A filter assembly includes a manifold having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a filter housing having a filter medium provided therein. The filter medium defines an inner filter chamber and defining an outer filter chamber between the filter medium and the filter housing. The filter housing is removably attached to the manifold so as to provide a fluid flow path from the inlet into the inner filter chamber, through the filter medium into the outer chamber and out of the outlet. The filter assembly also includes a valve assembly mounted inside the manifold, and a by-pass channel defined inside the manifold between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. The valve assembly comprises a valve spool and a valve spring arranged in engagement with the spool to bias the spool into a first position and to compress, in response to a pressure differential across the valve spool.

The filter element includes a filter medium having an axis and forming a channel extending substantially axially, a first and a second end plate, each end plate covering one axial end of the filter medium and being sealingly mounted on the axial end whereby a liquid to be filtered can flow through the filter medium towards the channel and out of the filter element through an opening in fluid communication with the channel, or reversely. The filter element includes a protrusion fixedly secured to the first end plate and extending outwardly from the first end plate, the protrusion being substantially tubular and having a through hole in fluid communication with the first end plate opening, the protrusion forming a female coupling piece of a male-female connector, and a locking member capable of releasably locking a male coupling piece of the male-female connector in the female coupling piece.

A protruding portion is formed on an inner tube inserted into a hollow portion of a filter medium so as to protrude upward from a flange portion. The flange portion having a substantially circular plate shape is disposed on a lower side of a second plate. A recessed portion into which the protruding portion is inserted is formed on a surface on a lower side of the second plate provided so as to cover an opening at a lower end of the filter medium.

An engine includes a filter housing with a base and a housing cover that contain a filter cartridge. The base defining a central recess, and having an annular sump extending downwardly from the central recess. An inwardly facing cylindrical sealing surface partially defining the annular sump, a drainage port defined in the cylindrical sealing surface and extending radially outward therefrom. The housing cover with a closed upper end and a downwardly extending annular wall sized to extend into the sump, the annular wall having a pair of seals that, when the housing cover is fully seated with the base provides a seal above the drainage port and a seal below the drainage port, the pair of seals precluding entry of oil into the drainage port when the housing cover is fully seated; whereby when the housing cover is raised upwardly, the lower seal is raised above the drainage port and oil in the filter housing drains out the drainage port.

A filter assembly includes a filter holder into which a part of the filter is insertable, and a lock mounted to the filter holder and configured to lock and release the filter to and from the filter holder. The lock includes a guide coupled to the filter holder and configured to be linearly movable to transmit a force in a direction into which the filter is inserted, a pusher configured to transmit a force in a direction opposite to the direction, into which the filter is inserted, by an elastic member, a stopper rotatably received in the pusher to be arranged between the pusher and the guide, and configured to linearly move the filter holder by being linearly moved by the guide and the pusher, and a cam configured to lock and release the filter to and from the filter holder by guiding rotation and linear movement of the stopper.

Provided are a water purifying apparatus and a refrigerator including the same. The water purifying apparatus includes a filter configured to purify incoming water and discharge the purified water, a head in which the filter is detachably coupled and a water inlet portion and a water outlet portion are formed, and a shaft provided inside the head and rotatably mounted between the water inlet portion and the water outlet portion, the shaft being provided with a bypass flow path directly connecting the water inlet portion and the water outlet portion and a filtering flow path connected so that water flowing in through the water inlet portion is discharged to the water outlet portion via the filter.

A water filter cartridge is provided. The water filter cartridge includes a filter housing enclosing a filtration material therein. A port shield is connected at one end of the filter housing and disposed between the filter housing and a connector part adapted for securing the water filter cartridge to a refrigerator filter part. The port shield is provided for at least partially covering a water inlet port and a water outlet port extending at least between the connector part through the port shield and at least partially through the filter housing. The port shield at least partially encloses the water inlet and/or water outlet port therebetween and also separates the filtration material and unfiltered water within the filter housing from the portions of the water inlet and outlet port within the port shield.

A filter cartridge includes a threaded sleeve having a seal holder recess and seal member. The filter cartridge is for removably threading onto a filter head that includes threads for connection to the filter cartridge by way of the threaded sleeve. The filter head includes a ramp that engages the seal member to form a seal. The force needed to make the seal is a torque of less than 10 N-m.

Disclosed is a filter assembly capable of adjusting elimination of solid materials using a flow-variable bypass flow path. The filter assembly includes a filter portion (100) which includes a cover portion (110) formed on top to have a shape in which a bypass flow pipe (112) and a water discharge pipe (113) sequentially surrounds a perimeter of a vertically protruding original water inflow pipe (111) in a stepped structure and accommodates a filter body therein and a filter cartridge header (200) in which the cover portion (110) of the filter portion (100) is accommodated therebelow and which includes a bypass flow rate control unit (300) capable of adjusting an inflow amount of original water flowing into the bypass flow pipe (112).

A filter base for receiving a mating filter housing assembly having a base platform having fluid ingress and egress stanchions, and a wire harness assembly including a connector housing integral with or connected to the base platform for establishing an electrical connection between the filter base and the mating filter housing assembly. The wire harness assembly having conductors extending between first and second connectors, with one or more resilient contacts provided on the second connector. The contacts are flexible from a first position to a second position when curved contact sections of the one or more contacts engage a mating connection surface of the complementary mating filter housing assembly. The mating connection surface may be a circuit pad of a printed circuit board, wherein the contact curved contact sections are configured to be positioned in mechanical and electrical engagement with the circuit pads when the filter housing assembly is received within the filter base.