Filter Housing Twist-Lock Seal Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing filter devices require additional manipulations for seal replacement during filter element maintenance, leading to potential leaks due to neglect or incorrect installation of new seals.

Innovation Solution

The filter device design incorporates positioning arms on the separating element that automatically engage with connection means interruptions, ensuring the seal is replaced and correctly positioned during filter element changes, preventing leaks and simplifying maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the seal is arranged separately on the housing part, then the seal can be installed independently, but additional manipulations are required for seal replacement during filter element maintenance, leading to potential leaks due to neglect or incorrect installation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of seal replacementVSAvoidseal installation reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the seal with the filter element to form an integrated assembly. The seal is arranged on the filter element instead of being a separate component on the housing part. This merging eliminates the need for separate seal installation manipulations during filter element replacement, ensuring that seal installation reliability is maintained without requiring additional steps that could be neglected or performed incorrectly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If the seal is integrated with the filter element, then seal replacement occurs automatically with filter element change, but the seal must be positioned precisely relative to the housing part connection means

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseal installation reliabilityVSAvoidseal positioning precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates the seal pre-positioned on the filter element during filter element manufacturing. The seal is already in its correct position and orientation on the filter element before installation into the housing part. This preliminary positioning action eliminates the need for precise positioning manipulations during assembly, as the seal is brought into the correct position automatically when the filter element is installed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The filter element acts as an intermediary carrier for the seal. Instead of positioning the seal directly on the housing part, the seal is first mounted on the filter element, which then serves as the mounting substrate. This intermediary approach simplifies the positioning process, as the filter element's geometry and connection features guide the seal into the correct position relative to the housing part during assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If additional connecting means interruptions and positioning arms are added, then the seal and filter element are automatically positioned correctly, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseal and filter element positioning precisionVSAvoidconnection means complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning arms and connecting means interruptions serve multiple functions: they guide the filter element into correct position during installation, secure the filter element in its operational position, and ensure proper alignment of the seal with the housing part. By making these connection components multi-functional, the patent achieves precise positioning without adding separate dedicated positioning mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3185982B1Device for cleaning a liquid or gas medium and separation device therefor
Publication Date: 2020.06.17 HENGST SE
  • EP3185982B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~2
  • EP3185982B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3185982B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a device (1) for cleaning liquids or gaseous media, having a cup-shaped or pot-shaped housing (10), having an exchangeable precipitating element (3) arranged in the device (1), having a medium inlet (12) for medium to be cleaned, having a medium outlet (15) for cleaned medium and having a housing cover (11), which is removably connected to the housing (10) by means of a connection (2), wherein the housing (10) has first circumferential connection means (20) and the housing cover (11) has second circumferential connection means (21) compatible thereto, which can be engaged and disengaged by twisting relative to each other in the circumferential direction. The device (1) according to the invention is characterized in that the first connection means (20) or the second connection means (21) have at least one connection means interruption (22, 23) extending in the connection means axial direction and in that the precipitating element (3) has at least one positioning arm (4) which, in the installed state of the precipitating element (3) and when the housing cover (11) is connected to the housing (10), is received at least partially in the at least one connection means interruption (22, 23), in a position and orientation corresponding to the connection means interruption (22, 23). The invention further relates to a precipitating element (3) for the device (1).