Abstract
A filter assembly for a fluid to be filtered, in particular fuel or oil, has a filter housing having a housing lower part that is configured as a single piece and has at least one fluid inlet for the fluid to be filtered and a plurality of filter pots that are arranged next to one another side by side in a shared plane and are fluidically connected to one another via side wall passages An upper housing part closes the filter pots and has a fluid manifold that has at least one fluid outlet for the filtered fluid flowing out from the filter pots. At least two filter elements, one being arranged in each of the filter pots of the filter housing. The filter assembly is a more inexpensively-manufactured and as configured for installation even in confined installation spaces, so as to accommodate a sufficiently large filter surface for a predetermined volume flow of a fluid to be filtered.
Claims
1. A filter assembly for a fluid to be filtered, comprising: a filter housing having: a housing lower part that is configured as a single piece and has at least one fluid inlet for the fluid to be filtered; a plurality of filter pots that are arranged next to one another side by side in a shared plane and are fluidically connected to one another via side wall passages; a housing upper part closing the plurality of filter pots having a fluid manifold that has at least one fluid outlet for the filtered fluid flowing out from the filter pots; and at least two filter elements that are arranged one in each of the filter pots of the filter housing.
2. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing upper part is configured as a single unitary piece or as a plurality of pieces with, in each case, one cover element for each filter pot.
3. The filter assembly according to claim 2, wherein the cover elements each comprise a lengthwise segment of the fluid manifold.
4. The filter assembly according to claim 3, wherein the cover element and the respectively-associated lengthwise segment are configured as a single piece, formed together in one piece and integrated with one another.
5. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fluid manifold is longitudinally divided.
6. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the filter elements are clamped, embedded, integrally fastened onto, or welded onto the housing upper part, and/or the filter elements are securely plugged in a sealing manner onto a socket section of the housing upper part.
7. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the filter elements are round elements with a filter medium folded into the shape of a star, or the filter elements are flat elements with a filter medium folded in a zigzag shape.
8. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the filter pots are fluidically connected in parallel to one another on an unfiltered side of the at last two filter pots.
9. The filter assembly according to claim 8, further comprising: a heating element for the fluid and/or a water separator for separating out water contained in the fluid is/are arranged in one of the filter pots; wherein the heating element is arranged in a filter pot of the plurality of filter pots that is connected for serial flow-through to another one of the plurality of filter pots of the filter housing.
10. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing lower part and/or the housing upper part is formed as a unitary one-piece injection-molded part; wherein the injection-molded part is made of: a polyamide, an electrically conductive plastic; wherein the filter assembly has at least one electrical connection or contact for discharging static electricity;
11. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein a least some of the filter pots of the plurality of filter pots differ from one another in a respective overall filter pot heights and/or respective filter pot diameters thereof.
12. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing upper part and the housing lower part are connected to one another in a fluid-tight manner; wherein the housing upper part and the housing lower part are a unitary component welded to one another, on a separation plane, wherein the separation plane runs normal to a longitudinal axis of the filter pots, or runs at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the filter pots, or is stepped into a plurality of separation plane sections; wherein at least one of the separation plane sections runs normal to a longitudinal axis of the filter pots; wherein at least one separation plane section runs at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the filter pots.
13. The filter assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: a bracing is provided between at least two adjacent filter pots, the bracing configured as at least one fastening eyelet or fastening tab.
14. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of filter pots each have a round, elliptical, rectangular or hexagonal cross-sectional shape.
15. The filter assembly according to claim 9, wherein the heating element is arranged in an upstream first one of the filter pots connected for serial flow-through.
16. The filter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the at least one electrical connection or contact is arranged at the fluid inlet and/or fluid outlet.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] In the drawings:
[0026] FIG. 1a illustrates a schematic top view of a first embodiment of a filter assembly according to the present invention, comprising four substantially cylindrical filter pots arranged in a row;
[0027] FIG. 1b illustrates a schematic side view of the filter assembly from FIG. 1a;
[0028] FIG. 1c illustrates a schematic longitudinal section along the plane A-A through the filter assembly from FIG. 1a;
[0029] FIG. 2a illustrates a schematic top view of a second embodiment of a filter assembly according to the present invention, comprising six essentially cylindrical filter pots of different depths in a complex arrangement;
[0030] FIG. 2b illustrates a schematic sectional view along the plane A-A through the filter assembly from FIG. 2a;
[0031] FIG. 3a illustrates a schematic top view of a third embodiment of a filter assembly according to the present invention, comprising six essentially rectangular filter pots arranged next to one another;
[0032] FIG. 3b illustrates a schematic side view of the filter assembly from FIG. 3a;
[0033] FIG. 3c illustrates a schematic longitudinal section along the plane A-A through the filter assembly from FIG. 3a;
[0034] FIG. 3d illustrates a schematic cross-section along the offset half-planes B-B through the filter assembly from FIG. 3a;
[0035] FIG. 4a illustrates a greatly-abstracted top view of a fourth embodiment of a filter assembly according to the present invention, comprising five rectangular filter pots arranged in two offset rows;
[0036] FIG. 4b illustrates an abstracted top view of a fifth embodiment of a filter assembly according to the present invention, comprising four cross-sectionally hexagonal filter pots that are arranged offset relative to one another;
[0037] FIG. 4c illustrates an abstracted top view of a sixth embodiment of a filter assembly according to the present invention, comprising five cylindrical filter pots, one of which is configured as a central pot allowing a through-flow serial to the others and comprising a water separator and a heating element;
[0038] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the filter assembly according to the present invention, comprising fastening eyelets between the filter pots;
[0039] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the filter assembly according to the present invention, comprising connections to the electrical contact;
[0040] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the filter assembly according to the present invention, comprising two fluid inlets and outlets;
[0041] FIGS. 8a and 8b illustrate perspective views of an alternative embodiment of the filter assembly according to the present invention, comprising an inclined separation plane of the housing part; and
[0042] FIGS. 9a and 9b illustrate longitudinal sectional views each of a filter pot having an accommodated filter element, which is plugged onto a socket section of the housing upper part.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0043] FIG. a illustrates a schematic top view of a first embodiment of a filter assembly 10 according to the present invention. FIG. 1b depicts the filter assembly 10 from FIG. 1a in a schematic side view. A filter housing 12 of the filter assembly 10 comprises, for example, four essentially cylindrical filter pots 14. The filter pots 14 are here arranged next to one another along a straight line. The filter pots 14 are here arranged lying side by side in such a manner that side walls of adjacent filter pots 14 merge into one another. The filter pots 14 in the filter assembly 10 then lie in one shared plane.
[0044] The filter housing 12 comprises a housing lower part 16 and a housing upper part 18. The housing lower part 16 and the housing upper part 18 are in each case configured as a single piece, each as an injection-molded part. The two housing parts may be composed, for example, of polyamide. The housing upper part 18 is welded onto the housing lower part 16 in a fluid-tight manner. The housing upper part 18 constitutes four cover elements 20 for the four filter pots 14. Each of the cover elements 20 completely covers the respectively-associated filter pot 14.
[0045] The filter assembly 10 has a fluid inlet 22. The fluid inlet 22 is arranged on the housing lower part 16. Fluid to be filtered can flow through the fluid inlet 22 into the filter pots 14. The filter assembly 10 further comprises a fluid manifold 24. The fluid manifold 24 is configured on the housing upper part 18. The fluid manifold 24 opens into a fluid outlet 26. Filtered fluid can flow out from the filter housing 12 through the fluid outlet 26. The fluid manifold 24 is formed of lengthwise segments 28 that are each configured on one of the cover elements 20. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1a and 1b, the lengthwise segments 28 merge seamlessly into one another. The fluid manifold 24 is configured as a single piece integrated with the housing upper part 18. In particular, the lengthwise segments 28 and the respective cover elements 20 are thus also configured as a single piece, integrated with one another.
[0046] FIG. 1c illustrates a schematic longitudinal section along the plane A-A (see FIG. 1a) through the filter assembly 10 according to FIGS. 1a and 1b. There is one filter element 30 arranged in each of the filter pots 14. The filter elements 30 may be configured as round elements having a filter medium (depicted only schematically) that has been folded in the shape of a star. The filter elements 30 may then each further comprise a standpipe 32. On the lower side, the filter elements 30 are closed in a fluid-tight manner each by a bottom cover 34 that is connected to the corresponding standpipe 32. On the upper side, the filter elements 30 are supported on the housing upper part 18. Each one of the filter pots 14 is thus divided by the corresponding filter element 30 into a pre-filtration-side antechamber 36 for the fluid to be filtered, and a post-filtration chamber 38 for the filtered fluid.
[0047] The filter pots 14 are fluidically connected to one another via side wall passages 40. That is to say, the antechambers 36 in the filter pots 14 can communicate with one another through the side wall passages 40. The filter pots 14 are thus connected in parallel on the pre-filtration side. The fluid manifold 24 opens toward each of the filter pots 14. That is to say, each post-filtration chamber 38 has a fluidic connection to the manifold 24. Consequently, the fluid to be filtered can flow through the filter elements 30 in parallel.
[0048] The fluid manifold 24 broadens, in the through-flow cross-section thereof, toward the fluid outlet 26. This makes it possible to prevent the flow rate of the filtered fluid in the fluid manifold 24 from increasing toward the fluid outlet 26 during operation of the filter assembly 10. Through the widening of the through-flow cross-section of the fluid manifold 24 illustrated in FIG. 2a, it is also possible to achieve a uniform through-flow through all of the filter pots 14.
[0049] FIG. 2a illustrates a schematic top view of a second embodiment of a filter assembly 10 according to the present invention. The filter assembly 10 here comprises six essentially cylindrical filter pots 14a to 14f. The filter pots 14a to 14f are arranged side by side next to one another in a shared plane. The five filter pots 14b to 14f are here arranged along a bent or angled line. The filter pot 14a is positioned next to this line, so as to be adjacent to two of the linearly-arranged filter pots 14b, 14c. A fluid inlet 22 is here arranged on a filter housing 12 of the filter assembly 10 in such a manner that fluid to be filtered is able to flow tangentially into the filter pot 14b.
[0050] FIG. 2b depicts a schematic sectional view along the plane designated as A-A in FIG. 2a, through the filter assembly 10. The filter housing 12 of the filter assembly 10 comprises a housing lower part 16 and a housing upper part 18. The filter pots 14a to 14f, which here have different depths, are configured in the housing lower part 16. That is to say, provided are filter pots 14a to 14f that have different overall heights H1, H2, H3. There is one filter element 30 arranged in each of the filter pots 14a to 14f. The filter elements 30 are configured here as round elements that extend almost above the entire overall height H1, H2, H3 of the respective filter pots 14a to 14f. The filter elements 30 may occupy, in particular, in each case more than 80% of the respective overall heights H1, H2, H3. Each of the filter pots 14a to 14f is fluidically connected to at least one of the adjacent filter pots 14a to 14f via at least one side wall passage 40. This makes it possible to distribute fluid to be filtered, which is flowing into the filter housing 12 from the inlet 22, to all of the filter pots 14a to 14f.
[0051] A fluid manifold 24 is configured on the housing upper part 18. The fluid manifold 24 is configured here so as to be longitudinally divided. The fluid manifold 24 consequently comprises here a bottom section 24a and a cover section 24b. The bottom section 24a and the cover section 24b are adjacent to one another in a longitudinal seam 42. The longitudinal seam 42 is here configured as a welding seam. It is thus possible to achieve a fluid-tight connection between the bottom section 24a and the cover section 24b. The bottom section 24a is configured as a single piece, integrated with the housing upper part 18. Connecting pieces 44 may extend one into each of the filter pots 14 from the bottom section 42. Through the connecting pieces 44, filtered fluid can flow into the fluid manifold 24. A fluid outlet 26 of the fluid manifold 24 is here configured as a single piece integrated with the bottom section 24a or the housing upper part 18.
[0052] FIG. 3a illustrates a schematic top view of a third embodiment of a filter assembly 10 according to the present invention. FIG. 3b schematically depicts a side view of the filter assembly 10 of FIG. 3a. The filter assembly 10 comprises six filter pots 14 having a polygonal—here, essentially rectangular—cross-sectional shape. The filter pots 14 are here arranged next to one another in a regular rectangle pattern. Each of the filter pots 14 is thus adjacent on the narrow side and on the long side, on at least one side, to another one of the filter pots 14.
[0053] The filter pots 14 are configured in a housing lower part 16 of a filter housing 12. The housing lower part 16 is closed on the upper side by a housing upper part 18 of the filter housing 12. For this, here, the housing lower part 16 is horizontally circumferentially welded to the housing upper part 18. A fluid inlet 22 is arranged on the housing lower part 16. The housing upper part 28 has a fluid outlet 26.
[0054] FIG. 3c illustrates a schematic longitudinal view along the plane A-A (see FIG. 3a) through the filter assembly 10 according to FIGS. 3a and 3b. FIG. 3d depicts the filter assembly 10 from FIGS. 3a to 3c schematically, in the cross-section along the offset half-planes B-B (see FIG. 3a). There is one filter element 30 arranged in each of the filter pots 14. The filter elements 30 are here configured as flat elements having a filter medium (not individually depicted) that has been folded in a zigzag shape.
[0055] Adjacent filter pots 14 are fluidically connected to one another via side wall passages 40 that allow a through-flow. The side wall passages 40 are here configured as channels in partition regions 46 of the housing lower part 16 between the filter pots 40.
[0056] A fluid manifold 24 is configured in the housing upper part 18. The fluid manifold 24 opens into the fluid outlet 26. Here, there is one cover element 20 of the housing upper part 18 associated with each one of the filter pots 14. In each of the cover elements 20, a lengthwise segment 28 of the fluid manifold 24 is configured as a single piece integrated with the corresponding cover element 20. Adjacent cover elements 20 and lengthwise segments 28 are each delimited from one another by upper-side indentations 48 of the housing upper part 18.
[0057] FIG. 4a illustrates a greatly-abstracted top view of a fourth embodiment of a filter assembly 10 according to the present invention. The filter assembly 10 comprises here five rectangular filter pots 14 that are arranged in two offset, parallel rows.
[0058] FIG. 4b depicts an abstracted top view of a fifth embodiment of a filter assembly 10 according to the present invention. The filter assembly 10 has here four cross-sectionally hexagonal (honeycomb-shaped) filter pots 14. The filter pots 14 are arranged in a zigzag-shaped line. Adjacent filter pots 14 therefore adjoin one another in a flat manner. A filter element 30 configured as a round element is arranged in each of the cross-sectionally hexagonal filter pots 14.
[0059] FIG. 4c illustrates an abstracted top view of a sixth embodiment of a filter assembly 10 according to the present invention. The filter assembly 10 comprises here five cylindrical filter pots 14g to 14k. A filter element 30 configured here as a round element is arranged in each of the filter pots 14h to 14k. The filter pot 14g is configured here as a central pot 50. The central pot 50 allows for serial through-flow to the filter pots 14h to 14k. Fluid to be filtered flows here first through the central pot 50 and then through one of the filter pots 14h to 14k. The filter pots 14h and 14j are then fed directly out from the filter pot 14g, configured as the central pot 50. The filter pots 14i, 14k are fluidically connected via side wall passages (not depicted) to the filter pots 14h, 14j. As an example, a water separator 52 may be arranged in the central pot 50. The water separator 50 is used to separate water entrained in the fluid from the fluid and hold same back in the central pot 50. Furthermore, a heating element 54 is arranged in the central pot 50. With the heating element 54, the fluid can be pre-heated prior to filtration, for example, in order to improve flow properties of the fluid.
[0060] FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the filter assembly 10 according to the present invention, characterized in that a bracing 168 is provided between two adjacent filter pots 14, the bracing constituting a fastening eyelet 168′ or fastening hole via which the filter assembly 10 can be mounted, for example, onto a motor vehicle, in particular, in the undercarriage region.
[0061] According to yet another embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, a connection 262 for establishing electrical contact is provided at the fluid inlet 26 and fluid outlet 22 each. This is advantageous for being able to discharge static electricity, for example, to a motor vehicle body; for this purpose, the connections 262 configured as contact tongues are connected in an electrically conductive manner. An embodiment with electrical contacts is especially advantageous if the housing is composed of an electrically conductive plastic—for example, a PA66 with GF22 and/or CF8 or the like—at least in the regions in which the connections are present.
[0062] FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the filter assembly 10 according to the present invention, which comprises two fluid inlets 26 and two fluid outlets 22. The fluid outlets 22 are present at free ends of the manifold 24, whereas one of the fluid inlets 26 opens tangentially into a filter pot 14 that is on the left in the drawing and a second fluid inlet 26 opens radially from the left into a filter pot 14 that is second in the drawing. The fluid inlets 26 are thus fluidically connected to a radially-outer side of a filter element accommodated in the filter pot 14, while there is a flow from radially outward to radially inward through the filter element. The fluid outlets 22 may be connected, for example, to separated fuel supply systems, such as to an injection unit of an internal combustion engine and a regeneration system for a diesel particle filter, or an auxiliary heating system or the like. Of the fluid inlets 26, one may be a pre-filtration inlet from the tank, and the other may be, for example, a recirculation connection for fuel that is returned from the injection system.
[0063] FIGS. 8a and 8b illustrate an alternative embodiment in which a separation plane (dotted line) at which the housing upper part 18 and housing lower part 16 are connected runs at an angle relative to a normal direction of the filter pots 14. This enables an even better adaptation to an available installation space, for example, in the undercarriage region of a motor vehicle. In order to make the best possible use of the volume available in the filter pots 14 for filtration, the filter element used may be clipped obliquely to the longitudinal axis, so as to impart the shape of a cylinder section.
[0064] FIGS. 9a and 9b illustrate each a detailed longitudinal sectional view of a filter pot 14, in which a filter element 30 is accommodated in each case. The housing upper part 18 has in each case a socket section 44 onto which the filter element 30 is plugged in a sealing manner. In the variant illustrated in FIG. 9a, the sealing-off is provided by an O-ring 400 that is accommodated in a retracted shoulder of the end plate 301. Alternatively, the sealing-off may also be provided without an O-ring, namely, through a sealing seat 302 that is present radially inwards on the end plate 301, i.e., on the inner circumference, the end plate 301 has a sealing property, e.g., inherently due to the end plate material and/or due to an injection-molded sealing ring, e.g., made of NBR.
