Ceramic filter tubes

Claim 1

A filter comprising in combination: a cartridge-type filter element having a plurality of filter units each of which consists of a cylindrical porous ceramic tube having a controlled pore diameter, a fixed wall thickness, and is open at both ends, and a case therefore in which said cylindrical porous ceramic tubes are water-tightly closed at one-end part thereof with an end plate and watertightly supported in place at the other end part thereof with a bundling ring which has a filtrate discharge duct in communication with the interior of said tubes to form a filtrate discharge path; in which said case encircles said filter element; in which a cover has outlet means providing a filtrate discharge path communicating with the interior of said tubes through said discharge duct and said bundling ring; in which said cover also has inlet means which provides a feed liquid injection path which communicates with the empty space intervening between said case and said filter element and with the exterior surface of all of said tubes; and in which said cover tightly seals said case, whereby the feed liquid is constrained to flow through said porous ceramic tubes in its traverse from said inlet means to said discharge means, and wherein said tubes are disposed side by side in parallel relation with the ends thereof at one end being watertightly closed by said end plate and the ends thereof at the opposite end opening into and water-tightly sealed in said bundling ring.