A filter element for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019193003-A1
Application number	US-201616311210-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 21, 2016
Priority date	Jun 21, 2016
Publication date	Jun 27, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The filter element includes a filter medium having an axis and forming a channel extending substantially axially, a first and a second end plates, each end plate covering one axial end of the filter medium and being sealingly mounted on the axial end, the first end plate having an opening in fluid communication with the channel, whereby a liquid to be filtered can flow through the filter medium towards the channel and out of the filter element through the opening, or reversely. The filter element further includes a protrusion fixedly secured to the first end plate and extending outwardly from the first end plate, the protrusion being substantially tubular and having a through hole in fluid communication with the first end plate opening, the protrusion forming a female coupling piece of a male-female connector, and a locking member capable of releasably locking a male coupling piece of the male-female connector in the female coupling piece.

First claim

1 . A filter element comprising:
a filter medium having an axis and forming a channel extending substantially axially; a first and a second end plate, each end plate covering one axial end of the filter medium and being sealingly mounted on the axial end, the first end plate having an opening in fluid communication with the channel; whereby a liquid to be filtered can flow through the filter medium towards the channel and out of the filter element through the opening, or reversely, wherein the filter element further comprises: a protrusion fixedly secured to the first end plate and extending outwardly from the first end plate, the protrusion being substantially tubular and having a through hole in fluid communication with the first end plate opening, the protrusion forming a female coupling piece of a male-female connector; a locking member capable of releasably locking a male coupling piece of the male-female connector in the female coupling piece.

2 . The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the locking member comprises at least one of:
an engaging portion designed to come into contact with an engaging portion of the male coupling piece when the male coupling piece is inserted in the female coupling piece by a user; a locking portion designed to be in contact with a locking portion of the male coupling piece when the male coupling piece is mounted and locked in the female coupling piece; a disengaging portion designed to come into contact with a disengaging portion of the male coupling piece when the male coupling piece is being disengaged from the female coupling piece by a user.

3 . The filter element according to claim 2 , wherein the engaging portion and/or the disengaging portion of the locking member comprise a tapered surface arranged to allow automatic engagement/disengagement of the male coupling piece without requiring a user to manipulate the locking member.

4 . The filter element according to claim 3 , wherein the locking member comprises both an engaging portion and a disengaging portion each having a tapered surface, and in that the tapered surface of the engaging portion and the tapered surface of the disengaging portion have distinct orientations.

5 . The filter element according to claim 2 , wherein the locking member comprises at least one tooth extending towards the axis of the female coupling piece through hole, the tooth comprising at least one among the engaging portion, the locking portion and the disengaging portion.

6 . The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the locking member is a piece which is distinct from the female coupling piece and which is mounted in the female coupling piece.

7 . The filter element according to claim 6 , wherein the locking member is an elastically deformable member, which can be in an unstressed condition, in which it is capable of locking the male coupling piece in the female coupling piece, and which can be elastically deformed towards a stressed condition, in which it does not prevent the male coupling piece from being disengaged out of the female coupling piece.

8 . The filter element according to claim 6 , wherein the locking member comprises a deformable ring designed so that one transverse dimension of the deformable ring can increase as the male coupling piece is going through the deformable ring.

9 . The filter element according to claim 2 , wherein the locking member is a piece which is distinct from the female coupling piece and which is mounted in the female coupling piece, wherein the locking portion extends substantially in a plane parallel to the axis of the female coupling piece through hole, so as to prevent a rotation of the male coupling piece about the axis with respect to the female coupling piece, and in that the female coupling piece comprises an abutment located substantially in a plane orthogonal to the axis, designed to be in contact with a portion of the male coupling piece when the male coupling piece is mounted in the female coupling piece, to prevent axial movement of the male coupling piece out of the female coupling piece.

10 . The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the female coupling piece comprises two radial walls which are orthogonal to the axis of the female coupling piece through hole, and which are spaced apart along the axis, the outermost radial wall comprising at least one radial notch for receiving at least one rib of the male coupling piece, at least a part of the radial wall located adjacent a notch forming an abutment designed to prevent axial movement of the male coupling piece out of the female coupling piece.

11 . The filter element according to claim 10 , wherein the female coupling piece comprises several notches, at least one notch having a peripheral dimension greater than the other notch(es), to enable a limited rotation of the male coupling piece with respect to the female coupling piece about the axis of the female coupling piece through hole.

12 . The filter element according to claim 6 , wherein the female coupling piece comprises two radial walls which are orthogonal to the axis of the female coupling piece through hole, and which are spaced apart along the axis, the outermost radial wall comprising at least one radial notch for receiving at least one rib of the male coupling piece, at least a part of the radial wall located adjacent a notch forming an abutment designed to prevent axial movement of the male coupling piece out of the female coupling piece, and wherein the locking member is mounted between the radial walls, and in that at least one radial cavity is provided in the female coupling piece, between the radial walls, for receiving part of the locking member and allowing radial deformation of the locking member.

13 . The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the female coupling piece is formed integrally with the first end plate.

14 . The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the female coupling piece comprises an inner sealing element for providing sealing with the male coupling piece, and an outer sealing element for providing sealing with a casing receiving the filter element.

15 . The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein it further comprises a male coupling piece configured to be engaged in the through hole of the female coupling piece, and intended to be connected to a pipe.

16 . The filter element according to claim 15 , wherein the male coupling piece comprises at least one of:
an engaging portion designed to come into contact with an engaging portion of the locking member when the male coupling piece is inserted in the female coupling piece by a user; a locking portion designed to be in contact with a locking portion of the locking member when the male coupling piece is mounted and locked in the female coupling piece; a disengaging portion designed to come into contact with a disengaging portion of the locking member when the male coupling piece is being disengaged from the female coupling piece by a user.

17 . The filter element according to claim 16 , wherein the engaging portion and/or the disengaging portion of the male coupling piece comprise a tapered surface arranged to allow automatic engagement/disengagement of the male coupling piece without requiring a user to manipulate the locking member.

18 . The filter element according to claim 17 wherein the male coupling piece comprises both an engaging portion and a disengaging portion each having a tapered surface, and in that the tapered surface of the engaging portion and the tapered surface of the

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Boutin Baptiste
• Coste Hervé
• Cauvin Bertrand

Classifications

• B01D2201/4053

  using keys · CPC title

• B01D35/30

  Filter housing constructions · CPC title

• B01D29/21 Primary

  with corrugated, folded or wound sheets · CPC title

• B01D2201/291

  End caps · CPC title

• F16L37/244

  the coupling being co-axial with the pipe · CPC title