Filters and filtering devices

Abstract

To provide a filter that is improved in handleability and can be manufactured at a low cost.SOLUTION: There is provided a filter 1, including a pleated filter medium 2, an edge strip 3, and at least one retaining element 4. The edge strip 3 is fastened on one side of the filter medium 2. The retaining element 4 is assigned to the edge strip 3. In the filter 1, the edge strip 3 and the retaining element 4 form a locking structure 5 for fixing the filter 1 in a filter housing. The present invention further provides a filter arrangement including the filter housing and the filter 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a filter including a pleated filter medium, an edge strip, and at least one holding element, the edge strip being fixed to one side of the filter medium. The present invention further relates to a filter device including a filter housing and a filter.

[0002] From the prior art, filters for filtering fluids are generally known. Particularly when filtering air for a vehicle cabin, filters with pleated filter media are used. Here, the filter medium may have various layers, and the configurations and properties of the various layers determine the separation degree of the filter and can be adapted according to each intended use. Generally, after a predetermined usage time or when the filter medium is severely contaminated, it is necessary to replace the filter. For this purpose, the filter is configured to be replaceably arranged, for example, in a filter housing.

Background Art

[0003] German Utility Model Specification No. 20221005 shows an air filter provided with a filter element and an air filter housing provided with an air filter opening that can be closed using a cover. The air filter includes a seal for sealing between the air filter housing and the cover.

[0004] Description of the Present Invention The underlying problem of the present invention is to provide a filter that can be manufactured at low cost while improving handling.

[0005] This problem is solved by the features of claim 1. The dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments.

[0006] The filter according to the present invention includes a pleated filter material, an edge strip, and at least one retaining element, wherein the edge strip is attached to one side of the filter material, and the retaining element is associated with the edge strip, and the edge strip and the retaining element constitute a closing structure for fixing the filter to a filter housing.

[0007] The retaining element may have a retaining structure, which may include a locking lug and a grip portion. The locking lug may be formed as a locking tongue, thereby allowing the retaining element to be fixed to the filter housing by a shape connection using the locking tongue. In this regard, the locking lug may also be configured as a snap-lock or locking nose. This allows the filter and the filter housing to be removably coupled to improve the replaceability of the filter. The grip portion allows the coupling between the filter and the filter housing to be formed and removed without tools, thereby improving handling during assembly. The configuration of the retaining element with a locking portion and a grip portion allows the filter to be easily, quickly, and tool-free removed from the filter housing. In particular, there is no need to fix the filter in the filter housing by a separate fixing means, such as a cover. For disassembly, the retaining element can be grasped by the grip portion, and the locking means, such as the locking lug or locking nose, can be bent so as to be removed from the fixed portion of the filter housing, thereby allowing the filter to be removed.

[0008] The retaining element may have a plate-like base having two main surfaces, and the retaining structure is associated with the first main surface facing away from the edge strip. The retaining element may be positioned on the edge strip by a second main surface facing the edge strip. In this case, the base may be positioned on the narrow surface of the edge strip. In particular, the base may be positioned flush with one of the narrow surfaces of the edge strip. The edge strip may include an outer surface facing away from the filter material, and the retaining element is positioned on the outer surface of the edge strip.

[0009] The filter material may be configured in a zigzag pattern and may have elongated pleated walls and pleated backs. This increases the filter surface area of ​​the filter material. The filter material may be positioned on the edge strip such that the pleated walls and pleated backs protrude substantially perpendicularly from the edge strip.

[0010] The filter may include a seal for sealing the filter and the filter housing, the seal being composed of an edge strip. The filter housing has a housing space with a housing opening, and the filter material is pushed into the housing space through the housing opening. A circumferential gap is created between the filter material and the filter housing. The edges of the edge strip are configured to abut against the filter housing when assembled, thereby covering the gap and improving the sealing performance. Therefore, no special seal is required to seal the gap, reducing the number of components needed, and thus achieving inexpensive manufacturing.

[0011] The edge strip may have at least one free end on its longitudinal surface that protrudes beyond the filter material, forming a free end that constitutes a seal. The free end can close the gap between the filter material and the filter housing so as to improve sealing performance. The free end may be elastically configured so that it deforms and compresses when the filter is inserted into the filter housing. This can compensate for unevenness in the gap, for example, due to manufacturing tolerances, and further improve sealing performance. The edge strip may also have at its narrow surface one free end that protrudes beyond the filter material, forming a free end that constitutes a seal. This forms a circumferential seal. Improved sealing can also be achieved at the narrow surface via retaining elements positioned thereon, which similarly constitute a seal.

[0012] The retaining elements and / or edge strips may be made of nonwoven fabric. Nonwoven fabric is inexpensive to manufacture and has excellent filtration performance.

[0013] The material for the edge strip is 140g / m 2 It may have a larger weight per unit area. The material for the edge strip is 800 g / m 2 It may have a smaller weight per unit area.

[0014] The material for the retaining element is 400g / m 2 It may have a larger weight per unit area. This weight per unit area is preferably 500 g / m². 2 It may be larger. The material for the retaining element is 800g / m 2 It may have a smaller weight per unit area. This weight per unit area is preferably 700 g / m². 2 It may be smaller. In one particularly preferred embodiment, the material of the retaining element is about 580 g / m 2 It may have a weight per unit area.

[0015] The retaining element and edge strip may be made of a single, integrated material. This configuration further reduces the number of components, thereby improving handling during assembly and disassembly. The single material also improves recyclability, as the filter can be manufactured as a homogeneous component. Furthermore, the manufacturing process can be simplified because an assembly step for joining the retaining element and edge strip is unnecessary.

[0016] The retaining element may be made of injection-molded plastic, and the edge strip may be made of nonwoven fabric, with the retaining element and the edge strip being bonded together. The retaining element is configured as a molded portion. The retaining element is preferably made of thermoplastic resin. The bond between the retaining element and the edge strip can be achieved by material bonding. The bond is preferably formed by ultrasonic welding or adhesive bonding.

[0017] The filter may have at least one retaining element. The retaining element improves the handling of the filter, improving assembly into the filter housing and removal of the filter from the filter housing. According to a first advantageous embodiment, two retaining elements may be provided, each positioned on opposite sides of the edge strip on two narrow faces of the edge strip. According to another advantageous embodiment, two retaining elements are provided, positioned in the center of two longitudinal faces. Similarly, it is conceivable to provide only one retaining element protruding beyond the two longitudinal faces. Thus, the number and arrangement of retaining elements are variable and, in particular, can be adapted to the available installation space. Correspondingly, retaining elements may also be positioned in different areas on the end faces of the filter.

[0018] The placement of the two retaining elements is preferably limited to the direct areas of the two narrow faces of the edge strip. The two retaining elements preferably extend less than 20% of the length of the edge strip in the longitudinal direction. This ensures that the two retaining elements are located only in the end regions of the edge strip, and therefore, no retaining elements are positioned between the end regions in the central region of the edge strip. This allows the retaining elements to be dimensionally smaller, resulting in less material being required for manufacturing, and thus enabling cheaper production.

[0019] The filter may be configured as a cabin filter for automotive applications. In this case, one application in particular is to filter the vehicle cabin in an automobile.

[0020] The filter device according to the present invention includes a filter housing and a filter according to the present invention, the filter housing having a housing space and a housing opening, the filter housing having another closing structure, the other closing structure corresponding to the housing opening and configured complementary to the closing structure of the filter, so that the housing opening can be closed using the closing structure of the filter.

[0021] The filter housing's closing structure includes at least one additional retaining element, so that the filter's retaining element can be fixed to the filter housing's retaining element, thereby joining the filter and the filter housing. Preferably, the filter housing's retaining element has a shape complementary to the filter's retaining element, so that the retaining elements can be joined by shape connection. It is also conceivable that the retaining elements can be joined by force. In this way, the filter and the filter housing can be removably joined, thereby improving handling.

[0022] In the following, one embodiment of the filter and filter apparatus according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. These are, in general terms,

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the filter. [Figure 2] It is another perspective view showing the filter of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a detailed view showing the holding element of the filter of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the filter. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a filter device provided with the filter of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of a filter device provided with the filter of FIG. 2.

[0024] Embodiment of the Invention In FIGS. 1 to 3, a first embodiment of the filter 1 according to the present invention is shown. In FIG. 4, a second embodiment of the filter 1 according to the present invention is shown. First, the common points of the two filters 1 will be described together.

[0025] The filter 1 is configured as a cabin filter for automotive use, particularly for filtering the interior air of an automobile.

[0026] The filter 1 shown in the figure includes a pleated filter material 2, an edge strip 3, and two holding elements 4. The two holding elements 4 are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the edge strip 3 on two narrow-width surfaces 11 of the edge strip 3. The edge strip 3 is attached to one surface of the filter material 2. The holding element 4 is associated with the edge strip 3. The edge strip 3 and the holding element 4 constitute a closing structure 5 for fixing the filter 1 to the filter housing. The filter housing is not shown in this figure for the sake of clarity.

[0027] Each retaining element 4 has a retaining structure 12, which includes a locking lug 13 and a grip portion 14. The retaining structure 12 is particularly well visible in Figure 3. The locking lug 13 is formed as a locking tongue, so that each retaining element 4 can be fixed to the filter housing by a shape connection using the locking tongue. In this regard, the locking lug 13 may also be configured as a snap-lock or locking nose. This allows the filter 1 and the filter housing to be removably coupled. The grip portion 14 allows the coupling between the filter 1 and the filter housing to be formed by hand and without tools, and can also be removed as before.

[0028] The filter material 2 is configured in a zigzag pattern and has long pleated walls 15 and pleated back surfaces 16, which increases the filter surface area of ​​the filter material 2 and improves the filtering effect. The filter material 2 is positioned on the edge strip 3 such that the pleated walls 15 and pleated back surfaces 16 protrude from the edge strip 3 substantially perpendicularly.

[0029] The filter 1 includes a seal 7 for sealing the filter 1 and the filter housing, and the seal 7 is made up of an edge strip 3. For this purpose, the edge strip 3 has a free end 9 on its longitudinal surface 8 and its narrow surface 11, each of which protrudes beyond the filter material 2, and the free end 9 constitutes the seal 7. The free end 9 is particularly visible in Figure 1. The free end 9 can close the gap between the filter material 2 and the filter housing so as to improve the sealing performance. The free end 9 is made elastic.

[0030] Figures 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the filter 1 according to the present invention, in which the retaining element 4 is made of injection-molded plastic and the edge strip 3 is made of nonwoven fabric. The retaining element 4 is bonded to the edge strip 3. The retaining element 4 is configured as a molded portion made of thermoplastic resin. The retaining element 4 and the edge strip 3 are bonded by material bonding. The bond is preferably formed by ultrasonic welding or adhesive bonding.

[0031] The retaining element 4 has a plate-shaped base 17 with two main surfaces, and the retaining structure 12 is associated with the first main surface facing away from the edge strip 3. The retaining element 4 is positioned on the edge strip 3 by the second main surface facing towards the edge strip 3. The base 17 is positioned here on one of the narrow surfaces 11 of the edge strip 3. The base 17 is positioned flush with one of the narrow surfaces 11 of the edge strip 3. The edge strip 3 includes an outer surface 19 facing away from the filter material 2, and the retaining element 4 is positioned on the outer surface 19 of the edge strip.

[0032] The placement of the two retaining elements 4 is limited to the direct end regions 20 on the two narrow faces 11 of the edge strip 3. The two retaining elements 4 extend in the longitudinal direction of the edge strip 3 for a length of less than 10% of the length of the edge strip 3. As a result, the two retaining elements 4 are located only in the end regions 20 of the edge strip 3, and no retaining elements 4 are located between the end regions 20 in the central region 21 of the edge strip 3.

[0033] Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the filter 1 according to the present invention, in which the retaining element 4 and the edge strip 3 are integrally composed of a single material. The retaining element 4 and the edge strip 3 are made of nonwoven fabric. The material of the retaining element 4 and the edge strip 3 is approximately 580 g / m 2 It has a weight per unit area. In this embodiment, the retaining structure 12 of the retaining element 4 is directly incorporated into the edge strip 3.

[0034] Figure 5 shows a first embodiment of the filter device 22. The filter device 22 includes a filter housing 6 and a filter 1, which in this embodiment is the filter 1 shown in Figure 1. Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of the filter device 22. The filter device 22 includes a filter housing 6 and a filter 1, which in this embodiment is the filter 1 shown in Figure 4. The filter housing 6 shown in Figures 5 and 6 will be described together below. Each filter 1 is described above in the descriptions of Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 4.

[0035] The filter housing 6 has a housing space and a housing opening. The filter housing 6 further has another closing structure 10, which corresponds to the housing opening and is configured complementary to the closing structure 5 of the filter 1, so that the housing opening can be closed using the closing structure 5 of the filter 1.

[0036] The closure structure 10 of the filter housing 6 includes two additional retaining elements 23, so that the retaining element 4 of the filter 1 is fixed to the retaining element 23 of the filter housing 6, thereby connecting the filter 1 and the filter housing 6. The retaining element 23 of the filter housing 6 has a shape complementary to the retaining element 4 of the filter 1, so that the retaining elements 4 and 23 can be connected by a shape connection.

Claims

1. A filter (1) comprising a pleated filter material (2), an edge strip (3), and at least one retaining element (4), wherein the edge strip (3) is attached to one side of the filter material (2), and the retaining element (4) is attached to the end of the edge strip (3), The edge strip (3) and the retaining element (4) constitute a closed structure (5) for fixing the filter (1) to the filter housing (6). Each of the retaining elements (4) has a retaining structure (12), and the retaining structure (12) includes a locking lug (13) and a grip portion (14). The locking lug (13) is configured as a locking tongue that is elastically rotatable about the attachment point with the edge strip (3), thereby allowing the retaining element (4) to be fixed to the filter housing (6) by shape connection using the locking tongue. The grip portion (14) extends from the locking lug (13), By moving the grip portion (14), the locking lug (13) rotates elastically around the mounting point, allowing the connection between the filter (1) and the filter housing (6) to be removed without tools. A filter (1) characterized by the following:

2. The filter (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling between the filter (1) and the filter housing (6) is performed without tools.

3. The filter (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filter (1) includes a seal (7) for sealing the filter (1) and the filter housing (6), the seal (7) being composed of the edge strip (3).

4. The filter (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the edge strip (3) has at least one free end (9) on its longitudinal surface (8) that protrudes beyond the filter material (2), and the free ends (9) constitute the seal (7).

5. The filter (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the retaining element (4) and / or the edge strip (3) are made of a nonwoven fabric.

6. The material of the retaining element (4) is 400 g / m². ２ The filter (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that it has a larger weight per unit area.

7. The material of the edge strip (3) is 140 g / m ２ The filter (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that it has a larger weight per unit area.

8. The filter (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the retaining element (4) and the edge strip (3) are integrally formed and made of a single material.

9. The filter (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the retaining element (4) is made of an injection-molded plastic, and the edge strip (3) is made of a nonwoven fabric, and the retaining element (4) and the edge strip (3) are bonded together.

10. The filter (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the filter (1) has two retaining elements (4).

11. The filter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the filter (1) is configured as a cabin filter for automotive use.

12. A filter device comprising a filter housing (6) and a filter (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filter housing (6) has a housing space and a housing opening, the filter housing (6) has another closing structure (10), the other closing structure (10) is associated with the housing opening and configured complementary to the closing structure (5) of the filter (1), and the housing opening can be closed using the closing structure (5) of the filter (1), characterized in that

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