Filter Sealing System with Elastomeric Collar for Tolerance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing axial flow filter elements require tight manufacturing tolerances to ensure a secure connection between the filter element and the housing, leading to increased costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A sealing system with an elastomeric seal and a support body within the filter element, featuring alternating flat and folded filter layers, and a peripheral seal that adapts to housing irregularities, ensuring a secure and cost-effective connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tight manufacturing tolerances are maintained for the frame construction and filter element casing, then a secure connection between the filter element and housing is ensured, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an elastomeric peripheral seal that acts as a flexible element to compensate for manufacturing tolerances. The elastomer's inherent flexibility allows it to deform and conform to slight variations in the dimensions of the filter element and housing, ensuring a reliable seal without requiring tight manufacturing tolerances on the rigid components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the elastomeric material's ability to change its physical parameters (shape, volume) under compression to adapt to dimensional variations. When the peripheral seal is compressed between the filter element and housing, the elastomer deforms to fill gaps caused by tolerance deviations, maintaining effective sealing across a range of dimensional variations.
2Reliability
If tight manufacturing tolerances are maintained for the frame construction and filter element casing, then a secure connection between the filter element and housing is ensured, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric peripheral seal serves as a simple yet effective flexible element that absorbs dimensional variations. This single flexible component replaces the need for complex adjustment mechanisms or precision-machined interfaces, simplifying the overall connection system while ensuring reliable sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines rigid structural components (frame construction, filter element casing) with a flexible elastomeric sealing element to create a composite sealing system. This hybrid approach leverages the strengths of both rigid and flexible materials to achieve reliable connection without the complexity of using only rigid precision components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If an elastomeric peripheral seal is used to compensate for tolerance differences, then adaptability to housing irregularities is improved, but the sealing system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric peripheral seal is a simple flexible component that naturally adapts to housing irregularities through elastic deformation. The elastomer's compliance allows it to conform to slight variations in the housing surface and filter element dimensions, providing adaptability without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or multiple sealing components.
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
The solution provides a reliable, cost-effective, and adaptable sealing system that maintains effective separation between inflow and outflow sides, accommodating manufacturing tolerances and ensuring secure centering and sealing within the housing.
Implementation Method 1
Due to its elasticity, the elastomer can adapt to inaccuracies in the sealing surface of the housing, with the continuous contact with the sealing surface of the housing being particularly pronounced due to the compressibility of the elastomer seal.
Implementation Method 2
the circumferential seal or the circumferential seal collar consists of an elastomer and is cast or injection molded onto the outer surface of the filter element
Implementation Method 3
the circumferential seal or the circumferential seal collar consists of an elastomer and is cast or injection molded onto the outer surface of the filter element
Data Source
AI summary
A filter element for a fluid stream flowing in at the front side, with alternating flat layer(s) and folded layer(s) of permeable filtration material forming open channels, has the inflow and outflow sides sealed from each other in a housing (11, 12) by a peripheral seal in the form of an annular collar (20a, 20b) on a frontal side of the filter element (13), connected via an axial section of the element casing surface (19) and with a supporting frame element (21a, 21b, 21c). A filter element for a fluid stream, flowing in at the front side, has alternating flat layer(s) and folded layer(s) of permeable filtration material, forming channels with open (preferably triangular) cross-section. Sealed closures are provided between channels in first and second groups, so that on flowing from the inflow side to the outflow side (which are on opposite frontal sides and sealed from each other in a housing) the fluid passes through one of the layers. Each channel of the first group, spaced from the edge of the filter element, is adjacent to a channel of the second group, so that fluid can flow through the whole surface of the channels of the first group up to the fold edges of the channels of the second group. The novel feature is that the inflow and outflow sides are sealed from each other in the housing (11, 12) by a peripheral seal in the form of an annular collar (20a, 20b) on one of the frontal sides of the filter element (13) , connected via an axial section of the element casing surface (19). Part of the collar extends axially over the frontal side of the element, and is connected with a frame element (21a, 21b, 21c) which supports the collar against forces acting radially outwards. An independent claim is included for a method for servicing an air filter having a housing with an internal annular sealing surface, where a filter element as defined above is inserted axially into the housing to produce a radial sealing connection between the filter housing and the annular sealing collar of the filter element.