Liquid purification or separation – Magnetic – With additional separator
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-22
2003-10-14
Savage, Matthew O. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Magnetic
With additional separator
C210S438000, C210S440000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06632354
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to oil filter devices and, more particularly, to oil filter devices mounted on motor vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of oil filtering devices for motor vehicles is known in the prior art. In my prior patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024 there is disclosed a magnet assembly or attachment for magnetically collecting metallic particles within an oil filter. That inventive device includes a pair of magnets supported in a spaced relationship by a carrier which latter is positionable substantially anywhere along an exterior of an oil filter canister. The carrier serves an additional function of a heat sink. A shunt couples opposite poles of the magnets together to increase the magnetic flux directed into the oil filter to separate and retain metallic particles from the filtered fluid.
An oil lubrication circuit of a motor vehicle includes a variety of components, and such components generally include a mounting stem for an oil filter, an oil output channel in the mounting stem for allowing filtered oil to exit from the oil filter and circulate in the oil lubrication circuit, and an oil input channel, present in the engine for channelling oil from the engine into the oil filter.
The interior of a conventional oil filter generally includes a centrally located filtered oil flow space and an array of filter material arrayed circumferentially around the centrally located filtered oil flow space. Inside the conventional oil filter, oil flows in a diffuse pattern radially from circumferential positions outside the filter material, through the filter material, and into the centrally located filtered oil flow space. It is noted that when the magnet attachment is used for a conventional oil filter, as disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024, only a relatively small portion of the oil flowing through the conventional oil filter cartridge is exposed to strong magnetic fields as the oil flows through the conventional oil filter. To increase the efficiency of a magnet attachment for an oil filter suitable for trapping potentially harmful metallic or ferro-magnetic particles and thereby separating the ferro-magnetic particles from the flowing oil, it would be desirable if an oil filter construction were provided which directs a concentrated flow of oil inside the oil filter cartridge in the vicinity of a magnet attachment.
Still other features would be desirable in a combined oil filter and magnet apparatus. It would be desirable if a removable and reusable magnet unit were provided that can easily be fitted into and can easily be removed from an oil filter. In addition, since, in a conventional oil filter, the centrally located filtered oil flow space is relatively unobstructed, it would be desirable if a removable and reusable magnet unit can be fitted into the centrally located filtered oil flow space.
As stated above, it is desirable if a concentrated flow of oil inside an oil filter is directed to the vicinity of a magnet attachment. With this in mind, and with the idea of using the unobstructed centrally located filtered oil flow space to good advantage, it would be desirable if an oil flow director were installed in the centrally located filtered oil flow space so as to direct a concentrated flow of oil to the vicinity of a removable and reusable magnet unit.
A conventional oil filter normally is disposed of after use. A removable and reusable magnet unit used with such a disposable oil filter offers economic advantages. More specifically, it would be desirable if a combined oil filter and magnet apparatus were provided which employs a disposable and replaceable oil filter cartridge and employs a removable and reusable magnet unit that can be removed from the oil filter after cleaning thereof and prior to insertion of a replaceable oil filter cartridge. Such a device can be reused as a new or fresh oil filter cartridge without disposing of the original oil filter housing.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use a conventional oil filter that has a magnet attachment attached thereto, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a combined oil filter and magnet apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) directs a concentrated flow of oil inside the oil filter housing in the vicinity of a magnet attachment; (2) can easily be fitted into and can easily be removed from an oil filter housing; (3) provides a removable and reusable magnet unit can be fitted into the centrally located filtered oil flow space of an oil filter; (4) provides an oil flow director that is installed in the centrally located filtered oil flow space so as to direct a concentrated flow of oil to the vicinity of a removable and reusable magnet unit; (5) employs a disposable and replaceable oil filter cartridge and employs a removable and reusable magnet unit that can be removed from an oil filter after cleaning and prior to insertion of a fresh oil filter material cartridge such that the oil filter may be reused as a new or fresh oil filter; and (6) employs a disposable and replaceable oil filter and employs a removable and reusable magnet unit that can be reused with another, fresh oil filter after the original oil filter with which it was used has been discarded.
The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique combined oil filter and magnet apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a combined oil filter and magnet apparatus that generally is comprised of an oil filter housing which includes an oil output fitting, a filter material/flow director support attached to the oil output fitting, a removable quantity of filter material attached to the filter material/flow director support, a centrally located filtered oil flow space defined by the quantity of filter material, and a housing attached to the oil output fitting which houses the filter material/flow director support, the quantity of filter material, and the centrally located filtered oil flow space. The oil filter housing includes a bottom housing portion attached to the oil output fitting, wherein the bottom housing portion includes oil input channels and includes an oil sealing ring, and further includes an oil flow director attached to the filter material/flow director support and extending into the centrally located filtered oil flow space. A removable and reusable magnet unit is adapted to be attached to a receptacle in the filter housing that protrudes into the centrally located filtered oil flow space defined by the quantity of filter material supported in the filter housing, whereby when installed in the receptacle the removable and reusable magnet unit is in the vicinity of oil flow directed by the oil flow director.
With one embodiment of the invention, the removable and reusable magnet unit includes a magnet unit that is partially received in the centrally located filtered oil flow space. The internally-received removable and reusable magnet unit is partially nested in a receptacle inside the oil flow director. The oil flow director and the receptacle are oriented along a central longitudinal axis of the oil filter. The filter housing includes a magnet unit entry port located distal to the oil output fitting, and a portion of the removable and reusable magnet unit extends into the receptacle and the centrally located filtered oil flow space.
The removable and reusable magnet unit includes a first lock bolt reception channel. The oil filter housing further includes magnet unit support members attached to the housing proximal to the opening of the magnet unit receiving receptacle, and the magnet unit support members include second lock bolt reception channels. A lock bolt is
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