Filtering assembly comprising a filter cartridge

Abstract

The present invention relates to a filtering assembly (1) for filtering at least one fluid circulating in particular in an engine or a hydraulic device, comprising: a filter body (2), which comprises a vessel (3) and a head (4), the vessel (3) and the head (4) being provided to engage with one another in order to close the filter body (2), in particular by screwing; a tube (15), in particular a central tube, which is inside the filter body (2) and extends along a longitudinal axis (X); a removable filtration cartridge (16,) which is accommodated in the filter body (2) and includes an upper end plate (20), a lower end plate (21) and a filtration medium (22) which extends between the upper (20) and lower (21) end plates, the filtering medium (22) having a tubular opening (17) for surrounding the tube (15), characterized in that the upper end plate (20) comprises first reversible rigid-connection means (25) and in that the vessel (3) comprises second reversible rigid-connection means (26) which are complementary to the first reversible rigid-connection means (25), such as to enable the filtration cartridge (16) to stay in position in the vessel on the one hand, and in the filtering assembly (1) on the other hand, only by rigidly connecting the first and second reversible rigid-connection means (25, 26).

Claims

1. A removable filtration cartridge configured for housing in a filter body of a filter assembly, the removable filtration cartridge for filtering a circulating fluid and comprising: an upper end cap, a lower end cap, and a filtration medium extending between the upper and lower end caps, the filtration medium having a tubular hole to surround a tube of the filter assembly, wherein the upper end cap is composed of a single part and comprises a first element and a second element, the upper end cap being formed by overmolding of the second element onto the first element, wherein the upper end cap has first reversible securing means, and wherein the filtration cartridge is configured to be maintained in position in a receptacle of a filter body of the filter assembly solely by the securing of the first reversible securing means with second reversible securing means of the receptacle.

2. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first element is made of a first material and the second element is made of a second material.

3. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the first material comprises a polyamide resin.

4. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the second material is chosen from the group consisting of a thermoplastic elastomer, a synthetic or natural rubber, with properties allowing a compression set compatible with a sealing function.

5. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the second element of the upper end cap is configured to ensure at least one seal with respect to the exterior of the filter body, while also ensuring the seal between a filter head and the upper end cap.

6. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first reversible securing means secures to the second reversible securing means by a snap fit.

7. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the first reversible securing means comprises at least one snap-on tab.

8. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said securing of the first reversible securing means with the second reversible securing means ensures that the filtration cartridge is held in position laterally and vertically.

9. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the upper end cap has a generally ring shape with an outside diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of a substantially cylindrical wall of the receptacle.

10. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 9, wherein the filtration medium has an outside diameter that is smaller than the outside diameter of the upper end cap, such that a peripheral space is formed between the filtration medium and the substantially cylindrical wall of the receptacle.

11. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the upper end cap comprises a plurality of openings disposed over a peripheral region of the upper end cap, so as to allow the passage of fluid to be filtered, from a filter head towards the peripheral space.

12. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first reversible securing means secures to the second reversible securing means by a screw fit.

13. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first reversible securing means secures to the second reversible securing means by a force fit.

14. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the tube is formed as part of the filter cartridge.

15. The removable filtration cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the second element comprises an outer ring and an inner ring, the outer ring configured to form a seal with the receptacle of the filter body of the filter assembly, the inner ring configured to provide an internal seal to the upper end cap.

Description

5. LIST OF FIGURES

(1) Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be seen from the following description of a particular embodiment thereof, provided by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting example, and from the appended drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration in perspective of a filtering assembly according to one embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 represents schematically, partially in cross-section, partially in perspective, the filtering assembly of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 represents schematically and in perspective, just the end plate of the filtering assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2;

(5) FIG. 4 partially, schematically and in perspective represents the cooperation between the upper end plate and the vessel in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3;

(6) FIG. 5 represents schematically and partially, in cross-section, the filtration cartridge cooperating with the vessel, in the filtering assembly of FIGS. 1 to 4, without the head;

(7) FIG. 6 represents schematically and partially, in longitudinal cross-section, the rigid connection of the filtration cartridge with the vessel, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5;

(8) FIG. 7 is a view in longitudinal cross-section, schematically and partially illustrating the rigid connection between the vessel and the filtration cartridge; and

(9) FIG. 8 represents schematically and in perspective the filtering assembly of FIG. 1 without the head.

6. DESCRIPTION OF ONE PARTICULAR EMBODIMENT

(10) Represented in FIG. 1 is a filtering assembly 1 according to one embodiment of the invention having a filter body 2, closed in this example, comprising a shell or vessel 3 and a head 4. The filtering assembly 1 also includes a removable filtration cartridge 16, housed in the body of the filter 2. The vessel 3 and the head 4 are intended to cooperate together in order to close the filter body, by screwing in this example, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 2. Indeed, the head 4 has threading 5 and the vessel 3 has complementary threading 6 enabling the closure of the filter body 2 by screwing the head 4 with the vessel 3. It should be noted in this example that the head 4 is attached to the frame of the application (not illustrated). The vessel 3 is disconnected from the head 4 when the filtration cartridge is changed.

(11) FIGS. 1 and 2 also illustrate an intake duct 7 for the fluid to be filtered, integrated into the head 4 as well as an outlet duct 8 for the filtered fluid also integrated into the head 4. The intake duct 7 allows the fluid to be filtered to be routed towards a peripheral zone of the vessel 3 while the outlet duct 8 for the filtered fluid allows the clean filtered fluid to be extracted from a central portion of the vessel 3, as will be explained hereinafter. As can be seen in the figures, the intake duct 7 and outlet duct 8 comprise respective threading 12 and 13 allowing them to be rigidly connected by screwing two other elements, particularly pipes, outside the filtering assembly 1, not represented in order to maintain clarity of the drawing, for routing the fluid.

(12) In this example the vessel 3 has a substantially cylindrical wall 35 extending along a longitudinal axis X and connected to a bottom 28 of the vessel 3. In the illustrated example, the substantially cylindrical wall 35 has a widening 36 in such a way that the diameter of the vessel 3 is greater in an upper portion of the vessel 3 that includes the threading 6. Such a widening enables the vessels to be stacked when they do not contain filtration cartridges, in order to limit the storage space occupied by empty vessels. It is obvious of course that if the vessel 3 does not have this widening, this does not go beyond the scope of the invention.

(13) The filtering assembly 1 also includes a tube 15, central in this example, inside the filter body 2 and extending along the longitudinal axis X.

(14) The filtration cartridge 16 comprises an upper end plate 20, a lower end plate 21 and a filtration medium 22 extending between the upper end plate 20 and lower end plate 21, the filtration medium 22 having a tubular opening 17 to surround the tube 15.

(15) According to the invention, the upper end plate 20 has first reversible rigid connecting means 25 and the vessel 3 has second reversible rigid connecting means 26 that is complementary to the first reversible rigid connecting means 25, so as to enable the position of the filtration cartridge 16 to be maintained in the filtering assembly 1 simply by the connection of the first and second reversible rigid connecting means 25 and 26.

(16) In the illustrated example, the first reversible rigid connecting means 25 includes a plurality of snap-on tabs 27, four in number in the illustrated example. The second reversible rigid connecting means 26 comprises a rib 29 formed to project into the interior of the filter body 2, produced in this example in an upper portion of the vessel 3, near the threading 6, and extending over the entire periphery of the vessel 3. The rib 29 is V-shaped in longitudinal cross section along the axis X.

(17) The upper end plate 20 is composed of a single piece, visible in FIG. 3, formed by overmolding onto a first element 30 of a first material, a second element 31 of a second material. Advantageously the first material includes a polyamide resin while the second material includes a thermoplastic elastomer such as polyurethane. The upper end plate 20 thus includes the first element 30, more rigid, and the second element 31, more flexible, which confers different functions related to the cooperation, within the same part, of these different materials.

(18) In this example, as can be seen, the first element 30 is substantially ring shaped and includes the first reversible rigid connecting means 25. The second element 31 is intended to form the seal on the inner and outer periphery of the generally ring shaped upper end plate 20. The second element 31 has an outer ring 32 and an inner ring 33, overmolded onto the first element 30, the first ring 32 and second ring 33 being connected in this example by integral bridges 34, four in number in the illustrated example, the bridges 34 also forming part of the second element 31. The second element 31 of the upper end plate 20 is configured to ensure at least the seal with respect to the exterior of the filter body 2, while playing the part of a sealing gasket between the interior and exterior of the filter body 2 at the place of cooperation between head 4 and vessel 3, as can be seen more particularly in FIG. 4.

(19) In the illustrated example, the first and second reversible rigid connecting means 25 and 26 are configured to ensure that the filtration cartridge 16 is maintained in position laterally and vertically.

(20) As can be seen in FIG. 4, the outer ring 32 of the second element 31 of the upper end plate 20 comes in contact with the cylindrical inner wall 35 of the vessel 3, at an upper end 40 thereof. The outer ring 32 also has, at the lower part, a portion 41 coming in contact with an upper part 42 of the rib 29 in order to ensure the seal, on the upper arm of the horizontal V of the rib 29.

(21) As can be seen in the figure, the tube 15 has a plurality of openings 45 allowing the passage of filtered fluid having passed through the filtration medium 22. In this example, the tube 15 forms a part of the filtration cartridge 16 and extends in proximity to, and especially in contact with, the filtration medium 22.

(22) The upper end plate 20 has an inner peripheral portion 46 of the first element 30 overlying the tube 15, as can be seen in FIG. 4, and surrounding the filtration medium 22 in its upper end 50. This inner peripheral portion 46 can serve to guide and center the tube 15.

(23) The inner ring 33 of the second element 31 of the upper end plate 20, as can be seen particularly in FIG. 4, overlays the inner peripheral portion 46 of the first element 31, in the extension thereof, and provides the inner seal at this position. The shape of the inner ring 33 can ensure a radial seal on an ad-hoc shape of the head. This radial seal is reinforced during the increase of differential pressure between the intake and outlet circuits of the filtering assembly.

(24) As can be seen in this example, the upper end plate 20 has an outside diameter that is larger than the outside diameter of the filtration medium, so as to provide a substantially cylindrical peripheral space 38 between the substantially cylindrical wall 35 of the vessel 3 and the filtration medium 22. To enable the flow of fluid to be filtered into the peripheral space 38, openings 39, visible in particular in FIGS. 3 and 8, are formed in the upper end plate 20, particularly in the first element 30 of the upper end plate 20.

(25) In the illustrated example the lower end plate 21 forms a plug that covers from the bottom the filtration medium 22 as well as the tube 15, as can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 in particular. The plug formed by the lower end plate 21 makes it possible to prevent any filtered fluid from flowing towards the bottom 28 of the vessel 3 in this embodiment.

(26) FIG. 6 illustrates the installation of a filtration cartridge 16, in the direction of the arrow, inside the vessel 3 during a replacement. As can be seen, the head 4 has first been removed in order to insert the replacement filtration cartridge 16 and to enable the reversible rigid connection between the first and second reversible rigid connecting means 25 and 26.

(27) Thanks to the invention, it is not necessary to provide additional sealing means at the periphery of the filter body in order to form the seal with the exterior of the filter body, or to provide means of interior seal to ensure the seal between the head 4 and the upper end plate 20. It is no longer necessary to provide means of holding the filtration cartridge in position other than the upper end plate 20, which also serves this function.

(28) Indeed, the upper end plate 20 provides multiple functions of interior and exterior sealing as well as holding the filtration cartridge in position, in addition to the conventional function of closure of the filtration medium, as in a screw-on filter of the prior art. This makes it possible to reduce the number of components and to simplify the manufacture of the filtering assembly 1.

(29) Also, as a result of the invention it is not necessary to provide a height tolerance of the filtration cartridge 16. Indeed, because the filtration cartridge 16 is, in a manner of speaking, suspended inside the filter body 2 and held by only one side, the height of the filtration cartridge does not interfere with the other components of the filtering assembly 1.

(30) The invention is not limited to the example that has just been described. In particular, the first and second reversible rigid connecting means can cooperate by screwing or force-fit assembly without going beyond the scope of the invention. In the case of force-fit assembly, the vessel and the filtration cartridge remain permanently integral, and the replacement of the filtration cartridge during a maintenance operation involves the simultaneous replacement of the vessel.

(31) It should be noted that drainage means can be provided, in which case the filtering assembly 1 will be modified to do this, without going beyond the scope of the invention.

(32) Throughout the description, the expressions “including a” and “comprising a” should be understood as synonymous with the expressions “including at least one” and “comprising at least one,” unless otherwise specified.