Leaf filter system and replaceable filter leaf apparatus

A polishing filter apparatus comprising:

• a housing defining a cavity and having:
• i) a fluid inlet port receiving fluids into the housing cavity, ii) an outlet port for expelling said fluids out from the housing cavity, and iii) a lid member on said housing adjacent an opening defined in the housing and movable between a closed position sealing said opening and an opened position permitting access into said cavity through said opening;
• a manifold coupled to said outlet port and having a plurality of attachment areas, the manifold being adapted to conduct a fluid flow between said outlet port and said plurality of attachment areas, the plurality of attachment areas including a plurality of connection regions defining a plurality of virtual attachment axes, the manifold being connected relative to the housing at a position wherein the plurality of virtual attachment axes extend through said opening defined by the housing;
• and,
• a plurality of replaceable filter media leafs selectively movable through said opening and slidably attachable with said manifold in first directions parallel to the plurality of virtual attachment axes at said plurality of attachment areas, each of the plurality of replaceable filter media leafs including a filter envelope and a nozzle adapter member connected with the filter media leaf, the nozzle adapter member being slidably connectable with a one of the plurality of connection regions of the plurality of attachment areas in the first direction parallel to the virtual attachment axis and defining an elongate passage for conducting said fluids therethrough in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the passage being elongated in the first direction, the nozzle adapter member adapting the replaceable filter media leaf for selective connection with the manifold and permitting the replaceable filter media leaf to be moved though said opening on a one of said plurality of virtual attachment axes in accordance with the manifold being connected relative to the housing at said position wherein the plurality of virtual attachment axes extend through said opening defined by the housing, the nozzle adapter member including a sealing portion biasing the nozzle adapter member against the manifold in a bias direction forming a seal between the nozzle adapter member and the manifold in a substantially planar sealing plane perpendicular to the bias direction.

A replaceable filter leaf apparatus for use in an associated filter system including a housing having a cavity with fluid inlet and outlet ports for conducting a flow of fluids into and out from the housing and having a manifold coupled to the outlet port, the filter leaf apparatus comprising:

• a filter envelope consisting of a porous filter media, the filter media defining a first opening;
• a nozzle adapter member attached with said filter media by a connection selected from the group consisting of a stitch connection, a glue bond, a clamp, and a weld bond, and defining an elongate passageway adjacent said first opening for conducting fluids in a first direction therethrough, the nozzle adapter member adapting the filter leaf apparatus for selective connection with the manifold of the associated filter system and being formed of a substantially rigid material and including a connection portion adapted for slidable connection with the manifold of the associated filter system along a virtual attachment axis in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, the passageway being elongated in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction of the fluids conducted therethrough, the nozzle adapter member including a sealing portion biasing the nozzle adapter member against the manifold along a biasing axis to generate a seal between the nozzle adapter member and the manifold in a substantially planar sealing plane perpendicular to the biasing axis and substantially parallel to the second direction;
• and,
• a grid member contained within said filter envelope.

A replaceable filter leaf apparatus for use with an associated filter system including a housing having a cavity with fluid inlet and outlet ports for conducting a flow of fluids into and out from the housing and having a manifold coupled to the outlet port that includes a plurality of connection areas to receive a plurality of said filter leaf apparatuses in a sliding fashion, the replaceable filter leaf apparatus comprising:

• a porous filter media disposed around a substantially flat drainage grid and defining a first opening in said filter media, wherein said grid defines a plane and is adapted to provide a mechanical spacing between opposed portions of said filter media and fluid channels for conducting fluids in the plane defined by the grid;
• a nozzle adaptor member formed of a substantially rigid material affixed and sealed to a margin around said first opening, the nozzle adaptor member being attached with the filter media by a connection selected from the group consisting of a stitch connection, a glue bond, a clamp, and a weld bond, and including a connection portion adapted for i) slidable connection to at least one of said plurality of connection areas of said manifold in a sliding fashion in a first direction and ii) providing a channel with an elongate passageway for fluid flow in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction between said first opening and said manifold, the passageway being elongated in the first direction, and including a sealing portion adapted for biasing the nozzle adapter member against the manifold in a biasing axis to generate a seal between the nozzle adapter member and the manifold in a substantially planar sealing plane perpendicular to the biasing axis and substantially parallel to the first direction.

A filter comprising:

• a housing defining cavity with fluid inlet and outlet ports for conducting fluids into and out from the housing and having a manifold coupled to the outlet port, the manifold including a plurality of connection areas to receive a plurality of porous filter media leafs in a sliding fashion wherein said media leafs are substantially flat and define a plane substantially perpendicularly into which fluid containing solids flow from either side of said plane and filtered fluid flows substantially in one or more directions within said plane and wherein said leafs have a nozzle adaptor member including a body defining an elongate passageway for conducting a flow of fluids in a first direction between first and second opposite ends of the body, the first end of the body for connection of said filter leaf with said manifold in a sliding fashion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the first end being configured to bias the nozzle adapted member against the manifold in a direction perpendicular to a substantially planar sealing plane between the nozzle adapter member and the manifold, the second end of the body of the nozzle adapter member being attached with said filter media by a connection selected from the group consisting of a stitch connection, a glue bond, a clamp, and a weld bond, the passageway being elongated in the second direction;
• a portion of the housing defining an opening;
• and,
• an access door normally covering and sealing the opening during filtering and not covering the opening during replacement of said filter leafs wherein filter leafs are removable and replaceable entirely through said opening in a sliding fashion the direction of which is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by said opening,
• wherein said plurality of filter leafs are mutually parallel when connected with said manifold, by said nozzle adaptor member.

A replaceable filter leaf apparatus for use in an associated filter system including a housing having a cavity with fluid inlet and outlet ports for conducting a flow of fluids into and out from the housing and having a manifold coupled to the outlet port and an opening for the purpose of replacing the filter leaf apparatus, the filter leaf apparatus comprising:

• a filter media disposed around a substantially flat drainage grid that permits fluid flow in the plane of the flat drainage grid and an adapter nozzle attached with the filter media around an opening in the filter media, said adapter nozzle having an elongated passageway formed of one or more openings for conducting fluid from the drainage grid to the associated manifold and having a first portion attached and sealed with said filter media and a second portion selectively slidably attachable with said manifold in a sliding manner in a direction of sliding substantially perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow through and exiting the adapter nozzle, the second portion being configured to bias the adapter nozzle against the associated manifold in a biasing direction to seal the adapter nozzle with the associated manifold and generate a seal in a plane perpendicular to the biasing direction and substantially parallel with the direction of sliding, the passageway of the nozzle member being elongated in the direction of sliding onto the manifold.

An apparatus comprising:

• a filter housing defining a cavity and having fluid inlet and outlet ports for conducting fluids into and out from the housing respectively and having a manifold coupled with the outlet port, the manifold including a plurality of connection areas configured to receive a plurality of filter leafs in a sliding fashion wherein said filter leafs consist of a filter media disposed around a substantially flat drainage grid that permits fluid flow in the plane of the flat drainage grid and an adapter nozzle attached with the filter media around an opening in the filter media, said adapter nozzle having a sealing portion generating a seal in a substantially planar seal plane by biasing the adapter nozzle with the manifold in a direction perpendicular to the sealing plane, and having an elongate passageway formed of one or more openings for conducting fluid from the drainage grid to the manifold and having a first portion attached and sealed with said filter media and a second portion selectively attachable with said manifold in a sliding manner with the direction of sliding being substantially perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow through and exiting the adapter nozzle, the passageway being elongated in the direction of the sliding, a portion of the housing defining an opening and an access door normally covering and sealing the opening during filtering and not covering the opening during replacement of said filter leafs wherein filter leafs are removable and replaceable entirely through said opening in a sliding fashion the direction of which is substantially perpendicular to the opening.