Separatorless Pleated Fluid Filter With Welded Dimples

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Solution Overview

Problem

Pleat collapsing in fluid filters restricts fluid flow and increases pressure drop, especially in high-performance filters with increased pleat density, leading to reduced filtration efficiency and shorter lifespan, and the use of separators to prevent this adds manufacturing time and cost without ensuring complete prevention of collapse.

Innovation Solution

A fluid filter medium with a first and second media layer coupled by spaced apart weld points or dimples, allowing the filter to be pleated without the need for separators, as the dimples create fluid pathways when adjacent surfaces touch, maintaining flow through collapsed pleats.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the number of pleats is increased to improve filtration efficiency and dirt loading capacity, then the filter can handle higher fluid volumes and extend lifespan, but the spacing between pleats is reduced which increases the risk of pleat collapsing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiltration efficiency and dirt loading capacityVSAvoidpleat collapsing risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies weld points or dimples to the filter medium layers before pleating to pre-establish structural support points and maintain pleat spacing. This preliminary structural reinforcement prevents adjacent pleats from collapsing during operation, allowing the filter to achieve high pleat density for improved filtration efficiency without sacrificing reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If separators are added between pleats to prevent collapsing, then pleat stability is improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepleat stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing time and cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the pleat separation function with the filter medium layers themselves by incorporating weld points or dimples directly into the layers. This integration eliminates the need for separate separator components, reducing manufacturing steps and costs while maintaining pleat stability through the welded or dimpled structural support points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the separator function from being a separate physical component and instead implements it through localized structural features (weld points or dimples) created directly on the filter medium layers. This extraction eliminates the need for additional separator materials and assembly steps, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining the pleat spacing function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If separators are added to prevent pleat collapsing, then pleat stability is improved, but the filter medium space is reduced and filter element size must be increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepleat stabilityVSAvoidfilter medium space

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the structural support function with the filter medium layers by incorporating weld points or dimples directly into the layers. This integration eliminates the need for separate separator components that would occupy additional space, maintaining full utilization of the filter medium volume for filtration purposes while still providing pleat stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 prevents pleat collapse-induced flow restrictions and pressure increases, enhancing filtration efficiency and lifespan by allowing fluid flow through collapsed pleats without additional manufacturing complexity or cost, thus improving the performance and longevity of fluid filters.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of spaced apart weld points that couple the first media layer, the filter layer, and the second media layer together to form the fluid filter

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Implementation Method 2

the dimples create fluid pathways when adjacent surfaces touch, maintaining flow through collapsed pleats

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid flow through porous material: Porosity

Implementation Method 3

a filter layer disposed between the first media layer and the second media layer... that filter particles/contaminants from a fluid passed therethrough

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical filtration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentEP2489420B1Separatorless pleated fluid filter

Publication Date: 2017.07.26 JOHNS MANVILLE CORP

Figure 1A~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7B

AI summary

A fluid filter media including a first media layer, a second media layer, a filter layer disposed between the first media layer and the second media layer, and a plurality of spaced apart weld points that couple the first media layer, the filter layer, and the second media layer together, where the weld points distort the surface of the first media layer and the second media layer, the fluid filter media is folded back on itself to form a plurality of pleats, and the surface distortions permit fluid flow through the fluid filter media when adjacent surfaces of the fluid filter media touch.