Oil bath type air filter and engine air inlet system

Abstract

The invention discloses an oil bath type air filter and an engine air intake system.The oil bath type air filter comprises a machine shell and a filter assembly, a cavity is formed in the machine shell and divided into an oil filter area and a filter element filter area from bottom to top, and the oil filter area is filled with filter oil; the filter assembly is arranged in the filter element filtering area, the side, close to the oil filtering area, of the filter assembly extends towards the oil filtering area to form a desliming part, and the multiple desliming parts are continuously arranged in a matrix mode; the oil sludge in the air penetrating through the filtering assembly can be blocked by the desliming part and slides to the oil filtering area under the action of gravity. According to the oil bath type air filter, the technical problem that normal use of an automobile is affected due to the fact that a filter element in an existing oil bath type air filter pollutes the environment during maintenance and is inconvenient to maintain can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of engine air intake systems, and in particular to an oil bath air filter and an engine air intake system. Background Art

[0002] The air filter is a crucial component of the engine's air intake system. Installed in the engine compartment near the air intake, its primary function is to filter impurities such as dust and sand from the air, ensuring clean air entering the engine and ensuring proper engine operation. The more common oil-bath air filter operates by allowing dust-laden air to impact the oil pool, trapping impurities in the oil. The filter then passes through the filter element, further absorbing any remaining particles. The cleaned air is then delivered to the engine.

[0003] However, the filter elements of existing oil-bath air filters used in engineering vehicles typically consist of multiple layers of metal screens. After being filtered through the oil, the air carries along oil sludge, which is then filtered through the metal screens. During this process, the sludge is continuously adsorbed into the metal screens, resulting in increasing air flow resistance. This necessitates regular maintenance of the metal screens, which takes a long time and causes inconvenience to the normal use of the vehicle. Therefore, providing an oil-bath air filter with an alternative filter element structure that can extend or even eliminate maintenance would be crucial for resolving the aforementioned technical issues. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an oil bath air filter and an engine air intake system. The filter element of the oil bath air filter adopts a new structure. The filter element of this structural form can minimize the oil sludge adsorbed on the filter element, so that the maintenance time of the filter element is extended or even maintenance-free, thereby solving the technical problem that the existing oil bath air filter requires regular maintenance and affects the normal use of the car.

[0005] In order to achieve the above technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: In a first aspect, the present invention provides an oil bath air filter, comprising: The housing has a cavity therein, the cavity being divided from bottom to top into an oil filter area and a filter element filter area, the oil filter area being filled with filter oil; A filter assembly is arranged in the filter area of ​​the filter element. The side of the filter assembly close to the oil filter area extends toward the oil filter area to form a demudification portion. Multiple demudification portions are arranged continuously in a matrix. The oil sludge in the air passing through the filter assembly will be blocked by the demudification portion and slide into the oil filter area under the action of gravity.

[0006] In some embodiments, the desludging portion is an inverted cone-shaped structure.

[0007] In some embodiments, the filter assembly includes a filter body and an inverted cone, the filter body is arranged in the filter area of ​​the filter element and is connected to the side wall of the cavity, the inverted cone is arranged on the side of the filter body close to the oil filter area and has a smooth outer surface, and the end of the inverted cone close to the filter body and the filter body are both provided with a plurality of the air outlet holes.

[0008] In some embodiments, the filter body and the inverted cone are an integral structure formed by injection molding.

[0009] In some embodiments, the housing includes a first shell and a second shell, wherein the first shell and the second shell are box structures with one end open, and the two open ends of the first shell and the second shell are detachably connected.

[0010] In some embodiments, the interior space of the first shell constitutes the oil filter area, a portion of the interior space of the second shell constitutes the filter element filter area, and the filter assembly is disposed on the inner side wall of the second shell.

[0011] In some embodiments, the inner space of the second shell above the filter assembly forms a clean air zone, and an outlet is opened on the top of the second shell, and the outlet is connected to the clean air zone.

[0012] In some embodiments, an inlet is further provided on the top of the second shell, the inlet is connected to an external air intake pipe, and an outlet end of the external air intake pipe is in contact with the oil surface of the filtered oil.

[0013] In some embodiments, an alarm component is further included, which includes a liquid level sensor and an alarm. The sensing end of the liquid level sensor faces the oil filter area, and the alarm is connected to the liquid level sensor signal.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an engine air intake system, which includes the oil bath air filter described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention mainly include: The oil bath air filter provided by the present invention has a desludging portion formed on one side of the filter assembly close to the oil filter area, and a plurality of the desludging portions are continuously arranged in a matrix. With such an arrangement, when the oil sludge in the air flowing from the oil filter area to the filter element filter area collides with the desludging portion, it will slide to the oil filter area under the action of gravity, thereby minimizing the oil sludge adsorbed at the air outlet, thereby extending the maintenance time of the air filter or even eliminating the need for maintenance, thereby not affecting the normal use of the car and improving the use efficiency of the car. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the oil bath air filter of the present invention.

[0017] Description of reference numerals: 1. Casing, 11. First shell, 12. Second shell, 121. Outlet, 122. Inlet; 2. Filter assembly, 201, air outlet, 21, filter body, 22, inverted cone; 3. Liquid level sensor; 4. External air intake duct. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0019] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the invention.

[0020] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; and direct or indirect connections through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0021] Existing oil-bath air filters used on engineering vehicles mostly have filter elements composed of multiple layers of metal filter screens, which are costly and heavy. Furthermore, oil sludge will be adsorbed in the metal screens, resulting in increasing air flow resistance, requiring regular maintenance of the metal screens. However, prolonged maintenance can affect the normal use of the vehicle. Furthermore, as the vehicle ages, more and more dust accumulates in the oil chamber, depositing at the bottom of the oil chamber and causing the oil level to rise. Oil-bath air filters require the oil level to be maintained at a certain level, requiring frequent cleaning of the sludge. However, with existing air filter structures, it is impossible to predict the timing of cleaning. Maintenance performed too early is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and wastes engine oil. Maintenance performed too late can reduce the filtration efficiency of the air filter, and can even lead to oil loss, causing the next-stage intake system to fail and damaging the engine.

[0022] In view of the shortcomings of the above-mentioned existing oil bath air filter, the present invention provides an oil bath air filter and an engine intake system. Figure 1 As shown, in the first aspect, the present invention relates to an oil bath air filter, comprising a casing 1 and a filter assembly 2, wherein the casing 1 has a cavity inside, and the cavity is divided into an oil filter area and a filter element filter area from bottom to top, and the oil filter area is filled with filtered oil; the filter assembly 2 is arranged in the filter element filter area, and the filter assembly 2 is formed with a plurality of air outlet holes 201, and the side of the filter assembly 2 close to the oil filter area extends toward the oil filter area to form a desludging portion, and the plurality of desludging portions are continuously arranged in a matrix, and the oil sludge in the air passing through the filter assembly 2 will be blocked by the desludging portion and slide into the oil filter area under the action of gravity.

[0023] The oil bath air filter provided by the present invention adopts a filter element with a new structure. Specifically, a desludging portion is formed on the side of the filter component 2 close to the oil filter area and extends in the direction close to the oil filter area, and multiple desludging portions are arranged continuously in a matrix. In this way, when the oil sludge in the air flowing from the oil filter area to the filter element filter area collides with the desludging portion, it will slide back to the oil filter area under the action of gravity, thereby minimizing the oil sludge adsorbed at the air outlet 201 and ensuring that the air passes through the air outlet 201 smoothly, thereby extending the maintenance time of the air filter or even eliminating the need for maintenance, adding convenience to the use of the car and improving the efficiency of car use.

[0024] In the above technical solution, the desludging section is formed by a protrusion on the side of the filter assembly 2 near the oil filter area, extending away from the oil filter area toward the oil filter area. Its outer surface is required to be smooth to reduce friction on the outer surface of the desludging section so that sludge does not adhere to the surface and slides smoothly down. The desludging section can be cylindrical, rectangular, or inverted conical in shape. However, in actual applications, it has been found that an inverted conical shape provides the best sludge removal effect. Therefore, the desludging section of the present invention preferably has an inverted conical structure.

[0025] It should be noted that the principle of desludging using an inverted cone-shaped desludging section in the present invention is based on the synergistic effect of gravity settling and structural design. The inverted cone structure, with its unique geometry of being wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, expands the settling area and allows for concentrated discharge at the bottom. The larger diameter at the top slows the fluid flow rate and prolongs particle settling time, while the smaller diameter at the bottom facilitates the aggregation and discharge of concentrated sludge. When air containing sludge from the oil filter zone collides with the desludging section, the solid particles naturally sink back to the oil filter zone under the action of gravity, and the clean, desludged air flows out through the air outlet 201.

[0026] In one embodiment, the filter assembly 2 includes a filter body 21 and an inverted cone 22. The filter body 21 is arranged in the filter area of ​​the filter element and is connected to the side wall of the cavity. The inverted cone 22 is arranged on the side of the filter body 21 close to the oil filter area and has a smooth outer surface. The end of the inverted cone 22 close to the filter body 21 and the filter body 21 are both provided with a plurality of the air outlet holes 201.

[0027] In the above technical solution, the inverted cone 22 constitutes the desludging part described in the present invention. The sludge can be removed through the inverted cone 22, so that the sludge no longer blocks the air outlet 201, ensuring that clean air flows out smoothly from the air outlet 201, thereby extending the maintenance time of the filter element or even eliminating the need for maintenance.

[0028] In one embodiment, the filter assembly 2 is made of plastic as a whole, that is, the filter body 21 and the inverted cone 22 that constitute the filter assembly 2 are both made of plastic; and the filter body 21 and the inverted cone 22 are preferably an integrated structure of injection molding, of course, they can also be formed by assembly.

[0029] Compared to existing multi-layer metal filters, the present invention's filter assembly 2 is constructed from plastic, offering advantages of reduced weight and cost. The plastic material used to construct the filter assembly 2 must balance filtration efficiency, air permeability, temperature resistance, chemical resistance, and mechanical strength. Commonly used materials include PP (polypropylene), PET (polyester), PU (polyurethane), PA (nylon), and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). These materials provide excellent support when oil droplets adhere, effectively preventing the plastic filaments from agglomerating and impacting filtration efficiency. Furthermore, these materials are lightweight, significantly reducing the weight of the filter assembly 2.

[0030] It is understandable that the honeycomb pores existing in the filter body 21 and the inverted cone 22 of the filter assembly 2 made of the above-mentioned plastic material form the air outlet 201 of the filter assembly 2 .

[0031] In one embodiment, the housing 1 includes a first shell 11 and a second shell 12 . The first shell 11 and the second shell 12 are box structures with one end open. The two open ends of the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 are detachably connected.

[0032] In one embodiment, the interior space of the first shell 11 constitutes the oil filter area, a portion of the interior space of the second shell 12 constitutes the filter element filter area, and the filter assembly 2 is disposed on the inner wall of the second shell 12 .

[0033] In one embodiment, the internal space of the second shell 12 above the filter assembly 2 is a clean air zone, and an outlet 121 is provided on the top of the second shell 12 , which is connected to the clean air zone.

[0034] The clean air filtered by the filter assembly 2 enters the clean air zone through the air outlet 201, and then enters the next-level air intake device through the outlet 121 from the clean air zone; wherein the number and aperture size of the air outlet 201 can be designed according to the requirements of flow rate and resistance.

[0035] In one embodiment, an inlet 122 is further provided on the top of the second shell 12 , and the inlet 122 is connected to the external air intake pipe 4 , and the outlet end of the external air intake pipe 4 is in contact with the oil surface of the filtered oil.

[0036] During operation, dirty air impacts the filtered oil in the oil filter area through the external air intake pipe 4. The air after oil filtration will carry oil sludge and collide with the inverted cone 22 of the filter assembly 2. The oil sludge will not adhere to the inverted cone 22 and fall back to the oil filter area under the action of gravity, while the clean air enters the clean air area through the air outlet 201, and then enters the next level of air intake device through the outlet 121.

[0037] After working for a period of time, as more and more sludge falls off the inverted cone 22 and returns to the oil filter area, it is deposited at the bottom of the oil, causing the liquid level of the filtered oil to rise. For the oil bath air filter, the liquid level of the filtered oil it contains needs to be maintained at a certain height. Therefore, the present invention is provided with an alarm component for monitoring the height of the filtered oil liquid level. When the liquid level reaches the designed upper limit of the liquid level, the alarm component alarms to prompt the user to maintain the oil chamber, thereby realizing precise control of the maintenance timing and better protecting the engine.

[0038] In one embodiment, the alarm component includes a liquid level sensor 3 and an alarm. The sensing end of the liquid level sensor 3 faces the oil filter area. The sensing end of the liquid level sensor 3 should be set at the design upper limit of the filtered oil level in the oil bath air filter. The alarm can be set in the cab. The alarm is connected to the liquid level sensor 3 signal. When the liquid level of the filtered oil reaches the design upper limit, that is, when it touches the sensing end of the liquid level sensor 3, the liquid level sensor 3 transmits a signal to the alarm. The alarm warns people that it is time to maintain the oil chamber, thereby achieving the purpose of accurately controlling the timing of oil chamber maintenance.

[0039] In one embodiment, the alarm is an audible alarm, a flashing light alarm, or a fault indication displayed on a display screen.

[0040] In one embodiment, a fan is further provided in the external air intake duct 4 at the inlet 122, and the diameter of the fan matches the diameter of the external air intake duct 4; the setting of the fan here can increase the pressure of the air entering the oil chamber, and can blow up the oil droplets in the filter oil layer, thereby greatly increasing the contact area between the air and the filter oil layer, and effectively improving the adsorption performance of the filter oil layer on dust in the air, which can not only effectively reduce the filtering burden of the second-stage filtering structure (that is, the filter component 2 of the present invention) and improve work efficiency, but also greatly reduce the air suction force of the fuel engine, reduce air resistance, and help improve the efficiency of the engine.

[0041] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides an engine air intake system, which includes the oil bath air filter provided in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0042] The working principle of the oil bath air filter provided by the present invention is as follows: During operation, dirty air impacts the filtered oil in the oil filter area through the external air intake pipe 4. The air after oil filtration will carry oil sludge and collide with the inverted cone 22 of the filter assembly 2. Due to the special geometric shape of the inverted cone 22, the oil sludge will not adhere to the inverted cone 22 and will fall back to the oil filter area under the action of gravity. The clean air enters the clean air area through the air outlet 201 and then enters the next stage of the air intake device through the outlet 121. After the air filter has been working for a period of time, more and more sludge is deposited in the oil filter area, causing the liquid level of the filtered oil to rise. When the filtered oil level reaches the designed upper limit, the liquid level sensor 3 senses the oil and transmits a signal to the alarm, which can prompt the user to maintain the oil chamber.

[0043] In summary, the oil bath air filter and engine intake system provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects: 1. The filter element (filter assembly 2) of the present invention adopts an integrated structure of plastic material. Compared with the existing multi-layer metal filter structure, the present invention has the advantages of light weight and low cost; 2. The present invention enables the sludge to slide back into the oil filter area through the desludging portion (inverted cone 22), thereby minimizing the amount of sludge adsorbed on the air outlet 201, thereby extending the maintenance time of the air filter or even eliminating the need for maintenance. This also reduces or even avoids the risk of environmental pollution caused by the contaminated oil soaking the filter assembly being poured out. Compared with the prior art, the present invention brings greater convenience to automobile use. 3. The present invention can accurately monitor the liquid level of the filtered oil in the oil chamber through the liquid level sensor 3. Once the liquid level reaches the designed upper limit, the liquid level sensor 3 will transmit a signal to the alarm, which reminds people that it is time to maintain the oil chamber. Compared with the existing technology, the timing of cleaning can be accurately controlled to avoid oil droplets entering the second-stage filter structure (filter component 2) due to untimely maintenance, which increases the burden on the second filter structure.

[0044] The specific embodiments of the present invention described above do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made based on the technical concept of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An oil bath air filter, characterized in that: include: The housing has a cavity therein, the cavity being divided from bottom to top into an oil filter area and a filter element filter area, the oil filter area being filled with filter oil; A filter assembly is arranged in the filter area of ​​the filter element. The side of the filter assembly close to the oil filter area extends toward the oil filter area to form a demudification portion. Multiple demudification portions are arranged continuously in a matrix. The oil sludge in the air passing through the filter assembly will be blocked by the demudification portion and slide into the oil filter area under the action of gravity.

2. The oil bath air filter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The desludging portion is an inverted cone structure.

3. The oil bath air filter according to claim 2, characterized in that: The filter assembly includes a filter body and an inverted cone. The filter body is arranged in the filter area of ​​the filter element and is connected to the side wall of the cavity. The inverted cone is arranged on the side of the filter body close to the oil filter area and has a smooth outer surface. The end of the inverted cone close to the filter body and the filter body are both provided with a plurality of the air outlet holes.

4. The oil bath air filter according to claim 3, characterized in that: The filter body and the inverted cone are an integrated structure formed by injection molding.

5. The oil bath air filter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing includes a first shell and a second shell. The first shell and the second shell are box structures with one end open. The two open ends of the first shell and the second shell are detachably connected.

6. The oil bath air cleaner according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inner space of the first shell constitutes the oil filter area, a part of the inner space of the second shell constitutes the filter element filter area, and the filter assembly is arranged on the inner side wall of the second shell.

7. The oil bath air filter according to claim 6, characterized in that: The inner space of the second shell above the filter assembly forms a clean air zone. An outlet is provided on the top of the second shell, and the outlet is communicated with the clean air zone.

8. The oil bath air cleaner according to claim 7, characterized in that: The top of the second shell is further provided with an inlet, which is connected to an external air intake pipe, and an outlet end of the external air intake pipe is in contact with the oil surface of the filtered oil.

9. The oil bath air cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an alarm component, which includes a liquid level sensor and an alarm. The sensing end of the liquid level sensor faces the oil filter area, and the alarm is connected to the liquid level sensor signal.

10. An engine air intake system, characterized in that: The engine air intake system includes the oil bath air filter according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images