Filter With Deflected Support Member For Adhesive-Free Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air filters are cumbersome to produce and require additional materials like adhesives and cardboard, which do not serve filtering purposes and can degrade over time, compromising the filter's integrity.
Innovation Solution
A filter design that incorporates a support member with inwardly deflected portions to couple with the filter medium, eliminating the need for separate mechanical means like fasteners or adhesives, and using materials such as expanded metal or wire mesh to enhance structural integrity and filtration efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional air filters use a frame with adhesive to connect the support member to the filter medium, then the filter can be assembled, but the production becomes cumbersome and additional materials (adhesive, cardboard) are required that do not serve filtering purposes and can degrade over time
Solution Approach 1:
The support member's edges are deflected inward to engage with and secure the filter medium itself, making the support member self-sufficient for both structural support and attachment functions, eliminating the need for separate adhesives or framing materials
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is designed to combine multiple functions into a single component: it provides structural support, defines the filter boundaries, and secures the filter medium through its deflected edges, replacing the need for separate frame, adhesive, and cardboard components
2Ease of manufacture
If additional materials like adhesive and cardboard are used to assemble the filter, then the filter can be constructed, but the production life and performance are limited due to material degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention eliminates disposable non-filtering materials like adhesive and cardboard that have limited service lives, replacing them with a durable metal support member that provides long-term structural integrity without degrading
Solution Approach 2:
The support member's deflected edges create a self-securing mechanism that mechanically attaches the filter medium without relying on degradable adhesives, ensuring the assembly maintains its integrity throughout the filter's service life
3Device complexity
If the support member uses inwardly deflected portions to engage the filter medium, then the need for separate mechanical means is eliminated, but the manufacturing process requires deflecting operations
Solution Approach 1:
The deflected portions of the support member serve dual purposes: they reduce the overall device complexity by eliminating separate fasteners or adhesives, while the deflecting operation itself is integrated into the manufacturing process to create the securing mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is designed to be self-securing through its deflected edges that engage with the filter medium, eliminating the need for additional mechanical means while the manufacturing process directly forms these deflected portions as an integral part of the support member
Data Source
AI summary
A filter is configured to be used in a variety of different devices to filter particulate matter from a fluid (e.g., air or water), such as residential or commercial air filtration systems, automobile filtration systems, and water filtration systems. In one embodiment, the filter includes a filter medium and a support member. At least one inwardly deflected portion of the support member engages at least one portion of the filter medium to couple the support member to the filter medium. In one embodiment, the deflected portion of the support member may be deflected inward at an angle between approximately 90 degrees and approximately 180 degrees. The filter medium may be any suitable filtration material, such as fiberglass, paper, or vegetable fibers (e.g., cotton). The support member may be constructed of expanded metal, wire mesh, or a flat plate.