Liquid Filter Component Captive Coupling for Sealing and Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The disassembly and reassembly of liquid filter components are time-consuming and prone to errors, leading to contamination of the filter medium and potential issues with sealing and ice pressure. Additionally, the production of end caps for filter elements is complex and costly.
Innovation Solution
A component for a liquid filter comprising a housing, a cover, a filter element, and a compensation element, where the cover, filter element, and compensation element are captively coupled, simplifying installation and disassembly. This configuration prevents contamination and ensures correct positioning of the components, reducing the risk of incorrect installation and ice pressure issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the compensation element is inserted into the filter element through an insertion opening, then the filter element can be assembled, but the disassembly process becomes time-consuming and complex requiring multiple steps and tools
Solution Approach 1:
The filter element is divided into separable components: the filter medium with its hollow interior and the compensation element. This segmentation allows the compensation element to be easily removed from the filter element without requiring disassembly of the entire filter assembly, significantly reducing maintenance time while maintaining ease of assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensation element is pre-positioned within the hollow interior of the filter medium during manufacturing. This preliminary placement ensures correct positioning and eliminates the need for complex alignment procedures during assembly and disassembly operations, reducing both assembly and disassembly time.
2Loss of energy
If the liquid reaches the cover side exterior close to the outside environment, then heat loss increases, but the compensation element material thickness must be increased to prevent contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The compensation element is nested within the hollow interior of the filter medium, creating a nested structure where the filter medium surrounds the compensation element. This nesting provides thermal insulation for the liquid while maintaining a compact design that prevents contamination without requiring increased material thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow interior of the filter medium acts as an intermediary barrier between the liquid and the external environment. This intermediary structure provides thermal insulation to reduce heat loss while preventing direct contact between the liquid and external contaminants, eliminating the need for increased compensation element thickness.
3Reliability
If multiple sealing elements are used for internal and external sealing, then sealing reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compensation element serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides internal sealing to prevent fluidic short circuits, external sealing to prevent liquid leakage, and thermal insulation to reduce heat loss. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sealing elements, reducing device complexity while maintaining sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing functions are merged into a single compensation element structure. The compensation element integrates both internal and external sealing capabilities in one component, reducing the total number of sealing elements required while maintaining reliable sealing performance.
4Ease of repair
If the filter element is disassembled for maintenance, then the filter medium can be replaced, but contamination of the filter medium occurs during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The filter medium is segmented as a separate, removable component with a hollow interior that can be easily accessed and replaced. This segmentation allows the filter medium to be removed and replaced without disassembling the entire filter assembly, minimizing handling time and reducing contamination risk while maintaining ease of repair.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The captive coupling of the components simplifies maintenance by reducing the number of steps required for disassembly and reassembly, minimizing the risk of contamination and ensuring proper sealing. This approach also reduces the complexity and cost of producing end caps and enhances the energy efficiency of heating by preventing inhomogeneities in heat distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a so-called compensation element is often provided in such liquid filters or in such filter elements. This compensation element is inserted into the interior of a filter element arranged in the liquid filter, for example. The compensation element, which is made of an elastic material and/or comprises, e.g., a hollow interior
Implementation Method 2
the cover represents a constant heat sink at low temperatures. In particular, the cover of such a (DENOX) liquid filter can be directly exposed to an external environment in which the air can move convectively or even the airstream can attack the cover
Implementation Method 3
The liquid filter can, e.g., comprise a heating element or at least one heating element, which is not shown herein for reasons of clarity
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a component for a liquid filter (30) which has a housing (31), said component (100) having:—a cover (32) for installing on the housing (31);—a filter element (1) comprising—first end cap (2) facing the cover (32),—a second end cap (3) facing away from the cover (32), and—a filter medium (4) which is arranged between the first end cap (2) and the second end cap (3) along an axial direction (A) and which comprises a hollow interior (5); and—an elastically reversible compensation element (8); wherein the cover (32) has a cover lower face (42) facing the first end cap (2), and the first end cap (2) has an upper face (24) facing the cover (32). The cover (32), the filter element (1), and the compensation element (8) are captively coupled together.