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US 2004/0055604 A1Published application
Filter element that has a thermo-formed housing around filter material
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsAndrew S. Viner, Audra A. Conlan, Brian Cormack, Malcolm R. Watson, Christopher P. Henderson, Desmond T. Curran, Elfed I. Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A filter cartridge (5), suitable for attachment to a respiratory mask, has a housing that includes an air inlet (27), an air outlet (39), and filter material (17, 19) through which air to be filtered travels through when passing from the inlet to the outlet. At least part of the housing includes a sheet material (23) that is thermo-formed around the sides of the filter material.
Claims26
A filter element that comprises:
- (a) a housing that has at least one inlet and at least one outlet;
- and
- (b) a mass of filter material that is contained within the housing such that a fluid to be filtered passes through the at least one inlet, the filter material, and the at least one outlet;
- wherein at least part of the housing comprises a sheet material that is thermoformed around at least part of the mass of filter material to prevent passage of fluid between the filter material and the sheet material so that fluid passes through the filter material before exiting the housing.
1 more element
A method of making a filter element, which method comprises the steps of:
- (i) providing a mass of filter material;
- (ii) providing a thermo-formable sheet material;
- and
- (iii) thermo-forming the sheet material around at least part of the mass of filter material to encapsulate the filter material and prevent the passage of fluid between the filter and sheet materials, thus preventing the passage of fluid through the filter element other than along a filtering path through the filter material.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.