Filter housing for closed fluid circulating system

An apparatus comprising:

• a container having an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice;
• a base for removably supporting said container;
• a fluid inlet passage in said base;
• a fluid outlet passage in said base;
• plural valves for selectively interconnecting said inlet passage to said inlet orifice and said outlet passage to said outlet orifice, said valves comprising concentric rings, said rings being generally cylindrical in shape with a bore through their longitudinal axes, each said ring having a plurality of ring orifices wherein said rings can be positioned to accomplish said selective interconnecting of said inlet passage to said inlet orifice and said outlet passage to said outlet orifice;
• and
• a valve actuator for operating said concentric rings in response to insertion and removal of said container in said base to allow fluid to flow from said inlet passage, into said inlet orifice, and through said container when said container is inserted into said base and to prevent leakage of said fluid from both said container and said base when said container is removed from said base.

An apparatus comprising:

• a container having an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice;
• a base for removably supporting said container;
• a first fluid inlet passage in said base;
• a second fluid inlet passage in said base;
• a first fluid outlet passage in said base;
• a second fluid outlet passage in said base;
• plural valves for selectively interconnecting said inlet passages to said inlet orifice and said outlet passages to said outlet orifice and for selectively sealing the inlet orifice and the outlet orifice and the inlet passages and the outlet passages;
• and
• a valve actuator for operating said plural valves in response to positioning said container in said base to allow fluid to flow into said container from said first inlet passage and out said first outlet passage when said container is in a first position and into said container from said second inlet passage and out said second outlet passage when said container is in a second position and to seal the inlet and the outlet orifices and the inlet passages and the outlet passages removal or insertion of the container from or into said base.

A method of separating and removing a section of a fluid flow conduit from a fluid circulation system, said system including a first inlet passage for supplying a first fluid to said section, a second inlet passage for supplying a second fluid to said section, and a first outlet passage for conducting said first fluid from said section, and a second outlet passage for conducting said second fluid from said section, said first and second inlet passages and said first and second outlet passages including first and second inlet valves and first and second outlet valves, respectively, said first and second inlet valves and said first and second outlet valves contemporaneously having a sealed position in response to placing said section in a specific release position with respect to said system, comprising:

• allowing said first fluid to pass from said first inlet passage into said section in response to placing said section in a first position with respect to said system;
• allowing said second fluid to pass from said second inlet passage into said section in response to placing said section in a second position with respect to said system;
• filtering said first or second fluids;
• allowing said first or second fluids to pass out of said outlet passage into said system;
• closing said inlet valves and said outlet valves and sealing said inlet passages and said outlet passages in response to placing said section in said specific release position with respect to said system, and
• removing said section from said fluid circulation system.