A filter for fluid filtration and a plastic spring thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a filter for fluid filtration and a plastic spring thereof, wherein the filter comprises a filter element and a filter chamber, wherein the filter element is located in the filter chamber, and the filter chamber comprises a shell and a connecting end plate; the filter element comprises a filter medium, a first end cap and a second end cap connected to both ends of the filter medium, and a central cavity defined within the filter medium, wherein the first end cap is provided with a connecting portion and a central opening for entering the central cavity, wherein the connecting portion is connected to the connecting end plate, and the second end cap is connected to the shell via a plastic spring. In the technical solution of the present invention, the filter element is connected to the shell of the filter via a plastic spring, and the plastic spring can be integrally formed by injection molding and can be designed in a variety of ways to adapt to the shape of the shell, with a short production cycle and a cost significantly lower than that of metal springs. Furthermore, the use of plastic can reduce environmental pollution caused by the production process of metal springs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fluid filtration, in particular to a filter for oil or gas filtration and a plastic spring thereof. Background Art

[0002] Filters are widely used for fluid filtration, particularly in internal combustion engines and industrial equipment. They filter and clean oil and / or gas, preventing foreign matter such as particulate matter and water from entering the equipment and causing wear, blockage, and other system failures. Filters, especially filter elements, are susceptible to loose connections or even damage due to temperature fluctuations in the operating environment and the vibrations generated during operation. Energy-absorbing elements (such as springs) are often installed within filters to mitigate this risk.

[0003] Existing filters typically utilize metal springs. Each spring is manufactured using only steel wire of the same specifications (e.g., circular or rectangular cross-section). Manufacturing involves winding / stamping, end grinding, heat treatment, and surface coating. This complicates or even prevents the production of springs with unusual shapes (e.g., irregular upper and lower end surfaces), leading to long production cycles, high costs, and environmental pollution. Space constraints often necessitate the placement of springs of varying shapes within the filter, a requirement that metal springs struggle to meet due to manufacturing challenges. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to propose a filter for fluid filtration and a plastic spring thereof. The filter has a built-in plastic spring, aiming to solve technical problems such as process limitations, long production cycle, high cost and environmental pollution caused by springs of different structural shapes arranged in the filter.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention proposes a filter for fluid filtration, wherein the filter includes a filter element and a filter chamber, the filter element is located in the filter chamber, and the filter chamber includes a shell and a connecting end plate; the filter element includes a filter medium, a first end cover and a second end cover connected to both ends of the filter medium, and a central cavity defined inside the filter medium, the first end cover is provided with a connecting portion and a central opening entering the central cavity, the connecting portion is connected to the connecting end plate, and the second end cover is connected to the shell via a plastic spring.

[0006] Optionally, the plastic spring has a hollow structure, and its outer shape is one of a cylindrical, truncated cone, waist drum, dumbbell, an elliptical end surface, a polygonal end surface, and irregularly shaped upper and lower end surfaces. The plastic spring includes a plurality of annular ribs and a plurality of ribs arranged along the circumference and respectively connecting two adjacent annular ribs.

[0007] Optionally, the plastic spring includes at least three annular ribs, each of the ribs is arranged along the axial direction, and the ribs connected to each annular rib are staggered with each other.

[0008] Optionally, the plastic spring includes at least two annular ribs, and a plurality of ribs arranged obliquely relative to the axial direction respectively connect two adjacent annular ribs.

[0009] Optionally, the plastic spring includes at least one arc-shaped rib plate group arranged along the axial direction, and at least two arc-shaped rib plates constitute the arc-shaped rib group.

[0010] Optionally, the arc-shaped ribs of two adjacent arc-shaped rib groups are arranged in an interlaced manner.

[0011] Optionally, the plastic spring is made of engineering plastic and is integrally formed with the second end cover.

[0012] Optionally, the first end cover is made of engineering plastic, and the connecting portion and the connecting end disc form an axial stop sealing connection and / or a radial interference sealing connection.

[0013] Optionally, an internal thread or an external thread is provided at the center of the connecting end disc.

[0014] Optionally, the filter chamber further includes a sealing member provided on the connecting end disc.

[0015] Optionally, the filter has a first cannula connected to the central opening and a second cannula connected to the filter chamber; the first cannula and the second cannula are both arranged at the same end of the shell, and / or the first cannula and the second cannula are respectively arranged at two ends of the shell.

[0016] The present invention also proposes a plastic spring, which includes multiple annular ribs and several ribs arranged along the circumferential direction and respectively connecting two adjacent annular ribs to form a hollow structure; several limiting portions protruding from the end faces of the adjacent annular ribs are provided between the two adjacent annular ribs.

[0017] In the technical solution of the present invention, the filter element is connected to the filter housing through a plastic spring. The plastic spring can be integrally formed by injection molding and can be designed in various ways to adapt to the shape of the housing. The production cycle is short and its cost is greatly reduced compared to metal springs. The use of plastic can reduce the environmental pollution caused by the production process of metal springs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a cross section of an embodiment of a filter for fluid filtration provided by the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of a filter for fluid filtration provided by the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of a plastic spring;

[0022] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another embodiment of a plastic spring;

[0023] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another embodiment of a plastic spring;

[0024] Figure 6 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another embodiment of a plastic spring;

[0025] Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another embodiment of a plastic spring;

[0026] Figure 8 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another embodiment of a plastic spring;

[0027] Figure 9 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another embodiment of a plastic spring;

[0028] Figure 10 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another embodiment of a plastic spring;

[0029] Figure 11 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another embodiment of a plastic spring;

[0030] Figure 12 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another embodiment of a plastic spring;

[0031] Figure 13 A cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a filter for fluid filtration provided by the present invention;

[0032] Figure 14 A sectional view of a section of another embodiment of a filter for fluid filtration provided by the present invention.

[0033] In the figure: filter 1000A / 1000B / 1000C for fluid filtration, filter element 100, filter medium 1, first end cap 2, connecting portion 21, central opening 22, second end cap 3, clamping portion 31, central cavity 4, skeleton 5, filter chamber 200, housing 201, connecting end plate 202, column 202a, internal thread 202b, oil port 202c, seal 203, first insert 204, second insert 205, plastic spring 300A / 300B / 300C, annular rib 301, ribs 302A / 302B, arcuate rib group 303, arcuate rib 303a, support foot 304, limit portion 305.

[0034] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] In order to better describe and illustrate the embodiments of the present application, reference may be made to one or more drawings, but the additional details or examples used to describe the drawings should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention of the present application, any of the currently described embodiments or preferred methods.

[0037] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention, rather than indicating that the device referred to must have a specific direction or operate in a specific direction. Therefore, they should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application pertains. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0039] Existing filters typically use metal springs to secure the filter element. Each spring is manufactured using only steel wire of the same specifications (e.g., circular or rectangular cross-section). Manufacturing involves winding / stamping, end grinding, heat treatment, and surface coating. This complicates or even prevents the manufacture of springs with unusual shapes (e.g., irregular upper and lower end surfaces), leading to long production cycles, high costs, and environmental pollution. Space constraints often necessitate the placement of springs of varying shapes within filters, a requirement that metal springs struggle to meet due to manufacturing challenges.

[0040] In view of this, the present invention provides a filter for fluid filtration, which uses a plastic spring to fix the internal filter element. Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is an embodiment of a filter for fluid filtration provided by the present invention. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The filter 1000A for fluid filtration includes a filter element 100 and a filter chamber 200 , and the filter element 100 is located in the filter chamber 200 .

[0041] Specifically, the filter chamber 200 includes a shell 201 and a connecting end plate 202 for connecting to the open end of the shell 201; the filter element 100 includes a filter medium 1, a first end cap 2 and a second end cap 3 connected to both ends of the filter medium 1, the filter medium 1 defines a central cavity 4 inside, the first end cap 2 is provided with a connecting portion 21 and a central opening 22 for entering the central cavity 4, and the central cavity 4 is also provided with a skeleton 5 for supporting the filter medium 1, and the two ends of the skeleton 5 are respectively connected to the first end cap 2 and the second end cap 3. It should be noted that the filter medium 1 in this embodiment is a cylindrical annular filter paper, and the first end cap 2 and the second end cap 3 are respectively connected to its two ends, and the connection methods include gluing, hot melt welding and clamping, etc.; of course, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this, and can also be other shapes, which will not be described in detail here. When installing the filter element 100, the plastic spring is clamped or abutted against the inside of the shell 201, the second end cover 3 is clamped or abutted against the plastic spring, and then the connecting end plate 202 is connected to the connecting portion 21 of the first end cover 2 and fixedly connected to the open end of the shell 201 to achieve the fixing of the filter element 100 in the shell 201.

[0042] In the technical solution of the present invention, the filter element 100 is connected to the housing 201 of the filter 1000A through a plastic spring. The plastic spring can be integrally formed by injection molding and can be adapted to the shape of the housing 201 for various designs. The production cycle is short and its cost is greatly reduced compared to metal springs. The use of plastic can reduce the environmental pollution caused by the production process of metal springs.

[0043] See also Figures 3 to 12 In some embodiments of the present invention, the plastic spring has a hollow structure, which enables the plastic spring to quickly recover after being squeezed. The plastic spring can be cylindrical, truncated cone, waist drum, dumbbell, elliptical end face, polygonal end face, or irregular upper and lower end faces. Figure 3 、 4 , 6, 9, 10, the plastic spring has a cylindrical outline; see Figure 8 The plastic spring in the box has a truncated cone shape; see Figure 7 The plastic spring in the box has a drum-shaped outline; see Figure 5 The plastic spring in the figure has a square profile on one end and a round profile on the other end; see Figure 11 and 12 The plastic springs in the embodiment have irregular profiles on their upper and lower end faces. These plastic springs with different profiles can adapt to different use environments of the filter chamber 200, thereby achieving better elasticity.

[0044] See also Figures 3 to 12 In some embodiments of the present invention, the plastic spring includes a plurality of annular ribs 301 and a plurality of ribs 302A / 302B arranged circumferentially and respectively connecting two adjacent annular ribs 301. This method of using the ribs 302A / 302B to connect the annular ribs 301 separately forms a hollow structure, which can achieve a similar use effect to a metal spring by leveraging the extrusion deformation and easy recovery properties of the plastic. Preferably, each of the ribs 302A / 302B is evenly arranged circumferentially between the two annular ribs 301 to enhance the stability of the plastic spring; preferably, four ribs 302A / 302B are arranged between every two annular ribs 301, although other numbers can also be designed and can be reasonably arranged according to the size of the spring.

[0045] It should be understood that see Figure 1 and Figure 6 The shape of the annular rib 301 can be a circular ring with smooth ends or an irregular shape, and can be adjusted according to the structural characteristics and elasticity requirements of the plastic spring. In addition, in some embodiments, if the ribs 302A / 302B are on the same straight line, they can be considered as a single rib.

[0046] See also Figure 3In one embodiment, the plastic spring 300A includes four annular ribs 301, and each of the ribs 302A extends axially, that is, in the direction of the central axis of the filter element 100. The ribs 302A connected to one end face of each annular rib 301 are staggered with the ribs 302A connected to the other end face. By designing the staggered ribs 302A, when the plastic spring is squeezed and deformed, the ribs 302A can apply pressure to its hollowed-out parts, thereby saving effort during squeezing and achieving a good elastic effect. It should be understood that only three annular ribs 301 are needed to realize this staggered plastic spring design; of course, more annular ribs 301 will have a better rebound effect after squeezing, please refer to Figure 4 and 5 The plastic springs in the embodiment of the present invention adopt a design of 6 annular ribs 301.

[0047] See also Figure 7 In one embodiment, the plastic spring 300B includes four annular ribs 301, each of which extends in a direction inclined relative to the axial direction, and is connected to two adjacent annular ribs 301 at both ends. This inclined rib 302B can also be deformed by extrusion and can be restored, requiring at least two annular ribs 301. To avoid mutual interference between the ribs 302B during extrusion and to ensure stability during the extrusion process, the inclination direction of each rib 302B is consistent and is tilted to the right; of course, other directions are also possible, please refer to Figure 8 , each of the ribs 302B is tilted to the left, and the tilt directions of the ribs 302B are consistent. In addition, for some plastic springs with special contours, please refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 For waist drum-shaped and truncated cone-shaped plastic springs, each of the ribs 302B is arranged to be inclined relative to the axial direction along its side surface.

[0048] See also Figure 11 In one embodiment, the plastic spring 300C includes an arc-shaped rib group 303 arranged in the axial direction. The arc-shaped rib group 303 has an annular structure and is composed of two arc-shaped ribs 303a connected together. It has the elasticity to expand outward, so that the plastic spring 300C produces elastic deformation in the axial direction. In addition, the arc-shaped ribs 303a can make the end of the plastic spring 300C arc-shaped. When it is used, the arc-shaped end can better fit some filter chambers 200 with non-planar ends, thereby making the installation of the plastic spring 300C more stable and the elastic function lasting and stable. Of course, the implementation of this embodiment is not limited to this. In other embodiments, please refer to Figure 12The number of the arc-shaped rib group 303 or more does not affect its elastic function. Of course, each arc-shaped rib group 303 can also be composed of more than two arc-shaped ribs 303a to adapt to filter chambers 200 with different ends.

[0049] Further, see Figure 12 The curved ribs 303a of two adjacent curved rib groups 303 are staggered to enhance the overall stability of the plastic spring and prevent the risk of bending or even breaking when squeezed. Furthermore, the curved rib groups 303 can be connected to the annular ribs 301 for reinforcement, and non-staggered ribs 302A are used to connect multiple annular ribs 301, further enhancing the overall stability of the plastic spring without increasing deformation.

[0050] It should be noted that the material of the plastic spring is engineering plastic, which is plastic that can be used as engineering material and replace metal to manufacture machine parts, etc., mainly including polycarbonate, polyamide, polyoxymethylene, polyphenylene ether, polyester, polyphenylene sulfide, polyarylate, etc. With the use of such materials, the plastic spring can be integrally formed with the second end cap 3 to improve its stability during installation. For details, please refer to Figure 11 and Figure 12 One end of the plastic spring is provided with a supporting foot 304 and is connected to the second end cover 3. In actual production, an integral injection molding method can be adopted, which greatly improves production efficiency.

[0051] Of course, other connection methods can also be used to reinforce the plastic spring, such as evenly distributing multiple clamping parts 31 on the end surface of the second end cover 3, and fixing the position of the plastic spring by mutually clamping each clamping part 31 with the annular rib 301 at one end of the plastic spring.

[0052] In order to keep the plastic spring in an elastically deformed state during use and prevent it from elastic failure and damage due to local excessive compression deformation, a limiting portion 305 is provided on the annular rib 301. Figure 6 and Figure 11 and Figure 12 In these embodiments, during the extrusion process of the plastic spring, the limiting portions 305 will abut against each other or interfere with the annular rib 301, thereby effectively controlling the maximum elastic deformation and reducing damage caused by excessive deformation.

[0053] After the filter element 100 is installed through the plastic spring, it is more conducive to improving the sealing performance of the central cavity 4. Figure 1In this embodiment, the connecting portion 21 is made of an elastomeric material. A post 202a is provided at the center of the connecting end plate 202. The connecting portion 21 is sleeved onto the outer periphery of the post 202a and, utilizing its elastic properties, is sealed against the post 202a. After the connecting end plate 202 and the housing 201 are secured, the elastic force provided by the plastic spring ensures a tight fit between the connecting portion 21 and the post 202a. The first end cap 2 and the connecting end plate 202 form a sealed connection in both the axial and radial directions, effectively preventing oil from entering or exiting the central cavity 4 through the connection gap. Of course, further axial or radial sealing can be achieved based on the design of the connecting portion 21, but this will not be discussed in detail here.

[0054] See also Figure 1 In this embodiment, a threaded connection portion is provided at the center of the connecting end plate 202. Specifically, the inner periphery of the column 202a is provided with an internal thread 202b, which connects to the pump on the assembly through this threaded connection portion to achieve the oil pumping function. In other embodiments, an external thread may be provided on the outer periphery of the column 202a, protruding from the other end surface of the connecting end plate 202, to connect to the pump on the assembly.

[0055] See also Figure 1 In this embodiment, the connecting end plate 202 is further provided with an oil port 202c for pumping in or out oil.

[0056] See also Figure 1 In this embodiment, the filter chamber 200 further includes a seal 203 disposed on the connecting end plate 202. The seal 203 is an elastic seal in the shape of an O-ring and is disposed at the connection between the open end of the housing 201 and the connecting end plate 202. When the filter 1000A is sealed and connected to the assembly, it can improve the sealing performance at the oil port 202c and prevent oil leakage in the filter chamber 200.

[0057] The above is the structure of the filter 1000A. It should be understood that there are some intubation filters that are different from the installation method of the filter 1000A. Figure 13 and 14In other embodiments of the present invention, the filter 1000B includes a first insert pipe 204 communicating with the central opening 22 and a second insert pipe 205 communicating with the filter chamber 200. Both the first insert pipe 204 and the second insert pipe 205 are located at the same end of the housing 201 and connected to the connecting end plate 202, preferably as an integrally formed structure. Similarly, the filter 1000C also includes a first insert pipe 204 communicating with the central opening 22 and a second insert pipe 205 communicating with the filter chamber 200. The first insert pipe 204 is located at one end of the housing 201 and connected to the connecting end plate 202, while the second insert pipe 205 is connected to the opposite end of the housing 201, preferably as an integrally formed structure. Of course, the second insert pipe 205 may also be located on the sidewall of the housing 201. Furthermore, it should be understood that the number of second insert pipes 205 may be more than one.

[0058] The present invention also provides a plastic spring used in the above-mentioned filter for fluid filtration, which is used to fix the internal filter element. Figure 6 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 Three embodiments of the plastic spring in the filter for fluid filtration provided by the present invention. Figure 6 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 , combined with the above-mentioned known technical features, in these embodiments, the plastic spring includes a plurality of annular ribs 301 arranged along the axial direction, and a plurality of ribs 302A arranged along the circumferential direction and respectively connecting two adjacent annular ribs 301, so as to form a hollow structure. Among them, the ribs 302A extend along the axial direction, and of course can also extend obliquely to the axial direction. In order to keep the plastic spring in an elastically deformed state during use and prevent it from elastic failure and damage due to local excessive compression deformation, a plurality of limiting portions 305 are provided between the two adjacent annular ribs 301, and each limiting portion 305 protrudes from the end face of the annular rib 301. Specifically, during the extrusion process of the plastic spring, the limiting portions 305 will abut against each other, or interfere with the annular ribs 301, thereby effectively controlling the maximum elastic deformation and reducing damage caused by excessive deformation. In addition, Figure 11 In the plastic spring 300C, the limiting portion 305 can also control the maximum elastic deformation by abutting against the end surface of the arc-shaped rib group 303. The arc-shaped rib group 303 can also be considered as the annular rib 301. In addition, it should be understood that the extending direction of the limiting portion 305 can be axial or inclined to the axial direction. The shape of the limiting portion 305 is not limited, as long as its end portion is compatible with the interference surface.

[0059] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0060] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art could make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A filter for fluid filtration, comprising a filter element (100) and a filter chamber (200), wherein the filter element is located in the filter chamber (200), and characterized in that: The filter chamber (200) comprises a housing (201) and a connecting end plate (202); the filter element (100) comprises a filter medium (1), a first end cap (2) and a second end cap (3) connected to both ends of the filter medium (1), and a central cavity (4) defined within the filter medium (1); the first end cap (2) is provided with a connecting portion (21) and a central opening (22) leading into the central cavity (4); the connecting portion (21) is connected to the connecting end plate (202); the second end cap (3) is connected to the housing (201) via plastic springs (300A; 300B; 300C); The plastic spring comprises a plurality of annular ribs (301) and a plurality of ribs (302B) arranged along the circumferential direction and respectively connecting two adjacent annular ribs (301) to form a hollow structure; a plurality of limiting portions (305) are provided between two adjacent annular ribs (301).

2. The filter for fluid filtration according to claim 1, wherein: The plastic spring (300A) comprises at least three annular ribs (301), each of the ribs (302A) is arranged along the axial direction, and the ribs (302A) connected to each annular rib (301) are staggered.

3. The filter for fluid filtration according to claim 2, wherein: The plastic spring (300B) comprises at least two annular ribs (301), and a plurality of ribs (302B) arranged obliquely relative to the axial direction respectively connect two adjacent annular ribs (301).

4. The filter for fluid filtration according to claim 1, wherein: The plastic spring (300C) comprises at least one arc-shaped rib plate group (303) arranged along the axial direction, and at least two arc-shaped rib plates (303a) constitute the arc-shaped rib plate group (303).

5. The filter for fluid filtration according to claim 4, wherein: The arc-shaped ribs (303a) of two adjacent arc-shaped rib groups (303) are arranged in an interlaced manner.

6. The filter for fluid filtration according to claim 1, wherein: The plastic spring (300A; 300B; 300C) is made of engineering plastic and is integrally formed with the second end cover (3).

7. The filter for fluid filtration according to claim 1, wherein: The first end cover (2) is made of engineering plastic, and the connecting portion (21) and the connecting end disc (202) form an axial stop seal connection and / or a radial interference seal connection.

8. The filter for fluid filtration according to claim 1, wherein: The filter has a first insert pipe (204) communicating with the central opening (22) and a second insert pipe (205) communicating with the filter chamber (200); The first cannula (204) and the second cannula (205) are both provided at the same end of the shell (201), and / or the first cannula (204) and the second cannula (205) are respectively provided at two ends of the shell (201).

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