# US 11,077,406 B2 · Central tube set, spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component, and reverse osmosis water purifier > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,406 B2 - Document ID: US11077406B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/286,540 - Filed: 2019-02-26 - Published: 2019-06-27 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-26 - Applicants: Foshan Shunde Midea Water Dispenser Mfg. Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Xuegang Cai; Peng Gui; Fangzhen Zheng; Guodong Song - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077406B2 ## CPC - B01D 63/101: {Spiral winding} - B01D 61/08: Apparatus therefor - B01D 63/107: {Specific properties of the central tube or the permeate channel} - C02F 1/441: {by reverse osmosis} - B01D 61/025: {Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration} - B01D 61/10: Accessories; Auxiliary operations - B01D 63/106: {Anti-Telescopic-Devices [ATD]} - B01D 2313/08: Flow guidance means within the module or the apparatus - B01D 2313/12: Specific discharge elements - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) ## Abstract Disclosed is a central tube set. The central tube set includes: a permeate tube, a peripheral wall of the permeate tube being arranged with a pure water influx hole communicating with an internal channel of the permeate tube; and a plurality of wastewater tubes arranged at intervals. The wastewater tubes are arranged around the permeate tube, a peripheral wall of each wastewater tube is arranged with a wastewater influx hole communicating with an internal channel of each wastewater tube. The plurality of the wastewater tubes and the permeate tube are arranged at intervals, to form a receiving space between each wastewater tube and the permeate tube, for receiving a portion of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet set which is extending into the central tube set. The present application further provides a spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component and a reverse osmosis water purifier. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A central tube set, applied to a spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component, wherein the central tube set comprises: A permeate tube, a peripheral wall of the permeate tube being defined with a pure water influx hole communicating with an internal channel of the permeate tube; and A plurality of wastewater tubes defined at intervals, the wastewater tubes being defined around the permeate tube, a peripheral wall of each wastewater tube being defined with a wastewater influx hole communicating with an internal channel of each wastewater tube; The plurality of the wastewater tubes and the permeate tube are defined at intervals, to form a receiving space between each wastewater tube and the permeate tube, for receiving a portion of a reverse osmosis membrane sheet set which is extending into the central tube set, wherein, a quantity of the wastewater tubes is N, and N is greater than or equal to 3; A cross section of the permeate tube is configured as N-polygonal and correspondingly has N lateral surfaces, each lateral surface is defined with the pure water influx hole; each wastewater tube is defined at a position corresponding to one of the lateral surfaces; or A quantity of the wastewater tubes is two; the permeate tube is a flat tube, and the permeate tube has two lateral surfaces, and each of the lateral surfaces is defined with the pure water influx hole; each of the wastewater tubes is defined at a position corresponding to one of the lateral surfaces. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The central tube set of claim 1, wherein, a plurality of pure water influx holes are defined on each lateral surface at intervals, and the plurality of pure water influx holes are defined along a length direction of the permeate tube; and/or, each wastewater tube is defined with a plurality of wastewater influx holes at intervals, and the plurality of wastewater influx holes are defined along a length direction of each of the wastewater tube. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The central tube set of claim 1, wherein, a cross section of the permeate tube is circular, a peripheral wall of the permeate tube is divided into a plurality of arc surface sections corresponding to the plurality of wastewater tubes along a peripheral direction of the permeate tube, and each arc surface section is defined with the pure water influx hole; each wastewater tube is defined at a position corresponding to one of the arc surface sections. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The central tube set of claim 3, wherein, a plurality of pure water influx holes are defined at intervals on each arc surface section, and the plurality of pure water influx holes are defined along a length direction of the permeate tube; and/or, each wastewater tube is defined with a plurality of wastewater influx holes at intervals, and the plurality of wastewater influx holes are defined along a length direction of the wastewater tube. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The central tube set of claim 1, wherein, the peripheral wall of the permeate tube is defined with a first avoiding opening extending along a length direction of the permeate tube. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The central tube set of claim 5, wherein a first strengthening rib is defined in the first avoiding opening, and two ends of the first strengthening rib are respectively connected with different two edges of the first avoiding opening. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The central tube set of claim 5, wherein, the peripheral wall of each wastewater tube is defined with a second avoiding opening extending along a length direction of the wastewater tube. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The central tube set of claim 7, wherein, a second strengthening rib is defined in the second avoiding opening, and two ends of the second strengthening rib are respectively connected with different two edges of the second avoiding opening. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The central tube set of claim 1, wherein, one end of the permeate tube is plugged, to allow pure water to flow to the other end of the permeate tube; and/or, one end of at least one of the wastewater tubes is plugged, to allow wastewater to flow to the other end of the at least one of wastewater tubes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The central tube set of claim 9, wherein one end of the permeate tube is plugged and one end of each wastewater tube is plugged; the plugged end of the permeate tube and the plugged end of each wastewater tube are located on a same side. ### Claim 11 A spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component, comprising: A central tube set and a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane sheet sets, each of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet sets having a first portion positioned inside the central tube set and a second portion positioned outside the central tube set, Wherein, the central tube set comprises: A permeate tube, a peripheral wall of the permeate tube being defined with a pure water influx hole communicating with an internal channel of the permeate tube; and A plurality of wastewater tubes defined at intervals, the wastewater tubes being defined around the permeate tube, a peripheral wall of each wastewater tube being defined with a wastewater influx hole communicating with an internal channel of each wastewater tube; The plurality of the wastewater tubes and the permeate tube being defined at intervals, to form a receiving space between each wastewater tube and the permeate tube, for receiving a portion of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet set which is extending into the central tube set; Each wastewater tube and the permeate tube being separated by the first portion of one of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet sets; the second portion of the plurality of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet sets forming a plural membrane assembly around the central tube set, wherein, the central tube set comprises the plurality of wastewater tubes, A quantity of the wastewater tubes is N, and N is greater than or equal to 3; A cross section of the permeate tube is configured as N-polygonal and correspondingly has N lateral surfaces, each lateral surface is defined with the pure water influx hole; each wastewater tube is defined at a position corresponding to one of the lateral surfaces; or A quantity of the wastewater tubes is two; the permeate tube is a flat tube, and the permeate tube has two lateral surfaces, and each of the lateral surfaces is defined with the pure water influx hole; each of the wastewater tubes is defined at a position corresponding to one of the lateral surfaces. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component of claim 11, wherein, each reverse osmosis membrane sheet set comprises a reverse osmosis membrane sheet, an influx guiding net, and a pure water guiding net, wherein the influx guiding net and the pure water guiding net are respectively defined on front and back surfaces of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet; wherein, the influx guiding net of each reverse osmosis membrane sheet set dose not contact with the permeate tube and the back surface of reverse osmosis membrane sheet of the other reverse osmosis membrane sheet sets; the pure water guiding net of each reverse osmosis membrane sheet set does not contact with the wastewater tube and the front surface of reverse osmosis membrane sheet of the other reverse osmosis membrane sheet sets. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component of claim 11, wherein, the spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component further comprises a first end cover and a second end cover, wherein the first end cover and the second end cover are respectively sleeved at two ends of the central tube set and the plurality of reverse osmosis membrane sheet sets, to position the central tube set and the reverse osmosis membrane sheet set; wherein, the first end cover is defined with a wastewater outlet and a pure water outlet; or, the first end cover is defined with a wastewater outlet, and the second end cover is defined with a pure water outlet; the wastewater tube is communicated with the wastewater outlet and the permeate tube is communicated with the pure water outlet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component of claim 13, wherein, an inner side of the first end cover is protruded with a plurality of first extending tubes which are communicated with the wastewater outlet and are associated with a position and a quantity of the wastewater tubes, and the first extending tubes extend into the wastewater tubes and are communicated between the wastewater outlet and the associated wastewater tubes; an inner side of the first end cover is protruded with a second extending tube which is communicated with the pure water outlet and is associated with a position of the permeate tube, and the second extending tube extends into the permeate tube and communicates with the pure water outlet and the permeate tube. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component of claim 13, wherein, an inner side of the second end cover is protruded with a plurality of first positioning protrusions associated with a position and a quantity of the wastewater tubes, and the first positioning protrusions are configured to extend into the wastewater tubes associated with the first positioning protrusions; an inner side of the second end cover is protruded with a second positioning protrusion associated with a position of the permeate tube, and the second positioning protrusion is configured to extend into the permeate tube. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component of claim 11, wherein, each reverse osmosis membrane sheet of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet set is configured to be folded inward on a front surface, and the second portions of the plurality of reverse osmosis membrane sheet sets are overlapped and jointly wound around the central tube set in a peripheral direction; an influx channel is formed between front surfaces of one same reverse osmosis membrane sheet; a water producing channel is formed between back surfaces of two adjacent reverse osmosis membrane sheets; the influx guiding net and the wastewater tube are positioned in the influx channel, and the pure water guiding net is positioned in the water producing channel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component of claim 16, wherein, lateral sides of the water producing channel are closed and plugged, except for the side of the water producing channel close to the permeate tube, allowing the water producing channel to have a pure water outlet toward the permeate tube. ### Claim 18 A reverse osmosis water purifier, comprising: A spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component; the spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component comprising a central tube set and a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane sheet sets, each reverse osmosis membrane sheet set having a first portion positioned inside the central tube set and a second portion positioned outside the central tube set, Wherein, the central tube set comprises: A permeate tube, a peripheral wall of the permeate tube being defined with a pure water influx hole communicating with an internal channel of the permeate tube; and A plurality of wastewater tubes defined at intervals, the wastewater tubes being defined around the permeate tube, a peripheral wall of each wastewater tube being defined with a wastewater influx hole communicating with an internal channel of each wastewater tube; The plurality of the wastewater tubes and the permeate tube are defined at intervals, to form a receiving space between each wastewater tube and the permeate tube, for receiving a portion of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet set which is extending into the central tube set, each wastewater tube and the permeate tube being separated by the first portion of one of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet sets; the second portion of the plurality of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet set forming a plural membrane assembly surrounding the central tube set, wherein, a quantity of the wastewater tubes is N, and N is greater than or equal to 3; A cross section of the permeate tube is configured as N-polygonal and correspondingly has N lateral surfaces, each lateral surface is defined with the pure water influx hole; each wastewater tube is defined at a position corresponding to one of the lateral surfaces; or A quantity of the wastewater tubes is two; the permeate tube is a flat tube, and the permeate tube has two lateral surfaces, and each of the lateral surfaces is defined with the pure water influx hole; each of the wastewater tubes is defined at a position corresponding to one of the lateral surfaces.