FILTER ARRANGEMENT WITH FILTER WITH SEGMENTED EDGE BAND

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a filter arrangement comprising a filter with at least two bellows or filter elements with bellows made of pleated filter medium, wherein the bellows have first and second side surfaces, wherein the bellows are provided with edge bands on their side surfaces. State of the art

[0002] Numerous solutions for filtration of fluid flows are known from the prior art. Pleated filter media are frequently used. EP 3 332 858 A1 shows a filter element with a pleated filter medium, which forms a bellows. The bellows is provided with an edge band on its lateral surfaces. The filter element can be inserted into a frame, which is often made of plastic, to ensure a secure force- or friction-locking seal between the filter element and the frame. As an alternative to a frame, a housing can also accommodate the filter element.

[0003] As shown in DE 10 2009 041 113 A1, tabs can protrude from the edge bands to improve the seal to the housing.

[0004] As in DE 10 2019 102 104 A1, the end folds of the bellows can be designed as convex, outwardly curved end folds, which improve the seal with the housing.

[0005] DE 38 34 942 A2 shows a filter device with a plurality of filter elements and at least one flexible connecting element that connects the filter elements to one another. Task

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a filter arrangement which has a housing with several chambers and a suitable filter for filtering different air streams. Technical solution

[0007] This task is solved by a filter arrangement with a filter housing with a plurality of compartments and a filter with a continuous and a segmented edge strip.

[0008] The invention relates to a filter arrangement with a filter as described below and with a filter housing for receiving the filter. The filter housing has a plurality of compartments, wherein each bellows or filter element is assigned a compartment and a respective bellows or filter element is received in a respective compartment. Instead of compartments, chambers or shafts can also be provided. Regardless of the terminology and the specific geometric design, compartments, chambers and shafts have in common that they are separated from one another by walls or webs. The bellows or filter elements located in the compartments, chambers or shafts can be flowed through by different air streams and cleaned in the process. The filter is advantageously inserted such that the edges of the filter medium of the end pleats lie on the upstream side of the filter element.This ensures particularly good sealing of the bellows to the compartments at the end folds and prevents leakage.

[0009] It has been recognized as advantageous to combine several bellows or filter elements into a single filter, thus forming a single component. Such a filter can be installed into a receiving filter housing particularly quickly and easily in a single step.

[0010] A filter element is understood here to be a bellows provided with both of its side surfaces.

[0011] The filter is used to filter several air streams and is cleaned by air flowing from an inflow side to an outflow side of the filter. The filter has at least two bellows or at least two filter elements, each with a bellows, which are formed from a pleated filter medium. The bellows have first and second side surfaces. The side surfaces are the side surfaces of the bellows that do not extend in the direction of the fold edges and are formed by the zigzag-shaped edges of the filter medium and are thus positioned at the ends of the fold edges. The bellows are provided with a continuous band on their first side surfaces and are connected to one another. If filter elements are used, these are additionally provided with a segmented edge band on their first side surface.The segmented edge band is arranged between the bellows and the continuous band. Each segmented edge band is assigned to a respective filter element and its bellows. The bellows are provided with a segmented edge band on their second side surfaces. The segmented edge band has as many segments as there are bellows. A segment of the segmented edge band is therefore attached to the second side surface of each bellows. The bellows are therefore not connected to each other at the second side surfaces. With the exception of the continuous band or edge band, the filter as a whole is also segmented or subdivided.

[0012] If at least two bellows are used instead of at least two filter elements, the continuous band can be designed as a continuous edge band.

[0013] Alternative terms for "edge band" include "side strip" or "edge strip." Edge banding is a band or strip made of a flat material.

[0014] Such edge bands serve, on the one hand, to stabilize the bellows and the filter element. On the other hand, they can seal the side surfaces of the bellows against adjacent surfaces of a filter holder. The edge bands can be attached either to the two side surfaces only. Alternatively, the edge bands can also be attached to the other surfaces in the area of ​​the end pleats.

[0015] In the first variant, several bellows are combined to form a single filter. In the second variant, several filter elements—that is, several bellows already equipped with edge bands—are combined to form a single filter.

[0016] In a specific embodiment, the filter may have three bellows or three filter elements. However, a larger number of bellows or filter elements is also conceivable.

[0017] All bellows can advantageously be designed such that each end fold, also referred to as the fold run-out, i.e. a final fold section, is convexly curved outwards, i.e. there is a curvature on the end face of the bellows. It has surprisingly been found that with such a design of the filter a high contact pressure is caused on the convexly outwardly curved end folds when a volume flow is applied to the filter. If the filter according to the invention is inserted into a filter holder, for example in a filter frame or in a filter housing, and the convexly outwardly curved end folds come into contact with a wall of the filter holder, a good sealing effect is achieved due to the high contact pressure and bypasses in the region of the convexly outwardly curved end folds can be avoided or at least greatly reduced.

[0018] In In a particularly advantageous refinement of the filter, the edges of the filter medium of all end pleats, which extend parallel to the pleat edges, are all oriented toward one side of the filter element, i.e., either toward the upstream or downstream side. Orientation toward the upstream side is preferred, as this enables the previously described low-leakage or leak-free arrangement of the convex end pleats.

[0019] In In an advantageous embodiment, at least one tab is attached to the continuous band and / or the segmented edge band. The tab can be designed as a sealing tab and / or as a pull-out tab.

[0020] The sealing tab can be attached to the continuous band and / or the segmented edge band and provides a better seal with the housing. The pull tab can be attached to the continuous band and allows for easier gripping and removal of the filter.

[0021] The at least one tab can be made of the same material as the band or edge band. A one-piece design of the tab with the band or edge band is also conceivable. These variants are particularly advantageous from a manufacturing perspective.

[0022] It is particularly advantageous if the bellows are made of nonwoven fabric, as nonwoven fabric is a lightweight material with good filtration and manufacturing properties. The continuous band and edge bands can also be made of nonwoven fabric.

[0023] In order to attach the continuous band to the filter elements and the edge bands to the bellows, these can be glued together, for example with a hot-melt adhesive.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment, the bellows are spaced apart from one another when assembled, meaning that the end folds do not lie flat against one another, but rather there is a gap between each two adjacent bellows and their segments of the segmented edge band. This gap is small, particularly in the range of 0.1 to 10 millimeters. The walls or webs of compartments, chambers, or shafts of the filter housing engage in this gap.

[0025] The filter arrangement according to the invention can be used in particular as an interior air filter in vehicles, such as cars, passenger cars, commercial vehicles, buses, trains or ships or their air conditioning systems.

[0026] With regard to further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the invention in terms of construction and functionality, reference is made to the dependent claims and the description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0027] The described invention and the described advantageous developments of the invention also represent advantageous developments of the invention in combination with one another - insofar as this is technically reasonable. Example

[0028] The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Corresponding elements and components are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures. For the sake of clarity, the figures have not been drawn to scale.

[0029] They show in schematic representation Fig. 1 a filter according to the prior art Fig. 2a a filter in a first view Fig. 2b a filter in a second view Fig. 3 a filter arrangement in a roughly schematic sectional view Fig. 4a a variant with three filter elements Fig. 4b a variant with three bellows

[0030] Fig. 1 shows a filter 10 with a bellows 11 according to the prior art. The bellows 11 is formed by a pleated filter medium 7 provided with folds and has two end folds 14. By providing the plurality of folds, the filtration area of ​​the filter 10 can be increased. On its two side surfaces 16 that do not extend in the direction of the folds, the filter 10 is provided with an edge band 12. Such a filter 10 can be inserted into a housing 9 (not shown here). To clean a fluid, the fluid flows in the flow direction L through the filter medium 7 of the filter 10.

[0031] Fig. 2a shows a filter 10 in a first view. The filter 10 has three bellows 1 made of pleated filter medium 7, wherein the bellows 1 are flowed through by separate air streams F1, F2 and F3, respectively. The bellows 1 have first and second side surfaces 6.1, 6.2. On their first side surfaces 6.1, the bellows 1 are provided with a continuous band 2 and on their second side surfaces 6.2 with a segmented edge band 3. On their first side surfaces 6.1, the bellows 1 can alternatively be provided with a segmented edge band 3, so that three filter elements are present (not shown here, cf. Fig. 4a ). Each segment of the segmented edge band 3 is not directly connected to the other segments and extends only to the side surface 6.1, 6.2 of the respective bellows 1.

[0032] The three bellows 1 all have convex outwardly curved end folds 5. Fig. 2b shows a second view of a filter 10. The three air streams F1, F2, F3 flow through the filter from an inflow side AN to an outflow side AB.

[0033] The edges 5.1 of the filter medium 7 of all end folds 5 are all oriented towards one side, here the inflow side AN of the filter 10.

[0034] Fig. 3 shows a filter arrangement 100 according to the invention in a roughly schematic sectional view.

[0035] The filter arrangement 100 has a filter 10 as shown in the Fig. 2a and b. This filter 10 is accommodated in a filter housing 9. For this purpose, the filter 1 can be inserted into the housing 9 in the assembly direction M. The filter housing 9 has three compartments 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, which are separated from one another by partition walls. Each bellows 1 is assigned a compartment 9.1, 9.2, 9.3. The bellows 1 are arranged at a distance from one another, and there is a gap 8 between each two bellows 1. In Partition walls of a housing 9 can engage in these gaps 8. When the filter 1 is mounted in the housing 9 and pushed in in the mounting direction M, the two walls between the compartments 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 engage in the two gaps 8. When installed, the width of the gap 8 corresponds approximately to the width of the walls and the end folds 5 each rest against the housing 9.

[0036] Fig. 4a shows a variant with three filter elements forming a filter 10. Each filter element has a bellows 1, which is provided with a segmented edge band 3 on its first side surface 6.1 and on its second side surface 6.2. The edge band 3 can be glued to the bellows 1. On their first side surface 6.1, the filter elements are additionally provided with a continuous band 2, which can also be glued and connects the filter elements to one another.

[0037] Fig. 4b shows a variant with three bellows 1 forming a filter 10. Each bellows 1 is provided with a segmented edge band 3 on its second side surface 6.2. The edge band 3 can be glued to the bellows 1. On their first side surfaces 6.1, the bellows 1 are additionally provided with a continuous band 2, which can also be glued and connects the bellows 1 to one another. Bezugszeichenliste

[0038] 1Bellows 2Continuous band, e.g. edge band 2.1Tab 3Segmented edge band 4End fold 5Convex end fold 5.1Edge of the end fold 6.1First side surface of the bellows 6.2Second side surface of the bellows 7Filter medium 8Gap 9Filter holder (housing with three compartments) 9.1, 9.2, 9.3Compartments of the filter holder 10Filter 11Bellows 12Edge band 14End pleat 16Side surface of the bellows 100Filter arrangement AN Inflow side AB Downflow side F1, F2, F3 Air flows L Flow direction M Insertion direction during assembly

Claims

1. Filter arrangement (100) having a filter (10) and having a filter housing (9) for accommodating the filter (10), wherein the filter (10) is provided with at least two filter elements with corrugated bellows (1) or with at least two corrugated bellows (1), wherein the corrugated bellows (1) are composed of pleated filter medium (7) and have first and second side surfaces (6.1, 6.2), wherein the filter elements or corrugated bellows (1) are provided with a continuous strip (2) on their first side surfaces (6.1) and the corrugated bellows (1) are provided with a segmented edge strip (3) on their second side surfaces (6.2), wherein the segmented edge strip (3) has as many segments as there are corrugated bellows (1) and in each case one segment of the segmented edge strip (3) is attached to the second side surface (6.2) of the respective corrugated bellows (1), and wherein the filter housing (9) has a plurality of compartments (9.1, 9.2, 9.3), wherein each corrugated bellows (1) is assigned a respective compartment (9.1, 9.2, 9.3).

2. Filter arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the corrugated bellows (1) have convexly outwardly curved end folds (5).

3. Filter arrangement according to Claim 2, characterized in that the edges (5.1) of the filter medium (7) of all the end folds (5) are oriented towards one side (AN, AB) of the filter (10).

4. Filter arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one tab (2) is attached to the continuous strip (2) and / or to the segmented edge strip (3).

5. Filter arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the corrugated bellows (1) are spaced apart from one another.