Fluid flow transfer device with formed-in-place manifold gasket and method of making same

Claim 1

In a method of forming a fluid flow manifold for a fluid flow transfer apparatus having a pleated membrane stack and a housing, wherein said membrane is folded and the fold edges form tips that are bonded to an interior surface of said housing by a potting material that is introduced in a flowable state, and wherein said housing has a channel portion formed along said interior surface, said channel communicating through a fluid port to the exterior of said housing, and said channel forming a manifold with said membrane stack, the improvement comprising the steps of: applying a gasket material to said housing interior surrounding said channel portion prior to bonding the tips of said pleated membrane to said housing, said gasket material being flowable enough to conform to the shape of the membrane tips and to penetrate into the spaces formed between the tips while viscous enough to avoid wicking of itself along said spaces into the manifold area, that is, thixotropic, and placing said membrane tips against said applied gasket material while said material is still deformable, to cause said material to conform to said tips and to penetrate far enough into said spaces between tips to prevent capillary flow of subsequently-introduced potting material through said spaces, whereby when said potting material is introduced it is prevented from blocking the manifold area.