Filter cartridge and air purifier assembly

Abstract

To provide an air filter cartridge used in an air cleaner assembly.SOLUTION: An air filter cartridge 600 is installed in a housing, and comprises: a media pack 602 defining an outer perimeter and including media extending between opposed first and second ends; a radial seal arrangement 630 that is arranged along an outer periphery of the media pack and directed outward so as to provide a radial seal surface, and that includes first seal segments and second seal segments arranged on the second end side of the media pack with respect to the first seal segment; and a second member 608 of a projection-receiver arrangement that extends radially outwardly separating away from the outer periphery of the media pack and that is aligned circumferentially at least partially with the first seal segments. The air filter cartridge is removably installed in the openable / closable cleaner housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 26

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications This application was filed as a PCT international patent application on Dec. 16, 2016, and claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 269,761 filed on Dec. 18, 2015 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 316,713 filed on Apr. 1, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure typically relates to a filter device for filtering air, such as intake air for an internal combustion engine. The present disclosure particularly relates to a filter device using a cartridge having intake and exhaust ends on opposite sides of each other. Air cleaning devices, features, as well as assembly and manufacturing methods are also described.

Background Art

[0003] Air flow may carry contaminants such as dust and liquid particles therein. In many instances, it is desirable to remove some or all of the contaminants from the air flow with a filter. For example, the air flow (e.g., combustion air flow) to an engine for an automobile or a power generation device, the gas flow to a gas turbine system, and the air flow to various combustion furnaces carry particulate contaminants that should be filtered therein. For such systems, it is desirable to remove (or reduce the level in the air) the selected contaminants. Various air filter devices have been developed for contaminant removal. Improvements are sought.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] This disclosure discloses air purifier assemblies, housings, repairable and replaceable filter cartridges, and features, components, and methods relating thereto. Generally, these features relate to systems configured to ensure that the filter cartridge is properly oriented and sealed within the housing of the air purifier assembly. Various methods are described herein, which can be used individually or in combination to obtain the desired results. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0005] [Figure 1] This is a partial schematic perspective view of a first type of exemplary filter media that can be used in the apparatus according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of some of the types of filter media shown. [Figure 3] Figures 1 and 2 include schematic diagrams illustrating examples of definitions for various types of fluteted filter media. [Figure 4] Figures 1-3 are schematic diagrams illustrating exemplary processes for manufacturing the types of filter media shown. [Figure 5] Figures 1-4 show schematic cross-sectional views of optional end folds for the flutes of different types of filter media. [Figure 6] This is a schematic perspective view of a roll-type filter device, for example, made from strips of filter material as shown in Figure 1, which can be used with a filter cartridge having the features described herein. [Figure 7] This is a schematic perspective view of a laminated filter media packing device, for example, made from strips of filter media as shown in Figure 1, which can be used in a filter device having the features described herein. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of the intake and exhaust ends of a filter media pack that can be used as a substitute for the filter media shown in Figure 1 and is compatible with the selected filter cartridge according to this disclosure. [Figure 8A] This is a schematic diagram of the intake and exhaust ends opposite to those shown in Figure 8. [Figure 8B] Figures 8 and 8A are schematic cross-sectional views of the filter media pack. [Figure 9]This is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of another alternative type of filter media that can be used in a filter media pack of a filter cartridge having the features described herein. [Figure 10] Figure 9 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the first modified type of filter media. [Figure 11A] This diagram shows a schematic representation of other available combinations of fluted sheets and liner sheets as disclosed herein. [Figure 11B] This is a second schematic diagram of the type of filter media shown in Figure 11A. [Figure 11C] This is a schematic partial plan view of yet another modified version of the filter material. [Figure 12] This disclosure provides schematic diagrams of other variations of filter media that can be used. [Figure 13] This is a schematic top perspective view of an air purifier assembly including the features and components described herein. [Figure 14] Figure 13 is a schematic side view of the air purifier assembly. [Figure 15] Figure 13 is a schematic top view of the air purifier assembly. [Figure 16] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air purifier assembly shown in Figure 13, viewed along line 16-16 as shown in Figure 15. [Figure 16A] This is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the air purifier assembly shown in Figure 16, indicated by the circle labeled Figure 16A in Figure 16. [Figure 16B] This is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the air purifier assembly shown in Figure 16, indicated by the circle labeled Figure 16B in Figure 16. [Figure 16C] This is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the air purifier assembly shown in Figure 16, indicated by the circle labeled Figure 16C in Figure 16. [Figure 17] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air purifier assembly shown in Figure 13, along the line 17-17 shown in Figure 15. [Figure 18]It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air purifier assembly of FIG. 13, taken along line 18-18 shown in FIG. 15. [Figure 19] It is a schematic exploded perspective view of the air purifier assembly of FIG. 13, seen from above. [Figure 20] It is a schematic perspective view of the housing body of the air purifier assembly of FIG. 13. [Figure 21] It is a schematic side view of the housing body shown in FIG. 20. [Figure 22] It is a schematic top view of the housing body portion shown in FIG. 21. [Figure 23] It is a schematic perspective view of the inner part of the pre-filter of the air purifier assembly of FIG. 13, seen from below. [Figure 24] It is a schematic bottom view of the cover part of the air purifier assembly of FIG. 13. [Figure 25] It is a schematic side view of the cover part of the air purifier assembly of FIG. 13. [Figure 26] It is a schematic perspective view of the attachable filter cartridge component in the air purifier assembly of FIG. 13. [Figure 27] It is a second schematic perspective view of the filter cartridge shown in FIG. 26. [Figure 28] It is a schematic side view of the filter cartridge shown in FIG. 26. [Figure 28A] It is a schematic side view of the filter cartridge shown in FIG. 26, where only one lip seal is provided for the sealing configuration. [Figure 29] It is a second schematic side view of the filter cartridge shown in FIG. 26. [Figure 30] It is a schematic top view of the filter cartridge shown in FIG. 26. [Figure 31] It is a schematic perspective view of the shell of the filter cartridge shown in FIG. 26. [Figure 32] It is a second schematic perspective view of the shell shown in FIG. 31. [Figure 33] It is a schematic side view of the shell shown in FIG. 31. [Figure 34] Figure 31 is a second schematic side view of the shell. [Figure 35] Figure 31 is a schematic top view of the shell shown. [Figure 36] Figure 26 is a schematic perspective view of the seal configuration of the filter cartridge shown. [Figure 37] Figure 36 is a schematic side view of the seal configuration shown. [Figure 38] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the seal configuration shown in Figure 36, taken along the line 38-38 in Figure 37. [Figure 39] Figure 36 is a second schematic side view of the seal configuration shown. [Figure 40] Figure 36 is a schematic top view of the seal configuration shown. [Figure 41] Figure 13 is a schematic perspective view of a second, or safety filter cartridge component, which can be installed in the air purifier assembly. [Figure 42] Figure 41 is a second schematic perspective view of the filter cartridge shown. [Figure 43] Figure 41 is a schematic side view of the filter cartridge shown. [Figure 44] Figure 41 is a schematic top view of the filter cartridge shown. [Figure 45] Figure 41 is a schematic perspective view of the shell of the filter cartridge shown, with the filter media installed. [Figure 46] Figure 45 shows a second schematic perspective view of the shell. [Figure 47] Figure 45 is a schematic side view of the shell shown. [Figure 48] Figure 45 is a schematic top view of the shell shown. [Figure 49] Figure 41 is a schematic perspective view of the seal configuration of the filter cartridge shown. [Figure 50] Figure 49 is a schematic side view of the seal configuration shown. [Figure 51]This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the seal configuration shown in Figure 49, viewed along line 51-51 in Figure 50. [Figure 52] Figure 49 is a schematic top view of the seal configuration shown. [Figure 53] Figure 13 is a schematic perspective view of a filter cartridge component with its cover removed, which can be installed in the air purifier assembly shown in Figure 13. [Figure 54] Figure 53 is a schematic perspective view of the filter cartridge shown. [Figure 55] Figure 53 is a schematic partial exploded view of the air filter cartridge shown. [Figure 56] Figure 53 is a schematic partial perspective view of the air filter cartridge shown in Figure 53, installed inside the housing shown in Figure 13. [Figure 57] Figure 53 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air filter cartridge shown in Figure 53, fully installed within the large body shown in Figure 13. [Figure 58] Figure 13 is a schematic perspective view of a filter cartridge component that can be installed in the air purifier assembly. [Figure 59] Figure 58 is a schematic side view of the filter cartridge shown. [Figure 60] Figure 26 is a schematic perspective view of the seal configuration of the filter cartridge shown. [Figure 61] Figure 60 is a schematic side view of the seal configuration shown. [Figure 62] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the seal configuration shown in Figure 60, taken along line 62-62 in Figure 61. [Figure 63] Figure 60 is a second schematic side view of the seal configuration shown. [Figure 64] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air purifier assembly shown in Figure 13, along line 16-16 shown in Figure 16, with the filter cartridges shown in Figures 58 and 65 installed. [Figure 64A]This is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the air purifier assembly shown in Figure 64, indicated by the circle labeled Figure 64A in Figure 64. [Figure 64B] This is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the air purifier assembly shown in Figure 64, indicated by the circle labeled Figure 64B in Figure 64. [Figure 64C] This is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the air purifier assembly shown in Figure 64, indicated by the circle labeled Figure 64C in Figure 64. [Figure 65] This is a schematic top-down perspective view of a second, or safety, filter cartridge, shown in Figure 64, which can be installed in the air purifier assembly of Figure 13. [Figure 66] Figure 65 is a schematic perspective view of the filter cartridge shown, viewed from below. [Figure 67] Figure 65 is a schematic side view of the filter cartridge shown. [Figure 68] Figure 65 is a schematic top view of the filter cartridge shown. [Figure 69a] These are schematic cross-sectional and perspective views of an alternative filter cartridge component that can be attached to an air purifier assembly, similar to the component described in Figure 58. [Figure 69b] These are schematic cross-sectional and perspective views of an alternative filter cartridge component that can be attached to an air purifier assembly, similar to the component described in Figure 58. [Figure 70] The examples of the processes of the embodiments disclosed with respect to Figures 58 and 60 illustrate the manufacturing processes and tools for producing a typical 3D gasket structure. [Figure 71] The examples of the processes of the embodiments disclosed with respect to Figures 58 and 60 illustrate the manufacturing processes and tools for producing a typical 3D gasket structure. [Figure 72]The examples of the processes of the embodiments disclosed with respect to Figures 58 and 60 illustrate the manufacturing processes and tools for producing a typical 3D gasket structure. [Figure 73] This is a schematic lateral cross-sectional view of an air purifier assembly including the features and components described herein. [Figure 74] Figure 73 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the housing of the air purifier assembly shown. [Figure 75] Figure 73 is a schematic perspective view of the filter cartridge of the air purifier assembly shown. [Figure 76] Figure 75 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the filter cartridge shown along line 76-76. [Figure 76a] Figure 76 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the filter cartridge. [Figure 77] Figure 73 is a schematic perspective view of the filter cartridge of the air purifier assembly shown, with the seal configuration removed. [Figure 78] This is a schematic side view of the air purifier assembly according to the present disclosure. [Figure 79] Figure 78 is a schematic side view of the air purifier assembly shown. [Figure 80] Figure 78 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the air purifier assembly shown. [Figure 81] This is a schematic perspective view of the air purifier assembly according to this disclosure. [Figure 82] Figure 81 is a schematic perspective view of the first housing portion of the air purifier assembly shown. [Figure 83] Figure 81 is a schematic side view of the air purifier assembly shown, with the filter cartridge fully installed and in a fixed position. [Figure 84] Figure 81 is a schematic side view of the air purifier assembly shown, with the filter cartridge partially installed inside the housing. [Figure 85]Figure 81 is a schematic side view of the air purifier assembly shown, with the filter cartridge partially installed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0006] I. General Exemplary Filter Media Configurations The principle of this disclosure relates to the interaction between a filter cartridge and an air purification system in a manner advantageous for achieving specific selected desired results as described below. A filter cartridge generally contains a filter medium through which air and other gases pass during the filtration operation. The filter medium can be of various types and configurations and can be manufactured using various materials. For example, a pleated filter device can be used in a cartridge according to the principle of this disclosure, as described below.

[0007] This principle is particularly well suited to situations where the filter media is quite deep between the inlet and outlet ends of the cartridge, although other options may exist. This principle is also frequently used in cartridges with relatively large cross-sectional dimensions. In such devices, alternative filter media to pleated media are often preferred.

[0008] This section provides examples of some filter media devices that can be used in the technologies described herein. However, it will be found that various alternative types of filter media are available. The choice of filter media type is generally one of several preferences, such as availability, functionality in a given usage scenario, and ease of manufacture, and the choice does not necessarily relate to the overall functionality of the interaction between the filter cartridge and the air purifier as characterized herein.

[0009] A. A filter packing device using filter media having flutes fixed to a liner filter media. Fluteted filter media (filter media having ridges) can be used to provide fluid filter structures in various ways. One well-known method is characterized herein as a Z-type filter structure. The term “Z-type filter structure” means, as used herein, a type of filter structure in which each flute of a stacked, folded, or otherwise formed filter is used to define a set of intake and discharge filter flutes (typically combined with liner media) for a longitudinal, typically parallel, fluid flow through the filter media (typically combined with liner media). Several examples of Z-type filter media are provided in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,820,646, 5,772,883, 5,902,364, 5,792,247, 5,895,574, 6,210,469, 6,190,432, 6,350,296, 6,179,890, 6,235,195, U.S. Design Patent No. 399,944, 428,128, 396,098, 398,046, and 437,401, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0010] One type of Z-type filter media utilizes two specific filter media components that are interconnected to form a filter media structure. These two components are (1) a fluted (typically corrugated) filter media sheet or sheet section, and (2) a liner filter media sheet or sheet section. The line filter media sheet is not typically corrugated, but can be corrugated, for example, perpendicular to the direction of the flutes, as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 543,804, filed on 11 February 2004 and published on 25 August 2005 as PCT International Publication No. 05 / 077487, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0011] Fluted filter media sections and liner filter media sections may contain other materials between them. However, these can also be sections obtained by folding a single filter media sheet so that the liner filter media material is appropriately adjacent to the fluted filter media portion of the filter media.

[0012] Fluted (typically corrugated) filter media sheets and liner filter media sheets or combined sheet sections are typically used to define filter media with parallel flutes. In some examples, the fluteted sheet and liner sheet are separate, then fixed together, and then wound up as filter media strips to form a Z-shaped filter media structure. Such devices are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,235,195 and 6,179,890, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. In certain other devices, the filter structure is constructed by stacking together some unwound sections or strips of fluteted (typically corrugated) filter media fixed to the liner filter media. An example of this is shown in Figure 11 of U.S. Patent No. 5,820,646, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0013] Here, strips of material, including a fluted sheet (a filter material sheet with ridges) fixed to a corrugated sheet, are then assembled as a laminate to form a filter material pack, which is sometimes called a "single-face strip," "single-face strip," or "single-face" filter material. These terms and their variations mean that in each strip, a liner sheet is attached to one side, i.e., the single face, of the fluted (typically corrugated) sheet.

[0014] Typically, constructing a roll-type filter media pack by winding strips of a combination of a fluted sheet and a liner sheet (i.e., a single facer) is done with the liner sheet facing outwards. Several methods for winding are described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 467,521, filed 2 May 2003, and PCT Application No. 04 / 07927, filed 17 March 2004, now published as International Publication No. 04 / 082795, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. The resulting roll-type apparatus generally has a portion of the liner sheet as the outer surface of the filter media pack.

[0015] The term “corrugated” in this specification refers to a corrugated structure obtained by passing the filter material between two corrugated rollers, each having surface features suitable for corrugating the final filter material, i.e., between the nips or grips of two rollers. However, the term “corrugated” is not limited to such flutes unless it is explicitly stated that they are formed by flutes in a manner that includes passing a medium through the grips between corrugated rollers. The term “corrugated” also applies when the filter material has been corrugated and has been further modified or transformed by a folding method described, for example, in PCT International Publication No. 04 / 007054, published on January 22, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0016] Corrugated filter media is a specific form of fluted filter media. Fluted filter media is filter media that has individual flutes or ridges running across it (formed, for example, by corrugating or folding).

[0017] A repairable and replaceable filter element or filter cartridge configuration utilizing Z-shaped filter media is sometimes referred to as a “linear flow configuration,” or a variation thereof. Generally, this means that a repairable and replaceable filter element or cartridge typically has an intake end (or surface) and an opposite exhaust end (or surface), with the inflow into and out of the filter cartridge generally in the same linear direction. In this context, the term “repairable and replaceable” refers to filter media, including filter cartridges, that are periodically removed from and replaced in the corresponding fluid (e.g., air) purifier. In some examples, each of the intake end (or surface) and exhaust end (or surface) is generally flat or planar, and they are parallel to each other. However, variations thereof, such as non-planar surfaces, are also possible.

[0018] Linear flow configurations (particularly for roll-type or stacked filter media packs) are in contrast to repairable filter cartridges where the flow generally undergoes a substantial change of direction when entering and exiting the filter media, such as the cylindrical pleated filter cartridge of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 6,039,778, which is incorporated herein by reference. That is, in the case of the filter of U.S. Patent No. 6,039,778, the flow enters the cylindrical filter cartridge from the cylindrical side, then changes direction and exits from the open end of the filter media (forward flow system). In a typical reverse flow system, the flow enters the repairable cylindrical cartridge from the open end of the filter media, then changes direction and exits from the side of the cylindrical filter media. An example of such a reverse flow system is shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,613,992, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0019] The term "Z-type filter media configuration" and its variations, as used herein, unless otherwise specified, includes, but are not limited to, a web in which fluted filter media (filter media having ridges) are fixed to a (liner) filter media, and which has appropriate sealing (closures) to define intake and exhaust flutes, whether the sheets are separate or part of a single web, and / or a filter media pack configured or formed from such filter media into a three-dimensional mesh structure of intake and exhaust flutes, and / or a filter cartridge or structure containing such a filter media pack.

[0020] Figure 1 shows an example of a filter media 1 that can be used in a Z-shaped filter media structure. The filter media 1 is formed from a fluted, in this case corrugated, sheet 3 and a liner sheet 4. Structures like the filter media 1 are referred to herein as single facers or single-face strips.

[0021] Sometimes, the corrugated flute or ridged sheet 3 in Figure 1 is of a type generally characterized herein as having a regular curved wave pattern of flutes, ridges, or waves 7. The term “wave pattern” in this context refers to the flute, ridge, or wave pattern of alternating valleys 7b and ridges 7a. The term “regular” in this context refers to the alternating pairs of valleys and ridges (7b, 7a) having generally the same repeating wave shape (flute or ridge) shape and size. (Also, typically in a regular configuration, each valley 7b is a ridge that is substantially inverted with respect to each ridge 7a.) The term “regular” therefore refers to the wave (or flute) pattern containing valleys (inverted ridges) and ridges, and each pair (including adjacent valleys and ridges) repeating with substantially no change in wave size and shape over at least 70% of the length of the flute. In this regard, the term "substantially" refers to the changes resulting from the process or shape modifications used to manufacture the corrugated or fluted sheet, which are distinct from the slight changes due to the flexibility of the filter sheet 3. With respect to the characteristics of the repeating pattern, the number of ridges and grooves are not necessarily equal in any filter configuration. The ends of the filter media 1 may be, for example, between pairs containing ridges and valleys, or partially along pairs containing ridges and valleys. (For example, in Figure 1, the partially shown filter media 1 has eight complete ridges 7a and seven complete valleys 7b.) Also, the opposite ends of the flutes (ends of valleys and ridges) may differ from each other. Such variations at the ends are ignored in these definitions unless otherwise specified. That is, differences at the ends of the flutes are covered by the definitions above.

[0022] Regarding the characteristics of the wavy "curved" wave pattern, in certain examples, the wave pattern is not the result of folds or creases in the filter media, but rather the apex 7a of each furrow and the bottom 7b of each valley are formed along a rounded curve. The typical radius of such a Z-shaped filter media is at least 0.25 mm and typically less than or equal to 3 mm.

[0023] Regarding the corrugated sheet 3, another feature of the particular regular curved wave pattern shown in Figure 1 is that, along most of the length of the flute 7, there is a transition region where the curvature reverses at approximately the midpoint 30 between each trough and each adjacent ridge. For example, when looking at the back side or face 3a in Figure 1, the troughs 7b are recessed regions and the ridges a are protruding regions. Of course, when looking at the front side or face 3b, the troughs 7b on side 3a form ridges, and the ridges 7a on face 3a form troughs. (In some examples, the region 30 can be a linear segment rather than a point, and its curvature reverses at the end of the segment 30.)

[0024] A characteristic feature of the fluteted (in this case, corrugated) sheet 3 of a particular regular wave pattern shown in Figure 1 is that the individual waves, ridges, or flutes are generally straight, although other options are possible. In this regard, “straight” means that the ridges 7a and valleys (or inverted ridges) 7b do not change substantially in cross-sectional shape over at least 70%, typically at least 80%, of the length. The term “straight” with respect to the corrugated pattern shown in Figure 1 distinguishes that pattern from the tapered flutes of corrugated filter media shown in Figure 1 of International Publication No. 97 / 40918, which is incorporated herein by reference, and in PCT application International Publication No. 03 / 47722, published on June 12, 2003. For example, the tapered flutes in International Publication No. 97 / 40918 are a curved wave pattern and not a “regular” pattern, or a pattern of straight flutes, as used herein.

[0025] Referring to Figure 1 of the present application, as described above, the filter material 1 has first and second mutually opposite edges 8 and 9. When the filter material 1 is formed into a filter pack, generally, edge 9 forms the inlet end or surface for the filter pack, and edge 8 forms the outlet end or surface, although the opposite orientation is also possible.

[0026] In the example shown in the figure, the various flutes 7 extend across the entire area between the opposite edges 8 and 9, but other options are possible. For example, they could extend only to the vicinity of the edges and not across the entire area between them. They could also terminate and begin partway through the filter, as in the filter material of, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014 / 0208705 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0027] If the filter media is as shown in Figure 1, a sealant bead 10 can be provided near the edge 8 to ensure tight contact between the corrugated sheet 3 and the liner sheet 4. The bead 10 is sometimes called a "single face" or "single face" bead, or a variation thereof, because it lies between the corrugated sheet 3 and the liner sheet 4 and forms a single face (single face) filter media strip 1. The sealant bead 10 closes off the individual flutes 11 near the edge 8, preventing the passage of air exiting (or entering) them in the opposite direction.

[0028] In the filter media shown in Figure 1, a seal bead 14 is provided near the edge 9. The seal bead 14 generally closes the flute 15 near the edge 9, preventing unfiltered fluid from passing through (or flowing into) it. The bead 14 would typically be applied when the filter media 1 is assembled into a filter media pack. If the filter media pack is made from a laminate of strips 1, the bead 14 forms a seal between the back surface 17 of the liner sheet 4 and the side surface 18 of the adjacent next corrugated sheet 3. When the filter media 1 is cut into strips and laminated rather than rolled up, the bead 14 is called a “laminated bead”. (When the bead 14 is used in a roll-type configuration formed from long strips of filter media 1, this is called a “rolled bead”.)

[0029] In other types of through-flow filters, the sealing material can be placed in other locations, and it may even be possible to avoid using any further sealant or adhesive. For example, in some cases, the filter material can be folded to form end or edge seams, or the filter material can be sealed by other techniques such as ultrasonic irradiation. Furthermore, even if sealant material is used, it does not need to be near both ends.

[0030] Referring to Figure 1, if the filter media 1 is assembled into the filter media pack by, for example, lamination or winding, it can operate as follows: First, air in the direction of arrow 12 enters the open flute 11 near end 9. Since end 8 is closed by bead 10, the air passes through the filter media 1 as shown by arrow 13. It can then exit the filter media or filter media pack by passing through the open end 15a of flute 15 near end 8 of the filter media pack. Of course, the operation can also be performed with airflow in the opposite direction.

[0031] In the specific configuration shown in Figure 1, the parallel waves 7a, 7b are generally straight throughout the filter media, from edge 8 to edge 9. Straight flutes, ridges, or waves can be deformed or folded at selected locations, particularly at the edges. Modifications made to the ends of flutes to close them are generally not considered in the aforementioned definitions of “regular,” “curved,” and “wave patterns.”

[0032] Z-type filters that do not utilize a straight, regularly curved wave pattern are also known. For example, Yamada et al.'s U.S. Patent No. 5,562,825 shows a wave pattern that utilizes a substantially semicircular inlet flute near a narrow V-shaped (with curved sides) outlet flute (see Figures 1 and 3 of Patent No. 5,562,825). Matsumoto et al.'s U.S. Patent No. 5,049,326 shows a circular or tubular flute defined by one sheet having a semitube attached to another sheet having a semitube, resulting in parallel straight flutes with flat areas between them (see Figure 2 of Matsumoto's Patent No. 326). Ishii et al.'s U.S. Patent No. 4,925,561 (Figure 1) shows a flute folded to have a rectangular cross-section, in which the flute is tapered along its length. International Publication No. 97 / 40918 (Figure 1) shows flutes or parallel waveforms that have a curved wave pattern (consisting of adjacent curved convex and concave troughs) but are tapered along their length (and therefore not straight). International Publication No. 97 / 40918 also shows flutes with a curved wave pattern but with varying sizes of ridges and troughs. Flutes with different shapes containing various ridges are also known.

[0033] Generally, filter media are relatively flexible materials, typically nonwoven fibrous materials (cellulose fibers, synthetic fibers, or both), often containing resin, and sometimes treated with additional materials. Therefore, they can be molded to various corrugation patterns and incorporated into the filter without causing unacceptable damage. They are also easy to wind up or otherwise configure for use, again without unacceptable damage to the filter media. Of course, they must be such that the required corrugation state is maintained during use.

[0034] Typically, the corrugation process applies inelastic deformation to the medium. This prevents the filter material from returning to its original shape. However, once the tension is released, the flutes or corrugations tend to spring back, restoring only a portion of the elongation and bending that had occurred. To prevent such springing of the corrugated sheet, a liner filter sheet may be connected to the fluteted filter sheet. Such a connection is shown in 20.

[0035] Furthermore, filter media typically contain resin. During the corrugation process, the filter media can be heated to a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature of its resin. The resin is then cooled, which helps to maintain its shape and fluidity.

[0036] In corrugated (fluted) sheet 3, liner sheet 4, or both thereof, a fine fibrous material can be provided on one or both sides, for example, as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,673,136, incorporated herein by reference. In some examples, when such a fine fibrous material is used, it may be desirable to provide the fine fibers upstream of the material and within the flutes. In this case, the airflow during filtration typically enters the edge, including the laminated bead.

[0037] The problem with Z-type filter structures relates to the sealing of the ends of the individual flutes. While other options may exist, typically a sealant or adhesive is provided to achieve this sealing. As is evident from the disclosures above, in typical Z-type filter media, especially those with straight flutes rather than tapered flutes and using sealant to seal the flutes, a large sealant surface area (and volume) is required at both the upstream and downstream ends. High-quality seals at these locations are crucial for the proper functioning of the resulting filter media structure. The large sealant volume and area give rise to problems in this regard.

[0038] Next, looking at Figure 2, a Z-shaped filter media, i.e., a single-facer strip, i.e., a Z-shaped filter media structure 40, is schematically shown, utilizing a corrugated sheet 43 with a regularly curved wave pattern and an uncorrugated flat sheet 44. The distance D1 between points 50 and 51 defines the extent of the flat filter media 44 in the region 52 below a certain corrugated flute 53. The length D2 of the bow-shaped filter media for the corrugated flute 53 over the same distance D1 is naturally greater than D1, depending on the shape of the corrugated flute 53. In the case of a typical regularly shaped filter media required for applications of flute filters, the straight-line length D2 of the filter media 53 between points 50 and 51 is often at least 1.2 times D1. Typically, D2 will be 1.2 to 2.0 times D1 (including the values ​​at both ends). One particularly conventional device for an air filter has a configuration in which D2 is approximately 1.25 to 1.35 times D1. Such filter media are commercially used, for example, in Donaldson Powercore™ Z-type filter systems. Another size that seems convenient is when D2 is approximately 1.4 to 1.6 times D1. Here, the D2 / D1 ratio is sometimes characterized as the flute / flat section ratio for corrugated filter media, i.e., the throttling of the filter media.

[0039] In the corrugated cardboard industry, various flutes are defined. For example, standard flute E, standard X flute X, standard flute B, standard flute C, and standard flute A. Figure 3 attached, along with Table A below, provides definitions of these flutes.

[0040] Donaldson Company, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as DCI), the assignee of this application, uses various standard flutes A and B in its various Z-type filter devices. These flutes are also defined in Table A and Figure 3.

[0041] [Table 1]

[0042] Of course, other standards and flute definitions from the corrugated cardboard box industry are also known.

[0043] Generally, standard flute configurations from the corrugated cardboard industry can be used to define corrugated diameters or approximate corrugated shapes for corrugated filter media. The above comparison of DCI A flutes and DCI B flutes with the corrugated cardboard industry's standard flutes A and B reveals several favorable variations.

[0044] It should be noted that alternative flute definitions, such as those characterized in U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 215,718, filed on June 26, 2008 and published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0127211; U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 012,785, filed on February 4, 2008 and published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0282890; and / or U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 537,069, published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0032365, can be used in conjunction with the features of the air purifiers characterized below. The entire disclosures of U.S. Patent Application No. 2009 / 0127211, U.S. Patent Application No. 2008 / 0282890, and U.S. Patent Application No. 2010 / 0032365 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0045] In the apparatus of the present disclosure, a fluted filter medium and a liner filter medium fixed thereto, along with other deformable filter media, may be used in either a stacked or rolled form, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014 / 0208705 A1, published on 31 July 2014 and owned by Baldwin Filters, Inc., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0046] B. Manufacturing of filter media pack configurations including the filter media shown in Figures 1-3 (See Figures 4-7) Figure 4 shows an example of a manufacturing process for producing a filter media strip (single facer) corresponding to strip 1 in Figure 1. Generally, a liner sheet 64 and a fluted (corrugated) sheet 66 having flutes 68 are joined together by an adhesive bead positioned between them 70 to form a filter media web 69. The adhesive bead 70 forms the single facer bead 10 in Figure 1. An optional folding process is performed at station 71 to form a central fold 72 in the center of the web. The Z-shaped filter media or Z-shaped filter media strip 74 is cut or cut along the bead 70 75 to create two small pieces or strips 76, 77 of the Z-shaped filter media 74, with a linear sealant (single facer bead) extending along the edge of each between the corrugated and liner sheets. Of course, if an optional folding process is used, the edge with a cleaning sealant (single facet bead) also has a set of folded flutes at this position.

[0047] The method for carrying out the process characterized in Figure 4 is described in PCT International Publication No. 04 / 007054, published on January 22, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0048] Referring further to Figure 4, the Z-shaped filter media 74 must be formed before passing through the folding station 71 and finally being cut at 75. In the schematic diagram shown in Figure 4, this is done by passing a sheet of filter media 92 between a pair of corrugating rollers 94, 95. In the schematic diagram shown in Figure 4, a sheet of filter media 92 is unwound from a roll 96, wound around a tension roller 98, and then passes through a nip or grip 102 between the corrugating rollers 94, 95. The corrugating rollers 94, 95 have teeth 104, which generally impart the desired corrugated shape to the flat sheet 92 after it has passed through the nip 102. After passing through the nip 102, the sheet 92 is corrugated in the direction of the machine and is called a corrugated sheet 66. The corrugated sheet 66 is then secured to the liner sheet 64. (The corrugating process may optionally include a step of heating the filter media.)

[0049] Referring further to Figure 4, the process also involves sending the liner sheet 64 to the folding process station 71. The liner sheet 64 is stored on a roll 106 and then guided toward the corrugated sheet 66 to form the Z-shaped filter media 74. The corrugated sheet 66 and the liner sheet 64 will typically be fixed to each other by adhesive or other means (e.g., by ultrasonic welding).

[0050] Referring to Figure 4, an adhesive line 70 is shown which is used as a sealant bead to fasten the corrugated sheet 66 and the liner sheet 64 together. Alternatively, a sealant bead for forming the liner bead may be applied as shown 70a. Once the sealant is applied to 70a, it may be desirable to provide a gap in the corrugating roller 95, and possibly in both corrugating rollers 94 and 95, to receive the bead 70a.

[0051] Of course, the device in Figure 4 can be modified to use the tack bead 20 in Figure 1, if desired.

[0052] The type of waveform provided to the corrugated filter media is selectable and determined by the corrugation or corrugation teeth of the corrugating rollers 94, 95. One useful waveform pattern would be a regular curved wave pattern with straight flutes or ridges, as defined above. A typical base-side curved wave pattern used is one in which the distance D2 defined above within the waveform pattern is at least 1.2 times the distance D1 defined above. In one exemplary application, typically D2 = 1.25 to 1.35 × D1, but other options are possible. In some examples, this technique may also be applied to non-regular curved wave patterns, including, for example, those that do not use straight flutes. It is also possible to deform the curved wave patterns shown in the figure.

[0053] As mentioned above, the process shown in Figure 4 can be used to create the central fold 72. Figure 5 shows a cross-section of one of the flutes 68 shown in Figure 4 after the folding and cutting processes.

[0054] The folding configuration 118 is found to form a folded flute 120 having four folds 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d. The folding configuration 118 includes a flat first layer or portion 122 which is fixed to the liner sheet 64. The second layer or portion 124 is shown pressed against the first layer or portion 122. The second layer or portion 124 is preferably formed by folding the opposite outer edges 126, 127 of the first layer or portion 122.

[0055] Referring further to Figure 5, two of the folds or creases 121a, 121b are generally referred to herein as “upper inward” folds or creases. The term “upper” in this context means that when the folded body 120 is viewed in the orientation of Figure 5, the creases are located at the top of the entire folded body 120. The term “inward” means that the fold lines or crease lines of each fold 121a, 121b are oriented toward each other.

[0056] In Figure 5, folds 121c and 121d are generally referred to herein as “lower outward” folds. The term “lower” in this context means that folds 121c and 121d are not positioned above folds 121a and 121b in the orientation of Figure 5. The term “outward” means that the fold lines of folds 121c and 121d face in opposite directions.

[0057] The terms “upper side” and “lower side,” as used in this context, refer specifically to the fold 120 as viewed in the direction shown in Figure 5. In other words, they do not otherwise indicate the direction in which the fold 120 is oriented in the actual product during use.

[0058] Based on these characterizations and reference to Figure 5, the regular folding configuration 118 shown in Figure 5 in this disclosure includes at least two “upper inward folds”. These inward folds are unique and do not significantly encroach on adjacent flutes by folding.

[0059] It can be seen that the third layer or portion 128 is also pressed against the second layer or portion 124. The third layer or portion 128 is formed by folding from the inner ends 130, 131 on both sides of the third layer 128.

[0060] Another view of the folded configuration 118 concerns the alternating ridge and valley shapes of the corrugated sheet 66. The first layer or portion 122 is formed from the inverted ridges. The second layer or portion 124 corresponds to two vertices (after the ridges have been inverted) that are folded toward the inverted ridges, and in the preferred configuration, are folded toward them.

[0061] The technique for providing the optional folding described in Figure 5 in a preferred manner is described in PCT International Publication No. 04 / 007054, which is incorporated herein by reference. The method for winding up the filter material by applying a winding bead is described in PCT Application No. 04 / 07927, filed on March 17, 2004, and published in International Publication No. 04 / 082795, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0062] Another method for closing the fluted ends by folding is also possible. Such methods may include, for example, folding at points other than the center of each flute, and performing rolling, pressing, or folding on various flutes. Generally, folding involves folding or otherwise manipulating the filter material near the fluted ends to compress and close them.

[0063] The techniques described herein are particularly well suited for use in filter media packs obtained by winding up a single sheet, i.e., a “single facer” strip, which includes a combination of a corrugated sheet and a liner sheet. However, these can also be in a laminated configuration.

[0064] Various definitions of the outer circumference can be provided for roll-type filter media or filter media pack configurations. In this regard, the term “definition of the outer circumference” or its variations shall refer to the defined outer circumference shape as viewed at either the inlet or outlet end of the filter media or filter media pack. A typical shape is circular, as described in PCT International Publication 04 / 007054. Other usable shapes are oval, and some examples of oval are elliptical. Generally, an ellipse has opposing curved ends connected by a pair of opposing sides. In some ellipses, the opposing faces are also curved. In other ellipses, also called track ellipses, the opposing sides are generally straight. Track ellipses are described, for example, in PCT International Publication 04 / 007054 and PCT Application 04 / 07927, published as International Publication 04 / 082795, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0065] Another way to describe the peripheral or outer shape is to define the outer circumference obtained by cutting the filter media pack perpendicular to the winding opening of the roll.

[0066] The opposite intake and exhaust ends or intake and exhaust surfaces of a filter media or filter media pack can be given a variety of different definitions. In many configurations, the ends or end faces are generally flat and perpendicular to each other. In other configurations, one or both end faces include a tapered, for example, stepped portion, which can be defined as either projecting axially outward from the axial end of the side wall of the filter media pack, or projecting axially inward from the end of the side wall of the filter media pack.

[0067] Flute seals (e.g., from single facet beads, rolled beads, or laminated beads) can be formed from a variety of materials. Various cited and referenced literature states that hot-melt or polyurethane seals are suitable for a variety of applications.

[0068] Figure 6 generally depicts a roll-type filter media pack (or roll-type filter media) 130, which is constructed by rolling up a single strip of single-face filter media. Specific roll-type filter media packs as shown in the figure are elliptical filter media packs 130a, and more specifically, track-type filter media packs 131. The trailing end of the filter media is on the outside of the filter media pack 130 and is indicated by 131x. For convenience and sealing, the end is typically terminated along a straight section of the filter media pack 130. Typically, a hot-melt seal bead or seal bead is positioned along this end to ensure a secure seal. In the filter media pack 130, the mutually opposite intake and exhaust (end) surfaces are shown by 132 and 133. One is the inlet intake surface, and the other is the outlet exhaust surface.

[0069] In Figure 7, the steps for forming a laminated Z-type filter media (or filter media pack) from strips of Z-type filter media are (circularly) shown, with each strip being a fluted sheet fixed to a liner sheet. Referring to Figure 6, a single facer strip 200 is shown being added to a laminate 201 of strips 202 similar to strip 200. Strip 200 can be cut from either strips 76 or 77 in Figure 4. In Figure 6, at 205, the application of the laminate bead 206 is shown between the respective layers corresponding to strips 200 and 202 at the opposite end from the single facer bead or seal. (Lamination can also be done by adding each layer below rather than on top of the laminate.)

[0070] Referring to Figure 7, each strip 200, 202 has a front edge and a rear edge 207, 208 and opposing side edges 209a, 209b. The inlet and outlet flutes of the corrugated sheet and liner sheet combination, including each strip 200, 202, generally extend between the front and rear edges 207, 208 and parallel to the side edges 209a, 209b.

[0071] Referring further to Figure 7, in the formed filter media or filter media pack 201, the intake and exhaust surfaces opposite each other are indicated by 210 and 211. During filtration, it is possible to choose which surface 210 and 211 will be the inlet end face and which the outlet end face. In some examples, the laminated bead 206 is positioned upstream, i.e., near the inlet surface 211, and in other examples, the reverse is also true. The intake and exhaust surfaces 210 and 211 extend between the opposite surfaces 220 and 221.

[0072] The stacked filter media configuration or pack 201 shown as formed in Figure 7 is sometimes referred to as a “block-type” stacked filter media pack. The term “block-type” in this context indicates that the configuration is formed as rectangular blocks, with all faces at 90° angles to all adjacent walls. For example, in some examples, the stack can be formed by slightly offsetting each strip 200 from alignment with adjacent strips to create a parallelogram or inclined block shape where the inlet and outlet faces are parallel to each other but not perpendicular to the top and bottom faces.

[0073] In some examples, it is stated that the filter media or filter media pack has a parallelogram shape in any cross-section, meaning that any two opposing faces extend generally parallel to each other.

[0074] It should be noted that the block-type laminated structure corresponding to Figure 7 is described in the prior art document U.S. Patent No. 5,820,646, which is incorporated into this application by reference. It should also be noted that laminated structures are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,772,883, 5,792,247, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 457,255 filed on March 25, 2003, and U.S. Patent Application No. 10 / 731,564 filed on December 8, 2003, and published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004 / 0187689. Each of these latter references is incorporated into this application by reference. It should also be noted that the laminated structure described in U.S. Patent Application No. 10 / 731,504, published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005 / 0130508, is an inclined laminated structure.

[0075] It should also be noted that, in some examples, multiple laminates can be incorporated into a single filter pack. Furthermore, in some examples, the laminates can be manufactured to have one or more intake / exhaust surfaces having recesses, as shown, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 7,625,419, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0076] C. Selected filter media or filter media pack configuration including multiple spaced rolls of fluteted filter media (Figures 8-8B) Other types of filter media configurations or packs, including those extending between both ends, can be used with the principle selected by this disclosure. Examples of such alternative filter media configurations or packs are shown in Figures 8-8B. The media in Figures 8-8B are similar to those depicted and described in German Patent No. 20 2008 017 059 U1 and may be found in configurations available from Mann & Hummel under the trademark "IQORON".

[0077] Referring to Figure 8, the filter media or filter media pack is generally shown as 250. The filter media or filter media pack 250 includes a first outer pleated (ridged) filter media loop 251 and a second inner pleated (ridged) filter media loop 252, with each pleat tip (or ridge) extending between opposite intake and exhaust ends. The diagram in Figure 8 faces the (intake / exhaust) end 255 of the filter media pack. The end 255 in the diagram can be either the inlet (intake) end or the outlet (exhaust) end, depending on the selected flow direction. With regard to many configurations using the characterized principle, the filter media pack 250 would be configured in a filter cartridge such that the end 255 is the inlet intake end.

[0078] Referring further to Figure 8, the outer pleated (ridged) filter media loop 251 is configured in an elliptical shape, but other options are possible. In 260, for example, a pleat end closing means, manufactured by mold-in-place, is shown to close the ends of the pleats or ridges 251 at the filter media pack end 255.

[0079] The pleats or ridges 252 (and their associated pleat ends) are surrounded by a loop 251 and positioned spaced apart from it, so that the pleated filter loop 252 is also shown to be approximately elliptical. In this example, the ends 252e of the individual pleats or ridges 252p within the loop 252 are sealed. The loop 252 also surrounds a central 252c which is closed by a central strip 253 of material, typically molded in place.

[0080] During filtration, if end 255 is the inlet intake end, air enters the gap 265 between the two filter media loops 251 and 252. The air then flows through either loop 251 or loop 252 as it moves through the filter media pack 250 and is filtered.

[0081] In the example shown, loop 251 is configured to incline inward toward loop 252 in the region away from end 255. Also shown, for structural integrity, are spacers 266 supporting a centering ring 267 surrounding the end of loop 252.

[0082] In Figure 8A, we can see the cartridge 250, at the opposite end 256 from end 255. Here, we can see that the inside of loop 252 surrounds the open gas flow region 270. As the air is guided in the overall direction from end 256 to end 255 through cartridge 250, the portion of the air that passes through loop 252 enters the central region 270 and then exits through end 256. Of course, the air that enters loop 251 in Figure 8 during filtration generally flows around (covering) the outer circumference 256p of end 256.

[0083] Figure 8B provides a schematic cross-sectional view of cartridge 250. Selected features identified and described are indicated by similar reference numbers.

[0084] As can be seen from the above explanation in Figures 8-8B, the cartridge 250 described is generally a cartridge having a filter media tip that extends longitudinally between both intake and exhaust ends 255 and 256.

[0085] In the configurations shown in Figures 8-8B, the filter media pack 250 is depicted as having an elliptical shape, particularly a track-shaped outer circumference. This is because air filter cartridges in many of the examples described later also have an elliptical or track-shaped configuration. However, this principle can be embodied in various alternative outer circumference shapes.

[0086] D. Other variations of filter media (Figures 9-12) Herein, Figures 9–12 provide cross-sectional views of yet another alternative variation of filter media types usable in selected applications of the principles characterized herein. Specific examples are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 077,749, filed November 10, 2014, owned by Donaldson Company, Inc., the assignee of this disclosure. Generally, each of the configurations in Figures 9–12 represents a type of filter media that has opposite inlet and outlet intake / exhaust ends (or faces) and can be stacked or rolled into a configuration having a straight flow path.

[0087] Figure 9 shows an exemplary filter media configuration 301 from U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 077,749, in which an embossed sheet 302 is fixed to a non-embossed sheet 303, which are then laminated or rolled up to form a filter media pack, which is then sealed along opposing edges of the type already described with respect to Figure 1 of this application.

[0088] Figure 10 shows another exemplary filter media pack 310 from U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 077,749, in which a first embossed sheet 311 is fixed to a second embossed sheet 312, which is then formed into a laminated or rolled filter media pack configuration, with the edges generally sealed as shown in Figure 1 of the present application.

[0089] Edge sealing can be performed at either the upstream or downstream end, or in some cases, both. It may be preferable to avoid typical adhesives or sealants, especially if the filter media may come into contact with chemicals during fitting.

[0090] In Figure 11A, a cross-section of the fluted sheet X is shown, which has various embossed areas on it for engaging with the liner sheet Y. Again, these can be separate or cuts of the same filter sheet.

[0091] Figure 11B also shows a schematic diagram of this configuration between the fluted sheet X and the liner sheet Y.

[0092] In Figure 11C, another variation of this principle is shown between the fluted sheet X and the liner sheet Y. These are intended to make it easier to understand how various methods are possible.

[0093] Figure 12 shows yet another possible variation of the fluted sheet X and liner sheet Y.

[0094] It should be noted that there is no specific requirement to use the same filter media for fluteted sheet sections and liner sheet sections. Different filter media may be desirable in each case to obtain different effects. For example, one may be a cellulose filter media, and the other may be a filter media containing some other fiber besides cellulose. These may be given different porosity or different structural characteristics to obtain the desired results.

[0095] Examples in Figures 9-12 generally demonstrate that various alternative filter media packs can be used according to the principles of this application. Furthermore, the overall principles of the configuration and application of several alternative filter media types are also referenced in U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 077,749, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0096] E. Another type of filter media Many of the techniques characterized in this application are preferably applicable when the filter media oriented to filter between the mutually opposite intake and exhaust ends of a cartridge has flutes or pleats extending in a direction between these ends. However, other options are possible. With respect to the definition of a seal configuration, the techniques characterized in this application are also applicable in a filter cartridge having mutually opposite intake and exhaust ends and where the filter media is positioned to filter the fluid flow between these ends, even if the filter media does not have flutes or pleats extending in a direction between these ends. The filter media can be, for example, a depth-type filter media, which may have pleats in alternating directions, or it may be a material without pleats.

[0097] However, in practice, the techniques characterized in this application are particularly advantageous for use in cartridges configured to handle large load volumes during operation, as the range between the intake and exhaust ends is relatively deep, typically at least 100 mm, usually at least 150 mm, often at least 200 mm, sometimes at least 250 mm, and in some examples 300 mm or more. These types of systems typically consist of a filter medium in which the pleated ends or flutes extend in a direction toward each other between the opposite intake and exhaust ends.

[0098] II. Identified and selected problems regarding various air purification devices A.General The design of air purifiers, particularly assemblies using relatively deep filter packs with filter media generally as shown in one or more of Figures 6–12, is diverse. Regarding examples of actual commercially available products, we focus on air purifiers from Donaldson Company, Inc., the assignee of this disclosure, marketed under the trade name "Powercore," and products from Mann & Hummel, offered under the name "IQORON."

[0099] In addition, air purification assemblies using such filter media packs can be incorporated into a variety of original equipment worldwide, including long-haul trucks, buses, off-road construction equipment, agricultural and mining equipment, etc. Repair parts and replacements are available from various suppliers and service companies.

[0100] B. Identifying the appropriate filter cartridge It is crucial that the filter cartridge selected for repair and inspection is appropriate for the air purifier in question. The air purifier is a critical component of the overall system. If repairs and replacements are needed more frequently than planned, this can increase expenses, equipment downtime, and production losses. If repairs and replacements are not performed with the correct parts, there is a risk of equipment failure or other problems.

[0101] The appropriate cartridge for a given air purifier and equipment is generally the result of product design / testing by the air purifier manufacturer and specifications / manuals / testing by the equipment manufacturer and / or engine manufacturer. In on-site repair replacement, the technician may select a part that looks the same as the previously installed one but is not the appropriate and strictly qualified component for the system in question.

[0102] It is desirable to provide an air purification system assembly that has features that help service providers easily determine whether repair or replacement of the assembly is being performed with the correct (or incorrect) filter cartridge, regardless of the type of filter media itself. To achieve this benefit, optional features and techniques described herein can be provided as follows:

[0103] In addition, we will describe assembly features and techniques that are advantageous with respect to the integrity of the manufacturing and / or filter components. These are features and techniques of a kind that help ensure that the correct cartridge is properly fitted into the assembly, or can be achieved in alternative applications.

[0104] C. Problem with the intake air volume sensor In many systems, an intake volume sensor is provided downstream of the filter cartridge and upstream of the engine to observe the characteristics of the airflow and contaminants. In some cases, small changes in the configuration and orientation of the filter media pack can cause variations in the operation of the intake volume sensor. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide an air purifier assembly in which changes in the airflow from the filter cartridge are controlled to relatively minimal values. This can facilitate the use and operation of the intake volume sensor. The features and techniques described herein can be provided to advantageously obtain this benefit.

[0105] D. Stable installation of the filter cartridge In many cases, the equipment to which air purifiers are installed is subjected to substantial vibration and shock during operation. The types of filter media packs described in Figures 6-12 are often configured to be relatively deep, i.e., with a depth of at least 50 mm, and often at least 80 mm or more, and in many cases exceeding 100 mm, in the direction of airflow. Such deep filter cartridges can be subjected to a substantial load of contaminants during use and can be substantially heavy. Therefore, they can be subjected to large vibration moments during operation. It is desirable to provide the filter cartridge with features that help ensure stable positioning of the cartridge, avoidance of damage to the filter media (or filter media pack) when it moves, and avoidance of seal failure during such vibration and shock.

[0106] Similarly, equipment may be exposed to a wide range of temperatures during storage and use. These can cause expansion / contraction of materials relative to each other. It is desirable that filter cartridges and air purifiers be constructed in such a manner that seal integrity is not compromised even under these conditions. The features and techniques described herein can be applied to address these issues, and are described below.

[0107] E. Prevention of insertion failures Various configurations have been developed to address the types of problems described above; see, for example, International Publication No. 2006 / 076479, International Publication No. 2006 / 076456, International Publication No. 2007 / 133635, International Publication No. 2014 / 210541, and U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 097,060, each incorporated herein by reference. However, another problem that may sometimes arise with respect to filter cartridge configurations is that cartridges lacking features for reliable sealing may still be installed, and in some cases, the housing can still be closed even if the installed cartridge is not suitable for the housing and is not properly sealed. It is desirable to address these problems.

[0108] More generally, it is desirable to provide a filter cartridge that solves the problems characterized above, but is configured so that the housing of the air purifier does not close properly when such a mounting failure occurs due to the use of a cartridge that does not have proper sealing characteristics, even if it appears suitable for the housing. The technology described herein addresses this problem. These can be used in relation to the features of configurations characterized in International Publication No. 2006 / 076479, International Publication No. 2006 / 076456, International Publication No. 2007 / 133635, International Publication No. 2014 / 210541, and / or U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 097,060, but can also be used individually. This will be understood from the following description.

[0109] F. Overview The features characterized herein can be used in a manner that is advantageous in addressing one or more of the problems described above. There is no particular requirement that the features be implemented to address all problems to the greatest extent possible. However, selected embodiments that can address all of the problems described above to a considerable, desirable degree will be described.

[0110] III. Exemplary Assembly Figures 13-52 A. Characteristics of a typical air purifier (Figures 13-25) Reference numeral 500 in Figure 13 generally indicates an exemplary air purifier assembly according to the present disclosure. The air purifier assembly 500 generally includes a housing 501. The housing 501 includes a body 504 defining an internal cavity 505 (see Figures 19-20), on which there is a removable repair / replacement or access cover 502 from which components received from the inside, such as a filter cartridge, can be accessed. The air purifier assembly 500 extends along a longitudinal axis X, and internal components (e.g., a filter cartridge) are also aligned around it. When referred to as axial, this refers to a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis X. When referred to as radial, this refers to a direction extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X.

[0111] Referring to Figures 13-19, the air purifier 500 includes an outlet device 510 (located on top of the main body 402 in this example). The outlet device 510 is generally positioned so that filtered air is discharged from the air purifier assembly 500 through the outlet 510x. The outlet device or assembly 510 can be manufactured separately from the rest of the main body 504 and mounted therein, or it can be integrated with the rest of the main body 504. In arrangements where the outlet device 510 is manufactured separately, a modular assembly process can be employed to provide alternative outlet devices depending on the system being used.

[0112] The housing 501 can be constructed from various materials, provided that the various principles provided by this disclosure are available. The characterized features are particularly well adapted for use in housings made of molded plastic components, such as ABS plastic. The housing 501 in Figure 13 is generally such a component, and selected housing features, such as the body 504, include various structural ridges on their surface for strength and integrity; see ribs 508. The housing 501 may also be provided with ridges that help restrict the passage of dust and contaminants into the unsealed parts of the assembly 500. For example, ribs 508 (see Figures 21 and 22) can be provided to help visually align the cover 502 when attaching it to the housing body 504 of the housing 501. The inner portion of the housing body 504 may also be provided with various components and protrusions suitable for various purposes, such as material saving, shell reinforcement, and / or ensuring a secure fit of the filter cartridge with the housing. For example, the housing body 504 can be provided with ribs 507 and recesses or groove structures 541 (Figures 19-20, 22).

[0113] Generally, the housing 501 may be characterized by including an air inlet 512 through which air to be filtered enters the assembly 500. The particular assembly 500 in the figure also includes a contaminant discharge port or port device 514 as described later.

[0114] The specific air purification assembly 500 in the figure is a two-stage air purification assembly that includes a pre-cleaner 516. In the example shown, the pre-cleaner 516 includes a plurality of separation tube devices 518. The pre-cleaner 516 is available to pre-clean selected substances (pollutants) carried by the airflow into the air purification assembly 500 before the air reaches the filter cartridge located therein. Such pre-cleaning generally leads to the substantial removal of liquid particulate matter such as rainwater and splashes and / or various (especially larger) coarse dust or other particles. Note that the specific exemplary pre-cleaner 510 in the figure includes part of the access cover 502.

[0115] In the example shown, the pre-cleaner 516 includes two shell or cover components fixed to each other, namely an outer (inlet) cover portion 502 and an inner (outlet) cover portion 506. The inner cover portion 506 is shown in Figure 23. In some applications characterized herein, components 502, 506 are fixed to each other by snap-fit ​​or other means, but are configured to be separable for ease of cleaning. However, in some applications of the technology characterized herein, the two cover or shell components 502, 506 can also be fixed together during assembly and thereafter not separable.

[0116] As described above, the inlet cover 502 can be provided with multiple separation tube devices 518. As is most clearly visible in Figures 16 and 17, each separation tube device 518 can be provided with an inlet end 518a and an outlet end 518b. Near the inlet end 502, the separation tube device 518 is provided with a vane device 518c located in an inlet flow tube 518d that extends toward the outlet end 518b. As shown in the figure, the vane device 518c and the inlet flow tube 518d are integrally formed within the outlet cover 502. However, these components may alternatively be provided separately and then attached to the outer cover 502 by press-fitting or the like. In the example shown, the inlet inner cover 506 includes multiple outlet flow tubes 518e protruding from the tube sheet 518f. Each of the outlet flow tubes 518e protrudes toward the inlet end 518a, partially receiving the inlet flow tube 518d, with a ring or gap 518g present between the inlet and outlet flow tubes 518d.

[0117] The general operation of the pre-cleaner 516 is to separate substances (contaminants) as they enter the air purifier, again enabling discharge from the discharge port of the housing body 502. This path is most clearly shown in Figure 16. This ensures that certain substances do not reach the filter cartridge component that receives them inside. Generally, each tube 518 operates by centrifuging the contaminants introduced into it. To achieve this, the air entering the inlet end 518a is generally directed in a cyclone-like pattern by the vanes of the vane device 518c. This action forces the contaminants into the inlet flow tube 518d and finally discharged through port 514. Since the inlet end of the outlet flow tube 518e is inside the outlet end of the inlet flow tube 518c, contaminants that can be separated and forced against the inner wall of the inlet flow tube 518c cannot enter the outlet flow tube 518e. The tube sheet 518f blocks the airflow between the inner cover 506 and the downstream portion of the air purification unit assembly 500, thereby forcing all the air separated by the air separator 516 to be directed through the outlet flow tube 518e. In the configuration shown in the figure, 14 separation tube devices 518 are provided. However, more or fewer, the same or different separation tube devices 518 may be provided. An exemplary separation tube device that can be used in the system disclosed herein is shown and described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 097,060, filed December 27, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Alternative arrangements also exist. For example, the cover portion 502 may include two separate components, the first component including the inlet flow tube 518c and the second component including the integrally formed outlet flow tube 518e and tube sheet 518f. Such a design is essentially a combination of components 502 and 506 for the second component and the upper part of 502 that forms the first component.

[0118] Referring to Figures 13, 15, and 19, a mounting pad device is provided in 520, thereby enabling the air purifier assembly 500 to be secured to the equipment for use. The exemplary mounting pad device 520 generally includes a number of feet or pads 520x in an example where it is molded integrally with the housing body 504, in which case it fits well with a metal connector or other type of connector device with a recess.

[0119] Referring to Figures 13-19, and further to Figures 20-22 and 24, a particular access cover 502 in the figure is secured in place by a connector device 522, which in the example shown includes one or more lugs 524 on the cover 502 (see Figure 24) and a twist-lock device that engages with one or more lugs 526 (see Figures 20-22) positioned on the housing body 504. To secure the cover 502 to the housing body 504, the cover 502 is placed on the housing body 504 and rotated until the lugs 524, 526 engage with each other in an overlapping arrangement, thereby locking the cover 502 to the housing body 504. The connector device 522 includes a handle 528, which is connected to a spring-lock clip 530 that can be pushed down to engage with one of the housing lugs, thereby preventing the cover 502 from being rotated in the reverse direction to disengage the lugs 524, 526. The cover 520 can be unlocked by pulling the handle 528 in the axial direction opposite to the lugs 524, 526. In this example, three lugs 524 and three lugs 526 are shown. Of course, the number and position of the lugs 524, 526 may vary. Such an arrangement allows the cover 502 to be mounted on the housing portion 504 in various orientations, thereby directing the discharge port 514 in a desired direction. In addition, the twist lock device can initially be configured to allow the cover to rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise in order to secure the cover to the housing body. An exemplary twist lock device that can be used in the system disclosed herein is shown and described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 128,567, filed June 25, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other fasteners are also available, such as overcenter latch devices, bolts, or other fasteners.

[0120] Referring to Figures 16-22, the housing body 504 is shown to be provided with a plurality of first members 542 of the projection receiving device 540. As can be seen from Figure 18, each of the first members 542 is configured to interact with a second member 608 of the projection receiving device 540. The second member 608 can be associated with the filter cartridge 600, and the features of both will be described in detail later. In one embodiment, the first members 542 are located within the circumferential side wall 504b of the housing body 504, near the open end 504a of the housing body 504 (see Figures 19-21). The features of the first members 542 of the projection receiving device will be described in detail later.

[0121] Referring to Figures 13-19, the specific air purifier housing 501 in the figures generally has a cross-sectional shape with a major axis X (which lies in a plane perpendicular to the airflow axis, i.e., the overall direction) and a minor axis perpendicular to the major axis X, and the air purifier assembly 500 is configured so that it can be mounted in virtually any orientation when in use, for example, with the major axis X of the cross-section generally vertical, horizontal, or at any angle between the two. The principles described herein can also be applied to alternative arrangements, which will become apparent from the following description.

[0122] In the example shown, the internal cavity 505 of the housing body 504 generally has a rounded cross-sectional shape. However, other shapes are also possible. For example, rectangular, oval, and other basically geometric shapes with rounded or straight corners may be used. Some examples of rectangles include ellipses where both curved ends are connected by opposing sides. In some elliptical shapes, both sides are also curved. In other elliptical shapes, sometimes called racetrack shapes, both sides are generally straight.

[0123] C. Air filter cartridge 600 (Figures 26-40) In Figures 26-29, a filter cartridge is shown as 600. The filter cartridge 600 is generally a primary or main filter cartridge that, during use, selectively separates particulate matter or contaminants not separated by the pre-cleaner 516. The cartridge 600 is generally a service part (or removable component), meaning that during the lifespan of the air purifier 600, the filter cartridge 600 is periodically removed for repair, adjustment, or replacement. The filter cartridge 600 includes a filter or filter media 602, which may be any of the various types, including circular and non-circular cross-sectional shapes, for example, any of those characterized earlier herein. Thus, the filter cartridge 600, including a peripheral shell 610 and a sealing device 630 (described later) in addition to the filter media 602, may be provided in many types of shapes, for example, circular, rectangular, oval, and other basically geometric shapes with rounded or non-rounded corners to match a housing body 504 of a similar shape. Some examples of ovals include ellipses where curved ends are connected by opposing sides. In some elliptical shapes, both sides are also curved. In other elliptical shapes, sometimes called racetrack shapes, opposite sides are generally straight.

[0124] A typical cartridge 600 used in the principle of this disclosure has a “straight-through-flow” configuration, having a first (inlet) flow surface or end 604 and an opposite outlet (flow) surface or end 606, such that the airflow for filtration through the filter cartridge 600 generally flows from the inlet end 604 to the outlet end 606.

[0125] Still referring to Figures 26-29, in the example shown, the cartridge 600 includes a shell 610 surrounding the filter media 602. The shell 610 protects the outer periphery of the filter media 602 from damage that may otherwise occur to the filter media 602 by the housing body 504 or during handling. Thus, the shell 610 may also be called a protective cover. The shell 610 can be formed from a variety of impermeable and permeable materials, such as ABS plastic and paper-based materials. The shell can also be provided in a solid, impermeable configuration, such as a solid ABS plastic wall or a permeable configuration with holes in the side walls. In the example shown, the shell 610 extends along the entire length of the filter media 602. In other examples, the shell 610 may extend along only a portion of the length of the filter media.

[0126] Referring to Figures 30-35, the shell 610 is shown separately from the rest of the features of the filter cartridge 600. In one embodiment, the shell 610 includes a circumferential side wall 612 extending from a first end 614 to a second end 616, defining an internal space 618. The side wall 612 has an inner surface 612a facing the internal space 618 and an outer surface 612b opposite to it. When the filter media 602 is installed in the internal space 618, the inner surface 612a is adjacent to the outer circumference of the filter media 602.

[0127] With respect to Figure 32, in the example shown, the shell 610 also includes a support structure 620 positioned near the second end 616. The support structure 620 is for securing the filter media 602 within the internal space 618 of the shell 610, so that the filter media 602 cannot protrude beyond the support structure 620 and exit the shell 610 through the second end 616. The filter media 602 may be further secured within the shell 610 by adhesive between the outer and inner surfaces 612a of the filter media 602 and / or between the first end 614 of the filter media and the inner surface 612a.

[0128] In the example shown, the support structure 620 is provided as a grid extending across the open end of the shell 610 near the second end 616, and the grid 620 includes an inwardly extending flange portion 620a, an intermediate ring 620b, a central portion 620c supporting the central core of the filter media 602, a plurality of radially extending ribs 620d surrounding the intermediate ring 620b, and the central portion 620c. The grid structure 620 defines a plurality of open sections 621 between features 620a to 620d, allowing filtered air to flow unrestricted through the filter media 602. Other configurations of the support structure may be provided to allow sufficient flow through the structure while supporting the filter media 602. For example, the support structure 620 may be configured as an inwardly extending shelf or flange, for example, a configuration in which only portion 620a is provided. In some examples, the shell 610 may be provided without the support structure 620.

[0129] Referring to Figures 32-35, the filter cartridge 600 is provided with a plurality of second members 608 of the projection receiving device 540. The features of the second members 608 will be described later. In the example shown, the second members 608 are formed integrally with the shell 610 and are closer to the first 614 than to the second end 616. Other arrangements are also possible.

[0130] Referring to Figures 30-35, the shell 610 is also shown to include an end portion 622 near the first end 614 of the shell 610. The end portion 622 extends beyond the end of the filter media 602 and transitions at a transition structure 624 to a larger inner diameter compared to the inner diameter defined at the position where the filter media 602 is mounted in the internal space 618. In one example, as can be seen in Figures 16, 16A, and 16B, adhesive 642 can be applied to or near the transition structure 624 to secure the filter media 602 within the shell 610. Referring to Figure 16B, the filter cartridge 600 is optionally shown to be axially secured by contact between the end portion 622 and the circumferential ribs 518h of the inner portion 506 of the pre-cleaner. Referring to Figures 16 and 16C, a member 643 is shown that is attached to either the housing body 504 or the shell 612 to help secure the filter cartridge 600 to the opposite end. Component 643 is preferably an elastomer material, which stabilizes the cartridge 600 and prevents hard material contact between the inside of the shell 610 and the housing body 504.

[0131] Referring again to Figures 30-35, the shell 610 also includes several axially extending and circumferentially spaced ribs 626, which are positioned around the end portion 622 and extend from the circumferential rib 628. The ribs 626, 628 serve to reinforce the shell 610, in particular the first end 614 and end portion 622 of the shell. The circumferential rib 628 also supports the second member 608 of the projection receiving device 540.

[0132] The filter cartridge 600 is also provided with a sealing device 630. In Figures 26-29, the sealing device 630 is located on the filter cartridge, while in Figures 36-40, it is separated from the shell. The sealing device 630 forms a seal between the filter cartridge 600 and the interior of the second housing portion 504, ensuring that air flowing from the intake port 512 must pass through the filter cartridge 600 before reaching the outlet 510. Therefore, the sealing device 630 prevents air from bypassing the filter cartridge 600 from the intake port 512 to reach the outlet 510. In the example shown, the sealing device 630 is formed as a continuous band around the outer surface 612b of the side wall 612 of the shell, extending radially outward from the outer surface 612b. The sealing device 630 can also be provided along the outer circumference of the filter media 602 where the shell 610 is not present. In some examples, the sealing device 630 may be a discontinuous band or have discontinuous portions, as long as an effective seal is provided. This can be achieved by providing multiple overlapping sealing portions or sealing portions with staggered gaps to form a labyrinth-type seal.

[0133] As is most clearly shown in Figures 36-40, in the example shown, the sealing device 630 is formed by a plurality of sealing lips 632 extending radially from a base portion 634. The base portion 634 is shown in Figures 26-29 as being bonded to the outer surface of the shell. As shown in the figures, each of the sealing lips 632 is a flexible, long, radial extension that tapers slightly, i.e., narrows, as it extends from the base portion 634 toward its free end. The outer diameter defined by the sealing lips 632 is larger than the inner diameter defined by the side wall 504b of the housing body 504. When the filter cartridge 600 is installed inside the housing body 504, the sealing lips 632 flex in a direction opposite to the insertion direction and also opposite to the direction of airflow within the cartridge 600. Due to the elasticity of the sealing lips 632, they stop upon contact with the inside of the side wall 504b of the housing body, forming an outward radial seal. When the seal lip 632 flexes in the opposite direction to that of the airflow, the airflow within the air purifier assembly 500 exerts force on the seal lip 632, thereby increasing the sealing effect that the seal lip 632 exerts on the side wall 504b of the housing body.

[0134] Referring still to Figures 36-40, three axially spaced seal lips 632 are provided, each extending continuously along the entire outer circumference of the shell 610. More or fewer seal lips 632 may be used, for example, one, two, four, or five seal lips. An example of a single-lip seal embodiment is shown in Figure 28. Furthermore, although the seal lips 632 are shown to be evenly spaced, the sealing device 630 can have variable spacing between the seal lips 632. In one method, the shell 610 can be formed by injection molding and then placed in a second mold, in which the sealing device 630 can be injection molded onto the shell 610. One class of material suitable for injection molding of the sealing device 630 is thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). TPE material allows for injection molding of highly flexible parts with fine profiles, and is therefore advantageous for forming the seal lips 632. Other forming processes may be used. For example, the sealing device 630 may be molded independently of the TPE or other material and then attached to the shell 610 or filter media 602 with adhesive and / or sealant, or it may be fixed mechanically or by friction without the use of adhesive. Since the sealing device 630 is positioned around the shell 610, it naturally has the same peripheral shape as the shell 610. Therefore, the sealing device can also be provided in a number of shapes, which are, for example, round or circular, rectangular, oval, elliptical, and other basically geometric shapes with rounded or non-rounded corners.

[0135] Continuing to refer to Figures 36-40, the sealing device 630 can be formed of a plurality of alternately arranged first and second adjacent segments 636, 638, which include at least one first segment 636 and at least one second segment 638. By using the term “segment,” we are simply trying to indicate a part of the sealing device, and it is not related to the shape of the seal, and unless otherwise noted, the part does not need to be perfectly linear, flat, curved, or of a particular shape. In the example shown in the figure, three first segments 636 and three second segments 638 are provided, forming a continuous band around the shell 610. The first segments 636 are generally flat and are shown extending along the circumference of the shell 610, so that each part of the first segment 636 is at the same distance from the first and second ends 614, 616 as every other corresponding part of the first segment 636 (i.e., the first segments 636 are oriented parallel to the inlet and outlet flow surfaces 604, 606). However, in other embodiments, the first segment 636 can be non-planar.

[0136] Each of the second segments 638 is shown to deflect toward the second end 616 of the shell from the interconnected first segment 636. Thus, the second segments 638 are closer to the second end 616 of the shell than the corresponding portion of the first segment 636 is. The resulting space 637 (see Figures 36-39) created by the second segments 638 can accommodate the second member 608 of the shell 610. In the example shown in the figures, the second segments 638 are shown to be evenly spaced, identical in shape, and deflected by the same distance from the first segment 638 toward the second end 616, but the second segments can be positioned otherwise. For example, second segments 638 can be provided that are different in shape from each other, or extend by different distances toward the second end 616 from the first segment 638, and / or have different radial spacings between them (i.e., at least two lengths of the first member 636 are not equal).

[0137] As shown in detail in Figures 37-39, the second segment 638 is generally formed from interconnected flat portions 638a, 638b, and 638c, with portion 638a generally parallel to the inlet flow surface 604, and portions 638b and 638c extending diagonally from portion 638a toward the first segment 636. In this way, portions 638b and 638c serve as transition segments between portion 638c and the first segment 636. As shown in the figures, portions 638a and 638b each extend from portion 638c at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, and portion 638c is generally parallel to the first segment 636 and the inlet flow surface of the cartridge 600. Of course, other angles and variations are also possible. The second segment 638 can be formed by curving the entire structure to have, for example, a semicircular, semi-elliptical, or semi-elliptical shape. The second segment 638 may also have a slot or notch shape (for example, portions 638a and 63b are perpendicular to portion 638c), so that the resulting opening space is square or rectangular. By incorporating the second segment 638 into the sealing device 630 instead of simply having one flat circumferential segment 636, the sealing device 630 can be configured without housing features (e.g., ribs 507 and grooves / recesses 541), otherwise, as described above, these would not be able to form a seal between the sealing device 630 and the housing 504.

[0138] The number of second segments 638 is shown to be the same as the number of second members 608, and three are provided for each. However, the number of second segments 638 may be greater than the number of second members 608, if desired. In the example shown, the second members 608 are spaced approximately 120 degrees apart from each other, and the arc angle is between approximately 30 and 45 degrees, closest to approximately 36 degrees. The arc angle is defined as the angle at which a line extends from one end of member 608a to the opposite end of member 608b. Thus, the shell surface between the projections 608 is between approximately 75 and 90 degrees, closest to approximately 84 degrees. Segments 638 generally have the same arc angles as described above with respect to members 608, while segments 636 of the sealing device may have the same approximate arc angles as described above with respect to the spacing between members 608, although it should be understood that the angles may vary depending on the measurement point. The member 608 and the sealing device 630 may be configured to have many other arc angles, which may or may not be equal.

[0139] As can be seen in the example shown in the figure, and also in Figures 26-29, the shape of the second segment 638 is generally complementary to the shape of the second member 608 of the projection receiving device 540, which extends from the shell 610. By using the term “complementary,” it is intended to indicate that the two parts have the same shape or outline and trace substantially parallel to each other along their nearest boundary. By providing the second segment 638 deflected toward the second end 616 of the shell or the outlet flow surface 606 of the filter, the first segment 636 can be positioned axially in a coplane around the shell 610 or filter media 602 and aligned circumferentially with the second member 608, meaning that at least some portion of the second member 608 and the second segment extends along a common plane around the circumference of the filter media 602 / shell 610. In this case, the common plane is parallel to (i.e., perpendicular to axis X) the inlet and outlet flow surfaces 604, 606. With this arrangement, the second member 608 can be positioned between the sealing device 630 and the first end 614 of the shell, and it is also possible to position as much of the sealing device as possible near the first end 614 of the shell. If ribs 507 or other similar features are provided to the housing, the deflected shape of the sealing device 630 causes the sealing device 630 to become corrugated between the ribs 507 and projections 608 on the housing body 504, thereby ensuring that a proper seal is formed between the sealing device 630 and the housing body 504.

[0140] Referring again to Figures 36-40, the sealing device 630 is also shown to be rotationally symmetric, which allows the sealing device to rotate around the longitudinal axis X to align. In the example shown, the sealing device 630 is third-order rotationally symmetric, so that the sealing device looks the same every 120 degrees of rotation. The same is true for the entire filter cartridge 600. If an additional second member 608 and second segment 638 are provided, the order of rotational symmetry increases, provided that there is an equal spacing between the second members 608 and 638. As mentioned above, in all embodiments, the second member 608 and second segment 638 do not need to be equally radially spaced.

[0141] C. Projection receiving device Referring to Figures 16-19, it can be seen that the housing body 504 receives the filter cartridge 600 within the cavity 505. Together, the housing body 504 and the filter cartridge 600 form the aforementioned projection receiving device 540, and one or more first members 542 positioned on the housing body 504 interact with one or more second members 608 positioned on the filter cartridge 600. In the example shown, the housing body 504 is provided with a plurality of first members 542 configured as receiving structures 542. The receiving structures 542 receive corresponding second members 608 configured as projections 608 of the filter cartridge 600. The receiving structures 542 are shown on the housing body 504 and the projections 608 are shown on the filter cartridge 600, but they may be positioned in reverse so that the receiving structures are provided on the filter cartridge 600 and the projections are provided on the housing body 504. The projection receiving device 540 operates to fix the filter cartridge 600 in a fixed position with respect to rotation within the housing body 504, thereby restricting the filter cartridge from rotating around the cross-sectional long axis (i.e., axis X) of the housing body 504 and the filter cartridge 600. The projection receiving device 540 also operates to ensure that the filter cartridge 600 is properly oriented before being fully inserted into the housing body 504. Another function of the deflected shape of the projection receiving device 540 and the sealing device 630 is to minimize contact between the housing body 504 and the seal when rotating and aligning the cartridge 600 during insertion. If not configured in this way, the contact line between the seal and the housing body 540 would be long, making it difficult to rotate the cartridge 600 to the correct rotational position before final axial engagement.

[0142] As is most clearly shown in Figures 19-22, in the example shown, the receiving structure 542 is positioned near the open end 504a of the housing body 504 and is radially spaced between the lugs 526. At this end, the housing body 504 has a circumferential side wall 504b extending to the open end 504a. Each of the receiving structures includes an end wall 544 radially spaced from the side wall 504b. The end wall 544 can be formed in a curved or arc-shaped form that matches the curvature of the side wall 504b, or it can be formed as a flat, straight segment. As shown in the figure, the end wall 544 has a curved shape along an arc parallel to the arc defined by the side wall 504b. The end wall 544 is also shown to be generally parallel to the side wall 504a along the height of the end wall 544. However, the end wall 544 can be angled to provide a taper, thereby positioning the end wall 544 further into the interior of the housing body 504 from the opposite end of the end wall 544, at the open end 504a, further away from the side wall 504b.

[0143] The radially extending side wall 546 connects side wall 504b to end wall 544 at the bottom of end wall 544, and the upper part of the receiving structure 542 is also open at open end 504a. The side wall 546 includes a first portion 546a positioned generally parallel to the open end 504a of the housing, and second and third portions 546b, 546c extending from the end of the first portion 546a to the open end 504a. In the example shown, the second and third portions 546b, 546c extend from the first portion 545a to the first portion 546a and the open end 504a at an angle. In the example shown, the angle of inclination is approximately 45 degrees. This configuration gives the receiving structure 542 a wide receiving open area for initially receiving the projection 608, eliminating the need to precisely align the cartridge 600. As the projection 608 is received further into the receiving structure 542, the second and third portions 546b and 546c narrow, ultimately holding the projection 608 in a fixed position and restricting the cartridge from rotating relative to the housing body 504.

[0144] In other examples, the second and third portions 546b, 546c may also extend substantially perpendicularly from the first portion 546a to the open end 504a. In other arrangements, the side wall 546 is formed as a curved wall, for example, semicircular, semi-elliptical, or semi-elliptical. The side wall 546 is shown to have a generally constant width in the radial direction, but it may be provided with a variable width. For example, the side wall 546 may be wider than the first portion 546a at the housing open end 504a, thereby causing the end wall 544 to taper inward with respect to the housing side wall 504b.

[0145] In some examples, the end wall 544 does not need to be provided so that the housing side wall 504b is simply open at the location where the end wall 544 would have originally been. In such a configuration, the side wall 546 can be provided to provide a flat surface on which the projection 608 can rest. Alternatively, the receiving structure 542 can be formed without the end wall 544 or the side wall 546, in which case the receiving structure 542 is simply defined as a hole in the housing side wall 504. In such a configuration, the projection 608 simply rests on the edge formed as a result of the hole in the side wall 504.

[0146] Returning to Figures 18 and 31-34, the projection 608 has a shape complementary to the receiving structure 540, including a base portion 608a, with portions 608b and 608c extending obliquely from the base portion 608a toward the first end 614 of the shell toward the rib 628. Each of portions 608a, 608b, and 608c extends radially from the outer surface 612b of the shell, forming a generally flat surface that protrudes perpendicularly when viewed from the axial end of the shell 610. The base portion 608a is positioned parallel to the holes defined at the first and second ends 614 and 616 of the shell 610, in the inlet and outlet flow surfaces 604 and 606. With this configuration, the projection portions 608b and 608c are positioned at the same angle as the receiving structure portions 546b and 546c, so that portion 608c is parallel to portion 546c and portion 608b is parallel to portion 546b. Therefore, in the example shown in the figure, sections 608a and 608b each extend from section 608c at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, and each section 608c is generally parallel to the first segment 636 and the inlet flow surface of cartridge 600.

[0147] As is best seen in Figure 18, the projection 608 is received by the receiving structure 546. When fully received, the flat edges of parts 608b and 546b are in contact with each other, as are the flat edges of parts 608c and 546c. This engagement restricts the filter cartridge 600 in terms of rotation relative to the housing body 504. As can be seen from Figure 18, parts 608a and 546a are spaced apart and not in contact with each other. This configuration ensures that the possibility of contact between parts 608a and 546a is avoided, otherwise parts 546b / 608b and 546c / 608c would come into contact with each other, preventing the projection 608 from fitting more tightly with the receiving structure 546. However, the projection 608 and the receiving structure 608 can be shaped so that all three parts are in contact with each other.

[0148] As mentioned above, the first member / receiving structure 546 and the second member / projection 608 can have many other complementary and non-complementary shapes. In addition, the first member 546 and / or the second member 608 may be provided with or covered with a soft material to prevent contact between the hard plastics of the members. For example, TPE material can be overmolded onto parts 608b, 608c at the same time that the sealing device 630 is overmolded onto the shell 610.

[0149] Referring still to Figure 18, it can be seen that each projection 608 is not fully received within the receiving structure 546. Rather, the protruding portions 608b and 608c extend beyond the receiving structure 546. This configuration allows a portion of the filter cartridge 600 to rest beyond the open end 504a of the housing body 504. As is clearer in Figure 17, the first end 614 of the shell 610 extends above the open end 504a of the housing body 504 by a height H1. This height makes it easier for the user to grasp the features (projections 608, end portion 622, rib 628, transition structure 624 for projection 608, etc.) at the first end 614 of the shell 610 when inserting or removing the cartridge 600. To further assist in inserting and removing the filter cartridge 600, another handle feature 640 may also be provided, which is schematically shown in Figure 26.

[0150] In the example shown in the figure, three projection receiving devices 540 are shown, which include three receiving structures 542 and three corresponding projections 608. However, more or fewer receiving structures 540 may be provided, and this also does not deviate from the concept of the present invention. The number of receiving structures 542 provided directly corresponds to the number of orientations of the filter cartridge that can be received by the housing body 504, provided that the receiving structures are rotationally symmetric (i.e., the receiving structures have equal radial spacing, for example, three receiving structures 540 spaced 120 degrees apart). This is true regardless of the number of projections 608, as long as the number of projections 608 is not greater than the number of receiving structures 540, resulting in a filter cartridge that cannot be inserted. Thus, the filter cartridge 600 can be rotated to three different positions in which it can be received by the housing body 504 as shown in the figure. In other examples, if only one receiving structure 542 is provided, there is only one insertion direction for the filter cartridge; if two receiving structures 542 are provided with a second degree of rotational symmetry, there are two insertion directions for the filter cartridge, and so on. If an oval or plate-track shaped filter cartridge and housing body are provided, by providing one projection receiving device 540, there is only one insertion direction for the filter cartridge into the housing body; by providing two projection receiving devices, both inherent rotational directions of the filter cartridge can be utilized, as long as the projection receiving devices are rotationally symmetrical.

[0151] D. Filter Cartridge 600' Figures 58-64C Referring to Figures 58-64C, an alternative filter cartridge 600' is presented. In this example, the filter media 602 and shell 610 (and the aforementioned alternative) are the same as those of filter cartridge 600 and can be mounted inside the housing body 504 as shown in Figures 64-64C. Therefore, the same reference numbers are used for these features, and no further explanation is needed here. Note that filter cartridge 600 does not need to provide the same filter media and shell as shown for filter cartridge 600', and alternative arrangements exist.

[0152] In this example, the filter cartridge 600' is provided with a sealing device 630' that is different from the sealing device 630. However, the sealing device 630' certainly has many features in common with the sealing device 630. For example, the sealing device 630' has alternative first and second adjacent segments 636', 638', the second segment 638' is deflected from the first segment 636' and has interconnecting portions 638a', 638b', and 638c'. Thus, the description of the shape of the sealing device 630 and the alternative device applies to the sealing device 630' in particular with respect to the description of the shell 610 and the projection receiving device 540.

[0153] The sealing device 630' differs from the sealing device 630 in that it has a relatively more integrated contour and does not have a radially extending sealing lip. The sealing device 630' also has several steps 632', which cause the sealing device 630' to transition from a first thickness t1 near the cartridge inlet end 614 to a second thickness t2 near the second end 616, with the second thickness t2 being thinner than thickness t1. This configuration forms a pinch-type radial seal between the sealing device 630' and the housing body 504, as can be seen in Figures 64-64B. In the example shown, the outer portion of the sealing device 630' forms a seal that abuts against the inside of the side wall 504b of the housing body. The sealing device 630' is also shown in this example to extend beyond the side wall 504b. Other configurations are also possible. In an alternative example, the sealing device 630' may have a slanted or inclined surface that transitions between thicknesses t1 and t2, or it may have a uniform thickness instead of a step 632'.

[0154] The sealing device 630' is more likely to be formed from a polyurethane material due to its relatively more integrated contour. Other materials are also possible. The material used for the sealing device 630' can be molded onto the shell 610 in generally the same manner as described for the sealing device 630. The sealing device 630' can also be molded independently from polyurethane or other materials and fixed to the shell 610 and / or filter media 602 with adhesive and / or sealant. Since the sealing device 630' is positioned around the shell 610, it naturally has the same peripheral shape as the shell 610.

[0155] Figure 58 shows an embodiment in which the shell 610 extends along the entire length of the filter media pack 602.

[0156] Alternatively, the shell is, in this case rather, a support structure 610', extending only over the end portion of the filter media pack 602, for example, the end portion near the cartridge inlet end 614. It may include, for example, a ring or similar structure 6100' surrounding the end portion of the filter media pack 602 near the cartridge inlet 614. This is shown, for example, in Figure 69(b), and a corresponding cross-sectional view along its surface A is shown in Figure 69(a). In such a case, the sidewall of the filter cartridge is determined not only by the shell 610 (or support structure 610') but also by the outer surface of the filter media pack 602. The shell or support structure may further be formed as disclosed in relation to the embodiment described with respect to Figure 58, and / or may include such features.

[0157] Figures 70-72 show examples of possible manufacturing processes for the sealing device 630' (e.g., a gasket) described with respect to Figure 58 or Figure 69. The sealing device can be manufactured using a physical process known as thixotropy, either directly on the shell 610 or on the support structure 610' (the side portion surrounding its ring portion 6100') and / or on the filter material 602.

[0158] Here, a thixotropic material (or other foaming material) is applied to the area where the gasket is to be formed, thereby filling only part of the area or all of it. Next, shortly after the application of the thixotropic material TM, one or more molded structures (M1, M2), e.g., one, two, or more molds (M1, M2), are attached on top of the thixotropic material TM. This limits the volume available for the foaming system. The thixotropic material then resides in the upper portion of the sidewall of the filter cartridge and the inner space defined by the molded structures. The thixotropic material then expands or foams and eventually fills the defined space or cavity. The space or cavity preferably defines the final shape of the gasket 630' to be manufactured. The cavity or space can be defined, for example, internally, at least partially, by a ring structure 6100' surrounding a support structure 610' / filter pack 602 or shell structure 610. Preferably, the amount of thixotropic material is predetermined considering the predetermined volume, shape, and positioning of the gasket 630' to be manufactured. Preferably, the side walls of the thus defined cavity do not completely enclose the cavity, thereby allowing a small amount S of thixotropic material TM to escape from the cavity during expansion at a given location. This may allow for more complete filling of the defined cavity during the expansion process. This also allows for density control of the gasket 630'. One or more molds M1, M2 may include holes O to achieve this. Alternatively, or in combination there may be one or more holes or open ring-shaped spaces V provided between the molds M(M1, M2,...) and the rest of the filter cartridge.

[0159] The thixotropic material can be applied in one step or in multiple steps. For example, a relatively thick strip of the thixotropic material can be applied (see Figure 71). Alternatively, two or more strips of the thixotropic material (e.g., three in the embodiment shown with respect to Figure 72) can be applied adjacent to each other. The thixotropic material can be applied in the form of multiple beads of the same or different sizes and shapes. The thixotropic material can be provided simultaneously to all the required locations, for example.

[0160] During expansion, multiple bands can combine or fuse to define a uniform gasket structure 630'.

[0161] According to some embodiments, the materials of the shell 610 or support structure (610', 6100') and the side walls of the filter media pack 602, the foamed or thixotropic material FM, and one or more molds M can be predetermined so that the foamed or thixotropic material adheres firmly to the shell or support structure and the side walls of the filter media pack, while adhering well or not at all to one or more molds.

[0162] According to some embodiments, the portion of the sidewall of the filter cartridge (during processing, intermediate) to which the thixotropic material is applied, for example, the shell 610 or the sidewall of the support structure 610-6100' / filter pack 602, is pre-treated with an adhesion promoter for the thixotropic material. According to some embodiments, the inner sidewall of one or more molding means / mold M is provided with an adhesion inhibitor for the thixotropic material (e.g., a release agent).

[0163] After expansion and a predetermined curing time, one or more molds M are removed, and the final filter cartridge is realized.

[0164] According to some embodiments, when the embodiment shown in Figure 58 is assumed, the thixotropic material is applied along each portion of the shell 610.

[0165] According to some embodiments, in the embodiment shown in Figure 69, the thixotropic material is applied along the support structure 610' (its outer portion, e.g., the ring-shaped portion 6100') and the adjacent portion of the filter media pack 602.

[0166] Preferably, a two-component polyurethane system can be used to manufacture a flexible foam seal (gasket). Alternatively, a three-component or four-component or more polyurethane system can be used. As mentioned above, or other foaming materials may also be used.

[0167] A two-component system, for example, consists of a resin and a hardener, which are mixed in a predetermined ratio. This produces a flexible sealing foam within minutes.

[0168] The proposed method can be used to manufacture any 3D gasket structure by applying a thixotropic material to a given 3D surface and using 3D molding or a molded structure.

[0169] Therefore, the sealing device 630' can also be provided in many shapes, such as round or circular, rectangular, oval, elliptical, and other basically geometric shapes with rounded or non-rounded corners.

[0170] E. Air filter cartridge 700 Figures 41-52 Referring to Figures 16, 17, 19, and 41–52, a particular air purifier assembly 500 in the figures includes an optional second or safety filter 700. The (optional) safety or second filter 700 is generally positioned between the main filter cartridge 600 and the outlet 510x. In a typical configuration, the (optional) second filter cartridge 700 may be removable within the air purifier assembly 500 and serve as a service component. However, it is typically not exposed to very large dust loads during use and may be replaced rarely, if at all. The structural separation of the cartridge 700 from the main cartridge 600 is an advantageous feature because it allows the cartridge 700 to remain in place and protect its internal components from dust even if the main filter cartridge 600 is removed. In the example shown, the filter cartridge 700 includes pleated filter media 702, but may include other types of filter media.

[0171] The filter cartridge 700 includes a shell 710 and a sealing device 730, which share features with the aforementioned shell 610 and sealing device 630. For example, the shell 710 can be molded from a relatively rigid plastic, such as ABS plastic, and the sealing device 730 can be formed by overmolding it onto the shell 710 via injection molding of TPE material, thereby creating a radially extending lip seal 732 extending from a base portion 734. In some examples, the sealing device 730 can be molded independently from TPE or other material and fixed to the shell 710 and / or filter media 702 with or without adhesive and / or sealant. The shell 710 is shown separately in Figures 45-48, and the sealing device 730 is shown separately in Figures 49-52. The shell is shown to have side walls 712 extending between first and second ends 714, 716, defining an interior 718 into which the filter media 702 is inserted. The filter media 702 can be fixed to the shell 710 via adhesive.

[0172] The shell 710 differs from the shell 610 in that, in one embodiment, the shell 710 is provided with circumferentially extending rib structures 710a, 710b. The sealing device 730 is molded to abut against the rib structure 710a and cover the rib structure 710b. The rib structures 710a, 710b help lock / retain the sealing device 730 to the shell 710. In addition, the sealing device is molded to have a flange structure 733, which extends radially further than the lip seal 732 and functions as the most upstream primary seal. As can be seen in Figure 16C, the lip seal 732 and the flange seal 733 each form a radial seal that abuts against the interior of the housing body 504. When the filter cartridge 700 is installed, the second end 716 of the shell rests on the inner wall / rib 505 of the housing body 504, supporting the filter cartridge 700 and preventing it from being inserted any further into the housing body 504.

[0173] Similar to the filter cartridge 600, the filter cartridge 700, including the filter medium 702, the surrounding shell 710, and the sealing device 730, may be provided in a variety of shapes, such as circular, rectangular, oval, and other basically geometric shapes with rounded or non-rounded corners. Some examples of ovals include elliptical shapes in which the curved ends are connected by a pair of opposing sides. In some elliptical shapes, the opposing sides are also curved. In other elliptical shapes, sometimes called racetrack shapes, the opposing faces are generally straight.

[0174] F. Air filter cartridge 700' Figures 65-68 Referring to Figures 65-68, an optional second, or alternative, arrangement of the safety filter 700' is presented. In this example, the filter media and shell (and the aforementioned alternatives) are the same as those of the filter cartridge 700 and can be inserted into the housing body 504 as shown in Figures 64 and 64C. Therefore, the same reference numbers are used for these features, and they do not need to be described further here. Note that the filter cartridge 700' does not need to have the same filter media and shell as those shown for the filter cartridge 700, and alternative arrangements are also possible.

[0175] In this example, the filter cartridge 700' is provided with a sealing device 730' which is different from the sealing device 730. It shares many features with the sealing device 730. For example, the sealing device 730' contacts and is held on the shell 710 through engagement with rib structures 710a and 710b that extend circumferentially on the shell 710.

[0176] The sealing device 730' differs from the sealing device 730 in that it has a relatively more integrated contour, is generally of uniform thickness, and does not have a radially extending sealing lip. In the illustrated example, the outer portion of the sealing device 730' forms a seal that abuts against the inside of the side wall 504b of the housing body, preventing air from flowing through the filter material 702 and around the cartridge 700'. To assist with installation, the sealing device 730' may be provided with an angled or inclined portion 732'. In an alternative example, the sealing device 730' may also be provided with a stepped arrangement similar to that shown for the sealing device 630'.

[0177] Because the sealing device 730' has a relatively simpler profile, it is more likely to be formed from a polyurethane material. Other materials are also possible. The material used for the sealing device 730' can be molded onto the shell 710 in generally the same manner as described for the sealing devices 630 and 730.

[0178] Similar to filter cartridges 600, 600', and 700, filter cartridge 700' may be provided in a variety of shapes, including circular, rectangular, oval, and other basically geometric shapes with rounded or non-rounded corners, including the filter medium 702, the surrounding shell 710, and the sealing device 730'. Some examples of ovals include elliptical shapes where the curved ends are connected by a pair of opposing sides. In some elliptical shapes, the opposing sides are also curved. In other elliptical shapes, sometimes called racetrack shapes, the opposing faces are generally straight.

[0179] G. Air filter cartridge 800 Figures 53-57 Referring to Figures 53-57, an alternative filter cartridge 800 is presented. In this example, the filter media 802 has an inlet flow surface 804 and an outlet flow surface 806, and is the same as the filter media 602. Therefore, the filter media 802 will not be described further here. Unlike cartridges 600 and 700, filter cartridge 800 includes a sealing device 830, which, like the sealing device 630', can be formed from a polyurethane material instead of TPE. In addition, independently, instead of having a shell that extends along the entire length of the filter media, filter cartridge 800 has a shell 810 that extends only partially along the filter media 802. The partially extending shell can also be provided for cartridges 600, 600', 700, and 700' as desired.

[0180] As shown in the figure, the shell 810 defines side walls 812 surrounding the filter media 802. The inner portion of the side walls 812 is provided with a number of circumferentially spaced tabs 809, which provide stoppers that strike the filter media inlet surface 804. Thus, the shell 810 can be inserted from above the inlet surface 804 of the filter media 802 until the tabs 809 engage with the inlet surface 804. The shell further includes a projection 808 that functions as the first member 808 of the projection receiving device 540. Thus, the projection 808 is received within the receiving structure 542 of the housing body 504. The projection 808 includes an end wall 844 with a similar shape to the projection 608, but instead is supported by a radially extending side wall 846 that extends across the top surface of the shell 810. As a result of this configuration, the peripheral edges 844a, 844b, and 844c of the end wall 844 are characterized by direct engagement with the receiving structure 542. Note that end wall and side wall structures 844 and 846 can be used in cartridge 600, while structures 644 and 646 can be used in cartridge 800.

[0181] Unlike cartridge 600, the sealing device 830 is shown to be molded directly onto a portion of the filter media 802 and a portion of the shell 810. Thus, cartridge 800 is formed by placing both the shell 810 and the filter media 802 into a mold and then injecting polyurethane into the mold. This process, in addition to forming a seal, acts to bond the shell 810 to the filter media 802. In one example, the shell 810 may be provided with openings to allow polyurethane to flow between the shell 810 and the filter media 802, further facilitating the fixation of the filter media 802 to the shell 810 and the sealing. Shells 600 and 700 may also be provided with openings to allow the sealing structural material to bond the filter media to the shell. In the presented example, similar to the device shown for sealing device 630', the sealing device 830 may be provided with a step 832 to form a pinch-type radial seal between the sealing device 830 and the housing body 504. Similar to the filter cartridges 630 and 630', the sealing device 830 can be formed so that it has alternating first and second segments 836, 838 with the same relationship to the projection 808. Therefore, the description of the sealing geometry of the sealing device 630 applies to the sealing device 830, and no further explanation is needed here.

[0182] Similar to filter cartridges 600, 600', 700, and 700', filter cartridge 800' may be provided in a variety of shapes, including circular, rectangular, oval, and other basically geometric shapes with rounded or non-rounded corners, including the filter medium 802, the surrounding shell 810, and the sealing device 830. Some examples of oval shapes include elliptical shapes where the curved ends are connected by a pair of opposing sides. In some elliptical shapes, the opposing sides are also curved. In other elliptical shapes, sometimes called racetrack shapes, the opposing faces are generally straight.

[0183] H. Air filter cartridge 900, air filter cartridge 700', and housing 500' (Figures 73-77) Referring to Figures 73-77, an alternative filter cartridge 900 and a modified housing 500' are presented. The air purifier assembly in the figure also includes a modified safety filter cartridge 700'. In this example, the filter media 902 and shell 910 (and the aforementioned alternatives) have many overlapping or similar common features with the filter cartridge 600 and housing 500. Therefore, similar reference numbers are used for similar features (e.g., 902 instead of 602), and no further explanation is needed here for overlapping features.

[0184] Referring to Figure 73, it can be seen that the filter cartridge 900 is provided with an additional sealing device 950, which extends axially from the first end 914 of the shell 912 to the opposite side of the second end 916. The sealing device 950 forms an axial seal that abuts against the tube sheet 518f' of the inner cover portion 506' associated with the pre-cleaner. Thus, the sealing device 950 ensures that air exiting the pre-cleaner is introduced into the filter cartridge 900, while preventing air from bypassing the pre-cleaner and entering the filter cartridge 900. In one example, the sealing device 950 is an injection-molded seal (e.g., TPE) formed directly onto the shell 912. In one example, the sealing device 950 is formed separately and later attached to the shell 912 with or without adhesive. The first sealing device 930 is also modified compared to the sealing device 630, which will be described in detail later with reference to Figure 76a. Another difference from the filter cartridge 900 is that the shell 910 is provided with a handle portion 948, which is formed by a circumferential side wall 928 and extends over a second member 908 of the projection receiving device. Figure 73 also shows a modified arrangement of the safety filter 700', in which the sealing device 730' includes two relatively thick sealing lips 732' instead of three. The safety filter 700' is also shown to be provided with a handle portion 701' that is received in a central cavity region 903 formed by the filter media pack 902. The handle portion 701', which is integrally molded within the shell 710', makes it easier for repair and inspection personnel to install or remove the safety filter cartridge 700' from the housing 500'.

[0185] Referring to Figure 74, the differences between the housing 500' and the housing 500 are shown. The main difference is that the first member 542' of the projection receiving device 540' does not extend all the way to the open end 504a, but instead follows the generally trapezoidal shape of the side wall 546 to form a lip. This modified shape creates an open area, so that even when the filter cartridge 900 is fully inserted into the housing 900, the member 542' does not get in the way, allowing the operator's fingers to enter inside and grasp the filter cartridge handle portion 948. As mentioned above, the first member 542 of the housing, the second member 908 of the filter cartridge, and the associated handle portion 948 can be provided in numbers other than the three shown in the figure. For example, an arrangement with two members and a handle positioned opposite each other can be provided, as can an arrangement with four members and a handle evenly spaced apart. In embodiments where an even number of handle members are provided, positioned in opposite directions, the first cartridge 900 can be removed by a pulling motion parallel to the longitudinal axis of the filter cartridge 900. In the illustrated example having three handle members, grasping and pulling any two of the handle members generates a certain eccentric force. The housing 500' also includes a slightly different rib structure 507'.

[0186] The filter cartridge 900 is shown in more detail with reference to Figures 75-77. As is clearest in the enlarged view shown in Figure 76a, the seal device 950 is partially located in a passage 958 formed within the shell 910 at the leg portion 950a, and it can be seen that the seal device 950 is tapered from the base portion 950b near the open end 914 of the shell to the tip portion 950c. The seal device 950 is also shown to widen radially outward as it extends axially, and it can be said that the seal device 950 is conical or frustoconical. The seal device 950 is also shown to extend across the open end 914 of the shell, so that the radial inner surface 950d of the seal device 950 becomes flat with the radial inner surface 914a of the open end 914 of the shell, ensuring a smooth path for airflow.

[0187] Continuing to refer to Figure 76a, the differences between the sealing device 930 and the sealing device 630 become clearer. Instead of having three radially extending seal lips 632, the sealing device 930 includes two seal lips 932, 933, which extend from the base portion 934 at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the filter cartridge, with the seal lips extending radially outward and axially toward the open end 914a. The sealing device 930 also includes a bumper projection 935, which extends from the base portion 935 at a certain position between the seal lips 932, 933. The bumper projection 935 is a radially outward-extending thickened region of material that helps to hold the filter cartridge 900 in a generally central position within the housing 500' and restricts the radial movement of the filter cartridge 900 within the housing 500'. Therefore, the bumper projection 933 ensures that the seal lips 932 and 933 are not compressed too much on one side and not compressed enough on the other side, thus preventing them from making close contact with the housing 500'. The bumper projection 935 can also be installed in other positions.

[0188] As shown in the figure, the seal lip 932 is tapered from a wider base portion 932a to a narrower tip portion 933a, and the seal lip 933 is tapered from a wider base portion 933a to a narrower tip portion 933b. The tapered configuration is advantageous because it makes it easier to release the seal lip from the mold and allows the plastic to flow more easily when injected into the mold.

[0189] It should also be noted that the seal lip 933 is generally narrower than the lip seal 932, and the seal lip 933 functions as a secondary type of seal to prevent dust from entering, while the seal lip 932 functions as a primary type of seal to completely seal the filter cartridge 900, ensuring that all air passing through the housing 500' is forced to pass through the filter cartridge filter material 902.

[0190] Similar to the sealing device 950, the sealing device 930 can be injection molded onto the shell 910 using a thermoplastic material such as TPE. To facilitate bonding to the shell 910, a surface feature 952 can be provided on the shell surface. As can be seen from Figure 77, the surface feature includes a number of spaced-out depressions into which the injection-molded material can be poured and bonded. The shell 910 may be provided with stops or ridges 954 and 956 to ensure control of the flow of the injected material. The stops or ridges 954, 956 can also function as mechanical locks to further secure the sealing device 930 in place on the shell 910. Due to manufacturing limitations, the injection-molded sealing device 930 will have a mold line seam in some portion along the sealing device 930. In one advantageous configuration, the mold is configured such that a seam line 932c crossing the sealing lip 932 is circumferentially positioned around the tip 932b. In this configuration, the seam line does not impair the sealing performance of the sealing device 930. Since the seal lip 933 is a secondary type of seal, the seam line remaining on the mold extends laterally to the circumferential surface of the seal lip (i.e., parallel to the longitudinal axis of the filter cartridge 900), and does not significantly impair the function of the seal lip 933.

[0191] In an alternative configuration, the sealing devices 930 and / or 950 can be formed separately and later joined to the shell 910, for example, with adhesive, or without adhesive, by friction or mechanical fastening means. In such a case, the ridges 954 and 956 can be provided with a larger cross-section to more securely hold the joined sealing member 930.

[0192] I. Air Purifier Assembly 1000 Figures 78-80 Referring to Figures 78-80, an air purifier assembly 1000 is shown, which is similar to the previously described arrangement in that the air purifier assembly 1000 includes a housing 1100, in which a filter cartridge 1200 is provided, which has a filter media pack 1202, and a sealing device 1230 surrounds the outer periphery 1204 of the filter media pack, and the sealing device 1230 includes a first sealing segment 1232 and at least one adjacent deflection sealing segment 1234 extending from the first sealing segment toward one of the inlet and outlet flow ends 1206, 1208 of the filter media pack 1202. As can be seen from Figures 78 and 79, the housing 1100 defines an internal space including a first part 1102 and a second part 1104 that mates with it, in which the filter cartridge 1200 is positioned. The first part 1102 includes an intake port 1108, and the second part has an exhaust port 1110. During operation, air enters the intake port 1108, passes through the filter cartridge 1200, and then exits through the exhaust port 1110. The air is prevented from bypassing the filter cartridge by the operation of the sealing device 1230. As with other filter packs described and illustrated herein, the filter pack 1202 may have fluted or pleated filter media, or other types of filter media.

[0193] As is most clearly shown in Figure 78, the first housing portion 1102 and the second housing portion 1104 have axially deflected ends 1112 and 1114 of mutually adjacent and complementary shapes. The sealing device 1230 also follows a path defined by the ends 1112 and 1114, thereby the seal also deflects axially at a height 1230h in the same manner as in the previous example. A latch 1116 can be provided to fasten the housing halves 1102 and 1104 together.

[0194] Referring to Figure 80, the sealing device 1230 can be seen in more detail. As shown in the figure, the sealing device 1230 includes a circumferential support member 1232, which is coupled to the filter media pack 1202 or is part of a shell surrounding the aforementioned type of filter media pack. The circumferential support member 1232 includes an axially extending portion 1234 and an adjacent, radially extending portion 1236. From portion 1236, an axially extending seal support portion 1238 extends in a direction essentially parallel to the mounting pad 1234. The sealing device 1230 may further include a sealing member 1240, which includes a plurality of seal lips 1242 and one bumper portion 1244. In the example shown, the seal support portion 1238 is supplied as a relatively hard plastic, and the seal lips 1242 and bumper portion 1244 are injection molded on top of the seal support portion 1238 from a relatively soft material (e.g., TPE). The housing portion 1104 can be formed to have a passage 1120 with a width 1120w defined by the inner wall 1122 and the outer wall 1124. The seal lip 1242 abuts against the inner and outer walls 1122 and 1124 to seal. The bumper portion 1244 prevents contact between hard materials between the housing portions 1102 and 1104 and the seal support portion 1232, and also provides an axial compression surface between the two housing portions 1102 and 1104 fixed by the latch.

[0195] It should be understood that the width 1120w corresponds to only a small portion of the diameter of the filter media pack 1102. For larger filter media packs, a sealing member 1240 that is large enough to be inserted and can seal against a small passage may be more advantageous than an arrangement in which the sealing member surrounds the filter media pack. The arrangement in the figure can therefore have advantages such as lower cost, a more attractive appearance, and improved performance (less masking of the inlet and outlet surfaces of the filter media pack). The design of the sealing member 240 is also less affected by dimensional issues related to mating / interlocking parts (which exist in the case of large injection-molded seals surrounding the filter media pack) and is only affected by features within the injection-molded housing that are short in characteristic length and can be controlled to within a few thousandths of an inch. With proper design, the arrangement in the figure has several redundant sealing surfaces with very small contact areas, but the local contact pressure is relatively high, which minimizes the force required for installation and removal while maintaining the integrity of the seal. The design shown in Figure 80 is largely unaffected by insertion depth, which means that the use of an over-center / piano wire latch and the construction of a spring-suspended snap mechanism molded within the service cover can be eliminated. In addition, because it is less affected by insertion depth, any number of irregularities can be created between the housing and the service cover, such as an axially deflected pattern as shown in Figure 78, for a joint surface that does not compromise the integrity of the seal.

[0196] J. Air Purifier Assembly 2000 Figures 81-85 Referring to Figures 81-85, an air purifier assembly 2000 is shown, which is similar to the previously described arrangement in that the air purifier assembly 2000 includes a housing 2100, in which a filter cartridge 2200 is provided, which has a filter media pack 2202, and a sealing device 2230 surrounds the outer periphery 2204 of the filter media pack, and the sealing device 2230 includes a first sealing segment 2232 and at least one adjacent deflection sealing segment 2234 extending from the first sealing segment toward one of the inlet and outlet flow ends 2206, 2208 of the filter media pack 2202. As can be seen from Figures 81 and 82, the housing 2100 includes a first portion 2102 and a second portion 2104 to define an internal space in which the filter cartridge 2200 is positioned. As shown in the figure, the second part 2104 is rotatable with respect to the first part 2102 and is held in a closed position by a rotatable handle 2106 or other feature, locking the cartridge into the first part 2102 of the housing. The first part 2102 includes an intake port 2108, and the second part 2104 has an exhaust port 2110. During operation, air enters the intake port 2108, passes through the filter cartridge 2200, and then exits through the exhaust port 2110. The air is prevented from bypassing the filter cartridge by the operation of a sealing device 2230, which forms a radially outward seal that abuts against the inner surface 2102a of the side wall of the first housing part 2102. As with other filter packs described and illustrated herein, the filter pack 2202 may have fluted or pleated filter media, or other types of filter media.

[0197] In one embodiment, the first housing portion 2102 includes an opening or slot 2112 in one of its side walls. The slot 2112 is for receiving an extension 2240 of the filter media pack 2202. The arrangement of the extension and slot improves the maintainability of the panel-type filter element, for example, when the air purifier 2000 is used as a cabin air filter on the roof of a tractor. Before fully installing the filter cartridge 2200 into the first portion 2102 of the housing, the extension 2240 of the element is first fitted into the slot 2112 of the housing 2102. The panel 2200 is then, advantageously, held in place and constrained to one side of the housing 2102. This position can be seen in Figure 84. The next step, shown in Figure 85, is to further push the cartridge 2200 into its final position using the hinge formed by the extension and slot.

[0198] Another purpose of this concept is to limit mounting features and mating surfaces that require tight manufacturing tolerances between different parts, such as between the opening / closing handle, filter element, and housing. The position of the element relative to the housing on the hinge side is controlled by the position of the slot and extension. On the opposite side, less stringent precision is required only for the radial portion of the seal. The position of the removable element can be controlled by the second housing portion 2104 (if provided) and other features that lock the position of the handle 2106 or panel filter on the same side.

[0199] To control the compression of the sealing device 2230, a rotation point aligned with the sealing device is preferred. The hinge, formed by the extension 2240 of the element and the slot 2112 of the housing 2102, is therefore located in a virtual plane defined by the primary contact area between the housing and the radial seal. Because this rotation point is aligned with the sealing device 2230, radial sealing along the entire circumference of the element is not possible due to the presence of the slot 2112 and the extension 2240. Essentially, the extension 2240 encroaches on the gasket area, causing leakage along the gasket. This is resolved by having an axially deflected sealing device 2240 such that a first portion 2232 of the sealing device 2230 aligns with the extension 2240, and a second portion 2242 deflects axially toward the inlet end 2108 around the extension 2240. Alternatively, the second portion 2242 could instead be deflected toward the outlet end 2110. In some examples, the sealing device 2230 and the first portion 2102 of the housing can be configured such that a radial seal is formed between the inner wall surface 2102a and the sealing device 2230, and / or an axial seal is formed between the housing portion 1102 and the sealing device 2230.

[0200] VII. Final Findings and Discussion The following sections provide text in the form of claims. The claims include features that represent various options, features, and combinations of features that are available in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. Features that are not inconsistent with the foregoing description may also be provided in place of those explicitly stated herein.

Claims

1. An air filter cartridge installed inside a housing, (a) A filter pack comprising a filter medium that defines the outer circumference and extends between the opposing first and second ends, (a) A radial sealing device that is positioned outward and arranged around the outer circumference of the filter pack to provide a radial sealing surface, the radial sealing device comprising a first sealing segment and a second sealing segment positioned on the second end side of the filter pack from the first sealing segment, (b) A second member of the projection receiving device extending radially outward away from the outer circumference of the filter media pack, the second member being aligned circumferentially with at least a portion of the first seal segment, Includes, The air filter cartridge is removablely installed within an openable and closable cleaning device housing, and the second member of the projection receiving device interacts with the first member of the projection receiving device of the openable and closable cleaning device housing.

2. The air filter cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the filter material includes a plurality of flutes extending between the inlet flow surface at the first end and the outlet flow surface at the second end, the filter material is closed between the inlet surface and the outlet surface to prevent the passage of unfiltered air therein, and the filter material forms one of a circular, oval, elliptical, and rectangular shape.

3. The air filter cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second member of the projection receiving device is disposed between the sealing device and the first end of the filter media pack.

4. The air filter cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the filter pack includes a protective cover surrounding the filter material, and the second member is formed integrally with the protective cover.

5. The air filter cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second member of the projection receiving device includes a plurality of second members.

6. The air filter cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each second member is a projection having a first section and an adjacent second section, the second section extending at an oblique angle with respect to the first section in a direction toward the first end of the filter pack, and each projection has a first section and an adjacent third section, the third section extending at an oblique angle with respect to the first section in a direction toward the first end of the filter pack.

7. The air filter cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein one or both of the first seal segment and the second seal segment are oriented parallel to a plane defined by the first end or the second end.

8. The air filter cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the air filter cartridge is configured to have only one insertion direction for the filter cartridge.

9. a) The air filter cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a handle extending over a portion of the second member of the projection receiving device.

10. In an air purifying device assembly, a) A cleaning device housing that can be opened and closed, having a defined interior with a radial cavity and a first member of a projection receiving device, b) An air filter cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the air filter cartridge is removably installed in the internal cavity of the housing, An air purifier assembly including the air purifier.

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