Filter element with pre-separator and filter system

Abstract

A filter element for filtering a fluid has one or more filter bellows with a specified raw side and a specified clean side oppositely positioned relative to the specified raw side. The filter bellows has a filter medium that is folded along fold edges in a zigzag shape to folds, wherein the folds extend between oppositely positioned end edges of the at least one filter bellows, wherein the filter bellows has parallel extending end edge faces at oppositely positioned end faces. At least one pre-separator embodied as a flat mat is arranged at the raw side of the filter bellows. A frame is injection-molded from plastic material around the filter bellows and seals the end edge faces. The pre-separator is fastened to the raw side with fastening elements arranged at the frame. A filter system with a filter housing is provided with such a filter element.

Claims

1. A filter element for filtering a fluid, the filter element comprising: at least one filter bellows comprising a specified raw side and a specified clean side oppositely positioned relative to the specified raw side; the at least one filter bellows comprising a filter medium, wherein the filter medium is folded along fold edges in a zigzag shape to folds, wherein the folds extend between oppositely positioned end edges of the at least one filter bellows, and wherein the at least one filter bellows comprises parallel extending end edge faces at oppositely positioned end faces; at least one pre-separator embodied as a flat mat and arranged at the raw side of the at least one filter bellows; a frame that is injection-molded from plastic material around the at least one filter bellows and seals the end edge faces; wherein at side faces of the frame, the frame forms hook fasteners on a raw side edge of the side faces, the hook fasteners formed in one piece together the frame and of the same material as the frame, the hook fasteners formed directly on the raw side edge of the side faces and projecting outwardly from the side faces; wherein the end edges of the at least one filter bellows are embedded into the frame, embedded into material of the frame, the embedded frame material sealing the end edges of the at least one filter bellows; wherein the hook fasteners of the frame engage into material of the flat mat of the pre-separator, fastening the pre-separator onto frame on the raw side of the at least one filter bellows.

2. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the hook fasteners of the frame are a part of a hook and loop fastener, engaging material of the pre-separator to fasten the pre-separator onto the frame.

3. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pre-separator is configured to be exchanged together with the filter element.

4. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pre-separator is an activated carbon medium.

5. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the frame and the filter medium are comprised of the same material.

6. The filter element according to claim 1, further comprising a circumferential seal arranged on an end face of the frame.

7. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the frame comprises at least one reinforcement stay extending across the fold edges of the zig-zag shaped folds in an interior of the frame, the at least one reinforcement stay arranged between the side faces of the frame and extending transverse to the folds.

8. A filter system for filtering a fluid comprising: a filter housing; a filter element comprising: at least one filter bellows comprising a specified raw side and a specified clean side oppositely positioned relative to the specified raw side, wherein the at least one filter bellows comprises a filter medium, wherein the filter medium is folded along fold edges in a zigzag shape to folds, wherein the folds extend between oppositely positioned end edges of the at least one filter bellows, and wherein the at least one filter bellows comprises parallel extending end edge faces at oppositely positioned end faces; at least one pre-separator embodied as a flat mat and arranged at the raw side of the at least one filter bellows; a frame that is injection-molded from plastic material around the at least one filter bellows and seals the end edge faces, wherein at side faces of the frame, the frame forms hook fasteners on a raw side edge of the side faces, the hook fasteners formed in one piece together the frame and of the same material as the frame, the hook fasteners formed directly on the raw side edge of the side faces and projecting outwardly from the side faces; wherein the end edges of the at least one filter bellows are embedded into the frame, embedded into material of the frame, the embedded frame material sealing the end edges of the at least one filter bellows; wherein the hook fasteners of the frame engage into material of the flat mat of the pre-separator, fastening the pre-separator onto frame on the raw side of the at least one filter bellows wherein the filter element is exchangeably arranged in the filter housing, wherein the at least one filter bellows and the at least one pre-separator are configured to be exchanged together.

9. The filter system according to claim 8, wherein the hook fasteners of the frame are a part of a hook and loop fastener, engaging material of the pre-separator to fasten the pre-separator onto the frame.

10. The filter system according to claim 8 embodied as an air filter of an internal combustion engine.

11. The filter system according to claim 8 embodied as a filter for an interior of a vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages result from the following drawing description. In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated. The drawings, the description, and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person of skill in the art will expediently also consider the features individually and combine them to other meaningful combinations.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an isometric illustration of a filter element without pre-separator with filter bellows injection-molded around with a frame according to an embodiment of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows an isometric illustration of the frame without filter bellows according to the embodiment in FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 shows an isometric illustration of a pre-separator according to an embodiment of the invention in the form of a flat mat.

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of a filter element with pre-separator according to an embodiment of the invention.

(6) FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the filter element of FIG. 4 with details of the fastening elements in the form of hook and loop fastener hooks with attached pre-separator.

(7) FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the filter element of FIG. 4 with details of the fastening elements in the form of hook and loop fastener hooks without pre-separator.

(8) FIG. 7 is a plan view onto the fastening elements in the form of hook and loop fastener hooks according to an embodiment of the invention.

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic section illustration of a filter system according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) In the Figures, same or same-type components are identified with same reference characters. The Figures show only examples and are not to be understood as limiting.

(11) FIG. 1 shows an isometric illustration of a filter element 10 without mounted pre-separator (30 in FIG. 4) with filter bellows 12 injection-molded around by a frame 28 according to an embodiment of the invention. The filter element 10 for filtering a fluid comprises in FIG. 1 a filter bellows 12 (alternative: three filter bellows) with a specified raw side 52 and a specified clean side 50, oppositely positioned thereto, of a filter medium 14, which is folded along fold edges 26 in a zigzag shape to folds 34 that extend between oppositely positioned end edges 22a, 22b of the filter bellows 12, respectively, and the filter bellows has parallel extending end edge faces 20a, 20b on oppositely positioned end faces 18, 19, respectively. The filter bellows 12 is injection-molded around by plastic material in the form of a frame 28 so that the end edge faces 20a, 20b are sealed. The pre-separator (30 in FIG. 4) can be attached by fastening elements 32 arranged at the frame 28; the pre-separator is not illustrated in FIG. 1. The frame 28 effects a lateral sealing action of the end edge faces 20a, 20b. In the frame 28, transverse to the folds 34, reinforcement stays 42 are provided which at the same time serve as sealing means of the end edge faces 20a, 20b of the individual filter bellows 12. The frame 28 can be expediently comprised of the same material as the filter medium 14 in order to achieve thus a material-fused connection between frame 28 and filter bellows 12, such as by welding.

(12) The fastening elements 32 are formed as one piece together with the frame 28, i.e., expediently have been produced together with the frame 28 in an injection molding process. The fastening elements 32 can also be formed only partially. They are seated in particular at the bottom side of the side faces 46 and reinforcement stays 42 of the frame 28 which at the same time provide the sealing action of the end edge faces 20a, 20b of the filter bellows 12.

(13) At the end face 38 of the frame 28, a circumferentially extending seal 40 is provided which is serving for separation of the raw side 52 from the clean side 50 when in use in a filter housing 108. The seal 40 can be injection-molded in a two-component process to the frame 28. It can also be produced as a shaped seal and, after production of the frame 28, can be pressed onto it.

(14) In FIG. 2 an isometric illustration of the frame 28 without filter bellows 12 according to the embodiment in FIG. 1 is illustrated. The frame 28 is shown as a skeleton for the filter bellows 12. In side faces 46 and reinforcement stays 42 the negative impressions of the end edges 22a, 22b of the filter bellows 12 can be seen since they are embedded in the plastic material and a lateral sealing action of the filter bellows 12 is achieved in this way. The side faces 46 comprise reinforcement ribs 44 for reinforcement of the entire frame 28. On the bottom side of the side faces 46 and reinforcement stays 42, the fastening elements 32 for the attachment of the pre-separator 30 are arranged.

(15) FIG. 3 shows an isometric illustration of a pre-separator 30 according to an embodiment of the invention in the form of a flat mat. In FIG. 1, the filter element 10 according to the invention comprises such a pre-separator 30 which is formed as a flat mat and is arranged on the raw side 52 of the filter bellows 12. The pre-separator 30 is provided for common exchange together with the filter element 10. The pre-separator 30, after removal of the filter element 10 from the filter housing 108, can be removed from the frame 28 in order to be cleaned or to be reused with another filter element 10. The filter element 10 can also be provided with a new pre-separator 30 in order to thus be reused again. As a pre-separator 30, an activated carbon medium can be provided also.

(16) In FIG. 4, a side view of a filter element 10 with pre-separator 30 according to an embodiment of the invention can be seen. The pre-separator 30 is attached to the fastening elements 32 which are arranged at the bottom side of the side faces 46 and reinforcement stays (42 in FIG. 1) corresponding to the raw side 52 of the filter element 10. The flow direction 54 of the filter element 10 is indicated by an arrow.

(17) On a circumferentially extending end face 38 of the frame 28, the seal 40 is arranged which serves for sealing between raw side 52 and clean side 50 upon use in the filter housing 108.

(18) FIG. 5 shows an enlarged side view of the filter element 10 of FIG. 4 with details of the fastening elements 32 in the form of hook and loop fastener hooks with attached pre-separator 30. The fastening elements 32 are embodied as part of a hook and loop fastener, in particular as hook and loop fastener hooks. The pre-separator 30, embodied, for example, as a nonwoven, can thus be hooked as a counter member of a hook and loop fastener in these hook and loop fastener hooks; this ensures for the operation of the filter element 10 a reliable and permanent connection between frame 28 (FIG. 4) and pre-separator 30. When exchanging the filter element 10, the pre-separator 30 can still be removed again and exchanged.

(19) In FIG. 5, reinforcement ribs 44 can also be seen clearly which serve for reinforcement of the side faces 46 of the frame 28.

(20) In FIG. 6, an enlarged side view of the filter element 10 of FIG. 4 with details of the fastening elements 32 in the form of hook and loop fastener hooks is illustrated without pre-separator 30. In this detail illustration, the shape of the hook and loop fastener hooks, which can be produced in an injection molding process together with the frame 28 as a one piece component, can be seen clearly. Such a shape can be produced in an injection mold. The finished component can also be removed from the mold after the injection process. Alternatively, the fastening elements 32 can also have a mushroom shape.

(21) FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the fastening elements 32 in the form of hook and loop fastener hooks according to an embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, a two-row arrangement of hook and loop fastener hooks is selected as sufficient for a permanent attachment of the pre-separator 30.

(22) FIG. 8 shows a schematic section illustration of a filter system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The filter system 100 for filtering a fluid with a filter element 10 comprises an exchangeable filter element 10 arranged in a filter housing 108 of the filter system. The filter element 10 provides a filter bellows 12 and a pre-separator 30 for common exchange. The filter bellows 12 is injection-molded around by plastic material in the form of a frame 28 so that the end edge faces 20a, 20b are sealed. The pre-separator 30 is fastened with fastening elements 32 arranged at the frame 28. The fastening elements 32 are formed together with the frame 28 as one piece. The fastening elements 32 are embodied in this context as part of a hook and loop fastener, in particular as hook and loop fastener hooks. The filter system 100 serves, for example, for air filtration, in particular for air filtration of an internal combustion engine or as a filter for an interior of a vehicle.

(23) The filter housing 108 with housing bottom part 114 and housing top part 112 is purely schematically illustrated with an inlet 102 for the fluid and an outlet 104 for the fluid. The flow direction 54 of the fluid is indicated with an arrow. The filter element 10 in the interior of the filter housing 108 is illustrated in side view and is sealed with the seal 40 at the end face 38 of the frame 28 circumferentially relative to the filter housing 108 so that raw side 52 and clean side 50 are reliably separated from each other. The pre-separator is arranged upstream of the raw side 52 of the filter bellows 12, embedded by injection molding in the frame 28, in order to effect a pre-separation of large dirt particles of the fluid.