Fuel filter assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12128336-B2
Application number	US-202117210692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2020
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A fuel filter is provided which comprises 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 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 mouths through a surface of the manifold, and the inlet port and inlet filter chamber are in fluid communication via the inlet passage.

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;
wherein 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 connector element, the filter element divides a space defined by the connector element and filter bowl into an inlet filter chamber and an outlet filter chamber;
wherein the inlet port is incorporated in the manifold, and the inlet port and inlet filter chamber are in fluid communication via the inlet passage;
wherein the outlet port is incorporated in the manifold and the outlet port and outlet filter chamber are in fluid communication via the outlet passage;
wherein the inlet shutoff valve is located in the inlet passage and 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;
wherein 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;
wherein the outlet shutoff valve is located in the outlet passage and is biased by an outlet shutoff valve biasing means into a closed configuration which prevents fuel flowing along the outlet passage when the filter bowl is not connected to the connector element;
wherein connection of the filter bowl 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;
wherein the relief valve is located between the inlet and outlet passages and is biased by a relief valve biasing means into a closed configuration in which fuel flowing between the inlet passage and outlet passage passes 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; and
wherein the relief valve is caused to move into its open configuration when a predetermined fuel pressure is reached within the inlet passage and inlet chamber,
wherein:
the inlet passage comprises a second inlet chamber;
one or both of the manifold and the connector element define the second inlet chamber and first and second inlet chamber apertures, in which the first inlet chamber aperture is a mouth of a portion of the inlet passage extending from the fuel inlet port, and at least one sliding seal extends around an edge or an 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 sliding engagement with the sliding seal;
the conduit element comprises a first closed end, a second end, one or more side walls, and a stop means;
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 spaced from the first end;
a stop element of the conduit element extends laterally from the first end or from one or more side walls adjacent the first end;
the stop element of the conduit element prevents the first end of the conduit element passing through the second inlet chamber aperture;
each first fuel aperture of the conduit element is sufficiently longitudinally spaced from the first end of the conduit element that when the stop element abuts the face of the manifold or connection means that defines the second inlet chamber aperture each sliding seal is in contact with a blank portion of the or each side wall;
the blank portion of the or each side wall of the conduit element contains no first fuel apertures and lies longitudinally between the first end and the or each fuel aperture;
the conduit element further comprises one or more second fuel apertures which are defined by one or more of the side walls of the conduit element; and
the one or more second fuel apertures of the conduit element are located longitudinally between the one or more first fuel apertures and the second end of the conduit, and the conduit element is dimensioned and configured so that when the filter bowl is fully attached to the connector element the second end of the conduit element abuts a part of the filter bowl, the first fuel apertures mouth into the second inlet chamber and the second fuel apertures mouth into the inlet filter chamber.

2. The fuel filter according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an intermediate structure, in which the second end of the conduit element abuts a part of the filter bowl via the intermediate structure when the filter bowl is fully attached to the connector element, and the intermediate structure is configured and dimensioned so that the inlet shutoff valve biasing means may displace the intermediate structures and move the conduit element into the closed configuration when the filter bowl is detached from the connector element.

3. The fuel filter according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet passage comprises a second outlet chamber, and one or more outlet intermediate structures;
and wherein:
one or both of the manifold and the connector element defines the second outlet chamber and a first and one or more second outlet chamber apertures;
the first outlet chamber aperture is a mouth of the portion of the outlet passage extending from the outlet port;
each second outlet chamber aperture is in fluid communication with the outlet filter chamber;
the outlet shutoff valve comprises an aperture closure element;
the aperture closure element is configured to overlie all of the second outlet chamber apertures;
the aperture closure element is movable between a closed configuration in which the aperture closure element closes all of the second outlet chamber apertures and an open configuration spaced from the second outlet chamber apertures;
the aperture closure element is biased into the closed configuration by the outlet shutoff valve biasing means;
each outlet intermediate structure is dimensioned and configured to contact a portion of the filter bowl when the filter bowl is fully attached to the connector element;
the outlet intermediate structures impel the aperture closure element into its open configuration when the filter bowl is attached to the connector element; and
the outlet intermediate structures allow the outlet shutoff valve biasing means to displace the outlet intermediate structures and move the aperture closure element into the closed configuration when the filter bowl is detached from the connector element.

4. The fuel filter according to claim 3 , wherein the inlet shutoff valve comprises a longitudinally extending conduit element, and one of the outlet intermediate structures is the conduit element of the inlet shutoff valve.

5. The fuel filter according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet and outlet shutoff valve biasing means and the relief valve biasing means is a compression spring.

6. The fuel filter according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet and outlet shutoff valve biasing means are the same biasing means.

7. The fuel filter according to claim 1 , wherein the relief valve comprises a valve seat and a valve plug, the rel

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Jedlinski Marek
• Korczynski Marcin

Classifications

• B01D2201/304

  Seals or gaskets · CPC title

• B01D2201/302

  having inlet or outlet ports · CPC title

• B01D2201/167

  Single-way valves · CPC title

• B01D35/30

  Filter housing constructions · CPC title

• B01D35/1573

  Flow control valves · CPC title