Patent Application
20240382875
This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2021 004 351.0, filed on Aug. 24, 2021 with the German Patent and Trademark Office. The contents of the aforesaid Patent Application are incorporated herein for all purposes.
This background section is provided for the purpose of generally describing the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventor(s), to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
The disclosure relates to a filter device, consisting of at least one filter, which is divided into individual filter segments, a cleaning device, which has, associated with each filter segment, a partial cleaning unit, which can be moved along the cleaning device and which cooperates with a rotatable discharge device with individual discharge openings which, brought into at least partial alignment with passage points in the cleaning device, serves to discharge a fluid flow from the filter, and a control device, which activates at least one partial cleaning unit for cleaning, whereas at least one further partial cleaning unit remains inactive during this cleaning.
DE 42 08 743 C2 discloses an automatic backflushing filter for liquids, consisting of a filter housing with an inlet and a filtrate outlet as well as a sludge discharge, in which at least one or more multi-chamber nozzles, arranged coaxially one above the other on a hollow drive shaft as a cleaning device, rotate as partial cleaning units in a cylindrical filter cartridge which serves as a filter and is functionally divided into individual filter segments with regard to backflushing. The known solution also has a control tube serving as a discharge device, which control tube forcibly rotates at different speeds to the multi-chamber nozzle, whereby as a result of this its individual chambers are controlled slowly in such a manner that a multi-chamber nozzle previously serving as a passive chamber is activated and at the same time the previous active chamber is closed, whereby the backflushing process is cyclically continued until all chambers have been activated.
Due to the fact that the control tube rotates continuously in the same direction and coaxially with the multi-chamber nozzles in the cleaning device, both are mounted coaxially together in the filter cartridge, and the drive for the cleaning device and the discharge device is a common one, the backflush volume flow, the absolute pressure drop and the pressure drop per unit time are reduced in such a manner that the backflushing processes can substantially be carried out with high intensity.
The known solution requires an independent rotary drive for both the cleaning device and for the discharge device, each with an independent gear stage which, however, can be jointly operated by a single rotary drive which, on the one hand, requires a corresponding installation space and, due to the gear drive to be controlled, a great deal of drive energy is regularly required by the rotary drive in the form of an electric motor.
A need exists to improve a filter device to the effect that a space-saving configuration with energy-efficient drive and improved cleaning is provided.
The need is addressed by the subject matter of the independent claim(s). Embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims, the following description, and the drawings.
The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description, drawings, and from the claims.
In the following description of embodiments of the invention, specific details are described in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant description.
In some embodiments, the control device has a coupling device, which, in one position of the coupling device, connects the cleaning device to the discharge device for a common rotary movement and, in another position of the coupling device, disconnects them from each other. The solution according to the teachings herein does not require any transmission gears which enables a space-saving configuration. Contributing to this is the fact that the coupling device referred to is accommodated in a space-saving manner in a coaxial arrangement with the respective tubular cleaning device and discharge device, which discharge device is guided rotatably in the cleaning device and engages with both of these in the interior of the filter, which in this respect is configured in the manner of a basket. Furthermore, the coupling device allows timely control of both the cleaning device and the discharge device so that cleaning is improved overall in an energy-efficient manner. The coupling solution, which can be implemented cost-effectively, for example provides that in the coupled position the cleaning device is also driven concurrently by the discharge device and that in the uncoupled position the cleaning device remains in its most recent position and only the discharge device continues to be driven permanently.
Thus, one benefit of the control device with coupling solution is that the discharge device can be driven permanently, whereas the cleaning device is only driven intermittently by the coupling. On the other hand, however, it is also readily possible in reverse sequence to drive the cleaning device permanently and the discharge device only intermittently by means of the coupling, so that both drive concepts can be implemented here depending on the application. Beyond this, it is also possible to provide the coupling device on the filter device, both on the upper side and on the underside of the backflushing device, so that a modular design concept can be implemented. This has no equivalent in prior art.
In some embodiments, it is provided that, as a control part, the coupling device comprises a claw coupling, the claws of which are engaged with recesses in the cleaning device in the coupled position and are disengaged in the uncoupled position. In this way, a positive-fit connection is achieved within the coupling, which enables low impact coupling and uncoupling between the cleaning device and the discharge device.
In this case, the control device for example comprises a further control part, which is a component part of the discharge device and which cooperates with a control path of the coupling device in such a manner that, during a rotary movement of the discharge device, the coupling device comes into the disengaged position by being brought into a raised position by the cleaning device. In this case, the displacement movement of the coupling device into the raised position is for example supported by an energy accumulator so that unobstructed operation is achieved for the coupling.
In some embodiments, it is provided that the partial cleaning units are arranged one above the other in a longitudinal axis of the cleaning unit, which units can be moved with their one free end along the filter segments and which open out with their other free end into the respectively associated passage points of the cleaning device, which is designed at least partially as a hollow tube. In this case, the filter segments can form individual subunits of a filter bowl. For example, however, the filter bowl is formed integrally throughout and the construction according to filter segments only emerges due to the function of the cleaning device with its individual partial cleaning units which in this respect pass over the filter bowl on the inner circumference segment by segment in each case.
In some embodiments, it is provided that a further hollow tube is guided in the hollow tube of the cleaning device as part of the discharge device, the discharge openings of which are distributed over the circumference of the further hollow tube in such a manner that one passage point in each case is brought in succession into alignment with a discharge opening to form a fluid passage, whereas the further possible fluid passages are blocked at least in part, for example all. This segmentation of the filter area undergoing backflushing increases the backflush intensity. The “backflush energy” present is thus focused on a small area of the filter which, on the one hand, results in finer filtration being possible with this system and, on the other hand, this system can manage with a smaller backflush volume which benefits the environment.
In some embodiments, it is provided that the control path of the coupling device is divided into individual path segments for controlling the partial cleaning units, so that in the coupled state at least one fluid passage is always activated and after passing through an uncoupling-coupling cycle at least one other fluid passage is activated and the respective further fluid passages are deactivated.
In this case, it is further for example provided that the control device comprises a further third control part which, configured as a thrust piece, holds the coupling device in its coupled position contrary to the action of the energy accumulator and cooperates with a path segment of the coupling device in such a manner that the thrust piece, rendered inoperable along a curved segment, enables the coupling operation. A resulting angular offset between the discharge device and the cleaning device during a switching or coupling operation corresponds to the predefinable angular pitch of the discharge openings distributed over the tubular discharge device, so that in this respect the segments of the backflushing unit are activated in succession.
For example, it is provided that the length of the curved segment in engagement with the thrust piece is dimensioned in such a manner that, in the coupled state of the coupling device, the fluid passage provided in the cleaning sequence materialises between the cleaning device and the discharge device.
In some embodiments, it is further provided that, during a switching operation between the coupled and uncoupled state of the coupling device, a relative movement occurs between the cleaning device and the discharge device, while the discharge device continues to rotate. The radial discharge opening of the discharge device can be configured longer, viewed in the direction of rotation, than the respectively assignable passage point in the cleaning device. In this way, a predefinable angular overlap is achieved, which ensures that the filter segment respectively undergoing backflushing also continues to be cleaned during the relative movement between the two devices. In this respect, it is also ensured that the backflushed filter segment is cleaned over 360° and thus is cleaned completely.
The invention is explained in greater detail in the following with reference to embodiments according to the drawings. The drawings show in principle and not to scale. Specific references to components, process steps, and other elements are not intended to be limiting. Further, it is understood that like parts bear the same or similar reference numerals when referring to alternate FIGS.
The assembly 13 comprises a filter 14 in the form of a filter basket, which is accommodated on its free end faces in an end cap 15 and 16, respectively. By means of the end caps 15 and 16, the filter 14 is supported in the filter housing 1 and after removing the housing cover 8, the filter 14 can be removed from the housing 1. The filter material of the filter 14 is accommodated between supporting bodies 17 and 18, the fluid passage points of the inner supporting body 18 being formed of slot-shaped window openings of an otherwise continuously formed cylindrical supporting body. The filter medium of the filter 14 consists for example of a pleated filter mat web, consisting of at least one filter layer.
The filter 14 is functionally subdivided into individual filter segments and the assembly 13 comprises a cleaning device 19, which has, associated with each filter segment, a partial cleaning unit 20, 21 and 22, which can be moved along the cleaning device and which cooperates with a rotatable discharge device 23 with individual discharge openings 24, 25 and 26 which, brought into at least partial alignment with fluid-permeable passage points 27, 28 and 29 in the cleaning device 19, serves to discharge a fluid flow from the filter 14. Each partial cleaning unit 20, 21 and 22 forms a kind of slotted nozzle on its free end face, which slotted nozzle is rotatably arranged along the inner circumference of the filter 14 by means of a backflush arm 30 as part of the cleaning device 19, in the form of a hollow tube. In the course of particle filtration, flow passes through the filter 14 from inside to outside and in the process deposits the particle contamination removed from the fluid on its inner side. Due to filtrate pressure in the housing space 11 on the clean or filtrate side, in this way the deposited particle contamination is backflushed from outside to inside into the respective slotted nozzle of a partial cleaning unit 20, 21 and 22 and passes via the hollow backflush arm 30, passing through the lower bearing point 5, to the so-called sludge discharge side 31, which engages in the housing main part 2 from the bottom side opposite the housing space 6. In this respect, the hollow tube of the backflush arm 30 is connected at the bottom to the sludge discharge side 31 in a media-conducting manner.
As can further be seen from
As the sectional view according to
As further emerges from
If the switching bush 46 is in positive engagement with the backflush arm 30 according to the diagram of
As additionally emerges in particular from
While in prior art (DE 10 2017 001 968 A1) all partial cleaning units arranged one above the other are used simultaneously and together for backflushing, the solution according to the teachings herein provides for the use of only one partial cleaning unit at a time, and in the context of improved backflushing the other two partial cleaning units are excluded from backflushing. It is understood that not only three partial cleaning units 20, 21 and 22 can be used according to the embodiment presented here, but that the present solution also works with only two partial cleaning units or with a larger number of more than three partial cleaning units, which is particularly suitable if the filter basket has a larger axial installation length than the solution shown according to
Thus, the segmented structural solution of the backflushing filter assembly 13 according to
As mentioned, by segmenting the area of the filter 14 that is being backflushed in each case, the backflush intensity is increased and the backflush energy present is focused on a smaller area of the filter. On the one hand, this means that finer filtration is possible with this system and, on the other hand, this system can work with a smaller backflush volume. The segmentation referred to for the filter 14 is implemented, on the one hand, in that due to its various passage points 27, 28 and 29, the backflush arm 30 has a plurality of flow channels separated from one another and, on the other hand, it is further provided that the switching tube 38 is located inside the backflush arm 30, which tube has discharge openings 24, 25 and 26 radially offset around the circumference, the flow channels of the backflush arm 30 referred to being activated in succession by a specific relative angular offset of the switching tube 38 with respect to the backflush arm 30 of 120 degrees. Thus,
In the embodiment described above, the upper counter bearing to the switching bush 46 is a ball roller which is arranged in the filter basket 14. However, the counter bearing can also be formed by other components, for example by a cam, a pin or the like. Likewise, the counter bearing can also be arranged on other fixed components in the filter, for example directly on the filter housing 1 instead of on the upper end cap 15. The concept of the switching mechanism can also be implemented by other forms of switchable couplings, for example using a friction coupling, a solenoid-operated coupling, etc. With only two partial cleaning units, the angular offset is 180 degrees, with four partial cleaning units 90 degrees and so on.
The invention has been described in the preceding using various exemplary embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments may be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single processor, module or other unit or device may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims.
The term “exemplary” used throughout the specification means “serving as an example, instance, or exemplification” and does not mean “preferred” or “having advantages” over other embodiments. The term “in particular” and “particularly” used throughout the specification means “for example” or “for instance”.
The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims or embodiments does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2021 004 351.0 | Aug 2021 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2022/065381 | 6/7/2022 | WO |
