Liquid purification or separation – Flow – fluid pressure or material level – responsive – Fluid pressure responsive by-pass
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-14
2001-07-24
Savage, Matthew O. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Flow, fluid pressure or material level, responsive
Fluid pressure responsive by-pass
C210S249000, C210S434000, C210S438000, C210S440000, C210S455000, C210SDIG009, C285S133110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264833
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coolant filter assembly kit for a vehicle, to a coolant filter assembly formed from the kit, and to a method of using same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a coolant filter assembly kit which includes both a fluid conduit member for placing in-line in a coolant line such as, e.g., a heater core circuit, and a coolant filter apparatus which is attachable to the fluid conduit member. The present invention also relates to a coolant filter assembly which is formed from components of the kit, and to a method of using the coolant filter assembly hereof to filter engine coolant.
2. Description of the Background Art
Some types of coolant filters are known, for filtering engine coolant during engine operation. Some of the known coolant filters include dissolving additive tablets or other mechanisms for the delayed release of supplemental chemical additives into the coolant. Examples of some known coolant filters can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,682,308, 3,726,262, 3,776,384, 4,782,891, 5,050,549, 5,435,346, 5,690,814, and 5,803,024.
Certain kits are also known and are commercially available to facilitate the process of draining coolant from a vehicle and subsequently refilling the vehicle with fresh coolant. These kits may include a hollow “T” shaped fitting for installing in-line in a vehicular heater hose. In this known type of T fitting, the base of the fitting is externally threaded to receive a female fitting of a standard garden hose thereon. To the best of applicant's understanding, this known type of T fitting is completely open on the inside thereof, so that any given leg of the “T” is in free fluid communication with both of the other legs.
With the increased emphasis on vehicle durability and longevity, a need still exists in the art for a kit which can be used to construct a coolant filter assembly, for adding in-line into a vehicle coolant line to provide a replaceable coolant filter, the kit including one such replaceable filter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a coolant filter kit of components which can be assembled together to form a coolant filter assembly. The coolant filter assembly hereof is provided for attaching in-line to a coolant hose of a combustion engine, and for filtering engine coolant which passes therethrough.
A first component of the coolant filter kit hereof is a fluid conduit member, having a stem and two opposed branches connected to the stem.
The fluid conduit member has an inlet formed in a first branch thereof, and an outlet formed in a second branch. The fluid conduit member further has a first flow chamber formed therein in communication with the inlet, a second flow chamber formed therein in communication with the outlet, and a partition in the stem thereof, substantially separating the first flow chamber from the second flow chamber.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the partition does not completely block fluid flow from the first flow chamber to the second flow chamber, but instead, allows a limited amount of fluid flow therepast. The presence of the bypass feature, in conjunction with the presence of the partition between the first and second flow chambers of the fluid conduit member, provides two fluid pathways through the conduit member. A first of such pathways routes fluid flow through a filter apparatus for filtration thereof, and then back into the conduit member. A second of the pathways allows a limited amount of fluid to flow directly from the inlet to the outlet without passing through the filter apparatus, in order to provide an alternate flow mechanism in the event that the filter apparatus becomes plugged or severely restricted.
The coolant filter kit hereof also includes a removable and replaceable coolant filter apparatus, for attaching to the fluid conduit member to form a coolant filter assembly. The primary function of the filter apparatus is to filter contaminants out of liquid coolant flowing therethrough, once it is installed in a vehicle cooling system.
The filter apparatus includes a substantially cylindrical hollow housing defining a filter chamber therein. Preferably, the housing is formed from a housing body section which is a first cup-shaped member, and an end cap which a second cup-shaped member, and which is sealably attached to the body section to define a filter chamber therebetween. The housing has an end wall with a cylindrical bore formed therein, and the cylindrical bore is internally threaded to receive the stem of the fluid conduit member therein. A hollow cylindrical outlet tube is also provided in the filter chamber of the housing, coaxial to the cylindrical bore and attached to the housing end wall. The housing further has a series of inlet holes formed therein, arranged in an annular pattern surrounding the outlet tube.
The coolant filter apparatus also includes a filter member which is primarily made up of a porous cylindrical filter element, which is disposed in the filter chamber of the housing. The filter member has a hollow bore formed centrally therein, and is arranged in the filter chamber such that the hollow bore is in communication with the housing outlet tube. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the filter member includes a first substantially disc-shaped end plate attached to the filter element at a first end thereof opposite the cylindrical bore, and a second plate attached to a second end of the filter element and having a central aperture formed therein. In this preferred embodiment, the filter element is oriented in the housing such that the central aperture of the second end plate surrounds, and is in fluid communication with, the housing outlet tube.
Also in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the coolant filter apparatus includes at least one spacer in the housing for spacing the filter member away from the housing inlet holes at the end of the cylindrical bore in the housing end wall section.
Optionally, the filter apparatus may include a slow dissolving tablet or plug for releasing a supplemental coolant additive into a coolant stream over time.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for filtering engine coolant.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a removable and replaceable coolant filter apparatus for a vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coolant filter kit which is usable to retrofit an existing vehicle to add a coolant filter into a cooling system of the vehicle.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a coolant filter assembly which may be incorporated into a new vehicle during the assembly process.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the reader is referred to the following detailed description section, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description and in the drawings, like numbers refer to like parts.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3682308 (1972-08-01), Moon
patent: 3726262 (1973-04-01), Moon
patent: 3776384 (1973-12-01), Offer
patent: 3859216 (1975-01-01), Sisson et al.
patent: 4075098 (1978-02-01), Paul et al.
patent: 4142973 (1979-03-01), Kachman
patent: 4782891 (1988-11-01), Cheadle et al.
patent: 4834885 (1989-05-01), Misgen et al.
patent: 4992166 (1991-02-01), Lowsky et al.
patent: 5050549 (1991-09-01), Sturmon
patent: 5104537 (1992-04-01), Stifelman et al.
patent: 5382355 (1995-01-01), Arlozynski
patent: 5435346 (1995-07-01), Tregidgo et al.
patent: 5662799 (1997-09-01), Hudgens et al.
patent: 5690814 (1997-11-01), Holt
patent: 5803024 (1998-09-01), Brown
Langsdorf Brian J.
Reamsnyder Christopher R.
Wright Allen B.
Allied-Signal Inc.
Savage Matthew O.
LandOfFree
Coolant filter assembly for a vehicle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Coolant filter assembly for a vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Coolant filter assembly for a vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2500738