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US 10,286,343 B2Granted
Filter including RFID tag
AssigneePall Corporation
InventorsPaul J. Paluszewski, Brent VanZandt, Eric Warmuth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A filter assembly including an RFID tag, for use in monitoring fluid processing, as well as a system and a method for monitoring fluid processing, and a filter for use in the filter assembly, are disclosed.
Claims20
A filter assembly comprising
- (a) a housing having a first housing end, a housing body, and a second housing end, the housing containing a generally cylindrical filter comprising a porous filter element, wherein at least the first housing end comprises a removable cover and a first housing end body, wherein the housing is arranged to provide a fluid flow path through the filter, such that fluid is filtered as it passes through the porous filter element;
- (i) the filter comprising a first end cap and a second end cap, and the porous filter element comprising a first filter end and a second filter end, the first end cap sealed to the first filter end, and the second end cap sealed to the second filter end;
- (ii) an RFID tag secured on, or near, the first end cap or the second end cap;
- (iii) a first antenna, arranged in or on the housing body;
- (iv) a second antenna, arranged in or on the removable cover, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are generally coaxially arranged and separated by a gap such that the first antenna and the second antenna are inductively coupled, allowing a wireless signal to pass therebetween;
- (v) a third antenna, arranged in or on the first housing end body, wherein the third antenna is spaced from the RFID tag, and the third antenna is arranged to wirelessly send a signal to, and wirelessly receive a signal from, the RFID tag;
- (vi) an RFID signal generator/controller;
- and,
- (vii) a first cable, having a first cable first end and a first cable second end, wherein the first cable first end is coupled to the second antenna, and the first cable second end is coupled to the third antenna;
- wherein the filter assembly is arranged to allow a signal to pass from the RFID signal generator/controller to the first antenna, from the first antenna to the second antenna, from the second antenna to the third antenna, and from the third antenna to the RFID tag, and to allow a signal to pass from the RFID tag to the third antenna, from the third antenna to the second antenna, from the second antenna to the first antenna, and from the first antenna to the RFID signal generator/controller.
7 more elements
A system for monitoring fluid processing comprising:
- (A) a filter assembly comprising
- (a) a housing having a first housing end, a housing body, and a second housing end, the housing containing a generally cylindrical filter comprising a porous filter element, wherein at least the first housing end comprises a removable cover and a first housing end body, wherein the housing is arranged to provide a fluid flow path through the filter, such that fluid is filtered as it passes through the porous filter element;
- (i) the filter comprising a first end cap and a second end cap, and the porous filter element comprising a first filter end and a second filter end, the first end cap sealed to the first filter end, and the second end cap sealed to the second filter end;
- (ii) an RFID tag secured on, or near, the first end cap or the second end cap;
- (iii) a first antenna, arranged in or on the housing body;
- (iv) a second antenna, arranged in or on the removable cover, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are generally coaxially arranged and separated by a gap such that the first antenna and the second antenna are inductively coupled, allowing a wireless signal to pass therebetween;
- (v) a third antenna, arranged in or on the first housing end body, wherein the third antenna is spaced from the RFID tag, and the third antenna is arranged to wirelessly send a signal to, and wirelessly receive a signal from, the RFID tag;
- (vi) an RFID signal generator/controller;
- and,
- (vii) a first cable, having a first cable first end and a first cable second end, wherein the first cable first end is coupled to the second antenna, and the first cable second end is coupled to the third antenna;
- wherein the filter assembly is arranged to allow a signal to pass from the RFID signal generator/controller to the first antenna, from the first antenna to the second antenna, from the second antenna to the third antenna, and from the third antenna to the RFID tag, and to allow a signal to pass from the RFID tag to the third antenna, from the third antenna to the second antenna, from the second antenna to the first antenna, and from the first antenna to the RFID signal generator/controller;
- (B) a router gateway providing internet access, the router gateway in communication with the RFID signal generator/controller, and
- (C) at least one cloud or web enabled device capable of accessing the internet and receiving information regarding the filter assembly.
10 more elements
A method for monitoring fluid processing in a filter assembly including an RFID tag and an RFID signal generator/controller, the method comprising:
- (A) receiving information regarding fluid passing through a filter assembly comprising
- (a) a housing having a first housing end, a housing body, and a second housing end, the housing containing a generally cylindrical filter comprising a porous filter element, wherein at least the first housing end comprises a removable cover and a first housing end body, wherein the housing is arranged to provide a fluid flow path through the filter, such that fluid is filtered as it passes through the porous filter element;
- (i) the filter comprising a first end cap and a second end cap, and the porous filter element comprising a first filter end and a second filter end, the first end cap sealed to the first filter end, and the second end cap sealed to the second filter end;
- (ii) the RFID tag secured on, or near, the first end cap or the second end cap;
- (iii) a first antenna, arranged in or on the housing body;
- (iv) a second antenna, arranged in or on the removable cover, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are generally coaxially arranged and separated by a gap such that the first antenna and the second antenna are inductively coupled, allowing a wireless signal to pass therebetween;
- (v) a third antenna, arranged in or on the first housing end body, wherein the third antenna is spaced from the RFID tag, and the third antenna is arranged to wirelessly send a signal to, and wirelessly receive a signal from, the RFID tag;
- (vi) the RFID signal generator/controller;
- and,
- (vii) a first cable, having a first cable first end and a first cable second end, wherein the first cable first end is coupled to the second antenna, and the first cable second end is coupled to the third antenna;
- wherein the filter assembly is arranged to allow a signal to pass from the RFID signal generator/controller to the first antenna, from the first antenna to the second antenna, from the second antenna to the third antenna, and from the third antenna to the RFID tag, and to allow a signal to pass from the RFID tag to the third antenna, from the third antenna to the second antenna, from the second antenna to the first antenna, and from the first antenna to the RFID signal generator/controller.
8 more elements
A method for monitoring fluid processing in a filter assembly including an RFID tag and an RFID signal generator/controller communicating with a router gateway providing internet access, the method comprising:
- (A) accessing the internet using a cloud or web enabled device, and
- (B) receiving information regarding fluid passing through a filter assembly comprising
- (a) a housing having a first housing end, a housing body, and a second housing end, the housing containing a generally cylindrical filter comprising a porous filter element, wherein at least the first housing end comprises a removable cover and a first housing end body, wherein the housing is arranged to provide a fluid flow path through the filter, such that fluid is filtered as it passes through the porous filter element;
- (i) the filter comprising a first end cap and a second end cap, and the porous filter element comprising a first filter end and a second filter end, the first end cap sealed to the first filter end, and the second end cap sealed to the second filter end;
- (ii) the RFID tag secured on, or near, the first end cap or the second end cap;
- (iii) a first antenna, arranged in or on the housing body;
- (iv) a second antenna, arranged in or on the removable cover, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are generally coaxially arranged and separated by a gap such that the first antenna and the second antenna are inductively coupled, allowing a wireless signal to pass therebetween;
- (v) a third antenna, arranged in or on the first housing end body, wherein the third antenna is spaced from the RFID tag, and the third antenna is arranged to wirelessly send a signal to, and wirelessly receive a signal from, the RFID tag;
- (vi) the RFID signal generator/controller;
- and,
- (vii) a first cable, having a first cable first end and a first cable second end, wherein the first cable first end is coupled to the second antenna, and the first cable second end is coupled to the third antenna;
- wherein the filter assembly is arranged to allow a signal to pass from the RFID signal generator/controller to the first antenna, from the first antenna to the second antenna, from the second antenna to the third antenna, and from the third antenna to the RFID tag, and to allow a signal to pass from the RFID tag to the third antenna, from the third antenna to the second antenna, from the second antenna to the first antenna, and from the first antenna to the RFID signal generator/controller.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.