Air filter having fluted filter media

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9782713-B2
Application number	US-201514854094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	May 9, 2002
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

An air cleaner includes a housing and an access cover. The internal volume of the housing can be reached through an opening in a side wall of the housing. A filter element having fluted filter media is removable and replaceable from the air cleaner. The housing is constructed and arranged to cam the element into sealing engagement with the housing. The access cover includes structure to help support and ensure proper seating of the filter element within the housing. A method of installing the filter element in the air cleaner includes sliding a portion of the filter element against a slide surface in the housing. A method of servicing an air cleaner includes tilting the filter element against a tilt surface in the housing to release a seal between the filter element and the housing. The filter element can have a handle to assist in servicing of the air cleaner. The housing can have a window to allow visual inspection of the internal component of the housing and to determine visually whether a filter element is installed therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filter element comprising:
(a) a filter media construction defining first and second opposite flow faces; the media construction having filter media including a plurality of flutes extending between the first and second opposite flow faces;
(i) the filter media construction allowing air to pass through the first flow face and through the second flow face; the filter media construction being closed to passage of unfiltered air therethrough, without passage through the filter media;
(ii) the filter construction comprising a wound construction of a combination of a fluted media sheet and a facing media sheet;

(b) the filter media construction having an outer periphery and a non-cylindrical configuration with two opposite curved ends and a pair of sides extending between the curved ends;
(c) a frame construction including a portion extending around the outer periphery of the filter media construction and forming two opposite curved ends and a pair of sides extending between the opposite curved ends;
(d) a seal member secured to the frame construction and supported by the frame construction to form a seal against a housing seal surface; and
(e) a structure extending from the filter element at a location along only one of the two opposite curved ends of the filter media construction.

2. A filter element according to claim 1 wherein:
(a) the pair of sides extending between the opposite curved ends of the filter media construction are straight sides.

3. A filter element according to claim 1 wherein:
(a) the filter media construction is racetrack shaped.

4. A filter element according to claim 1 wherein:
(a) the structure extending from the filter element is secured to the frame construction.

5. A filter element according to claim 4 wherein:
(a) the structure extending from the filter element comprises a flexible strap; and
(b) the frame construction portion extending around the outer periphery of the filter construction defines a through-slot;
(i) the flexible strap extending through the through-slot.

6. A filter element according to claim 1 wherein:
(a) the frame construction portion extending around the outer periphery of the filter construction comprises a continuous lip extending around the outer periphery of the filter construction.

7. A filter element according to claim 1 further comprising:
(a) a band circumscribing the outer periphery of the filter media construction and constructed to engage a slide surface on a housing.

8. A filter element according to claim 1 wherein:
(a) the seal member comprises a radial seal.

9. A filter element according to claim 1 wherein:
(a) the structure extending from the filter element is constructed to assist with releasing the seal member from a sealed arrangement within an air cleaner housing.

10. A filter element according to claim 1 wherein:
(a) the structure extending from the filter element in constructed to permit a user to grasp and exert a pulling force on the filter element.

11. An air cleaner comprising:
(a) a housing having an inlet end, an opposite outlet end, and a sidewall extending between the inlet end and the outlet end;
(i) the sidewall defining an access opening to provide for entry into and internal volume of the housing; the access opening being between the inlet end and the outlet end;
(ii) the housing defining a housing seal surface; and

(b) a filter element having a seal member; the filter element being operably installed in the housing and forming a seal therewith; the filter element comprising:
(i) a filter media construction defining first and second opposite flow faces; the media construction having filter media including a plurality of flutes extending between the first and second opposite flow faces;
(A) the filter media construction allowing air to pass through the first flow face and through the second flow face; the filter media construction being closed to passage of unfiltered air therethrough, without passage through the filter media;
(B) the filter construction comprising a wound construction of a combination of a fluted media sheet and a facing media sheet;

(ii) the filter media construction having an outer periphery and a non-cylindrical configuration with two opposite curved ends and a pair of sides extending between the curved ends;
(iii) a frame construction including a portion extending around the outer periphery of the filter media construction and forming two opposite curved ends and a pair of sides extending between the opposite curved ends;
(iv) a seal member secured to the frame construction and supported by the frame construction to form a seal against the housing seal surface; and
(v) a structure extending from the filter element at a location along only one of the two opposite curved ends of the filter media construction.

12. An air cleaner according to claim 11 wherein:
(a) said housing sidewall is U-shaped forming a closed end of the housing.

13. An air cleaner according to claim 12 wherein:
(a) said housing sidewall includes a ramp.

14. An air cleaner according to claim 13 wherein:
(a) the ramp forms a shallow ramp section adjacent to the access opening and a deep ramp section adjacent to the closed end of the housing.

15. An air cleaner according to claim 11 wherein:
(a) the frame construction includes an extension projecting axially from the second flow face; the seal member being supported by the extension of the frame construction; the seal member forming a radial seal with the housing when the filter element is operably installed in the housing.

16. An air cleaner according to claim 11 wherein:
(a) the access cover includes a system to support the filter element when the filter element is operably installed in the housing.

17. An air cleaner according to claim 11 wherein:
(a) the frame construction portion extending around the outer periphery of the filter construction comprises a continuous lip extending around the outer periphery of the filter construction.

18. An air cleaner according to claim 13 further comprising:
(a) a band circumscribing the outer periphery of the filter media construction and engaging the ramp when installing the filter element in the housing.

19. A filter element according to claim 11 wherein:
(a) the seal member comprises a radial seal.

20. An air cleaner according to claim 11 wherein:
(a) the structure extending from the filter element is constructed to assist with releasing the seal member from a sealed arrangement with the housing seal surface.

21. An air cleaner according to claim 11 wherein:
(a) the structure extending from the filter element is constructed to permit a user to grasp and exert a pulling force on the filter element.

22. A filter element comprising:
(a) a filter media construction defining first and second opposite flow faces; the media construction having filter media including a plurality of flutes extending between the first and second opposite flow faces;
(i) the filter media construction allowing air to pass through the first flow face and through the second flow face; the filter media construction being closed to passage of unfiltered air therethrough, without passage through the filter media;
(ii) the filter construction comprising a wound construction of a combination of a fluted media sheet and a facing media sheet;

(b) the filter media construction having an outer periphery and a non-cylindrical configuratio

Assignees

• Donaldson Co Inc

Inventors

• Nepsund Larry R
• Kuempel Bradley A
• Engel Donald F
• Boehrs Bruce Allen
• Anderson Sheldon
• Bucholtz Richard L
• Lundgren Thomas John

Classifications

• B01D46/2411

  Filter cartridges · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• B01D2271/027

  Radial sealings · CPC title

• B01D46/42

  Auxiliary equipment or operation thereof · CPC title

• B01D46/0002

  Casings; Housings; Frame constructions · CPC title