# US 12,179,153 B2 · Hollow fiber membrane module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,179,153 B2 - Document ID: US12179153B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/639,204 - Filed: 2020-07-28 - Published: 2022-10-13 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-25 - Assignees: Nitto Denko Corporation - Applicants: Nitto Denko Corporation - Inventors: Masamitsu Taguchi; Hiroki Fujioka; Toshiaki Suga - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179153B2 ## CPC - B01D 63/043: {with separate tube sheets} - B01D 63/024: {with a single potted end} - B01D 63/031: {Two or more types of hollow fibres within one bundle or within one potting or tube-sheet} - B01D 65/003: {Membrane bonding or sealing} - C02F 1/44: by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis {(general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268)} - B01D 2313/21: Specific headers, end caps - C02F 2103/04: for obtaining ultra-pure water - 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 A hollow fiber membrane module (100) of the present invention includes: a plurality of hollow fiber membranes (10); a binding portion (20) binding the plurality of hollow fiber membranes (10) at one end portions thereof; and a cap (30) having an internal space (30s) that communicates with each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes (10), the cap (30) being integrated with the binding portion (20); and a housing (40) that houses the plurality of hollow fiber membranes (10) and the binding portion (20), and that has one end portion to which the cap (30) is attached. A unit (70) including the plurality of hollow fiber membranes (10), the binding portion (20), and the cap (30) is detached from the housing (40) and the unit (70) is attached to the housing (40) while integration of the binding portion (20) and the cap (30) is maintained. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hollow fiber membrane module comprising: a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; a binding portion binding the plurality of hollow fiber membranes at first end portions thereof; a sealing portion sealing the plurality of hollow fiber membranes at second end portions thereof; a first cap having an internal space that communicates with each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, the first cap being integrated with the binding portion; a housing that houses the plurality of hollow fiber membranes and the binding portion, and that has a first end portion to which the first cap is attached; and a second cap removably attached to a second end of the housing, wherein the hollow fiber membrane module is an external-pressure-type hollow fiber membrane module in which a space around the plurality of hollow fiber membranes is used as a flow path of raw liquid, and the internal space of the first cap is used as a flow path of permeate liquid, the sealing portion is joined to neither the housing nor the second cap, a unit including the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, the binding portion, the first cap, and the sealing portion is detachable from the housing while integration of the binding portion and the first cap is maintained, and the unit is attachable to the housing while integration of the binding portion and the first cap is maintained. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein no seal ring is present between the binding portion and the first cap. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 2, wherein there is no groove for receiving the seal ring between the binding portion and the first cap. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein the first cap comprises a sleeve that extends along a longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membranes, and that surrounds the binding portion in a circumferential direction, and the sleeve is joined to the binding portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 4, wherein an adhesive is filled between an inner circumferential surface of the sleeve and an outer circumferential surface of the binding portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 4, wherein the first cap further comprises a shoulder portion located inward of the sleeve, the shoulder portion overlaps the binding portion in a radial direction of the hollow fiber membrane module, and the shoulder portion is further joined to the binding portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 4, wherein the sleeve is wedge-shaped on a cross-section parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membranes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein the binding portion has a truncated-cone shape. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, further comprising: a seal ring that is disposed between the housing and the first cap, and that seals a gap between the housing and the first cap. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, further comprising a fastening member that fixes the first cap and the housing to each other, wherein the unit is detachable from the housing by unfixing the first cap and the housing fixed by the fastening member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 10, wherein the fastening member comprises a nut that fixes the first cap and the housing to each other, and the nut comprises a shoulder portion that is in contact with an upper surface of the first cap. ### Claim 12 A hollow fiber membrane module comprising: a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; a binding portion binding the plurality of hollow fiber membranes at first end portions thereof, the binding portion having a truncated-cone shape; a sealing portion sealing the plurality of hollow fiber membranes at second end portions thereof; a first cap having an internal space that communicates with each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, the first cap being integrated with the binding portion; a housing that houses the plurality of hollow fiber membranes and the binding portion, and that has a first end portion to which the first cap is attached; a fastening member that fixes the first cap and the housing to each other; and a second cap removably attached to a second end of the housing, wherein the hollow fiber membrane module is an external-pressure-type hollow fiber membrane module in which a space around the plurality of hollow fiber membranes is used as a flow path of raw liquid, and the internal space of the first cap is used as a flow path of permeate liquid, the sealing portion is joined to neither the housing nor the second cap, the first cap comprises a sleeve and a shoulder portion located inward of the sleeve, the sleeve extends along a longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membranes, surrounds the binding portion in a circumferential direction, and is joined to the binding portion by an adhesive filled between an inner circumferential surface of the sleeve and an outer circumferential surface of the binding portion, the internal space of the first cap, which is the flow path of raw liquid, is isolated from the internal space of the housing, which is the flow path of permeate liquid, by the adhesive, the shoulder portion overlaps the binding portion in a radial direction of the hollow fiber membrane module, the adhesive is also present between the binding portion and the shoulder portion so that the shoulder portion is further joined to the binding portion, and a unit including the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, the binding portion, the first cap and the sealing portion is detachable from the housing while integration of the binding portion and the first cap is maintained by unfixing the first cap and the housing fixed by the fastening member, and the unit is attachable to the housing while integration of the binding portion and the first cap is maintained.