Filter element unit for air filter and air filter

Abstract

The invention provides a filter element unit for an air filter and the air filter. The filter element unit is suitable for being installed in a shell (30) of the air filter and comprises one or more filter element bodies (17) made of filter materials, and each filter element body (17) comprises a hollow cylindrical structure, extends in the axial direction and is provided with a first end and a second end; the first end cover (18) is arranged at the first end part of each filter element body (17) so as to support and connect the first end part; wherein the first end cap (18) comprises a sealing edge (183) surrounding the first end portion, the sealing edge (183) is in the shape of a parallelogram, and each of the four corners of the shape of the parallelogram is an acute angle or an obtuse angle. According to the filter element unit, the occupied space of the filter element unit can be reduced, and the filter element unit can be prevented from being mounted reversely.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of filters, and more particularly, to a filter element unit for an air filter and an air filter. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, there is a problem that the filter element unit in the filter occupies a relatively large space, resulting in the need to provide a relatively large installation space for the layout of the filter in specific usage scenarios, such as the engine compartment of a vehicle. In addition, in the prior art, there are also problems such as incorrect installation of the filter element unit of the air filter, resulting in the filter element unit being unable to effectively perform the filtering function. It is even possible that the user incorrectly installs the filter element unit, but due to the lack of an error correction function in the filter, the filter does not exert any filtering effect at all, and the user is unable to realize the problem. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to provide a filter element unit for an air filter and an air filter. The filter element unit occupies a relatively small installation space, while ensuring the expected filtering effect, and can also avoid incorrect installation of the filter element unit.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a filter element unit for an air filter, which is adapted to be installed in a housing of the air filter. The filter element unit includes: one or more filter element bodies made of a filtering material, each filter element body including a hollow cylindrical structure extending along an axial direction and having a first end and a second end; and a first end cap provided at the first end of each filter element body to support and connect the first end; wherein the first end cap includes a sealing edge surrounding the first end, the sealing edge having a parallelogram shape, and each of the four corners of the parallelogram shape being an acute angle or an obtuse angle.

[0005] In an exemplary embodiment, the first end cap has a cap base, and one or more through holes are formed in the cap base, each through hole being respectively in communication with the hollow interior of a corresponding one of the filter element bodies; wherein the sealing edge extends away from the filter element body along the axial direction of the filter element body from the surface of the cap base, and the sealing edge has a closed annular shape to surround all the through holes.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, the first end cap has a sealing ring, the sealing ring being an integral structure including a first sealing portion and a second sealing portion extending radially perpendicular from the first sealing portion. The first sealing portion is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the sealing edge, and the second sealing portion is fixed to the surface of the cap base.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, a first protrusion with a toothed cross-section is formed on the first sealing portion, and the first protrusion is inclined as a whole in the direction towards the end cap base.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, a second protrusion with a semi-circular cross-section is formed on the second sealing portion, and the second protrusion protrudes in the direction away from the end cap base.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the filter element unit includes a second end cap disposed at the second end of each filter element body to support and connect the second end; wherein, the first end cap is open to communicate with a circulation port of the air filter for outputting filtered clean air, so as to convey the clean air to the circulation port via the first end cap, and the second end cap is closed.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, a groove is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the first end cap, wherein a protrusion is provided at a position of the housing corresponding to the groove, and the shape of the groove is configured to match the shape of the protrusion for positioning the filter element unit.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, a window is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the second end cap, wherein a hook-shaped member is provided at a position of the housing corresponding to the window, and the shape of the window is configured to match the shape of the hook-shaped member for fixing the filter element unit.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, along the axial direction of the filter element body, the positions of the groove and the window are aligned with each other.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the filter element unit includes four filter element bodies, each of which has the same shape. Four through holes are formed on the end cap base, and the four through holes are respectively communicated with the hollow interiors of the four filter element bodies. A plurality of reinforcing ribs extending from the center of the end cap base to the sealing edge are formed on the surface of the end cap base, and the reinforcing ribs are located in the area between the four through holes.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, an air filter is provided, which includes a housing, and the air filter further includes one or more filter element units for an air filter according to any one of the above solutions installed in the housing.

[0015] In summary, the filter element unit for an air filter and the air filter according to the present invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects superior to the prior art:

[0016] First, the sealing edge of the first end cap of the filter element unit is designed in a parallelogram shape, which can reduce the occupied space of the filter element unit.

[0017] Second, the parallelogram shape of the sealing edge of the first end cap of the filter element unit can prevent the filter element unit from being installed incorrectly left and right.

[0018] Third, the design of the sealing edge of the first end cap of the filter element unit and the sealing ring can significantly improve the sealing effect.

[0019] Fourth, the groove provided on the first end cap of the filter element unit and the protrusion provided on the housing can also prevent the incorrect installation of the filter element unit and have an error correction function. Description of the Drawings

[0020] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The schematic embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present application. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a filter element unit for an air filter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a housing of an air filter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air filter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic front view of an air filter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an air filter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 is a schematic front view of an air filter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. For clarity, some components are removed.

[0027] Figure 7 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line B-B. Figure 6 of

[0028] Figure 8 is a schematic front view of an air filter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. For clarity, some components are removed, showing an intermediate state during the process of removing the filter element unit.

[0029] Figure 9 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line C-C Figure 8 shown.

[0030] Figure 10 is a schematic front view of an air filter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. For clarity, some components have been removed, showing the state where the filter element unit has been removed.

[0031] Figure 11 is Figure 3 a partially enlarged view at circle A of

[0032] showing the sealing structure of the first end cap.

[0033] 10, first filter element unit

[0034] 11, first open end

[0035] 12, first closed end

[0036] 15, groove

[0037] 16, window

[0038] 17, filter element body

[0039] 18, first end cap

[0040] 181, end cap base

[0041] 182, through hole

[0042] 183, sealing edge

[0043] 184, sealing ring

[0044] 185, first protrusion

[0045] 186, second protrusion

[0046] 187, reinforcing rib

[0047] 19, second end cap

[0048] 20, second filter element unit

[0049] 21, second open end

[0050] 22, second closed end

[0051] 30, housing

[0052] 301, first first-side flow port

[0053] 302, second first-side flow port

[0054] 31. First-side second fluid passage port

[0055] 32. Second-side second fluid passage port

[0056] 33. Latching boss

[0057] 34. Side cover plate

[0058] 35. Mounting fitting

[0059] 36. First end portion of the housing

[0060] 37. Protrusion

[0061] 38. Second end portion of the housing

[0062] 39. Hook-shaped member

[0063] 40. Mounting box cover Detailed implementation manners

[0064] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0065] First, referring to Figure 1 , there is shown a filter element unit for an air filter according to the present invention, also referred to as the first filter element unit 10. The filter element unit is adapted to be installed in a housing 30 of the air filter. Figure 2 The structure of the housing 30 is shown in Figure 1 . The first filter element unit 10 mainly includes one or more filter elements 17, a first end cap 18, and a second end cap 19.

[0066] Referring to Figure 1 , the first end cap 18 is disposed at the first end portion of each filter element 17 to support and connect the first end portions of all the filter elements 17. The first end cap 18 includes a sealing edge 183 surrounding the first end portion. The sealing edge 183 is in the shape of a parallelogram, and each of the four corners of the parallelogram shape is an acute angle or an obtuse angle, rather than a right angle form. The second end cap 19 can be disposed at the second end portion of each filter element 17 to support and connect the second end portion. The first end cap 18 and the second end cap 19 are adapted to be assembled with the housing 30 to fix the first filter element unit 10. Figure 3 The second filter element unit 20 shown in

[0067] At the same time, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 11, the first end cap 18 has: an end cap base 181, on which one or more through holes 182 are formed (specifically, four through holes, the number of which is the same as the number of filter element bodies 17), and each through hole 182 is respectively communicated with the hollow interior of a corresponding filter element body 17; a sealing edge 183, which extends away from the filter element body 17 along the axial direction of the filter element body 17 from the surface of the end cap base 181, and the sealing edge 183 has a closed annular shape to surround all the through holes 182; and a sealing ring 184, as Figure 11 shown in, the sealing ring 184 is an integral structure, including a first sealing part and a second sealing part that extends radially and perpendicularly from the first sealing part. The first sealing part is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the sealing edge 183, and the second sealing part is fixed to the surface of the end cap base 181.

[0068] Referring to Figure 11 , a first protrusion 185 with a toothed cross-section is formed on the first sealing part, and the first protrusion 185 is inclined as a whole in the direction of the end cap base 181, which can improve the sealing performance. In addition, a second protrusion 186 with a semi-circular cross-section is formed on the second sealing part, and the second protrusion 186 protrudes in the direction away from the end cap base 181. It should be noted here that the sealing ring 184 is vulcanized or glued to the sealing edge 183, and an interference fit is achieved through the sealing structure formed by the specific shapes of the first protrusion 185 and the second protrusion 186 to ensure the reliability of the seal.

[0069] Referring to Figure 1 , the first end cap 18 is open to communicate with the air outlet of the air filter for outputting filtered clean air, and this air outlet can be Figure 2 the second air outlet 31 on the first side of the housing in, and from Figure 2 the perspective of, it can also be called the left second air outlet, so as to convey the clean air to the second air outlet 31 on the first side through the first end cap 18, and the second end cap 19 is closed. The closed structure of the second end cap 19 of the present invention is beneficial to the sealing of the air filter, and in cooperation with the sealing structure provided on the first end cap 18, the air filter of the present invention achieves a sealing effect significantly superior to that of the prior art filters. Obviously, in a specific use scenario, the second air outlet 31 on the first side can also be used as an air inlet.

[0070] Referring to Figure 1 , a groove 15 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the first end cap 18. Referring to Figure 2, a protrusion 37 is provided at a position of the housing 30 corresponding to the groove 15, and the shape of the groove 15 is configured to match the shape of the protrusion 37 for positioning the filter element unit. The feature of the cooperation between the groove 15 and the protrusion 37 can prevent the incorrect installation of the filter element unit. Assuming that the filter element unit is installed in the wrong left - right reversed direction during installation, the presence of the protrusion 37 will cause the filter element unit not to be clamped in place, thus reminding the user of an incorrect operation.

[0071] Referring to Figure 1 , a window 16 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the second end - cover 19. Referring to Figure 2 , a hook - shaped member 39 is provided at a position of the housing 30 corresponding to the window 16, and the shape of the window 16 is configured to match the shape of the hook - shaped member 39 for fixing the filter element unit.

[0072] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 5 , the hook - shaped member 39 includes a vertical portion and a horizontal hook portion extending from the vertical portion in a direction away from the first filter element unit 10, and the horizontal hook portion can be inserted into the window 16. Referring to Figure 5 , the housing 30 is further provided with a locking boss 33, and the locking boss 33 is provided in an area on one side of the hook - shaped member 39. After the first filter element unit 10 is installed in the housing 30, the cooperation between the hook - shaped member 39 and the locking boss 33 fixes the first filter element unit 10. The dimension of the window 16 in the vertical direction is greater than the dimension of the horizontal hook portion in the vertical direction, so that when the first filter element unit 10 is disassembled, the second end - cover 19 can be lifted a certain distance to enable the bottom of the first filter element unit 10 to cross over the locking boss 33.

[0073] Referring to Figure 1 , in terms of the axial direction of the filter element body 17, the position of the groove 15 and the position of the window 16 are generally aligned with each other. This positional relationship is beneficial to the positioning of the filter element unit during installation and the stability after installation.

[0074] Referring to Figure 1 , the shape of each filter element body 17 among the four filter element bodies is the same. Four through - holes 182 are formed on the end - cover base 181, and the four through - holes 182 are respectively communicated with the hollow interiors of the four filter element bodies 17. And a plurality of reinforcing ribs 187 extending from the center of the end - cover base 181 to the sealing edge 183 are formed on the surface of the end - cover base 181, specifically four reinforcing ribs 187. The reinforcing ribs 187 are located in the area between the four through - holes 182, especially there is one reinforcing rib 187 between every two through - holes 182. In addition, preferably, in the central area of the end - cover base 181, there are also four auxiliary ribs, and the four auxiliary ribs are in the shape of a closed quadrilateral. One end of each auxiliary rib is connected to one reinforcing rib 187, and the other end is connected to another reinforcing rib. The arrangement of the reinforcing ribs and the auxiliary ribs can play a role in strengthening the support.

[0075] Referring to Figure 3 , an air filter of the present invention is shown. The air filter includes a housing 30 ( Figure 2 not shown in the figure). The air filter further includes a first filter element unit 10 and a second filter element unit 20 installed in the housing 30. The air filter may further include an installation box cover 40 installed between the first filter element unit 10 and the second filter element unit 20. One side of the installation box cover 40 abuts against the first closed end 12 of the first filter element unit 10, and the other side of the installation box cover 40 abuts against the second closed end 22 of the second filter element unit 20. The installation box cover 40 has a cooperative relationship with the sealing structure including the sealing edge 183 and the sealing ring 184 at the first end cover 18, which can better ensure the good sealing performance of the filter element unit.

[0076] Referring to Figure 5 , the locking boss 33 on the housing 30 can limit the movement of the filter element unit before the installation box cover 40 is installed. Therefore, the first function of the design that the installation box cover 40 is inserted between the two filter element units is to prevent the filter element unit from moving, and another function is to push the sealing ring 184 to fit tightly with the corresponding position of the housing to ensure the sealing performance.

[0077] Referring to Figure 5 , it should be noted that when the installation box cover 40 is opened, there will be friction with the first filter element unit 10 and the second filter element unit 20, which will easily drive these two filter element units to be lifted and damage the filter element units. The function of the hook-shaped member 39 can effectively hook the corresponding filter element unit to prevent the filter element unit from moving.

[0078] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 4 , the housing 30 has a first circulation port and two second circulation ports. The air to be filtered enters the housing 30 from the first circulation port, and after being filtered by the air filter, it flows out from the two second circulation ports (specifically the first-side second circulation port 31 and the second-side second circulation port 32), or the air to be filtered enters the housing 30 from the two second circulation ports, and after being filtered by the air filter, it flows out from the first circulation port.

[0079] The first filter element unit 10 includes a hollow cylindrical structure with a first open end 11 and a first closed end 12. The second filter element unit 20 includes a hollow cylindrical structure with a second open end 21 and a second closed end 22. The first closed end 12 and the second closed end 22 are arranged facing each other in the housing 30, and the first open end 11 and the second open end 21 are arranged opposite to each other to face opposite directions.

[0080] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 4, the housing 30 can be in the shape of a long cylinder, and the first-side second communication port 31 and the second-side second communication port 32 are respectively provided at both ends of the long-cylindrical shape of the housing 30. The central axes of the first-side second communication port 31 and the second-side second communication port 32 are parallel to each other with the central axis of the housing 30. The first opening end 11 of the first filter element unit 10 leads to the first-side second communication port 31, and the second opening end 21 of the second filter element unit 20 leads to the second-side second communication port 32.

[0081] Referring to Figure 2 , the above-mentioned first communication port can include two separated first communication ports, namely the first-side first communication port 301 and the second-side first communication port 302. The first-side first communication port 301 communicates with the outer periphery of the cylindrical structure of the first filter element unit 10, and the second-side first communication port 302 communicates with the outer periphery of the cylindrical structure of the second filter element unit 20. Of course, it can be understood that the number of the first communication ports can be only one. Through the first-side first communication port 301 and the second-side first communication port 302, for example, the air to be filtered can be separately introduced into the dirty-side areas inside the first filter element unit 10 and the second filter element unit 20.

[0082] The present invention provides a method for assembling and disassembling an air filter, and the method can include the following assembling steps: The first step, providing the housing 30 of the air filter, with a protrusion 37, a hook-shaped member 39 and a locking boss 33 provided on one side of the hook-shaped member 39 inside the housing; The second step, providing the first filter element unit 10, which has one or more filter elements 17 and a first end cap 18 and a second end cap 19 respectively provided at both ends of the filter element 17. A groove 15 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the first end cap 18, and a window 16 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the second end cap 19; The third step, putting the first filter element unit 10 into the inner space of the housing 30, so that the first filter element unit 10 moves a certain distance along the axial direction towards the area of the housing for receiving the first end cap 18, so that the groove 15 is buckled with the protrusion 37, and the hook-shaped member 39 is inserted into the window 16; The fourth step, providing and installing the second filter element unit 20 in the same way as the second step and the third step; and The fifth step, inserting the installation box cover 40 between the first filter element unit 10 and the second filter element unit 20.

[0083] Next, referring to Figures 4 to 10 , describe the steps of the method for disassembling the air filter of the present invention. Starting from the state shown in Figure 4 , first disassemble the side cover plate 34 shown in Figure 4 . Then execute the sixth step of the solution of the present invention, referring to Figure 5 , take out the installation box cover 40 from between the first filter element unit 10 and the second filter element unit 20.

[0084] Refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , perform the seventh step of lifting the second end cap 19 of the first filter element unit 10 by a distance, such as 2 mm, so that the bottom of the first filter element unit 10 crosses the locking boss 33 ( Figure 7 shown), and then refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 , and move the first filter element unit 10 along the axial direction away from the area of the housing that receives the first end cap 18 by a distance, such as 11 mm, so that the groove 15 disengages from the protrusion 37, and the hook-shaped member 39 disengages from the window 16 (simultaneously refer to Figure 9 and Figure 5 for easy understanding of this step), thereby removing the first filter element unit 10 from the internal space of the housing 30 ( Figure 10 the removed state is shown in); the eighth step is to remove the second filter element unit 20 in the same manner as the seventh step.

[0085] The air filter of the present invention can be applied to various occasions, for example, it can be installed in the engine compartment of a vehicle.

[0086] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present application and are not used to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, various changes and modifications can be made to the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A filter element unit for an air filter, the filter element unit being adapted to be installed in a housing (30) of the air filter, characterized in that, The filter element unit includes: One or more filter element bodies (17) made of filter material, each of the filter element bodies (17) including a hollow cylindrical structure extending along an axial direction and having a first end and a second end; and A first end cap (18) provided at the first end of each of the filter element bodies (17) to support and connect the first end; Wherein, the first end cap (18) includes a sealing edge (183) surrounding the first end, the sealing edge (183) being in a parallelogram shape, and each of the four corners of the parallelogram shape being an acute angle or an obtuse angle.

2. The filter element unit for an air filter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first end cap (18) has an end cap base (181), and one or more through holes (182) are formed in the end cap base (181), each of the through holes (182) being respectively communicated with the hollow interior of a corresponding one of the filter element bodies (17); Wherein, the sealing edge (183) extends away from the filter element body (17) along the axial direction of the filter element body (17) from the surface of the end cap base (181), and the sealing edge (183) has a closed annular shape to surround all the through holes (182).

3. The filter element unit for an air filter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first end cap (18) has a sealing ring (184), the sealing ring (184) being an integral structure including a first sealing portion and a second sealing portion extending radially and perpendicularly from the first sealing portion, the first sealing portion being fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the sealing edge (183), and the second sealing portion being fixed to the surface of the end cap base (181).

4. The filter element unit for an air filter according to claim 3, characterized in that, A first protrusion (185) having a toothed cross-section is formed on the first sealing portion, and the first protrusion (185) is inclined as a whole in the direction of the end cap base (181).

5. The filter element unit for an air filter according to claim 4, characterized in that, A second protrusion (186) having a semi-circular cross-section is formed on the second sealing portion, and the second protrusion (186) protrudes in the direction away from the end cap base (181).

6. The filter element unit for an air filter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The filter element unit includes a second end cap (19) provided at the second end of each of the filter element bodies (17) to support and connect the second end; Wherein, the first end cap (18) is open to communicate with a circulation port of the air filter for outputting filtered clean air, so as to convey the clean air to the circulation port via the first end cap (18), and the second end cap (19) is closed.

7. The filter element unit for an air filter according to claim 6, characterized in that A groove (15) is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the first end cap (18), Wherein, a protrusion (37) is provided at a position of the housing (30) corresponding to the groove (15), and the shape of the groove (15) is configured to match the shape of the protrusion (37) for positioning the filter element unit.

8. The filter element unit for an air filter according to claim 7, characterized in that A window (16) is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the second end cap (19). Wherein, a hook-shaped member (39) is provided at a position of the housing (30) corresponding to the window (16), and the shape of the window (16) is configured to match the shape of the hook-shaped member (39) for fixing the filter element unit.

9. The filter element unit for an air filter according to claim 8, wherein In terms of the axial direction of the filter element body (17), the positions of the grooves (15) and the window (16) are aligned with each other.

10. The filter element unit for an air filter according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The filter element unit includes four filter element bodies, and the shape of each filter element body (17) is the same. Four through holes (182) are formed on the end cap base (181), and the four through holes (182) are respectively communicated with the hollow interiors of the four filter element bodies (17). A plurality of reinforcing ribs (187) extending from the center of the end cap base (181) to the sealing edge (183) are formed on the surface of the end cap base (181), and the reinforcing ribs are located in the area between the four through holes (182).

11. An air filter, the air filter comprising a housing (30), characterized in that, The air filter further includes one or more filter element units for an air filter according to any one of claims 1 to 10 installed in the housing (30).

Images