The present disclosure relates to a filter element for use in a filter enclosure. Particularly, a filter element for filtering the coolant of an internal combustion engine.
In an automobile, heat balance is integral to maintaining engine temperature. Flowing through a coolant circuit, coolant absorbs heat and subsequently expels the heat through the radiator of the automobile. In the process, the coolant encounters and accumulates rust, scale formation and various other particulates and debris. Therefore, the use of a coolant filter assembly is pivotal in removing contaminants to maintain a proper heat control system.
In a typical cooling system, a filter element is positioned within a housing of the coolant filter assembly. Hot coolant carrying contaminants enters the housing through an inlet. During operation, pressure is built up within the housing and throughout the coolant circuit. When removing and replacing a filter element, a service person usually must unscrew a cover to the housing in order to extract the used filter. If proper safeguards are not in place, hot coolant can spurt out and injure the service person removing the filter.
To ensure safety, the inlet allowing hot, unfiltered coolant into the housing must be closed prior to the cover being fully removed from the housing. Prior art filter assemblies can be costly, require more parts and necessitate training to change the filter element, as these assemblies are only offered and function in combination and not independent of each other. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a replaceable filter element that can be used in the housing of a filter assembly, without replacing the entire filter assembly.
In the illustrated embodiment, a spring biased filter element (hereinafter, “filter element”) is disclosed. The filter element is for use in a housing of a filter assembly having a cover and a seal therebetween. The disclosed filter element ensures safety during removal of the filter element from the filter assembly by incorporating components that enable the filter element to shut off the flow of fluid entering the housing of the filter assembly before the seal between the cover and the housing is no longer effective.
The housing defines an inlet having an inlet valve and an outlet having an outlet valve. The filter element comprises a first (upper) endcap including a handle and a second (lower) endcap including an inlet valve actuator. The inlet valve actuator is a ring protruding from the second endcap. A cylindrical ring of filter media circumscribes a longitudinal axis and extends axially between the first and second endcaps. The filter media surrounds a coaxial center tube that defines an outlet of the filter element. The outlet of the filter element includes an outlet valve actuator. A sleeve concentric and contiguous with the center tube defines a cavity and surrounds a bias member. The sleeve is positioned to receive and exert force in first direction and second directions to allow for compression and extension of the bias member.
When the filter element is positioned within the housing, threading the cover to the housing exerts force on the first endcap and compresses the bias member. The inlet and outlet valve actuators are positioned such that compression of the bias member causes the inlet and outlet valve actuators to actuate the inlet and outlet valves, allowing fluid to flow in and out of the housing. Removing the cover from the housing relieves the force exerted on the first endcap and causes the bias member to extend. Extension of the bias member causes the inlet and outlet valve actuators to retreat from the inlet and outlet valves. The seal is positioned a distance from a first (upper) end of the housing that is greater than the distance the inlet and outlet valve actuators must retreat to cause the inlet and outlet valves to close and shut off the flow of fluid entering and leaving the housing. In this manner, the inlet and outlet valves are closed before the seal between the cover and the housing is opened and fluid is not able to spurt out during removal of the filter element.
An embodiment of a filter element according to aspects of the disclosure will now be described with reference to
A typical filter assembly includes a housing 100 having a generally cylindrical sidewall 110 extending between a first (upper) end 120 and a second end (lower) 130. A removable cover 122 having a seal 124 (
As shown in
As shown in
The first endcap 20 has a top and bottom surface. The top surface includes a handle 22 or other compatible means to grip the filter element 10 for removal from the housing 100. The bottom surface includes an annulus 24 extending toward and connecting to the center tube 40. A plurality of fluid flow apertures 26 are longitudinally intermediate the annulus 24 and the center tube 40. The apertures 26 are configured to allow fluid that has passed through the filter media 12 to flow into the center tube 40.
As shown in
The support assembly 50 includes an annular shoulder 52 projecting radially from the conduit 48 of the center tube 40. The shoulder defines an annular slot 54. A coaxial sleeve 56 is contiguous with the shoulder 52 and defines an annular cavity 58. The shoulder 52 is oriented within the cavity 58 of the sleeve 56. The sleeve 56 includes a ramped stop 57 at a position above the shoulder 52, a base 60 and a guide ring 59 extending from the base 60. Within the annular cavity 58, a bias member 55 is captured between the annular slot 54 and the sleeve 56. The bias member 55 is captured in the annular slot 54 of the shoulder 52 at one end and at the base 60 of the sleeve 56 at another end. In the disclosed embodiment, the bias member 55 is a wave spring, but other compatible biasing mechanisms such as a coil spring (
Fastening the cover 122 to the housing 100 exerts a force on the first endcap 20 of the filter element 10 and pushes the filter element 10 axially toward the second end 130 of the housing 100. The exertion of force on the first endcap 20 causes the sleeve 56 to push against the second end 130 of the housing 100 and receive and exert force in the first direction causing compression of the bias member 55. When the bias member 55 is in the compressed position, the inlet valve actuator 34 applies sufficient force on the inlet valve 142 to open the inlet 140 and allow dirty fluid to flow into the housing 100. In the compressed position of the bias member 55, the return opening 49 also engages the outlet 150 and the outlet valve actuator 47 to open the outlet valve 152 and allow clean fluid to leave the housing 100.
Removal of the cover 122 from the housing 100 relieves force on the first endcap 20 of the filter element 10 causing the compressed bias member 55 to extend. The extension of the bias member 55 urges the sleeve 56 to push in the second direction. The sleeve 56 pushes off the second end 130 of the housing 100 and propels the filter element 10 axially in the first direction toward the first end 120 of the housing 100. In the extended position of the bias member 55, the inlet and outlet valve actuators 34, 47 disengage the inlet and outlet valves 142, 152, closing off the inlet 140 and the outlet 150 from fluid flow. As shown in
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the disclosed embodiment (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the disclosed embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the claims unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosed embodiments or claimed invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
7147110 | Clausen et al. | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7392783 | Jensen | Jul 2008 | B2 |
8691090 | Schachtrup et al. | Apr 2014 | B2 |
20060096934 | Weinberger et al. | May 2006 | A1 |
20090184045 | Stamey, Jr. et al. | Jul 2009 | A1 |
20100140151 | Stamey, Jr. et al. | Jun 2010 | A1 |
20120031822 | Lepine et al. | Feb 2012 | A1 |
Entry |
---|
International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Feb. 27, 2018 (PCT/US2017/035894). |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20180345187 A1 | Dec 2018 | US |