FILTERING DEVICE

• US 3,804,258 A
• Filed: 08/08/1972
• Issued: 04/16/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leonard B. Flowers, Vincent F. Okuniewski
• Original Assignee: Leonard B. Flowers, Vincent F. Okuniewski
• Inventors: Okuniewski, Vincent F., Flowers, Leonard B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Granger, Theodore A.
• Application Number:
  US05/278,783
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 210/459-463,172,167,448,452 285/259,266,238 68/18F,18FA
• US Class Current: 210/460
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 27/08 Construction of the casing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/23 arranged for outward flow filtration

Abstract

A liquid filtering device that is manually attachable to and removable from the distal end of the liquid discharge hose of a powered automatic washing machine, is provided. The filter device in combination embodies a coupling member, a filter housing having a removable filter screen therein and an outer liquid deflector about the filter housing.

Claims

1. In an improved filtering device adapted to be removably attached to the distal end of a relatively resilient flexible liquid discharge hose of a washing machine for filtering lint and other particulate matter from liquid discharged by said washing machine, the improved device comprising in combination a coupling having a substantially tubular hub section manually removably attachable to said hose distal end, said hub section having a bore and radially inwardly directed flanges adjacent the proximal end of said bore to limit telescoping insertion of said hose distal end thereinto, said hub section having a plurality of spaced apart substantially diamond-shaped beads or lugs extending radially inwardly from the surface of said bore and disposed axially of said hose limiting flanges toward the distal end of said bore to engage and impress said hose distal end inserted within said bore and forced thereover, said hub section bore surface being spaced sufficiently from the outer surface of said hose distal end when said beads or lugs are impressed therein to provide a relief passageway for overflow of liquid from said device, and a distal outer annular flange section, a filter housing having a tubular body open at its proximal end and closed at its distal end, conjoined to and extending from said coupling flange section, and communicating with said coupling hub section to receive said liquid therefrom, said tubular body having lateral liquid discharge openings therethrough, a removable layer of a filter medium in said housing overlying said openings to pass filtered liquid therethrough, and an outer tubular shell open at its distal end, conjoined to said coupling at said outer flange section, and extending substantially about said filter housing and spaced apart therefrom, to deflect filtered liquid discharged from said housing body lateral openings substantially in an axial direction.

2. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, said distal outer annular flange section having a counterbore communicating with said hub section bore, and radially inwardly directed spaced apart support flanges, spaced axially apart from the counterbore seat of said flange section to provide an opening therebetween for removably connecting said filter housing to said coupling, and means at the proximal end of said filter housing body for removable engagement of said body with said coupling outer annular flange section.

3. The improved filtering device defined in claim 2, wherein said filter housing body proximal end is provided with spaced apart radially outwardly directed flange segments complementary to and rotatably engageable with said coupling flange section support flanges, insertable into and rotatable within said counterbore opening between said seat and said support flanges.

4. The improved filtering device defined in claim 3, wherein said coupling flange section is provided with stop lugs in said counterbore at said support flanges to limit their rotative engagement with anD relative to said filter housing body flange segments.

5. The improved filtering device defined in claim 2, wherein said coupling outer annular flange section is further provided with at least one overflow by-pass notch in the wall surface defining said counterbore, communicating with said hub section bore and the passage defined by the outer wall surface of said filter housing tubular body and the inner wall surface of said outer tubular shell.

6. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, wherein each of said diamond-shaped beads or lugs is defined by crossing vertical and horizontal medial lines forming quadrants extending at obtuse angles from the surface of said bore substantially to a point, all said quadrants meeting substantially at the crosspoint of said vertical and horizontal lines.

7. The improved filtering device defined in claim 6, wherein said quadrants are planar and relatively clearly defined by said vertical and horizontal lines.

8. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, wherein each of said diamond-shaped beads or lugs is defined by vertical and horizontal medial lines forming upper and lower pairs of quadrants extending at obtuse angles from the surface of said bore, the upper pair of said quadrants being disposed next adjacent each other about one vertical line, and the lower pair of said quadrants being disposed next adjacent each other about another vertical line, said vertical lines lying substantially in a plane, said lower pair of said quadrants being recessed toward said bore surface and inwardly from the horizontal line defining the distal edge of said upper pair of quadrants, whereby an undercut ledge is provided under said upper pair of quadrants at said horizontal lines and said ledge forms a three-sided point with said upper pair of quadrants.

9. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, wherein each of said diamond-shaped beads or lugs is defined by crossing vertical and horizontal medial lines forming upper and lower arcuate pairs of quadrants extending from the surface of said bore substantially to a point, the upper pair of said quadrants having convexly curved surfaces, the lower pair of said quadrants having concavely curved surfaces, all said quadrants meeting substantially at the crosspoint of said vertical and horizontal lines.

10. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, wherein said outer tubular shell is provided with an open distal end, a radially inwardly directed annular flange at its proximal end with a bore therethrough to pass said flange over said coupling hub section, whereby said outer shell rests freely upon said hub section outer flange section.

11. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, wherein said layer of filter medium comprises a liquid permeable woven screen cloth.

12. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, wherein said layer of filter medium comprises a sheet of non-woven liquid permeable fabric-like material.

13. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, wherein said filter housing body extends axially from said coupling flange section.

14. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, wherein said filter housing body lateral openings are arranged in annular axially spaced apart rows of elongated slots to provide a substantially large area for discharge of liquid therethrough.

15. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, wherein said filter housing body is provided with a manually removable cap at its distal end.

16. The improved filtering device defined in claim 15, wherein said end cap is threadedly engaged with said filter housing body.

17. The improved filtering device defined in claim 1, wherein said filter housing body proximal end is threadedly secured to said coupling distal flange section by full annular screw threads.

18. The improved filteriNg device defined in claim 1, wherein said filter housing body proximal end is threadedly secured to said coupling distal flange section by annularly spaced apart screw thread segments.

19. In an improved filtering device adapted to be removably attached to the distal end of a relatively resilient flexible liquid discharge hose of a washing machine for filtering lint and other particulate matter from liquid discharged by said washing machine, the improved device comprising in combination a coupling having a substantially tubular hub section manually removably attachable to said hose distal end, said hub section having a bore and radially inwardly directed flanges adjacent the proximal end of said bore to limit telescoping insertion of said hose distal end thereinto, said hub section having a plurality of radially spaced apart slots comprising in part longitudinally extending openings transversely through the body portion of said hub section and in part axially of and partially in said body portion adjacent said bore and axially above said slot openings toward the distal end of said hub section, and a complementary plurality of wedge lock members slidably disposed in said slots adjacent and in said bore to engage and impress said hose distal end telescopically inserted within said bore and forced thereover, said hub section bore surface being spaced sufficiently from the outer surface of said hose distal end when said wedge lock members are impressed therein to provide a relief passageway for overflow of liquid from said device, and a distal outer annular flange section, a filter housing having a tubular body open at its proximal end and closed at its distal end, conjoined to and extending from said coupling flange section, and communicating with said coupling hub section to receive said liquid therefrom, said tubular body having lateral liquid discharge openings therethrough, a removable layer of a filter medium in said housing overlying said openings to pass filtered liquid therethrough, and an outer tubular shell open at its distal end, conjoined to said coupling at said outer flange section, and extending substantially about said filter housing and spaced apart therefrom, to deflect filtered liquid discharged from said housing body lateral openings substantially in an axial direction.

20. The improved filtering device defined in claim 19, wherein said hub section slots are disposed through and in said body portion axially above said annular flange section, the inner face of each said slots facing radially inwardly from said body portion at a slight acute angle to the axis of said bore, each said wedge lock members having a tapered body provided at its base with a manually graspable outwardly projecting tab and having radially inwardly facing sawtooth ribs adapted to engage and impress said hose distal end, said wedge lock member body being axially slidably disposed in said hub section slots radially inwardly of said slot inner faces, whereby to increase retentive pressure upon said hose distal end as said wedge members move axially of said hub section in the direction of hose retraction.

21. The improved filtering device defined in claim 19, said coupling outer flange section intermediate said hub section and said filter housing having a counterbore communicating with said hub section bore, and at least one overflow by-pass notch or passageway in the wall section defining said counterbore and through said coupling flange section, communicating with said hub section bore and the passage defined by the outer wall surface of said filter housing tubular body and the inner wall surface of said outer tubular shell.

22. In an improved filtering device adapted to be removably attached to the distal end of a relatively resilient flexible liquid discharge hose of a washing machine for filtering lint and other particulate matter from liquid discharged by said washing machine, the improved device comprising in combination a coupling having a substantially tubular hub section manually removably attachable to said hose distal end, said hub section having a bore and radially inwardly directed flanges adjacent the proximal end of said bore to limit telescoping insertion of said hose distal end thereinto, said hub section having a plurality of spaced apart substantially diamond-shaped beads or lugs extending radially outward from the outer surface of said hub section to engage and impress said hose distal end forced thereover, said hub section outer surface being spaced sufficiently from the inner surface of said hose distal end when said beads or lugs are impressed therein to provide a relief passageway for overflow of liquid from said device, and a distal outer annular flange section, a filter housing having a tubular body open at its proximal end and closed at its distal end, conjoined to and extending from said coupling flange section, and communicating with said coupling hub section to receive said liquid therefrom, said tubular body having lateral liquid discharge openings therethrough, a removable layer of a filter medium in said housing overlying said openings to pass filtered liquid therethrough, and an outer tubular shell open at its distal end, conjoined to said coupling at said outer flange section, and extending substantially about said filter housing and spaced apart therefrom, to deflect filtered liquid discharged from said housing body lateral openings substantially in an axial direction.

23. The improved filtering device defined in claim 22, said coupling outer flange section intermediate said hub section and said outer shell having a counterbore communicating with said hub section bore, and at least one backflow by-pass notch or passageway in the wall section defining coupling outer flange section and therethrough, communicating with said hub section bore and the passage defined by the outer wall surface of said filter housing tubular body and the inner wall surface of said outer tubular shell.