Filter Seal Retention via Radial Housing Recess
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter systems for internal combustion engines face issues with reliable and easy-to-assemble sealing options, as seals can fall out during maintenance or require costly gluing, leading to axial sealing limitations and susceptibility to component tolerance fluctuations.
Innovation Solution
A filter system with a seal held in position by radial retaining elements, such as retaining cams, between the housing wall and cover, ensuring radial sealing and anti-twist protection, allowing for secure assembly and maintenance without gluing, and accommodating angular mounting for stable flow field conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the seal is placed in a groove on the cover during assembly, then the seal can be easily installed, but the seal can fall out of the groove and get lost during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is nested within a recess in the cover, creating a protective cavity that prevents the seal from falling out during maintenance while still allowing for easy installation. The recess acts as a containing structure that holds the seal securely in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is pre-formed with a recess during manufacturing, so that when the seal is installed, it automatically has a retaining structure in place. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for additional retention mechanisms and ensures the seal cannot fall out.
2Reliability
If the seal is glued on to prevent loss, then the seal retention is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover structure itself provides the retention function through the recess, eliminating the need for external retention mechanisms like glue. The recess is formed as an integral part of the cover during manufacturing, making the retention solution cost-effective and self-contained.
3Reliability
If axial sealing is used with the seal pressed into a conical groove, then the sealing function is achieved, but the solution is susceptible to component tolerance fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from axial sealing (compressing the seal in the axial direction into a conical groove) to radial sealing (compressing the seal in the radial direction against a shoulder). This dimensional change makes the sealing less sensitive to axial tolerance variations and more robust against component tolerance fluctuations.
4Reliability
If the seal is pressed into a conical groove during closing, then the seal is fixed in position, but additional components like rings are needed for additional compression
Solution Approach 1:
The cover serves multiple functions: it provides the sealing surface, creates the recess for seal retention, and forms the shoulder for radial compression. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate retention rings or additional compression components, simplifying the overall design.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a filter system (100) comprising a housing (108) with a housing wall (112) and at least one cover (110), an inlet (102) arranged on the housing (108) for supplying a fluid to be filtered, in particular air, an outlet (104) arranged on the housing (108) for discharging the filtered fluid, at least one filter element (200) arranged between the inlet (102) and the outlet (104) and separating a raw side from a clean side, and a seal (10) arranged between a sealing surface (114) of the housing wall (112) and a sealing surface (116) of the cover (110). The seal (10) is held in position in a longitudinal direction (L) by at least one retaining element (12) arranged on the cover (110) or on the housing wall (112).