Assembly for deaeration of liquids

Claim 2

In an apparatus, a deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid comprising: (a) a deaeration element having a gas-channel-forming component enclosed and sealed within, but not bonded to, an envelope formed of a non-porous fluoropolymer film, said envelope having inward-facing and outward-facing surfaces and at least one port leading from the inside to the outside of said envelope for passage of gases permeating into the element to a location external to the apparatus; and (b) a liquid-channel-forming component contiguous with at least one outward-facing surface of said fluoropolymer film envelope, said liquid-channel-forming component providing pathways for a liquid to contact and flow over said outward-facing surface of the envelope.

Claim 3

The deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid as recited in claim 1 wherein said non-porous fluoropolymer film is a non-porous film of tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer.

Claim 4

The deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid as recited in claim 2 wherein said liquid-channel-forming component is formed of a fluoropolymer material.

Claim 5

The deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid as recited in claim 3 wherein said gas-channel-forming component comprises at least one porous material selected from the group consisting of nonwoven fabric, knit fabric, woven fabric or mesh, open-cell foams, and porous membranes, of synthetic polymers, said gas-channel-forming component having continuous interconnected pores and passageways throughout its structure whereby passage of gases is enabled.

Claim 6

The deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid as recited in claim 2 wherein said gas-channel-forming component comprises at least one porous material selected from the group consisting of nonwoven fabric, knit fabric, woven fabric or mesh, and porous membranes, of synthetic polymers, said gas-channel-forming component having continuous interconnected pores and passageways throughout its structure whereby passage of gases is enabled.

Claim 7

The deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid as recited in claim 1 wherein said gas-channel-forming component comprises at least one porous material selected from the group consisting of nonwoven fabric, knit fabric, woven fabric or mesh, and porous membranes, of synthetic polymers, said gas-channel-forming component having continuous interconnected pores and passageways throughout its structure whereby passage of gases is enabled.

Claim 8

In an apparatus, a deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid comprising a deaeration element having a gas-channel-forming component and a liquid-channel-forming component having a contoured surface of higher and lower regions, said components enclosed and sealed within, but not bonded to, an envelope formed of a non-porous fluoropolymer film, said envelope having inward-facing and outward-facing surfaces and at least one port leading from the inside to the outside of said envelope for passage of gases permeating into the element to a location external to the apparatus; wherein said liquid-channel-forming component is contiguous with at least one inward-facing surface of said fluoropolymer film envelope, and wherein the region of said fluoropolymer film envelope in contact with said liquid-channel-forming component conforms to the contoured surface of the liquid-channel-forming component to form channels in said outward-facing surface, said channels providing pathways for a liquid to contact and flow over the outward-facing surface of the envelope.

Claim 9

In an apparatus, a deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid comprising a deaeration element having a gas-channel-forming component and a liquid-channel-forming component having a contoured surface of higher and lower regions, said components enclosed and sealed within, but not bonded to, an envelope formed of a non-porous fluoropolymer film, said envelope having inward-facing and outward-facing surfaces and at least one port leading from the inside to the outside of said envelope for passage of gases permeating into the element to a location external to the apparatus; wherein said liquid-channel-forming component is contiguous with at least one inward-facing surface of said fluoropolymer film envelope, and wherein the region of said fluoropolymer film envelope in contact with said liquid-channel-forming component conforms to the contoured surface of the liquid-channel-forming component to form channels in said outward-facing surface, said channels providing pathways for a liquid to contact and flow over the outward-facing surface of the envelope.

Claim 10

The deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid as recited in claim 7 wherein said non-porous fluoropolymer film is a non-porous film of tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer.

Claim 11

The deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid as recited in claim 8 wherein said gas-channel-forming component and said liquid-channel-forming component comprise at least one porous material selected from the group consisting of nonwoven fabric, knit fabric, woven fabric or mesh, and porous membranes, of synthetic polymers, said gas-channel-forming component having continuous interconnected pores and passageways throughout its structure whereby passage of gases is enabled.

Claim 12

The deaeration assembly for removal of a gas from a liquid as recited in claim 7 wherein said gas-channel-forming component and said liquid-channel-forming component comprise at least one porous material selected from the group consisting of nonwoven fabric, knit fabric, woven fabric or mesh, and porous membranes, of synthetic polymers, said gas-channel-forming component having continuous interconnected pores and passageways throughout its structure whereby passage of gases is enabled.