Air Filter Element With Elastic End Disk Tolerance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter elements for internal combustion engine intake air face challenges with high component tolerance requirements, particularly axial length tolerances, which affect sealing reliability.
Innovation Solution
A filter element with a hollow-cylindrical, star-shaped filter medium and a central support grid, featuring a coupling element like a thread or bayonet lock, and an elastically deformable end disk with an integrated axial seal, allowing for independent positioning and reduced influence from material hardness and length tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the filter element uses a rigid connection structure with tight tolerance requirements, then the sealing reliability should improve, but the manufacturing complexity and tolerance control difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The end disk material hardness is specifically controlled within the range of 30-80 Shore A, transforming the material parameter to achieve optimal balance between sealing capability and tolerance compensation. This parameter optimization allows the seal to deform appropriately and compensate for axial length variations without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The end disk is designed with elastic deformability using materials having 30-80 Shore A hardness, creating a flexible sealing structure. This flexible end disk can deform to accommodate tolerance variations in the filter element assembly, maintaining reliable sealing without requiring rigid precision fitting between components.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the axial seal is made harder for better structural stability, then the position stability improves, but the sealing capability deteriorates due to reduced deformability
Solution Approach 1:
The Shore A hardness of the end disk is optimized to 30-80, which provides sufficient structural stability for position maintenance while retaining adequate elastic deformability for effective sealing. This parameter range balances the conflicting requirements of stability and sealing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter element employs composite material selection where the end disk uses elastomeric material with specific hardness characteristics that combine structural stability with sealing flexibility, while the filter medium and support structure use more rigid materials for stability.
3Device complexity
If the filter medium is directly connected to the support grid for simplified structure, then the device complexity reduces, but the filter medium suffers from high shearing forces and reduced load-bearing capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The collar acts as an intermediary component between the support grid and the filter medium. It provides a larger surface area for force distribution and creates a transition zone that reduces stress concentration and shearing forces on the filter medium, thereby enhancing its load-bearing capacity without significantly increasing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar extends radially outward from the support grid, utilizing the radial dimension to distribute axial loads over a larger area. This dimensional extension allows force distribution that reduces the stress intensity on the filter medium while maintaining a relatively simple structural form.
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
This design ensures reliable sealing and improved tolerance conditions by decoupling the filter element's position from axial length tolerances, enhancing the connection strength and load-bearing capacity while minimizing shearing forces and force transmission to the filter medium.
Implementation Method 1
an elastically deformable plastic, in particular polyurethane (PUR) being used according to the invention as the end disk material
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a filter element (1) for fluid filtration, in particular an air filter element for the intake air of internal combustion engines, comprising a hollow-cylindrical filter medium (2), which is in particular folded in a star shape, an outlet-side end plate (3) and a second end plate (4), a hollow-cylindrical supporting mesh (5) disposed in the interior (6) of the filter medium, wherein at the outlet-side end of the filter element, the supporting mesh comprises a connecting region (11) in which the supporting mesh (5) is provided with a coupling element (7), wherein in the connecting region (7) the supporting mesh (5) comprises a radially outwardly projecting collar (8), which partially protrudes beyond the outlet-side end face (9) of the filter medium, wherein the outlet-side end plate (3) encloses the outlet-side end face (9) of the filter medium (2) and the collar (8) and has an annular axial seal (10).