Self-cleaning strainer

A fluid strainer comprising:

• a body having a chamber for receiving a strainer and an inlet cavity;
• a strainer element attached to said body and positioned within said chamber through which a fluid being filtered must pass, means for feeding and maintaining said fluid at a straining pressure in said inlet cavity, said strainer element having an inlet side and an outlet side, through which the fluid being filtered passes from said inlet cavity, through said inlet side and then through said outlet side;
• and
• a cleaning assembly comprising:
• a nozzle means for directing pressurized cleaning fluid maintained at a pressure greater than the straining pressure of the fluid being filtered flowing through said strainer element against said inlet side of said strainer element for dislodging particulate matter from said inlet side of said strainer element, said nozzle means positioned within said inlet cavity and adjacent to an inlet side of said strainer element;
• an inlet conduit means attached to said body and attached to said nozzle means and extending external of said inlet cavity and said body for bringing said cleaning fluid from a fluid supply source external of said inlet cavity to said nozzle;
• and
• an arm means for collecting the dislodged particulate matter having a suction member defining a suction member opening, said arm means mounted to said body and positioned within said inlet cavity adjacent to said inlet side of said strainer element and adjacent to said nozzle means, said arm means and said nozzle means attached to each other forming an arm means nozzle means assembly, at least one of said arm means nozzle means assembly and said strainer element being moveably mounted relative to the other, and wherein said nozzle means is positioned in a manner to direct the cleaning fluid to come in contact with said inlet side of said strainer at an acute incident angle with respect to the inlet side of the strainer element at the point of contact of the directed cleaning fluid so that cleaning fluid reflects off the inlet side of said straining element and flows with the dislodged particulate matter into the opening of said suction member.