Fluid Filter Flow Attachment Member for Leakage Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid filters face challenges in preventing leakage and require complex sealing structures, which complicates servicing and increases costs, especially in systems like high-pressure common rail fuel systems that need fine particle filtration.
Innovation Solution
The fluid filter design incorporates a flow attachment member with a seal structure that localizes fluid flow within the filter, eliminating the need for external seals and nutplates, and allows for pre-filtering of fluids before they enter the system, using a flow redirection concept to divert pre-filled fluids through the filtration media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sealing structures with multiple seals and nutplates are used, then leakage prevention is achieved, but device complexity and servicing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flow attachment member integrates multiple sealing functions into a single unified structure. The seal structure is disposed directly on the flow attachment member, combining the functions of sealing, flow direction, and structural support that were previously distributed across multiple separate seals and nutplates. This merging reduces the number of parts while maintaining reliable leakage prevention.
2Reliability
If multiple seals are used around the housing and nutplate, then leakage is prevented, but ease of service and manufacturing cost are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the unnecessary nutplate and external seals from the traditional filter assembly. By disposing the seal structure directly on the flow attachment member, the design removes parts that complicate servicing. The filter can now be serviced by simply removing the flow attachment member without dealing with multiple separate seals and nutplates, significantly improving ease of repair.
3Productivity
If traditional flow configuration is used, then fluid filtration is achieved, but pre-filled fluid enters the system without filtration
Solution Approach 1:
The flow attachment member inverts the traditional flow configuration by positioning the seal structure and flow paths such that pre-filled fluid is forced to pass through the filter media first. Instead of allowing pre-filled fluid to enter the clean side directly, the design routes it through the filtration media before system entry, effectively using the filter element as a pre-filtration device.
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid filter device is described, where a flow attachment member provides a unique interface between the filtering element and a filter head. The fluid filter described herein generally provides a flow structure that is localized and sealed. The flow attachment member is configured to communicate fluid into and out of the fluid filter, and is configured to localize fluid flow both into and out of the fluid filter within a separating structure of the flow attachment member. The flow attachment member further includes a seal structure configured to substantially prevent or at least confine leakage to a localized area away from proximity of the edges of the housing.