Gas separation – With means securing or retaining separating media – Unit or cohesive sheet-like media in flow line or frame
Patent
1999-03-09
2000-07-18
Simmons, David A.
Gas separation
With means securing or retaining separating media
Unit or cohesive sheet-like media in flow line or frame
55502, 55503, B01D 2706, B01D 2708
Patent
active
060901772
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an air filter element, especially for cleaning combustion air for internal combustion engines in air filters.
Such air filter elements are known, for example due to their use in commercial vehicles, especially in dusty country.
Air filter elements known heretofore are replaced after a certain time of operation. Depending on the amount of dust, the useful life of an air filter can amount to a few days or as much as several months. Usually, known filter inserts consist of a combination of materials, sheet steel being used especially for the supporting tubes. The actual filter medium is paper or synthetic fleece which in itself is not able to withstand the forces caused by pulsation in internal combustion engines. Disposal of such air filter elements by separating them into their components entails great effort and is therefore uneconomical and expensive.
According to the "Technische Anleitung Abfall" [technical guidelines on wastes] governing waste disposal in the Federal Republic of Germany, the reduction of waste takes priority over waste recycling and disposal. In waste recycling it is required that recycling be technically possible, the cost of the recycling be reasonable, and that a market exist or can be created for the materials or energy. Until these criteria are satisfied the wastes must be properly disposed of.
In the case of air filter elements, recycling has been difficult on account of the disadvantages described.
The invention is thus addressed to the problem of improving an air filter element of the kind described above such that the use of essentially metal-free filter inserts, which do not have to be suitable for withstanding forces, will be possible in connection with the recycling of the rest of its parts.
This problem is solved according to the invention in that the cylindrical housing of the air filter element is permeable to air, the air filter element has a raw air inlet 2 and a clean air outlet 3, the clean air outlet is substantially concentric with one of the ends of the cylindrical housing and the raw air admission occurs substantially through the mantle surface of the housing, while a central air tube extends in the interior of the housing and communicates with the clean air outlet. An essentially metal-free filter insert is inserted through the center tube which separates the clean air side from the raw air side, its opposite end being closed; the clean air outlet end of the housing has an axial gasket on top of it, and the housing is divisible.
An advantageous embodiment provides for the central tube to be joined to one half of the housing. Installation and removal is facilitated by this one-piece construction. The operation of placing the filter insert on the central tube followed by installation in the housing is simplified, since it is no longer necessary to center the filter insert.
Another advantageous embodiment provides for the filter insert to be releasably joined to the central tube. This has the advantage, for one thing, that when the used-up filter insert is disposed of, only the insert needs to be replaced, which shifts the use of materials to the replacement part side. On the other hand, this also reduces the amount of material to be disposed of. The result is a replacement part that is, for example, metal-free.
Another advantageous embodiment provides for the end of the filter insert facing the clean air outlet to be given a sealing bead, the sealing bead being sealingly in contact with the surface of the central tube and forming a radial seal. Upon insertion into the housing the filter insert comes automatically into the correct installed position due to the axially tolerant seal to the central tube. Furthermore, this easily flexible design of the filter insert is capable of absorbing any shock pressures without damage.
In another advantageous embodiment provision is made for the end of the filter insert facing the clean air outlet to be given a sealing bead, the bead being in sealing contact with the end of the housing half and forming an
REFERENCES:
patent: 5556542 (1996-09-01), Berman et al.
patent: 5685985 (1997-11-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5730769 (1998-03-01), Dungs et al.
Erdmannsdoerfer Hans
Moessinger Klaus
Wittel Ulrich
Filterwerk Mann & Hummel GmbH
Hopkins Robert A.
Simmons David A.
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