effects of the destructive fluid, said composite means comprising a microporous PTFE membrane having an absolute pore rating of at least about 0.01 micrometer and upstream and downstream layers fashioned from nonwoven PTFE fibers for supporting the membrane and further including a perforated PTFE core disposed coaxially within the composite means and a perforated PTFE cage disposed coaxially about the composite means for supporting the composite means; a first impervious PTFE end cap joined to one end of the cylindrically-shaped filter arrangement and including a cylindrical protrusion facing away from the filter arrangement and containing means defining a central aperture communicating with the center of the filter arrangement; a second impervious PTFE end cap joined to and enclosing the other end of the cylindrically-shaped filter arrangement; and a sealing ring operatively associated with the first end cap, at least the external surface of the sealing ring comprising a fluoropolymeric material.

Claim 19

The filter cartridge of claim 15 wherein said sealing ring comprises an elastomeric O-ring sheathed in a PTFE material, said O-ring mounted within an external cylindrical groove formed in the cylindrical protrusion.

Claim 20

The filter cartridge of claim 15 wherein the filter arrangement is heat melt sealed to the first and second end caps.