Assembly with a filter element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9844999-B2
Application number	US-201514923499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

An assembly having an intake connector with an air entrance for an air-conditioning system and a filter element having a concertina bellows having peripheral troughs and peripheral peaks, wherein the filter element has a water-repellent filter medium and wherein the filter element at least partially covers the air entrance, suitable for discharging snow and water, in particular snowmelt, to avoid flow into the air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle and to minimize damage to a filter element, wherein the concertina bellows is disposed so as to be inclined at an angle of 5° to 90°, preferably at an angle of 15° to 85°, in relation to the horizontal, wherein the filter element has an outflow unit for a water outflow from the peripheral troughs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly, comprising:
an intake connector including an air entrance for an air-conditioning system;
a filter element including a concertina bellows, wherein the concertina bellows includes peripheral troughs at a bottom of the bellows and peripheral peaks at a top of the bellows with fold edges running on each side of the bellows so as to follow a zigzag line or an undulated line, the top and bottom of the concertina bellows being inclined at an angle of 5° to 90°, in relation to the horizontal,
an edge strip disposed over the fold edges on at least one side of the concertina bellows such that water can flow out from at least one of the peripheral troughs,
wherein the filter element includes a water-repellent filter medium,
wherein the filter element at least partially covers the air entrance,
and
wherein the filter element includes an outflow unit configured for a water outflow from the at least one peripheral trough.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the concertina bellows is disposed so as to be inclined at an angle of 15° to 85°, in relation to the horizontal.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a channel, which is not closed off by the edge strip, configured on the base of at least one peripheral trough.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outflow unit is configured as V-shaped openings.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the edge strip is an injection-molded component.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the filter medium includes a water-repellent non-woven fabric,
wherein the filter medium includes one to three layers,
wherein at least one layer of the filter medium includes fibers including polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyamide, polyethylene, or a mixture of two or more of any of these.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the water-repellant non-woven fabric includes a coating of nanofibers.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the intake connector is disposed in a water box of a motor vehicle.

9. A supply air filter of an air-conditioning system, comprising:
a filter element including a concertina bellows including peripheral troughs and peripheral peaks,
wherein the filter element includes a water-repellent filter medium,
wherein the filter element includes an outflow unit for a water outflow from the peripheral troughs,
wherein fold edges run in each case on one side of the concertina bellows so as to follow a zigzag line or an undulated line,
wherein the fold edges on at least one side of the concertina bellows are bordered by an edge strip,
wherein the edge strip is disposed or configured on the fold edges such that water can flow out from at least one peripheral trough,
wherein a channel, which is not closed off by the edge strip, is configured on a base of at least one peripheral trough, and
wherein the outflow unit is configured as V-shaped openings.

10. A method filtering supply air of an air-conditioning system, the method comprising:
contacting the supply air with a filter element, the filter element including
a concertina bellows including peripheral troughs and peripheral peaks,
a water-repellent filter medium, and
an outflow unit for a water outflow from the peripheral troughs,
wherein fold edges run in each case on one side of the concertina bellows so as to follow a zigzag line or an undulated line,
wherein the fold edges on at least one side of the concertina bellows are bordered by an edge strip,
wherein the edge strip is disposed or configured on the fold edges such that water can flow out from at least one peripheral trough,
wherein a channel, which is not closed off by the edge strip, is configured on a base of at least one peripheral trough, and
wherein the outflow unit is configured as V-shaped openings.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the edge strip comprises polyethyleneterephthalate.

12. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the edge strip comprises polyethyleneterephthalate.

13. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the edge strip comprises polyethyleneterephthalate.

14. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein an upper plane of the concertina bellows, contacting the peripheral peaks of the concertina bellows, is substantially parallel to a lower plan of the concertina bellows, contacting the peripheral troughs.

15. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein an upper plane of the concertina bellows, contacting the peripheral peaks of the concertina bellows, is substantially parallel to a lower plan of the concertina bellows, contacting the peripheral troughs.

16. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein an upper plane of the concertina bellows, contacting the peripheral peaks of the concertina bellows, is substantially parallel to a lower plan of the concertina bellows, contacting the peripheral troughs.

17. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the filter element reduces air volume by 5 to 30%.

18. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the filter element reduces air volume by 5 to 30%.

19. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the filter element reduces air volume by 5 to 30%.

20. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the filter element is suitable to separate off snowflakes in a size range of 10 to 200 μm.

Assignees

• Freudenberg Carl Kg

Inventors

• Krause Martin

Classifications

• B60H3/0658 Primary

  Filter elements specially adapted for their arrangement in vehicles (B60H3/0608 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D2279/50

  for air conditioning · CPC title

• B01D46/0031

  with collecting, draining means · CPC title

• B01D46/10

  Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filter plates, sheets or pads having plane surfaces · CPC title

• B60H3/0625

  with provisions for by-passing the filter element · CPC title