Device for separating solid particles from liquids and gases

A device for separating solid particles from liquids and gases, comprising a pressure vessel with a plurality of suspended filter elements, wherein the filter elements are arranged in a flexible plastic container which is arranged in the pressure vessel and sealed tightly with respect thereto and compressible upon application of a pressure into the pressure vessel external to the flexible container, and the flexible container is removable from the pressure vessel, wherein the filter elements are each of flat design, including a flat support grid and a filter medium which is placed over and encloses the support grid, and further comprise channels formed therein for discharging a suspension filtered by the filter medium of each filter element, and wherein further the filter elements are arranged in suspended manner in vertical longitudinal extension and parallel next to one another and are connected to one another to form a filter package,

• wherein said connection between filter elements being towards a first longitudinal end of the filter elements such that a first longitudinal portion of the filter element vertically suspended below a point of connection is greater than a second longitudinal portion of the filter element extending above said point of connection,
• wherein, when there is no pressure applied in the pressure vessel, there is a free space between the filter elements over a majority of their vertical longitudinal extension and the filter elements are compressible relative to one another upon compression of the flexible container by an increase of pressure in the pressure vessel.