Water Drainage Device, Filter Module, and Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022288513-A1
Application number	US-202217685134-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 2, 2022
Priority date	Mar 9, 2021
Publication date	Sep 15, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A water drainage device for a filter module is provided with a valve housing that has a valve bore and a valve body received at least in sections thereof in the valve bore. The water drainage device can be transferred from a closed state, in which the valve body seals in relation to a valve seat of the valve bore, into an open state, in which the valve body is lifted off the valve seat, and transferred from the open state into the closed state. The valve body, upon transfer of the water drainage device from the closed state into the open state, moves linearly along the longitudinal axis of the valve bore and away from the valve seat along or at a slant to a direction of gravity in downward direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A water drainage device for a filter module, the water drainage device comprising:
a valve housing comprising a valve bore; a valve body received at least in sections thereof in the valve bore; wherein the water drainage device is configured to be transferred from a closed state, in which the valve body seals in relation to a valve seat of the valve bore, into an open state, in which the valve body is lifted off the valve seat, and further configured to be transferred from the open state into the closed state; wherein the valve body, when the water drainage device is transferred from the closed state into the open state, moves linearly along a longitudinal axis of the valve bore and away from the valve seat along or at a slant to a direction of gravity in a downward direction; wherein the valve bore completely passes through the valve housing so that the valve housing is open at both end faces thereof; an actuation rod coupled force-transmittingly to the valve body at a top end of the valve body viewed in the direction of gravity.

2 . The water drainage device according to claim 1 , wherein the valve bore comprises a thread section and the valve body comprises a counter thread section corresponding to the thread section of the valve bore, wherein the thread section of the valve bore and the counter thread section interact with each other to convert a rotational movement of the valve body in relation to the valve housing into a linear movement of the valve body along the longitudinal axis of the valve bore.

3 . The water drainage device according to claim 2 , wherein the thread section of the valve bore is disposed in an end region of the valve bore at the bottom in relation to the direction of gravity.

4 . The water drainage device according to claim 3 , wherein the counter thread section of the valve body is disposed in an end region of the valve body at the bottom in relation to the direction of gravity.

5 . The water drainage device according to claim 2 , wherein the thread section of the valve bore and the counter thread section are left-handed.

6 . The water drainage device according to claim 1 , wherein the valve bore widens viewed along the direction of gravity.

7 . The water drainage device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation rod comprises a handwheel.

8 . The water drainage device according to claim 7 , wherein the handwheel is disposed at an end of the actuation rod that is remote from the valve body.

9 . The water drainage device according to claim 1 , wherein the valve body comprises a first seal element configured to seal the valve body radially in relation to the valve bore.

10 . The water drainage device according to claim 9 , wherein the valve body comprises a second seal element configured to axially seal in relation to the valve seat in the closed state and further configured to be lifted off the valve seat in the open state.

11 . The water drainage device according to claim 10 , wherein the valve body comprises a third seal element configured to seal the valve body radially in relation to the valve bore, wherein the second seal element, viewed along the longitudinal axis of the valve bore, is arranged between the first seal element and the third seal element.

12 . The water drainage device according to claim 1 , further comprising a water drainage channel opening into the valve bore and further comprising a water drainage socket leading away from the valve bore, wherein the valve body interrupts a fluid connection between the water drainage channel and the water drainage socket in the closed state, and wherein the valve body releases the fluid connection between the water drainage channel and the water drainage socket in the open state.

13 . The water drainage device according to claim 12 , wherein the valve body comprises a first seal element configured to seal the valve body radially in relation to the valve bore, wherein the valve body comprises a second seal element configured to axially seal in relation to the valve seat in the closed state and further configured to be lifted off the valve seat in the open state, wherein the valve body comprises a third seal element configured to seal the valve body radially in relation to the valve bore, wherein the first seal element and the second seal element, viewed in the direction of gravity, are disposed below the opening of the water drainage channel into the valve bore and the third seal element, viewed in the direction of gravity, is positioned above the opening of the water drainage channel into the valve bore.

14 . A filter module comprising:
a filter housing comprising a housing top part; a water drainage device according to claim 1 , wherein the valve body, when the water drainage device is transferred from the closed state into the open state, moves away from the housing top part of the filter housing in the direction of gravity in the downward direction.

15 . The filter module according to claim 14 , wherein the filter module comprises a water collection chamber connected in fluid communication by a water drainage channel of the water drainage device to the valve bore of the water drainage device.

16 . The filter module according to claim 15 , wherein the water drainage channel extends with a radial component in relation to a longitudinal axis of the filter module.

17 . The filter module according to claim 15 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the filter module and the longitudinal axis of the valve bore are slanted at a slant angle relative to each other, wherein the slant angle is an acute angle.

18 . The filter module according to claim 14 , wherein the valve housing is configured as one piece together with a housing bottom part of the filter housing.

19 . The filter module according to claim 18 , wherein the valve housing and the housing bottom part of the filter housing are monolithic.

20 . The filter module according to claim 18 , wherein the housing bottom part comprises an integrally formed eye, wherein the actuation rod passes through the eye.

21 . A method for actuating a water drainage device of a filter module, wherein the water drainage device comprises a valve housing comprising a valve bore and further comprising a valve body received at least in sections thereof in the valve bore, wherein the water drainage device comprises a closed state, in which the valve body seals in relation to a valve seat of the valve bore, and an open state, in which the valve body is lifted off the valve seat, wherein the valve bore completely passes through the valve housing so that the valve housing is open at both end faces thereof, and wherein the water drainage device moreover comprises an actuation rod coupled force-transmittingly to the valve body at a top end of the valve body viewed in the direction of gravity, the method comprising:
actuating the actuation rod to transfer the water drainage device from the closed state into the open state and to move the valve body linearly along a longitudinal axis of the valve bore and away from the valve seat along or at a slant to a direction of gravity in downward direction, or actuating the actuation rod to transfer the water drainage device from the open state into the closed state and to move the valve body back to seal in relation to the valve seat.

Assignees

• Mann & Hummel Gmbh

Inventors

• Weindorf Martin
• Salom Rafael

Classifications

• F02M37/28

  with means activated by the presence of water, e.g. alarms or means for automatic drainage · CPC title

• B01D36/006

  Purge means · CPC title

• B01D36/003 Primary

  Filters in combination with devices for the removal of liquids (B01D35/185 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D35/1573

  Flow control valves · CPC title

• B01D35/005

  Filters specially adapted for use in internal-combustion engine lubrication or fuel systems · CPC title