Side-drawn straight-through air filter element installation and sealing structure and filter element replacement method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a side-drawn straight-through air filter element installation and sealing structure, comprising an air inlet, an air outlet and a shell located between the air inlet and the air outlet, a straight-through filter element is arranged in the shell, a maintenance end cover is connected to one side of the shell, a guide block is bulged on the outer surface of the lower frame of the straight-through filter element, and an assembly groove corresponding to the guide block is arranged on the inner surface of the shell; during the process of the guide block being installed into the assembly groove, the straight-through filter element tilts to the right, and after the guide block is installed in the assembly groove, the straight-through filter element is vertical. The present invention also discloses a corresponding filter element replacement method. The present invention constrains the guide block upwards through the positioning groove to prevent the straight-through filter element from moving downwards; at the same time, the guide block and the straight-through filter element are constrained in the horizontal direction through the right groove bottom of the assembly groove, which is convenient for lateral installation, and it is easy to identify whether it is installed in place, and the sealing requirements are met. When the air filter is arranged under the cab, it is more convenient to disassemble and replace the filter element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an air filter, in particular to a filter element installation and sealing technology of a side-drawn straight-through air filter. Background Art

[0002] With the emission upgrade of commercial vehicles, the requirements for engine emission post-treatment are becoming more and more stringent. The engine has added complex post-treatment modules, which has occupied the installation space of the engine, including the installation space of the air filter. The installation of the air filter has also changed from the traditional rear engine to the middle engine. These factors determine that the air filter should be developed in the direction of small size. The air filter is arranged under the cab, and the direction of the inlet and outlet is from the rear to the front of the vehicle. In order to make it easier to replace the filter element, the removal method of the straight-through filter element is improved from bottom disassembly to side disassembly, and the filter element can be taken out.

[0003] The side-drawn straight-through air filter includes a housing, a straight-through filter element is arranged in the housing along the axial direction of the housing, an air inlet is connected to one axial end of the housing and an air outlet is connected to the other axial end of the housing, a maintenance end cover is connected to the radial side wall of the housing, and the maintenance end cover, the housing, the air inlet and the air outlet enclose the straight-through filter element, the air inlet is used to connect to the motor vehicle air intake duct, and the air outlet is used to connect to the air intake pipeline of the motor vehicle engine; when working, ambient air is sucked in from the air inlet, and the clean air filtered by the straight-through filter element is supplied to the engine through the air outlet. Among them, the axial direction of the straight-through filter element is the up-down direction, and the direction of air passing through the straight-through filter element during use is from bottom to top.

[0004] The disadvantage of this side-drawn straight-through air filter is that the straight-through filter element lacks an axial positioning structure, so during the operation of the motor vehicle (the motor vehicle vibrates when driving), the straight-through filter element will move axially downward, that is, toward the air inlet. If an axial positioning structure is set in the housing to constrain the straight-through filter element, it will be difficult to install because it is not easy to align. The limiting structure of the bell mouth is easy to align during installation, but the constraining surface is an inclined surface rather than a horizontal surface (the force constraining the downward movement of the straight-through filter element will form a horizontal component force applied to the straight-through filter element), and it is not easy for the installer to know whether it is inserted in place. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a side-drawn straight-through air filter element installation and sealing structure, which is convenient for lateral (horizontal) installation and identification of installed position, meets the sealing requirements, and is more convenient for disassembly and replacement of the filter element when the air filter is arranged under the cab.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the side-drawn straight-through air filter element installation and sealing structure of the present invention comprises an air inlet at the bottom, an air outlet at the top and a shell located between the air inlet and the air outlet, wherein a straight-through filter element is arranged in the shell.

[0007] A maintenance cover is horizontally connected to one side of the shell, and a sealing ring is pressed between the air inlet upward and the shell and the maintenance cover;

[0008] The straight-through filter element comprises a lower frame, an upper frame and a filter layer connected between the upper frame and the lower frame; a guide block is provided on the outer surface of the lower frame.

[0009] The end of the shell facing the maintenance end cover is the left end of the shell, and the inner surface of the shell is provided with an assembly groove corresponding to the guide block, and the left end of the assembly groove is open and located at the left end of the shell;

[0010] The guide block includes, from left to right, a vertical limiting portion, an assembly guiding portion and a horizontal limiting portion which are integrally arranged in sequence; the vertical limiting portion has a greater vertical width than the assembly guiding portion, the vertical width of the assembly guiding portion is greater than the horizontal limiting portion, and the assembly guiding portion is in an arc shape with the arc top facing upward;

[0011] A step is provided upwardly at the middle position of the left-right direction of the lower groove wall of the assembly groove, the assembly groove on the left side of the step forms an entrance groove, and the assembly groove on the right side of the step forms a positioning groove; the upper and lower widths of the positioning groove match the vertical limiting portion, and the step is used to slide with the assembly guide portion and guide the vertical limiting portion into the positioning groove; the upper and lower widths of the entrance groove are greater than the positioning groove;

[0012] When the vertical limiting part is embedded in the positioning groove, the right end of the horizontal limiting part is connected to the right groove bottom of the positioning groove, and the straight-through filter element is arranged vertically.

[0013] Two sets of guide blocks are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the lower frame;

[0014] Two sets of assembly grooves are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the shell, and the two sets of guide blocks correspond to the two sets of assembly grooves one by one.

[0015] The top end of the step has an arc chamfer structure for reducing the friction force when the assembly guide passes through.

[0016] The upper frame and the lower frame of the straight-through filter element are respectively connected with finger hole grooves facing the maintenance end cover for easy insertion of fingers.

[0017] A safety filter element is arranged in a shell above the straight-through filter element, and the safety filter element is sealed with the straight-through filter element.

[0018] The present invention also discloses a filter element installation method and a filter element replacement method of the sealing structure of the side-drawn straight-through air filter, which is performed according to the following steps:

[0019] The first step is to open the maintenance cover;

[0020] The second step is that the operator's left and right fingers pass through the finger holes on the upper frame and the lower frame respectively, and pull the straight-through filter element out of the housing;

[0021] The third step is for the operator to install the new straight-through filter element into the housing from left to right;

[0022] During the installation process, after the assembly guide part contacts the top of the step of the assembly groove, the operator applies pressure to the right on the straight-through filter element, so that the straight-through filter element is inserted into the housing to the right with the upper end tilted to the right; when the vertical limit part is inserted into the positioning groove, the right end of the horizontal limit part is connected with the right groove bottom of the positioning groove, forming a vertical and horizontal positioning; at this time, the straight-through filter element changes from the state of the upper end tilting to the right to the vertical state, thereby giving a clear signal that the assembly is in place, and the fourth step is carried out at this time;

[0023] The fourth step is that the operator covers the maintenance end cover on the left part of the straight-through filter element and connects it to the housing to complete the replacement of the filter element.

[0024] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0025] In the process of inserting the straight-through filter element into the housing from left to right, since the entrance slot is larger than the positioning slot, and the positioning slot matches the largest vertical limit portion of the guide block, the larger entrance slot facilitates the insertion of the guide block. In the process of inserting the guide block into the assembly slot, if the straight-through filter element is always in a straight up and down state, it is inconvenient for the operator to manually apply force due to the limited assembly space of the vehicle. As shown in the figure, the structure of the present invention facilitates the straight-through filter element to be pushed into the housing at an angle (top end tilted to the right), making it convenient for the operator to manually press the straight-through filter element. When the operator manually presses the straight-through filter element to the right, the assembly guide portion first contacts the top of the step. At this time, the operator's manual rightward pressing force causes the top of the step to generate an upward vertical component of force on the assembly guide portion, so that while the straight-through filter element moves to the right, the guide block drives the straight-through filter element to move upward as a whole. When the vertical limiter is inserted into the positioning groove to the right, the right end of the horizontal limiter is connected to the right bottom of the positioning groove to form a horizontal limiter. The positioning groove constrains the vertical position of the guide block upward to prevent the straight-through filter element from moving downward during use. At the same time, the straight-through filter element no longer changes from the initial tilted state of assembly to the vertical state. The installer can accurately identify whether the straight-through filter element is in place by the tilt-vertical change of the straight-through filter element, thereby solving the technical problem of facilitating lateral installation and accurately identifying whether it is in place. When removing the filter element, the operator only needs to pull the filter element to the left with force.

[0026] Two sets of guide blocks and two sets of assembly grooves are symmetrically arranged at the front and rear sides, so that the straight-through filter element is subjected to uniform force at the front and rear sides during assembly. After installation, the front and rear sides of the straight-through filter element are simultaneously prevented from moving downward, and the anti-moving downward effect is better.

[0027] The arc chamfer structure can reduce the friction when the guide part is assembled, and the step and the guide block are not easily damaged when the straight-through filter element is disassembled and assembled many times.

[0028] The finger hole slots are used to pull out the straight-through filter element. When pulling out the straight-through filter element, the fingers of the left and right hands pass through a finger hole slot respectively, and the straight-through filter element can be easily pulled out laterally (horizontally), which is very convenient for applying force to pull out the straight-through filter element from the housing.

[0029] The filter element replacement method of the present invention is very convenient for replacing the filter element. The entire replacement process is very convenient for the operator to apply a pull-out force or an insertion force to the straight-through filter element. After installation, the straight-through filter element is positioned both horizontally and vertically, which can effectively prevent the straight-through filter element from vertically moving during the driving of the motor vehicle. During installation, there is an obvious assembly-in-place signal, which improves the assembly efficiency, prevents over-installation or under-installation, and avoids reducing the assembly efficiency due to the difficulty in determining whether the assembly is in place. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the decomposed structure of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure when the guide block is about to reach the step to the right during the assembly process;

[0033] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the straight-through filter element being inserted into the housing with the upper end tilted rightward during the assembly process, and is also a structural schematic diagram of the sliding fit between the assembly guide portion and the arc chamfer structure at the top of the step;

[0034] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure after the straight-through filter element is assembled in place during the assembly process;

[0035] Figures 3 to 5 In the embodiment, the assembly groove is made transparent, otherwise the guide block will be blocked by the assembly groove; the assembly groove is a structure that bulges outward from the shell, so the groove wall outline of the assembly groove can be seen on the outer surface of the shell;

[0036] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air outlet and the straight-through filter element (i.e., the main filter element) or the safety filter element sealing cooperation;

[0037] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the shell;

[0038] Figure 8 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a straight-through filter element;

[0039] Fig. 9 yes Figure 7 Enlarged view of point A in the middle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the side-drawn straight-through air filter element installation and sealing structure of the present invention comprises an air inlet 1 at the bottom, an air outlet 2 at the top, and a housing 3 located between the air inlet 1 and the air outlet 2, wherein a straight-through filter element is arranged in the housing 3;

[0041] A maintenance end cover 4 is horizontally connected to one side of the shell 3, and a sealing ring is pressed upward between the air inlet 1 and the shell 3 and the maintenance end cover 4; the sealing ring is conventional technology and is not shown in the figure.

[0042] The straight-through filter element comprises a lower frame 5, an upper frame 6 and a filter layer 7 connected between the upper frame 6 and the lower frame 5; the specific structure of the straight-through filter layer is prior art and will not be described in detail; a guide block 11 is provided on the outer surface of the lower frame 5; a sealing structure (i.e., the sealing cylinder and other structures described below) is provided between the air outlet 2 and the straight-through filter element downward;

[0043] The end of the housing 3 facing the maintenance end cover 4 is the left end of the housing 3. The inner surface of the housing 3 is provided with a mounting groove 12 corresponding to the guide block 11. The left end of the mounting groove 12 is open and located at the left end of the housing 3.

[0044] The guide block 11 includes, from left to right, a vertical limiting portion 8, an assembly guiding portion 9 and a horizontal limiting portion 10 which are integrally arranged in sequence; the vertical limiting portion 8 has a greater width from top to bottom than the assembly guiding portion 9, the vertical width of the assembly guiding portion 9 is greater than the horizontal limiting portion 10, and the assembly guiding portion 9 is in an arc shape with the top of the arc facing upward;

[0045] A step 13 is provided upwardly at the middle and upper part of the lower groove wall of the assembly groove 12 in the left-right direction. The assembly groove 12 on the left side of the step 13 forms an entrance groove 14, and the assembly groove 12 on the right side of the step 13 forms a positioning groove 15; the arc top of the assembly guide portion 9 is away from the step 13;

[0046] The upper and lower widths of the positioning groove 15 match the vertical limiting portion 8, and the step 13 is used to slide with the assembly guide portion 9 and guide the vertical limiting portion 8 into the positioning groove 15; the upper and lower widths of the entrance groove 14 are greater than the positioning groove 15;

[0047] When the vertical limiting portion 8 is inserted into the positioning groove 15 , the right end of the horizontal limiting portion 10 is connected to the right groove bottom of the positioning groove 15 , and the straight-through filter element is arranged vertically.

[0048] The maintenance end cover 4, the air inlet 1 and the air outlet 2 are fixedly connected to the housing 3 by screws respectively.

[0049] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, combined with Figures 7 to 9, in the process of inserting the straight-through filter element from left to right into the housing 3, since the inlet groove 14 is larger than the positioning groove 15, and the positioning groove 15 matches the largest vertical limit portion 8 of the guide block 11, the larger inlet groove 14 facilitates the insertion of the guide block 11. In the process of inserting the guide block 11 into the assembly groove 12, if the straight-through filter element is always in a straight up and down state, it is inconvenient for the operator to manually apply force due to the limited assembly space of the vehicle. As shown in the figure, the structure of the present invention facilitates the straight-through filter element to be tilted (top tilted to the right) and pushed into the housing 3, which is convenient for the operator to manually press the straight-through filter element. When the operator manually presses the straight-through filter element to the right, the assembly guide portion 9 first contacts the top of the step 13. At this time, the operator's manual rightward pressing force causes the top of the step 13 to generate an upward vertical component force on the assembly guide portion 9, so that the straight-through filter element moves to the right while the guide block 11 drives the straight-through filter element to move upward as a whole. When the vertical limiter 8 is inserted into the positioning groove 15 to the right, the right end of the horizontal limiter 10 is connected to the right bottom of the positioning groove 15 to form a horizontal limiter. The positioning groove 15 constrains the vertical position of the guide block 11 upward to prevent the straight-through filter element from moving downward during use. At the same time, the straight-through filter element no longer changes from the initial inclined state of assembly to the vertical state. The installer can accurately identify whether the straight-through filter element is assembled in place by the tilt-vertical change of the straight-through filter element, thereby solving the technical problem of facilitating lateral installation and accurately identifying whether it is assembled in place. When removing the filter element, the operator only needs to pull the filter element to the left with force.

[0050] Two sets of guide blocks 11 are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the lower frame 5 ; two sets of assembly grooves 12 are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the shell 3 , and the two sets of guide blocks 11 correspond to the two sets of assembly grooves 12 one by one.

[0051] Two sets of guide blocks 11 and two sets of fitting grooves 12 are symmetrically arranged front and back, so that the straight-through filter element is subjected to uniform force front and back during assembly. After installation, the front and back sides simultaneously prevent the straight-through filter element from moving downward, and the anti-moving effect is better.

[0052] The top of the step 13 has an arc chamfered structure 16 for reducing the friction force when the assembly guide part 9 passes through. The right end part of the horizontal limit part 10 is arc-shaped. When the right end part of the horizontal limit part 10 connects with the arc chamfered structure 16 to the right along the horizontal direction, a vertical component of force is easily generated, so that the right end part of the horizontal limit part 10 can be displaced upward and continue to pass through the arc chamfered structure 16 to the right.

[0053] The arc chamfer structure 16 can reduce the friction force when the guide part 9 is assembled and passed through, and the step 13 and the guide block 11 are not easily damaged when the straight-through filter element is disassembled and assembled multiple times.

[0054] The upper frame 6 and the lower frame 5 of the straight-through filter element are respectively connected to the maintenance end cover 4 with finger hole slots 17 for easy insertion of fingers. The finger hole slots 17 are used to pull out the straight-through filter element; when pulling out the straight-through filter element, the fingers of the left and right hands pass through a finger hole slot 17 respectively, and the straight-through filter element can be easily pulled out laterally (horizontally), which is very convenient for applying force to the straight-through filter element to pull out the housing 3. In this embodiment, two finger hole slots 17 are respectively provided on the upper frame 6 and the lower frame 5, so that each hand can pull the straight-through filter element with two fingers, and a greater force can be applied than applying force with one finger.

[0055] A safety filter is provided in the housing 3 above the straight-through filter element. The safety filter is an optional part, not a must-have. The safety filter is sealed with the straight-through filter element; specifically, the safety filter element has a connection ring extending downward, and the top of the upper frame 6 of the straight-through filter element is inserted into the connection ring and sealed with the connection ring; this is a conventional sealing structure, which will not be described in detail, and the safety filter element is not shown in the figure.

[0056] like Figure 6 As shown, the straight-through filter element and the safety filter element are collectively referred to as a filter element assembly. The top end of the filter element assembly (which is also the downstream end in the airflow direction) is fixedly connected with a filter element skeleton 18 in the circumferential direction. The portion of the filter element skeleton 18 that extends upward (downstream) from the filter layer 7 is a rubber layer connecting cylinder 19 with a folded plate-shaped cross-section; the rubber layer connecting cylinder 19 is wrapped with a sealing cylinder 20 formed by PU sealant, and the lower end portion (upstream end) of the air outlet 2 is downwardly inserted into the sealing cylinder 20 and is interference fit with the sealing cylinder 20, so that a good seal is achieved through the interference fit to isolate the clean side and the dirty side of the air filter.

[0057] The present invention also discloses a filter element installation method and a filter element replacement method of the sealing structure of the side-drawn straight-through air filter, which is performed according to the following steps:

[0058] The first step is to open the maintenance end cover 4;

[0059] The second step is that the operator's left and right fingers pass through the finger holes 17 on the upper frame 6 and the lower frame 5 respectively, and pull the straight-through filter element outward (left) from the housing 3;

[0060] The third step is that the operator installs the new straight-through filter element into the housing 3 from left to right;

[0061] During the installation process, after the assembly guide 9 contacts the top of the step 13 of the assembly groove 12, the operator applies pressure to the right on the straight-through filter element, so that the straight-through filter element is inserted into the housing 3 to the right with the upper end tilted to the right; when the vertical limiter 8 is inserted into the positioning groove 15, the right end of the horizontal limiter 10 is connected to the right groove bottom of the positioning groove 15, forming a vertical and horizontal positioning; at this time, the straight-through filter element changes from the state of the upper end tilting to the right to the vertical state, thereby giving a clear signal that the assembly is in place, and the fourth step is performed at this time;

[0062] The fourth step is that the operator covers the maintenance end cover 4 on the left part of the straight-through filter element and connects it to the housing 3 by screws to complete the replacement of the filter element. At this time, the maintenance end cover 4 presses the sealing ring between the housing 3 to the right, presses the sealing ring on the air inlet 1 to the left, and presses the sealing ring on the air outlet 2 to the right.

[0063] The filter element replacement method of the present invention is very convenient for replacing the filter element. The entire replacement process is very convenient for the operator to apply a pull-out force or an insertion force to the straight-through filter element. After installation, the straight-through filter element is positioned both horizontally and vertically, which can effectively prevent the straight-through filter element from vertically moving during the driving of the motor vehicle. During installation, there is an obvious assembly-in-place signal, which improves the assembly efficiency, prevents over-installation or under-installation, and avoids reducing the assembly efficiency due to the difficulty in determining whether the assembly is in place.

[0064] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate rather than limit the technical solutions of the present invention. Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention can still be modified or replaced by equivalents. Any modification or partial replacement that does not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. The installation and sealing structure of the filter element of the side-drawn straight-through air filter includes an air inlet at the bottom, an air outlet at the top, and a shell located between the air inlet and the air outlet. A straight-through filter element is arranged in the shell. Features: A maintenance cover is horizontally connected to one side of the shell, and a sealing ring is pressed between the air inlet upward and the shell and the maintenance cover; The straight-through filter element comprises a lower frame, an upper frame and a filter layer connected between the upper frame and the lower frame; a guide block is provided on the outer surface of the lower frame. The end of the shell facing the maintenance end cover is the left end of the shell, and the inner surface of the shell is provided with an assembly groove corresponding to the guide block, and the left end of the assembly groove is open and located at the left end of the shell; The guide block includes, from left to right, a vertical limiting portion, an assembly guiding portion and a horizontal limiting portion which are integrally arranged in sequence; the vertical limiting portion has a greater vertical width than the assembly guiding portion, the vertical width of the assembly guiding portion is greater than the horizontal limiting portion, and the assembly guiding portion is in an arc shape with the arc top facing upward; A step is provided upwardly at the middle position of the left-right direction of the lower groove wall of the assembly groove, the assembly groove on the left side of the step forms an entrance groove, and the assembly groove on the right side of the step forms a positioning groove; the upper and lower widths of the positioning groove match the vertical limiting portion, and the step is used to slide with the assembly guide portion and guide the vertical limiting portion into the positioning groove; the upper and lower widths of the entrance groove are greater than the positioning groove; When the vertical limiting part is embedded in the positioning groove, the right end of the horizontal limiting part is connected to the right groove bottom of the positioning groove, and the straight-through filter element is arranged vertically.

2. The side-drawn straight-through air filter element installation and sealing structure according to claim 1 is characterized in that: Two sets of guide blocks are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the lower frame; Two sets of assembly grooves are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the shell, and the two sets of guide blocks correspond to the two sets of assembly grooves one by one.

3. The side-drawn straight-through air filter element installation and sealing structure according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The top end of the step has an arc chamfer structure for reducing the friction force when the assembly guide passes through.

4. The side-drawn straight-through air filter element installation and sealing structure according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The upper frame and the lower frame of the straight-through filter element are respectively connected with finger hole grooves facing the maintenance end cover for easy insertion of fingers.

5. The side-drawn straight-through air filter element installation and sealing structure according to claim 4 is characterized in that: A safety filter element is arranged in a shell above the straight-through filter element, and the safety filter element is sealed with the straight-through filter element.

6. The method for installing and replacing the filter element of the side-drawn straight-through air filter as claimed in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that Follow these steps: The first step is to open the maintenance cover; The second step is that the operator's left and right fingers pass through the finger holes on the upper frame and the lower frame respectively, and pull the straight-through filter element out of the housing; The third step is for the operator to install the new straight-through filter element into the housing from left to right; During the installation process, after the assembly guide part contacts the top of the step of the assembly groove, the operator applies pressure to the right on the straight-through filter element, so that the straight-through filter element is inserted into the housing to the right with the upper end tilted to the right; when the vertical limit part is inserted into the positioning groove, the right end of the horizontal limit part is connected with the right groove bottom of the positioning groove, forming a vertical and horizontal positioning; at this time, the straight-through filter element changes from the state of the upper end tilting to the right to the vertical state, thereby giving a clear signal that the assembly is in place, and the fourth step is carried out at this time; The fourth step is that the operator covers the maintenance end cover on the left part of the straight-through filter element and connects it to the housing to complete the replacement of the filter element.

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