Plate filter element with a wave-shaped or zigzag-shaped seal and filter device

Abstract

Plate filter element (1) for an air conditioning system or for a fresh air system of an internal combustion engine (20), - with a plate-shaped, rectangular filter body (2) made of pleated filter material, which has several pleats (3) that either extend parallel to a filter transverse direction (4) and are arranged next to each other in a filter longitudinal direction (5) or extend parallel to a filter longitudinal direction (5) and are arranged next to each other in a filter transverse direction (4), - with a closed circumferential seal (6) made of a sealing material attached to the filter body (2), which has two longitudinal sections (7) extending in the filter longitudinal direction (5) and two transverse sections (8) extending in the filter transverse direction (4), - wherein the seal (6) is arranged on an upstream side of the plate filter element (1) or on an downstream side of the plate filter element (1) on the filter body (2), characterized in that - that the seal (6) is made of polyurethane, - that at least one compression section (9) is formed on each of the longitudinal sections (7) in which the seal (6) extends in a wave-like or zigzag shape, so that the plate filter element (1) can be compressed or stretched in the filter longitudinal direction (5) when installed in a filter housing.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a plate filter element according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention further relates to a filter device comprising such a plate filter element.

[0002] A plate filter element of this type is known from DE 10 2010 013 120 A1. It has a plate-shaped, rectangular filter body made of pleated filter material. The filter body has several pleats that either extend parallel to a filter transverse direction and are arranged side by side in a filter longitudinal direction, or extend parallel to a filter longitudinal direction and are arranged side by side in a filter transverse direction. A continuous, circumferential seal made of a sealing material is attached to the filter body. This seal has two longitudinal sections extending in the filter longitudinal direction and two transverse sections extending in the filter transverse direction. The seal is located on the filter body at either the upstream or downstream side of the plate filter element. In the known plate filter element, the seal is designed as a paper seal.

[0003] From US patent 2016 / 0263514A1, a plate filter element is known whose filter body is designed on one of its longitudinal sides as a corrugated compression section in which a polyurethane seal extends in a corrugated shape. Further relevant prior art is taught by EP 1254694A1.

[0004] A conventional plate filter element consists of a plate-shaped filter body made of pleated filter material. The filter body has multiple pleats extending parallel to a transverse direction and arranged side-by-side along the longitudinal direction of the filter. Due to the pleat arrangement, the filter body exhibits low resistance to deformation along its length. If the plate filter element has a polyurethane (PUR) seal, this seal often shrinks after the polyurethane casting process. This causes the plate filter element to compress along its length, reducing its overall length. Therefore, the plate filter element is dimensioned during manufacturing so that, even after shrinkage, it remains longer than the plate filter element recess provided in a filter housing.This is disadvantageous because several adjustment steps are usually necessary after manufacturing until the plate filter element reaches the desired length. Furthermore, it must be considered that the extent of shrinkage depends on several time-varying factors, such as the temperature or humidity to which the plate filter element is exposed at the time of manufacture. Accordingly, large tolerances must be factored in when dimensioning the plate filter element. It must also be taken into account that the plate filter element continues to shrink with age, which further reduces its length even after manufacturing.If shrinkage results in the plate filter element being too short, the unfiltered side is no longer completely separated from the clean side within the filter housing. This inevitably leads to leakage, as contaminated air can flow from the unfiltered side to the clean side without passing through the plate filter element. A PUR seal, also commonly referred to as a PU seal, is a seal made of polyurethane. A PUR casting, also commonly referred to as a PU casting, is a polyurethane casting process frequently used for the mass production of polyurethane components.

[0005] The present invention therefore deals with the problem of providing an improved or at least alternative embodiment for a plate filter element of the generic type, which in particular overcomes the disadvantages known from the prior art.

[0006] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0007] The present invention is based on the general idea of ​​providing a plate filter element, in particular a plate filter element for an air conditioning system or for a fresh air system of an internal combustion engine, with a plate-shaped filter body made of pleated filter material, which has several pleats extending parallel to a filter transverse direction and arranged next to each other in a filter longitudinal direction, and with a closed circumferential seal made of a sealing material attached to the filter body, which has two longitudinal sections extending in the filter longitudinal direction and two transverse sections extending in the filter transverse direction, in which at least one compression section is formed on each of the longitudinal sections, in which the seal extends in a wave-like or zigzag shape.It is also conceivable that the pleats of the filter body extend parallel to the filter's longitudinal direction and are arranged side by side in the filter's transverse direction. It is advantageous for the compression section to be formed on the longer side of the plate filter element. If the transverse section is longer than the longitudinal section, the compression section is formed on the transverse section; if the longitudinal section is longer than the transverse section, the compression section is formed on the longitudinal section. The compression section of the seal allows the plate filter element to be compressed or stretched in the filter's longitudinal direction during installation in a filter housing. This is advantageous because it eliminates the need for costly post-processing of the plate filter element, which is manufactured with tolerances.The plate filter element according to the invention can be compressed or stretched in the longitudinal direction of the filter as necessary to ensure that the plate filter element can be tightly mounted in the filter housing, so that the plate filter element ideally completely separates a raw side from a clean side within the filter housing.

[0008] The compression section also forms a type of resistance that counteracts shrinkage of the plate filter element. The seal used here is preferably designed as a radial seal, comprising a radially inner sealing surface facing the filter body and a radially outer sealing surface facing away from the filter body. In the installed state, these inner and outer sealing surfaces are in contact with corresponding sealing surfaces on a housing of the filter device. Optionally, this seal can also have at least one axial lower sealing surface and / or one upper sealing surface. Advantageously, the seal can have a circumferential rib on which the inner and outer sealing surfaces are formed. The inner and outer sealing surfaces follow the waves or teeth and are preferably substantially equidistant from each other along the circumference of the seal.

[0009] One possible embodiment proposes that the waves of the waveform or the teeth of the zigzag shape deviate in the filter's transverse direction from a straight line running parallel to the filter's longitudinal direction. This straight line connects the ends of the two transverse sections at a longitudinal edge of the filter body.

[0010] Another possible embodiment suggests that the waves or the spikes deviate only outwards from said straight line.

[0011] It may also be advantageous to provide that outwardly directed waves or spikes project outwards beyond said straight line, while inwardly directed waves or spikes end at said straight line.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the compression section can extend over the entire longitudinal section. This is advantageous because it allows the plate filter element to be compressed or stretched significantly in the filter's longitudinal direction, thus permitting very large manufacturing tolerances. Even if the actual length of the plate filter element is significantly greater or less than the target length, the compression section extending over the entire longitudinal section allows the plate filter element to be compressed or stretched from the actual length to the target length. Furthermore, if the compression section extends over the entire longitudinal section, it ensures a more stable fit of the plate filter element in the filter housing than if the compression section only extends over a portion of the longitudinal section.

[0013] In an alternative embodiment, the respective compression section may extend only over a portion of the longitudinal section. For example, it is conceivable that the respective compression section extends over only about one-third of the longitudinal section. The respective compression section may also extend over a larger portion of the longitudinal section, e.g., over 50% or 70% of its length. The respective compression section may be adjacent to one of the transverse sections or positioned at a distance from both transverse sections in the center of the longitudinal section.

[0014] It may also be advantageous to provide that each longitudinal section transitions into its respective transverse section via a straight end running parallel to the filter's longitudinal direction. The respective compression section transitions into the straight end of the respective longitudinal section, and the respective longitudinal section transitions into its respective transverse section via the straight end.

[0015] Advantageously, the respective transverse section can be provided to run in a straight line, parallel to the filter's transverse direction. The transverse section and the longitudinal section are preferably at right angles to each other, resulting in a rectangular basic shape for the seal arranged on the filter body. It is not outside the scope of the present invention if the plate filter element does not have a rectangular basic shape. It is conceivable that the transverse section and the longitudinal section are not at right angles to each other, but rather that the plate filter element has at least one obliquely cut corner. In this case, the longitudinal section transitions into a corner section, and the corner section transitions into the transverse section, with the corner section being, for example, at a 45° angle to the filter's transverse direction.It may also be advantageous to provide that the seal is arranged on an upstream side of the plate filter element or on an downstream side of the plate filter element on the filter body.

[0016] In a further embodiment of the invention, the seal can be arranged along a circumferential edge of the filter body. The filter body is adapted to the filter housing in such a way that it completely separates the raw side from the clean side, with the seal preventing any potential leaks at the edges of the filter body.

[0017] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the seal can be injection-molded or foamed onto the filter body. Foaming the seal onto the filter body is advantageous because it eliminates the need to glue or otherwise attach the seal to the filter body in a separate assembly step. The adhesive-free application of the foaming or injection molding process thus reduces the labor required to attach the seal to the filter body.

[0018] Another possible embodiment proposes that the seal be made of polyurethane (PU). The filter body can be made of different materials, and it is necessary that the seal can be attached to these different materials. Accordingly, it is advantageous if the seal is made of PU, since PU adheres very well to many different materials. Furthermore, it is advantageous that a PU seal is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

[0019] The plate filter element of the type described above is used particularly in a filter unit for an air conditioning system or for the fresh air system of an internal combustion engine. The plate filter element is arranged in a filter housing such that it ideally completely separates a raw side from a clean side within the housing. The filter housing has a sealing receptacle that runs completely around the entire housing, into which the seal located on the filter body engages when the plate filter element is installed in the housing. For this to work, the sealing receptacle must be shaped to be complementary to the seal.

[0020] An advantageous embodiment proposes that the seal receptacle has a complementary wave-shaped or zigzag-shaped receiving section for each compression section of the seal. Analogous to the respective compression section of the seal, the receiving section can extend over the entire length of the seal receptacle. It is equally conceivable that the receiving section extends over only a portion of the length of the seal receptacle.

[0021] Further important features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the drawings and the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

[0022] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combination specified, but also in other combinations or on their own, without leaving the scope of the present invention.

[0023] Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar or functionally identical components.

[0024] They show, each schematically Fig. 1 an isometric view of a plate filter element according to the invention with a zigzag-shaped seal, Fig. 2 a top view of the plate filter element according to the invention with corrugated seal, Fig. 3 an isometric view of the plate filter element according to the invention with a seal that is partially corrugated, Fig. 4 an isometric view of the plate filter element according to the invention with a seal formed in a wave-like shape in the middle area, Fig. 5 an isometric view of part of a filter housing with a wave-shaped recording section.

[0025] According to the Fig. In Figure 1, a plate filter element 1 comprises a plate-shaped filter body 2. The filter body 2 is formed from pleated filter material and has several pleats 3 which, in the example shown here, extend parallel to a filter transverse direction 4 and are arranged side by side in a filter longitudinal direction 5. Alternatively, an embodiment is also possible in which the pleats 3 extend parallel to the filter longitudinal direction 5 and are arranged side by side in the filter transverse direction 4. The following descriptions are based on the illustrated embodiments with pleats 3 extending parallel to the filter transverse direction 4, but can be applied analogously to embodiments with pleats 3 extending parallel to the filter longitudinal direction 5. Regardless of the orientation of the pleats 3, whether parallel or transverse to the longitudinal direction 5, the filter element 1 is dimensioned larger in the longitudinal direction 5 than in the transverse direction 4.Likewise, an embodiment is conceivable in which the filter element 1 is dimensioned larger in the transverse direction 4 than in the longitudinal direction 5.

[0026] A seal 6 made of a sealing material is attached to the filter body 2, completely enclosing the filter body 2. The seal 6 has two longitudinal sections 7 extending in the longitudinal direction 5 of the filter and two transverse sections 8 extending in the transverse direction 4 of the filter. The in Fig. The few folds 3 shown in Figure 1 are merely examples; the filter body 2 has folds 3 arranged side by side along the entire longitudinal direction 5 of the filter in the area from one transverse section 8 to the opposite transverse section 8.

[0027] The seal 6 is equipped with a radially acting inner sealing surface 21, which faces the filter body 2 and runs continuously around the entire length of the seal 6. The seal 6 is also equipped with a radially acting outer sealing surface 22, which faces away from the filter body 2 and runs continuously around the entire length of the seal 6.

[0028] As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 1, the longitudinal sections 7 each have a compression section 9 in which the seal 6 extends in a zigzag shape. Alternatively, the seal 6 can be arranged in the respective compression section 9 according to the Fig. 2 to 4 extend in a wave-like shape. The explanation below regarding the wave-shaped variant also applies accordingly to the zigzag shape. Preferably, in the compression section 9, the inner sealing surface 21 and the outer sealing surface 22 follow the wave-shaped or zigzag shape, respectively.

[0029] According to the Fig. 2. The waves 10 of the waveform deviate in the filter transverse direction 4 from a straight line 11 running parallel to the filter longitudinal direction 5, with the straight line 11 connecting the ends of the two transverse sections 8 at a longitudinal side edge 12 of the filter body 2. The waves 10 deviate from the straight line 11 only outwards. Outwardly directed waves 10 project beyond the straight line 11, while inwardly directed waves 10 terminate at the straight line 11. The waves 10 of the waveform are to be understood as an example; it is also possible that the zigzag shape's teeth 13 deviate from the straight line 11 or terminate at the straight line 11 in the manner described above.

[0030] It is conceivable that the respective compression section 9 extends over the entire longitudinal section 7 (cf. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) or that the respective compression section 9 extends only over a part of the longitudinal section 7 (cf. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) If the respective compression section 9 extends only over a part of the longitudinal section 7, it is possible that the respective compression section 9 borders one of the transverse sections 8 (cf. Fig. 3) or that the respective compression section 9 is formed centrally on the longitudinal section 7, spaced apart from the two transverse sections 8 (cf. Fig. 4) The ratio of the length of the respective compression section 9 to the length of the longitudinal section 7 is to be understood as an example; it is equally conceivable that the length of the respective compression section 9 corresponds almost to the length of the longitudinal section 7 or that the length of the respective compression section 9 corresponds only about 20% to the length of the longitudinal section 7.

[0031] The respective longitudinal section 7 transitions via a straight end 14, running parallel to the filter longitudinal direction 5, into the respective transverse section 8, the respective transverse section 8 running straight, parallel to the filter transverse direction 4. The in the Fig. 3 and Fig. The arrangement of the respective compression section 9 shown in Figure 4 is to be understood as an example.

[0032] The seal 6 is arranged on an upstream side or on an downstream side of the plate filter element 1 at a rim 15 surrounding the filter body 2. The seal 6 may be injection-molded or foamed onto the filter body 2 and may be made of polyurethane (PU). The filter body 2 has a rectangular shape, although it is conceivable that the filter body 2 could be nearly square.

[0033] The plate filter element 1 is arranged in a filter housing 16, wherein the plate filter element 1 separates a raw side from a clean side in the filter housing 16.

[0034] According to the Fig. 5 The filter housing 16 has a sealing receptacle 17 that completely surrounds the filter housing 16, into which the seal 6 engages during the assembly of the plate filter element 1, the sealing receptacle 17 being shaped complementarily to the seal 6. The sealing receptacle 17 has a correspondingly shaped, wave-shaped or zigzag-shaped receiving section 18 for each compression section 9 of the seal 6. The receiving section 18 is arranged centrally in Fig. 5 is merely an example.

[0035] A filter device 19, not shown in the figures, with a plate filter element 1 of the type described above, is used in particular for an air conditioning system or for a fresh air system of an internal combustion engine 20, which is also not shown in the figures.

Claims

[1] Plate filter element (1) for an air conditioning system or for a fresh air system of an internal combustion engine (20), - with a plate-shaped, rectangular filter body (2) made of pleated filter material, which has several pleats (3) that either extend parallel to a filter transverse direction (4) and are arranged next to each other in a filter longitudinal direction (5) or extend parallel to a filter longitudinal direction (5) and are arranged next to each other in a filter transverse direction (4), - with a closed circumferential seal (6) made of a sealing material attached to the filter body (2), which has two longitudinal sections (7) extending in the filter longitudinal direction (5) and two transverse sections (8) extending in the filter transverse direction (4), - wherein the seal (6) is arranged on an upstream side of the plate filter element (1) or on an downstream side of the plate filter element (1) on the filter body (2),characterized by , - that the seal (6) is made of polyurethane, - that at least one compression section (9) is formed on each of the longitudinal sections (7) in which the seal (6) extends in a wave-like or zigzag shape, so that the plate filter element (1) can be compressed or stretched in the filter longitudinal direction (5) when installed in a filter housing. [2] Plate filter element (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the waves (10) of the wave shape or the teeth (13) of the zigzag shape deviate in the filter transverse direction (4) from a straight line (11) running parallel to the filter longitudinal direction (5) which connects the ends of the two transverse sections (8) at a longitudinal side edge (12) of the filter body (2). [3] Plate filter element (1) according to claim 2, characterized by that the waves (10) or the spikes (13) deviate only outwards from said straight line (11). [4] Plate filter element (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by , that outwardly directed waves (10) or spikes (13) project outwards beyond the said straight line (11), while inwardly directed waves (10) or spikes (13) end at the said straight line (11). [5] Plate filter element (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that the respective compression section (9) extends over the entire longitudinal section (7). [6] Plate filter element (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that the respective compression section (9) extends only over a part of the longitudinal section (7). [7] Plate filter element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the respective longitudinal section (7) transitions into the respective transverse section (8) via a straight end (14) running parallel to the filter longitudinal direction (5). [8] Plate filter element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the respective transverse section (8) runs in a straight line, parallel to the filter transverse direction (4). [9] Plate filter element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the seal (6) is arranged along a circumferential edge (15) of the filter body (2) on the filter body (2). [10] Plate filter element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the seal (6) is injection molded or foamed onto the filter body (2). [11] Filter device (19) for an air conditioning system or for a fresh air system of an internal combustion engine (20), - with a plate filter element (1) according to one of the preceding claims, - with a filter housing (16) in which the plate filter element (1) is arranged and separates a raw side from a clean side, - wherein the filter housing (16) has a closed circumferential sealing receptacle (17) into which the seal (6) engages and which is shaped complementarily to the seal (6). [12] Filter device (19) according to claim 11, characterized by , that the sealing receptacle (17) has a complementary wave-shaped or zigzag-shaped receiving section (18) for each compression section (9) of the seal (6).

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