FILTER DEVICE FOR CLEANING COOLANT WATER FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a filter device, e.g., a filter cartridge, for cleaning coolant water for an internal combustion engine. The filter device includes a filter housing defining a housing interior space through which coolant water can flow. An untreated water inlet and a clean water outlet are arranged in the filter housing. A water-permeable separating device divides the housing interior space into a first filtration zone and into a second filtration zone. A first packing material containing activated charcoal for removing dirt particles from the coolant water is present in the first filtration zone, and a second packing material containing hydronium cations and hydroxide anions for demineralizing the coolant water is present in the second filtration zone.

Claims

1. A filter device for cleaning coolant water for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a filter housing defining a housing interior space through which coolant water can flow, and an untreated water inlet and a clean water outlet arranged in the filter housing, a water-permeable separating device that divides the housing interior space into a first filtration zone and into a second filtration zone, a first packing material containing activated charcoal for removing dirt particles from the coolant water present in the first filtration zone, and a second packing material containing hydronium cations and hydroxide anions for demineralizing the coolant water present in the second filtration zone.

2. The filter device according to claim 1, wherein the water-permeable separating device comprises a water-permeable non-woven material that is impermeable for the first packing material and the second packing material.

3. The filter device according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing mechanism provided in the housing interior space, structured and arranged to bias the second packing material towards the water-permeable separating device.

4. The filter device according to claim 3, wherein the water-permeable separating device is adjustably attached to the filter housing, so that the biasing mechanism biases the first packing material via the second packing material and the water-permeable separating device against an inlet-side housing wall of the filter housing, the inlet-side housing wall located opposite the biasing mechanism and at least partially delimits the first filtration zone.

5. The filter device according to claim 1, wherein the clean water outlet is arranged in an outlet-side housing wall of the filter housing that is located opposite to an inlet-side housing wall and at least partially delimits the second filtration zone.

6. The filter device according to claim 3, wherein the biasing mechanism is arranged in the housing interior space between the clean water outlet and the water-permeable separating device.

7. The filter device according to claim 3, wherein the biasing mechanism includes at least one spring-elastic element, at which a non-woven material or filter paper is arranged that is water-permeable and impermeable for the second packing material and divides the second filtration zone into an untreated side and a clean side.

8. The filter device according to claim 7, wherein the non-woven material or the filter paper is arranged on a mechanically stiff support structure.

9. The filter device according to claim 7, wherein the at least one spring-elastic element includes a compression spring that is supported on an outlet-side housing wall at one end and on the water-permeable support structure at the other end.

10. The filter device according to claim 5, wherein the filter housing includes a circumferential wall that connects the inlet-side housing wall to the outlet-side housing wall, and wherein the filter housing has an antibacterial coating on an inner side at least in an area of the circumferential wall.

11. The filter device according to claim 10, wherein the antibacterial coating comprises a polymer provided with an antibacterial material.

12. The filter device according to claim 1, wherein the water-permeable separating device is composed of a non-woven that has an antibacterial coating.

13. The filter device according to claim 2, wherein the water-permeable separating device comprises an antibacterial coating including at least one of a metal, a metal salt, organic monomers, oligomers, and polymers, each comprising antibacterial properties.

14. The filter device according to claim 1, wherein the filter housing is composed of a material including a granulate configured to be antibacterial.

15. An internal combustion engine, comprising: cylinders having combustion chambers, a filter device for cooling the combustion chambers, the filter device including: a filter housing defining a housing interior space through which coolant water can flow, and an untreated water inlet and a clean water outlet arranged in the filter housing, a water-permeable separating device that divides the housing interior space into a first filtration zone and into a second filtration zone, a first packing material containing activated charcoal for removing dirt particles from the coolant water present in the first filtration zone, and a second packing material containing hydronium cations and hydroxide anions for demineralizing the coolant water present in the second filtration zone.

16. The internal combustion engine according to claim 15, wherein the water-permeable separating device comprises a water-permeable non-woven plastic material that is impermeable for the first packing materials and the second packing material.

17. The internal combustion engine according to claim 15, wherein the filter device further includes a biasing mechanism provided in the housing interior space, structured and arranged to bias the second packing material towards the water-permeable separating device.

18. The internal combustion engine according to claim 17, wherein the biasing mechanism is arranged in the second filtration zone between the clean water outlet and the water-permeable separating device.

19. The internal combustion engine according to claim 18, wherein the water-permeable separating device is adjustably attached to the filter housing, so that the biasing mechanism biases the first packing material via the second packing material and the water-permeable separating device against an inlet-side housing wall of the filter housing, the inlet-side housing wall located opposite the biasing mechanism and at least partially delimits the first filtration zone.

20. The internal combustion engine according to claim 19, wherein the clean water outlet is arranged in an outlet-side housing wall of the filter housing that is located opposite to the inlet-side housing wall and at least partially delimits the second filtration zone.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary filter device according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The sole FIG. 1 illustrates the setup of a filter device 1 according to the invention for cleaning coolant water K for an internal combustion engine in a schematic manner. The filter device 1 can be formed as exchangeable filter cartridge 3. The filter device 1 comprises a filter housing 2, which delimits a housing interior space 4, through which the coolant water can flow. An untreated water inlet 10 for introducing the coolant water K to be cleaned into the housing interior space 4 as well as a clean water outlet 11 for discharging the cleaned coolant water K is present in the filter housing 2. The untreated water inlet 10 and the clean water outlet 11 are preferably arranged in front side housing walls 12a, 12b of the filter housing 2, which are located opposite one another along an axial direction A. That front side housing wall 12a, in which the untreated water inlet 10 is arranged, will be referred to hereinafter as inlet-side housing wall. Accordingly, that front side housing wall 12b, in which the clean water outlet 11 is arranged, will be referred to hereinafter as outlet side housing wall. The two front side housing walls 12a, 12b are connected to one another via a circumferential wall 13, which is likewise part of the filter housing 2. In particular in the case that the filter device 1 is formed as filter cartridge 3, the filter housing 2 can be formed in one piece with the front side housing walls 12a, 12b and the circumferential wall 13.

[0033] According to FIG. 1, a water-permeable separating device 5, which divides the housing interior space 4 into a first filtration zone 6a and into a second filtration zone 6b, is arranged in the housing interior space 4. A first packing material 7a containing activated charcoal 22 for removing dirt particles (not shown) from the coolant water K is arranged in the first filtration zone 6a. A second packing material 7b, which contains hydronium cations (H.sup.+) and hydroxide (OH.sup.) anions for demineralizing the coolant water K, is arranged in the second filtration zone.

[0034] The separating device 5 comprises or is a non-woven material 8, which is formed to be water-permeable and impermeable for the two packing materials 7a, 7b. It is ensured in this way that when the coolant water K flows through the housing interior space 4, the first packing material 7a always remains in the first filtration zone 6a, and the second packing material 7b always remains in the second filtration zone 6b.

[0035] In the example scenario, the inlet-side housing wall 12a, together with the circumferential wall 13 and the separating device 5 or the non-woven material 8, respectively, delimits the first filtration zone 6a. Analogously, the outlet-side housing wall 12b, together with the circumferential wall 13 and the separating device 5 or the non-woven material 8, respectively, delimits the second filtration zone 6b. The untreated water inlet 10 is thus arranged upstream of the first filtration zone 6a, which, in turn, is arranged upstream of the second filtration zone 6b. The second filtration zone 6b is arranged upstream of the clean water outlet 11. The coolant water K to be cleaned is thus introduced into the first filtration stage 6a via the untreated water inlet 10, flows through the separating device 5 or the non-woven material 8, respectively, into the second filtration zone 6b along the axial direction A, and leaves the housing interior space 4 from there via the clean water outlet 11.

[0036] According to FIG. 1, a biasing means 14, which biases the second packing material 7b towards the separating device, can be arranged in the housing interior space 4. Advantageously, this biasing means 14 is arranged between the clean water outlet 11 and the separating device 5 in the second filtration zone of the housing interior space 4. The separating device 5 can be attached to the filter housing 2 so as to be adjustable along the axial direction A, so that the biasing means 14 biases the first packing material 7a by means of the second packing material 7b and the separating device 5 against the inlet-side housing wall 12a of the filter housing 2. In the example scenario, the biasing means 14 comprises two spring-elastic elements 15a, 15b, which are arranged at a distance from one another and at which a water-permeable non-woven material 16, which is impermeable for the second packing material 7b, is arranged. The two spring-elastic elements 15a, 15b can be compression springs 19a, 19b, which are each supported on the outlet-side housing wall 12b at one end, and on the support structure 23 at the other end. In variations of the example, the biasing means 14 can have a different number of spring elements 15a, 15b than is shown in FIG. 1 in an exemplary manner. The non-woven material 16 divides the second filtration zone 6b into an untreated side 18a and into a clean side 18b. Instead of the non-woven material 16, a filter paper (not shown) can also be used. The flexibly formed non-woven material 16 or the flexibly formed filter paper 17, respectively, can be arranged on a mechanically stiff support structure 23, which is only arranged schematically in FIG. 1. The support structure 23 can preferably be formed in a mesh-like manner, so that the coolant water K can flow through the support structure 23 with a small flow resistance.

[0037] The material 24 of the filter housing 2 can consist of an extrudable granulate, which is equipped to be antibacterial, or can comprise an antibacterial granulate of this type, in particular in the area of the circumferential wall 13. In the alternative or in addition, the filter housing 2 can have an antibacterial coating 20 on the inner side at least in the area of the circumferential wall 13. This antibacterial coating 20 can comprise, for example, an organic monomer, oligomer, polymer, metals, and metal salts, or further substances comprising antibacterial properties.

[0038] The non-woven material 8 of the separating device 5 can also have an antibacterial coating 21, whereby above-listed materials are possible as coating materials. In the example of FIG. 1, the coating 21 is arranged on a side 9a of the separating device 5 or of the non-woven material 8, respectively, facing the first filtration side 6a. It goes without saying that in the alternative or in addition, the coating 21 can also be arranged on a side 9b of the separating device 5 or of the non-woven material 8, respectively, facing the second filtration zone 6b (not shown). It is also conceivable to equip the non-woven material 8 with antibacterial material, for example with silver, instead of an antibacterial coating 21.