Flow inverter for filters

Details Flow inverter for filters Flow inverter for filters

1998-02-25

2001-08-07

Savage, Matthew O. (Department: 1723)

Liquid purification or separation

Flow, fluid pressure or material level, responsive

Fluid pressure responsive by-pass

C210S443000, C210S455000, C210S456000, C210SDIG009, C137S549000, C137S599110

Reexamination Certificate

active

06270660

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to flow inverters for filters. More particularly, the present invention is directed to flow inverters for filters which filter liquids.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For some automotive applications, flow-through filter cartridges have been changed so that inlet fluid now flows through radially positioned, spaced inlet ports in the filter cartridge through the inside surface of an annular filter media and out through a centrally disposed, outlet port. The centrally disposed, outlet port is threaded so that these filter cartridge configurations are in many essential ways similar to standard spin-on filter cartridges.
In most prior art spin-on filter cartridges, fuel, lubricating oil or other liquids to be filtered flow radially disposed, spaced apart ports, through a filter media from the outside and exits the filter cartridge through a central port. Production lines have been operating for many years producing these type of spin-on filters.
In order to reduce the number of ports inside of filter cartridge and to take advantage of coalescing filter media in which flow must be from the inside out, it is necessary to reconfigure filter cartridges. To the extent that existing production facilities can continue to be used with as little disruption as possible, the expense of accommodating the new arrangement in which flow of the fluid to be filtered is reversed should be minimized. One way to minimize expense is to use as many conventional components as possible so as to avoid the delay and expense of redesigning components, retooling production machinery and retraining employees. In reconfiguring filter cartridges, it is also preferable to reduce the number of component parts and reduce line labor required for assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a feature of the present invention to provide new and improved arrangements for reversing flow in filters, such as spin-on filters, wherein flow reversal is accomplished effectively and at minimal expense.
In accordance with the present invention, flow reversal from outside-in to inside-out in spin-on type filter cartridges is accomplished by capturing inlet fluid from a plurality of radially disposed inlet ports, directing fluid in through the inside surface of a filter media, out through the outside surface of the media and discharging the fluid to a central outlet port. For this purpose, a flow reversal element is utilized, the flow reversal element having axial passages and radial passages which are isolated from one another. The axial passages communicate with the radially disposed ports on the dirty side of the filter media and the radial passages communicate with the central port on the clean side of the filter media.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4253954 (1981-03-01), Midkiff et al.
patent: 4292179 (1981-09-01), Stone et al.
patent: 5830349 (1998-11-01), Roll et al.
patent: 1444083 (1976-07-01), None
patent: 1526501 (1978-09-01), None

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