US20060207921A1

US20060207921A1 - Fluid filter assembly with concave surface in the closed end of the housing

Info

Publication number: US20060207921A1
Application number: US11/409,856
Authority: US
Inventors: Steven Storckman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Champion Laboratories Inc
Priority date: 2003-11-18
Filing date: 2006-04-24
Publication date: 2006-09-21
Also published as: CA2482371A1; MXPA04011434A; US7175761B2; US20050103692A1; EP1533013A1; US20060201858A1

Abstract

A filter assembly includes a house open at one end and closed at the other end. An end plate is secured to the housing and closes the open end. An annular filter media/core assembly is disposed in the housing. The end plate has inlet openings and an outlet opening therein. A combination valve disposed between the end plate and the annular filter media/core assembly controls fluid flow through the inlet openings and the outlet opening. The closed end has a concave portion which is disposed in the opening in the annular filter media/core assembly. The concave portion in the housing helps reduce the overall height of the filter assembly, thus reducing the interior void volume of the filter assembly, which reduces the quantity of oil necessary to fill the system. The provision of a concave portion in the closed end of the housing helps to center the annular filter media/core assembly in the housing and improves the manufacturing and assembly processes.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 10/715,682 filed Nov. 18, 2003 and entitled Fluid Filter Assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a fluid filter assembly having a combination valve retained between a filter media/core assembly and an end plate and, more particularly, to a fluid filter assembly having a novel unitary combination check valve and bypass valve cooperating with a unique end plate for controlling the flow of fluid into and out from the fluid filter assembly. Further, the invention pertains to a fluid filter assembly that includes a housing having a concave surface that cooperates with the annular filter media/core assembly to eliminate the spring used in the prior pending application and to help center the annular filter media/core assembly in the housing.
B. Description of Related Art
There is known in the prior art a filter device having a housing with an open end, a filter element received in the housing, an end plate closing the open end and having inlet and outlet openings therein, and a valve for cooperating with the inlet openings to allow oil to flow into the filter through the inlet openings, but prevents flow of oil in a reverse direction. An example may be seen in Minowa et al. Pat. No. 6,595,372. Prior filters are known that include a combination valve having two portions, the first portion for closing the inlet openings to block the flow of oil back out of the inlet openings when the oil is not being circulated and the second portion for opening a bypass opening when the filter media is clogged for returning oil to the engine to keep the engine lubricated even though the filter element is clogged. An example of such construction is Covington Pat. No. 5,405,527.
The present invention improves upon the filter assembly with combination valve, shown for example, in the Covington Pat. No. 5,405,527 and overcomes disadvantages and deficiencies of such prior art constructions.

C. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved filter assembly that has a simpler design and fewer parts than prior art filter assemblies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved filter assembly with a housing having a concave surface in the closed end that eliminates the spring of the prior co-pending application Ser. No. 10/715,682 and helps to center the filter media/core assembly in the housing.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved filter assembly having a housing with a concave surface in the closed end that engages the annular filter media/core assembly to help reduce the overall height of the filter assembly and to reduce the inner void volume of the filter assembly, thus requiring less oil to fill the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved filter assembly wherein manufacturing and assembly are improved such that fixturing devices can be eliminated.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter.
The invention pertains to a filter assembly having a housing open at one end and closed at the other end. The closed end has a concave portion that is constructed and arranged to engage with and center an annular filter media/core assembly disposed in the housing. The end plate has at least two inlet openings and an outlet opening therein. A combination valve is disposed and retained between the filter media/core assembly and the end plate. The combination valve has a first portion cooperating with the first inlet opening in the end plate and a second portion cooperating with the second inlet opening. In normal operation the first portion of the combination valve will yield before the second portion of the combination valve and fluid flow will pass through the first inlet opening, the filter element and then be discharged through the outlet opening. When the filter element begins to clog, pressure upstream of the first portion will build and upon attainment of a predetermined pressure, the second portion will open the second inlet opening and fluid flow can pass through the second inlet opening and out the outlet opening, thereby bypassing the filter media/core assembly. A resilient seal on each end cap of the annular filter media/core assembly help bias the filter element toward the end plate to retain the combination valve in place and to seal fluid flow from between the filter media and the concave surface of the housing, from between the combination valve and the filter media and from between the combination valve and the end plate.

D. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

There is shown in the attached drawing a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein like numerals refer to like elements and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side view of the filter assembly of the present invention, with part of the housing broken away to show interior parts including the combination check and bypass valve.

E. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

There is shown in FIG. 1 a filter assembly embodying the present invention. The filter assembly 10 includes a generally cup-shaped cylindrical shell or housing 12 that is open at one end and closed at the other. The closed end of the housing 12 has a central concave portion or depression 13 formed therein. Disposed within the housing 10 is a filter means 15 which comprises an annular filter element 14 mounted on a core 16. The concave portion 13 is adapted to engage within the opening at the top of the annular filter element 14 to help prevent fluid to be filtered from bypassing the filter element and to help center the filter element 14 in the housing 12. Provided in the open end of the housing 10 is an end plate 18, which has a lid 20 secured thereto. An annular, resilient gasket 22 is received and retained in a recess in the lid 20 for providing a seal between the filter assembly 10 and the engine block (not shown) to which the filter assembly 10 is secured in normal use.
The combination valve 26, which is retained between the lower end of the filter element 14 and the top of the end plate 18 includes a first portion 28 for controlling flow through the first inlet opening or openings 30 and a second portion 32 for controlling flow through the second inlet opening or openings 34. The first portion 28 is more resilient than the second portion 30 and will open under a lesser pressure, whereas the second portion 32 is stiffer and requires a higher pressure to open same. In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the first portion 28 of the combination valve 26 will open the first inlet openings at a minimum opening pressure, for example, on the order of 1 psi and the second portion 32 will open the second inlet openings 34 at a predetermined higher pressure, for example on the order of 8-10 psi. Provided centrally in the end plate 18 is a central threaded outlet opening 36. The outlet opening 36 is disposed about the longitudinal axis of the filter assembly 10 and is within the circle of second openings 34. In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, there are eight first inlet openings 30 and eight second inlet openings 34 in the end plate 18. Other opening configurations than round are feasible and the number of openings can be varied as will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, depending upon the application for the filter assembly 10.
The combination valve 26 of the present invention includes a first portion 28 that is annular and has a bend intermediate the radial extent of the first portion 28. The part of the first portion 28 that engages the second portion 32 extends generally horizontally and the free end is inclined outwardly and downwardly from the horizontal portion. The second portion 32 includes an annular inwardly inclined part that is adapted to cooperate with the second inlet openings 34 and an upwardly extending part 38 that cooperates with the horizontal part of the first portion 28 to form a shoulder 40 that receives the lower inner end of the core 16 of the filter means. The part 38 is annular and engages the interior of the lower end of the core 16 of the filter means when assembled
The end plate 18 is suitably secured to the lid 20, for example, by welding The recess 42 in the lid 20 is adapted to receive and retain the gasket 22 (FIG. 1). The lid 20 may be provided with projections that slightly interfere with the recess 42, whereby in use, the gasket 22 is forced into the recess 42 and retained in place by the pressure from the projections engaging and cooperating with the resilient gasket 22.
The resilient gasket 22 will be retained in the recess or groove 42 during handling of the filter assembly 10 and the projections (not shown) define cooperative engaging means for holding the gasket in place. Persons skilled in the art will understand that the gasket 22 can be similarly retained in place in the recess 42 if the projections on the lid 20 were eliminated and projections were provided on the outside or inside surfaces of the gasket 22 for engaging with the walls of the recess 42. Such arrangement would function in an equivalent manner.
The end plate 18 is comprised of an outer generally transverse portion 29, an inclined portion 31 and an inner transverse portion 33. Openings 34 are disposed in a circle in the generally horizontal or transverse portion 33 of the end plate 18 and each has an axis that is generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the filter assembly 10. Openings 30 are disposed in a circle generally concentric to the circle for the openings 34 and spaced outwardly therefrom. The openings 30 are in the angled outward portion 31 of the end plate 18 and the axis of each of the openings 30 is inclined with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the filter assembly 10.
The filter means 15 may comprise a conventional pleated filter media 14 composed, for example, of cellulose with some polyester. The core 16, which may be molded from an appropriate material, for example, a glass filled plastic, such as, Nylon, is perforated so as to permit fluid flow there through in use. Essentially, the core 16 comprises a cage formed by vertically disposed members 16 a suitably secured to horizontally disposed members 16 b. The filter media 14 is formed from a sheet of pleated material joined along the facing ends by a suitable adhesive to form an annular sleeve on the cage 16.
At the top and bottom are disposed end caps 50 and 52, respectively. The end caps 50 and 52 may be fabricated from a suitable composite material, for example a cellulose/polyester composite. Preferably, the end caps 50 and 52 are bonded to the filter media 14, for example, by ultrasonic welding, to form a seal between the ends of the filter media and the end caps to prevent fluid flow between these elements in use. Essentially the materials for the filter media 14, the core 16, and the end caps 50 and 52 are compatible for ultrasonic welding to fuse the parts to one another. This process eliminates the need for adhesive and the oven curing that was done in the past. The top end cap 50 is a generally annular plate that has an opening in the center thereof for receiving and engaging the concave surface 13 of the housing 12 to help center the filter means 15 in the housing 12. The elimination of the spring enables a reduction in the overall height of the filter assembly 10, as well as a reduction in the interior void volume. By reducing the interior void volume, less oil is required to fill the system. The bottom end cap 52 is a generally annular plate that has an opening in the center thereof and projections (not shown) extending from the periphery thereof. As disclosed in the prior co-pending application, there are three projections on the end cap 52. The projections are adapted to abut the interior of the housing 12 to facilitate assembly of the filter means into the housing 12 and to properly position the lower portion of the filter means 15 in the housing 12.
Resilient seals 56 and 58 are secured to the top end cap 50 and the lower end cap 58, respectively. The seals may be composed of felt or felt-like material. The seal 56 may be affixed to the top end cap 50 and/or the top of the core 16 and will seal between the end cap 50 and the inner surface of the concave portion 13 of the housing 12. The opening in the center of the annular filter media will be closed to fluid flow when the filter means 15 is assembled in the housing 12. The resiliency of the seal 56 will apply a downward biasing force to the filter means 15. The seal 58 may be affixed to the bottom end cap 52 and/or the bottom of the core 16 to seal between the lower end of the filter and the combination valve 26.
The assembly of the filter assembly 10 will now be described. The filter means 15 is assembled with the annular filter media 14 on the core 16 and the end caps 50 and 52 secured in place. The end plate 18 and the lid 20 are secured together, for example, by welding, and the gasket 22 is positioned and retained in the recess 42 of the lid. The filter means 15 is positioned in the housing 12 abutting the closed end of the housing, with the concave portion 13 engaged in the opening at the upper end of the filter means 15 help to properly center the top of the filter means in the housing 12. The seal 56 will preclude fluid flow between the filter means and the housing 12. The combination valve 26 is positioned in the core 16 with the part 38 engaging the inner surface of the core 16 to help seal fluid flow between the combination valve 26 and the core 16 of the filter means. The seal 58 will preclude fluid flow between the filter means 15 and the contacted surface of the combination valve 26. The end plate 18 is inserted to close the open end of the housing 12 and the outer rim of the lid 20 is rolled with the open end of the housing 12 to form a seal 80. Positioning of the end plate 18 in the housing 12 partially compresses the seals 56,58, whereby, when the parts are assembled a spring force is applied to the top of the filter means 15 urging the filter means toward the end plate 18. The spring force will help to clamp the combination valve 26 between the filter means and the end plate 18 and to seal flow from between the filter means and the end plate 18. The core 16 will firmly engage the part 38 of the combination valve 26 and will also engage and bear upon the generally horizontal region of the first portion 28 of the combination valve 26.
In operation, the filter assembly 10 is spun onto a stud on the engine block which engages the threads in the central opening 36 in the end plate 18 and is secured in place. The gasket 22 will engage the engine block and preclude fluid flow from between the engine block and the filter assembly 10. When the engine is started, fluid, usually oil, will enter the filter assembly through the openings 30. Slight pressure will move the first portion or check valve portion 28 of the combination valve 26 away from the openings 30 and oil will flow through openings 30, the filter media 14 and be discharged through the cental outlet opening 36 for return to the engine. When the engine is turned off, the first portion or check valve portion 28 of the combination valve 26 will close the openings 30 and prevent return of oil in the filter assembly 10 to the engine. As the filter media 14 clogs during normal operation, pressure will build within the housing 12 of the filter assembly 10 and upon attainment of a predetermined pressure, on the order of 8-10 psi for one present application, the second portion or bypass portion 32 of the combination valve 26 will open and permit oil to flow through the openings 34 and back to the engine, thereby bypassing the filter media 14. Stated somewhat differently, during periods of time when high differential pressure exists across the filter media, due to cold thick oil or high contaminant loading of the filter media, the oil will go through the inner circle of openings 34 and open the second portion 32 of the combination valve 26 to permit oil to bypass the filter media 14 and exit the filter assembly 10 through the outlet opening 36 for return to the engine.
The concave portion 13 is not limited to the specific shape shown, but may be configured shallower or deeper. It is important that the central concave portion or depression not extend above a plane at the top of the housing 12 as seen in FIG. 1. Thus during manufacture, the housing can be positioned open end facing upwardly on an assembly line.
The present invention materially reduces the number of parts needed for a line of filters. Presently standard automotive filter assemblies are grouped into multiple filter diameters. A main line of filter assemblies heretofore consisted of multiple core diameters and multiple core heights. With the present invention, filter sizes can be consolidated and the complexity of internal components can be reduced significantly, for example to one core diameter and two core heights. Fabrication and assembly of the filter assemblies are simplified and can easily be automated. The filter media, core and end caps are non-metallic and can be easily recycled. The unique end cap design and orientation of the openings therein is a facilitating factor in both construction and operation of the filter assembly. The construction of the combination check valve and bypass valve and the cooperation of the combination check valve and bypass valve with the end plate contribute to easier assembly and enhanced performance. The respective circles of openings in the end plate are fairly close to one another. The combination valve is constructed so that it can be retained in place against the end plate by the core 16 of the filter means by contact between the two circles of openings. This arrangement seals fluid flow through one circle of openings from the fluid flow through the other circle of openings. Tolerances need not be tight to obtain the sealing results desired.
Elimination of the spring employed in the design of the co-pending application Ser. No. 10/715,682 by use of a concave portion in the closed end of the housing reduces the overall height of the filter assembly. The concave portion 13 may be flatter or deeper in shape without adversely affecting the parameters of the present invention. The cooperation between the concave portion of the housing 12 and the opening at the top of the filter means 15 helps to center the filter means 15 in the housing 12. The reduction of the overall height of the filter assembly 10 reduces the interior void volume of the filter assembly 10 and thus less oil is required to fill the system. Further, the provision of the concave surface, as contrasted with a conventional convex surface, improves the manufacturing process by providing a surface that can be transferred down an assembly line in a threaded end up orientation easily and without the need for a fixturing device to hold the filter assembly upright.
While a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A filter assembly having a housing open at one end and closed at the other end, a concave portion being formed in the closed end of the housing, an annular filter media/core assembly disposed in said housing, with the concave portion being disposed in the opening in the annular filter media/core assembly, an end plate secured to the housing and closing the open end thereof, the end plate having first inlet opening means, second inlet opening means and outlet opening means, a combination valve disposed between the annular filter media/core assembly and the end plate for controlling fluid flow through the first inlet opening means and the second inlet opening means, the combination valve including a first portion cooperating with the first inlet opening means and a second portion cooperating with the second inlet opening means, the second portion having more resistance to fluid flow than the first portion, whereby, in normal operation, the first portion will yield prior to the second portion and fluid flow will pass through the first inlet opening means, the annular filter media/core assembly and then be discharged through said outlet opening means and when the annular filter media/core assembly begins to clog, pressure upstream of the first portion will build and upon attainment of a predetermined pressure, the second portion will open the second inlet opening means and fluid flow can pass through the second inlet opening means and out the outlet opening means bypassing the annular filter media/core assembly.

2. A filter assembly as in claim 1 including resilient means disposed between the top of the annular filter media/core assembly and the concave surface of the housing for sealing fluid flow between the top of the annular filter media/core assembly and the concave portion of the housing and for biasing the annular filter media/core assembly toward the end plate.

3. A filter assembly as in claim 1 wherein the combination valve comprises an annular member, with the first portion extending outwardly from a central portion and the second portion extending inwardly from the central portion, the second portion being stiffer than the first portion; the annular filter media/core assembly engaging the central portion of the combination valve between the first portion and the second portion to retain the combination valve in place.

4. A filter assembly as in claim 3 wherein the annular filter media/core assembly includes a central core surrounded by filter media, and a resilient seal on the lower end of the central core engages the central portion of the combination valve for sealing between the lower end of the central core and the combination valve.

5. A filter assembly as in claim 1 wherein the end plate has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing and a transverse surface transverse to the longitudinal axis of the housing, the first inlet opening means being disposed in the inclined surface and the second inlet opening means being disposed in the transverse surface.

6. A filter assembly as in claim 1 wherein the first inlet opening means comprises a plurality of openings.

7. A filter assembly as in claim 1 wherein the second inlet opening means comprises a plurality of openings.

8. A filter assembly as in claim 1, wherein the annular filter media/core assembly comprises a core, a filter media surrounding the core and end caps at the ends of the filter media, the filter media and end caps being fabricated from materials that can be bonded to fuse the components to one another and preclude any significant fluid flow there between.

9. A filter assembly as in claim 8, wherein the filter media and the end caps are ultrasonically welded to one another.

10. A filter assembly as in claim 5 wherein the second portion has a surface engaging the end plate and a surface engaging the central core.

11. A filter assembly having a housing opening at one end and closed at the other end, said closed end having a concave portion formed therein, an annular filter media/core assembly disposed in said housing and having a central opening in the upper end thereof, the concave portion of the housing being disposed in the central opening to help center the annular fitter media/core assembly in the housing, an end plate secured to the housing and closing the end plate having first inlet openings, second inlet openings and an outlet opening the open end thereof, and a combination valve disposed between the annular filter media/core assembly and the end plate for controlling fluid flow through the first and second inlet openings, the combination valve including a first portion cooperating with the first inlet openings and a second portion cooperating with the second inlet openings, the second portion having more resistance to fluid flow than the first portion, whereby in operation, the first portion will yield in response to minimum pressure and fluid flow will pass through the first inlet openings, the annular filter media/core assembly and then be discharged through the outlet opening and when the annular filter media/core assembly begins to clog, pressure will begin to build and upon attainment of a higher predetermined pressure, the second portion will open the second inlet openings and fluid flow can pass through the second inlet openings and out the outlet opening, bypassing the annular filter media/core assembly.

12. A filter assembly as in claim 11 wherein the combination valve comprises an annular member, with the first portion extending outwardly from a central portion and the second portion extending inwardly from the central portion, the second portion being stiffer than the first portion; the annular filter element engaging the central portion of the combination valve between the first portion and the second portion to retain the combination valve in place.

13. A filter assembly as in claim 12 including resilient seal means disposed between the top of the annular filter media/core assembly and the inside surface of the concave portion of the housing for sealing between the annular filter media/core assembly and the inside surface of the concave portion of the housing and for biasing the annular filter media/core assembly toward the end plate to help retain the combination valve in place.

14. A filter assembly as in claim 13 including resilient seal means disposed between the bottom of the annular filter media/core assembly and the combination valve for sealing between the bottom of the annular filter media/core assembly and for helping to retain the combination valve in place.

15. A filter assembly as in claim 11, wherein the closed end of the housing lies in a plane, with the concave portion extending inwardly from said plane.

16. A filter assembly having a housing open at one end and closed at the other end, said other end having a concave portion formed therein, an annular filter media/core assembly disposed in said housing and having a central opening in the upper end thereof, the concave portion of the housing being disposed in the central opening to help center the annular fitter media/core assembly in the housing, an end plate secured to the housing and closing the open end, and a combination valve for controlling fluid flow through the filter assembly.

17. A filter assembly as in claim 16, including resilient seal means disposed between the top of the annular filter media/core assembly and the inside surface of the concave portion of the housing for sealing between the annular filter media/core assembly and the inside surface of the concave portion of the housing and for biasing the annular filter media/core assembly toward the end plate to help retain the combination valve in place.

18. A filter assembly as in claim 16, wherein the closed end of the housing lies in a plane, with the concave portion extending inwardly from said plane.