Air filter and filter element of an air filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9586165-B2
Application number	US-201615174486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2012
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

An air filter has a filter housing and a filter element inserted in the interior of the filter housing. The filter element has an inflow surface and an outflow surface and a filter medium that extends between inflow and outflow surfaces. The filter element has a circumferentially extending seal arranged in the area of the inflow surface or outflow surface and interacting in the mounting position with the sealing surface of the filter housing to separate inlet and outlet of the air filter. A support device clamps the filter element transversely to the insertion direction in the filter housing by a transverse clamping action in a support area that is spaced from the seal. The transverse clamping action results by an insertion movement of the filter element into the filter housing by interaction of the filter element with inner sides of the filter housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filter element comprising:
an inflow face and an axially opposing outflow face spaced apart across the filter element in an axial direction, the axial direction defined by an axis extending through the inflow and outflow faces, wherein flow-through direction of the filter element is parallel to the axial direction, wherein the outflow face is downstream of the inflow face in the flow-through direction of the filter element;
a filter medium extending between the inflow face and the outflow face;
wherein the filter medium has:
a first end face on a lateral side of the filter medium, the first end face extending from the inflow face to the opposing outflow face;
a second end face spaced apart from the first end face on an opposite lateral side of the filter medium from the first end face, the second end face extending from the inflow face to the opposing outflow face;

a circumferentially extending seal arranged in the area of the inflow face or in the area of the outflow face;
the filter element adapted to be inserted into a mounting position in an interior of a filter housing of an air filter along an axial insertion direction, wherein the insertion direction is parallel to the flow-through direction of the filter element;
the filter element adapted to be clamped at least transversely to the insertion direction in the filter housing by a transverse clamping action of at least two elongated support elements arranged in a first support area that is spaced in the insertion direction from the circumferentially extending seal, wherein the transverse clamping action results by an insertion movement of the filter element into the filter housing by an interaction of the filter element with inner sides of the filter housing;
a first one of the at least two elongated support elements lying on, elongated on, and secured onto the first end face of the filter medium, the first elongated support element elongated in a direction traverse to the flow-through direction to project at opposing ends of the first support element outwardly beyond the filter element at respective opposing edges of the first end face;
a second one of the at least two elongated support elements lying on and secured onto the second end face of the filter medium, the second elongated support element elongated in a direction traverse to the flow-through direction to project at opposing ends of the second support element outwardly beyond the filter element at respective opposing edges of the second end face;
wherein the plurality of elongated support elements are configured to contact inner sides of the filter housing in the first support area to effect the transverse clamping action.

2. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein
the filter medium is a pleated filter medium, the pleated filter medium having
a first set of pleat folds arranged at the inflow face and extending across the inflow face from the first end face to the second end face; and
a second of pleat folds arranged at the outflow face and extending across the inflow face from the first end face to the second end face.

3. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least two elongated support elements are elastically movable and/or deformable in the direction of elongation and transverse to the insertion direction.

4. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein
the first support area is arranged in the area of the inflow face that is remote from the circumferentially extending seal or in the area of the outflow face that is remote from the circumferentially extending seal.

5. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one carrier plate is arranged on at least one of the first end face and the second end face of the filter medium;
wherein the at least one carrier plate is secured onto the filter medium, supporting the filter medium;
wherein at least one of the at least two elongated support elements are secured to the at least one carrier plate.

6. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein
the filter element has a second support area arranged in the insertion direction between the first support area and the circumferentially extending seal;
at least one additional elongated support element is arranged on, elongated on and secured onto the first end face or the second end face of the filter medium, the at least one additional elongated support element elongated in a direction traverse to the flow-through direction to project at opposing ends outwardly beyond the filter element at respective opposing edges of the respective end face on which it is secured.

7. The filter element according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one rib or projection formed onto at least one of the at least two elongated support elements, the at least one rib or projection projecting outwardly from the respective one of the at least two elongated support elements in a direction traverse to the insertion direction;
wherein the at least one rib or projection is configured to contact an interior of the filter housing to support the filter element.

Assignees

• Mann & Hummel Gmbh

Inventors

• Schmid Daniel
• Thebault Eric
• Goerg Guenter
• Dirnberger Timo
• Dietz Ralf

Classifications

• B01D46/2411

  Filter cartridges · CPC title

• B01D2265/025

  making use of ramps or cams · CPC title

• B01D2279/60

  for the intake of internal combustion engines or turbines · CPC title

• F02M35/0201

  Housings; Casings; Frame constructions; Lids; Manufacturing or assembling thereof · CPC title

• B01D2271/027

  Radial sealings · CPC title