Liquid cleaning element, liquid cleaning system, and method for producing a liquid cleaning element

Abstract

A liquid cleaning element has a cleaning medium and a carrier medium connected to each other. The carrier medium is provided with a liquid connector to connect to a line for liquid to be cleaned or cleaned liquid. The liquid cleaning element has a bend in a section provided with the cleaning medium and the carrier medium. The carrier medium, prior to connection to the cleaning medium, is pre-manufactured in a final shape of the liquid cleaning element. The liquid connector has a cylindrical suction socket and is arranged at or integrated in the carrier medium. A liquid cleaning system is provided with the liquid cleaning element and a holder holding the liquid cleaning element. In a method for producing the liquid cleaning element, the carrier medium is pre-manufactured in a final shape of the liquid cleaning element and the cleaning medium is connected to the pre-manufactured carrier medium.

Claims

1. A liquid cleaning filter element comprising: at least one cleaning medium configured to filter a liquid; a carrier medium configured to enable detachable mounting of the liquid cleaning filter element to a holder part, the carrier medium comprising: a first side of the carrier medium having a drainage structure, the at least one cleaning medium arranged at and fixed onto the first side of the carrier medium; the drainage structure formed on the first side of the carrier medium, the drainage structure formed as a plurality of spaced apart cylindrical projections which project outwardly away from the first side of the carrier medium; wherein the plurality of spaced apart cylindrical projections contact against the at least one cleaning medium and space the at least one cleaning medium away from the first side of the carrier medium, forming an intermediate fluid receiving space between the at least one cleaning medium and the carrier medium; an oppositely arranged second side of the carrier medium; wherein an outer rim of the at least one cleaning medium is adhesively fixed onto or material-fused to the first side of the carrier medium, such that the intermediate fluid receiving space between the at least one cleaning medium and the carrier medium is closed at the outer rim relative to an external environment of the liquid cleaning filter element; wherein the carrier medium further comprises at least one liquid connector configured to connect to at least one line for liquid to be cleaned or cleaned liquid; wherein the liquid cleaning filter element comprises at least one bend in at least one section provided with the at least one cleaning medium and with the carrier medium; wherein the carrier medium, prior to being connected to the at least one cleaning medium, is pre-manufactured in a final shape of the liquid cleaning filter element; wherein the carrier medium has a pre-defined curved or bend shape, the pre-defined curve or bend extending at least partially circumferentially relative to a circumference of the liquid cleaning filter element about an imaginary axis of the liquid cleaning filter element; wherein the carrier medium is formed of a material providing mechanical stability to hold the predefined curve or bend shape and provides mechanical stability to the liquid cleaning filter element; wherein the first side of the carrier medium is a radially outer surface; wherein the at least one liquid connector comprises a cylindrical suction socket arranged at or fixed onto or integrated in one piece with the oppositely arranged second side of the carrier medium.

2. The liquid cleaning filter element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid connector comprising the cylindrical suction socket is integrated in the carrier medium.

3. The liquid cleaning filter element according to claim 1, wherein the carrier medium cannot be deformed without destruction or is at the most elastically deformable such that the carrier medium resumes the pre-defined curved or bend shape once a deforming force is canceled.

4. The liquid cleaning filter element according to claim 1, wherein the carrier medium is realized as a part selected from the group consisting of an injection-molded part; an injection-molded and cast part; a cast part; a bent part; a stamped part; and a pressed part.

5. The liquid cleaning filter element according to claim 1, wherein the carrier medium comprises plastic material or consists of plastic material.

6. The liquid cleaning filter element according to claim 1, wherein the carrier medium comprises metal or consists of metal.

7. The liquid cleaning filter element according to claim 1, wherein the carrier medium comprises plastic material and metal, or the carrier medium consists of plastic material and metal.

8. The liquid cleaning filter element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cleaning medium is material-fused to the first side of the carrier medium.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages, features, and details of the invention result from the following description in which an embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with the aid of the drawing. A person of skill in the art will expediently consider the features disclosed in combination in the drawing, the description, and the claims also individually and combine them to meaningful further combinations.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a filter with a filter element for urea water solution.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the filter of FIG. 1 in an exploded illustration.

(4) FIG. 3 shows the filter element of FIGS. 1 and 2 in isometric illustration.

(5) FIG. 4 shows the filter element of FIGS. 1 to 3 in plan view.

(6) FIG. 5 shows the filter element of FIGS. 1 to 4 in isometric illustration with a view of the inflow side.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a carrier part of the filter element of FIGS. 1 to 5 in isometric illustration with a view of the inflow side.

(8) FIG. 7 shows the carrier part of FIG. 6 in front view.

(9) FIG. 8 shows the carrier part of FIGS. 6 and 7 in isometric illustration with a view of the outflow side.

(10) Same components are provided with same reference characters in the Figures.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(11) In FIGS. 1 and 2, a filter 10 for urea water solution is shown in different illustrations. The filter 10 is usually arranged in a tank for urea water solution with which a so-called SCR catalyst for a selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases is supplied with urea water solution. The SCR catalyst is part of an exhaust gas manifold of an internal combustion engine, for example, of a motor vehicle.

(12) The filter 10 comprises a holder 12 with which a filter element 14 is secured. The holder 12 comprises a cover part 16 and a pump holder part 18. The filter element 14 is arranged between the cover part 16 and the pump holder part 18.

(13) The pump holder part 18 carries a pump, not of interest in this context, with which the urea water solution can be sucked through the filter 10.

(14) The cover part 16 and pump holder part 18 each comprise a receiving groove 22 on sides facing each other. The receiving grooves 22 serve respectively for receiving a respective rim of the filter element 14. The receiving grooves 22 extend respectively circumferentially relative to an imaginary axis 24 of the filter 10.

(15) The filter element 14 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in different perspectives. The filter element 14 follows as a whole approximately the shape of an imaginary circular cylinder wall that is coaxial to the axis 24. It is thus circumferentially bent.

(16) The filter element 14 comprises a carrier medium 26 and a filter medium 28. The filter medium 28 is fastened, radially outwardly relative to the axis 24, by means of fusing to the carrier medium 26. The filter element 14 exhibits thus a bend across its entire section with the carrier medium 26 and the filter medium 28.

(17) The carrier medium 26 is produced from plastic material by an injection molding process. In the injection molding process, the carrier medium 26 is manufactured in its final shape which is shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 so that, subsequent to the injection molding process, it must not be shaped further. The material of the carrier medium 26 is impermeable for liquid. The carrier medium 26 as a whole is elastic so that, after a deforming force action, it returns always into its original shape.

(18) At its radially outer circumferential side, the carrier medium 26 comprises a plurality of circular cylindrical projections which form a surface structure that acts as a drainage structure 30. The radially outer circumferential side is facing the filter medium 28. The drainage structure 30 is located, relative to the axis 24, radially between the carrier medium 26 and the filter medium 28 in the finished filter element 14. The drainage structure 30 serves for guiding the urea water solution into an intermediate space between the carrier medium 26 and the filter medium 28.

(19) At the radially inner circumferential side of the carrier medium 26 relative to the axis 24, a suction socket 32 is integrally formed on the side that is facing the pump holder part 18. The suction socket 32 extends from the radially inner side through the carrier medium 26 to the intermediate space with the drainage structure 30. The suction socket 32 is formed as a pipe socket at the end facing away from the filter medium 28. An imaginary axis of the suction socket 32 extends here radially to the axis 24. In the finish-mounted filter 10, the suction socket 32 is connected to a corresponding connecting part 20 of the pump, illustrated in FIG. 2.

(20) Relative to the axis 24 in circumferential direction in front of and behind the suction socket 32, a positioning cylinder sleeve 34 is arranged, respectively. The imaginary axes of the positioning cylinder sleeves 34 are parallel to the imaginary axis of the suction socket 32. The positioning cylinder sleeves 34 interact with corresponding positioning cylinders 36 (shown in FIG. 2) provided at the pump holder part 18 and serve for positioning the filter element 14 relative to the holder 12.

(21) The filter medium 28 is a filter medium which is suitable for filtration of urea water solution, for example, filter nonwoven or the like. The filter medium 28 is mechanically flexible and adaptable to the bend of the carrier medium 26. In the raw state, the filter medium 28 is present as a flat raw material, for example, as yard goods, which can be, for example, cut, stamped or the like with respect to its contours to the corresponding shape.

(22) For producing the filter 10, the cover part 16 and the pump holder part 18 are pre-manufactured as separate parts, for example, by an injection molding process. The carrier medium 26 is produced in its final shape from plastic material by an injection molding process. In this context, the drainage structures 30, suction socket 32, and the positioning cylinder sleeves 34 are formed integrally.

(23) The filter medium 28 is cut, stamped or the like from a corresponding raw material. Subsequently, the filter medium 28 is applied from the exterior onto the carrier medium 26 and seal-tightly fused thereto along the rims. The filter element 14 now has its final configuration. Due to the stiffness of the material and the material thickness of the carrier medium 26, the filter element 14 can be elastically deformed. A permanent deformation of the filter medium 14 is however not possible without causing destruction.

(24) Subsequently, the filter element 14 is inserted into the receiving groove 22 of the pump holder part 18 and, by means of the positioning cylinder sleeves 34, aligned and positioned. The suction socket 32 is connected to the corresponding connecting part 20 of the pump. The combination of the pump holder part 18 with the filter element 14 is inserted, with the free rim of the filter element 14 leading, into the receiving groove 22 of the cover part 16.

(25) The filter element 14 is connected, for example, by means of detachable clamping connections to the pump holder part 18 and cover part 16, respectively. In this way, the filter element 14, for example, for maintenance purposes, can be exchanged wherein the cover part 16 and pump holder part 18 can be reused.

(26) In operation of the filter 10, the filter medium 28 is surrounded radially outwardly relative to the axis 24 by urea water solution. By means of the pump, a vacuum is generated in the intermediate space between the carrier medium 26 and the filter medium 28. In this way, the urea water solution is sucked in through the filter medium 28 radially from the exterior to the interior into the region of the drainage structure 30 between the filter medium 28 and the carrier medium 26 and thereby cleaned. Via the drainage structure, the cleaned urea water solution is sucked into the suction socket 32 and through the carrier medium 26. By means of the pump, the cleaned urea water solution is conveyed through the corresponding line to the SCR catalyst.