Abstract: A seal member is attached to a peripheral edge portion of a filter body by being fused to semi-melted fibers that form the filter body when the semi-melted fibers are layered over a forming surface. Therefore, the formation of the filter body and the attachment of the seal member can be simultaneously accomplished.

Abstract: A filter portion of a filter includes a plurality of bag-like members. The bag-like members are formed in a container shape having an opening and disposed with intervals therebetween. The periphery of the opening of each bag-like member is supported by a supporting member, and the bag-like members are mutually connected by the supporting member. Consequently, the strength of the filter portion comprising the bag-like members is improved.

Abstract: A filter production method produces a filter having a shape substantially identical to the shape of a forming surface by extruding semi-molten fibers to the forming surface. When the semi-molten fibers are extruded to the forming surface, the semi-molten fibers are gathered to upstanding surface portions of the forming surface. Therefore, a sufficient amount of fibers can be layered onto the upstanding surface portions, so that the layering amount of fibers on the upstanding surface portions of the forming surface will not be considerably reduced in comparison with the layering amounts on other portions of the forming surface.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional non-woven fabric according to the invention is a method in which semi-molten fibers are spun on a forming surface of a mold to form the three-dimensional non-woven fabric. The method includes a step of preparing a plurality of mold pieces, which can be mutually overlapped and a step of forming a mold including forming surfaces in a certain size by partly mutually overlapping a plurality of the mold pieces and adjusting the area in which the mold pieces are mutually overlapped. This makes it possible to form plural types of three-dimensional non-woven fabrics whose sizes are different using only one unit of mold.

Abstract: A filter production method produces a filter having a shape substantially identical to the shape of a forming surface by extruding semi-molten fibers to the forming surface. When the semi-molten fibers are extruded to the forming surface, the semi-molten fibers are gathered to upstanding surface portions of the forming surface. Therefore, a sufficient amount of fibers can be layered onto the upstanding surface portions, so that the layering amount of fibers on the upstanding surface portions of the forming surface will not be considerably reduced in comparison with the layering amounts on other portions of the forming surface.

Abstract: A filter medium has a function member accommodated between two fiber layers. A production method for manufacturing a filter medium includes the steps of: preparing a first fiber layer having a shape identical to that of a side surface of the filter medium; disposing a function member on a surface of the first fiber layer; and forming a second fiber layer by spinning partially melted fibers onto the function member disposed on the surface of the first fiber layer. Therefore, it is unnecessary to carry out press-forming in a state in which the function member is sandwiched between nonwoven fabrics, and a countermeasure to prevent the function member from falling out and a countermeasure to prevent the nonwoven fabric from being torn by the function member are unnecessary.

Abstract: A three-dimensional non-woven fabric formed by spinning semi-molten fibers onto a mold. The three-dimensional non-woven fabric includes a hanging fiber wall formed from the semi-molten fibers hanging down from the mold in a tangled state.

Abstract: A seal member is attached to a peripheral edge portion of a filter body by being fused to semi-melted fibers that form the filter body when the semi-melted fibers are layered over a forming surface. Therefore, the formation of the filter body and the attachment of the seal member can be simultaneously accomplished.

Abstract: A filter portion of a filter includes a plurality of bag-like members. The bag-like members are formed in a container shape having an opening and disposed with intervals therebetween. The periphery of the opening of each bag-like member is supported by a supporting member, and the bag-like members are mutually connected by the supporting member. Consequently, the strength of the filter portion comprising the bag-like members is improved.

Abstract: A filter medium has a function member accommodated between two fiber layers. A production method for manufacturing a filter medium includes the steps of: preparing a first fiber layer having a shape identical to that of a side surface of the filter medium; disposing a function member on a surface of the first fiber layer; and forming a second fiber layer by spinning partially melted fibers onto the function member disposed on the surface of the first fiber layer. Therefore, it is unnecessary to carry out press-forming in a state in which the function member is sandwiched between nonwoven fabrics, and a countermeasure to prevent the function member from falling out and a countermeasure to prevent the nonwoven fabric from being torn by the function member are unnecessary.

Abstract: A filter element has a wavy filter portion including a plurality of ridges of a filter material, which are juxtaposed to one another and closed at their sides, and a flange portion extending along a mounting plane around the filter portion for supporting the filter portion. The flange portion is made of the same filter material extending from the filter portion, by compressing the filter material more densely than the filter portion. The filter element is manufactured by a step of preparing an intermediate product of a wavy sheet, and a step of forming the filter portion by leaving the central portion of the wavy intermediate product as in the wavy sheet, and forming the flange portion around the filter portion for supporting the filter portion, by pressing the side portions of the ridges of the wavy intermediate product along the mounting plane.

Abstract: A filter element made of nonwoven filter fabric includes a plurality of pleated portions and a flange portion formed integrally with the filter portion. The flange portion is formed by a pair of press-forming dies to have a thin and compressed connecting portion formed along the outer periphery of the filter portion, a thick and uncompressed seal portion formed along the outer periphery of the connecting portion and a thin and compressed protecting portion formed along the outer periphery of the seal portion.

Abstract: A filter element made of nonwoven filter fabric includes a plurality of pleated portions and a flange portion formed integrally with the filter portion. The flange portion is formed by a pair of press-forming dies to have a thin and compressed connecting portion formed along the outer periphery of the filter portion, a thick and uncompressed seal portion formed along the outer periphery of the connecting portion and a thin and compressed protecting portion formed along the outer periphery of the seal portion.

Abstract: A filter element has a wavy filter portion including a plurality of ridges of a filter material, which are juxtaposed to one another and closed at their sides, and a flange portion extending along a mounting plane around the filter portion for supporting the filter portion. The flange portion is made of the same filter material extending from the filter portion, by compressing the filter material more densely than the filter portion. The filter element is manufactured by a step of preparing an intermediate product of a wavy sheet, and a step of forming the filter portion by leaving the central portion of the wavy intermediate product as in the wavy sheet, and forming the flange portion around the filter portion for supporting the filter portion, by pressing the side portions of the ridges of the wavy intermediate product along the mounting plane.

Abstract: A filter element of the present invention provides low pressure loss, superior filter performance and bonding of filtering material, and compactness. An inlet path of a nearly semicircular configuration which is formed in the width direction of a filter element is open at its upper side and closed at its lower side. An outlet path is closed at its upper side and open at its lower side. Corrugated filtering material has continuous mountain portions and valley portions. The mountain portions have a large radius of curvature R1, and the valley portions have a small radius of curvature R2. The valley portions are bonded to a flat filtering material. The open surface area of the inlet path is larger than the closed surface area of the outlet path 16. Preferably, R1/R2 is set so as to be within the range of 1.5 to 3.0.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing filter elements, in which sealant does not get onto the rolling claw and rolling of the roll filter paper is made easy. A long roll filter paper having laterally oriented filter parts for filtering, the filter parts being open on the inflow side of the roll filter paper and closed on the outflow side of the roll filter paper, is rolled. During rolling, a sealant is applied to the surface of the roll filter paper in a narrow longitudinal strip, in such a way that the sealant does not make contact with the rolling claw. The roll-start end of the roll filter paper is gripped with the rolling claw during rolling. The rolling claw is made up of 2 or 4 rolling bars having the shape of the parts produced when a cylinder is split into two halves along its axis.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing filter elements, in which sealant does not get onto the rolling claw and rolling of the roll filter paper is made easy.A long roll filter paper having laterally oriented filter parts for filtering, the filter parts being open on the inflow side of the roll filter paper and closed on the outflow side of the roll filter paper, is rolled. During rolling, a sealant is applied to the surface of the roll filter paper in a narrow longitudinal strip, in such a way that the sealant does not make contact with the rolling claw. The roll-start end of the roll filter paper is gripped with the rolling claw during rolling. The rolling claw is made up of 2 or 4 rolling bars having the shape of the parts produced when a cylinder is split into two halves along its axis.