Filter element with filter media

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for forming a filter medium suitable for filtering fluids for a filter element, the method comprising at least the following steps: - applying at least one independent sealing device (16, 28) to a fluid-permeable medium web (14) in a predetermined direction (26); - creating a robust connecting composite between at least a portion of the sealing device (16, 28) and the medium web (14); - pleating the connecting composite to form a plurality of individual filter pleats; - creating a hollow body; and in order to - obtain at least one sealing area on the medium web (14), placing a corresponding sealing device (16, 28) on the inside of the hollow body to achieve sealing for the corresponding filter pleats and end-side sealing of the medium web (14), wherein, as the sealing device (16, 28), an application medium is applied strip-shaped along at least one longitudinal edge (51) of the medium web (14) to the medium web (14), the application medium forming the corresponding sealing area when cured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a filter element having a filter medium. Background Technology

[0002] A method for manufacturing a filter element is known from DE 19910821 C2. This filter element is particularly configured for installation in a housing of a hydraulic device and has a tubular filter pad as the medium web. The filter pad surrounds an internal hollow space for an unfiltered object, which is closed at its bottom end by a lower end cap connected to the adjacent edge of an external support tube surrounding the filter pad. The support tube is partially provided with a through-hole and connected to an upper end cap at its upper head side. The upper end cap has a flow opening for the object to be filtered. The method includes the steps of: a) rolling the bottom edge of the support tube inwards; b) inserting the lower end cap into the bottom edge of the rolled edge of the support tube with an annular surface surrounding a centrally raised bottom portion and a recessed edge side. c) Fill the adhesive groove area defined by the annular surface on the edge side of the lower end cap with adhesive; d) Push the filter pad into the support tube to form an adhesive portion at the lower end cap; e) Provide an upper end cap such that the central flow opening is surrounded by a recessed, edge-side annular surface that defines the upper adhesive groove area and extends radially outward on the support tube beyond its head-side edge, on which a flange-shaped radial widening is formed to form a retaining surface for supporting the filter element on the opening edge of the housing; f) Fill the adhesive groove area of ​​the upper end cap with adhesive; and g) Insert the head-side end of the filter pad surrounded by the support tube into the adhesive groove area of ​​the upper end cap to form an adhesive portion on the head side.

[0003] In known solutions, prefabricated internal filter units are not required, thus eliminating the need for internal support tubing. However, known methods require an adhesive bond between the end caps and the pleated media web between them, which increases manufacturing costs.

[0004] A method for forming a filter pad suitable for filtering fluids is known from WO 2011 / 060949 A2. The filter pad comprises at least one web section of a pad web, wherein at least one weld line is formed to seal the layers of the at least one web section of the pad web to each other, and then at least one cut is made along said at least one weld line such that the at least one web section is cut open to form at least one sealed edge region. In this known solution, portions of the weld line remain on one or more side edges of the pad web and thus form edge seals through which the ends of all layers are sealed by a welding process that melts the plastic material of each layer. This prevents undesirable penetration or fiber migration at the edges of the fluid-permeable medium web. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a method for manufacturing a filter medium for a filter element, which can be implemented in a simple and cost-effective manner. The present invention also aims to provide a filter element and a filter device, which similarly satisfy the stated objectives.

[0006] The method for forming a filter medium according to the present invention is carried out by at least the following method steps:

[0007] - Apply at least one independent sealing device to a fluid-permeable medium web in a predetermined direction.

[0008] - At least a robust bonding composite is created between the sealing device and the dielectric web.

[0009] - The connecting composite is pleated to form multiple individual filter pleats.

[0010] - To create a hollow body, two adjacent, opposite side edges of the medium web, extending transversely in a predetermined direction, are connected to each other, thereby enabling...

[0011] - Obtain at least one sealing area on the media web, and place the corresponding sealing device on the inside of the hollow body to achieve sealing for the corresponding filter pleats and end-side sealing of the media web, wherein the coating medium is applied in strips along at least one longitudinal edge of the media web as the sealing device, and the coating medium forms the corresponding sealing area when it has been cured.

[0012] This allows for the acquisition of filter elements in a cost-effective and technologically simple manner, achieving a reliable seal between the unfiltered and filtered material sides of the filter element. The method according to the invention allows for the construction of filter elements without the use of common end caps and adhesive bonding structures, so that the end caps are connected to a fluid-permeable media web to form a filter element integrally. Preferably, the filter element manufactured according to this method has a fluid-permeable support tube in a known manner, which is surrounded by a pleated media web of the filter medium. According to the invention, the filter element is characterized in that the media web has a strip-shaped sealing device in at least one end region of its end regions, the sealing device being folded into and fixedly connected to the media web. By folding the strip-shaped sealing device into the media web, the adhesive bonding structure, which is a known sealing device, can be eliminated.

[0013] The filtration device according to the invention is used to house such a filter element. The device is provided with a filter head having an inlet for unfiltered material and an outlet for filtered material. At the filter head, which is fixedly installed via a piping structure, a matching filter canister containing the filter element can be removed, in particular, unscrewed. Since the filter element according to the invention can be detachably or fixedly connected to the outlet in the filter head by means of a fixed connector on its support tube, the filter element can be easily replaced by removing it from the device along with its support tube, or, with the support tube remaining on the filter head, only the filter media to be replaced along with its corresponding adhesive-free sealing device can be removed. In particular, the solution mentioned last can be achieved in a particularly environmentally friendly manner. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The solution according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and various embodiments. The drawings are shown herein as schematic and non-to-scale illustrations, in which:

[0015] Figures 1 to 3 The important manufacturing steps are shown in the form of a flowchart;

[0016] Figure 4 and 5 Views from top and along Figure 4 The view with section line XX in the figure shows a partial view of a pleated filter pad web with a folded sealing device.

[0017] Figure 6 and 7 And 11 to 15 show different embodiments of the filter element in the form of longitudinal cross-sectional views;

[0018] Figure 8 , 9 16 and 17 illustrate different embodiments of the filtration device; and

[0019] Figure 10 An embodiment of a filter medium as a hollow body is shown in longitudinal cross-sectional view. Detailed Implementation

[0020] In the direction Figure 1 Looking from the observation direction, on the left side, multiple individual, overlapping media layers 10 are supplied to a welding device marked as a whole by 12. The filter media 15 for the filter element 17 (see...) Figure 10 The multilayer structure of this filter pad or media web 14 can, for example, have the following layer structure from one side to the other:

[0021] 1. Metal wire fabric, plastic fabric, or plastic grid with a mesh structure.

[0022] 2. Polyester nonwoven fabric,

[0023] 3. Fiberglass mat or meltblown nonwoven fabric,

[0024] 4. Fiberglass mat or meltblown nonwoven fabric, paper nonwoven fabric or polyester nonwoven fabric,

[0025] 5. Stainless steel polyester blended fabric or plastic blended fabric, and

[0026] 6. Metal wire fabric, plastic fabric, or plastic grid with a mesh structure.

[0027] There is no problem with other layer compositions being possible here, and the layer structure is determined by what requirements will be made later for the finished filter element used to remove particulate contaminants, especially with more or fewer layers being provided without internal or external support fabric.

[0028] The welding apparatus 12 is configured as an ultrasonic welding apparatus having an anvil 22 and an ultrasonic welding electrode 24 that can move upward and downward. An embodiment is conceivable in which the ultrasonic welding electrode 24 is fixedly disposed and the anvil 22 moves upward and downward. Figure 1 Viewed vertically upwards and downwards from the direction of observation. The movement of the fluid-permeable medium web 14 is directed in a predetermined direction. Figures 1 to 3 It is indicated by arrow 26.

[0029] If the medium web 14 leaves according to Figure 1In the welding apparatus 12 shown, the medium web is supplied to a fixed spray beam 27, which sprays the coating medium in strips onto the medium web 14 along two opposing longitudinal edges 51. The medium web 14 is guided through the spray beam 27 below it by a conveying device (not shown in detail) in the direction of arrow 26. However, the spray beam 27 can also be movable. The coating medium thus applied is then cured, for which a heat source (not shown in detail), such as ultraviolet light, can be used. Complete curing is not absolutely necessary; rather, partial curing or initial curing may be sufficient for subsequent folding or pleating processes. In this way, the coating medium applied in strips forms a sealing caterpillar-like portion on one of the two opposing web sides of the medium web 14.

[0030] Alternatively, the coating medium can be applied to the media web 14 using a 3D printing method. In each case, after the sealing devices 16, 28 have cured, the corresponding strips form sealing areas 52, 54 for the filter media 15.

[0031] According to Figure 3 In the next working step shown, a transverse weld 49 can be introduced onto the upper side of the dielectric web 14, which is transverse to the longitudinal orientation of the dielectric web. This transverse weld is centrally formed along the transversely extending separation line 53 according to the following... Figure 2 The diagram shows a smooth side edge 50. In particular, the transverse weld 49 allows the fibrous material of each media layer 10 to be welded together along the separation line 53 before separation, and thus prevents accidental penetration with fiber discharge, which could otherwise reach the fluid flow as particulate contaminants, and also reach the filter side of the filter element 17.

[0032] By separating the media web along the corresponding separation line 53, a media web 14 of predetermined length is thus produced, which is supplied to a pleating device (not shown) in the further conveying direction in the direction of arrow 26, as exemplarily shown in WO 2011 / 060949 A2. Thus, in further production steps, a media web is produced according to... Figure 5 The illustration shows multiple individual filter pleats 46. The media web 14, thus pleated, is then placed onto a cylindrical hollow body, as exemplarily shown in... Figure 10 As depicted, two adjacent side edges 50 are connected to each other, for example, when using a weld or clamping joint.

[0033] Such as especially by Figure 4 As a result, a sealing region 52 is obtained at least on one end side of the medium web 14, wherein, according to... Figure 10The illustration shows that instead of a single sealing region 52 on one side of the media web 14, another sealing region 54, preferably designed identically to the sealing region 52, is also located on the opposite side of the pad web or media web 14. The application medium, sprayed onto the edge side by means of the spray beam 27, is composed of an elastomer. Polyurethane foam can be used as the relevant elastomer material, wherein the resulting foam is preferably constructed as a closed-cell structure to improve the sealing effect. Accordingly, rigid or semi-rigid foam materials are used before the open-cell soft foam material. Depending on the application, the spraying or spraying application can also be multi-layered when using different elastomer materials.

[0034] In addition, thermoplastic polyurethanes and thermoplastic elastomers (including silicone resins) can also be used as application media. Where appropriate, elastomers can also be applied using 3D printing methods.

[0035] Such external reasons Figure 5 As a result, each filter pleat 46 extends between the pleat valley 56 and the pleat peak 58 with the same pleat height. Each individual filter pleat 46 forms a gap between the rising and falling pleat sides, which is fully filled by the applied and thus folded-in sealing devices 16, 28. Furthermore, such strip-shaped sealing devices 16, 28 are guided along the arcuate pleat extension on the inner side 60 of the associated pleat 56. As already explained, in the spraying process, the corresponding sealing devices 16, 28 are fixedly connected to the pleat extension of the filter pleat 46 and form a sealing caterpillar-like portion.

[0036] In this regard, the hollow cylindrical filter media 15 is manufactured in Figure 10 As shown, the filter medium has two sealing regions 52 and 54 on its end sides. The media web 14 of the filter medium 15 is surrounded on its outer periphery by a membrane-like, fluid-permeable sheath 64. Such a sheath is disclosed, for example, in DE 102010011722 A1, wherein the membrane forming the outer sleeve of the sheath 64 can be made of a polyamide compound or a polyethylene compound. Other membrane materials are polyester or epoxy polyurethane. In general, the sheath 64 can be made of a similar plastic with good thermal bonding properties as described above, and the web-like membrane can be joined along its opposite side edges by ultrasonic welding or by means of welding laser to form a hollow cylindrical sheath 64. The membrane is perforated accordingly for fluid passage, and the hollow cylindrical sheath 64 can be fitted onto the hollow media web 14 from the outside as a separate component. Since the filter pleats 46 are correspondingly flexible, such a fitting process can be easily performed and the filter pleats 46 are held in place by the surrounding sleeve 64, which improves the sealing effect on the edge of the pleated media web 14.

[0037] Another manufacturing possibility is to place a film-like sheath 64 around the dielectric web 14 and then weld the overlapping side edge regions of the film together to obtain a closed sheath 64 in this respect. Figure 9 , 10 As shown in 13 and 15, the enclosure 64 can expose two areas 52 and 54; however, it can also be adjusted according to... Figures 6 to 8 And 12, 14, 16 and 17 extend the surrounding sleeve 64 in the axial direction such that the sealing regions 52, 54 are also surrounded on the outer periphery, so that the folded-in sealing devices 16, 28 can be supported together on such a portion of the surrounding sleeve 64 on the outer periphery. According to... Figure 11 In the illustrated implementation, when... Figure 11 Looking from the direction of observation, the enclosure 64 only surrounds the upper sealing area 52, leaving the lower sealing area 54 exposed.

[0038] In this regard, in all the above-described manufacturing methods, the filter media 15 is manufactured without adhesives, which makes a particularly cost-effective implementation possible, especially when additional end caps are not required, and by avoiding adhesive bonding, the filter media 15 can be implemented in an environmentally friendly manner, particularly in terms of purging. The filter media 15 can now be as follows: Figure 6 The exemplary embodiment further comprises a complete filter element 17. In this regard, the filter element 17 has a hollow cylindrical support tube 66 on its inner circumferential side, which has a plurality of fluid passages in the form of perforations 68 in the region of the media web 14. The pleated media web 14 here rests against the outer circumferential side of the hollow cylindrical support tube 66 with its plurality of individual pleats 56.

[0039] In the regions of the two sealing areas 52 and 54, the support tube 66 is provided with a closed surrounding wall, and an annular sealing protrusion 70 protrudes along the surrounding wall in a centrally arranged manner. This sealing protrusion is integrally formed with the support tube 66 and engages with a predetermined preload in the respective sealing areas 52 and 54 to improve the sealing force for the respective sealing areas 52 and 54. The respective sealing protrusion 70 is shell-shaped, particularly hemispherical, in cross-section with a radius between 0.3 mm and 1.0 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 0.9 mm, and particularly preferably 0.8 mm. The sealing protrusion 70 thus compresses the pleated back and therefore the pleated valley 56, forming a surrounding flat area on the filter pad or media web 14, which fully abuts the sealing protrusion 70 and seals the media web 14 relative to the support tube 66 along with its closed surrounding wall in this area. Figure 7As exemplarily shown, a good sealing result is also obtained when the sealing protrusion has a triangular extension when viewed in cross-section. According to... Figure 7 The implementation method is constructed in the same way as in other respects according to the method. Figure 6 The implementation of the filter element 17 differs in this respect.

[0040] Such external reasons Figure 6 and 7 The resulting support tube 66 has annular widenings 72 and 74 at its two opposing ends, which at least partially overlap the correspondingly adjacent sealing devices 16 or 28. Here, in the context of... Figure 6 and 7 Viewed from the direction of observation, the upper annular widening portion 72 has a larger diameter than the lower widening portion 74. Furthermore, another lower sealing region 54 sits on the annular widening portion 74, and there is an axial clearance distance between the upper side of the sealing region 52 and the lower side of the annular widening portion 72. This clearance distance indicates that the corresponding widening portions 72, 74 do not need to be used for sealing the filter medium 15, and this clearance distance allows for a certain length adaptation between the geometry of the support tube 66 and the hollow filter medium 15 as tolerance compensation. Because according to... Figure 6 and 7 In this embodiment, the support tube 66 is constructed as an integral closed body, and the medium web 14 is placed around the outer periphery of the support tube 66. Subsequently, the two side edges 50 facing each other are connected, for example, by ultrasonic welding. Then, the surrounding sleeve 64 can be fitted onto the pleated medium web 14 from the outside as described above, or it can be placed as a web section around the hollow cylindrical medium web 14 and welded along the free side edges or longitudinal edges to form a hollow tube.

[0041] In addition, the support tube 66 has a tubular fixing tube 76 with a widened portion 72 protruding from the upper part at its free end. The fixing tube has an annular receiving groove on its inner circumferential side for receiving a fixing ring 78 made of elastomeric material in the form of an O-ring seal.

[0042] Especially Figure 8 As shown, according to Figure 6The filter element 17 can be fitted onto the corresponding connecting pipe 80 via a retaining ring 78 through its fixing pipe 76. This connecting pipe is part of the filter head 82, which is fixedly mounted thereon by a piping structure not shown in detail. In this regard, the filter head 82 has an inlet 84 for unfiltered material and an outlet 86 for filtered material. Therefore, the filter element 17 is fitted onto the connecting pipe 80 of the filter head 82, which serves as the outlet for filtered material, and a seal is established between the unfiltered material side and the filtered material side of the filter device by means of the retaining ring 78. The filter canister 88 is screwed onto the filter head 82 from below, and the replaceable filter element 17 is housed as a whole in the filter canister. The filter element 17 and the filter canister 88 can be fixed onto the filter head 82 sequentially; however, in corresponding designs, it is also possible to install the filter canister 88 together with the filter element 17 on the filter head 82. Unfiltered stream from inlet 84 flows from the outside to the inside of filter element 17 in the device housing, and any particulate contaminants are retained in the filter material of media web 14.

[0043] According to Figure 9 In the device solution, with Figure 8 In contrast, the solution changes in that the retaining connector 76 is now externally pressed onto the connecting connector 80 of the filter head 82 without the need for a separate retaining ring 78, and is thus fixedly connected to the connecting connector 80. Furthermore, the filter element 17 has two end caps 90, between which a pleated media web 14 with two sealing regions 52, 54 is accommodated. The upper end cap 90 is pressed against the free end of the retaining connector 76 and thus against the support tube 66, while the lower end cap 90 is supported by a compression spring 92, which, according to… Figure 9 In the operating position shown, its lower end is supported on the bottom of the housing of the filter canister 88. By means of a compression spring 92, the filter pad or media web 14 is clamped by two end caps 90, and the end of the media web having two sealing material areas or sealing areas 52, 54 is compressed by the end caps 90 and presses against the corresponding annular sealing protrusion 70 on the support tube 66. According to... Figure 9 The solution achieves a so-called coreless variant, in which an outer sleeve in the form of a sheath 64 terminates axially before the sealing regions 52, 54 at the ends of the filter pad or media web 14. Therefore, although in this respect... Figure 9 The solution does not use a retaining ring 78, but a reliable seal is established inside the filter unit between the unfiltered area and the filtered area through the design shown.

[0044] Because of the Figure 9In this solution, the support tube 66 with the upper end cap 90 is a fixed component of the filter head 82. Therefore, for the replacement process, the element in the form of filter medium 15 is fitted onto the support tube 66 from below until the upper end in the form of sealing region 52 abuts against the lower side of the upper end cap 90 of the support tube 66 and is radially pre-tightened by the end cap 90. Then, the lower end cap 90 is fitted onto the filter medium 15 having a lower sealing region 54 until the lower end cap 90 abuts against the support tube 66, which is closed on the bottom side. Here, the lower end of the element in the form of sealing region 54 is radially pre-tightened by the lower end cap 90. Finally, the filter canister 88, as a filter housing component with a compression spring 92, is screwed into the filter head 82, and the compression spring 92 here prevents the lower end cap 90 from accidentally slipping off and the described element connection composite from detaching.

[0045] According to Figure 11 In this embodiment, a one-piece support tube 66 is used, and in this respect, the lower end cap 90 is now a component of such a support tube 66. The filter medium 15, having two sealing regions 52, 54, is directed towards... Figure 11 Looking from the direction of observation, it is clamped above by means of a sleeve in the form of a sheath 64 and below by means of an end cap 90, which is a one-piece component of the support tube 66. Here, the lower end cap 90 surrounds the lower sealing region 54 of the medium web 14 with its cylindrical surrounding edge 93 protruding upwards on the edge side. The sheath 64 begins adjacent to it and terminates in a common horizontal plane while surrounding the upper sealing region 52, and an annular fixed tube 76 extends out of this horizontal plane. In this regard, by means of... Figure 11 The solution provides adhesive-free, fully functional filter elements 17.

[0046] According to Figure 12 In one embodiment, the support tube 66 has an annular widening 74 on its bottom side, which extends radially along the entire lower side of the lower sealing region 54 in place of the lower end cap 90. In this embodiment, the pleated media web 14 with sealing regions 52, 54 is clamped outward only by means of a hollow cylindrical sheath 64. In this respect, the membrane-like, perforated sheath 64, with its outer peripheral edge exposed by the lower widening 74, extends across the sealing regions 52, 54 on its outer peripheral side while abutting against the media web 14. Furthermore, according to... Figure 11 The implementation method is different. The fixing ring 78 is not set at the height of the upper sealing protrusion 70, but is instead located in the horizontal plane between the free end of the upper sealing region 52 and the upper end of the surrounding sleeve 64.

[0047] According to Figure 13 and 14In this embodiment, the support tube 66 is split in its upper end region and from now on has a separate cap section 94. The medium web 14 is clamped here with its corresponding sealing regions 52, 54 between the upper cap 90 and the lower cap 90 of the cap section 94, here preferably the compression spring 92 in the housing device (and according to Figure 9 The solution (similarly) can bear the application of clamping force for the cap-connecting composite. In other respects, the upper cap 90 and the lower cap 90 are consistent with... Figure 11 The solution is constructed similarly.

[0048] In this regard, the upper cover section 94 has an upper end cap 90 that surrounds the upper sealing region 52 circumferentially with a cylindrical surrounding edge 93. Furthermore, the cover section 94 has the previously mentioned retaining fitting 76, which has a retaining ring 78 disposed on the inner circumferential side. Additionally, a mating sealing protrusion 70, as part of the cover section 94, presses the upper sealing region 52 against the surrounding edge 93, which projectes downwardly in a sidewall-like manner from the upper end cap 90. Furthermore, according to… Figure 13 In this embodiment, the lower end cap 90 is constructed similarly to the upper end cap 90 and extends from the end side of the sealing region 54 with a predetermined axial protrusion. The surrounding sleeve 64 extends in the medium web section between the two opposing end caps 90.

[0049] According to Figure 14 In this embodiment, the upper cover section 94 has an annular widening portion 72 and the support tube 66 also has an annular widening portion 74 at its lower end, which is consistent with the embodiment according to Figure 12 The solution is similar.

[0050] According to Figures 11 to 14 In particular, the medium web 14, together with its two sealing regions 52, 54, can be assembled onto the support tube 66 by means of a kit, and the upper end cap 90 or the cap section 94 can also be installed by means of the kit afterwards.

[0051] According to Figure 15 In this embodiment, similar to the construction with upper cover section 94, a separate lower cover section 96 is also provided from now on. This improves the modularity of the structure for the filter element 17, in which multiple individual sections of the filter element can be assembled substantially freely. Thus, for example, support tubes 66 of different axial structural lengths can be interconnected unrestricted with media webs 14 of comparable length characteristics, and the entire filter element 17 can subsequently be supplemented using cover sections 94, 96. According to... Figures 11 to 15 In one embodiment, the retaining connector 76 with the integrated retaining ring 78 is further used for fixing the corresponding filter element 17 (together with the filter element according to the filter element) during the fixing process. Figure 8(Similar to the diagram) It is detachably fitted onto the connecting pipe 80 of the filter head 82 for the replacement process of the new element 17.

[0052] According to Figure 16 In the partially shown housing embodiment, the filter element 17, having a tubular fixed connector 76, is pressed into the connecting connector 80 of the filter head 82 from the inside, thereby securing the support tube 66 to the filter head 82. The lower cover section 96, constructed separately from the rest of the support tube 66, can then be pulled out from the remaining support tube 66 along with the surrounding sleeve 64, the pleated media web 14, and the two sealing regions 52, 54 for replacement purposes. For this purpose, the surrounding sleeve 64, with its axial structural length, surrounds not only the upper sealing region 52 but also the lower sealing region 54 on its outer periphery. The elasticity of the sealing regions 52, 54 is chosen such that the filter media 15 can be pulled out as a whole despite the presence of the corresponding sealing protrusions 70. If the filter media 15 becomes contaminated with increased particulate contaminants, the used media can be replaced with new media 15, and a new element can be pushed in until the upper annular edge of the lower annular cover section 96 abuts against the lower free end of the support tube 66.

[0053] According to Figure 17 In the implementation of the particularly simple design of the coreless adapter, neither the cover section 94 nor the cover section 96 or other end caps 90 are required, nor are the annular widening portions 72, 74 necessary. Instead, in this embodiment, it is consistent with the design of the adapter. Figure 10 A similar solution to the implementation method would suffice; however, it has the following provision: here, the surrounding sleeve 64 also surrounds the two sealing regions 52, 54. In this respect, the surrounding sleeve 64, together with the lower sealing region 54, is supported on the inside of the filter canister 88. Furthermore, the support tube 66 can be removed from the upper fixed connecting tube 76 retained in the filter head 82 by pulling it out. In this respect, for the implementation method... Figure 17 The contrasting solution offers greater modularity in the sense of a modular system. In this case, the media web 14 is clamped by a sleeve in the form of a surrounding sleeve 64. If the lower end of the support tube 66 is pressed into the bottom of the housing or filter canister 88 to a greater extent than the upper fixing portion in the filter head 82 by means of the fixing pipe 76, then the entire filter element 17 can also be pulled out of the filter head 82 and thus removed for the replacement process of a new element 17. Other embodiments of the element structure in this respect are possible.

Claims

1. A filter element having a filter medium, the filter element having a fluid-permeable support tube (66), the support tube being surrounded by a pleated media web (14) of the filter medium (15), wherein, The medium web (14) has strip-shaped sealing devices (16, 28) on at least one of its end regions (52, 54), the sealing devices being folded into the medium web (14) together, and the sealing devices being at least partially fixedly connected to the medium web (14) as independent components. Its features are, The support tube (66) has at least one outwardly protruding sealing protrusion (70) that engages with adjacent sealing devices (16, 28) to press the sealing devices (16, 28) together.

2. The filter element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support tube (66) is configured to be fluid-impermeable in the area where it abuts the corresponding sealing device (16, 28).

3. The filter element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The medium web (14) is surrounded by a membrane-like, fluid-permeable sheath (64) that extends at least between two opposing sealing devices (16, 28).

4. The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The support tube (66) has an annular widening (72, 74) at least one of its ends, the widening at least partially overlapping the corresponding adjacent sealing devices (16, 28).

5. The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The support tube (66) has a retaining ring (78) on the inside of the retaining tube (76) on one of the free ends of the support tube, or is designed as a press-in in this area.

6. The filter element according to claim 5, characterized in that, The retaining ring (78) is constructed in the form of an O-ring seal.

7. The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The medium web (14) is supported at least on the end cap (90), which is either a separate component or an integral part of the support tube (66).

8. A filtration device, wherein a filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is housed therein, the filtration device having a filter head (82) and a filter canister (88) detachably disposed on the filter head, the filter head having an inflow portion (84) for unfiltered material and an outflow portion (86) for filtered material, the filter canister housing a filter element (17), characterized in that, The filter element (17) can be detachably or fixedly connected to the outflow portion (86) in the filter head (82) by means of the fixed connector (76) of the support tube (66) of the filter element.

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