Filter Seal Outer Contour Bulge for Corner Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The sealing between the filter body and the filter housing is problematic in corner areas, leading to potential leaks due to uneven force distribution and the difficulty in producing filter bodies with curved corners, which complicates the production process.
Innovation Solution
The seal features an inner contour that follows the angular edges with a small inner radius and an outer contour with a larger bulge in the corner area, allowing for homogeneous force distribution and easy production, with the outer contour curving outward to enhance sealing effectiveness and the inner contour maintaining a tight connection with the filter body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seal follows the contour of the edge with a tight radius in the corner area, then the seal connection to the filter body is secure, but the force distribution becomes non-uniform and sealing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed with different radii in different regions: a smaller inner radius in the corner area for secure connection to the filter body, and a larger outer radius for uniform force distribution and sealing performance. This local differentiation of geometric parameters resolves the contradiction between secure connection and sealing effectiveness.
2Manufacturing precision
If the seal follows a wide radius in the corner area, then homogeneous sealing performance is achieved, but the connection to the filter body becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The seal features a dual-radius design where the inner contour has a smaller radius to ensure secure connection to the filter body corner, while the outer contour has a larger radius to provide homogeneous sealing performance. This localized differentiation allows both requirements to be satisfied simultaneously.
3Manufacturing precision
If the corner is replaced by a curved contour to improve sealing, then homogeneous force distribution is achieved, but production complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The filter body maintains a simple rectangular contour with sharp corners that is easy to manufacture, while the seal alone incorporates the curved dual-radius profile. This transfers the sealing complexity to the seal component, which can be molded with the required geometry, while the filter body remains simple to produce.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is separated from the filter body structure. The filter body maintains its simple rectangular shape, while the seal is a separate component with the complex dual-radius contour. This segmentation allows the filter body to be manufactured simply while the seal provides the necessary sealing geometry.
4Ease of manufacture
If a rectangular filter body with angular edges is used, then production is cost-effective and simple, but sealing in corner areas becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is separated from the filter body. The filter body maintains its simple rectangular shape for cost-effective production, while the seal is a separate component that provides the complex curved geometry needed for reliable sealing in the corner areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal incorporates a dual-radius design with different curvatures in different regions to address the specific sealing challenges at the rectangular corners, while the filter body itself remains simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
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 configuration reduces the risk of leakage in the corner area while maintaining cost-effective production, ensuring reliable sealing and easy assembly by allowing the seal to be injection molded or foamed onto the filter body.
Implementation Method 1
the seal can be injection-molded or foamed onto the filter body
Implementation Method 2
the seal can be injection-molded or foamed onto the filter body
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~9
AI summary
The invention relates to a plate filter element (2) for a filter device (1), in particular for an air filter device, preferably of a motor vehicle, comprising a filter body (8) having a peripheral edge (9) that has at least two rectilinear wall sections (10) abutting against one another and forming a corner (11), and further comprising a seal (12) that is provided on the filter body (8) and extends peripherally along the edge (9). An economical option for implementation having sufficient sealing action can be achieved if the seal has an inner contour (13) extending peripherally on the inside and an outer contour (14) extending peripherally on the outside, if the inner contour (13) runs parallel to the rectilinear edge sections (10) up to the respective corner (11), and if the outer contour (14) runs parallel to the rectilinear edge sections (10) up to a corner region (16) that contains the respective corner (11) and end sections (19) of the rectilinear edge sections (10) abutting against the respective corner (11, and said outer contour in the corner region (16) forms a bulge (17) that is curved outwardly relative to the rectilinear sections (18) of the outer contour (14).