Method for the manufacture of filter wells

• US 5,885,499 A
• Filed: 08/22/1996
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences AB (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Pharmacia Biotech AB (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Aksberg, Arvi
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbaugh, Jan H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Edmund H.
• Application Number:
  US08/687,488
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 264/251, 264/250, 264/255, 264/DIG. 48, 264/153
• US Class Current: 264/153
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/012 Making filtering elements making bag, cage, hose, tube, sleeve or like filtering elements B01D29/111
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/05 supported
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/085 Funnel filters; Holders therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1671 with an insert
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/14 Filters optical filters B29L2011/0066, sieves or screens B29L2031/737
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/48 Processes of making filters

Abstract

A filter well of plastic having a bottom portion with an outlet and supporting a filter provided on top of the outlet, which filter is well sealed against leakage of liquid, is produced by first forming a bottom portion having a supporting surface for the filter and an outlet opening. Thereafter, a filter is applied on the bottom portion so that it covers at least essentially the whole bottom portion. Then, the cylindrical wall portion of the filter well is formed against the bottom portion with the lower part of the wall portion surrounding the edge of the filter and the upper edge of the bottom portion so that the bottom and wall portions form a fused unit with the outer edge of the filter being fused into the filter well material.

Claims

1. A method of producing a plastic filter well having a cavity defined by a bottom portion with an outlet and an upper part of a cylindrical wall portion extending upwardly from the bottom portion, said bottom portion supporting a filter provided on top of said outlet comprising:

(i) forming the bottom portion having a supporting surface for the filter and an outlet opening;

(ii) applying the filter on the bottom portion so that the filter at least essentially covers the whole bottom portion; and

(iii) the forming the cylindrical wall portion having the upper part and a lower part, wherein the upper part of the cylindrical wall portion surrounds the cavity and the lower part of the cylindrical wall connects to said filter on said bottom portion, with the lower part of the cylindrical wall portion surrounding an outer edge of the filter and an upper edge of the bottom portion so that the bottom portion and the lower part of the cylindrical wall portion form a fused unit, the outer edge of the filter being fused into the lower part of the cylindrical wall portion of the plastic filter well.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forming of the bottom portion and forming of the cylindrical wall portion of the filter well are carried out by injection moulding.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bottom portion and the cylindrical wall portion are formed from the same material.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein during forming of the cylindrical wall portion, the filter inside an edge portion that is to be fused is pressed against a rim portion of an upside of the bottom portion.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an upside of the bottom portion is formed with radial flow channels which run towards the outlet opening, and, optionally, also flow channels which are concentric with the outlet opening and which mutually connect the radial flow channels, ridge portions between the flow channels supporting the filter.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (ii) further comprises punching the filter from a filter blank.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the filter in step (ii) extends beyond a periphery of the bottom portion.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a supporting surface of the bottom portion for the filter extends inside an inner side of the cylindrical wall to support at least part of an active filtering surface of the filter.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outlet opening is centrally located in the bottom portion.