Air cleaner for a vehicle

Abstract

The present application relates to an air cleaner for a vehicle, comprising: a housing having an inlet through which external air is introduced and an outlet through which filtered air is discharged; and a filter mounted in an internal space of the housing, the filter being configured to filter the external air introduced through the inlet and comprising a filter member; wherein the filter member is formed in a downwardly open "∩" shape and is configured to allow the external air to pass therethrough in a downward direction and a lateral direction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an air cleaner for a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and can not constitute prior art.

[0003] An engine of a vehicle requires air to burn fuel, and receives the air required at the time of combustion from the outside of the vehicle through an intake system. The intake system is configured to supply the air to a combustion chamber of the engine to maintain engine performance, and includes an air cleaner configured to remove foreign matter from the air.

[0004] In the intake system of the engine of the vehicle, external air introduced through an intake pipe is filtered by the air cleaner to form clean air, and the clean air is supplied to the engine through an intake hose. A filter is provided in the air cleaner, which is configured to allow the external air to pass through to remove foreign matter from the air.

[0005] Generally, the air cleaner for the vehicle can be classified into a vertical flow type air cleaner in which air introduced into a housing passes through a filter from the lower to the upper or from the upper to the lower, or a horizontal flow type air cleaner in which air introduced into a housing passes through a filter from the inner to the outer or from the outer to the inner.

[0006] However, the height and volume of the conventional air cleaner are large to provide a sufficient flow passage of air through the filter in the housing. In addition, the filter is stably supported in the housing of the air cleaner. Furthermore, a main body and a cover forming the housing are stably supported, and the rigidity thereof must be provided. We have found a need to reduce the height and volume of the air cleaner, and to make improvements in order to maintain a rigid support structure and ensure rigidity.

[0007] In addition, there is a need to further simplify the structure to reduce the number of parts, cost, and weight. Specifically, for a hybrid electric vehicle, there is a need for an improved structure in which the height of the filter can be reduced while the filter has sufficient area and filtration performance.

[0008] The above information disclosed in the background section of the present invention is only for the purpose of providing background information related to the present invention and as such it can contain information that is not prior art to the present invention. SUMMARY

[0009] The present invention provides an air cleaner configured such that a filter is stably supported in a housing, and simplifies a filter support structure to remove unnecessary parts, so that cost and weight can be reduced and the height of the filter can be reduced.

[0010] The present application provides an air cleaner for a vehicle, the air cleaner including a housing including an inlet through which external air is introduced and an outlet through which filtered air is discharged, and a filter installed in an inner space of the housing, configured to filter the external air introduced through the inlet, and including a filter member, wherein the filter member is formed in a downwardly open "∩" shape, and is configured to allow the external air to pass therethrough in a downward direction and a lateral direction.

[0011] Other applications will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended to be illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] In order that the application can be well understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an air cleaner and an intake system according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of an air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 3 and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a main body of an air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application in a state in which a first cover is removed from the air cleaner;

[0017] Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a B portion of Figure 5

[0018] Figure 7 is a sectional view of an air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application taken along an A-A line of Figure 1

[0019] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an arrangement state of a rigid reinforcing rib formed on an inner surface of a first cover in an air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along a C-C line of Figure 8

[0021] ​​​Figure 10 is a perspective view showing an air guide formed on the outlet side of the expansion pipe portion in the air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a filter in the air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the opposite ends of the filter member are coupled to the coupling plate of the filter frame in one embodiment of the present application; Figure 11 is a sectional view taken along the line D-D of FIG. 6;

[0024] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the opposite ends of the filter member are coupled to the coupling plate of the filter frame in one embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 14 , Figure 15 and Figure 16 are sectional views showing a state in which the filter is coupled inside the housing of the air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application; and

[0026] Figure 17 and Figure 18 are schematic views showing the direction of air introduced into the filter side and the direction of air discharged from the filter side in the air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0027] The accompanying drawings described herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present application, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0029] It will be understood that, although the terms "first," "second," etc. can be used herein to describe various elements or

[0030] It will be understood that when a component is referred to as being "connected to" or "coupled to" another component, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other component or intervening components can be present. In contrast, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another component, there are no intervening components present. Other terms of relationship between components, such as "between," "directly between," "adjacent to," and "directly adjacent to," must be interpreted in a like fashion.

[0031] Whenever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to same or like parts. The terms used in the specification are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. Singular forms are intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "includes" and / or "including," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated components, steps, operations, and / or elements, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations, and / or elements.

[0032] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an air cleaner 100 and an intake system according to an embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of an air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present application. In addition, Figure 3 and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a main body of an air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] In addition, Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present application in a state in which a first cover is removed from the air cleaner, Figure 6 is Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a B portion of Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of an air cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present application taken along an A-A line of Figure 1

[0035] The air cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present application is an air cleaner that can be used for an intake system of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV).

[0036] ​As shown, the air cleaner 100 according to one embodiment of the present application includes a case 101 having an internal space hermetically sealed and a filter 150 mounted in the case 101. The case 101 includes a main body 110 and a cover 130, 140 assembled to an upper side of the main body 110. Here, the cover includes a first cover 130 and a second cover 140.

[0037] One side and the other side of the main body 110 are respectively provided with an inlet 111 through which external air is introduced and an outlet 112 through which filtered air (clean air) is discharged. An intake pipe 210 configured to guide external air to the air cleaner 100 is connected to the inlet 111 of the main body 110. An intake hose 220 configured to guide air passing through the air cleaner 100 to an electronic throttle controller (ETC) is mounted at the outlet 112 of the main body 110. An airflow sensor (AFS) (not shown) can be mounted in the intake hose 220.

[0038] The internal space of the main body 110 is divided into three parts. Although the internal spaces of the three parts are separated from each other, the three parts are connected to each other and form an entirety of the main body 110. One of the three parts is a filter accommodation portion 102 configured to accommodate the filter 150, another part connected to the filter accommodation portion 102 is a portion forming a pipe expansion portion 103, and another part connected to the pipe expansion portion 103 is a portion forming a resonator 104. Thus, in a state in which the first cover 130 and the second cover 140 are assembled to the upper side of the main body 110 to hermetically seal the internal space, the filter accommodation portion 102, the pipe expansion portion 103, and the resonator 104 are integrally connected to each other in the case 101 of the air cleaner 100.

[0039] In the case 101 of the air cleaner 100, the outlet 112 can be formed in the main body 110 and located at one side of the portion forming the pipe expansion portion 103 of the main body 110. Thus, in a state in which the filter 150 is accommodated in the filter accommodation portion 102, air guided through the intake pipe 210 is introduced into the filter accommodation portion 102 via the inlet 111 of the main body 110 and passes through the filter 150. In the process of passing through the filter 150, foreign matter is removed from the air. The air from which the foreign matter is removed (clean air) passes through the pipe expansion portion 103 and is discharged to the intake hose 220 via the outlet 112.

[0040] That is, in the case of the housing 101, the inside space of the filter housing portion 102 is a dirty side, and the inside space of the expansion pipe portion 103 is a clean side. The dirty side is a space in which air before filtration (i.e., outside air) is introduced and flows toward the filter 150, and the clean side is a space through which air after filtration (i.e., air in which foreign matter has been removed by the filter 150 (clean air)) passes.

[0041] The first cover 130 and the second cover 140 are assembled to the upper side of the main body 110 and form the filter housing portion 102, the expansion pipe portion 103, and the resonator 104 having an airtight sealing structure in a state of being assembled to the main body 110. At this time, the first cover 130 is assembled to the main body 110 to cover the upper side of the filter housing portion 102 and the filter 150 accommodated in the filter housing portion 102, and the second cover 140 is assembled to the main body 110 to cover the inside space of the expansion pipe portion 103 and the resonator 104.

[0042] The expansion pipe portion 103 is a portion forming the clean side and is a space through which air filtered by the filter 150 passes. The expansion pipe portion 103 performs the function of a surge tank in the conventional air intake system 1, reduces the speed of air introduced into the air cleaner 100, and at the same time, reduces flow resistance. Accordingly, the expansion pipe portion 103 serves to stabilize the flow passage of air introduced into the engine, thereby improving engine performance and reducing noise.

[0043] The resonator 104 can be a Helmholtz-type resonator. The resonator 104 serves to reduce noise together with the expansion pipe portion 103 and, in addition to noise reduction by the expansion pipe portion 103, serves to further reduce noise. That is, the resonator 104 reduces a specific frequency component of noise that is not removed by the expansion pipe portion 103, thereby reducing engine wavelength and thus improving NVH performance.

[0044] In Figure 3 and Figure 5 , reference numeral 120 denotes a boundary portion configured to separate the inside space of the expansion pipe portion 103 and the inside space of the resonator 104 from each other in the main body 110. The boundary portion 120 is formed in a protruding manner on the inner bottom surface of the main body 110 along the boundary portion between the expansion pipe portion 103 and the resonator 104.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present application, although the first cover 130 and the second cover 140 form a cover of the air cleaner 100, the first cover 130 and the second cover 140 assembled to the upper side of the main body 110 also serve as an engine cover. When assembled to the main body 110, the second cover 140 can be fixed to the main body portion forming the expansion pipe portion 103 by welding. In Figure 3In the middle, reference numeral 118 denotes a support protrusion 118 fused to a region of the main body portion forming the expanded tube portion 103 corresponding to the lower surface of the second cover 140. The support protrusion 118 is formed at the expanded tube portion 103 to protrude upward from the inner bottom surface of the main body 110.

[0046] The support protrusion 118 is fused to the lower surface of the second cover 140 assembled to the upper side of the main body 110 to fix the second cover 140 to the main body 110. In addition, the support protrusion 118 serves to support the second cover 140 at the main body 110 while serving to enhance rigidity between the main body 110 and the second cover 140. In one embodiment of the present application, a plurality of support protrusions 118 can be formed on the inner bottom surface of the main body 110, and the plurality of support protrusions 118 stably support the second cover in a state of being fused to the second cover 140 and enhance rigidity.

[0047] When the main body 110 and the first cover 130 are coupled to each other, the sealing member 113 can be inserted into a joint between the main body 110 and the first cover 130 in a compressed state. That is, when the main body 110 and the first cover 130 are connected to each other, the peripheral portion of the filter accommodation portion of the main body 110 and the peripheral portion of the first cover 130 can be engaged with each other, and the sealing member 113 made of a rubber material can be inserted between the peripheral portions in a compressed state. The sealing member 113 serves to maintain an airtight seal so that no air is leaked from between the peripheral portions, and prevents engine noise from being discharged from between the peripheral portions.

[0048] The internal structure of the main body will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2. Figure 3 to Figure 7 The internal structure of the main body will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[0049] In addition, a fixing protrusion 114 configured to support and fix one end of the filter 150 is formed in a protruding manner on the other side of the inner bottom surface of the main body 110. In one embodiment of the present application, a plurality of fixing protrusions 114 can be formed on the inner bottom surface of the main body 110, thereby being arranged at a predetermined interval.

[0050] In addition, a seating recess 114a in which one end of the filter 150 is supported in a seated state is formed in each fixing protrusion 114. At this time, the seating recess 114a of each fixing protrusion 114 can be formed to have an L-shaped cross-sectional shape. In the case where one end of the filter 150 is seated in the seating recess 114a having the above-described shape, the filter 150 is caught by the inner surface of the seating recess 114a, thereby preventing the filter from being pushed.

[0051] Referring to Figure 7 , the first cover 130 is assembled to the main body 110 to cover the filter housing portion and the filter 150 housed in the filter housing portion in the interior space of the main body 110 from above, and the peripheral edge portion of the first cover 130 and the peripheral edge portion of the filter housing portion of the main body 110 corresponding thereto are coupled to each other in a state where the sealing member 113 is compressed. Also, as shown, the air cleaner 100 according to one embodiment of the present application is obliquely disposed in the engine compartment of the vehicle, and the filter 150 housed in the housing 101 of the air cleaner 100 is also obliquely disposed.

[0052] At this time, a fixing protrusion 114 protruding upward is formed on the inner bottom surface of the main body 110, and a seating recess 114a having a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape is formed on the fixing protrusion 114. One end of the filter 150, specifically, the lower end of the fixing member 151 located at one end of the filter 150 (see Figure 14 ) is supported in a state of being seated in the seating recess 114a. Thus, in a state where the fixing member 151 of the filter 150 is supported in a coupled state on the inner surface of the seating recess 114a, it is possible to prevent the entire filter 150 from being pushed downward (in the left direction in the drawing). Also, the upper end of the fixing member 151 located at one end of the filter 150 is supported in a state of being caught inside the latching claw portion 132 (see Figure 7 and Figure 14 ) formed on the lower surface of the first cover 130, so that the filter 150 can be stably supported by the latching claw portion 132 of the first cover 130 and the fixing protrusion 114 of the main body 110 without being pushed downward.

[0053] Meanwhile, a wall portion 116a configured to partition the interior space of the filter housing portion 102 and the interior space of the expansion pipe portion 103 from each other is formed in a protruding manner along the boundary portion between the interior spaces on the inner bottom surface of the main body 110. At this time, the peripheral edge portion of the second cover 140 is coupled to the peripheral edge portion of the expansion pipe portion, the peripheral edge portion of the resonator, and the upper end surface of the wall portion 116a of the main body 110. As a result, the second cover 140 can be assembled to cover the interior spaces of the expansion pipe portion 103 and the resonator 104 from above, and the interior spaces of the expansion pipe portion 103 and the resonator 104 can be hermetically sealed by the second cover 140.

[0054] In addition, the support portion 116b can be formed at a surface of the wall portion 116a of the main body 110 that is adjacent to the inner space of the filter accommodation portion 102, thereby extending in a protruding manner along the wall portion in the lateral direction, and the support portion 116b can be formed in the shape of a plate having a predetermined width at the surface of the wall portion 116a. The support portion 116b is a portion of the peripheral edge portion of the main body that is combined with the peripheral edge portion of the first cover 130, and in a state in which the sealing member 113 is compressed, the peripheral edge portion of the first cover 130 is combined with the upper surface of the support portion 116b.

[0055] In addition, a coupling portion 116c is formed at a surface of the wall portion 116a of the main body 110 that is adjacent to the inner space of the filter accommodation portion 102, is located at a lower side of the support portion 116b in a protruding manner, and the discharge port 153 (see Figure 11 ) of the filter 150 is coupled to the coupling portion 116c. The discharge port 153 of the filter 150 is a portion forming an outlet through which air filtered by the filter is discharged. The coupling portion 116c of the main body 110 can be formed on the surface of the wall portion 116a to protrude in a width greater than that of the support portion 116b on the upper side thereof, and can be formed in the shape of a quadrangular tube extending along the wall portion 116a in the left-right direction. An internal path 117 of the coupling portion 116c is formed through the wall portion 116a between the filter accommodation portion 102 and the expansion tube portion 103. When the filtered air (clean air) is discharged through the discharge port 153 of the filter 150, the filtered air moves toward the expansion tube portion 103 along the internal path 117 of the coupling portion 116c.

[0056] A partition wall 116d configured to partition the internal path 117 of the coupling portion can be formed at an inner surface of the coupling portion 116c. As Figure 6 indicated, the partition wall 116d can be formed to vertically connect the upper surface and the lower surface of the coupling portion 116c to each other. At this time, a plurality of partition walls 116d can be formed along the coupling portion 116c, thereby being arranged at predetermined intervals. Accordingly, the plurality of partition walls 116d can perform a function of a rigidity enhancement structure configured to prevent deformation of the coupling portion 116c while maintaining a distance between the upper surface and the lower surface of the coupling portion 116c.

[0057] As Figure 6 indicated, the coupling portion 116c has a shape protruding a predetermined width P from the support portion 116b to which the sealing member 113 is coupled (see Figure 3 ). Accordingly, a portion of the coupling portion 116c protruding the width P from the support portion 116b can be inserted into the inside of the discharge port 153 of the filter 150 (see Figure 11), to be coupled thereto. At this time, the inner surface of the discharge port 153 and the outer surface of the coupling portion 116c are coupled to each other, thereby being overlapped with each other in a combined state. As described above, since the discharge port 153 of the filter 150 is coupled to the coupling portion 116c protruding from the wall portion 116a of the main body 110, the coupling portion 116c of the main body 110 also functions to support the discharge port 153 of the filter 150.

[0058] Referring to Figure 7 , the fixing member 151 (see Figure 14 ) located at one end of the filter 150 is supported by the locking claw portion 132 of the first cap 130 and the fixing protrusion 114 of the main body 110, and the fixing member 152 (see Figure 14 ) located at the other end of the filter 150 is supported in a state of being coupled to the coupling portion 116c of the main body 110. In addition, in a state in which the coupling portion is inserted into the discharge port 153 (see Figure 11 ) of the filter 150 formed at the fixing member 152, the internal path of the coupling portion communicates the space inside the filter with the expansion pipe portion with each other. In addition, the filter 150 is also supported by the support rib 115 formed on the inner bottom surface of the main body 110.

[0059] Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating an arrangement state of the rigid reinforcing rib 131 formed on the inner surface of the first cap 130 (i.e., the lower surface of the first cap 130) in the air cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. In an embodiment of the present application, the rigid reinforcing rib 131 can be formed on the lower surface of the first cap 130. In Figure 8 , the first cap 130 is illustrated in a transparent state to illustrate the arrangement state of the rigid reinforcing rib 131.

[0060] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the C-C line of Figure 8 . Referring to this drawing, it can be seen that the rigid reinforcing rib 131 is integrally formed on the lower surface of the first cap 130. The rigid reinforcing rib 131 can be formed on the lower surface of the first cap 130 so as to extend in the left-right direction. At this time, the rigid reinforcing rib 131 can be formed in a form of a bridge to connect the left and right surfaces of the first cap 130 to each other. Thus, the rigidity of the first cap 130 can be reinforced by the rigid reinforcing rib 131, thereby preventing deformation of the first cap 130. In addition, the rigid reinforcing rib 131 of the first cap 130 can also function to push the filter 150 accommodated in the filter accommodation portion 102 of the housing 101 downward. Thus, upward and downward movement of the filter member 159 of the filter 150 can be prevented.

[0061] In Figure 5In the meantime, reference numeral 141 denotes a hydrocarbon trap 141 installed on the inner surface of the second cover 140, i.e., the lower surface of the second cover 140. As described above, the hydrocarbon trap 141 can be installed in the housing 101 of the air cleaner 100. As shown, the hydrocarbon trap 141 can be installed to adsorb and collect hydrocarbons, which are fuel-evaporated gas components, in the housing 101 of the air cleaner 100, and can be fixed to the lower surface of the second cover 140 by welding. Figure 5

[0062] In the case where the vehicle is stopped and the engine is turned off, hydrocarbons discharged from the cylinders of the engine through the intake port can move to the air cleaner 100 through the intake hose 220. For this reason, the hydrocarbon trap 141 is installed in the housing 101 of the air cleaner 100 to adsorb and collect hydrocarbons discharged from the cylinders of the engine.

[0063] When the engine is started, the hydrocarbons collected by the hydrocarbon trap 141 are introduced into the engine together with air introduced into the air cleaner 100, and are combusted in the cylinders. In one embodiment of the present application, the hydrocarbon trap 141 can be attached to the lower surface of the second cover 140, thereby being positioned at the upper side of the inner space of the expansion tube portion 103.

[0064] In Figure 8 In the meantime, reference numeral 113a denotes an insertion protrusion formed on the sealing member 113. The insertion protrusion 113a is configured to be inserted into a recess (not shown) formed in the peripheral portion of the first cover 130 to be coupled thereto. In one embodiment of the present application, a plurality of insertion protrusions 113a can be formed to be arranged in the longitudinal direction of the sealing member 113 at predetermined intervals. At this time, the plurality of insertion protrusions 113a can be formed on the inner edge of the sealing member 113 or on the outer edge of the sealing member 113. Accordingly, the sealing member 113 can be coupled to the peripheral portion of the first cover 130 such that each of the insertion protrusions 113a is inserted into a corresponding recess of the first cover 130, and the first cover 130 can be assembled to the main body 110 in a state where the sealing member 113 is coupled thereto.

[0065] Meanwhile, air filtered by the filter 150 moves from the expansion tube portion 103 of the clean side to the outlet 112. An air guide 119 is formed at the inner bottom surface of the main body 110 extending from the inner space of the expansion tube portion 103 to the outlet side bottom surface, i.e., the outlet 112, and is configured to guide air passing through the inner space of the expansion tube portion 103 to the outlet 112.

[0066] Figure 10 ​is a perspective view showing air guides 119 formed on the outlet side of the expansion pipe portion in the air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present application. In an embodiment of the present application, a plurality of air guides 119 can be formed on the bottom surface of the main body 110 so as to be arranged at predetermined intervals. Referring to Figure 10 It can be seen that air passing through the inner space of the expansion pipe portion 103 moves along the path between the air guides 119 to the outlet 112 of the air cleaner 100 (see arrows). As described above, since the air guides 119 are formed on the outlet side of the expansion pipe portion 103, air can naturally move to the outlet 112 while being guided by the air guides 119, thereby preventing the cavitation phenomenon.

[0067] In addition, the duct 105 can be installed together with the air guides 119 at the outlet 112 of the air cleaner 100. Thus, air guided by the air guides 119 passes through the duct 105 and then moves toward the outlet 112. The duct 105 serves to guide air to the outlet 112 while collecting air, so that air passing through the air guides 119 can naturally move to the outlet 112.

[0068] In an embodiment of the present application, the duct 105 can be configured in a cylindrical shape, and the rear end of the duct 105 can be fixed and assembled to the main body 110 in a state of being inserted into the outlet 112 of the air cleaner. The front end of the duct 105 can have a larger inner diameter than the rear end of the duct 105, and preferably have an inner diameter that gradually decreases toward the rear end of the duct 105. Thus, air passing through the air guides 119 can be collected inside the front end of the duct 105 and then guided to the outlet 112. As a result, air passing along the air guides 119 and the duct 105 from the outlet side of the expansion pipe portion 103 can be discharged through the outlet 112 of the air cleaner 100 and then through the air intake hose 220 in which the airflow sensor (AFS) is installed.

[0069] Next, the filter will be described in detail.

[0070] Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a filter 150 in an air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present application, Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the D-D line of Figure 11 As shown in Figure 7 , the filter 150 is accommodated in the filter accommodation portion 102 of the air cleaner 100 (the housing 101). In an embodiment of the present application, the filter 150 can have a filter member 159 arranged in a "∩" shape.

[0071] The filter member 159 in the shape of a "∩" is arranged to open downward from the filter housing 102 of the case 101. Air introduced to the upper side of the filter 150 in the inner space of the filter housing 102 through the inlet 111 of the case 101 in the air cleaner 100 passes through the filter member 159 in a downward direction and moves into the filter 150. In addition, air introduced to the side surface of the filter 150 in the inner space of the filter housing 102 passes through the filter member 159 in a lateral direction and moves into the filter 150. As described above, foreign matter is removed from the air when passing through the filter member 159, and then the air is discharged to the expansion pipe portion 103 (see the arrow in FIG. 10). Figure 2

[0072] Here, in the inner space of the filter housing 102, the space outside the filter 150 becomes a dirty side space (primary space) into which external air is introduced, and the space inside the filter 150 becomes a clean side space (secondary space) in which air (clean air) passing through the filter member 159 flows.

[0073] In addition, air moving inside the filter through the filter member 159 is discharged through the discharge port 153 formed in the fixing member 152 located at one end of the filter 150. The discharge port 153 is coupled with the coupling portion 116c formed in the wall portion 116a (boundary portion between the filter housing portion and the expansion pipe portion) of the main body 110. Thus, air moving inside the filter 150 is discharged through the discharge port 153, passes through the inner path 117 of the coupling portion 116c, and is introduced into the expansion pipe portion 103 as a clean side.

[0074] In one embodiment of the present application, the filter 150 can include a filter frame 154, a first fixing member 151, a second fixing member 152, and a filter member 159. Here, the first fixing member 151 and the second fixing member 152 are coupled to opposite side ends of the filter frame 154. The discharge port 153 having a substantially quadrangular shape is formed through the second fixing member 152.

[0075] In addition, the lower end of the first fixing member 151 is supported in a state of being seated in the seating recess 114a of the fixing protrusion 114 formed on the main body 110, and the discharge port 153 of the second fixing member 152 is inserted outside the coupling portion 116c of the wall portion 116a to be coupled and fixed thereto. In addition, the lower plate 155a of the filter frame 154 is supported in a state of being seated on the support rib 115 of the main body 110.

[0076] ​The filter frame 154 and the filter member 159 are positioned between the first fixing member 151 and the second fixing member 152. The filter member 159 is coupled to the filter frame 154. At this time, the filter frame 154 serves to maintain the shape of the filter member 159 while fixing and supporting the filter member 159. In one embodiment of the present application, each of the first fixing member 151 and the second fixing member 152 can be manufactured by foaming polyurethane (PU). As described above, in the case where each of the first fixing member 151 and the second fixing member 152 is made of elastic polyurethane, the first fixing member 151 and the second fixing member 152 can perform the damping function of the insulator in the filter of a conventional air cleaner.

[0077] The filter frame 154 includes a lower plate 155a installed on the bottom surface of the case 101 (the bottom surface of the main body) to be supported by the support ribs 115, and a lattice beam structure member installed on the upper side of the lower plate 155a to be arranged in a "∩" shape. In this structure, the lower plate 155a of the filter frame 154 is supported in a state of being seated on the support ribs 115 of the main body 110. In addition, the lattice beam structure member of the filter frame 154 includes a transverse beam 155c and a longitudinal beam 155d. The transverse beam 155c and the longitudinal beam 155d are arranged on the upper side of the lower plate 155a to form a lattice structure. Accordingly, the upper portion of the filter frame 154 has a lattice structure.

[0078] Among the beams forming the lattice structure, a plurality of transverse beams 155c are arranged in a direction parallel to the first fixing member 151 and the second fixing member 152, and a plurality of longitudinal beams 155d are arranged to connect the first fixing member 151 and the second fixing member 152 to each other. Opposite ends of each of the transverse beams 155c are bent downward, and opposite ends of each of the longitudinal beams 155d extend downward to be connected to the lower plate 155a.

[0079] In this configuration, the filter frame 154 and the filter member 159 are positioned between the first fixing member 151 and the second fixing member 152, and the filter member 159 is coupled to the upper side of the transverse beam 155c and the longitudinal beam 155d arranged in the lattice structure. The filter member 159 of the filter 150 is arranged in an inverted "U" shape, i.e., a "∩" shape.

[0080] The filter member 159 can be made of nonwoven fabric and can have a three-layer structure including a bulk layer, an intermediate layer, and a dense layer. At this time, the dense layer is positioned in a direction toward the clean side, and the bulk layer is positioned in a direction toward the dirty side. The filter member 159 is coupled to the upper side of the filter frame 154 and is prevented from being sucked inward by the filter frame 154 positioned on the lower side thereof.

[0081] In addition, as shown in Figure 12 The filter member 159 is configured in a zigzag folded corrugated tube structure. The opposite ends of the filter member 159 are coupled to the lower plate 155a of the filter frame 154. At this time, coupling plates 156b configured to extend in the lateral direction are formed at the opposite ends of the lower plate 155a, and the opposite ends of the filter member 159 are fixedly coupled to the lower surfaces of the coupling plates 156b.

[0082] Figure 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the opposite ends of the filter member 159 are coupled to the coupling plates 156 of the filter frame 154 in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 12 and Figure 13 The opposite ends of the filter member 159 are fixed to the lower surfaces of the coupling plates 156b of the filter frame 154 by adhesion. At this time, each end of the filter member 159 can be fixed to the lower surface of the corresponding one of the coupling plates 156b by fusion.

[0083] In one embodiment of the present application, a guide portion 155e can be formed on the lower surface of the lower plate 155a in a protruding manner such that a predetermined gap is defined between the lower surface of the lower plate 155a and the lower surface of each of the coupling plates 156b. Ultrasonic fusion can be performed in a state in which the end portions of the filter member 159 are inserted between the coupling plates 156b and the guide portion 155e. At this time, the guide portion 155e can be formed to have a cross-sectional shape forming a "[ ]" shape together with the coupling plate 156b.

[0084] In the lattice bar structure member of the filter frame 154, a support bracket 155b configured to support the entire lattice bar structure member including the lateral bars 155c at the lower plate 155a can be formed between at least some of the lateral bars 155c and the lower plate 155a. The support bracket 155b can be formed to interconnect the lateral bars 155c and the lower plate 155a to each other and also serve as a partition wall configured to partition a space inside the filter between the filter member 159 and the lower plate 155a.

[0085] A coupling protrusion 156a can be formed on the upper surface of at least some of the lateral bars 155c so as to protrude upward. The coupling protrusion 156a can be formed on a plurality of the lateral bars 155c. The plurality of coupling protrusions 156a are inserted into the inside of the folded portion of the filter member 159 at each position to be coupled thereto. As described above, since each of the coupling protrusions 156a is inserted into the inside of the folded portion of the filter member 159 to be coupled thereto, the shape of the filter member 159 is maintained by the coupling protrusions 156a.

[0086] Meanwhile, a state in which the filter 150 is installed in the housing 101 of the air cleaner 100 will be described. Figure 14 ,Figure 15 and Figure 16 is a sectional view showing a state in which the filter 150 is coupled inside the case 101 of the air cleaner 100 of one embodiment of the present application, wherein Figure 15 is Figure 14 is an enlarged sectional view of the E portion of Figure 16 is Figure 14 is an enlarged sectional view of the F portion of

[0087] As shown, the first cover 130 is coupled to the main body 110 to cover the upper side of the filter 150 accommodated in the filter accommodation portion 102 of the case 101, and as previously described, the sealing member 113 is inserted in the joint between the first cover 130 and the main body 110 in a compressed state. In addition, the lower end of the first fixing member 151 of the filter 150 is supported in a state of being seated in the seating recess 114a of the fixing protrusion 114 formed on the inner bottom surface of the main body 110. At this time, the upper end of the first fixing member is supported in a state of being caught by the catch claw portion 132 formed on the lower surface of the first cover 130 (see Figure 15 ).

[0088] As described above, the upper end of the fixing member 151 located at one end of the filter 150 is supported in a state of being caught by the catch claw portion 132 of the first cover 130, and at the same time, the lower end of the first fixing member 151 is supported in a state of being seated in the seating recess 114a of the main body 110, so that the filter 150 can be fixed by the catch claw portion 132 and the seating recess 114a so as not to be pushed downward. In addition, the filter frame 154 of the filter 150 is supported by the support rib 115 formed on the inner bottom surface of the main body 110.

[0089] In addition, the curved portion 133 is formed on the lower surface of the first cover 130 so as to protrude downward, the curved portion 133 has a curved portion and is configured to perform a catching action in a state of being in close contact with the outer surface of the second fixing member 152 of the filter 150. The coupling portion 134 is formed on the lower end of the curved portion 133, the coupling portion 134 is configured to be engaged with the support portion 116b formed on the wall portion 116a in a state in which the sealing member 113 is compressed between the coupling portion 134 and the support portion 116b.

[0090] In addition, with reference to Figure 16The discharge port 153 formed by the second fixing member 152 of the filter 150 is assembled in a state of being fitted outside the coupling portion 116c formed at the wall portion 116a of the main body 110. As a result, the internal passage 117 of the coupling portion 116c of the main body 110 is communicated with the space inside the filter 150. As described above, since the discharge port 153 formed in the second fixing member 152 of the filter 150 and the coupling portion 116c formed at the wall portion 116a of the main body 110 are coupled in close contact with each other, an airtight seal can be maintained between the space inside the filter 150 and the internal passage 117 of the coupling portion 116c. In Figure 16 , the reference numeral 116d denotes a partition wall configured to partition the internal passage 117 of the coupling portion 116c.

[0091] In addition, as shown in Figure 14 and Figure 16 , the locking protrusion 135 configured to perform a locking action in close contact with the inner surface of the second fixing member 152 of the filter 150 is formed on the curved portion 133 at the lower surface of the first cover 130 so as to protrude downward. The upper end of the second fixing member 152 of the filter 150 is inserted between the curved portion 133 and the locking protrusion 135 of the first cover 130 to be coupled thereto. As a result, as Figure 16 can be seen, the second fixing member 152 of the filter 150 is caught by the curved portion 133 and the support portion 116b of the first cover 130 in the upward direction (in the left direction of the drawing) so as to be fixed not to be pushed upward.

[0092] In addition, when the second cover 140 is assembled to the main body 110, the upper end of the second fixing member 152 of the filter 150 is inserted between the curved portion 133 and the locking protrusion 135 to be coupled thereto, so that the second fixing member 152 is fixed not to be pushed downward by the locking protrusion 135 of the opposite side. The locking protrusion 135 is a portion configured to perform a locking action in the opposite direction of the curved portion 133. The second fixing member 152 can be firmly coupled to the first cover 130 by the locking protrusion 135 and the curved portion 133 of the first cover 130, so that the entire filter 150 maintains a complete coupling state without moving in the housing 101 of the air cleaner.

[0093] Figure 17 and Figure 18is a schematic view showing the direction of air introduced into the filter side and the direction of air discharged from the filter side in the air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application. As previously described, air passes through the filter member 159 in a downward direction from the upper side of the filter 150, while passing through the filter member 159 in a lateral direction from the side of the filter 150. The air (clean air) passing through the filter member 159 is discharged through the discharge port 153 in the second fixing member 152 formed in the space inside the filter.

[0094] As is apparent from the foregoing, in the air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present application, the filter can be more stably supported in the case by a simple structure, so that excellent dynamic stiffness of the air cleaner can be provided and noise can be reduced. In addition, unwanted parts can be removed by simplifying the filter support structure, so that cost and weight can be reduced and the height of the filter can be reduced.

[0095] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-described present application is not limited to the above embodiments and drawings, and various substitutions, modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the technical idea of the present application.

Claims

1. An air cleaner for a vehicle, the air cleaner comprising: a housing having an inlet through which external air is introduced and an outlet through which filtered air is discharged; and a filter installed in an inner space of the housing, the filter configured to filter the external air introduced through the inlet and including a filter member; wherein the filter member is formed in a downwardly open "∩" shape and configured to allow the external air to pass therethrough in a downward direction and a lateral direction, the filter including: a filter frame coupled to the filter member and including: a lower plate supported by a bottom surface of the housing; and a lattice bar structure member installed on an upper side of the lower plate in a "∩" shape and coupled to the filter member; a first fixing member coupled to a first end of the filter frame; and a second fixing member coupled to a second end of the filter frame located opposite the first end of the filter frame.

2. The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the housing including: a main body including the inlet and the outlet formed therein; a filter accommodation portion formed with an inner space configured to accommodate the filter; a diffuser portion formed with an inner space configured to accommodate air filtered by the filter member, the diffuser portion configured to introduce the filtered air toward the outlet; and a cover coupled to an upper side of the main body and configured to hermetically seal the inner space defined in the main body. 3.The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the main body further includes a resonator including an inner surface; and the cover includes: a first cover coupled to the main body and configured to hermetically seal the inner space of the filter accommodation portion accommodating the filter; and a second cover coupled to the main body and configured to hermetically seal the inner space of the diffuser portion and the inner space of the resonator. 4.The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a support protrusion formed on a bottom surface of the main body in the inner space of the diffuser portion, wherein, the second cover being supported by the support protrusion in a state where the support protrusion is welded to a lower surface of the second cover. 5.The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a hydrocarbon trap configured to adsorb and collect hydrocarbons in the diffuser portion and installed at a portion of a lower surface of the second cover. 6.The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising: a fixing protrusion formed on a first side of an inner bottom surface of the main body and configured to support a first end of the filter in the filter accommodation portion; and a support rib formed on a second side of the inner bottom surface of the main body and configured to support the filter from below in the filter accommodation portion. 7.The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising: a seating recess formed in the fixing protrusion; and a support rib formed on a second side of the inner bottom surface of the main body and configured to support the filter from below in the filter accommodation portion. ​ a first fixing member whose lower end is located at a first end of the filter; wherein the lower end of the first fixing member is supported in a state of being seated inside the seating recess.

8. The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a locking claw portion formed at a lower surface of the cover and configured to be supported in a state of being inserted into and locked in the locking claw portion at an upper end of the first fixing member.

9. The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a bent portion formed at a lower surface of the cover and configured to support an upper end of a second fixing member located at a second end of the filter.

10. The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising a locking protrusion formed at a lower surface of the cover and configured to lock the upper end of the second fixing member in a direction opposite to a locking direction of the bent portion, wherein the upper end of the second fixing member being inserted between the bent portion and the locking protrusion and coupled to the bent portion and the locking protrusion.

11. The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising: a wall portion formed on the main body and configured to separate an internal space of the filter housing portion and an internal space of the expansion pipe portion from each other; a support portion formed on a surface of the wall portion, the support portion extending along the wall portion and abutting the internal space of the filter housing portion; and a coupling portion formed at the bent portion of the cover and configured to be coupled to the support portion in a state of a sealing member being inserted between the coupling portion and the support portion.

12. The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising an air guide configured to guide filtered air toward the outlet and formed on a bottom surface of the main body from the expansion pipe portion to the outlet side.

13. The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising a duct installed at the outlet and configured to collect and direct air guided by the air guide toward the outlet.

14. The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling protrusion formed on the lattice bar structure member and configured to be inserted into, coupled to, and maintain a shape of a folded portion of the filter member.

15. The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a first coupling plate formed at a first end of the lower plate and configured to extend from the first end of the lower plate; a second coupling plate formed at a second end of the lower plate opposite to the first end of the lower plate and configured to extend from the second end of the lower plate; wherein a first end of the filter member is fixedly coupled to a lower surface of the first coupling plate and a second end of the filter member is fixedly coupled to a lower surface of the second coupling plate. ​ 16.The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising: a guide portion formed on a lower surface of the lower plate; and a predetermined gap defined between the lower surface of the lower plate and a lower surface of each of the coupling plates; wherein the first end of the filter member is inserted between the first coupling plate and the guide portion and fixedly coupled to the first coupling plate and the guide portion, and the second end of the filter member is inserted between the second coupling plate and the guide portion and fixedly coupled to the second coupling plate and the guide portion. 17.The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a support bracket configured to interconnect the lower plate and the lattice bar structure member and installed between the lower plate and the lattice bar structure member. 18.The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the housing includes: an inner space of a filter accommodation portion configured to accommodate the filter; an inner space of a diffuser portion configured such that air filtered by a filter member of the filter is introduced therein and moves toward the outlet; a wall portion configured to separate the inner space of the filter accommodation portion and the inner space of the diffuser portion from each other; and a tubular coupling portion formed through the wall portion and protruding toward the inner space of the filter accommodation portion; and a second fixing member including a discharge outlet through which air passing through the filter member is discharged from the filter; wherein, in a state in which the discharge outlet is coupled to the coupling portion, air passing through the filter member moves to the diffuser portion via the discharge outlet and the coupling portion. 19.The air cleaner for a vehicle according to claim 18, further comprising a partition wall formed inside the coupling portion and configured to interconnect an upper surface and a lower surface of the coupling portion; wherein, in a state in which the coupling portion is inserted into an inner portion of the discharge outlet formed in the second fixing member, an inner surface of the discharge outlet and an outer surface of the coupling portion are connected to each other.

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