Filter apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to a filter apparatus having a filter element (10) which has an element material (12), extends between two end caps (14, 16) and comprises a cavity (18), in particular in the form of an non-filtrate chamber, into which, in the operating state, a tube (20) with a closed circumferential jacket (22) is introduced via a passage point (38) in one of the end caps (14), which tube has an opening (24, 26) on each end side, of which one opening (26) opens into the cavity (18) at a predefinable axial distance to the other end cap (16), characterised in that the other opening (24) of the tube (20) is delimited by a protruding edge (46) of the tube which is supported on a contact surface (48) of the one end cap (14).

Description

[0001] filter device

[0002] The invention relates to a filter device with a filter element which has an element material which extends between two end caps and which comprises a cavity, in particular in the form of an unfiltered space, into which, in the operating state, a tube with a closed circumferential casing is inserted via a passage point in one of the end caps, which tube has an opening at each end, one of which openings opens into the cavity at a predeterminable axial distance from the other end cap.

[0003] DE 10 2019 005 325 A1 discloses a filter device having a filter housing in which a replaceable filter element is accommodated and which has a cover part, wherein the element material is delimited at the end by at least one end cap which is placed on a fluid channel, wherein between this one end cap and in the fluid channel a device for transverse force support for the filter element is provided, which supports the filter element with respect to the fluid channel which at least partially engages at the end in the interior of the filter element.

[0004] This provides protection against displacement or twisting of the

[0005] The filter element is achieved by forces acting on its exterior. Corresponding loads arise, for example, when the device is used with mobile equipment, where sloshing of the fluid caused by movement of the tank leads to flow forces on the filter element, as well as dynamic loads due to acting acceleration forces.

[0006] In the known solution, in the installed position and in the normal operating position, a portion of the filter element is above the oil level or the current fluid level or level in the fluid reservoir, usually in the form of a storage tank, and thus has contact with the atmosphere. This ventilates the upper portion of the filter element and drains after the machine, for example, a mobile work machine such as an excavator, is shut down. When the machine is switched on again, the air is then directed into the fluid reservoir and separated there using the known element solution.

[0007] DE 10 2008 012 521 A1 discloses a filter device comprising at least one, preferably replaceable, filter element through which a fluid to be cleaned can flow from the inside to the outside and which is surrounded by a housing wall while maintaining a predeterminable radial distance and forming a flow space, said housing wall having a plurality of passage points, one part of which is arranged below the respective variable fluid level in the storage tank and the other part above this fluid level.

[0008] Thanks to this arrangement, the fluid entering the fluid flow space, cleaned by the respective filter element, flows in the region of and above the respective fluid level in a laminar manner via the assigned passages into the fluid container, thus reliably preventing any undesirable splashing or foaming of the escaping fluid. German patent application 1 006 739 discloses a filter device on the filler neck of a fuel tank, particularly of motor vehicles. It has a housing that is open only at the top, rests on the base of the container floor, and encloses the filter. The housing wall is extended up to the immediate vicinity of the container ceiling, and the housing floor can be removed downwards in a conventional manner.The tubular or outlet end of the filler neck, in the form of a circumferentially closed tube, has a support pin for the support plates that hold the filter between them. The other free end of the filler neck, which extends from the filter, can be closed in the usual way with a tank cap. Between the two free ends, the tubular filler neck is routed over a longer distance with multiple deflections in the tank and in the vehicle outside the filter. This allows the vehicle to be refueled without having to change the filter when fuel is used up.

[0009] With this in mind, the invention seeks to further improve the known solutions while retaining their advantages, such as the rapid replacement of a used filter element with a new one. This object is achieved by a filter device having the features of patent claim 1 in its entirety.

[0010] Because, according to the characterizing part of patent claim 1, the other opening of the tube is defined by a protruding edge of the tube, which rests on a contact surface of one end cap, the tube extends with its closed circumferential shell within the two end caps, with the element material located between them, in an area within the filter element that defines the unfiltered media space and is defined by the two end caps. Preferably, the protruding edge of the tube rests directly on the upper side of the adjacent end cap.

[0011] As a result, a tube with a closed circumferential casing is inserted into the hollow or unfiltered chamber. The tube has an opening at each end and its length is dimensioned such that, when the filter element is used in a fluid container in an operating position or in the operating state, the lower opening of the tube is located below a predefined minimum fluid level. This creates a type of immersion tube solution, and the resulting volume flow is always guided below the respective minimum oil level in the fluid container, preventing air from flowing in and preventing the inlet or the lines to which the filter element is connected from running dry.With the pipe designed as a dip tube, the inflowing fluid is guided below the respective fluid level in the container, so that even with large oscillating volumes between minimum and maximum liquid levels in the container, the outflow cross-section into the container is always below the preset minimum liquid level in the container.

[0012] Even during start-stop operation, in which the working hydraulics are switched on and off at short intervals, the air that is introduced into the fluid container always has sufficient time to be separated in the tank. This means that there is no risk of air concentrating in the tank, even if air is already being introduced into the tank at very low volume flows, but then often cannot be separated quickly enough. As a result, in prior art solutions, air remains in the working hydraulics, which impairs the stiffness of the oil column and can lead to malfunctions in the working machine. This is avoided with the filter device according to the invention. In a preferred embodiment of the filter device according to the invention, the filter element and the tube form two components that are connected to one another in a detachable manner.In this way, a used filter element can be replaced with a new one and the pipe used can be used multiple times, which helps reduce costs.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment of the filter device according to the invention, a positioning device is provided, which has at least one positioning element on the support surface of the end cap, which interacts with at least one corresponding further positioning element on the tube edge, and the positioning element forms an anti-twist device between the tube and the filter element. This ensures a permanent alignment of the tube with respect to the filter element, even when the arrangement is subjected to a pressurized fluid flow.

[0014] In a further preferred embodiment of the filter device according to the invention, an extension is provided in the axial alignment of the tube and projects beyond the tube edge as a one-piece component of the tube. This extension is provided with fluid passages for the inflow of fluid into the interior of the tube. This achieves improved guidance of the fluid flow, in particular in the form of an unfiltered flow, via the inlet region of the tube into the interior of the filter element and into the fluid container. The extension of the tube preferably forms an axial securing device for the filter element in the device housing, so that the filter element and associated (immersion) tube are securely held in all directions - radially and axially.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention

[0016] The filter device is provided with the fluid passages in the extension of the tube being defined by webs, and with the positioning device holding the tube in a position in which the flow resistance for the fluid is limited. This ensures that the webs of the extension are arranged in a position relative to the supplied fluid flow by means of the radial positioning device as a rotation lock such that the fluid flow impinges on the smallest possible surface of a web, thus reducing the flow resistance.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment of the filter device according to the invention, the length of the tube is limited in the direction of the other end cap such that, during operation, the opening of the tube adjacent to the other end cap ends below a minimum possible liquid level in a fluid container in which the filter element is inserted. Preferably, the tube is further provided with a length that corresponds to between 20 and 90%, particularly preferably more than 2 / 3, of the length of the element material. In any case, care should be taken to ensure that the free end of the immersion tube is positioned in the filter element such that outflow / filtration is possible with an acceptable pressure loss.

[0018] To ensure secure anchoring of the filter element in the associated filter housing, a support cone is provided at the free end of the axial extension as part of the aforementioned axial securing device. It is also preferably provided that at the other end of the tube opening, which is adjacent to the other end cap of the filter element, a support engages the interior of the tube, which is preferably elastic, in particular spring-elastic. In this way, support in the device housing is achieved via the ends of the tube.In a further preferred embodiment of the filter device according to the invention, one end cap with one positioning means has a handle which has a ring-shaped enclosing body with passages delimited by connecting webs, which at least partially encloses the extension of the tube and which has a resilient contact edge at its free end. In this way, when a housing cover is removed from other parts of the device housing, a used filter element can be easily removed by hand and replaced with a new element using the handle. Otherwise, the aforementioned ring with the resilient contact edge serves to hold the filter element in position within the device housing, in which a housing cover attached to the housing preferably exerts a corresponding contact pressure on the contact edge.

[0019] Particularly preferably, the positioning device ensures that the connecting webs of the enclosing body, at least in a fictitious extension, are at least partially aligned with the webs of the pipe extension. In this respect, a reduction in resistance during fluid flow can be achieved, comparable to the arrangement of the webs of the pipe that define the fluid passages.

[0020] The invention also relates to a set comprising a filter element having an element material extending between two end caps and a tube accommodated therein, which is provided with a closed circumferential casing and which passes through a passage in one of the end caps, and in which the tube is provided with an extension beyond this passage, which has at least one fluid passage for fluid. In this way, the set as a whole can be replaced on site if necessary, while the device housing remains. In the following, the filter device according to the invention is explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment according to the drawing.

[0021] Figure 1 in the form of a longitudinal section the filter device as

[0022] Whole, inserted in a device housing;

[0023] Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through a filter element;

[0024] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a tube with axial extension;

[0025] Figure 4 shows, in a partially cut-away perspective view, parts of the head-end device housing with the filter element accommodated and the (dip) tube inserted;

[0026] Figures 5 and 6 show an enlarged view of a head-side section and a foot-side section of the filter device according to Figure 1.

[0027] The filter device shown in Figure 1 has a filter element 10 with an element material 12 that extends between two end caps 14, 16 and that comprises a cavity 18, in particular in the form of an unfiltered material space. A tube 20 is inserted into the cavity 18, which has a closed circumferential casing 22, the tube 20 having an opening 24, 26 at each end. The axial length of the tube 20 is dimensioned such that when the filter element 10 is used in a fluid container 28, which is only partially shown in Figure 1 with part of its upper container wall 30, the lower opening 26 of the tube 20 is arranged below a predeterminable minimum liquid level 32 in the operating position shown.In addition to the possible minimum liquid level 32, a maximum possible liquid level 34 in the fluid container 28 is also shown in dashed lines in Figure 1, and the difference in volume between the minimum and maximum liquid level represents the so-called pendulum volume in the fluid container 28. Above the respectively assumed maximum possible liquid level 34, air is accommodated in a space 36 in the fluid container 28, which is separated from the fluid and rises upwards into the space 36. The volume of air in the space 36, like the space 36 itself, is variable and depends on the liquid level currently occupied in the fluid container 28. The tube 20 is inserted via a central passage 38 in the upper end cap 14, and this passage 38 in the upper end cap 14 ends essentially flush with the upper opening 24 of the tube 20.The lower opening 26 of the tube 20 ends at a predeterminable axial distance from the other lower end cap 16 into the cavity 18 and thus establishes a fluid connection to the unfiltered space.

[0028] As can be further seen from Figure 1, the tube 20 has a length that in any case corresponds to more than 2 / 3 of the length of the element material 12. In particular, the length of the element material 12 is approximately 8 / 7 of the length of the tube 18, as seen along the vertically extending longitudinal axis 40 of the filter element 10. However, the specified length of the tube 20 is only exemplary, and deviations may occur depending on the intended use of the filter device. In any case, the selected length of the tube 20, which is also technically referred to as the immersion tube, depends on the distance between the upper tank or container wall 30 and the minimum fluid or oil level 32 in the fluid container 28.The element material 12 is formed from a pleated, preferably multi-layer, filter mat web that encloses the cylindrically shaped cavity 18, wherein the tube 20 and the element material 12, arranged to form a cylinder, have a common axis in the form of the longitudinal axis 40 of the filter element 10. Furthermore, the element material 12 surrounds the tube 20 at a predeterminable radial distance, and the tube 20 and the element material 12 are arranged coaxially with respect to the aforementioned longitudinal axis 40.

[0029] During normal filtration operation, the element material 12 is flowed through from the inside to the outside and is accordingly supported on its outside by a fluid-permeable support tube 42, which can also be composed of individual segments arranged one above the other. The filter unit constructed in this way is, as can be seen in particular from Figure 2, also surrounded on the circumference by a jacket 44, which has individual fluid passages (not shown in detail). In particular, individual air bubbles separated from the fluid at the fluid passages of the jacket 44 can, due to surface tension, combine to form larger bubbles and increase in volume such that they rise outside the jacket 44 in the fluid of the fluid container 28 and exit into the upper air space 36.In this way, the tubular jacket 44, which surrounds the support tube 42 at a predeterminable radial distance, promotes reliable air separation from the fluid introduced via the unfiltered side or the cavity 18. Both the support tube 42 and the tubular jacket 44 extend between the upper end cap 14 and the lower end cap 16 and are firmly connected to these caps 14, 16, in particular by adhesive bonding.

[0030] As can further be seen from Figure 3 in conjunction with Figure 4, the tube 20 has a protruding circumferential edge 46 on its upper side, which surrounds the upper opening 24 of the tube 20 with a predeterminable projection, wherein this protruding edge 46 of the tube 20 is supported on a flat contact surface 48 of one upper end cap 14. In particular, the edge 46 is aligned transversely to the longitudinal axis 40 of the filter element 10 and rests with its underside directly on adjacent parts of the upper side of the upper end cap 14 in a supporting manner, in particular the contact surface 48 is aligned parallel to the course of the edge 46. The filter element 10 as a replaceable component and the tube 20 as a permanent component form two components that are connected to one another in a detachable manner, so that the tube 20 can be retained in each case and only used filter elements 10 are to be replaced with new elements as components to be replaced.

[0031] As can be further seen from Figure 4, a positioning device 50 is provided, which has four positioning means 52 on the side of the contact surface 48 of the upper end cap 14. The individual positioning means 52 are formed from circular segment-like projections or lugs on the end cap 14, which are arranged diametrically opposite one another to the longitudinal axis 40, wherein there is an equal radial distance between adjacent positioning means 52. As viewed in the direction of Figure 4, the foremost positioning means 52 of the positioning device 50 has been omitted due to the partially cut-away illustration. The segment-shaped positioning means 52 are designed in a closed, arcuate shape in the direction of the opening 24 of the tube 20.

[0032] As can also be seen from Figure 3, the tube edge 46, as part of the positioning device 50, has further positioning means 54, which are now designed as circular segment-shaped recesses, which in turn are arranged in groups at the same radial distance from one another. The adjacently assigned positioning means 52 engage in a loose connection on the side of the contact surface 58 in the engagement space thus left free. Thus, by means of the positioning device 50, the tube 20 sits radially secured on the end cap 14 of the filter element 10.

[0033] On its outer circumference, the tube 20 has, below and adjacent to the radially projecting edge 46, an annular collar 56 (Figure 5), which is provided with an annular groove 58 and serves to receive a sealing means in the form of an O-ring 60. As can be seen in particular from Figure 5, the O-ring 60 rests with its outer circumference against a contact surface 64 of an inner edge 66 of the upper end cap 14. The tube 20 is guided longitudinally displaceably in the filter element 10 along the contact surface 64 thus formed and, in the installed state shown in Figure 5, is accordingly secured with a clamping preload by the O-ring 60. In addition to the inner edge 66, the upper end cap 14 also has an outer edge 68 and between the downwardly projecting edges 66, 68 an adhesive bed 70 is formed in the usual way, which fixes the upper free end side of the element material 12 in the upper end cap 14.The outer circumference of the folded edge 46 of the tube 20 accordingly projects in the radial direction beyond the contact surface 64 with the O-ring 60 of the axial guide shown in this respect.

[0034] As can be further seen from the figures, an extension 72 is provided as an integral component of the tube 20, viewed in the axial orientation of the tube 20, coaxial with the longitudinal axis 40 and projecting upwards beyond the tube edge 46. This extension is provided with at least one fluid passage, preferably with several fluid passages 76, for an inlet 74 of fluid into the interior. The extension 72 is thus constructed in a cage-like manner, and the individual fluid passages 76 are delimited by four webs 78, which are integrally connected to the edge 46 and extend in the axial direction with a predeterminable, equal length up to a contact cone 80. The contact cone 80 tapers conically at an angle of approximately 45° relative to the horizontal plane towards the interior of the extension 72.The four webs 78 are grouped along the edge 46 around the longitudinal axis 40 such that the grooved positioning means 54 of the positioning device 50 is accommodated approximately centrally between two adjacent webs 78. Furthermore, a circumferential web edge 82 is inserted below the outlet of the contact cone 80. With wall portions of the webs 78, each web edge defines a window-like, square fluid passage 76. The free flow cross-section of the window 76 below it is smaller than the rectangular window 76 located below it, which is defined by a pair of adjacent webs 78, the associated segment of the edge 46, and the adjacent underside of the web edge 82. The web edge 82 increases the stiffening for the extension 72 and leads to improved fluid ingress from the outside to the inside toward the upper opening 24 of the tube 20.Overall, the extension 72 of the tube 20 thus forms an axial securing means for the filter element 10, which is accommodated in the fluid container 28 in the operating position.

[0035] As can be further seen from Figures 1 and 5, the filter device has a filter head 84, which is fixed in a stationary manner with its underside via an annular seal 86 to the top of the fluid container 28 in the form of the upper container wall 30. A cover part 88 can be screwed into the filter head 84 from above, which cover part 88 releases a central removal opening 90 away from the filter head 84 for removing the filter element 10. Furthermore, as viewed in the direction of Figures 1 and 5, the filter head 84 has a connection point 92 for an unfiltered stream on its left-hand connection side. In Figure 4, the filter device according to Figures 1 and 5 is shown rotated by 180° relative to the longitudinal axis 40, so that the connection point 92 is on the right-hand side.The individual webs 78 of the extension 72 are positioned by means of the positioning device 50 such that, if possible, the respective web 78, with its outer, narrow boundary wall 94, faces the fluid flow coming from the connection point 92 in order to limit the flow resistance. In this way, it is possible to prevent the fluid inlet via the connection point 92 from encountering the full web surface of a web 78 in this area, which would significantly increase the flow resistance. Overall, the unfiltered flow enters the interior 96 of the filter head 84 via the connection point 92 and from there, via the fluid passages 76 between the webs 78, reaches the inside of the extension 72 and thus from there, via the upper opening 24 and the passage point 38, into the interior 18 of the tube 20.After flowing through the tube 20 from top to bottom, the unfiltered fluid flows through the lower opening 26 into the interior or cavity 18 of the filter element 10 and is thus cleaned from the inside out as it flows through the element material 12. The thus cleaned fluid then flows through the passages of the support tube 42 and the openings in the casing 44 to the clean side of the fluid container 28, where it reaches a liquid level between the lower minimum 32 and the maximum possible upper 34 liquid level (Figure 1).

[0036] In addition to securing the tube 20 with extension 72 via the guide with contact surface 64 and O-ring 60, the lower end of the tube 20 is also secured in its coaxial position to the longitudinal axis 40 of the filter element 10. For this purpose, an elastically flexible, loop-shaped support 98 (Figure 6) engages flush with the interior of the tube via the lower opening 26 of the tube 20. This support 98 is an integral component of a flow basket 100 having window-like openings 102. This flow basket 100 is connected to the lower end cap 16 and engages from below into the lower end of the hollow-cylindrical, pleated element material 12. The lower end cap 16 has individual locking hooks 104 along its outer circumference, which can be rotatably locked with corresponding locking hooks 106 of a lower cover part 108, which is provided centrally with a bypass valve arrangement 110.

[0037] In the fixed position of the cover part 108, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, a spring-loaded valve plate 112 of the bypass valve arrangement 110 closes off a bottom-side flow coming from the cavity 18 of the filter element 10 towards the interior of the fluid container 28. If the element material 12 of the filter element 10 is blocked by particle contamination, the differential pressure inside the filter element 10 increases and, at a predeterminable limit value, the bypass valve arrangement 110 opens, in which the valve plate 112, counteracting the action of a compression spring 114, clears the fluid path to the outside. The unfiltered fluid coming from the pipe 20 flows through the window-like openings 102 in the flow basket 100 before the unfiltered fluid encounters the spring-loaded valve plate 112 for an opening process.In this regard, bottom-side bypass valve arrangements 110 are common in the prior art, as is a locking mechanism 104, 106 of the cover part 108 to the rest of the body of the filter element 10, so this will not be discussed in detail here. In any case, however, the element material 12 of the filter element 10, as well as parts of the support tube 42 and the lower edge of the casing 44, engage in a bed-shaped receptacle of the lower end cap 16 and are thus firmly connected to the lower end cap 14 via a further adhesive bed 116.

[0038] As can be further seen from Figure 2, the one upper end cap 14 with the one positioning means 52 of the positioning device 50 has a handle 118 which has a ring-shaped surrounding body 120 with passages 124 for unfiltered material delimited by connecting webs 122, wherein the surrounding body 120 in question at least partially surrounds the extension 72, which can be seen in particular from the illustration according to Figure 4. In any case, the lower window-like fluid passages 76 in the extension 72 are encompassed and the contact cone 80 with the square fluid passages 76 underneath are left free at the top by the surrounding body 120.The positioning device 50 ensures that the connecting webs 122 of the surrounding body 120, viewed in a fictitious radial extension, are at least partially aligned with the webs 78 of the extension 72, in order to thus equally minimize the flow resistance for the entry of the unfiltered stream into the interior 96 of the filter head 84. Furthermore, the surrounding body 120 has a circumferential, annular contact edge 126 on its upper free end face and the connecting webs 122 at the top. This contact edge 126 is resilient and has a circumferential wave shape for this purpose, with a wave crest 128 located between two adjacent connecting webs 122 and a wave trough 130 being formed at each connection point between the contact edge 126 and a connecting web 122, in the form of a flat connection surface.When the cover part 108 is secured, its free lower edge 132 presses against the adjacent, edge-side upper side of the resiliently flexible contact edge 126, and the inherent preload of the contact edge 126 holds the filter element 10 in its operating position. Thus, the resiliently induced preload force is transmitted via the contact edge 126 to the adjacent connecting webs 122, and the securing force is introduced into the upper end cap 14 via these.

[0039] For axial fixation of the filter element 10 as a whole, the upper contact cone 80 is provided with support surfaces 134 (Figure 5) on its conical inner side and also on its free outer edge for possible support with the adjacent inner wall side of the cover part 88. To this extent, the cover part 88 also has, on its inner peripheral side, several radially inwardly projecting individual guide webs 136 as well as a guide ring 138, which serve to center the filter element 10 and, moreover, form a mounting guide for the cover part 88 as soon as it is screwed into the filter head 84 via an associated threaded section 140. The guide webs 136 of the cover part 88 overlap the outer edge of the extension 72 at a radial distance, and the guide ring 138 points at an axial distance toward the interior of the contact cone 80.Overall, the solution according to the invention creates a set consisting of a filter element 10 having an element material 12 extending between two end caps 14, 16 and a tube 20 received therein, which is provided with a closed circumferential casing 22 and passes through a passage point 38 in the upper end cap 14. Beyond this passage point 38, the tube 20 is provided with an extension 72 having at least one fluid passage 76 for an unfiltered stream of fluid to be cleaned. Preferably, the tube 20 is separable from the filter element 10 and reusable during a replacement process. This has no equivalent in the prior art.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A filter device with a filter element (10) having an element material (12) extending between two end caps (14, 16) and comprising a cavity (18), in particular in the form of an unfiltered material space, into which, in the operating state, a tube (20) having a closed circumferential casing (22) is inserted via a passage point (38) in one of the end caps (14), said tube having an opening (24, 26) at each end, one opening (26) of which opens into the cavity (18) at a predeterminable axial distance from the other end cap (16), characterized in that the other opening (24) of the tube (20) is delimited by a projecting edge (46) of the tube (20), which is supported on a contact surface (48) of one of the end caps (14).

2. Filter device according to claim 1, characterized in that the filter element (10) and the tube (20) form two components connected to one another in a detachable manner.

3. Filter device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a positioning device (50) is provided which has at least one positioning means (52) on the side of the contact surface (48) of one end cap (14), which cooperates with at least one corresponding further positioning means (54) on the side of the tube edge (46) and that the positioning device (50) forms an anti-twist device between the tube (20) and the filter element (10).

4. Filter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the axial alignment of the tube (20) and over the tube edge (46) protruding as a one-piece component of the An extension (72) is provided on the tube (20) which is provided with fluid passages (76) for an inlet (74) of fluid into the interior of the tube (20).

5. Filter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the extension (72) of the tube (20) forms an axial securing means for the filter element (10).

6. Filter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fluid passages (76) in the extension (72) of the tube (20) are limited by webs (78), and that the positioning device (50) holds the tube (20) in a position in which the flow resistance for the fluid is limited.

7. Filter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the length of the tube (20) in the direction of the other end cap (16) is limited such that, in operation, the opening (26) of the tube (20) adjacent to the other end cap (16) ends below a minimum possible liquid level (32) in a fluid container (28) in which the filter element (10) is inserted.

8. Filter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tube (20) has a length which corresponds to between 20 and 90%, particularly preferably more than 2 / 3 of the length of the element material (12).

9. Filter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a contact cone (80) is provided at the free end of the axial extension (72) as part of the axial securing means.

10. Filter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a support (98) engages into the interior of the tube (20) via the opening (26) of the tube (20) which is adjacent to the other end cap (16).

11. Filter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the one end cap (14) with the one positioning means (52) has a handle (118) which has a ring-shaped enclosing body (120) with passages (124) delimited by connecting webs (122), which at least partially encloses the extension (72) of the tube (20) and which has a resilient contact edge (126) at its free end.

12. Filter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that by means of the positioning device (50) the connecting webs (122) of the enclosing body (120) can be brought at least partially into alignment with the webs (78) of the extension (72), at least in a fictitious extension.

13. Set, consisting of a filter element (10) which has an element material (12) which extends between two end caps (14, 16) and a tube (20) received therein, which is provided with a closed circumferential casing (22) and which passes through a passage point (38) in one of the end caps (14), and that beyond this passage point (38) the tube (20) is provided with an extension (72) which has at least one fluid passage (76) for fluid.

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