Pneumatic filter and filter element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464005-B2
Application number	US-201615572387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	May 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

An upper end cap including an inner filter member that surrounds a middle space portion, an outer filter member that surrounds the inner filter member, and an introduction port for introducing compressed air into the middle space portion, and a lower end cap that closes a lower end portion of the middle space portion, an outer periphery of a lower end portion of the inner filter member being surrounded by an inner wall, an outer periphery of a lower end portion of the outer filter member being surrounded by an outer wall, an upper end surface of the outer wall being positioned higher than an upper end surface of the inner wall, a liquid discharge passage being formed between the outer wall and the inner wall, the liquid discharge passage being in communication with a liquid discharge hole that open to an underside of the lower end cap.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hollow filter element for removing dust and liquid mixed in compressed air, the filter element comprising:
an inner filter member that surrounds a middle space portion; and an outer filter member that surrounds an outer periphery of the inner filter member, wherein the compressed air introduced into the middle space portion is filtered while passing through the inner filter member to the outer filter member such that dust and liquid are removed,
wherein an upper end cap including an introduction port for introducing the compressed air into the middle space portion is attached to upper end portions that are first ends of the inner filter member and the outer filter member in an axis direction,
wherein a lower end cap that closes a lower end portion of the middle space portion is attached to lower end portions that are second ends of the inner filter member and the outer filter member in the axis direction,
wherein an outer periphery of the lower end portion of the inner filter member is surrounded by an inner wall formed in the lower end cap, wherein an outer periphery of the lower end portion of the outer filter member is surrounded by an outer wall that blocks a flow of the compressed air, and wherein an upper end surface of the outer wall is positioned higher than an upper end surface of the inner wall,
wherein a vertical width of a wall portion of the outer wall that is above the inner wall and that surrounds an outer periphery of the outer filter member is larger than a vertical width of a wall portion of the inner wall that surrounds the outer periphery of the inner filter member,
wherein a liquid discharge passage for discharging liquid collected by the inner filter member and the outer filter member to an outside is formed between the outer wall and the inner wall, and wherein the liquid discharge passage is in communication with a liquid discharge hole that opens to an underside of the lower end cap and wherein the lower end portion of the outer filter member abuts against the upper end surface of the inner wall.

2. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the lower end portion of the outer filter member is positioned higher than the lower end portion of the inner filter member, and, is positioned at a position similar to that of the upper end surface of the inner wall.

3. The filter element according to claim 2 , wherein a gap in communication with the liquid discharge passage is formed between an inner peripheral surface of the outer wall and an outer peripheral surface of the outer filter member.

4. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the outer wall is formed in the lower end cap so as to surround the inner wall, and the outer wall and the inner wall are connected to each other with a plurality of radially disposed rib-shaped connection walls.

5. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the lower end cap includes an inner cap member and an outer cap member that are configured separately and that fit with each other, the inner wall being formed in the inner cap member, and the outer wall and the liquid discharge hole being formed in the outer cap member.

6. A pneumatic filter comprising: a housing including a head including an inlet port and an outlet port and a hollow housing body connected to the head; and a hollow filter element housed inside the housing body so that an axis is oriented vertically, wherein the filter element includes an inner filter member that surrounds a middle space portion, and an outer filter member that surrounds an outer periphery of the inner filter member, and wherein compressed air that is introduced into the middle space portion from the inlet port is filtered while passing through the inner filter member to the outer filter member and flows out from the outlet port,
wherein an upper end cap including an introduction port connecting the inlet port and the middle space portion is attached to upper end portions of the inner filter member and the outer filter member of the filter element, and wherein a lower end cap that closes a lower end portion of the middle space portion is attached to lower end portions of the inner filter member and the outer filter member,
wherein an outer periphery of the lower end portion of the inner filter member is surrounded by an inner wall formed in the lower end cap, wherein an outer periphery of the lower end portion of the outer filter member is surrounded by an outer wall that blocks a flow of the compressed air, and wherein an upper end surface of the outer wall is positioned higher than an upper end surface of the inner wall,
wherein a vertical width of a wall portion of the outer wall that is above the inner wall and that surrounds an outer periphery of the outer filter member is larger than a vertical width of a wall portion of the inner wall that surrounds the outer periphery of the inner filter member,
wherein a liquid discharge passage for discharging a liquid collected by the inner filter member and the outer filter member to an inside of the housing body is formed between the outer wall and the inner wall, and wherein the liquid discharge passage is in communication with a liquid discharge hole that opens to an underside of the lower end cap and wherein the lower end portion of the outer filter member abuts against the upper end surface of the inner wall.

7. The pneumatic filter according to claim 6 , wherein the lower end portion of the outer filter member is positioned higher than the lower end portion of the inner filter member, and, is positioned at a position similar to that of the upper end surface of the inner wall.

8. The pneumatic filter according to claim 7 , wherein a gap in communication with the liquid discharge passage is formed between an inner peripheral surface of the outer wall and an outer peripheral surface of the outer filter member.

9. The pneumatic filter according to claim 6 , wherein the outer wall is formed in the lower end cap so as to surround the inner wall, and the outer wall and the inner wall are connected to each other with a plurality of radially disposed rib-shaped connection walls.

10. The pneumatic filter according to claim 6 , wherein the lower end cap includes an inner cap member and an outer cap member that are configured separately and that fit with each other, the inner wall being formed in the inner cap member, and the outer wall and the liquid discharge hole being formed in the outer cap member.

11. The pneumatic filter according to claim 10 , wherein the outer cap member being locked to the inside of the housing body also serves as a support block that supports a lower end portion of the filter element.

Assignees

• Smc Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Takayuki

Classifications

• B01D46/24 Primary

  Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using rigid hollow filter bodies · CPC title

• B01D46/0039

  with flow guiding by feed or discharge devices · CPC title

• B01D46/52

  Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filters embodying folded {corrugated or wound sheet} material · CPC title

• B01D46/2414 Primary

  End caps including additional functions or special forms · CPC title

• B01D46/521

  using folded, pleated material · CPC title