filter element

Abstract

The present invention relates to a filter element comprising an element material 10, wherein the element material 10 forms an interior 26 and extends between two ends 12, 14, and one of the two ends 12, 14 has a spherical bearing 24 and a fluid transport connection portion 18 that is connected in the direction of the interior 26. The other end 14 has at least one control surface 20, wherein the at least one control surface 20, in each case when non-operating, holds the element material 10 in an installed position relative to the fluid transport connection portion 18, and in each case when operating, the at least one control surface 20, by the spherical bearing 24, moves the element material 10 relative to the fluid transport connection portion 18 to a functional position that does not collide with the filter element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a filter element comprising an element material, the element material forming an interior and extending between two ends, one of the two ends having a spherical bearing and a fluid conveyance connection communicating in the interior direction.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 (German Patent Application Publication No. 102018009187) discloses a filter device having a filter housing and a filter element housed therein, wherein the element material of the filter element extends between two end caps as two ends, and at least one of the two end caps is attached on an element holder, and the filter element is articulated and attached on the element holder via one end cap by a bearing giving two or more degrees of freedom. The known solution is designed as a solution in a so-called tank, which has an inlet opening for unfiltered medium integrated in a filter head that fixes the filter device to a tank wall. In order to filter particles from a fluid flow, the fluid flow through the filter element is from outside to inside, and at the bottom end, the filtered flow reaches the inside of the tank from a shell part belonging to a spherical bearing via a central opening.

[0003] When manufacturing a filter housing and a filter housing part, very strict tolerances must be maintained to ensure that the axis of each element holder of the end cap is accurately aligned with the axis of a housing-side and / or cover-side holding element such as a connector end. Manufacturing tolerances in housing production, especially in a multi-part housing design where several housing parts are joined, can lead to misalignment, cause distortion in the filter element, and may cause defects and damage. A filter device that houses a large filter element over its entire length is particularly affected by this problem, as even a minimum angular error and misalignment can cause a large offset on the opposite holding element.

[0004] This problem is addressed by technical teachings in accordance with Patent Document 1 (German Patent Application Publication No. 102018009187), namely, by articulating the connection of the filter element to the element holder via one end cap by bearings providing two or more degrees of freedom, thereby providing an opportunity to compensate for possible misalignment errors, resulting in a reduction of the tight tolerance limits observed for production, and thus enabling the reliable and low production cost manufacture of filter devices, even with long filter elements or assembled filter housings. In known solutions, the filter element, pivotably mounted at the bottom, must be positioned in the operating or functional position by manual, precise axial alignment, preferably along the vertical, so that the cover-like connecting socket of the filter head with an outer sealing ring can engage flush with the central opening of the upper end cap. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102018009187 Specification [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Based on this level of technology, the present invention aims to further improve upon known solutions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This problem is solved by a filter element having the features of claim 1 as its whole.

[0008] According to the feature portion of claim 1, the other end has at least one control surface which, in each case, when non-operating, holds the element material in an installed position relative to the connector as a pivot bearing, and which, in each case, when operating, moves the element material relative to the connector by a spherical bearing to an operating or functional position that does not collide with the filter element, so that the filter element can be substantially automatically aligned to one of its functional positions via the respective control surface on the filter element when installed. When the filter element is installed in an unspecified type of hollow cylindrical filter housing, the filter element in this inclined installation position may necessarily occupy the corresponding inclined position due to a known spherical bearing on the base, which makes it impossible to screw onto the associated housing cover or to make any other fluid-tight connection between the cover and other tanks or housings unless manually corrected in the direction of the vertical functional position.

[0009] However, in the solution according to the present invention, when a fluid-tight connection is established between the cover and the other housing or tank, the filter element is automatically aligned by its respective control surface in the direction of the vertical alignment axis for the operation of the device, so that in all cases the filter element always reaches its filtration functional position, and there is no need to manually align the filter element via its bottom bearing point, which is not easy to achieve and can be periodically forgotten. In particular, the filter element according to the present invention makes its installation significantly easier and faster.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the filter element according to the present invention, each of the control surfaces is part of a control body, the control body projecting axially peripherically beyond the element material by a predetermined projection and having a predetermined inclination angle, the inclination angle (x) is selected such that, when the control body is in operation, the element material is, in each case, self-locked to its predetermined, collision-free functional position by the spherical bearing. In this way, in each case, unimpeded alignment of the filter element to a substantially vertical functional position is ensured, and the inclination of each control surface can be selected so that the process of alignment with respect to the entire filter element is effectively carried out over a wide range of diverse embodiments of the cover portion as part of an overall housing of a type not more specifically specified. The control body has a control cone toward its free end face, and at least one of its control surfaces is shown to have an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the element material, preferably less than 45°, and particularly preferably about 30°.

[0011] In a more preferred embodiment of the filter element according to the present invention, the control body is an integral component of the end cap, comprising an element holder for receiving element material at its end face, wherein the control body is provided to transition from each inclined control surface to an adjacent upper direction of the end cap into a cylindrical shoulder. This allows the end cap to be manufactured together with the control body, for example by injection molding, in a particularly cost-effective manner. Furthermore, the shoulder creates a kind of free surface that allows the cover to slide freely along each control surface without obstruction when the cover is connected to another tank or housing, for example by screws.

[0012] In a further preferred embodiment of the filter element according to the present invention, the control body is penetrated through the center by an opening for fluid flow, which can preferably be covered by a valve closing member of a bypass valve, which is preferably housed inside the element material and preferably fixedly connected to an adjacent end cap. In this way, when the element material becomes clogged with contaminating particles, the fluid flow can be directed around the filter mat in the manner of a bypass or short circuit, so that the hydraulic circuit connected to the filter element does not need to be immediately shut down for element replacement, which is also technically known as blocking.

[0013] In relation to fluid guidance, it has been proven advantageous for the control body to be radially permeated by a fluid passage that is open to the surroundings in the form of a fluid space on one side and open to the direction of the valve closing element on the other opposite side. Each control surface of the control body forming the fluid passage can also contribute to turbulence-free fluid flow through the filter element, especially when aligned in parallel.

[0014] In a more preferred embodiment of the filter element according to the present invention, the control body is provided to be coaxial with respect to the longitudinal axis of the element material and to project axially beyond the associated end cap by a predetermined length which is preferably half, and particularly preferably one-third, smaller than the diameter of the control body at the base-side transition point to the end cap. In this way, the alignment solution according to the present invention has a compact structure in the area of ​​the associated upper end cap, and as a result such filter element can be used without difficulty even under limited installation conditions.

[0015] In a more preferred embodiment of the filter element according to the present invention, both at least the upper side of one end cap and the control body itself are configured as a rib structure with a plurality of individual ribs, wherein the inclined individual ribs of the control body form their respective control surfaces. Due to this rib design, a rigid structure is achieved for the associated end cap, and in this respect, a secure retention for the bonded element material integrated within the end cap is provided.

[0016] In a further preferred embodiment of the filter element according to the present invention, the connector at one end has a threaded portion and a contact surface extending in a direction transverse to the threaded portion, and the further end cap of the element material has a further contact surface, which is partially supported on the one contact surface when pivoted to a functional position by a spherical bearing. This provides a kind of counterfeit protection, which is intended to ensure that the manufacturer's original filter element cannot be easily replaced with a cheap counterfeit product, which is usually of lower quality.

[0017] In this case, the spherical bearing of the filter element is preferably provided to have a bearing shell that can be fixed on the connection, and the shell portion of the end cap is guided to move, particularly pivotally, together with the element material with respect to this fixed bearing shell.

[0018] The filter element according to the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. The following figures are shown in principle, and the scale is not indicated in principle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the external view of the filter element as a replaceable unit. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the longitudinal cross-sectional shape, which is half the shape of the filter element shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the filter elements in the deflection state, particularly according to Figures 1 and 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the filter element in the reset state, particularly according to FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the proximal end portion of the filter element according to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] FIG. 1 shows the entire filter element in an external view. The filter element particularly has an element material 10 that functions to filter contaminant particles from the fluid flow. The element material 10 can be pleated as usual, and the pleats of the filter are omitted from the figure for simplicity. Further, the element material 10 extends between two end portions 12, 14 designed in the form of end caps 13, 15. FIG. 1 shows the entire filter element in the vertical installation direction corresponding to the normal desired operating position or functional position of the filter element corresponding to the filtration position.

[0021] As further shown in FIG. 1, the filter element is provided on its lower side with a male thread portion 16 which is a component of a fluid conveyance connection portion 18 in the form of a hollow connection socket. The upper end portion 12 has individual control surfaces 20 grouped in a concentric arrangement around the longitudinal axis 22 of the filter element. FIG. 2 shows in a semi - longitudinal section through the filter element according to FIG. 1 that the lower end portion 14 has a spherical bearing 24 as a whole and the fluid conveyance connection portion 18 is in the form of a connection socket having a male thread portion 16. The hollow cylindrical element material 10 has an interior 26 and is supported on a fluid - permeable support tube 28. For simplicity, individual fluid passages, for example in the form of perforations, are not shown. The support tube 28 is particularly formed from a strip material, preferably a metal sheet, wound to form a tube, and the individual web portions are fluid - sealed and connected to each other via flanged folds 30 that extend spirally.

[0022] As further shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each control surface 20 is part of a control body 32 which axially projects into the environment at its end beyond the element material 10 and has a determinable inclination, the inclination angle x of which is selected such that when each control body 20 is actuated, the element material 10 self-locks in an operating or functional position free of collisions defined by the spherical bearing 24. This can be seen in more detail in the figures based on FIGS. 3 and 4, which will be described in more detail later. In this case, the inclination angle x also corresponds to the inclination of each control surface 20 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the element in the form of the longitudinal axis 22. In particular, the control body 32 has a corresponding control cone 34 towards its free end face (in the vicinity thereof), and each control surface 20 has an acute angle, preferably less than 45°, particularly preferably about 30°, with respect to the longitudinal axis 22 of the element material 10.

[0023] The control body 32 is an integral component of the upper end cap 15 and in this respect forms the upper end 14. The above-mentioned end cap 15 has an element holder 36 for receiving the upper free end of the element material 10 with its end face, and the connection between the element material 10 and the element holder 36 in this upper connection region is realized via a conventional adhesive bed 38 not shown for the sake of simplicity. The control body 32 has its individual control surfaces 20 spaced apart from each other and transitions on its free end face into an annular surface 40, starting from each inclined control surface 20 and transitioning to an adjacent upper cylindrical shoulder 42 of the end cap 15, which is particularly evident from the illustration in FIG. 4, and this shoulder 42 is not necessarily required for the function.

[0024] The control body 32 is penetrated through the center by an opening 44 for fluid flow, which, as shown in Figure 2, is covered in its closed position by a valve closing member 46 of a bypass valve 48. The plate-shaped valve closing member 46 of the bypass valve 48 is supported by a compression spring 50 integrated into the housing 52 of the bypass valve 48. As illustrated in Figure 2, the fluid flows inward from the outside to the inside 26 through the element material 10, and if the element material 10 is clogged with particles, as is technically called "blocked," the fluid flow is guided to pass over the outer circumference of the element material 10 and reach the inside of the control cone 34 of the control body 32. Then, with the corresponding fluid pressure, the valve closing member 46 is moved downward against the force of the compression spring 50, thereby opening the central opening 44, and the fluid flow through the central opening 44 and through the web-like passage in the housing 52 to the clean side of the element material 10, i.e., the inside 26 of the filter element. The housing 52 is designed to close at its bottom 54, and the valve closing member 46 is guided in a nested manner through the walls within adjacent hollow cylindrical walls of the housing 52, otherwise leaving individual passages free between the webs for fluid flow.

[0025] If the upper end 14 of the bypass valve 48 and the housing 52 are formed in the form of plastic parts, for example, plastic injection molded parts, the housing 52 can be elastically flexible fixed to the corresponding wall of the upper end 14 via its upper edge for a durable fit, but can also be connected with adhesive. In this case, with respect to the connection with the axial projection, the bypass valve 48 protrudes into the interior 26 of the element material 10 at its upper free end. As can be seen further from Figure 2, the control body 32 is radially penetrated by fluid passages 56 that lead to the outside of the environment on one side and to the direction of the valve closing member 46 on the other side. Each fluid passage 56 is formed by a web surface that extends perpendicularly between the annular surface 40 and the shoulder 42 and extends in the direction adjacent to the upper side of the upper end 14 in the form of a corresponding end cap 15, and on the outer circumference, each control web that extends outward in a ring shape from the inside of the control body 32 leads to its respective inclined control surface 20.

[0026] The control body 32 is positioned coaxially with the longitudinal axis 22 of the element material 10 and protrudes axially by a predetermined length beyond the assignable end cap 15 of the upper end 14, with each protrusion being smaller than, preferably one-third, the diameter of the control body 32 at its base-side transition point to the upper end 14 of the upper end cap 15. At least the upper side of each end cap 15 of the upper end 14 and the control body 32 itself, having its control cone portion 34, are designed as a rib structure having a plurality of individual ribs, where the inclined individual ribs of the control body 32 form their respective control surfaces 20. Such a rib structure is not absolutely necessary and contributes to the overall stiffening of the upper end 14 so that forces can be safely absorbed during the automatic installation of the filter element from its installation position as shown in Figure 3 to the vertical functional position as shown in Figure 4. In particular, within the region of the control body 32, reliable force transfer of the filter element to the element material 10 is achieved as a whole, and the internal support structure in the form of a support tube 28 also contributes to this, as it is integrated with the upper end cap 15 at its end.

[0027] From the installation diagram in Figure 5, further details of the entire spherical bearing 28 can be seen as follows. The lower end cap 13, which is shaped like the lower end 12, is pressed together with its outer tubular body 60 into the inner tubular body 62 of the socket-shaped connector 18, and the bearing 24 is clipped to the adjacent bearing surfaces 64, 66 by elastic flexibility, particularly the elastic flexibility of the tubular body 62 which stands freely on the contact surface 68. By the contact of the convex bearing surface 64 with the concave bearing surface 66, the spherical bearing 24 is formed in the form of a ball joint between the lower end cap 13 as part of the lower end 12 and the connector 18 having the male threaded portion 16. The end 12 forming the lower end cap 13 has a further element holder 70 for receiving the lower end of the element material 10, which is securely connected to the lower end cap 13 via an adhesive bed 71 (not shown). In a conventional manner, a spherical bearing 24 comprising two tubular bodies 60, 62 has a locking device 72 that provides protection against rotation when the filter element is screwed into the associated connecting housing between the two tubular bodies 60, 62, and further prevents exceeding a predetermined maximum deflection between the two tubular bodies 60, 62, which have their spherical bearing surfaces 64, 66. Further details of the above locking device are described in Patent Document 1 (German Patent Application Publication No. 102018009187).

[0028] As can be seen particularly from the installation configuration shown in Figure 3, the housing 74 as a whole is provided for the installation of the filter element and consists of a hollow cylindrical housing shell 76, which has a cover portion 78 that is not yet attached to the head side and is not screwed in, and a fluid guide portion 80 at the base end that is already screwed to the outside of the housing shell 76 at one lower free end via a threaded portion 82. The fluid guide portion 80 has an inlet 84 for the flow of unfiltered medium and an outlet 86 for the flow of filtered medium. The inlet 84 is fluid-transportable to the unfiltered medium chamber 88 between the inside of the housing shell 76 and preferably the outer circumference of the pleated element material 10. After flowing from the outside to the inside through the element material 10 and the support pipe 28, the filtered medium located on the inside 26 side is discharged as a whole through the outlet 86 of the filtration device.

[0029] The fluid guide section 80 has a filter element holder 90 with a female threaded portion 92 in the central region 87 of the outlet 86. The socket-shaped filter element holder 90 is positioned with its central axis 94 offset (deviation) by a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis 96 of the hollow cylindrical housing shell 76. As a result, effective installation protection as a counterfeit protection is provided in this respect via the fluid guide section 80 of the housing 74, and conventional filter elements cannot be replaced with the housing structure shown in Figure 3. In particular, if the cover section 78 is screwed in along the male threaded portion 98 at the upper end of the housing shell 76, the cover section 78 will collide with the upper element end 100 of the filter element, so it is otherwise completely impossible to screw the cover section 78 into the housing 74.

[0030] This invention applies when the conventional screw-in socket 102 as an integral part of the lower end cap 13, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is replaced by an elemental solution at the lower end 12. In this case, the filter element shown in Figures 1 and 2 is again screwed into a filter element holder 90 inclined at the bottom end as a counterfeit protection, and is moved to an installation position in which an offset occurs between the central axis 94 and the longitudinal axis 96 of the housing shell 76. Thus, the upper element end 100 is also positioned for the element structure according to Figures 1 and 2, corresponding to the position shown in Figure 3.

[0031] However, the previously described control body 32, which has a control cone portion 34 formed from individual segmented and inclined control surfaces 20 having a predetermined inclination angle x, is a component of the element end 100 according to the present invention. Here, as shown in Figure 3, when the cover portion 78 is screwed into the housing shell 76 at the head end, the guide portion 104 on the inner circumference of the cover portion 78 slides on the inclined control surfaces 20, and during screwing, this screwing, thanks to the spherical bearing 24 as shown in Figure 4, results in an assembly motion of the filter element as a whole to the functional position. To illustrate this, the upper element closure of a conventional filter element has been replaced with the control body 32 according to the present invention. In this functional position, the longitudinal axis 96 of the housing shell 76 then extends coaxially with the longitudinal axis 22 of the filter element as a whole, and the central axis 94 remains inclined with respect to the bottom end filter element holder 90 in the fluid guide portion 80.

[0032] The guide portion 104 within the cover portion 78 is preferably adapted to the paths of the individual control surfaces 20, and as a result, a vertical orientation in the operating or functional position, as shown in Figure 4, preferably occurs. The corresponding assembly movement of the filter element from the installation position according to Figure 3 to the operating or functional position according to Figure 4 is performed automatically and continuously by progressively screwing the control body 32 on the upper end cap 15 into the cover portion 78 via the aforementioned control surfaces 20. In particular, the assembly movement is preferably performed in such a manner that the filter element is vertically aligned as shown in Figure 4, and there is an equal radial distance between the outer circumference of the element material 10 and the inner circumference of the housing shell 76. Due to the self-locking spherical bearing 24, this vertical functional position is maintained even during the operation of the filter.

[0033] As already mentioned, Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of the installation situation in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 5, when the connecting portion 18 having the male threaded portion 16 is screwed into the female threaded portion 92 of the filter element holder 90 in the same plane, the connecting portion 18 maintains an axial distance from the annular shoulder portion 106 on the filter element holder 90 to its free lower end. In the illustrated position, the filter element holder 90 has a shoulder portion 106 that is raised on the left side as seen in Figure 5, and is smaller on the right side, so an inclined position on the upper side of the filter element holder 90 is unavoidable. On the opposite upper side, the connecting portion 18 has a transversely extending contact surface 108 as a closure which is an integral part of the connecting portion 18, and is positioned approximately in the center between the male threaded portion 16 and the tubular body 62 which has a convex bearing surface 64. In this respect, the contact surface 108 has a larger diameter compared to the male threaded portion 16, and when the connecting portion 18 is fully screwed into the filter element holder 90, the lower free end of the contact surface 108 is supported on its upper side by the upper edge portion 110 on the end face of the socket-shaped filter element holder 90.

[0034] Figure 5 also shows, in a clearer manner, different arrangements of axial guides 94; 22, 96 between components in an operating or functional position. Between the lower side of the contact surface 108 and the adjacent male thread portion 16, there may be a accommodating space 112 for a ring seal (not shown) that separates the unfiltered medium chamber from the filtered medium chamber inside the housing 74.

[0035] In the operating or functional positions shown in Figures 4 and 5, the lower end cap 13, pivotably held by a pivot bearing or spherical bearing 24, is supported at its contact surface 109 on the inclined upper side of its contact surface 108. As a result, the end cap 13 with its contact surface 109 is horizontally aligned, thereby providing improved stability to the overall structure, particularly during filtration operation, and ensuring that the spherical bearing 24 is also released from force during filtration operation as a result of this support. While the lower connection portion 18 is inclined to provide protection against installation or tampering, the spherical bearing 24 compensates for this inclined position, and at least one control surface 20 on the opposite side of the element automatically assembles the filter element as a whole from the installation position to the operating position. This is not equivalent to the prior art.

Claims

1. A filter element comprising an element material (10), wherein the element material (10) forms an interior (26) and extends between two ends (12, 14), and one of the two ends (12) has a spherical bearing (24) and a fluid transport connection portion (18) that is connected in the direction of the interior (26), The other end (14) has at least one control surface (20), the at least one control surface (20) in which, in each case when not in operation, holds the element material (10) in an installed position relative to the fluid transport connection (18), and the at least one control surface (20) in which, in each case when in operation, the spherical bearing (24) moves the element material (10) relative to the fluid transport connection (18) to a functional position that does not collide with the filter element.

2. Each of the control surfaces (20) is part of a control body (32), and the control body (32) protrudes axially around the element material (10) by a predetermined projection and has a predetermined inclination angle (x), wherein the inclination angle (x) is selected such that, when the control body (32) is in operation, the element material (10) is self-locked by the spherical bearing (24) to its predetermined, collision-free functional position in each case, as described in claim 1.

3. The filter element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control body (32) has a control cone portion (34) toward its free end face, and at least one of its control surfaces (20) has an acute angle (x) of preferably less than 45°, and particularly preferably 30°, with respect to the longitudinal axis (22) of the element material (10).

4. The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control body (32) is an integral component of one end cap (15) and has an element holder (36) for receiving the element material (10) at its end face, and the control body (32) transitions to a cylindrical shoulder portion (42) in the direction adjacent to the upper side of the end cap (15) starting from each inclined control surface (20).

5. The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control body (32) is penetrated through the center by an opening (44) for fluid flow, the opening may preferably be covered by a valve closing member (46) of a bypass valve (48), which is preferably received inside (26) the element material (10) and preferably fixedly connected to one adjacent end cap (15).

6. The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control body (32) is radially penetrated by a fluid passage (56) that is open to the environment on one side and open to the valve closing member (46) on the other side.

7. The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control body (32) is arranged coaxially with respect to the longitudinal axis (22) of the element material (10), and protrudes in the axial direction beyond the associated end cap (15) by a predetermined length, and the predetermined length is smaller than the diameter of the control body (32) at the base end transition point to the end cap (15), preferably half, and particularly preferably one-third.

8. The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least the upper side of one end cap (15) and the control body (32) itself are configured as a rib structure having a plurality of individual ribs, and the inclined plurality of individual ribs of the control body (32) each form the control surface (20).

9. The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the fluid transport connection portion (18) of one end (12) has a threaded portion (16) and a contact surface (108) extending in a direction transverse to the threaded portion (16), and the further end cap (13) of the element material (10) has a further contact surface (109), the further contact surface (109) being partially supported on the one contact surface (108) when pivoted in the functional position by the spherical bearing (24).

10. The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the spherical bearing (24) has a fixed bearing shell with a convex bearing surface (64) on the fluid transport connection portion (18), and the shell portion of the end cap (12) having a concave bearing shell (66) is movably guided together with the element material (10) with respect to the fixed bearing shell.

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