Filter element assembly with sealing element and filter system

Abstract

The invention relates to a filter element assembly for filtering a fluid, optionally including water separation. A filter element has at least one annular filter bellows which is flowed through in the radial direction, and at least one end plate arranged on the filter bellows on the end side. At least one circumferential sealing element is arranged on the end plate. The sealing element seals the clean side from the raw side of the filter element. The sealing element is compressed between a first housing part and a second housing part of the filter system, sealing a housing interior from the environment. The invention also relates to a filter system having the filter element assembly with the sealing element.

Claims

1. A filter element assembly adapted for filtering fuel or other fluids, comprising: a filter element having an annular filter bellows surrounding a longitudinal axis (L), the annular filter bellow configured to be flowed through in a radial direction and having two axially opposing end faces; at least one end plate arranged at least one of on the axial end faces of the annular filter bellows; and at least one circumferential sealing element arranged on the end plate; wherein the sealing element, when installed in a filter system, is adapted to seal between the filter element and a housing of the filter system, sealing a clean side of the filter element from a raw side of the filter element; wherein the sealing element, when installed in the housing, is compressed between a first housing part and a second housing part of the filter system, sealing a housing interior of the filter system from an environment of the filter system.

2. The filter element assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is arranged on a lower end plate of the at least one end plate.

3. The filter element assembly according to claim 2, wherein the lower end plate further includes a water discharge opening for separated water.

4. The filter element assembly according to claim 2, wherein a further sealing element for sealing between the clean side and the raw side is provided in the region of the axial the axial end face of the filter bellows which is opposite the lower end plate.

5. The filter element assembly according to claim 3, wherein the sealing element on the lower end plate seals a clean-side water collection space from the raw side.

6. The filter element assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower end plate has a contact surface adapted for axial contact against one of the housing parts, the contact surface is offset radially inward on the lower end plate relative to an elastic sealing material of the sealing element; wherein the contact surface is provided on an outer end face of the lower end plate.

7. The filter element assembly according to claim 2, wherein the sealing element is captively connected to the end plate.

8. The filter element assembly according to claim 1, wherein the end plate has a radially outer contact surface; the sealing element has at least one radially inner surface which lies sealingly against the radially outer contact surface of the end plate; wherein the sealing element is formed without a seal carrier.

9. The filter element assembly according to claim 8, wherein the sealing element has at least two sealing surfaces which, in an installed state of the filter element, each contact a respective one of the two housing parts.

10. The filter element assembly according to claim 9, wherein the two sealing surfaces extend at least in sections inclined to the longitudinal axis (L) of the filter element.

11. The filter element assembly according to claim 9, wherein an expansion of the sealing element in an uncompressed state in the axial direction is greater than an expansion of the sealing element in the radial direction.

12. The filter element assembly according to claim 8, wherein the at least one radially inner surface of the sealing element is fixedly connected to the radially outer contact surface of the end plate, wherein the sealing element is vulcanized to the radially outer contact surface.

13. The filter element assembly according to claim 8, wherein the sealing element on the at least one radially inner surface has at least one holding contour fixing the sealing element onto the radially outer contact surface, wherein the at least one holding contour engages in a corresponding counter-contour of the radially outer contact surface.

14. A filter system for filtering a fluid, comprising: a filter housing comprising: a first housing part; and a second housing part; a filter element assembly having: a filter element arranged in the filter housing in at least one of the housing parts. the filter element comprising: an annular filter bellows surrounding a longitudinal axis (L), the annular filter bellow configured to be flowed through in a radial direction and having two axially opposing end faces; at least one end plate arranged at least one of on the axial end faces of the annular filter bellows; and at least one circumferential sealing element arranged on the end plate; wherein the sealing element, when installed in the filter housing, seals between the filter element and the filter housing of the filter system, sealing a clean side of the filter element from a raw side of the filter element; wherein the sealing element, when installed in the filter housing, is compressed between the first housing part and the second housing part of the filter system, sealing a housing interior of the filter system from an environment of the filter system. wherein the sealing element is arranged on a radially outer contact surface of a lower end plate of the at least one end plate; wherein the contact surface is offset radially inward on the lower end plate relative to an elastic sealing material of the sealing element; wherein the sealing element is under compression between the first housing part and the second housing part, sealing a housing interior of the filter system from an environment of the filter system.

15. The filter system according to claim 14, wherein in the installed state in the filter housing, the sealing element is pressed axially and radially by the filter housing when the filter housing is closed.

16. The filter system according to claim 15, wherein the sealing element is chambered between the first housing part, the second housing part and the lower end plate.

17. The filter system according to claim 16, wherein the sealing element protrudes in the axial direction away from a sealing groove of the first and/or second housing part.

18. The filter system according to claim 16, wherein the sealing element has a base part and at least one axial projection; wherein the base part abuts via the radially inner surface against the radially outer contact surface of the lower end disk and is supported radially inwards from the contact surface; wherein the radially inner surface, in the compressed state of the sealing element, has an axial extent of at least 50% of an uncompressed axial extent of the sealing element.

19. The filter system according to claim 18, wherein the at least one axial projection abuts against a component sealing surface of the first housing part or against a component sealing surface of the second housing part.

20. The filter system according to claim 19, wherein the component sealing surface of one of the housing parts is arranged in the axial direction outside the sealing groove of the other housing part.

21. The filter system according to claim 16, wherein the sealing element has at least two sealing surfaces, a respective ones of one of which, is in the installed state, contacts the two housing parts.

22. The filter system according to claim 14, wherein on the axial end face of the filter element which is opposite the lower end plate, a further sealing element is arranged that seals against the filter housing, sealing between the clean side and the raw side of the filter element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Further advantages arise from the following drawing description. Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings. The drawings, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person skilled in the art will also expediently consider the features on an individual basis and combine them into other appropriate combinations.

[0038] The drawing show by way of example:

[0039] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a filter system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0040] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of a sealing element according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0041] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional illustration of a filter system with focus on the sealing element in the uncompressed state;

[0042] FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional illustration of the filter system from FIG. 3 with focus on the sealing element in the compressed state;

[0043] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section of a filter system according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention with focus on the sealing element; and

[0044] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section of a filter system according to another embodiment of the invention with focus on the sealing element.

EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

[0045] The same or similar components in the figures are referenced with same reference characters. The figures merely illustrate examples and shall not be construed as limiting.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a filter system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The filter system 100 is provided in particular for filtering fuel, preferably with a water separation unit. Optionally, the filter system 100 can also be provided for another liquid.

[0047] The filter system 100 for filtering a fluid comprises a filter housing 108 with a first housing part 109 and a second housing part 110, in which a filter element assembly with a filter element 10 is arranged, which has an intended lower end plate 16 and on the end face opposite the intended lower end plate 16 of the filter element 10, a further end plate, which is open in the interior and through which an unspecified, clean-side connector engages in the interior of the filter element 10.

[0048] The two housing parts 109, 110 are connected to one another via a screw thread 114, the second housing part 110 being screwed onto the first housing part 109 up to a stop 116. The filter element 10, which is provided for filtering fuel using water separation, has a filter bellows 12 which is closed with the intended lower end plate 16. The radially flowable filter bellows 12 is designed as a hollow cylinder, wherein a fluid flow runs from the raw side 72 in the housing interior 120 through the outside of the filter bellows 12 radially inward to the clean side 70 and can be removed through the nozzle from the filter element 10 axially in the direction of filtering the fluid a longitudinal axis L of the filter element 10. A coalescer element 130 is arranged on the radial inside of the filter bellows 12 and is provided for water separation from the fuel. The separated water is collected in the water collecting space 132 of the first housing part 109 and can be drained out of it if necessary. For this purpose, the intended lower end plate 16 has an unspecified water discharge opening for separated water.

[0049] A sealing element 30 in the form of a molded seal 32 is arranged on a radial outer circumference of the intended lower end plate 16, the sealing element 30 having a radially inner surface 18 being arranged on a radially outer contact side 34 of the end plate 16 and being supported radially inward from the contact side 34. The sealing element 30 is provided for sealing the clean side 70 against the raw side 72 of the filter element 10 and the first housing part 109 and the second housing part 110 of the filter system 100 against the external environment 122. For this purpose, the sealing element 30 is chambered between the first housing part 109, the second housing part 110 and the end plate 16.

[0050] In the area of the end face of the filter bellows 12, which is opposite the intended lower end disk 16, a further sealing element 90 is provided for sealing between the clean side 70 and the raw side 72 of the filter element 10. This can be designed as a round cord ring and seals between the filter element 10 and the unspecified clean-side connector.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of a sealing element 30 according to an embodiment of the invention. The sealing element 30, which can be designed without a seal carrier, has two sealing surfaces 19, 22, which are provided for contact with each of the two housing parts 109, 110, against which the sealing element 30 rests, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The two sealing surfaces 19, 22 run at least in sections inclined to a longitudinal axis L of the filter element 10 (see FIG. 1). In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2, the two sealing surfaces 19, 22 are part of the outer surface of the sealing element 30 which is in the form of a ring torus. The sealing element 30 itself is designed in the form of a base part 80 which has two axial projections 82. An expansion of the sealing element 30 in the uncompressed state is thus greater in the axial direction than an expansion of the sealing element 32 in the radial direction. The inner surface 18 of the sealing element 30 is designed, for example, as a holding contour 26, as shown in FIG. 3, for interlocking with a counter-contour 36 on an abutment side 34 of an end plate 16 in order to fix the sealing element 30 in the longitudinal direction L of the filter element 10 on the end plate 16 fix. FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a filter system 100 with a focus on the sealing element 30 in the uncompressed state. The sealing element 30 in the form of a molded seal 32 is arranged on the contact side 34 of the end plate 16 with its holding contour 26 in the counter-contour 36 provided in the end plate 16. The sealing element 30 comprises an elastic sealing material and has two sealing surfaces 19, 22 for abutment on the two housing parts 109, 110, the sealing surface 22 being curved in order to abut sealingly against the corresponding component sealing surface 62, which has an angled shape. The state of the filter system 100, which is shown in FIG. 3, corresponds to a filter element 10 installed in the first housing part 109, in which the sealing surface 22 just abuts the component sealing surface 62 of the first housing part 109, while the second housing part 110 is not yet connected to the first housing part 109, so that the sealing surface 19 of the sealing element 30 and the component sealing surface 64 of the second housing part 110 are separated by a gap.

[0052] Furthermore, it can be seen that the intended lower end plate 16 has a contact surface 17 for axial contact with a contact surface 63 of one of the housing parts 109, which is offset radially inwards relative to the elastic sealing material of the sealing element 30. The contact surface 17 is provided on the outer end face of the intended lower end plate 16.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows the sealing element 30 in the compressed state in the schematic sectional illustration of the filter system 100 from FIG. 3. The second housing part 110 is fixedly connected to the first housing part 109, for example screwed, so that the sealing element 30 is pressed axially and radially in the installed state when the filter housing 108 is closed. The sealing surface 22 abuts tightly against the component sealing surface 62 of the first housing part 109, while the sealing surface 19 abuts against the component sealing surface 64 of the second housing part 110, so that a deformation of the sealing element 30 can be seen. Both the clean side 70 is thus sealed against the raw side 72 of the filter system 100 and the two housing parts 109, 110 against one another and against the environment 122, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0054] Through the contact surface 17, the end face of the intended lower end plate 16 comes into contact with the contact surface 63 of the housing part 109 and can thus limit an axial movement of the filter element 10 (FIG. 1). Such a movement can be caused by a pressure difference between the raw side and the clean side of the filter element 10.

[0055] FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal section of a filter system 100 according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention with a focus on the sealing element 30. The two housing parts 109, 110 of the filter housing 108 are shown connected to one another, so that the sealing element 30 in the form of a molded seal 32 abuts firmly with its sealing surfaces 19, 22 against the corresponding component sealing surfaces 64, 62. The inner surface 18 of the sealing element 30 is firmly connected to the contact side 34 of the end plate 16. The sealing element 30 can, for example, be glued to the contact side 34 of the end plate 16. In particular, the sealing element 30 can be vulcanized onto the contact side 34 and thus be permanently and reliably connected to the contact side 34, so that the sealing element 30 does not change its position even when the filter element 10 is mounted with the end plate 16 in the filter housing 108 or slip when inserted.

[0056] FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal section of a filter system 100 with a filter element 10 inserted according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, with a focus on the sealing element 30. In this exemplary embodiment, the sealing element 30 is also arranged directly on the contact side 34 of the end plate 16, but has a point-shaped holding contour 26 which engages in a correspondingly groove-shaped counter-contour 36 of the end plate 16, so that the sealing element 30 is connected to the end plate 16, in particular connected captively, and its axial position does not change when the filter element 10 is inserted into the filter housing 108. In addition, the sealing element 30 can be glued or vulcanized to the end plate 16, for example. The radially outer shape of the sealing element 30 with its sealing surfaces 19, 22 is crescent-shaped, the sealing element 30 being pressed axially and radially when the two housing parts 109, 110 are closed and the cross section of the sealing element 30 thus adapting to the corresponding component sealing surfaces 64, 62 and abutting sealingly against it. In this exemplary embodiment, the sealing element 30 partially protrudes from a sealing groove 42 of the first housing part 109. With this arrangement of the sealing element 30, a secure and reliable sealing of the raw side 72 of the filter system 100 against the clean side 70 and of the two housing parts 109, 110 against the environment 122 is ensured.