Full-Cross-Section Filter Assembly for Low-Leakage Filtration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter assemblies in internal combustion engines suffer from fluid leakage and reduced filtering efficiency due to pressure loss, which can be exacerbated by contaminants and inefficient use of internal volume.
Innovation Solution
The filter assemblies incorporate a filter media pack that snugly fits within the housing, providing partial sealing and optimal cross-sectional alignment, enhancing space utilization, and using coiled or pleated filter media with support structures to prevent leakage and increase packing density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a conventional filter assembly with a hollow cylindrical support structure is used, then the filter element is supported and contained, but the support structure occupies valuable cross-sectional area that reduces the active filtration surface area and can become clogged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the conventional hollow cylindrical support structure from the filter assembly. Instead, the filter element itself forms the support structure through its folded configuration, eliminating the separate support component that was occupying cross-sectional area and reducing filtration surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the support function and filtration function into a single integrated structure. The folded filter element serves dual purposes: it provides structural support to contain the filter medium while simultaneously providing the active filtration surface area, eliminating the need for a separate support structure.
2Reliability
If a hollow cylindrical support structure is used, then the filter element is mechanically supported, but the structure can become clogged with particulate matter and requires cleaning or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the vulnerable hollow cylindrical support structure that could become clogged with particulate matter. By eliminating this separate support component, the clogging problem associated with internal support structures is resolved.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of needing a support structure into a benefit by using the filter element's own folded configuration to provide support. This eliminates the clogging issue while maintaining mechanical stability, as the support structure is formed by the filter medium itself rather than being a separate component that can trap particles.
3Device complexity
If the filter element is folded back on itself in a zigzag pattern, then the filter medium is contained and supported without a separate support structure, but the folding complexity increases manufacturing difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The filter element is divided into multiple folded sections that can be individually formed and then assembled. This segmentation allows the complex folded configuration to be manufactured in manageable sections rather than requiring the entire element to be folded in one complex operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter element is pre-folded into the desired zigzag configuration before final assembly. This preliminary folding action simplifies the manufacturing process by allowing the complex shape to be prepared in advance rather than formed during final assembly, reducing manufacturing difficulty.
Data Source
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AI summary
A filter assembly comprises a filter housing defining an internal volume having an inner cross-section defining an inner cross-sectional distance, the filter housing having a base and a sidewall. A filter element is disposed within the internal volume. The filter element comprises a filter media pack at least a portion of which has an outer cross-section defining an outer cross-sectional distance that is substantially equal to the inner cross-sectional distance of the internal volume of the filter housing. A support structure is coupled to at least one longitudinal end of the filter media pack.