Appeal 2006-2453
Application 10/302,391
16 is formed by folding a membrane sheet 10 in half along its width to
present two membrane leaves 10-X and 10-Y. A membrane sheet 10
comprises a membrane material integrally joined to a backing material.
Sheet 10 is generally folded along a fold line such that the membrane
sides are facing. A feed spacer 17 is positioned between the leaves 10-X
and 10-Y. [0017].
A UV curable adhesive is applied across the width of the membrane
sheet 10 along either side of the fold line prior to folding [0021] to
provide fold protection without adhering the membrane leaves 10-X and
10-Y to each other [0022]. The UV curable adhesive may be applied to
either the backing side or to the membrane side. [0022].
The UV curable adhesive is flexible and has a hardness with a Shore A
range after curing. [0023].
The leaf packets 16 are arranged such that their fold lines are
positioned adjacent to permeate carrier tube 20. [0032]. Permeate carrier
envelopes are formed by positioning a permeate carrier 22A adjacent a
first membrane leaf 10-XA of a leaf packet 16A. A quantity of adhesive
26 is applied along the side edges 28 and/or across the distant axial edge
30 of first leaf 10-XA and/or permeate carrier 22A. A second leaf 10-YB
of adjacent leaf packet 16B is brought into contact with adhesive 26 so as
to form a completed permeate carrier envelope comprised of permeate
carrier 22A sealed between the two leaves 10-XA and 10-YB. The
envelopes are then wound around the tube 20.
In operation, unfiltered fluid passes along the feed spacers 17 in a
direction parallel to the axis of the permeate carrier tube 20, passes
radially through the membrane surface of the permeate carrier envelopes,
3
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Last modified: September 9, 2013