Filter Housing Guide Element for Pin Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

The assembly of filter devices is often difficult due to the complex interaction between the pin and channel mechanism, leading to increased production costs and potential misuse of unauthorized filter elements, which can damage internal combustion engines.

Innovation Solution

A tubular dome with a guide element on the filter housing pot interacts with a complementary guide contour on the ring filter element, ensuring precise alignment and insertion of the pin into the channel, thereby simplifying assembly and preventing unauthorized element use through a lock-and-key principle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a pin and channel mechanism is used to prevent unauthorized filter elements, then security against misuse is improved, but assembly difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of unauthorized filter element useVSAvoidassembly difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

A guide element is introduced as an intermediary component between the pin on the filter element and the channel on the filter housing. This guide element facilitates the insertion process by providing a guiding function during assembly, while the pin-channel locking mechanism remains intact to prevent unauthorized use. The guide element acts as a mediator that simplifies the assembly operation without compromising the security function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a complex pin and channel interaction mechanism is used, then security against misuse is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of unauthorized filter element useVSAvoidassembly mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guiding function is extracted from the pin-channel mechanism itself and separated into a distinct guide element. This allows the pin-channel interaction to focus solely on the locking and security function, while the guide element handles the alignment and insertion assistance. By taking out the guiding function, the overall device complexity is reduced as each component has a dedicated, simplified function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Manufacturing precision

If precise alignment features are added to the filter housing, then assembly precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precision during assemblyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The guide element serves as a cost-effective intermediary that provides precise alignment during assembly. Rather than incorporating complex precision features directly into the filter housing structure, the guide element can be manufactured as a separate, simpler component that achieves the same alignment precision. This approach reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining high assembly precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2783738B1Filtering device
Publication Date: 2019.07.03 MAHLE INT GMBH
  • EP2783738B1 patent drawingFigure 1~5

AI summary

The filter device (1) has a filter housing (3) and a filter housing cover (2). A ring-shaped filter element (4) is arranged in filter housing and provided with a lower end plate (7) including an axially projecting pin (8) which is engaged in filter housing cover side channel (9) in assembled state of filter device. The filter housing has tubular mandrel (11) which is engaged in interior of filter element in assembled state of filter device. A guide element (12) is provided at free end of tubular mandrel and cooperated with guide contour (13) arranged on a filter element.