Gas separation – Combined or convertible – In motor vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-29
2001-01-16
Simmons, David A. (Department: 1724)
Gas separation
Combined or convertible
In motor vehicle
C055S493000, C055S497000, C123S19800E, C403S364000, C403S374500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174343
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to air cleaner housings for motor vehicles. In particular, it relates to devices and methods for attaching air cleaner shells and compressing filter elements.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Air cleaner housings for motor vehicles are typically arranged to support a disposable air filter element between two shells. The shells are disposed about the inlet side of the air cleaner and the outlet side of the air cleaner and serve to gather the air across the broad surface of the air cleaner and direct it to an air passageway. Adequate sealing must be provided between the edge of the two air cleaner shells and the disposable air cleaner element itself to prevent air from leaking around the side of the air cleaner element without passing through the air cleaner element and continuing on to the intake manifold and the engine. For this reason, a flexible seal is often provided between the periphery of the air cleaner and the air cleaner housing itself. The seal prevents air from bypassing around the edge of the air cleaner.
A problem with many air cleaner designs is that the seal is compressed to provide an airtight seal. Disposable air cleaner elements typically require a seal having a length of at least two linear feet (for a six inch by six inch disposable air cleaner element) and can go as large as three or three and a half feet in length. Compressing this length of seal requires a significant force. Prior art air cleaner housings have addressed this problem by being constructed as two roughly hemispherical shells, with the disposable air cleaner element sandwiched between, looking much like the popular hamburger. To replace the disposable air cleaner element, the top shell is unscrewed from the bottom shell, the disposable elements exchanged, and the top shell screwed back on the bottom shell with the new air cleaner element between. A primary drawback of this method is the need for even tensioning of the two shells together and hence the requirement of many screw fasteners evenly spaced around the periphery of the air cleaner shells coupling them together. This arrangement requires a significant amount of time to both unscrew and rescrew the connectors.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved air cleaner that is capable of more rapid air cleaner element replacement.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
In accordance with a first embodiment, an air cleaner for the combustion air of an internal combustion engine is provided, having a first air cleaner shell with a first plurality of spaced-apart fingers along the first edge thereof, a second air cleaner shell with a second plurality of spaced-apart fingers along the first edge thereof, wherein the first and second plurality of fingers are intertwined to form a passageway therebetween, and a cam shaft disposed in the passageway and abutting the intertwined fingers, to hold the intertwined fingers apart and the first and second shells together when in a first rotational position, and to permit the fingers to come together and the shells to move apart when in a second position. The air cleaner may also include a replaceable air cleaner element in the form of a panel having a first and a second side where the first side of the air cleaner element is supported by the first air cleaner shell and the second side of the air cleaner element is supported by the second air cleaner shell. The air cleaner cam shaft may include a length disposed in the passageway having an overall major width greater than an overall minor width and a handle coupled to and extending away from the camming length to rotate the camming length within the passageway. One of the first and second shells may include a surface that abuts the handle to prevent the handle from rotating in a first direction when the cam shaft is in the second position. One of the first and second shells may include a catch that abuts the handle to prevent the handle from rotating in a second direction opposite the first direction when the cam shaft is in the second position. The first plurality of fingers may be staggered with the second plurality of fingers along the first edge. The first and second plurality of fingers may define a passageway having a major width substantially parallel to a planar extent of the air cleaner element and a minor width smaller than the major width substantially perpendicular to the planar extent of the air cleaner element. The passageway may be substantially elliptical when the cam shaft is in the first position.
In accordance with the second embodiment of the invention, an air cleaner for the combustion air of an internal combustion engine is provided, including a first air cleaner shell with a first concave inner surface and a first peripheral edge, a second air cleaner shell with a second concave inner surface and a second peripheral edge and removably fixed to the first air cleaner shell, that the first peripheral edge is adjacent to the second peripheral edge about substantially the entire periphery of the first and second air cleaner shells, a removable air cleaner element disposed inside the filter housing having a third peripheral edge sealed against the first or second peripheral edges about substantially the entire periphery of the air cleaner element, a first plurality of fingers fixed to and extending from the first peripheral edge toward the second peripheral edge, a second plurality of fingers fixed to and extending from the second peripheral edge toward the first peripheral edge such that a passageway having a major and a minor width is defined between the first and second pluralities of fingers, and such that when the passageway is enlarged the first and second shells move closer together, and a cam shaft disposed between the first and second pluralities of fingers to enlarge the passageway and move the first and second shells closer together. The first and second peripheral edges may define at least first and second straight joints on imposing sides of the air cleaner and further the first and second plurality of fingers may be disposed along the first straight joint. First and second shells may be hingably coupled along the second straight joint. The first and second straight joints may be substantially parallel. The passageway may have a substantially elliptical shape when the first and second shells are in a first position and may have a substantially circular shape when the first and second shells are in a second compressed position.
In regard to a third embodiment of the invention, a method of assembling an air cleaner is provided including the steps of intertwining the first and second plurality of fingers to provide a passageway therebetween having a major width and a minor width smaller than the major width, inserting the cam shaft lengthwise into the passageway such that a major width of the cam shaft is aligned with the major width of the passageway and a minor width of the cam shaft is aligned with the minor width of the passageway, rotating the cam shaft in a first rotational direction through an arc of between 90° and 150°, and abutting a lever that is fixed to and extends radially away from the cam shaft against a surface of the air cleaner that is disposed to prevent further rotation of the cam shaft in the first rotational direction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4519823 (1985-05-01), Kinney, Jr. et al.
patent: 4995891 (1991-02-01), Jaynes
patent: 5120334 (1992-06-01), Cooper
patent: 5295602 (1994-03-01), Swanson
patent: 5605554 (1997-02-01), Kennedy
patent: 5725624 (1998-03-01), Ernst et al.
patent: 5900032 (1999-05-01), Wang
patent: 634203 A2 (1995-01-01), None
Lawrence Frank M.
Siemens Canada Limited Ontario
Simmons David A.
LandOfFree
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