Filter Housing Cover Fixation Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air filter designs for internal combustion engines face challenges in securely holding and easily replacing the filter elements, often requiring complex tolerances and relative movements between the housing and cover, which complicates the fixation and sealing processes.
Innovation Solution
A filter device design where the filter element is fixed exclusively to the housing cover using axially spaced mounting and form-fitting parts, allowing for a tighter tolerance design and easier removal, with a bayonet-style locking mechanism and elastic snap levers to secure the element in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the filter element is fixed using conventional retaining parts that project radially beyond the filter element surface, then the filter element can be secured to the housing cover, but the design becomes complex due to tolerances and relative movements between housing and cover
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fixation function from the housing assembly and relocates it entirely to the housing cover. The retaining part is now exclusively attached to the housing cover, separating the fixation mechanism from the housing and eliminating the need to account for housing-cover relative movements in the design.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation system is segmented into distinct functional components: the retaining part on the housing cover, the sealing element, and the filter element itself. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the retaining part specifically designed to engage with the filter element's mounting flange without being affected by housing-cover tolerances.
2Manufacturing precision
If the filter element is fixed exclusively to the housing cover, then tighter tolerance design is enabled and easier removal is achieved, but the fixation mechanism must be more precisely designed
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining part is pre-attached to the housing cover during cover manufacturing, establishing a fixed reference point before final assembly. This preliminary action allows the retaining part's position and orientation to be precisely controlled relative to the cover, enabling tighter tolerances in the overall assembly without complicating the manufacturing process.
3Ease of operation
If a retaining part projects radially beyond the filter element outer surface, then the filter element can be locked to the counterholder, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the filter element project retaining parts outward to engage with the housing, the invention inverts the approach by attaching the retaining part to the housing cover so that it engages with the filter element's mounting flange. This inversion simplifies the filter element design while maintaining ease of installation and removal.
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 a secure and easy-to-replace filter element, eliminating the need to consider component tolerances and movements, thereby simplifying maintenance and enhancing the sealing efficiency between the filter element and housing cover.
Implementation Method 1
two elastically spring-loaded contact parts (10) are formed on the mounting part (7), and the mating-locking element of the housing cover, designed as a locking tab (18), is received between these contact parts (10)
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b~2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a filter device comprising a filter housing that accommodates a filter element and can be closed by a housing cover. A holding part is arranged on the filter element, and a counter holding part on the housing cover is associated with said holding part. Furthermore, a form-fit part having an axial distance to the holding part is disposed on the filter element, and a counter form-fit part on the side of the housing or housing cover is associated to said form-fit part.