Filter unit, filter system, and motor vehicle with filter system

Abstract

The invention relates to a filter unit, a filter system (44b) with at least two filter units, and to a motor vehicle with a filter system (44b). A filter bowl (12d-e) of the filter unit is formed by a base and a cover. Embodied in a side wall of the base are at least two access openings to an antechamber or collection chamber (34a-b) in the filter bowl (12d-e). Embodied integrally with the cover is a collection line segment or supply segment (26d-e) that leads from a clean chamber or an unfiltered side antechamber in the filter bowl (12d-e) to at least two open ends (28l). The inventive filter system (44b) has at least two inventive filter units, and fluid may flow through their filter elements (30, 30a-d), which are switched in parallel. The invention facilitates the space-saving arrangement of filter units and filter systems (44b) in constricted and/or complexly shaped installation spaces, especially in motor vehicles.

Claims

1. A filter unit for a fluid to be filtered, of a motor vehicle, comprising: a filter bowl in which is arranged a filter element that divides the filter bowl into a first chamber, a second chamber, and separates an unfiltered side for fluid to be filtered from a clean side for filtered fluid, wherein the filter bowl is formed from a base, a cover, wherein the base has a bottom element and a side wall arranged between the bottom element and the cover, wherein the cover has a line segment that is open to the second chamber and that has at least two open ends, and wherein embodied in the side wall of the base are at least two access openings to the first chamber.

2. The filter unit according to claim 1, wherein the base and the cover are fixedly bonded onto one another.

3. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein embodied on the base are at least two fittings, at each of which one of the access openings to the first chamber is embodied.

4. The filter unit according to claim 1, wherein the filter element is a round element having a star-shaped pleated filter medium.

5. A filter system for a motor vehicle, comprising: at least two filter units according to claim 1, wherein the first chambers of the filter units are connected to a first chamber system and the line segments are connected to one another to create a composite collection line so that the fluid can flow through the filter elements in parallel.

6. The filter system according to claim 5, wherein the connection of the first chambers and/or the line segments comprise a tube element and/or a pipe element.

7. The filter system according to claim 5, wherein at least two of the filter bowls of the at least two filter units differ from one another in terms of their total height (H) and/or cross-sectional surface area and/or cross-sectional shape.

8. The filter system according to claim 5, wherein an access opening to the first chamber system is closed with a first blind plug.

9. The filter system according to any of claim 8, wherein the composite collection line is closed on one side with a second blind plug.

10. The filter system according to claim 9, wherein the first blind plug and the second blind plug are embodied as an integral double plug.

11. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the filter system comprises: an additional bowl through which fluid may flow in series with the filter bowls, wherein a heating module and/or a water separator and/or at least one sensor are arranged in the additional bowl.

12. A motor vehicle with a filter system according to claim 5.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1a is a schematic side view of an inventive filter unit;

[0027] FIG. 1b is a schematic view onto the filter unit according to FIG. 1a;

[0028] FIG. 1c is a schematic cross-section of the filter unit according to FIG. 1a, 1b;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of a first embodiment of an inventive filter system with three inventive filter units;

[0030] FIG. 3a is a schematic side view of a second embodiment of an inventive filter system with two inventive filter units;

[0031] FIG. 3b is a schematic cross-section through the filter system in FIG. 3a; and

[0032] FIG. 4 illustrates the principle of an inventive motor vehicle with an inventive filter system comprising two inventive filter units and having an additional bowl switched in series with the filter units.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] FIG. 1a is a schematic side view of an inventive filter unit 10. The filter unit 10 has a filter bowl 12. The filter bowl 12 is formed from a base 14 and a cover 16. The base 14 and the cover 16 are connected to one another in a fluid-tight manner at a circumferential separating line 18. In this case the fluid-tight connection is realized with a bond produced by welding.

[0034] The base has a bottom element 20 and a side wall 22. The side wall 22 connects the bottom element 20 to the cover 16. Two fittings 40a, 40b are embodied here on the side wall 22 of the base 14.

[0035] A collection line segment 26 is embodied integrally with the cover 16. The collection line segment 26 here spans the cover 16 diametrically along an (imaginary) straight line. The collection line segment 26 has two open ends 28a, 28b. The open ends 28a, 28b of the collection line segment 26 are arranged above the fittings 40a, 40b of the base 14. I.e., in the embodiment depicted, the fittings 40a, 40b and the open ends 28a, 28b all lie in a common plane.

[0036] In the context of the description of the figures, it is assumed that fluid flows through the filter unit 10 from the base to the cover, i.e. the fluid enters through the fittings 40a, 40b of the base 14 into the interior thereof and exits through the collection line segment 26. However, a flow that is the reverse of this is also possible. In that case the fluid enters through the line segment 26 at the cover 16 and flows back out through the fittings 40a, 40b on the base 14. The chambers referred to in the following as clean chamber and antechamber are then correspondingly arranged in the opposite manner.

[0037] FIG. 1b is a schematic top view of the filter unit 10 from FIG. 1a. The filter bowl 12 of the filter unit 10 is embodied with a round (circular) cross-section here.

[0038] FIG. 1c is a schematic cross-section through the filter unit 10 of FIG. 1a, 1b along plane A-A (see FIG. 1b). A filter element 30 is arranged in the filter bowl 12. The filter element 30 may be a round element, for instance, preferably with a star-shaped folded filter medium (only sketched in). The bottom of the filter element 30 here close in a sealed manner at the bottom element 20 of the base 14 with a central, inwardly oriented projection 32. At its top, the filter element 30 may be positioned for instance in a sealed manner against the cover 16. The filter element 30 thus divides the filter bowl into an antechamber 34 and a clean chamber 36.

[0039] Two access openings 38a, 38b to the antechamber 34 are embodied in the side wall 22 of the base 14. One access opening 38a, 38b may be embodied on each of the fittings 40a, 40b, for instance. Line elements such as pipe elements or tube elements (not shown) may be connected to the base 14 via the fittings 40a, 40b in a simple manner and connected to the antechamber 34. When the filter unit 10 is operating, fluid to be filtered may flow via the access openings 38a, 38b at the fittings 40a, 40b into the antechamber 34 or out of the antechamber 34.

[0040] The collection line segment 26, which is embodied integrally with the cover 16, may be arranged above the filter bowl 12. The collection line segment 26 is open to the clean chamber 36, for instance by a cut-out 42. When the filter unit 10 is operating, filtered fluid may flow out of the clean chamber 36 into the collection line segment 26 through the cut-out 42. A cross-section of the collection line segment 26 through which fluid can flow may expand from the cut-out 42 to the open ends 28a, 28b. Filtered fluid may be drawn from the filter unit 10 at the open ends 28a, 28b.

[0041] The filter unit 10 may be embodied very flat. An installation height H of the filter bowl 12 in this case is significantly smaller than a inner width W of the filter bowl 12. In the embodiment shown, the installation height H of the filter bowl 12 is also equal to a height of the filter element 30. The inner width W may be twice the installation height H, for instance. The installation height H may in particular be less than 4.5 cm.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of a first embodiment of an inventive filter system 44a with three inventive filter units 10a-c. Filter bowls. 12a-c of the filter units 10a-c are embodied in different sizes here. For instance, the filter bowl 12b may be taller than the filter bowls 12a and 12c.

[0043] Each of the filter bowls 12a-c is embodied with two fittings 40c-h here. In this case, the fittings 40d and 40e as well as 40f and 40g are each connected by line elements 46. The line elements 46 may be tube elements, for instance, that are added to the fittings 40d-40g (not shown in detail). The fitting 40h here is closed by a first blind plug 48. Fluid to be filtered may initially flow through the fittings 40c into the antechamber (covered) in the filter bowl 12a and then into the other antechambers (covered) of the filter bowls 12b and 12c. Unfiltered fluid may be prevented from exiting the filter system 44a by the first blind plug 48.

[0044] Embodied on each of the filter bowls 12a-c is a collection line segment 26a-c, each having two open ends 28c-h. The open ends 28d and 28e as well as 28f and 28g are each connected by line elements 46. The line elements 46 may be tube elements, for instance, that are added to the open ends 28d-g (not shown in detail). The collection line segments 26a-c are thus connected to create a composite collection line 50. The open end 28c of the collection line segment 26a or the composite collection line 50 is closed by a second blind plug 52. Filtered fluid may thus flow out of the composite collection line 50 at the open end 28h. In addition, in the depicted embodiment an unfiltered-side inlet for fluid to be filtered is embodied as the fitting 40c and a clean-side outlet for filtered fluid is embodied as the open end 28h at different filter units 10a and 10c.

[0045] FIG. 3a is a schematic side view of a second embodiment of an inventive filter system 44b with two inventive filter units 10d, 10e. In this case, filter bowls 12d, 12e of the filter units 10d, 10e are each embodied with two fittings 40i-l. The fittings 40j and 40k are connected here such that fluid may flow through them. The connection through which fluid may flow may be formed, for instance, by a pipe element 54a that is added to the fittings 40j, 40k. At the top, each of the filter units 10d, 10e has a collection line segment 26d, 26e. Each collection line segment 26d, 26e itself has two open ends 28i-l. The open ends 28j and 28k may be connected such that fluid may flow through them. The connection through which fluid may flow may be formed, for instance, by a pipe element 54b that is added to the open ends 28j, 28k. The pipe elements 54a, 54b are depicted as very short for purposes of illustration. In practice, the pipe elements 54a, 54b may be embodied significantly longer and, in particular, bent (even multiple times) or angled. The fitting 40i and the open end 28i on the filter unit 10d in this case are closed by an integral double plug 56. In addition, in the embodiment of FIG. 3a, an unfiltered-side inlet for fluid to be filtered is embodied as the fitting 40l and a clean-side outlet for filtered fluid is embodied as the open end 281 on the same filter unit 10e.

[0046] In FIG. 3b, the filter system 44b from FIG. 3a is shown schematically in cross-section. The collection line segments 26d, 26e are connected by the pipe element 54b to create a composite collection line 50. Antechambers 34a, 34b in the filter bowls 12d, 12e are connected by the pipe element 54a to create an antechamber system 58.

[0047] The integral double plug 56 has a second blind plug 52 with which the composite collection line 50 is closed on one side. The integral double plug 56 furthermore has a first blind plug 48 with which the fitting 40i is closed. Fluid to be filtered may thus flow through the fittings 40l into the antechamber system 58. Following filtration by filter elements 30a, 30b, which are arranged in the filter bowls 12d, 12e, filtered fluid may flow out of the open end 281 of the composite collection line 50. The filter elements 30a and 30b are switched in parallel fluidically. I.e., the fluid may flow either through the filter element 30a or through the filter element 30b. The filtered fluid flows together in the composite collection line 50.

[0048] FIG. 4 illustrates the principle of an inventive motor vehicle 60 with an inventive filter system 44c. The filter system 44c comprises two inventive filter units 10f, 10g and one additional bowl 62 switched in series with the filter units 10f, 10g. The motor vehicle furthermore has a drive engine 64 and a fuel tank 66. The filter system 44c or components thereof, especially one or a plurality of the filter units 10f, 10g, may be arranged, for instance, near an undercarriage 68 of the motor vehicle 60 or in intermediate spaces in an engine compartment 70 of the motor vehicle 60.

[0049] Fluid to be filtered, in this case fuel, may flow out of the fuel tank 66 into the filter system 44c. The fuel initially flows into the additional bowl 62 of the filter system 44c. A water separator and/or a heating module and/or sensors (not shown) may be arranged in the additional bowl 62, for instance. The fluid may thus be pre-treated by the devices in the additional bowl. In an alternative embodiment, not shown, the additional bowl may also be downstream of the filter units. Moreover, it is possible to integrate the additional functions in one filter bowl with filter unit so that no additional bowl is necessary.

[0050] In the depicted embodiment, the fluid thus travels out of the additional bowl 62 into an unfiltered-side antechamber system 58 of the filter system 44c. One filter element 30c, 30d is arranged in each of the filter bowls 12f, 12g of the filter units 10f, 10g, in this case. The filter elements 30c, 30d may be embodied, for instance, as flat elements through which fluid may flow from below to above, preferably with a zig-zag folded filter medium (not shown in detail). However, it is also possible to use so-called hollow elements with an annularly closed folded filter medium through which fluid may flow radially from inside to outside or from outside to inside. Once it has passed through the parallel switched filter elements 30c, 30d, the fluid travels on the clean side into a composite collection line 50. The filtered fluid may be supplied to the drive engine 64 from the composite collection line 50.

[0051] In summary, the invention relates to a filter unit 10, 10a-g, a filter system 44a-c with at least two inventive filter units 10, 10a-g, and to a motor vehicle 60 with an inventive filter system 44a-c. A filter bowl 12, 12a-g of the filter unit 10, 10a-g is formed from a base 14 and a cover 16. At least two access openings 38a-b to an antechamber 34, 34a-b in the filter bowl 12, 12a-g are embodied in a side wall 22 of the base 14. Embodied integrally with the cover 16 is a collection line segment 26, 26a-e that leads from a clean chamber 36 in the filter bowl 12, 12a-g to at least two open ends 28a-l. The inventive filter system 44a-c has at least two inventive filter units 10, 10a-g, and fluid may flow through their filter elements 30, 30a-d, which are switched in parallel. The invention facilitates the space-saving arrangement of filter units 10, 10a-g and filter systems 44a-c in constricted and/or complexly shaped installation spaces, especially in motor vehicles 60.