Air filter element and air filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9498744-B2
Application number	US-201414330313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2014
Priority date	Jan 13, 2012
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed are an air filter element, a filter housing, and an air filter in which the air filter elements have a high filtering capacity and a long service life by increasing the filter surface of an air filter element taking into account structural requirements for the air filter housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air filter element having
a continuous sheet of filter medium folded into folds ( 220 ), the filter medium having
an upstream surface ( 275 ) defined by upstream fold edges of the filter medium, and
a downstream surface ( 285 ) defined by downstream fold edges of the filter medium;

the filter medium extends between the upstream surface and the downstream surface;
at least one or both of the upstream surface and downstream surface has a recessed offset ( 500 ) in at least some sections;
a functional component, which is to be brought into a functional relationship with the air filter element, can protrude at least partially into a free space produced by the recessed offset ( 500 );
the functional component, which is to be brought into a functional relationship with the air filter element, can have a functional relationship with the recessed offset of the upstream surface or downstream surface;
wherein the folds each have a respective first fold leaf ( 230 ) and second fold leaf ( 240 ), which respectively adjoin each other at a fold edge ( 225 ) by means of a fold leaf edge ( 231 , 241 ; 232 , 242 );
wherein first fold leaves ( 230 ) of adjacent folds are oriented essentially parallel to each other; the first and second fold leaves ( 230 , 240 ) extend from the upstream surface ( 275 ) to the downstream surface ( 285 );
wherein a distance from an the upstream surface ( 275 ) to the downstream surface ( 285 ) of a respective fold leaf is the fold depth of the respective fold leaf;
wherein the recessed offset in the upstream surface or the downstream surface forms a one-dimensional concave or convex surface spanning across multiple adjacent fold edges, the one-dimensional concave or convex surface having fold depths of adjacent folds that decrease or increase such that the one-dimensional concave or convex surface forms the recessed offset in a direction across adjacent fold edges, but has no curvature in a direction of the fold edges ( 225 ).

2. The air filter element according to claim 1 , wherein
the fold depth ( 250 ) varies in a direction transverse to the direction in which the fold edges ( 225 ) extend.

3. The air filter element according to claim 2 , wherein
a plurality of folds ( 220 ) with variable fold depths ( 250 ) is produced from a continuous medium web.

4. The air filter element according to claim 1 , wherein
the filter element ( 200 ) has a support structure ( 290 ) and preferably, the support structure ( 290 ) has a recessed offset in the form of an indentation ( 294 ), which at least partially corresponds to a shape of the recessed offset ( 500 ) of the upstream surface or downstream surface.

5. The air filter element according to claim 4 , wherein
the fold leaves ( 230 , 240 ) are laterally embedded in the support structure ( 290 ) at the fold leaf edges ( 233 , 243 ) that do not adjoin fold leaf edges of respectively adjacent filter leaves.

6. The air filter element according to claim 1 , wherein
the folds ( 220 ) extending across the recessed offset ( 500 ) are produced from a continuous medium web.

7. The air filter element according to claim 1 , wherein
adjacent fold leaves ( 230 , 240 ) are reciprocally stabilized by means of at least one spacer device, which extends parallel to the fold leaf edges ( 233 , 243 ) that do not adjoin fold leaf edges of respectively adjacent filter leaves.

8. An air filter element device, comprising:
an air filter element ( 200 ) according to claim 1 ; and
a functional component ( 300 ),
wherein the functional component protrudes at least partially into the free space produced by the recessed offset and
there is a functional relationship between the functional component and the recessed offset ( 500 ) of the upstream surface or downstream surface.

9. The air filter according to claim 8 , wherein
the functional component ( 300 ) has an interface surface ( 301 , 302 ) and in at least some sections,
the interface surface has a shape that corresponds to that of the recessed offset ( 500 ) of the upstream surface ( 275 ) or downstream surface ( 285 ).

10. An air filter comprising
an air filter housing ( 110 ),
an air filter element ( 200 ), and
a functional component ( 300 ),
wherein the air filter element includes:
a continuous sheet of filter medium folded into folds ( 220 ), the filter medium having
an upstream surface ( 275 ) defined by upstream fold edges of the filter medium, and
a downstream surface ( 285 ) defined by downstream fold edges of the filter medium;

the filter medium extends between the upstream surface and the downstream surface;
at least one or both of the upstream surface and downstream surface has a recessed offset ( 500 ) in at least some sections;
wherein the folds each have a respective first fold leaf ( 230 ) and second fold leaf ( 240 ), which respectively adjoin each other at a fold edge ( 225 ) by means of a fold leaf edge ( 231 , 241 ; 232 , 242 );
wherein first fold leaves ( 230 ) of adjacent folds are oriented essentially parallel to each other; the first and second fold leaves ( 230 , 240 ) extend from the upstream surface ( 275 ) to the downstream surface ( 285 );

wherein a distance from an the upstream surface ( 275 ) to the downstream surface ( 285 ) of a respective fold leaf is the fold depth of the respective fold leaf;
wherein the recessed offset in the upstream surface or the downstream surface forms a one-dimensional concave or convex surface spanning across multiple adjacent fold edges, the one-dimensional concave or convex surface having fold depths of adjacent folds that decrease or increase such that the one-dimensional concave or convex surface forms the recessed offset in a direction across adjacent fold edges, but has no curvature in a direction of the fold edges ( 225 );
wherein the functional component protrudes at least partially into the recessed offset produced by the free space; and
the functional component has a functional relationship with the upstream surface or downstream surface of the air filter element.

11. The air filter according to claim 10 , wherein
the functional component ( 300 ) has an interface surface ( 301 , 302 );
in at least some sections, the interface surface has a shape that corresponds to that of the recessed offset ( 500 ) of the upstream surface ( 275 ) or downstream surface ( 285 ).

12. The air filter according to claim 10 , wherein
the functional component ( 300 ) is embodied as an additional filter element ( 310 ) that protrudes at least partially into the free volume produced by the recessed offset ( 500 );
the additional filter element has
an upstream surface ( 311 ) and
a downstream surface ( 312 );
one or both of the upstream surface and downstream surface of the additional filter element corresponds to one or both of the upstream surface ( 275 ) and downstream surface ( 285 ) of the air filter element ( 200 ).

13. The air filter according to claim 10 , wherein
the functional component ( 300 ) is embodied as a baffle device ( 540 ) that protrudes at least partially into the free volume produced by the recessed offset ( 500 ) and
the baffle device has at least one baffle surface ( 541 ) whose baffle surface edge ( 542 ) is oriented toward the respective upstream surface ( 275 ) or downstream surface ( 285 ) of the air filter element ( 200 ).

14. The air filter according to claim 10 , wherein
functional component ( 300 ) is embodied as a flow straightener ( 510 );
the flow straightener ( 510 ) is associated with an air mass sensor ( 516 ) that is to be brought into a functional rel

Assignees

• Mann & Hummel Gmbh

Inventors

• Hasenfratz Robert
• Rieger Mario
• Menssen Joerg
• Harenbrock Michael
• Nguyen Duc Cuong
• Neef Pascal
• Blossey Werner
• Roesgen André
• Jessberger Thomas
• Madeira Pedro Miguel Pereira
• Heim Michael
• Schmid Mike
• Schmid Martin
• Mbadinga-Mouanda Gelase
• Weber Andreas
• Thalmann Christian

Classifications

• B01D46/527

  in wound arrangement · CPC title

• B01D46/0023

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01D46/0036

  by adsorption or absorption · CPC title

• B01D46/0005

  Mounting of filtering elements within casings, housings or frames (B01D46/2422 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D46/526

  in stacked arrangement · CPC title