Gas filtration device

Abstract

To provide a gas filter device which is facilitated in attachment work of an element.SOLUTION: A gas filter device 1 comprising an element 10 having a filter material and a frame body having flexibility, and a case 20 for accommodating the element has such a configuration that the case has a first member 30 and a second member 40 which are connected to each other with the element sandwiched therebetween, the first member has a frame body holding part 32 for holding the periphery of the frame body of the element at the connection with the second member, and a temporary holding part 34 for temporarily holding the frame body so that a part of the frame body of the element is separated from the frame body holding part and the frame body is brought into a curved state at the non-connection with the second member, and the second member has a temporary holding invalidation part 42 for invalidating the temporary holding of the frame body by the temporary holding part at the connection to the first member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas filtering device that filters gas to separate foreign matter. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in an automobile engine, an intake system that supplies fresh air (air for combustion) to the engine is provided with an air cleaner, which is a gas filtering device that separates foreign matter such as dust from the air and purifies the fresh air. The air cleaner is configured to have, for example, an element in which a filter material such as filter paper or sponge is provided inside a frame, and a case that houses the element. Generally, the case is divided into two halves, and the element is held between the joints of the two halves of the case.

[0003] As an example of technology related to such air cleaners, Patent Document 1 describes that an air cleaner element has a rectangular frame body that holds filter material inside, and that a pair of protrusions that protrude toward the first case half are formed at the center of the upper and lower sides of the frame body, that a slit-shaped locking hole is formed at the center of the protrusion, and that a locking protrusion that can engage with the locking hole is protruded from the first case half. Patent Document 2 describes a support frame that holds a filter element in a seating position in an air cleaner case, and that has a hinge structure at the tip of the support frame that engages detachably with the wall of the air cleaner case and allows the support frame to swing in a direction that moves the filter element closer to or away from the seating position, and that further has a fixing means that can lock the support frame in the swing position when the filter element reaches the seating position. Patent Document 3 describes a closure mechanism provided between two openable and closable synthetic resin case sections, with a protrusion formed on the outer surface of one case section, a locking hole formed in the protrusion that extends along the outer surface of the case section, and a locking section integrally formed on the outer surface of the other case section via a substantially U-shaped elastically deformable piece that is elastically deformable in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the case section. Furthermore, it describes a guide surface formed on the entrance side of the locking hole to guide the locking section into the locking hole, and a holding section formed on the exit side of the locking hole to hold the claw of the locking section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-119568 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-82193 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-257517 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Generally, the frame of an element used in an engine air cleaner is made of a flexible material such as rubber that has a sealing function as a packing, and does not have enough rigidity to maintain its shape by itself. When installing or replacing such an element, it was necessary to attach one half of the case while holding the element by hand against the other half of the case so that the four corners of the frame were in the correct positions when assembling the element into the case. This type of work is complicated and difficult, and depending on the layout of the engine room, it can be difficult to work while looking at the keys, so the work must be done by touch typing. In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas filtering device in which the element mounting work is simplified. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a gas filtering device comprising an element having a filter material for filtering gas and a flexible frame body that holds the periphery of the filter material, and a case that houses the element, wherein the case has a first member and a second member that are joined together to sandwich the element, the first member having a frame body holding portion that holds the periphery of the frame body of the element when joined to the second member, and a temporary holding portion that temporarily holds the frame body so that a portion of the frame body of the element moves away from the frame body holding portion and the frame body is curved when not joined to the second member, and the second member has a temporary hold-nulling portion that nullifies the temporary holding of the frame body by the temporary holding portion when joined to the first member. According to this, before the second member is attached, the temporary holding portion of the first member holds the frame body of the element in a curved state, so that the worker does not need to hold the element with his or her hand, and furthermore, the curve makes it easier for the ends of the element (typically the four corners of a rectangular shape) to fit into the frame body holding portion. By attaching the second member to the first member in this state, the temporary holding is disabled and the frame of the element is housed in the frame holding portion, making it possible to easily perform the work of attaching the element.

[0007] In the present invention, the temporary holding portion is provided at a position that protrudes toward the second member relative to the frame body holding portion of the first member, and has a protruding portion formed to protrude so as to interfere with the frame body of the element, and the temporary holding invalidation portion can be configured to displace the protruding portion in a direction away from the frame body when the second member is attached to the first member. This makes it possible to obtain the above-mentioned effects with a simple configuration.

[0008] In the present invention, the frame of the element may be formed in a rectangular shape, and the temporary holding portion may be configured to temporarily hold intermediate portions of a pair of opposite sides of the frame. According to this, it is possible to bend the element so that the point where the frame body is temporarily held by the temporary holding portion is the apex and both ends are close to the first member side, thereby reliably achieving the above-mentioned effect.

[0009] In the present invention, the protruding portion of the temporary holding portion may be a protruding ridge formed in an arc shape that protrudes toward the second member. Alternatively, instead of the above configuration, the protruding portion of the temporary holding portion may have a plurality of protrusions arranged along an arc that protrudes toward the second member. According to each of these inventions, the shape of the element can be appropriately controlled so that it curves in an arc that is convex toward the second member, and the above-mentioned effects can be reliably obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a gas filtering device in which the element mounting work is simplified. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded side view of an air cleaner that is a first embodiment of a gas filtering device to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the II-II part of FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a view showing a state in which an element is placed on a first member in the air cleaner of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a view showing a state in which a second member is assembled to a first member in the air cleaner of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the first member and the second member have been completely joined in the air cleaner of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a view showing the periphery of the protruding surface portion of the first member in an air cleaner that is a second embodiment of a gas filtering device to which the present invention is applied. FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is an exploded side view of an air cleaner that is a third embodiment of a gas filtering device to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an exploded side view of an air cleaner that is a fourth embodiment of a gas filtering device to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 9] 4 is a cross-sectional view of a joint between a first member and a second member in the air cleaner of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] First Embodiment An air cleaner as a first embodiment of an air filtering device to which the present invention is applied will be described below. The air cleaner of the first embodiment filters combustion air (fresh air) for an engine mounted on an automobile such as a passenger car, for example, to reduce foreign matter such as dust.

[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded side view of an air cleaner, which is a gas filtering device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the II-II part of FIG. The air cleaner 1 includes an element 10 and an air cleaner case 20 . The element 10 is a flexible and sealing frame made of, for example, rubber, which holds a filter material such as filter paper or sponge inside to filter the air passing through and reduce foreign matter. The element 10 does not have enough rigidity to maintain its shape by itself, and for example, the side edge of the frame is When supported by the support, both ends have enough flexibility to sag under their own weight. The element 10 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the air flow direction (the vertical direction in FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0014] The air cleaner case 20 is formed in the shape of a box-shaped container that houses the element 10, and also passes air to be filtered (air for combustion in the engine, not shown). The air cleaner case 20 is configured to be divided into two parts, a first member 30 and a second member 40, in that order from the engine side (downstream side). The first member 30 and the second member 40 are formed by, for example, injection molding using an elastic resin material such as PP.

[0015] The first member 30 is a box-shaped member into which air that has passed through the element 10 is introduced, and has an opening 31 that opens on the second member 40 side. A frame holding portion 32 for holding the frame of the element 10 is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the opening 31 . When the air cleaner 1 is in use, the surface of the frame holding portion 32 is configured to be in close contact with the outer peripheral edge of the frame of the element 10 over the entire circumference and is sealed by the rubber-based material that forms the frame. The frame holding portion 32 is arranged so that the surface of the attached element 10 on the second member 40 side (typically the surface into which air flows) faces upward or obliquely upward. The first member 30 is fixed to, for example, a vehicle body (not shown), and the second member 40 is detachable from the first member 30 when, for example, replacing the element 10.

[0016] The second member 40 is a box-shaped member into which air (typically atmospheric air flowing into the engine compartment from the front side of the vehicle) is introduced from an air intake port not shown, and has an opening 41 that opens on the first member 30 side.

[0017] The element 10 is assembled in a state where the frame is fitted into the frame holding portion 32 and is sandwiched between the first member 30 and the second member 40. The filtered air that has passed through the element 10 and flowed into the first member 30 is supplied to the engine via an intake duct (intake pipe) not shown.

[0018] The first member 30 has a protruding surface portion 33, a protruding strip 34, a claw portion 35, and the like, which are integrally formed with the main body portion. The protruding surface portion 33 is provided in an area adjacent to the middle portion of a pair of opposite sides of the frame body of the element 10, and is a flat portion that protrudes from the outer edge portion of the frame body holding portion 32 of the first member 30 toward the second member 40. A pair of the protruding surface portions 33 are arranged facing each other with the element 10 interposed therebetween.

[0019] The protrusion 34 is formed to protrude from the surface portion of the protruding surface portion 33 on the inner side of the air cleaner case 20 (the side facing the other protruding surface portion 33). As shown in FIG. 1, the ridge 34 is formed to extend along a circular arc that is convex toward the second member 40 side. Furthermore, a plurality of (for example, three) ridges 34 are arranged concentrically. As shown in Figure 2, in the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 34 when cut along a plane intersecting the longitudinal direction thereof, the surface of the protrusion 34 is formed into a curved shape that follows an arc that convex toward the inside of the air cleaner case 20. When the element 10 is attached to the first member 30, the protrusion 34 interferes with the frame body and functions as a temporary holding portion that temporarily holds a part of the frame body in a spaced (protruding) position toward the second member 40 relative to the frame body holding portion 32.

[0020] The claw portion 35 is formed to protrude further toward the second member 40 side from the tip end portion of the protruding surface portion 33 on the second member 40 side. As shown in FIG. 2, the claw portion 35 comes into contact with the claw portion 42 of the second member 40 and has an inclined surface that tilts the protruding surface portion 33 in a direction that causes it to fall outward from the first member 30.

[0021] A claw portion 42 is provided in a region adjacent to the protruding surface portion 33 at the edge of the opening 41 of the second member 40. The claw portion 42 is formed to protrude from the edge of the opening 41 toward the first member 30 side. When the second member 40 is attached to the first member 30, the claw portion 42 abuts against the claw portion 35 of the first member 30, and has the function of pressing the claw portion 35 in a direction opening outward from the air cleaner case 20 in response to relative displacement in the direction in which the second member 40 approaches the first member 30. The claw portion 42 is a temporary-holding nullifying portion that nullifies the temporary holding of the frame body of the element 10 by the temporary holding portion 34 when the second member 40 is joined to the first member 30. Furthermore, the first member 30 has an inner surface formed with a recess 36 that accommodates the claw 42 after the first member 30 and the second member 40 are joined together.

[0022] Next, the process of assembling the element 10 in the air cleaner 1 of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which an element is placed on a first member in the air cleaner of the first embodiment. When an operator places the element 10 against the opening 31 of the first member 30 of the air cleaner case 20 and presses it toward the frame body holding portion 32 with a light force, the middle portions of a pair of opposite sides of the frame body of the element 10 are hooked onto the protrusions 34 and temporarily held in a state where they protrude from the frame body holding portion 32 toward the second member 40. At this time, the frame of the element 10 is curved in a direction in which the second member 40 side is convex so as to follow the curvature of the ridges 34 . As a result, the ends of the frame of element 10 (upper and lower ends in FIG. 3) are partially inserted into frame holding portion 32 with a gap remaining between them and the corners of frame holding portion 32.

[0023] Thereafter, the worker attaches the second member 40 to the first member 30. FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which the second member is assembled to the first member in the air cleaner of the first embodiment. As the second member 40 approaches the first member 30, the claw portion 35 of the first member 30 comes into contact with the claw portion 42 of the second member, and the force acting between the inclined surfaces of the claw portions causes the protruding surface portion 33 of the first member 30 to deform and tilt in a direction opening outward from the air cleaner case 20 (to the right in Figure 2). This causes the protrusion 34 to be displaced in a direction away from the frame body of the element 10, invalidating (releasing) the temporary holding of the frame body of the element 10 by the protrusion 34, and the element 10 enters the frame body holding portion 32 while reducing the curvature of the curve (relaxing the curve).

[0024] FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the first member and the second member have been completely joined in the air cleaner of the first embodiment. When the second member 40 is further brought closer to the first member 30 and the peripheral edge of the opening 41 of the second member 40 finally abuts against the peripheral edge of the opening 31 of the first member 30, the element 10 is sandwiched between the first member 30 and the second member 40 and held by the frame holding portion 32 in a substantially flat state. In this state, the first member 30 and the second member 40 are fixed to each other by a mechanical fastening means such as a metal clip (not shown). At this time, the claws 42 of the second member are housed in the recesses 36 (see FIG. 2) formed on the inner surface of the first member 30.

[0025] According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Before the second member 40 is attached, the protrusions 34 of the first member 30 hold the frame of the element 10 in a curved state, eliminating the need for the worker to hold the element 10 by hand. Furthermore, the curvature makes it easier for the ends of the element 10 (the four corners of the rectangular shape) to fit into the frame holding portion 32. By attaching the second member 40 to the first member 30 in this state, the temporary holding of the element 10 by the protrusion 34 is disabled and the frame body of the element 10 is accommodated in the frame body holding portion (if the opening 31 faces upward or diagonally upward, it will fall under its own weight), making it easy to install the element 10. (2) The protruding surface portion 33 having the protrusion 34 is positioned so as to protrude toward the second member 40 relative to the frame body holding portion 32, and the claw portion 42 of the second member 40 displaces the protrusion 34 in a direction away from the frame body when the second member 40 approaches the first member 30, thereby achieving the above-mentioned effect with a simple configuration that utilizes the elastic deformation of each member. (3) By forming the frame body of the element 10 into a rectangular shape and temporarily holding the middle parts of a pair of opposite sides of the frame body with the protrusions 34, it is possible to curve the element 10 so that both ends are close to the first member 30, with the points where the frame body is temporarily held by the protrusions 34 as the apex, and the above-mentioned effects can be reliably obtained. (4) By forming the protrusion 34 that temporarily holds the frame body of the element 10 in an arc shape that is convex toward the second member 40, the shape of the element 10 can be appropriately controlled so that it curves in an arc shape that is convex toward the second member 40, and the above-mentioned effects can be reliably obtained.

[0026] Second Embodiment Next, an air cleaner that is a second embodiment of the air filtering device to which the present invention is applied will be described. In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are used to designate parts common to the previous embodiments, and explanations thereof will be omitted, with differences being mainly described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the periphery of the protruding surface portion of the first member in the air cleaner of the second embodiment (a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2 of the first embodiment (the element 10 and the second member 40 are not shown)). In the second embodiment, the cross section of the ridge 34 when cut along a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction is formed in a triangular shape (sawtooth shape). According to the second embodiment described above, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above, the resistance force when the frame body of the element 10 is temporarily held and the ease with which the temporary hold can be nullified can be appropriately tuned by, for example, changing the angle of the slope in the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 34.

[0027] Third Embodiment Next, an air cleaner according to a third embodiment of the air filtering device to which the present invention is applied will be described. FIG. 7 is an exploded side view of an air cleaner, which is a gas filtering device according to the third embodiment. The third embodiment is characterized in that, like the first embodiment, only one protrusion 34 is formed, which extends along an arc that is convex toward the second member 40, and corresponds to the one on the outermost diameter side in the first embodiment. According to the third embodiment described above, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above, by changing the number of protrusions 34, it is possible to appropriately tune the resistance force when the frame body of the element 10 is temporarily held and the ease with which the temporary hold can be disabled.

[0028] <Fourth embodiment> Next, an air cleaner according to a fourth embodiment of the air filtering device to which the present invention is applied will be described. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the air cleaner of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a joining portion (IX-IX portion in FIG. 8 (after joining of the second member)) between the first member and the second member in the air cleaner of the fourth embodiment.

[0029] In the fourth embodiment, a protrusion 37 and a recess 38 are formed on the protruding surface portion 33 of the first member, instead of the ridge 34 and the claw portion 35 of the first embodiment. The protrusion 37 is a temporary holding portion that holds the frame of the element 10 in a state where it is curved in an arc shape that is convex toward the second member 40 side. The protrusion 37 is formed to protrude from the surface portion of the protruding surface portion 33 on the inner side of the air cleaner case 20 . The protrusion 37 is formed, for example, in an elliptical shape having a major axis direction along the direction in which the protruding surface portion 33 protrudes from the frame body holding portion 32 . The protrusions 37, for example three in number, are arranged along a circular arc that protrudes toward the second member 40 side. The recess 38 is a portion that receives the protrusion 44 of the second member 40 when the first member 30 and the second member 40 are joined together. The recess 38 is formed by recessing the surface portion of the protruding surface portion 33 on the inner side of the air cleaner case 20 .

[0030] The second member 40 has a step portion 43 and a protrusion 44 formed thereon instead of the claw portion 42 of the first embodiment. The step portion 43 is formed by recessing the area where the protruding surface portion 33 is provided on the first member 30 in the peripheral edge portion of the opening 41 in a stepped shape toward the inside of the air cleaner case 20. When the first member 30 and the second member 40 are joined together, the protruding surface portion 33 is disposed on the outside of the step portion 43. The protrusion 44 is formed to protrude from the step portion 43 to the outside of the air cleaner case 20 . The protrusions 44 are arranged along the edge of the opening 41, for example, two in number. The protrusion 44 is a temporary hold invalidating portion in the fourth embodiment.

[0031] In the fourth embodiment, when the element 10 is placed in the opening 31 of the first member 30, the frame body of the element 10 is temporarily held by the protrusion 37 in an arc-shaped curved state with the second member 40 side convex, as shown in Figure 8. Thereafter, when the second member 40 is attached to the first member 30, the protrusion 44 first presses the protruding surface portion 33 so that it falls outward from the air cleaner case 20. When the protruding surface portion 33 is pressed by the protrusion 44 and deformed so as to bend outward from the air cleaner case 20, the temporary holding of the frame body of the element 10 by the protrusion 37 is invalidated, and the element 10 enters into the frame body holding portion (not shown) provided inside the opening 31. When the second member 40 is further moved toward the first member 30, the protrusions 44 pass through the spaces between the protrusions 37 and are ultimately housed in a fitted state in the recesses . According to the fourth embodiment described above, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above, the claw portions and the like do not protrude from the second member 40 side that is attached and detached when replacing the element 10, etc., and problems such as breakage of the claw portions can be prevented.

[0032] (Variation) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible, and these are also within the technical scope of the present invention. (1) The configuration of the gas filtering device is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the shape, structure, material, manufacturing method, and arrangement of the elements and each member constituting the case can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the configurations of the temporary holding unit and the temporary holding invalidation unit are not particularly limited. (2) Although the gas filtration device in each embodiment is an air cleaner that filters the air (fresh air) taken in by the engine, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to gas filtration devices for other purposes. For example, the present invention can be applied to cleaning the air to be blown out in air conditioners, ventilation systems, heating systems, etc., and filtering other gases. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Air cleaner 10 Element 20 air cleaner case 30 first member 31 Opening 32 Frame holding part 33 Projection surface portion 34 Projection 35 Claw portion 36 Recessed portion 37 Protrusion 38 Recess 40 second member 41 opening 42 Claw section 43 Step section 44 Protrusion

Claims

1. an element having a filter medium for filtering gas and a flexible frame body that holds the periphery of the filter medium; a case for accommodating the element; A gas filtration device comprising: the case has a first member and a second member joined together with the element interposed therebetween, The first member is a frame holding portion that holds the periphery of the frame of the element when coupled to the second member; a temporary holding portion that temporarily holds the frame body so that a part of the frame body of the element is separated from the frame body holding portion and the frame body is in a curved state when the element is not coupled to the second member, The second member has a temporary holding nullifying portion that nullifies temporary holding of the frame body by the temporary holding portion when the second member is coupled to the first member. A gas filtration device characterized by:

2. the temporary holding portion is provided at a position that protrudes toward the second member relative to the frame holding portion of the first member, and has a protruding portion formed to protrude so as to interfere with the frame of the element, The temporary hold invalidating portion displaces the protruding portion in a direction away from the frame body when the second member is attached to the first member.

2. The gas filtering device according to claim 1,

3. The frame of the element is formed in a rectangular shape, The temporary holding portion temporarily holds the intermediate portions of the pair of opposite sides of the frame body.

3. The gas filtering device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

4. The protrusion of the temporary holding portion is an arc-shaped protrusion that is convex toward the second member.

3. The gas filtering device according to claim 2, wherein:

5. The protruding portion of the temporary holding portion has a plurality of protrusions arranged along an arc that is convex toward the second member.

3. The gas filtering device according to claim 2, wherein:

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