Appeal 2007-0838
Application 09/851,242
Appellants’ invention is directed to a method of making a hollow fiber
membrane contactor wherein a hollow fiber fabric is wound around a center
tube. The method includes two potting steps.1 The hollow fiber fabric and
tube are potted together in a first potting step to form a unitized structure
(the fabric being wound around the tube). The unitized structure formed
from the potted together fabric and tube is placed in a shell and the unitized
structure and shell are mold potted together in a second potting step so as to
form a cartridge. A potting material is injected in a space between the
unitized structure and shell in the second potting step to form a cartridge.
The cartridge is useful in forming a hollow fiber membrane contactor. The
disclosed method for producing contactors is juxtaposed with a disclosed
need for producing contactors that have minimal or no problems (such as
potting to shell sealing) associated with potting shrinkage (Specification 2
and 3). Claims 1 and 21 are illustrative and reproduced below:
1. A method of making a hollow fiber membrane contactor
comprising the steps of:
winding a hollow fiber fabric around a center tube,
first potting the fabric and the tube together,
1 The term “potting” as employed herein is understood to embrace a
cementing or adhesive joining step. A potting material or agent, such as a
thermosetting material (e.g., epoxy resin) or a thermoplastic material (e.g.,
polyurethane or polyolefin), is used to effect the joining together of the
unitized structure and shell in the second mold potting step (claims 1, 16 and
21). The same or a different potting material can be used in the first potting
step. The potting material typically undergoes a curing or hardening step.
See, for example Specification 7-10.
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013