Fuel filter assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11717776-B2
Application number	US-202117210721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2020
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A fuel filter includes a manifold, a connector element, a filter bowl, a filter element, an inlet shutoff valve, an outlet shutoff valve, an inlet port, an inlet passage, an outlet port, an outlet passage and a relief valve in which the connector element is fixed to the manifold, and the filter bowl is reversibly fixed to the connector element, the connector element and the manifold define a chamber and the chamber is split into a second inlet chamber and a second outlet chamber by the relief valve. The filter bowl is adapted to reversibly receive the filter element and is so configured that when the filter element is located within the filter bowl and the filter bowl attached to the connection element, the filter element divides the space defined by the connector element and filter bowl into an inlet filter chamber and an outlet filter chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel filter comprising:
a manifold, a connector element, a filter bowl, a filter element, an inlet shutoff valve, an outlet shutoff valve, an inlet port, an inlet passage, an outlet port, an outlet passage and a relief valve;
wherein:
the connector element is fixed to the manifold, and the filter bowl is reversibly fixed to the connector element,
the connector element and the manifold define a chamber and the chamber is split into a second inlet chamber and a second outlet chamber by the relief valve,
the filter bowl is adapted to reversibly receive the filter element and is so configured that when the filter element is located within the filter bowl and the filter bowl attached to the connection element, the filter element divides the space defined by the connector element and filter bowl into an inlet filter chamber and an outlet filter chamber,
the inlet port is incorporated in the manifold, and the inlet port and inlet filter chamber are in fluid communication via the inlet passage and the second inlet chamber,
the outlet port is incorporated in the manifold and the outlet port and outlet filter chamber are in fluid communication via the outlet passage and the second outlet chamber,
the inlet shutoff valve is biased by an inlet shutoff valve biasing means into a closed configuration which prevents fuel flowing along the inlet passage when the filter bowl is not connected to the connector element,
connection of the filter bowl to the connector element causes the inlet shutoff valve to be impelled into an open configuration which allows fuel to flow along the inlet passage,
the outlet shutoff valve is biased by an outlet shutoff valve biasing means into a closed configuration which prevents fuel flowing along the outlet passage,
the outlet shutoff valve is configured to move into a closed configuration which prevents fuel flowing along the outlet passage when the filter bowl with a filter element within it is not connected to the connector element or there is no filter element within the filter bowl, and
connection of the filter bowl with a filter element within it to the connector element causes the outlet shutoff valve to be impelled into an open configuration which allows fuel to flow along the outlet passage,
the relief valve is biased by a relief valve biasing means into a closed configuration so that fuel flowing between the inlet passage and outlet passage has to pass through the filter element, and
movement of the relief valve into an open configuration allows fuel to flow between the inlet passage and the outlet passage via the relief valve without the fuel passing through the filter element.

2. The fuel filter according to claim 1 , wherein the impelling of the inlet shutoff valve and the outlet shutoff valve into their open configuration commences after commencement of connection of the fuel filter bowl with the filter element within to the connector element and before the fuel filter bowl is fully connected to the connector element.

3. The fuel filter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second inlet chamber is defined by the manifold, the connector element and a portion of the relief valve, and the portion of the second inlet chamber that is defined by the portion of the connector element has one or more side walls and a second end wall,
the portion of the second inlet chamber that is defined by the portion of the connector element has a cross section in a plane parallel to the second end wall that is the same at all positions in that portion,
the manifold and connector element defining the second inlet chamber also define a first and second inlet chamber aperture respectively,
the first inlet chamber aperture is a mouth of the portion of the inlet passage extending from the fuel inlet port,
the second inlet chamber aperture passes through the second end wall and at least one sliding seal means extends around the edge or inner face of the second inlet chamber aperture,
the inlet shutoff valve comprises a longitudinally extending conduit element, the conduit element is configured to extend through the second inlet chamber aperture in a fuel tight sliding engagement with the sliding seal means,
the conduit element comprises a first flanged end, a second end, and one or more side walls,
the first end of the conduit element is closed,
the flange of the first end of the conduit element comprises a flange element which extends laterally (relative to the longitudinal axis of the conduit element) from the first end of the conduit element and has an outer edge spaced from the conduit element,
the flange element defines at least one aperture passing through the flange,
the flange element is dimensioned and configured so that its outer edge is in sliding contact with the or each side wall of the second inlet chamber,
the one or more side walls of the conduit element extend between the first and second ends and at least one side wall of the conduit element defines at least one first fuel aperture passing through the side wall at a position adjacent to or close to the first end,
the conduit element is biased by a first biasing means to move to a position where the flange element of the conduit element is impelled against the second end wall of the second inlet chamber, and
a seal means adapted to seal each of the flange apertures when the flange element of the conduit element is impelled against the second end wall of the second inlet chamber is attached to one or both of the face of a flange plate facing the second end wall of the second inlet chamber and the face of the second end wall of the second inlet chamber facing a flange plate.

4. The fuel filter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second inlet chamber is defined by the manifold, the connector element and a portion of the relief valve, and the portion of the second inlet chamber that is defined by the portion of the connector element has one or more side walls and a second end wall,
the portion of the second inlet chamber that is defined by the portion of the connector element has a cross section in a plane parallel to the second end wall that is the same at all positions in that portion,
the manifold and connector element defining the second inlet chamber also define a first and a second inlet chamber aperture respectively,
the first inlet chamber aperture is a mouth of the portion of the inlet passage extending from the fuel inlet port,
the second inlet chamber aperture passes through the second end wall and at least one sliding seal means extends around the edge or inner face of the second inlet chamber aperture,
the inlet shutoff valve comprises a longitudinally extending conduit element,
the conduit element is configured to extend through the second inlet chamber aperture in a fuel tight sliding engagement with the sliding seal means,
the conduit element comprises a first end, a second end, and one or more side walls,
the first end of the conduit element is closed and provided with a flange which extends laterally (relative to the longitudinal axis of the conduit element) from the first end of the conduit element,
the one or more side walls of the conduit element extend between the first and second ends, at least one side wall of the conduit element defines at least one first fuel aperture passing through the side wall at a position adjacent to or close to the first end,
the conduit element is biased by a first biasing means to move to a position where the flange of the conduit element is impelled against the second end wall of the second inlet chamber, and
a seal means is provided which is adapted to seal the second inlet chamber aperture when a flange element of the conduit element is impelled against the second end wall of the second inlet chamber.

5. The fuel filter accor

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Jedlinski Marek
• Korczynski Marcin

Classifications

• B01D35/1573 Primary

  Flow control valves · CPC title

• B01D35/147

  Bypass or safety valves · CPC title

• F02C7/232

  Fuel valves {(control of fuel supply by means of fuel metering valves F02C9/263)}; Draining valves or systems (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• B01D2201/0415

  Details of supporting structures · CPC title

• F02M37/32 Primary

  characterised by filters or filter arrangements · CPC title