Patent Application
20240350951
The present application relates generally to fluid filtration systems. Him
Internal combustion engines generally combust a mixture of fuel (e.g., diesel, gasoline, natural gas, etc.) and air. Prior to entering the engine, the fuel is typically passed through a filter cartridge to remove particulate matter (e.g., dust, metal particles, debris, etc.) from the fuel prior to combustion. Similarly, lubricant or lube (e.g., engine oil) provided to the engine may also be passed through a filter cartridge so as to remove particulate matter from the lube before communicating to the engine. The fuel or oil may include water, which may accumulate in the filter and may have to be removed.
Various filter assemblies generally comprise a nut plate positioned on an end of a housing of the filter assembly, with the nut plate providing a mechanism for coupling of a filter head to a first end of the housing of the filter assembly, or coupling of a cover or bowl to a second end of the filter housing. Such nut plates introduce additional parts into the filter assembly and may increase manufacturing complexity and manufacturing cost of such filters. Additionally, the filter is configured for a rotatable and detachable connection to the head and/or bowl, by way of threaded connections. Consequently, larger shell diameters and increases in wall thickness can prove to be very challenging for the shell suppliers to adapt to, and an alternate design option of roll threading to accommodate these changes is relatively expensive.
Various embodiments provide for a filter assembly comprising a housing defining an internal volume. The housing comprises a first coupling member formed in a housing first end of the housing. The filter assembly further comprises a filter head. The filter head comprises a first thread formed on a surface thereof. The filter assembly further comprises an adapter. The adapter includes a first adapter end, a second adapter end disposed axially away from the first adapter end, and an annular portion. The annular portion is disposed between the first adapter end and the second adapter end. The annular portion includes at least one opening formed in the annular portion. The at least one opening configured to allow fluid therethrough. A first axial wall extends from the annular portion axially towards the first adapter end. The first axial wall includes a third coupling member configured to engage the second coupling member on the filter head so as to removably couple the adapter and the filter head. A second axial wall extends from the annular portion axially towards the second adapter end. The second axial wall includes a fourth coupling member configured to engage a first coupling member on the housing so as to removably couple the adapter and the housing.
Various other embodiments provide for an adapter. The adapter includes a first adapter end, a second adapter end disposed axially away from the first adapter end, and an annular portion. The annular portion is disposed between the first adapter end and the second adapter end. The annular portion includes at least one opening formed in the annular portion. The at least one opening configured to allow fluid therethrough. A first axial wall extends from the annular portion axially towards the first adapter end. The first axial wall includes a first coupling member configured to engage a second coupling member on a filter head so as to removably couple the adapter and the filter head. A second axial wall extends from the annular portion axially towards the second adapter end. The second axial wall includes a third coupling member configured to engage a fourth coupling member on a housing so as to removably couple the adapter and the housing.
Various other embodiments provide for an adapter. The adapter includes a first adapter end, a second adapter end disposed axially away from the first adapter end, and an annular portion. The annular portion is disposed between the first adapter end and the second adapter end. The annular portion includes at least one opening formed therein. The at least one opening is configured to allow fluid therethrough. A first axial wall extends from the annular portion axially towards the first adapter end. The first axial wall includes a first coupling member configured to engage a second coupling member on a filter head so as to removably couple the adapter and the filter head. A second axial wall extends from the annular portion axially towards the second adapter end. The second axial wall includes a third coupling member configured to engage a fourth coupling member on a nutplate so as to removably couple the adapter and the nutplate.
These and other features, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the several drawings described below.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a system and method for securing a filter cartridge to a filter head using a multiple connecting-point adapter (e.g., a multiple threaded connector). In some embodiments, the adapter includes an internally facing threaded connector and an outwardly facing threaded connector to allow for a filter head having a wide interface diameter (e.g., wide-mouthed, larger than a standard filter cartridge, etc.) to receive a standard filter cartridge (e.g., a diameter that is less than the wide interface diameter). As used herein, the term “filter cartridge” refers to a filter element disposed within a complementary filter housing. As used herein, the term “standard filter cartridge” refers to snap-fit, spin-on, or other filter cartridges that are commonly used in the field, for example, a 2¼-12 UNS nutplate thread filter cartridge. However, the adapter is configured to have a wide variety of threaded interfaces and interface diameters to allow for a wide variety of filter cartridges to interface with a wide variety of filter heads. As will be appreciated, but for the adapter, the standard filter cartridge would be unable to engage and couple with the wide interface diameter of the filter head. Beneficially, the adapter allows for the use of a standard (e.g., smaller) diameter filter cartridge to be installed within the wide interface filter head without having to swap the filter head to a smaller interface that matches the standard diameter filter cartridge. In some embodiments, the filter head may have a smaller diameter than the filter cartridge and the adapter is configured to interface the larger diameter filter cartridge with the filter head.
Embodiments of the filter assembly described herein comprise an adapter that includes an interior facing coupling member for securing the adapter to a filter head and an exterior facing coupling member to secure the adapter to a filter cartridge without the use of a threaded connection directly between the filter cartridge and the filter head. The adapter can include both male and female coupling members and may provide benefits including, for example: (1) allowing coupling of a filter cartridge with a first diameter to a filter head with a second, larger, diameter, thereby allowing any filter cartridge to be used in a wide-interface filtration system; (2) ensuring proper sealing between the filter head and filter cartridge through scaling points between the adapter and the filter head and the adapter and the filter cartridge; (3) providing a wide variety of locking mechanisms or surfaces on the adapter to allow for interface with the filter head and filter cartridge; and (4) reducing a manufacturing cost of assembly of the filter assembly by reducing the number of parts included in the filter assembly and allowing flexibility in the usable housing types.
The housing 112 includes a first housing end 114 and a second housing end 116. A nutplate 120 (or similar feature) is coupled to the second housing end 116 and is configured to engage the filter head 102. The housing 112 has a housing diameter 190 that is greater than the diameter of a standard filter cartridge. In some embodiments, the nutplate 120 is coupled to an end of the filter element 104. The nutplate 120 includes a threaded sleeve 122 having inwardly facing threads 124 for threadably connecting the filter cartridge 110 to a threaded member 130 of the filter head 102. The threaded sleeve 122 would be disposed at a sleeve diameter 180 and the threaded member 130 would be disposed at a head diameter along the filter head 102 that is substantially equal to the sleeve diameter 180. As will be appreciated, the sleeve diameter 180 is less than the housing diameter 190 as the housing 112 is larger to accommodate the larger filter head 102. A gasket can be provided in a groove 152 in the filter head 102 adjacent an end of the nutplate 120 to form a seal between the filter cartridge 110 and the filter head 102 to prevent fluid leakage from the filter cartridge 110 to outside the filter cartridge 110.
The filter element 104 includes a first endplate 132, a second endplate 134, and filter media 126 that extends axially between the first endplate 132 and the second endplate 134. A central cavity 136 is disposed within the filter media 126. The sleeve 142 is generally hollow and defines a fluid flow passageway 144 (e.g., flow passage) through the second endplate 134. The passageway 144 is in fluid communication with the central cavity 136 and the outlet 108. A seal member 148 is suitably disposed on the sleeve 142 for sealing with the filter head 102 to seal filtered fluid from unfiltered fluid. In some embodiments, the sleeve 142 can include a radial outward facing groove 146 integrally formed in the sleeve 142 for receiving the seal, for example an O-ring seal, therein. As shown best in the portion 150 of the filtration system 100, the second endplate 134 includes a first structure in the form of a sleeve 142 extending upwardly therefrom in a direction away from the second endplate 134 and radially inward from the threaded sleeve 122.
Turning to
The filtration system 200 includes the filter head 102 of
The filter housing 212 includes a first housing end 214 and a second housing end 216. The filter housing 212 has a housing diameter 290. A nutplate 220 (or similar feature) is coupled to the second housing end 216 and is configured to engage the adapter 250. The nutplate 220 includes a first engagement portion 260, a curved portion 263, a flanged portion 262, and a second engagement portion 264. The first engagement portion 260 is configured to couple the nutplate 220 to the second housing end 216 and to the adapter 250. The flanged portion 262 extends from the first engagement portion 260 towards the second engagement portion 264. As shown in
The adapter 250 includes a second adapter end 252, a first adapter end 254, and an annular portion 256 disposed between the second adapter end 252 and the first adapter end 254. The annular portion 256 includes a plurality of openings 268 that place the inlet 106 in fluid communication with the interior space 218 of the filter housing 212. The annular portion 256 may include a groove 230 on a surface facing the second adapter end 252 that is configured to receive an external seal or portion of the filter cartridge 210 and/or a portion of the nutplate 220. An adapter sleeve 258 is centrally located and extends axially from the second adapter end 252 to the first adapter end 254 through the annular portion 256. The adapter sleeve 258 places the central cavity 136 and fluid flow passageway 144 in fluid communication with the outlet 108. The adapter 250 includes a first sealing surface 280 and a second sealing surface 282 to ensure that the adapter 250 is properly sealed with the filter head 102 and the filter cartridge 210, respectively, and to prevent fluid leakage from the filter cartridge 210 to outside the filter cartridge 210. The first sealing surface 280 is configured to form a seal between an external surface of the adapter sleeve 258 and the filter head 102. In some embodiments, the first scaling surface 280 may be a groove that is configured to receive an O-ring, a lathe cut gasket, or a similar configuration that is used to seal the filter head 102 with a complementary filter cartridge (e.g., the filter cartridge 110 of
The adapter 250 includes an internally facing second threaded connector 270 adjacent to the first adapter end 254 and an outwardly facing first threaded connector 272 adjacent to the second adapter end 252 to engage the filter head 102 and filter cartridge 210, respectively. The second threaded connector 270 extends axially from an outer perimeter of the annular portion 256 towards the first adapter end 254 and includes an inwardly facing threaded surface. The second threaded connector 270 is configured to threadably engage a complementary threaded head member 236 of the filter head 102. The first threaded connector 272 extends axially from an inner portion of the annular portion 256 towards the second adapter end 252 and includes an outwardly facing threaded surface. As shown in
Referring to
The adapter 350 includes a first adapter end 302, a second adapter end 304, and an annular portion 306 disposed between the first adapter end 302 and the second adapter end 304. The annular portion 306 includes a plurality of openings 320 that place the inlet 106 in fluid communication with the interior space 330 of the filter housing 332. The annular portion 306 may include a groove on a surface facing the second adapter end 304 that is configured to receive an external seal or portion of the filter cartridge and/or nutplate-similar to the arrangement in
An adapter sleeve 312 is centrally located (e.g., along the central axis 372) and extends axially from the first adapter end 302 to the second adapter end 304 through the annular portion 306. The adapter sleeve 312 may include a sleeve groove 336 disposed on a top portion (e.g., adjacent the first adapter end 302) that is configured to receive a seal member and form a seal with a portion of the filter head 102. The adapter sleeve 312 places the central cavity 136 in fluid communication with the outlet 108 through a central sleeve opening 324 formed within the adapter sleeve 312. As shown in
The adapter 350 includes an internally facing first threaded connector 308 adjacent to the first adapter end 302 and an outwardly facing second threaded connector 310 adjacent to the second adapter end 304 to engage the filter head 102 and a filter cartridge (not shown), respectively. The first threaded connector 308 extends axially from an outer perimeter of the annular portion 306 towards the first adapter end 302 and includes an inwardly facing threaded surface, a first top surface 318, a first bottom surface 328, and a substantially flat outwardly facing surface 314. As shown in
The second threaded connector 310 extends axially from an inner portion of the annular portion 306 towards the second adapter end 304 and includes an outwardly facing threaded surface, a second bottom surface 326, and an inwardly facing surface 316. The second threaded connector 310 is configured to threadably engage a complementary threaded filter member of the filter cartridge. The second bottom surface 326 and/or the inwardly facing surface 316 may be configured to form a seal with a portion of the filter cartridge when the second threaded connector 310 is engaged with the complementary threaded filter member. As shown in
The adapter 450 includes a first adapter end 402, a second adapter end 404, and an annular portion 406 disposed between the first adapter end 402 and the second adapter end 404. The annular portion 406 includes a plurality of openings 420 that place an inlet 106 in fluid communication with an interior space of a filter housing. The annular portion 406 may include a first sealing groove 440 and a second sealing groove 430 that are configured to receive a seal member. The first sealing groove 440 is disposed on a surface facing the first adapter end 402 and is configured to receive an external seal or portion of a filter housing or similar element. The second sealing groove 430 is disposed on a surface facing the second adapter end 404 and is configured to receive an external seal or portion of a filter cartridge or similar element. In some embodiments, the first sealing groove 440 and/or the second sealing groove 430 are configured to receive an O-ring, a lathe cut gasket, or a similar configuration that is used to seal the filter head 102 with a complementary filter cartridge (e.g., the filter cartridge 110 of FIG. 1). The first sealing groove 440 may be disposed radially outward a greater distance from a central axis of the adapter 450 than the second sealing groove 430. In some embodiments, the first sealing groove 440 and second sealing groove 430 are disposed on opposite sides of the opening 420.
An adapter sleeve 412 is centrally located and extends axially from the annular portion 406 toward the first adapter end 402. The adapter sleeve 412 may include a sleeve groove on an outer sleeve surface 422 that is configured to receive a seal member and form a seal with a portion of the filter head. The adapter sleeve 412 places a central cavity of a filter cartridge in fluid communication with an outlet through a central sleeve opening 424 formed within the adapter sleeve 412. As shown in
The adapter 450 includes the first axial wall 408 and a second axial wall 410. The first axial wall 408 extends axially from an outer perimeter of the annular portion 406 towards the first adapter end 402. The first axial wall 408 includes a first internal surface 418, a first external surface 414, and a first end surface 426. The first internal surface 418 and the first external surface 414 extend axially upward (e.g., away from the second adapter end 404) and parallel to each other as they connect with the first end surface 426. As will be appreciated, the first internal surface 418 and/or the first external surface 414 may include a coupling member to couple the adapter 450 to a filter head. In some embodiments, the first internal surface 418 includes an internally facing (e.g., toward the central axis of the adapter 450) threaded coupling member. In some embodiments, the first end surface 426 is configured to form a seal with a filter head.
The second axial wall 410 extends axially from an interior portion of the annular portion 406 towards the second adapter end 404. The second axial wall 410 includes a second external surface 416 and a second end surface 428. The second internal surface 432 and the second external surface 416 extend axially downward (e.g., toward the second adapter end 404) and parallel to each other as they connect with the second end surface 428. While the second axial wall 410 is shown in
As will be appreciated, the adapter 450 may be altered or configured to fit a wide range of filter cartridges and filter heads that utilize a wide variety of coupling members. Specifically, the first adapter end 402 may be configured with a coupling member on the first internal surface 418 to have a head engagement diameter 470 and/or a coupling member may be on the first external surface 414 to have a head engagement diameter 472 that is wider than the head engagement diameter 470. As will be appreciated, the “head engagement diameter” is the straight-line distance from the one point of engagement, through the central axis of the adapter 450, to another point of engagement. The second adapter end 404 may have a coupling member on the second external surface 416 with a filter engagement diameter 460. For example, the adapter 450 may have a first internal surface 418 of the first axial wall 408 that includes a threaded coupling member and a second external surface 416 of the second axial wall 410 that includes a snap-fit coupling member.
It should be noted that the term “example” as used herein to describe various embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
The term “coupled,” “connected,” and the like as used herein mean the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another.
References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the figures. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the various example embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, various parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various example embodiments without departing from the scope of the concepts presented herein.
While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any inventions or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular implementations of particular inventions. Certain features described in this specification in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
The present application is a divisional application based on U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/371,507, filed Jul. 9, 2021 which is a continuation of PCT Application No. PCT/US2020/012201, filed Jan. 3, 2020, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/791,154, filed Jan. 11, 2019. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62791154 | Jan 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17371507 | Jul 2021 | US |
| Child | 18758193 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/US2020/012201 | Jan 2020 | WO |
| Child | 17371507 | US |
