# US 5,707,536 A · Resin filter cartridge > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,707,536 A - Document ID: US5707536A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/582,258 - Filed: 1996-01-03 - Granted: 1998-01-13 - Earliest claimed: 1996-01-03 - Inventors: Christopher A. Meissner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5707536A ## CPC - C02F 1/003: {using household-type filters for producing potable water, e.g. pitchers, bottles, faucet mounted devices (C02F9/20 takes precedence)} - B01D 24/12: Downward filtration, the filtering material being supported by pervious surfaces (B01D24/18 takes precedence) - B01D 24/4694: {containing filter material retaining means (e.g. screens, balls) placed on the surface of the filter material} - B01J 47/024: where the ion-exchangers are in a removable cartridge - C02F 2201/006: Cartridges - 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) - 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) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS ## Abstract A filter cartridge containing resin beads for purifying fluids such as water and chemicals has a cylindrical housing with an interior compartment containing a fixed septum and a moveable piston-like septum. The resin beads are packed between the fixed septum and the moveable septum. The moveable septum is displaced upstream to account for expansion of the resin beads while the flow of the fluid through the filter cartridge causes the upstream septum to maintain a packing pressure on the resin beads. The downstream fixed septum will preferably have a cone-like shape. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A filter cartridge suitable for mounting to a filter housing and containing filter material to purify a fluid passing through the cartridge, comprising: a cartridge housing having wails defining a compartment and including an inlet end cap defining an inlet passage and an outlet end cap defining an outlet passage to permit flow of the fluid into, through, and out of the compartment; at least one of the inlet and outlet end caps being adapted to mount to an inlet or an outlet of the filter housing; an upstream septum and a downstream septum permeable to the fluid but not to the filter material and located within the compartment so that the fluid must pass through the upstream and downstream septums in flowing from the inlet passage to the outlet passage; the upstream and the downstream septums being separable so as to define a subcompartment in the compartment between the upstream and downstream septums, the subcompartment containing all of the filter material; and one of the septums being displaceable within the compartment to accommodate expansion of the filter material and to provide a packing pressure to all of the filter material contained within the filter cartridge when the fluid is flowing through the compartment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The filter cartridge according to claim 1 in which the downstream septum is fixed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The filter cartridge according to claim 2 in which the downstream septum has walls aligned at an angle with respect to the flow of fluid through the compartment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The filter cartridge according to claim 3 in which the downstream septum has the shape of at least part of a cone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The filter cartridge according to claim 2 in which the downstream septum is attached to the outlet end cap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The filter cartridge according to claim 1 in which the upstream septum moves in sliding engagement with the housing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The filter cartridge according to claim 6 in which the housing has walls that are parallel to a major axis running between the inlet end cap and the outlet end cap and the upstream septum is in piston-like engagement with the walls of the housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The filter cartridge according to claim 7 in which the housing is cylindrically shaped. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The filter cartridge according to claim 6 in which the upstream septum is shaped like a plunger with walls contacting the housing in sliding engagement and maintaining the alignment of the upstream septum in the compartment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The filter cartridge according to claim 1 in which the filter material is comprised of resin beads. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The filter cartridge according to claim 1 in which the inlet end cap is detachably secured to the housing to permit removal of the upstream septum and the filter material from the compartment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The filter cartridge according to claim 1 in which the outlet end cap is detachably secured to the housing to permit removal of the downstream septum and the filter material from the compartment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The filter cartridge of claim 1, in which the one, displaceable septum is the upstream septum. ### Claim 14 A filter cartridge for purifying a fluid passing through the cartridge, comprising: a cylindrical cartridge housing having walls defining a compartment; an inlet end cap defining an inlet passage and an outlet end cap defining an outlet passage, the inlet end cap and the outlet end cap being attached at opposed ends of the cartridge housing; a downstream septum attached to the outlet end cap so that the fluid must pass through the downstream septum in order to pass through the outlet passage, the downstream septum being permeable to the fluid but not to a filter material; an upstream septum permeable to the fluid but not to a filter material and shaped to fit within the compartment so that the fluid must pass through the upstream septum in order to pass to and through the outlet passage; filter material packed into the compartment only between the upstream septum and the downstream septum; and the upstream septum being in piston-like engagement with the walls of the cartridge housing and displaceable within the compartment to accommodate expansion of the filter material located between the upstream septum and the downstream septum and to provide a packing pressure to the filter material when the fluid is flowing from the inlet passage to the outlet passage. ### Claim 15 A method for packing filter material in a cartridge adapted for mounting to a filter housing, the filter cartridge comprising a cartridge housing that defines a compartment and includes an inlet end cap defining an inlet passage, an outlet end cap defining an outlet passage, filter material between the inlet and outlet end caps, at least one of the inlet and outlet end caps being adapted for mounting to an inlet or an outlet of the filter housing, and an upstream and a downstream septum for retaining all of the filter material in a subcompartment in the compartment while permitting passage of a fluid from the inlet passage to the outlet passage through the subcompartment, the method comprising the steps of: mounting the cartridge in the filter housing; connecting the filter housing to a fluid line to induce fluid to flow through the filter cartridge; and altering the size of the subcompartment to be occupied by all of the filter material by moving one of the septums toward the corresponding passage in order to permit expansion of the filter material while maintaining a packing pressure on the filter material when the fluid is flowing through the filter cartridge. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, in which the altering step moves the upstream septum toward the inlet passage.