Gas separation – Combined or convertible – In motor vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-29
2001-10-09
Simmons, David A. (Department: 1724)
Gas separation
Combined or convertible
In motor vehicle
C055S498000, C055S502000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299661
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to air cleaner housing systems. In particular, it relates to devices and methods for attaching an air cleaner tube to the air cleaner housing to facilitate introducing dirty air into or removing clean air from the air cleaner housing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Air cleaner housings are typically arranged to support one or more air filter elements within and two or more air cleaner tubes attached thereto to bring dirty air into the air cleaner housing and to carry clean air out of the air cleaner housing. The air cleaner tubes, in turn, are also connected to various components such as an intake manifold in the case of clean air in an air cleaner housing for motor vehicles. In order for an air cleaner housing to be effective, it should provide an adequate seal between various components within the housing to prevent air from leaking around the air filter element(s) to the clean air side without first passing through the air filter element(s). In addition, some sort of access port should be provided on the housing to permit replacement of the air filter elements.
Currently, air cleaner housings are available in a variety of shapes and configurations. Many provide a separate access location to facilitate replacement of an air filter element within the housing. For example, the housing may comprise two shells in which the top shell is removable to provide access to the air filter element disposed on the bottom shell. Unfortunately, such configuration requires even tensioning of the two shells along its entire periphery edge in order to provide an adequate seal; hence, many fasteners are needed around the periphery of the shells and a significant amount of time and manual dexterity is required to properly loosen and tighten these fasteners. Other air cleaner housings provide openings for attaching air cleaner tubes to the housing. However, similar to providing access locations to facilitate filter element replacements, such openings on the housing presents additional problems in maintaining adequate sealing between components to prevent undesirable dirty air movement. Typically the air cleaner tube must be attached to the housing using cumbersome attachment devices and/or sealants to insure a close enough fit, or the air cleaner tube has to be permanently attached to the housing to get around the sealing problem. The primary shortcoming of this configuration is the decrease in maneuverability of the air cleaner housing system within a confined space such as in a motor vehicle since the housing and its attached air cleaner tube acts as one unit, as well as the need to possibly replace both the housing and the attached air cleaner tube even if only one part has been damaged.
Thus, there is a need for an air cleaner housing system that is capable of providing relatively easy access to replace air filter elements disposed within the housing, an inexpensive and easy to operate attachment device for attaching the air cleaner tube to the housing, the ability to attach and detach the air cleaner tube repeatedly as desired, and providing adequate seal(s) between the various components within the housing to prevent air from leaking around to the clean air side without first passing through the air filter element.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
One embodiment of the invention relates to an air cleaner system having an air cleaner tube extending along a central axis and an air cleaner housing including an aperture, wherein the aperture size and shape is configured to receive one end of the air cleaner tube. The air cleaner system further includes a twist fit connector having a first portion disposed around the air cleaner tube and a second portion positioned on the air cleaner housing, wherein the first portion includes a first plurality of spaced-apart flanges cincturing a substantially circular first edge thereof and the second portion includes a second plurality of spaced-apart flanges cincturing a corresponding substantially circular first edge thereof.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to an air cleaner having an air cleaner tube extending along a central axis, an air cleaner tube having an opening to partially receive the air cleaner tube, and a removable air filter disposed inside the air cleaner box. The air cleaner further includes a first portion of a twist fit connector disposed around the air cleaner tube, having a first plurality of spaced-apart flanges and a locking element, and a second portion of the twist fit connector disposed on the air cleaner box, having a second plurality of spaced-apart flanges and a receiving element, wherein the twist fit connector moves between a first position to hold the air cleaner box and tube together and a second position to detach the air cleaner tube from the air cleaner box. The air cleaner still further includes a first seal disposed between the air filter and the air cleaner tube, whereby dirty air passes through the air filter before exiting the air cleaner box when the twist fit connector is in the first position.
Still another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of assembling an air cleaner comprising inserting one end of an air cleaner tube into an opening of an air cleaner housing, aligning a locking element and a receiving element along a central axis, inserting a first plurality of flanges encircling the air cleaner tube in between the corresponding spaces between a second plurality of flanges disposed on the air cleaner housing, contacting the locking and receiving elements, and rotating the locking element relative to the receiving element around the central axis till further rotation in either direction is prevented by the locking element abutting a section of the receiving element.
Other principal features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following drawings, the detailed description and the appended claims.
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European Search Report completed Apr. 20, 2001.
Lawrence Frank M.
Siemens Canada Limited
Simmons David A.
LandOfFree
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