Air filter

Abstract

The air filter comprises a shell and a filter element component, the shell comprises a first shell body and a second shell body, the first shell body and the second shell body are connected in a limiting mode, an external pipe inlet is formed in the first shell body, and an external pipe outlet is formed in the second shell body; the filter element component comprises a first end part and a second end part, the second shell is provided with a first mounting part, the first mounting part and the second shell are of an integrated structure, the first end part directly or indirectly abuts against the first shell, and at least part of the second end part is limited in the first mounting part; at least part of the flexible sealing part is located between the second end part and the second shell, and the end face of the second end part directly abuts against the flexible sealing part. By means of the arrangement, the sealing area can be formed through the sealing material to offset tolerance accumulation of parts, air is prevented from flowing out of the matching position of the filter element and the second shell, inner leakage of the air filter on the outlet side is effectively avoided, and the air filter has a good filtering effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobiles, and particularly relates to an air filter. Background Art

[0002] An air suspension system uses air as a power source and can adjust parameters such as the height and damping of the suspension in real time. Compared with the traditional suspension system, the air suspension system has better anti-vibration performance, a more stable vehicle body, good riding comfort, and the characteristic of being lightweight.

[0003] In an air suspension system, the entire system is adjusted by sucking external air through a compressor pump. To prevent impurities in the external air from affecting the compressor pump, an air filter is usually provided on the intake side path of the compressor pump. The filtering component is built into the housing, and the bracket at one end of the filtering component is tightly fitted with the positioning shaft of the housing. In the case of high-condition driving, internal leakage is likely to occur at the mating part of the bracket and the positioning shaft, affecting the filtering effect. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides an air filter that can avoid internal leakage through structural optimization and improve the filtering effect of the product.

[0005] The present invention provides an air filter, including a housing and a filter element component. The filter element component is disposed in the housing. The housing includes a first housing and a second housing. An external pipe inlet is provided on the first housing, and an external pipe outlet is provided on the second housing. The first housing and the second housing are butt-jointed and fixed to form a cavity for accommodating the filter element component. The filter element component includes a filter element. A first installation portion is provided inside the external pipe outlet of the second housing. The end of the filter element is disposed in the first installation portion. A flexible sealing structure is arranged between the end face of the filter element and the bottom face of the first installation portion. The first housing butt-jointed and fixed to the second housing can axially press against the filter element to establish a seal between the end face of the filter element and the first installation portion through the flexible sealing structure.

[0006] Compared with the background art, for the air filter provided by this solution, the filter element is arranged in the annular recess of the second housing, and a flexible sealing structure is configured between the end face of the filter element and the bottom surface of the first mounting portion. The first housing docked and fixed with the second housing can axially press against the filter element to establish a seal between the end face of the filter element and the first mounting portion through this flexible sealing structure; that is to say, before the second housing and the first housing are docked and fixed, for example but not limited to, before welding and fixing, the filter element and the flexible sealing structure are tightly pressed and fitted together, and a sealing area can be formed through this sealing material to offset the tolerance accumulation of parts. With such a setting, it is possible to avoid air flowing out through the mating position between the filter element and the second housing, effectively prevent internal leakage on the outlet side of the air filter, and have a good filtering effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of the air filter described in Embodiment 1;

[0008] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an exploded view of the assembly relationship of the filter element components shown;

[0009] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a schematic structural view of the second housing shown;

[0010] Figure 4 is Figure 1 a sectional view of the assembly relationship between the filter element and the second housing shown;

[0011] Figure 5 is a schematic view of another flexible sealing structure;

[0012] Figure 6 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of Part I in;

[0013] Figure 7 is Figure 1 a schematic view of the first housing shown;

[0014] Figure 8 is Figure 7 a schematic view formed from another angle of the first housing shown in;

[0015] Figure 9 is Figure 1 a schematic view of the assembly relationship between the external pipe inlet and the system pipe shown;

[0016] Figure 10 is an axial sectional view of the air filter described in Embodiment 2;

[0017] Figure 11 is an axonometric schematic view of the air filter shown in 10.

[0018] In the figure:

[0019] Air filters 100, air filter 100b, housing 1, first housing 11, first housing 11b, external connection pipe inlet 111, external connection pipe inlet 111b, inner side opening 1111b, first docking end face 112, recess 113, positioning portion 114, sealing rib 115, through opening 116, fixed card slot 117, second installation portion 118b, inner convex ring 1181b, outer convex ring 1182b, second housing 12, external connection pipe outlet 121, first installation portion 122, inner convex ring 1221, outer convex ring 1222, second docking end face 123, convex portion 124, sealing rib 125, filter element component 2, filter element component 2b, filter element 21, bracket 22, tray 221, flanging 222, flexible sealing portion 3, rubber sealing ring 3a, system connection pipe 4. Detailed implementation mode

[0020] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0021] Embodiment 1:

[0022] Without loss of generality, this embodiment takes the air filter shown in the figure as the description subject, and details the internal structure and cooperation relationship. Please refer to Figure 1 simultaneously, this figure is the axial sectional view of the air filter described in Embodiment 1.

[0023] This air filter 100 includes a housing 1 and a filter element component 2 arranged inside the housing 1. Air enters the housing through the inlet, passes through the filter element of the filter element component 2, and then is discharged through the outlet.

[0024] Among them, the housing 1 includes two parts, a first housing 11 and a second housing 12, and the first housing 11 is connected to the second housing 12 in a limited manner. One end of the first housing 11 is an open end adapted to the second housing 12, and the other end of the first housing 11 is provided with an external connection pipe inlet 111. One end of the second housing 12 is an open end adapted to the first housing 11, and the other end of the second housing 12 is provided with an external connection pipe outlet 121. The first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are butt-jointed and fixed to form an internal cavity for accommodating the filter element component 2.

[0025] In this implementation scheme, the external connection pipe inlet 111 is the inlet of the air filter, and the external connection pipe outlet 121 is the outlet of the air filter. During the working process, air is inhaled into the housing 1 from the inlet, and the air filtered by the filter element component 2 is discharged from the outlet to the air compressor pump of the system. Of course, in other specific implementations, the external connection pipe inlet 111 and the external connection pipe outlet 121 can also be reversely connected and arranged in the system, which is not limited here.

[0026] The filter element component 2 includes a filter element 21 and a bracket 22. Figure 2 , which is a schematic diagram of the assembly relationship of the filter element component 2 in this embodiment. The filter element 21 is formed by folding filter paper, and the head and tail ends are fixed to form a cylindrical filter element 21; in a specific implementation, the head and tail ends of the filter paper can be fixed by clips, such as but not limited to metal clips, which can be implemented by existing technologies, so it will not be described in detail herein.

[0027] The bracket 22 of the filter element component 2 is fixedly arranged at one end of the filter element 21, and the two can be fixed by glue to hold the filter paper layers of the filter element 21, which is the second end of the filter element component 2. In this embodiment, the bracket 22 includes a circular tray 221 adapted to the end surface of the filter element 21, and the outer circumference of the circular tray 221 has a flange 222 extending toward the other side of the filter element 21. The flange 222 can be provided to form a radial limit to the body of the filter element 21, so that the cylindrical filter element 21 can be further maintained in a reliable folded state.

[0028] See also Figure 3 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second shell in this embodiment.

[0029] A first mounting portion 122 is provided inside the external pipe outlet 121 of the second housing 12. The other end of the filter element 21 is built into the first mounting portion 122, that is, the first end of the filter element component is at least partially confined in the first mounting portion, and a flexible sealing structure 3 is arranged between the end surface of the filter element 21 and the bottom surface of the first mounting portion 122; please refer to Figure 4 , this figure is a schematic diagram of the assembly relationship between the filter element and the second shell in this embodiment.

[0030] Accordingly, Figure 1 As shown, the first housing 11 fixedly docked with the second housing 12 presses against the filter element 21 along the axial direction to form a reliable seal between the end surface of the filter element 21 and the bottom surface of the first mounting portion 122, that is, before the second housing 12 is docked with the first housing 11, for example but not limited to welding, the two are tightly fitted, and the sealing material can be used to form a sealing area to offset the tolerance accumulation of parts. This arrangement can avoid air from flowing out through the matching position of the filter element 21 and the second housing 12, and can effectively prevent the air filter from leaking internally at the outlet side.

[0031] In order to further avoid assembly interference, the body of the filter element 21 and the two side walls of the first mounting portion 122 can be clearance-matched. On the one hand, it is convenient to install the filter element 21 and the second housing 12, and at the same time, it can avoid radial contact between the two and affect the flexible sealing structure 3 to establish a reliable seal; in addition, based on the setting of the first mounting portion 122, the matching cylindrical filter element 21 can further maintain a reliable folding state.

[0032] As shown in the figure, the inner wall surface of the second housing 12 has an inner convex ring 1221 and an outer convex ring 1222 which are radially spaced apart. Both extend from the inner wall surface of the second housing 12 towards the first housing 11 side, forming a first mounting portion 122 which is an integral structure with the second housing 12. Here, the inner convex ring 1221 and the outer convex ring 1222 are nested and respectively form the two side walls of the first mounting portion 122.

[0033] Of course, in other specific implementations, the first mounting portion 122 can also be formed by an inward concave molding method on the basis of the bottom body of the second housing 12. Comparatively speaking, the implementation method shown in the figure can obtain a relatively thin wall thickness of the housing, and can reasonably control the material cost and self-weight.

[0034] Furthermore, the flexible sealing structure 3 in this embodiment can be sealant. Specifically, sealant can be coated in the first mounting portion 122, then the filter element 21 is placed in the first mounting portion 122, and then the first housing 11 which is assembled and fixed with the second housing 12 presses against the filter element 21. After the sealant cures, a sealant layer is formed between the end face of the filter element 21 and the bottom face of the first mounting portion 122 to establish a reliable seal. At the same time, according to different product design requirements, the sealant can further infiltrate to the end face of the filter element 21 to form a glue layer in the folding gaps of the filter paper, further improving the sealing reliability at this position.

[0035] In other specific implementations, the flexible sealing structure can also be made of rubber material. Please also refer to Figure 5 , this figure is a schematic diagram of another flexible sealing structure. After the first housing 11 presses against the filter element 21, the rubber sealing ring 3a can be deformed under pressure, and thus a reliable seal is established between the end face of the filter element 21 and the bottom face of the first mounting portion 122. At the same time, it can also avoid the working abnormal noise that may be generated by rigid contact.

[0036] In specific implementations, the second end of the filter element component 2 can directly abut against the first housing 21 or indirectly abut against it.

[0037] In order to improve the assembly processability of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, preferably, the open end of the first housing 11 includes a first docking end face 112, and there is a recess 113 on the first docking end face 112; correspondingly, the open end of the second housing 12 includes a second docking end face 123, and there is a protrusion 124 on the second docking end face 123. The protrusion 124 is inserted and adapted to the recess 113 to form a limiting connection between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. Please also refer to Figure 6 , this figure is Figure 1 the enlarged view of part Ⅰ in

[0038] During assembly, the convex portion 124 on the second housing 12 is inserted and buckled with the concave portion 113 on the first housing 11 to form a basic fit and positioning. After the first housing 11 is pressed against the filter element 21 and assembled in place, the two are welded and fixed into one.

[0039] In a specific implementation, the two can be pressed together by welding positioning tooling, so that the filter element component 2 and the bottom surface of the first mounting portion 122 are sealed. It can be understood that for the implementation method of using sealant to form the flexible sealing structure 3, the assembly of the filter element component 2 and the first housing 11 needs to be performed by compression welding after the sealant is cured.

[0040] Furthermore, the height dimension of the convex portion 124 on the second housing 12 can be greater than the height dimension of the concave portion 113 on the first housing 11, that is, along the direction of docking and fixing (axial direction), the dimension of the convex portion 124 is greater than the dimension of the concave portion 113. With such an arrangement, when the second housing 12 is docked and fixed with the first housing 11, the pressing and positioning sealing of the filter element 21 can be ensured first, and the situation that the convex portion 124 and the concave portion 113 are inserted and buckled and the filter element 21 is not reliably pressed can be avoided due to tolerance accumulation.

[0041] In this embodiment, the matching convex portion 124 and concave portion 113 are both annular, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 ,in, Figure 7 The annular concave portion 113 and the convex portion 124 can realize reliable insertion of the two shell parts and facilitate welding operation, for example but not limited to ultrasonic welding process.

[0042] In other specific implementations, the matching protrusions 124 and recesses 113 may also be configured in reverse, that is, the protrusions are configured on the first shell and the recesses are correspondingly configured on the second shell, which can also obtain a reliable basic positioning relationship when the shells are docked and fixed.

[0043] For the matching structure between the first housing 11 and the filter element 2, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 7 On the one hand, a positioning portion 114 for pressing against the filter element component 2 can be provided, and on the other hand, a channel S is formed between the first shell 11 and the bracket 22 so that the air entering through the inlet flows through the channel S to the outside of the filter element 21.

[0044] In this embodiment, the outer pipe inlet 111 and the outer pipe outlet 121 are axially oppositely arranged with the middle region of the filter element 11. Inside the outer pipe inlet 111 of the first housing 11, a plurality of positioning portions 114 are provided. The plurality of positioning portions 114 are circumferentially spaced on the first housing 11, and each positioning portion 114 extends radially inwards from the side wall of the first housing 11. When the first housing 11 is butt-jointed and fixed with the second housing 12, the filter element component 2 is pressed against by the plurality of positioning portions 114, so that the filter element 21 presses against the bottom surface of the first mounting portion 122 for axial sealing. At the same time, a channel S is formed between adjacent positioning portions 114, that is, a path for air to flow to the radial outside of the filter element 21 is formed.

[0045] Generally, the pipe connected to the system is sleeved on the outer pipe opening of the air filter 100, and the pipe can be a hose, such as but not limited to an EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) hose.

[0046] To improve the connection reliability between the system pipe and the outer pipe opening on the housing, optionally, multiple sealing ribs 115 are provided on the outer surface of the outer pipe inlet 111 of the first housing 11. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 8 , where Figure 8 is Figure 7 a schematic diagram of another angle of the first housing shown in. Multiple sealing ribs 125 are also provided on the outer surface of the outer pipe outlet 121 of the second housing 12. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 . With such a setting, the radial interference fit amount between the sealing ribs and the system pipe can be reasonably determined. On the one hand, it can avoid too large an interference fit amount, which affects the operability of the system pipe assembly. On the other hand, it can avoid too small an interference fit amount, resulting in leakage or detachment, and the overall reliability is relatively high.

[0047] In addition, a plurality of through openings 116 are provided on the side wall of the outer pipe inlet 111, and the plurality of through openings 116 are respectively provided on the pipe wall body adjacent to the sealing ribs 115. Please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 , where Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the assembly relationship between the outer pipe inlet 111 described in this embodiment and the system pipe 4.

[0048] As shown in the figure, there is an interference fit between the sealing ribs 115 and the system pipe 4, and the pipe body of the system pipe 4 will undergo corresponding deformation (not shown in the figure). Figure 9Taking one of the sealing ribs 115 as an example, during the working process, when the external pipe inlet 111 has a large air flow impact during the suction of the compression air pump, it will communicate with the two side regions of the sealing rib 115, and the pressure P1 on one side will tend to be equal to the pressure P2 on the other side; in this way, the influence of the air flow impact can be weakened, and it has better reliability.

[0049] Based on the arrangement of the through openings 116 on both sides of the sealing rib 115, the pressures on both sides of the sealing rib 115 can tend to be equal. For the configuration method in which through openings 116 are provided on both sides of each sealing rib 115, multiple regions with equal pressures are formed on the sealing sleeve length of the system pipe 4 and the external pipe inlet 111, which can better balance the impact force and effectively prevent the EPDM system pipe 4 connected to the external pipe inlet 111 from falling off.

[0050] It should be understood that by providing through openings 116 on both sides of at least one sealing rib 115, the function of preventing the system pipe 4 from falling off due to excessive air flow impact can be achieved. In order to make the circumferential load on both sides of the sealing rib 115 uniform, the through openings 116 located on both sides of the sealing rib 115 can be arranged staggeredly in the circumferential direction.

[0051] Based on the aforementioned principle of balancing the impact force, through openings can also be respectively provided on the tube wall bodies on both sides of the sealing rib 125 on the external pipe outlet 121, which can also effectively prevent the EPDM system pipe 4 connected to the external pipe outlet 121 from falling off.

[0052] In addition, in order to further obtain the implementation cost of good vibration damping performance, the present implementation scheme can also set a fixed card slot 117 on the housing 1, as Figure 8 shown, the fixed card slot 117 is arranged on the first housing 11 and can be fixed to the vehicle body through a swivel joint (not shown in the figure), so as to realize the reliable fixation between the air filter 100 and the vehicle body, and avoid the possible adverse effects of the high vibration conditions during vehicle driving on the internal part of the air filter 100 and the connection relationship of the system pipes. With such an arrangement, compared with the design of fully wrapping with a rubber vibration damping protective shell and the fixed system requiring a circumferential hoop type, the design of the fixed card slot adopted in the present implementation scheme has the characteristics of good assembly processability and lower costs for maintenance and replacement.

[0053] In addition, the fixed card slot 117 can be made of impact-resistant materials such as nylon, which can further improve the anti-vibration performance.

[0054] In the foregoing implementation scheme, a bracket 22 is arranged on one side of the filter element 21 of the filter element component 2. In other specific implementations, the implementation method in which no brackets are arranged on both sides of the filter element can also be adopted.

[0055] Embodiment 2:

[0056] The main difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the filter element 2b is not equipped with a bracket, and the two ends of the filter element 21 are directly positioned against the two shell parts. Figure 10 and Figure 11 ,in, Figure 10 is an axial cross-sectional view of the air filter described in this embodiment, Figure 11 10 is an isometric diagram of the air filter. In order to clearly illustrate the difference or connection between this embodiment and the first embodiment, the same functional components and structures are indicated by the same symbols in the figure.

[0057] As shown in the figure, the filter element component 2b of the air filter 100b includes a filter element 21, and a second mounting portion 118b is provided inside the external pipe inlet 111b of the first housing 11b. One end of the filter element 21 is axially abutted and sealed against the bottom surface of the first mounting portion 122 of the second housing 12, and the other end of the filter element 21 is axially abutted and positioned against the second mounting portion 118b of the first housing 11b, and the two can be fixed by adhesive; specifically, the first housing 11b fixedly docked with the second housing 12 presses against the filter element 21 along the axial direction, and a reliable seal can be formed between the end surface of the filter element 21 and the bottom surface of the first mounting portion 122, and the filter element 21 is pressed against and positioned as a whole.

[0058] In this embodiment, the inner opening 1111b of the external pipe inlet 111b is located radially outside the filter element 21 to form a gas flow path as shown by the arrow in the figure. In this way, the filter paper filtration area can be maximized and the product manufacturing cost can be saved.

[0059] Further, the second mounting portion 118b is formed by an inner convex ring 1181b and an outer convex ring 1182b. As shown in the figure, the inner convex ring 1181b and the outer convex ring 1182b are radially spaced and both extend from the inner wall surface of the first shell 11b toward the second shell 12. Here, the inner convex ring 1181b and the outer convex ring 1182b respectively form the two side walls of the second mounting portion 118b. Similarly, in other specific implementations, it can also be formed by an inner concave molding method on the main body of the first shell 11b.

[0060] The other functional components and connection relationships are the same as those in the first embodiment and will not be described in detail here.

[0061] It can be understood that the external pipe inlet and the external pipe outlet of the air filter described in the above embodiment can also be connected in the system in reverse, that is, the external pipe inlet is the outlet side and the external pipe outlet is the inlet side, and good impurity filtering ability can also be obtained.

[0062] It should be noted that the azimuth terms "axial direction" and "radial direction" adopted in this text are both defined based on the filter element component. In addition, for components without an axis - line related member, the terms "axial direction" and "radial direction" are also used for structural description to clearly express the specific mating relationship. It should be understood that the use of the above - mentioned azimuth terms does not constitute a limitation on the technical essence content.

[0063] In addition, the ordinal numbers "first" and "second" used in this text are only used to describe components or structures with the same function in the technical solution. It can be understood that the use of the above - mentioned ordinal numbers "first" and "second" does not constitute a limitation on the understanding of the technical solution claimed in this application.

[0064] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the principle of the present invention, several improvements and refinements can be made, and these improvements and refinements should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air filter, characterized in that, It includes a housing and a filter element component, and the filter element component is arranged inside the housing; the housing includes a first housing and a second housing, the first housing is connected to the second housing in a limited way, an external pipe inlet is arranged on the first housing, and an external pipe outlet is arranged on the second housing; The filter element component includes a first end and a second end, the second housing is provided with a first installation part, the first installation part and the second housing are of an integral structure, the first end abuts against the first housing directly or indirectly, at least part of the second end is limited inside the first installation part, the air filter further includes a flexible sealing part, at least part of the flexible sealing part is located between the second end and the second housing, and the end face of the second end abuts against the flexible sealing part directly.

2. The air filter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible sealing part is a sealing glue layer formed by an adhesive glue, and the adhesive glue is not cured before the first housing and the second housing are butt-jointed and fixed.

3. The air filter according to claim 1, wherein The flexible sealing part is a rubber sealing ring.

4. The air filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The inner wall surface of the second housing has an inner convex ring and an outer convex ring which are arranged at a radial interval, and both the inner convex ring and the outer convex ring extend from the side facing the first housing to form the first installation part.

5. The air filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first housing includes a first butt-joint end face, and the second housing includes a second butt-joint end face; among the first butt-joint end face and the second butt-joint end face, one has a concave part and the other has a convex part, and the concave part and the convex part are inserted and matched.

6. The air filter according to claim 5, characterized in that, Along the direction of butt-joint fixing, the size of the convex part is larger than that of the concave part.

7. The air filter according to claim 6, characterized in that, Both the convex part and the concave part are circular rings.

8. The air filter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filter element component further includes a bracket, and one end of the filter element opposite to the first housing is fixedly connected to the bracket; a plurality of positioning parts are arranged on the first housing inside the external pipe inlet, the plurality of positioning parts are arranged on the first housing at intervals in the circumferential direction, and each positioning part extends radially inwards from the side wall of the first housing; the tray of the bracket abuts against the positioning parts axially, and a channel is formed between adjacent positioning parts, and the channel communicates the external pipe inlet and the radial outside of the filter element.

9. The air filter according to claim 1, characterized in that, A second installation part is arranged on the first housing inside the external pipe inlet, the other end of the filter element abuts against the second installation part axially for positioning, and the inner opening of the external pipe inlet is located on the radial outside of the filter element.

10. The air filter according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, Multiple sealing convex ribs are arranged on the outer peripheral surfaces of both the external pipe inlet and the external pipe outlet.

11. The air filter according to claim 10, wherein, Among the external pipe inlet and the external pipe outlet, through openings are formed in the pipe wall bodies on both sides of at least one sealing convex rib on at least one of them.

12. The air filter according to claim 11, characterized in that, The through openings located on both sides of the sealing convex rib are arranged staggeredly in the circumferential direction.

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