Oil filter assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11199253-B2
Application number	US-201815928028-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2018
Priority date	Mar 21, 2017
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

An oil filter assembly for a differential housing, including a filter housing for releasably mounting in a drive axle housing and defining an internal volume for containing oil to be filtered, a mounting arrangement for releasably securing the filter assembly to a drive axle housing, and a filter element for filtering particulate contaminants from oil in a drive axle. The filter housing includes an inlet on an upper portion thereof and an outlet on a lower portion thereof to define an flow path therethrough, and wherein the filter element is located downstream of the inlet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An oil filter assembly for an axle assembly, the oil filter assembly comprising:
a filter housing for releasably mounting in an axle assembly housing, the filter housing defining an internal volume for containing oil to be filtered;
a mounting arrangement for releasably securing the filter assembly to an axle assembly housing; and
a filter element for filtering particulate contaminants from oil in an axle assembly housing,
wherein the filter housing comprises an inlet extending through an upper wall portion for introducing oil into the internal volume and an outlet through a lower portion of the filter housing to define a flow path through the filter housing between the inlet and the outlet,
wherein the filter housing includes a baffle plate separating the internal volume of the filter housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the baffle plate including at least one aperture to allow oil to flow from the upper chamber into the lower chamber, the baffle plate further being configured to restrict backflow of oil from the lower chamber into the upper chamber; and
wherein the filter element is arranged to cover the outlet or is provided over the filter housing to define the outlet.

2. An oil filter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the filter housing is configured for insertion through an aperture in an axle assembly housing.

3. An oil filter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting arrangement is provided for mounting the filter housing to an external wall of an axle assembly housing.

4. An oil filter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the filter housing includes an array of apertures forming the outlet.

5. An oil filter assembly according to claim 4 , wherein each aperture diameter is between 50 and 200 microns.

6. An oil filter according to claim 4 , wherein the array of apertures are provided over at least 25% of the filter housing, preferably approximately 50% of the housing.

7. An oil filter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one aperture in the baffle plate is a louvre.

8. An oil filter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one aperture comprises a lip portion extending towards the housing outlet.

9. An oil filter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one aperture in the baffle plate is offset from the inlet of the filter housing.

10. An oil filter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting arrangement has an asymmetric feature to prevent the fitting of the filter assembly to the axle assembly housing in an incorrect orientation.

11. An oil filter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting arrangement comprises a mounting plate having two apertures therethrough for receiving fasteners for securing the filter assembly to an external surface of an axle assembly housing.

12. An oil filter assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the two apertures do not have rotational symmetry about an elongate axis of the filter housing.

13. An oil filter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic filter.

14. An oil filter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the filter housing is formed from at least one or more of steel, a plastics material, or aluminum.

15. An oil filter assembly for an axle assembly, the oil filter assembly comprising:
an elongate filter housing for releasably mounting in an axle assembly housing, the elongate filter housing defining an internal volume;
an elongate baffle dividing said internal volume into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, said elongate baffle restricting the flow of oil from the lower chamber into the upper chamber;
an inlet extending through an upper wall portion of said elongate filter housing above said elongate baffle for introducing oil into said upper chamber;
an array of apertures below said elongate baffle extending through a lower wall portion of said elongate filter housing and forming an outlet for oil as it exits said lower chamber; and
a mounting arrangement at one end of said elongate filter housing for releasably securing the filter assembly to said axle assembly housing;
wherein said filter assembly, when mounted on and extending into said axle assembly housing, defines a flow path where oil to be filtered enters said upper chamber through said inlet, passes through said elongate baffle, and is filtered by a filter element disposed adjacent the array of apertures as the oil passes through said array of apertures and out of said lower chamber, assisted by the influence of gravity.

16. An oil filter assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the elongate baffle is louvered and is arranged to restrict oil from flowing through the elongate baffle in a direction orthogonal to the elongate baffle.

17. An oil filter assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the elongate filter housing is sized and shaped for insertion through an orifice in an external wall of the axle assembly and is securable to the external wall.

18. An oil filter assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the array of apertures are provided over at least 25% of the elongate filter housing.

19. A differential assembly for a working machine, the differential assembly comprising:
a differential housing;
a differential gearing for transmitting power from a drive shaft to a drive axle; and
an oil filter assembly, the oil filter assembly including:
an elongate filter housing for releasably mounting in an axle assembly housing, the elongate filter housing defining an internal volume;
an elongate baffle dividing said internal volume into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, said elongate baffle restricting the flow of oil from the lower chamber into the upper chamber;
an inlet extending through an upper wall portion of said elongate filter housing above said elongate baffle for introducing oil into said upper chamber;
an array of apertures below said elongate baffle extending through a lower wall portion of said elongate filter housing and forming an outlet for oil as it exits said lower chamber; and
a mounting arrangement at one end of said elongate filter housing for releasably securing the filter assembly to said axle assembly housing;

wherein said filter assembly, when mounted on and extending into said axle assembly housing, defines a flow path where oil to be filtered enters said upper chamber through said inlet, passes through said elongate baffle, and is filtered by a filter element disposed adjacent the array of apertures as the oil passes through said array of apertures and out of said lower chamber, assisted by the influence of gravity.

20. A differential assembly according to claim 19 , wherein the elongate baffle is louvred, and wherein the elongate baffle is arranged to restrict oil from flowing through the elongate baffle in a direction orthogonal to the elongate baffle.

Assignees

• Bamford Excavators Ltd

Inventors

• Trimmer Gareth
• Thomas Gethin
• Hurd Tom

Classifications

• B01D35/0273

  Filtering elements with a horizontal or inclined rotation or symmetry axis submerged in tanks or reservoirs · CPC title

• B01D35/06

  Filters making use of electricity or magnetism (ultrafiltration, microfiltration B01D61/14; electrodialysis, electro-osmosis B01D61/42; devices comprising filters and magnetic separators B03C1/30) · CPC title

• F16H57/0483

  Axle or inter-axle differentials · CPC title

• B01D29/902

  containing fixed liquid displacement elements or cores · CPC title

• B01D2201/306

  Closures, lids, caps or filter heads forming one element with the filtering element · CPC title