Filter and a method for checking the suitability of a filter element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11071932-B2
Application number	US-201616075594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2016
Priority date	Feb 8, 2016
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A filter element is provided and includes a filter medium having an axial channel, end plates each sealingly covering one axial end of the filter medium, one end plate having an opening in fluid communication with the channel, a hole arranged on the liquid path, not on the filter medium, and a closing member which is arranged in the hole and which is configured: to prevent liquid from flowing through the hole when the liquid pressure upstream the closing member is below a predetermined threshold to open at the threshold, to allow liquid to flow through the hole, and, after it has been opened, to remain open. A method is provided for checking the suitability of a filter element, at first use after a filter element change. The method includes monitoring the liquid pressure at a point of the liquid circuit located outside of and near a port of a filter housing receiving the filter element, when an electrical pump of the liquid circuit is restarted for the first time, comparing the evolution of the monitored liquid pressure over time with a predetermined evolution over time of the liquid pressure at the point for a new reference filter element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A filter element intended to be mounted in a liquid filter arrangement comprising:
a filter medium having a general annular shape around a central axis and forming a central channel extending substantially axially;
a first end plate and a second end plate, each end plate covering one axial end of the filter medium and being sealingly mounted on the axial end, at least one of the first end plate and the second end plate having an opening in fluid communication with the central channel;
at least one closing member, the closing member being configured when the filter element is mounted into the liquid filter arrangement:
to remain closed when a liquid pressure that applies on the closing member is below a predetermined threshold pressure in order to prevent a liquid flow through a flow path of the liquid filter arrangement, the flow path being formed through at least the filter medium,
to open only once when the liquid pressure that applies on the closing member reaches the predetermined threshold pressure in order to allow a liquid flow through the flow path, and
after the closing member has been opened, to remain open, even if the liquid pressure that applies on the closing member drops below the predetermined threshold pressure.

2. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the closing member is arranged into a hole that is part of the filter element.

3. The filter element according to claim 2 , wherein the hole is arranged in the flow path.

4. The filter element according to claim 2 , wherein the hole equipped with the closing member is arranged on the first end plate or the second end plate of the filter element.

5. The filter element according to claim 2 , wherein the hole equipped with the closing member forms an inlet for the liquid to be filtered.

6. The filter element according to claim 2 , wherein the hole equipped with the closing member is located on the first end plate or the second end plate, outside the filter medium.

7. The filter element according to claim 6 , wherein the one of the first end plate and the second end plate on which is located the hole equipped with the closing member comprises a sealing element on its outside periphery, for providing sealing with an inner face of a peripheral wall of a filter housing intended to receive the filter element.

8. The filter element according to claim 2 , wherein the hole equipped with the closing member and the opening in fluid communication with the central channel are distinct and are both arranged on the first end plate or the second end plate.

9. The filter element according to claim 2 , wherein the hole equipped with the closing member is formed by the opening in fluid communication with the central channel.

10. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the closing member comprises a membrane designed to break when the liquid pressure on one side of the membrane reaches the predetermined threshold pressure.

11. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the closing member comprises a valve including a first element and a second element movable with respect to the first element from a closed position to an open position, the second element being in the closed position before the first use of the filter element and until the liquid pressure reaches the predetermined threshold pressure, and the second element being configured to move towards the open position when the liquid pressure reaches the predetermined threshold pressure.

12. The filter element according to claim 11 , wherein the motion of the second element from the closed position to the open position is irreversible.

13. The filter element according to claim 11 , wherein the valve further comprises means for maintaining the second element in the open position with respect to the first element.

14. The filter element according to claim 13 , wherein the second element is a sealing ball and means for maintaining the sealing ball in the open position with respect to the first element, are realized by flexible or deformable legs or by a flexible or deformable collar which are or is designed to authorize motion of the sealing ball from the closed position to the open position and to prevent motion of the sealing ball from the open position to the closed position.

15. The filter element according to claim 14 , wherein the first element is a valve body comprising an inlet and an outlet which are in fluid communication through a liquid passage formed in the valve body when the sealing ball is in the open position and in that the valve comprises, arranged in the valve body, a spring urging the sealing ball towards the closed position.

16. The liquid filter arrangement comprising:
a filter housing comprising a bottom wall, a peripheral wall, and an open axial end opposite the bottom wall;
a filter cover removably secured to the filter housing at the open axial end and defining with the filter housing a filter chamber;
a filter element according to claim 1 that is mounted in the filter chamber;
an inlet and an outlet being arranged in the filter housing and/or in the filter cover for the liquid to be filtered and, respectively for the filtered liquid, one of the inlet and the outlet being in fluid communication with the opening in fluid communication with the central channel;
the flow path being formed by at least the inlet, a zone of the filter chamber located upstream from the filter medium, the filter medium, the central channel, the opening and the outlet.

17. An engine arrangement comprising an internal combustion engine and a liquid circuit for supplying liquid to the engine, the liquid circuit comprising:
an electrical pump;
the liquid filter arrangement according to claim 16 , located downstream from the pump;
a pressure sensor located inside or outside the filter chamber designed to measure pressure data;
an electronic control unit designed to receive the pressure data measured by the pressure sensor, and to control the electrical pump.

18. A vehicle comprising the engine arrangement according to claim 17 .

19. A set of filter elements according to claim 1 , comprising:
at least one filter element of a first filter element category, the or each filter element of the first filter element category being equipped with a closing member of a first kind designed to open at a first predetermined pressure threshold;
at least one filter element of a second filter element category, the or each filter element of the second filter element category being equipped with a closing member of a second kind designed to open at a second predetermined pressure threshold different from the first predetermined pressure threshold.

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Giroud François
• Boutin Baptiste
• Grange Thomas

Classifications

• B01D35/14

  Safety devices specially adapted for filtration (preventing or minimising fires or explosions A62C); Devices for indicating clogging (incorporated in a throw-away filter B01D27/10) · CPC title

• B01D2201/295

  with projections extending in a radial outward direction, e.g. for use as a guide, spacing means · CPC title

• B01D29/606

  by pressure measuring · CPC title

• F02M37/22

  Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines, e.g. arrangements in the feeding system · CPC title

• B01D35/26

  Filters with built-in pumps {filters provided with a pump mounted in or on the casing (aquarium pumps or filters A01K63/04)} · CPC title