| 主权项 |
1. An automatic filter changer, comprising:
a. housing; b. a filter stack block attached to the housing, the filter stack block comprising a plurality of holes to receive a plurality of filter stacks, wherein each hole is configured to receive one filter stack, wherein each filter stack comprises a plurality of filters, each filter having an inlet, a filter body attached to the inlet, and an outlet attached to the filter body opposite the inlet; c. a plurality of filter stack tubes to support and help feed the plurality of filter stacks into the filter stack block, each hole of the filter stack block configured to receive one filter stack tube; d. a filter separator positioned below the filter stack block to separate from each filter stack a first filter from its respective filter stack, sequentially so that the first filter from a first stack is separated before the first filter of a second stack, the filter separator comprising a pair of rollers to release the filters from their respective filter stacks, each roller comprising an elongated bar having a longitudinal axis, a first cylinder, a last cylinder, and a plurality of intermediate cylinders in between the first cylinder and the last cylinder, each cylinder attached to the elongated bar in series along the longitudinal axis, wherein each cylinder has a first end and a second end, wherein each intermediate cylinder comprises two indentations, a first indentation formed at the first end and a second indentation formed at the second of each intermediate cylinder, wherein the first indentation and the second indentation within any intermediate cylinder is angularly offset from each other about the longitudinal axis, and wherein the second indentation of one intermediate cylinder is in line with the first indentation of an immediately adjacent cylinder to form an indentation pair between two immediately adjacent cylinders, wherein the pair of rollers are arranged parallel to each other defining a gap, wherein the pair of rollers are configured to rotate in opposite direction about their respective longitudinal axes such that opposing indentation pairs face each other in the gap in series, wherein each indentation pair is configured to receive and separate one filter from one of the filter stacks sequentially; e. a shuttle plate positioned below the filter separator to catch a released filter, the shuttle plate comprising a plurality of slots defined by slot arms, each slot aligning with one filter stack, wherein the shuttle plate is movable in a horizontal direction to carry a set of released filters to a series of fluid couplers, wherein each fluid coupler comprises an upper fluid coupling and a lower fluid coupling coaxially aligned with the upper fluid coupling, the upper fluid coupling and the lower fluid coupling defining a vertical axis; f. a plurality of centering plates, one centering plate aligned with each fluid coupler such that each centering plate is in between one upper fluid coupling and its respective lower fluid coupling, each centering plate comprising a notch defined by notch arms, wherein each notch is aligned with one slot of the shuttle plate such that when the shuttle plate having released filters seated within each slot is moved horizontally towards the centering plates, the shuttle plate slides adjacent to the centering plates causing the slot arms and the notch arms to trap the released filter within the notch and slot, whereby the inlet and outlet of each filter is aligned with the vertical axis defined by their respective upper fluid coupling and the lower fluid coupling to allow the lower fluid coupling and the upper fluid coupling to attach to the released filter to complete a fluidic path; g. a plurality of sensors to detect a proper positioning of the filters; and h. a computer programmable to execute a change in the filters according to a predetermined set of instructions, wherein the computer comprises a monitor to display a graphic user interface to receive and transmit information. |
