Filter element and method of manufacturing a filter element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10765975-B2
Application number	US-201615201299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A filter element for the filtration of fluids can be manufactured from powdered metal using a laser manufacturing process. The powdered metal is deposited in a layer on fabrication platform and a laser beam is directed toward the layer of material so that the powdered metal granules fuse together to form a first component of the filter element. Successive layers of powdered metal can be deposited over the first component and also fused with the laser beam to form additional components. During the manufacturing process, the power or scan rate of the laser beam many be changed so that the formed layers of the filter element may have different porosity characteristics, for example, with certain portions being fluid permeable and other portions being fluid impermeable.

First claim

We claim:

1. A filter element manufactured by a laser manufacturing process, the filter element comprising:
a first component corresponding to a filtration media and having a first porosity that is permeable to fluid; and
a second component integral to the first component and corresponding to a preexisting brazing barrier configured to block the flow of a brazing material in a liquid state into the first component, the brazing barrier comprising a solid component of the filter element having a second porosity less than the first porosity and that is impermeable to fluid;
a solid housing component joined to the first component by brazing material;
wherein the first component and the brazing barrier are manufactured from powdered metal that is different from the brazing material and are formed integrally adjacent to each other by a laser beam.

2. The filter element of claim 1 , further comprising a third component having a third porosity different from the second porosity, the third porosity configured to receive flow of a brazing material.

3. The filter element of claim 2 , wherein the filtration media has a cup-like shape with a closed top and an opened rim; the second component is formed as a first annular collar disposed adjacently around the opened rim; and the third component is formed as a second annular collar disposed adjacently around the second component.

4. The filter element of claim 3 , wherein the second component include an overhanging leg extending radially over the third component and isolating the third component from the filtration media.

5. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the first porosity of the filtration media is provided by a plurality of interconnected voids.

6. The filter element of claim 5 , wherein the first porosity has a range of about 5 microns to about 200 microns.

7. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the powdered metal material is selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, irons, copper, aluminum, titanium, cobalt, chromium, and alloys thereof.

8. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the brazing barrier is disposed at and extends around an annular open rim defining in part a hollow interior of the filtration media.

9. The filter element of claim 8 , wherein the brazing barrier is interior of and adjacent to an exterior component disposed at the annular open rim, the exterior component having a porosity greater than the second porosity of the brazing barrier and is configured to receive liquid brazing material.

10. The filter element of claim 9 , wherein the brazing barrier is adjacent to an interior component disposed at the annular open rim such that the brazing barrier is sandwiched between the exterior component and the interior component, the interior component having a porosity greater than the second porosity of the brazing barrier.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Marchione Thierry A
• Widder Brent D
• Gami Rahul

Classifications

• B22F3/11 Primary

  Making porous workpieces or articles · CPC title

• B01D29/111 Primary

  Making filtering elements · CPC title

• B22F10/68

  Cleaning or washing · CPC title

• B22F10/38

  to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures · CPC title

• B22F10/36

  of energy beam parameters · CPC title