Claims
- 1. A centrifuge filter cartridge adapted to be rotated for filtering fluid, comprising:an outer housing having a predetermined axis of rotation, an inlet, an outlet, and a filter chamber between the inlet and the outlet, the outlet being disposed radial outward of the inlet; and a filter trap located in the filter chamber, the inlet being fluidically connected to the outlet through the filter trap, the filter trap including a plurality of levels, each level being located at a different radial distance from the predetermined axis of rotation wherein fluid flows from the inlet and sequentially through each of the levels to the outlet, each level including at least one deposit area and at least one aperture, at least some of the apertures being located radially inward of the deposit area for that level.
- 2. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein the filter trap includes a wall surrounding the predetermined axis of rotation and coiled in a spiral configuration about the predetermined axis of rotation.
- 3. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 2 wherein the wall includes a plurality of depressions formed therein to provide deposit areas and a plurality of ridges formed between adjacent depressions, the apertures being provided between the ridges for transferring oil to the next radial outward level.
- 4. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 3 wherein the wall is constructed from a unitary sheet coiled and held in the spiral configuration.
- 5. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein the filter trap includes a plurality of conical walls, each providing a separate level, the plurality of conical walls being located one inside of each other to include a radially outermost conical wall and a radially innermost conical wall, each conical wall having a center aligned with the predetermined axis, each conical wall having a wide and narrow ends, the deposit areas being located in proximity to the wide ends, the aperture being located in proximity to the narrow end.
- 6. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 5 wherein adjacent conical walls have their respective narrow ends and wide ends at opposite ends of the filter trap, such that the narrow end of one adjacent conical wall is proximate the wider end of the adjacent conical wall.
- 7. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 6, further including a plurality of disc shaped spacer walls connected the respective wide and narrow ends of adjacent conical walls, each spacer wall including at least one of the apertures.
- 8. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 1, wherein the filter trap includes a plurality of cylindrical trap walls, each providing a separate level, the plurality of cylindrical trap walls being located concentric about the predetermined axis.
- 9. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 8, wherein the each level includes a plurality of angularly spaced partition walls connected between adjacent inner and outer cylindrical trap walls such that the level is separated into a plurality of trap chambers to include a first and a last trap chamber, the inner adjacent cylindrical trap wall having an aperture therethrough for receiving fluid from the adjacent inner level, each partition wall including an aperture located proximate the inner adjacent wall for sequentially transmitting fluid through the trap chambers from the first to the last trap chamber.
- 10. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 9 further comprising intermediate trap chambers between the first and last trap chambers, wherein each intermediate trap chamber is defined between two adjacent partition walls, with an aperture in one partition wall located proximate one end of the trap and exit aperture located in the other partition wall proximate the other end of the trap, whereby fluid is adapted to travel the length of the trap chamber between ends of trap.
- 11. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 9 wherein the filter trap is divided up into at least two equally sized compartments, each compartment providing a separate flow path through the filter trap, the filter trap including means for filling up the at least two equally sized compartments substantially equally during initial fluid filling of the trap.
- 12. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein the housing includes top and bottom end plates, and a shell connected to respective the outer peripheries of the end plates and extending transversely between the outer peripheries of the end plates to enclose the filter chamber.
- 13. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 12, wherein the filter trap includes a trap element and top and bottom end caps, the ends of the trap element being potted to the end caps with potting material.
- 14. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 12, further comprising a center tube connecting the top and bottom end plates, one end of the tube being threadingly connected to the bottom end plate, a locking ring threadingly connected to other end of the tube and tightening the top end plate against the bottom end plate.
- 15. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 14, further comprising at least one spring compressed between the top end plate and the top end cap to provide a gap therebetween, further comprising outlet conduit including an outlet entrance in the top end cap, an outlet passageway through the filter trap and an outlet exit through the outlet in the bottom end plate.
- 16. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 12 wherein the top end plate includes a hub concentric about the axis and a surrounding disc portion connected by ribs, the inlet be defined between the hub and the disc portion whereby the cartridge is adapted to receive oil at a point offset from the predetermined axis.
- 17. A centrifuge filter cartridge adapted to be rotated for filtering fluid, comprising:an outer housing having a predetermined axis of rotation, an inlet, an outlet, top and bottom ends, and a sidewall connected to respective the outer peripheries of the ends, the sidewall extending transversely between the outer peripheries of the ends to enclose a filter chamber between ends, the filter chamber being between the inlet and the outlet for communication of fluid from the inlet to the outlet; a trap located in the filter chamber and surrounding the predetermined axis, the inlet being fluidically connected to the outlet through the trap, the trap including a plurality of levels, each level being located at a different radial distance from the predetermined axis of rotation wherein fluid flows from the inlet and sequentially through each of the levels to the outlet, each level including at least one deposit area and at least one aperture, at least some of the apertures being located radially inward of the deposit area for that level; and top and bottom end caps for the trap, the opposing axial ends of the trap being retained by the top and bottom end caps.
- 18. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 17 wherein at least one of the top and bottom end caps is integrally formed with at least one of the top and bottom ends.
- 19. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 17 wherein both of the top and bottom end caps are separate members from the top and bottom ends.
- 20. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 17 wherein the top end cap and top end plate are spaced apart to provide a gap therebetween, and wherein the inlet is located in the top end and the outlet is located in the bottom end, and further comprising:at least one outlet conduit having an entrance in top end cap for receiving oil from the gap and an exit through to the outlet in the bottom end.
- 21. The centrifuge filter of claim 20 further comprising at least one radial seal gasket acting on the bottom end and the outlet conduit providing a sealed passageway.
- 22. The centrifuge filter of claim 20 wherein the outlet conduit is integrally provided by the trap.
- 23. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 20 wherein the outlet conduit is separately provided by at least two outlet tubes located in symmetrical relationship about the predetermined axis.
- 24. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 17 wherein the trap includes a wall surrounding the predetermined axis of rotation and coiled in a spiral configuration about the predetermined axis of rotation, the wall including a plurality of depression formed therein and a plurality of ridges formed between adjacent depressions, the apertures being provided in the through the ridges for transferring oil to the next radial outward level.
- 25. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 17 wherein the trap includes a plurality of conical walls, each providing a separate level, the plurality of conical walls being located one inside of each other to include a radially outermost conical wall and innermost conical wall, each conical wall having a center in alignment with the predetermined axis, each conical wall having a wide and narrow ends, the deposit areas being located in proximity to the wide ends, the aperture being located in proximity to the narrow end, and wherein adjacent conical walls have their respective narrow ends and wide ends at opposite ends of the filter trap, such that the narrow end of one adjacent conical wall is proximate the wider end of the other adjacent conical wall, and further including a plurality of disc shaped spacer walls connected the respective wide and narrow ends of adjacent conical walls, each spacer wall including at least one of the apertures.
- 26. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 17, wherein the trap includes a plurality of cylindrical trap walls, each providing a separate level, the plurality of cylindrical trap walls being located concentric about the predetermined axis, and wherein the each level includes a plurality of angularly spaced partition walls connected between the adjacent inner and outer cylindrical trap walls such that the level is separated into a plurality of trap chambers to include a first and a last trap chamber, the inner adjacent cylindrical trap wall having an aperture therethrough for receiving fluid from the adjacent inner level, each partition wall including an aperture located proximate the inner adjacent wall for sequentially transmitting fluid through the trap chambers from the first to the last trap chamber and further comprising intermediate trap chambers between the first and last trap chambers, wherein each intermediate trap chamber is defined between two adjacent partition walls, having an aperture in one partition wall located proximate one end of the trap and exit aperture located in the other partition wall proximate the other end of the trap, whereby fluid is adapted to travel the length of the trap chamber between ends of trap.
- 27. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 26 wherein the trap is divided up into at least two equally sized compartments, each compartment providing a separate flow path between through the filter trap, each compartment adapted to fill up substantially equally during initial fluid filling of the trap.
- 28. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 17, further comprising a center tube connecting the top and bottom end plates, one end of the tube being threadingly connected to the bottom end plate, a locking ring threadingly connected to other end of the tube and tightening the top end plate against the bottom end plate.
- 29. A centrifuge filter cartridge for mounting in a centrifuge housing to be rotated thereby for filtering fluid, the centrifuge cartridge comprising:an outer housing having a predetermined axis of rotation, top and bottom vertically spaced closed ends, and a sidewall connected to respective the outer peripheries of the closed ends, the sidewall extending transversely between the outer peripheries of the closed ends to enclose a filter chamber between closed ends; a cartridge inlet in the top closed end; a cartridge outlet in the outer housing in proximity to the bottom closed end, the cartridge outlet being located at greater distance from the predetermined axis than the cartridge inlet; and an outlet conduit inside the outer housing, the outlet conduit having an entrance in the filter chamber in proximity to the top closed end and extending vertically downward to the cartridge outlet to provide an isolated flow path such that drainage of most fluid from the filtering chamber is prevented when the cartridge is idle, the entrance being located radially inward from the sidewall at a radial distance from the predetermined axis that is greater than the radial location of the cartridge inlet.
- 30. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 29 further comprising a filter trap located in the filter chamber, the inlet being fluidically connected to the outlet conduit through the filter trap, the filter trap including a plurality of levels, each level being located at a different radial distance from the predetermined axis of rotation, each level including at least one deposit area and at least one aperture, at least some of the apertures being located radially inward of the deposit area for that level.
- 31. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 30 wherein the outlet conduit is integrally provided by the filter trap.
- 32. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 29 wherein the outlet conduit is provided by at least one tube projecting axially from the bottom closed end.
- 33. The centrifuge cartridge of claim 32 wherein the at least one tube includes an axially extending portion having an exit and a radially inward extending portion having the entrance, the axially extending portion and radially inward extending portion being connected at an elbow juncture.
- 34. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 29 wherein the outlet conduit extends through the bottom closed end.
- 35. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 34 further comprising at least one gasket acting on the bottom closed end and the outlet conduit, providing a sealed passageway from the exit through the outlet conduit.
- 36. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 29 wherein the top and bottom closed ends include central openings aligned with the predetermined axis, the top closed end including a central hub and a rim portion surrounding the central hub, the cartridge inlet and annular gap being defined between the rim portion and the central hub.
- 37. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 36 wherein the bottom closed end includes a conical surface surrounding the predetermined axis for facilitating alignment of the centrifuge cartridge with the centrifuge housing.
- 38. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 36 wherein the top and bottom closed ends comprise separate top and bottom end plates and a separate shell providing the sidewall, further comprising a center tube generally concentric about the predetermined axis connecting the top and bottom end plates.
- 39. A centrifuge filter cartridge for mounting in a centrifuge housing to be rotated thereby for filtering fluid, the centrifuge cartridge comprising:an outer housing having a predetermined axis of rotation, top and bottom vertically spaced closed ends, and a sidewall connected to respective the outer peripheries of the closed ends, the sidewall extending transversely between the outer peripheries of the closed ends to enclose a filter chamber between end plates; an exposed cartridge inlet through the top closed end; a cartridge outlet in the outer housing in proximity to the bottom closed end; an outlet conduit inside the outer housing, having an entrance in the filter chamber in proximity to the top closed end and extending vertically down to the cartridge outlet to provide an isolated flow path such that drainage of most fluid from the filtering chamber is prevented when the cartridge is idle, the entrance being located radially inward from the sidewall at a radial distance from the predetermined axis that is greater than the radial location of the cartridge inlet; and at least one deposit area in the filter chamber located radially outward of the entrance relative to the predetermined axis.
- 40. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 39 wherein the top closed end includes a hub concentric about the axis and a surrounding disc portion connected by ribs, the inlet being annular in shape, defined between the hub and the disc portion.
- 41. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 40 wherein the top and bottom closed ends comprise end plates, further comprising a center tube connecting the top and bottom end plates, one end of the tube being threadingly connected to the bottom end plate, a locking ring threadingly connected to other end of the tube and tightening the top end plate against the bottom end plate.
- 42. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 39 further comprising a filter trap located in the filter chamber, the filter trap providing a plurality of the deposit areas at multiple separate locations, the filter trap including top and bottom end caps and a trap element, the trap element being connected to the top and bottom end caps, the filter trap being secured in the filter chamber, the outlet conduit extending through the filter trap.
- 43. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 42, further comprising at least one spring compressed between the top closed end and the top end cap to provide a gap therebetween.
- 44. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 42 further including a gasket for sealing around the outlet conduit between the bottom closed end and the filter trap.
- 45. A centrifuge filter cartridge having a predetermined axis of rotation for mounting in a centrifuge housing to be rotated thereby for filtering fluid, the centrifuge housing having a side oil outlet for feeding oil into the centrifuge cartridge at a radial distance from the predetermined axis, the centrifuge cartridge comprising:an outer housing having an outlet, and a filter chamber, the outer housing including a top end having a central hub and an outer rim surrounding the central hub; an exposed ringed shap inlet extending vertically and axially through the top end defined between the central hub and outer rim, the inlet adapted to align vertically beneath the side oil outlet in spaced apart relationship, having inner and outer diameters from the predetermined axis that are respectively smaller and greater than the radial distance of the side oil outlet from the axis, the outlet of the cartridge being disposed radial outward of the inlet with the filter chamber fluidically connected between the inlet and outlet; and at least one deposit area in the filter chamber for removing soot from oil during rotation of the outer housing about the predetermined axis.
- 46. The centrifuge cartridge of claim 45 further comprising a handle connected to the top end and projecting vertically therefrom, the handle having a grab surface that is adapted to be manually grabbed for removal of a spent centrifuge cartridge from the centrifuge housing.
- 47. The centrifuge cartridge of claim 46 wherein the handle has an axis of symmetry coinciding with the predetermined axis.
- 48. The centrifuge cartridge of claim 45 further comprising a filter trap located in the filter chamber, the inlet being fluidically connected to the outlet through the filter trap, the filter trap including a plurality of levels, each level being located at a different radial distance from the predetermined axis of rotation, each level including at least one deposit area and at least one aperture, at least some of the apertures being located radially inward of the deposit area for that level.
- 49. The centrifuge cartridge of claim 45 further comprising an outlet conduit inside the outer housing, having an entrance in the filter chamber in proximity to the top end and extending to the outlet conduit providing an isolated flow path for preventing drainage of fluid from the filtering chamber when the cartridge is idle, the entrance being located radially inward from the shell at a radial distance from the predetermined axis that is greater than the radial location of the cartridge inlet.
- 50. The centrifuge cartridge of claim 45 wherein the outer surface of inlet angles radially outwardly as it extends vertically downward to thereby guide fluid into the cartridge.
- 51. A centrifuge filter cartridge adapted to be rotated for filtering fluid, comprising:an outer housing having a predetermined axis of rotation, an inlet, an outlet, and a filter chamber between the inlet and the outlet, the outlet being disposed radial outward of the inlet; and a trap in the housing including at least one annular wall generally concentric about the axis and extending generally between top and bottom ends of the cartridge dividing the filtering chamber into at least two separate flow channels, wherein fluid flows axially in one direction along one side of the annular wall towards one end of the cartridge and flows axially in the reverse direction toward the other end of the cartridge along the other side of the annular wall; and the trap further including a plurality of radially extending partition walls in the filtering chamber integral with the at least one annular wall for inhibiting wave formation in the fluid contained in each filtering level during rotation of the housing about the predetermined axis.
- 52. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 51, wherein the filter trap includes a plurality of cylindrical trap walls, each providing a separate level, the plurality of cylindrical trap walls being located concentric about the predetermined axis, and wherein the partition walls extend through the cylindrical walls.
- 53. The centrifuge filter cartridge of claim 52 wherein the filter trap is divided up into at least two equally sized compartments, each compartment providing a separate flow path through the filter trap, the filter trap including means for filling up the at least two equally sized compartments substantially equally during initial fluid filling of the trap.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/105,135, filed Oct. 21, 1998, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/112,231, filed Dec. 15, 1998, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/141,465, filed Jun. 29, 1999.
US Referenced Citations (42)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1089355 |
Nov 1967 |
GB |
362643 |
Dec 1972 |
SU |
564884 |
Jul 1977 |
SU |
869822 |
Oct 1981 |
SU |
8302406 |
Jul 1983 |
WO |
Provisional Applications (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/105135 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
|
60/112231 |
Dec 1998 |
US |
|
60/141465 |
Jun 1999 |
US |