Filter housing with interchangeable filter mounting plate

Abstract

A fluid treatment housing system for fluid filter elements including a first housing member, a second housing member and an interchangeable mounting plate on which one or more filter elements are mounted. The mounting plate may be a substantially flat plate or a basket type structure to accommodate various inside-out and outside-in filter elements. Additionally, more than one mounting plate may be used in a single system so that the system can include both pre and post fluid treatment.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A fluid treatment element housing system comprising a first housing member, a second housing member and an interchangeable element mounting plate, said mounting plate comprising one or more apertures having mounts for releasably mounting fluid treatment elements thereon.  
     
     
         2 . The housing system of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting plate creates a sealed environment between the interiors of the first and second housing members.  
     
     
         3 . The housing system of  claim 2 , wherein said first housing member and said second housing member each comprise a closure flange and said mounting plate comprises a mounting flange for engagement between the closure flanges of the first and second housing members.  
     
     
         4 . The housing system of  claim 1 , wherein said mounting plate is substantially flat and wherein the filter elements are inside-out filters extending downwardly into the first housing member.  
     
     
         5 . The housing system of  claim 1 , wherein said mounting plate is substantially basket shaped and wherein the filter elements are outside-in filters extending upwardly in the first housing member.  
     
     
         6 . The housing system of  claim 1 , wherein said second housing member extends upwardly to house filter elements therein.  
     
     
         7 . The housing system of  claim 6 , further comprising two interchangeable mounting plates, one associated with the first and one associated with the second housing member, for housing filter elements in both the first and second housing members.  
     
     
         8 . The housing system of  claim 1 , wherein said second housing member does not contain any filter elements.  
     
     
         9 . The housing system of  claim 1 , wherein said first housing member contains both inside-out and outside-in filter elements.  
     
     
         10 . The housing system of  claim 1 , wherein the first housing member further comprises an inlet at the lower portion thereof for directing the inflow through the mounting plate to a point above the mounting plate.  
     
     
         11 . The housing system of  claim 10  wherein a conduit seal retainer maintains a seal between the conduit and the mounting plate.  
     
     
         12 . The housing system of  claim 5  further comprising a conduit extension for directing the fluid inflow to the area at the top of the second housing member.