Hollow Filter Element Grip Recesses for Tool-Free Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hollow filter elements for internal combustion engines in vehicles are difficult to handle and install/remove safely without tools, as they require tight fitting and sealing, making maintenance cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating grip recesses on the surround of the filter element, which allow for safe manual handling without tools, and using pins on the housing cover to ensure correct installation orientation and secure seating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hollow filter element is designed to fit tightly in the housing for sealing purposes, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the ease of operation for removal and installation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The surround is segmented by forming grip recesses that divide the structure into manageable sections, allowing fingers to insert and grasp the filter element. This segmentation enables tool-free removal while maintaining the overall tight fit for sealing purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The grip recesses act as intermediaries between the user's fingers and the filter element. These recesses provide a mechanical interface that enables easy grasping and removal without compromising the sealing function of the surround.
2Reliability
If the hollow filter element is designed with a tight fit in the housing, then the sealing performance is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional handling features
Solution Approach 1:
The grip recesses are merged into the surround structure itself, rather than being separate components. This integration allows the sealing function and the handling function to coexist in a single unified structure, avoiding additional device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The surround serves multiple functions: it provides sealing against the housing, structural support for the filter element, and through the incorporated grip recesses, it also enables easy handling and removal. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components.
Data Source
AI summary
A hollow filter element for inserting into a filter device for filtering air, in particular of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, includes a filter material which is held on the end face by a planar surround in a sealed manner. The planar surround has at least one grip recess for handling the hollow filter element. A filter device having such a hollow filter element includes a housing having a housing base part and a housing cover. The housing cover has at least one pin which, upon correct installation of the hollow filter element in the housing base part and when the housing cover is placed on the housing base part, projects into the grip recess of the planar surround.