Filter assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9504939-B2
Application number	US-201414221379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2014
Priority date	Mar 22, 2013
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A filter element includes a substantially cylindrical center tube having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a central longitudinal axis. The filter element also includes filter media extending circumferentially around and longitudinally along the center tube, and a plate connected to the center tube proximate the first end. The plate includes an orifice and a cap. The orifice includes a pilot feature configured to locate the filter element at a single circumferential position relative to the longitudinal axis, the cap extending from a top surface of the plate toward the second end and having an inner wall configured to mate with a drain plug. In such embodiments, the orifice and the cap are disposed radially inward of an inner circumference of the center tube, and at least one of the orifice and the cap extends circumferentially around an additional longitudinal axis spaced radially from the central longitudinal axis of the center tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filter element, comprising:
a substantially cylindrical center tube having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a central longitudinal axis;
filter media extending circumferentially around and longitudinally along the center tube; and
a plate connected to the center tube proximate the first end, the plate including an orifice and a cap, the orifice having a pilot feature configured to locate the filter element at a single circumferential position relative to the longitudinal axis, the cap extending from a top surface of the plate toward the second end and having an inner wall configured to mate with a drain plug, wherein
the orifice and the cap are disposed radially inward of an inner circumference of the center tube, and at least one of the orifice and the cap extends circumferentially around an additional longitudinal axis spaced radially from the central longitudinal axis of the center tube, and
a central longitudinal axis of the orifice and a central longitudinal axis of the cap extend substantially parallel to, and are spaced radially from, the central longitudinal axis of the center tube.

2. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the orifice is configured to mate with a stand pipe extending from the first end to proximate the second end.

3. The filter element of claim 2 , wherein the pilot feature of the plate is configured to mate with a corresponding pilot feature of the stand pipe and to locate the filter element at a single circumferential position relative to the stand pipe.

4. The filter element of claim 2 , wherein the center tube further includes an additional plate disposed within the inner circumference axially between the first and second ends, the additional plate including an orifice having a pilot feature configured to mate with a corresponding pilot feature of the stand pipe.

5. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the pilot feature comprises at least one of a noncircular and an asymmetrical portion of the orifice.

6. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the plate includes a substantially cylindrical outer wall connected to an inner wall of the center tube forming the inner circumference.

7. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the inner wall of the cap is disposed axially within an internal volume of the center tube formed by an inner wall of the center tube.

8. A filter element, comprising:
a substantially cylindrical center tube having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a central longitudinal axis;
filter media extending circumferentially around and longitudinally along the center tube; and
a plate connected to the center tube proximate the first end, the plate including an orifice and a cap, the orifice having a pilot feature configured to locate the filter element at a single circumferential position relative to the longitudinal axis, the cap extending from a top surface of the plate toward the second end and having an inner wall configured to mate with a drain plug, wherein
the orifice and the cap are disposed radially inward of an inner circumference of the center tube, and at least one of the orifice and the cap extends circumferentially around an additional longitudinal axis spaced radially from the central longitudinal axis of the center tube, and
the inner wall of the cap includes a threaded portion configured to mate with a corresponding threaded portion of the drain plug.

9. The filter element of claim 8 , wherein the plate further includes a bottom surface, and wherein the inner wall further includes a smooth portion disposed axially between the threaded portion and the bottom surface, a seal being disposed on the smooth portion separate from the drain plug.

10. A filter assembly, comprising:
a support structure comprising a stand pipe and a flange connected to the stand pipe, the stand pipe having a first central longitudinal axis, and the flange having a drain port configured to mate with a drain plug; and
a filter element removably connected to the support structure, the filter element including
a substantially cylindrical center tube, the center tube having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, an inner wall forming an inner circumference of the center tube, and a second central longitudinal axis, and a plate connected to the center tube proximate the first end, the plate including an orifice and a cap, the orifice mating with the stand pipe to locate the filter element at a single circumferential position relative to the first longitudinal axis of the stand pipe, the cap extending from a top surface of the plate toward the second end and having an inner wall forming a substantially fluid-tight seal with the flange, wherein
the stand pipe, the orifice, and the cap are disposed radially inward of the inner circumference of the center tube, the first longitudinal axis of the stand pipe being spaced radially from the second longitudinal axis of the center tube.

11. The filter assembly of claim 10 , wherein the plate includes a pilot feature comprising at least one of a noncircular and an asymmetrical portion of the orifice, and an outer wall of the stand pipe includes a pilot structure corresponding to the pilot structure of the plate.

12. The filter assembly of claim 11 , wherein the pilot structure of the stand pipe extends along substantially an entire length of the outer wall.

13. The filter assembly of claim 10 , wherein the flange supports a bottom surface of the plate such that the stand pipe extends through the orifice, and an extension of the flange forming a portion of the drain port forms the substantially fluid-tight seal with the inner wall of the cap.

14. The filter assembly of claim 10 , wherein the drain port includes a substantially cylindrical inner wall configured to form a substantially fluid-tight seal with the drain plug, the flange including a passage fluidly connected to the inner wall of the drain port.

15. The filter assembly of claim 10 , further including a housing, the support structure and the filter element being disposed within the housing, and the drain plug extending through the housing to mate with the cap.

16. The filter assembly of claim 15 , wherein the drain plug mates with a threaded portion of the inner wall of the cap and forms a substantially fluid-tight seal with an inner wall of the drain port.

17. The filter assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first longitudinal axis of the stand pipe and a third central longitudinal axis of the drain port extend substantially parallel to, and are spaced radially from, a the second longitudinal axis of the center tube.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Kamp Nathaniel R
• Allott Mark T
• Ries Jeffrey R

Classifications

• B01D2201/0415

  Details of supporting structures · CPC title

• B01D2201/4046

  Means for avoiding false mounting of different parts · CPC title

• B01D35/16

  Cleaning-out devices {, e.g. for removing the cake from the filter casing or for evacuating the last remnants of liquid} · CPC title

• B01D2201/316

  Standpipes · CPC title

• B01D2201/4053

  using keys · CPC title