Method of repairing leaks in a hollow capillary fiber diffusion device
First Claim
1. The method of repairing leaks in a bundle of hollow capillary fibers of a diffusion device, said bundle of fibers being disposed in a housing to define a first flow path through the bores of said fibers, and a second flow path extending through said bundle between the capillary fibers, said first and second flow paths being normally sealed from each other, which method comprises:
- temporarily sealing one end of said bundle of fibers;
applying a sealant paste to the other end of said bundle of fibers, said sealant paste being essentially self-supporting and non-flowing except under pressure;
applying a suction to the second flow path, whereby any capillary fibers which have a leak will exert suction from said second flow path to draw said sealant into the bore of said leaking fiber to thereby permanently occlude said leaking fiber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The method of repairing leaks in a bundle of hollow capillary fibers of a diffusion device disposed in a housing comprises temporarily sealing one end of the bundle of fibers, applying a curable sealant paste to the other end of the bundle of fibers, and then applying a suction pressure to the flow path which passes through the bundle on the exterior of the fibers. Wherever a hollow fiber has a leak, the suction pressure will be transferred to the interior of the fiber, to individually cause the fiber to suck the curable sealant paste into its interior, thus blocking the fiber and preventing flow through it.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. The method of repairing leaks in a bundle of hollow capillary fibers of a diffusion device, said bundle of fibers being disposed in a housing to define a first flow path through the bores of said fibers, and a second flow path extending through said bundle between the capillary fibers, said first and second flow paths being normally sealed from each other, which method comprises:
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temporarily sealing one end of said bundle of fibers; applying a sealant paste to the other end of said bundle of fibers, said sealant paste being essentially self-supporting and non-flowing except under pressure; applying a suction to the second flow path, whereby any capillary fibers which have a leak will exert suction from said second flow path to draw said sealant into the bore of said leaking fiber to thereby permanently occlude said leaking fiber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification