Filter Element for a Filter System Having a Resonator Structure, and Filter System Having a Resonator Structure

Abstract

A filter element for a filter system has a hollow cylinder-type filter bellows with an end face and a substantially closed bottom provided thereat. At least one resonator structure provided at the bottom provides noise attenuation of a flowing fluid. The resonator structure has two or more grooves arranged at an outer side of the bottom and separated from each other by a partition. At least one of the grooves is connected in fluid communication through an opening to an interior of the filter element. The resonator structure, when installed in a filter housing of the filter system as intended, seals tightly relative to a complementary resonator structure of the filter housing. The grooves are connected in fluid communication through connection openings arranged in the resonator structure of the filter element and/or the complementary resonator structure of the filter housing. A filter system with such a filter element is provided.

Claims

1. A filter element for a filter system, the filter element comprising: a hollow cylinder-type filter bellows surrounding an interior of the filter element; a bottom at an end face of the filter bellows, wherein the bottom is substantially closed; at least one resonator structure embodied at the bottom and configured to provide noise attenuation of a flowing fluid, wherein the at least one resonator structure comprises two or more grooves arranged at an outer side of the bottom facing away from the interior of the filter element, wherein the grooves are separated from each other by a partition; wherein at least one of the grooves is connected in fluid communication through an opening to the interior of the filter element; wherein the at least one resonator structure, when the filter element is installed in a filter housing of the filter system as intended, is configured to seal tightly relative to a complementary resonator structure of the filter housing; wherein the grooves are connected in fluid communication through connection openings arranged in the at least one resonator structure of the filter element and/or arranged in the complementary resonator structure of the filter housing.

2. The filter element according to claim 1, further comprising a central tube, wherein the central tube comprises the bottom, wherein the central tube is arranged about a longitudinal axis of the filter element inside the filter bellows.

3. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the bottom comprises an end disk, wherein the at least one resonator structure of the filter element is integrated in the end disk.

4. The filter element according to claim 3, wherein the end disk comprises a seal structure configured to seal the at least one resonator structure of the filter element in relation to the complementary resonator structure of the filter housing, when the filter element is installed in the filter housing of the filter system as intended.

5. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the grooves are segments arranged adjacent to each other.

6. The filter element according to claim 5, wherein the segments are circular ring segments.

7. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the opening to the interior of the filter element is arranged in at least one of the grooves.

8. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the partition comprises one or more of the connection openings connecting in fluid communication the grooves.

9. The filter element according to claim 8, wherein the one or more connection openings of the partition are axially extending slots.

10. A filter system comprising: a filter housing comprising at least a housing top part and a housing bottom part; a filter element configured to be exchangeably arranged in the filter housing and comprising: a hollow cylinder-type filter bellows surrounding an interior of the filter element; a bottom at an end face of the filter bellows, wherein the bottom is substantially closed; at least one first resonator structure embodied at the bottom and configured to provide noise attenuation of a flowing fluid, wherein the at least one first resonator structure comprises two grooves arranged at an outer side of the bottom facing away from the interior of the filter element, wherein the two grooves are separated from each other by a first partition; wherein at least one of the two grooves is connected in fluid communication through an opening to the interior of the filter element; wherein the housing bottom part comprises an inner side and further comprises a second resonator structure complementary to the at least one first resonator structure of the filter element, wherein the second resonator structure is arranged at the inner side of the housing bottom part and comprises two grooves separated from each other by a second partition; wherein the at least one first resonator structure of the filter element, when the filter element is installed in the filter housing as intended, seals tightly relative to the complementary second resonator structure of the housing bottom part; wherein the two grooves of the at least one first resonator structure and/or the two grooves of the second resonator structure are connected in fluid communication through connection openings in at least one of the first and second partitions.

11. The filter system according to claim 10, wherein the connection openings are axially extending slots in the first partition and/or in the second partition.

12. The filter system according to claim 10, wherein the two grooves of the second resonator structure are segments arranged adjacent to each other.

13. The filter system according to claim 12, wherein the segments are circular ring segments.

14. The filter system according to claim 10, wherein a first one of the two grooves of the second resonator structure at least partially surrounds a second one of the two grooves of the second resonator structure.

15. The filter system according to claim 10, wherein the second resonator structure comprises an outlet for purified air arranged at the housing bottom part.

16. The filter system according to claim 15, wherein the outlet is connected in fluid communication to at least one of the two grooves of the second resonator structure.

17. The filter system according to claim 10, wherein the second partition comprises one or more of the connection openings.

18. The filter system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more connection openings of the second partition are axially extending slots.

19. The filter system according to claim 10, further comprising at least one seal structure arranged at one of the at least one first resonator structure and of the second resonator structure, wherein, when the filter element is installed as intended in the filter housing, the at least one seal structure seals the at least one first resonator structure and the second resonator structure in relation to the interior of the filter element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] 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 consider the features also individually and combine them to expedient further combinations.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a filter element according to an embodiment in plain view of an end disk with a resonator structure at the element.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of a filter system according to an embodiment with an installed filter element of FIG. 1 with removed housing bottom part.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of the filter system of FIG. 2 with a view of an inner side of the housing bottom part with a resonator structure at the housing.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the filter system of the FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a section illustration of the filter system in the region of the end disk of the filter element.

[0041] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show enlarged section illustrations of the filter system in the region of the resonator structures.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] 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.

[0043] The directional terminology used in the following with terms like Aleft@, Aright@, Atop@, Abottom@, Ain front of@, Abehind@, Aafter@, and the like serve only for better understanding the Figures and is not to represent a limitation of the generality in any case. The illustrated components and elements, their configuration and use can vary in the context of the considerations of a person of skill in the art and be adapted to the respective applications.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows an isometric illustration of a filter element 10 according to an embodiment of the invention in plain view of an end disk 32 with a resonator structure 20 at the element.

[0045] The filter element 10 comprises a hollow cylinder-type filter bellows 12 with a central tube 14 which is arranged about its longitudinal axis L in the interior of the filter bellows 12 and which at an end face 16 comprises a substantially closed bottom 18. The cross section of the filter bellows can have arbitrary suitable shapes, for example, circular, rectangular, triangular, polygonal, oval or the like. The central tube 14 cannot be seen in FIG. 1 because it is arranged at an inner side of the filter bellows 12. At the bottom 18 of the central tube 14, a resonator structure 20 at the element is embodied for noise attenuation of a flowing fluid, wherein the resonator structure 20 at the element comprises two grooves 22, 24, separated from each other by a partition 26, at the outer side of the bottom 18. One of the two grooves 22, 24 at the element is connected in fluid communication through an opening 28 to the interior 30 of the filter element 10. The opening 28 to the interior 30 is arranged in the radially inwardly positioned one of the grooves 22, 24. As an alternative, the bottom 18 can also be provided as a separate component of the filter element 10 which closes the filter bellows 12 at the end face, wherein the bottom 18 is foamed on as an end disk 32.

[0046] In the illustration in FIG. 1, the bottom 18 is directly visible only in the grooves 22, 24 because the bottom 18 of the central tube 14 is usually integrated into the end disk 32 of the filter element 10 which is produced, for example, from PUR foam. The resonator structure 20 at the element can be directly integrated into the end face end disk 32 of the filter element 10 in this manner.

[0047] The contour of the two grooves 22, 24 is embodied in the end disk 32 and is surrounded by the areally applied PUR foam as seal structure 34. The end disk 32 comprises thus a seal structure 34 for sealing the resonator structure 20 at the element against the resonator structure 120 at the housing upon installation in the filter housing 110 as intended.

[0048] Support elements 36, radially surrounding the grooves 22, 24, are arranged in the end disk 32 for supporting the filter element 10 in the filter housing 110, in particular in the housing bottom part 114. The support elements 36 can be embodied expediently also of PUR foam.

[0049] The resonator structure 20 at the element is provided for sealing tightly relative to a resonator structure 120 at the housing (FIG. 3) that is complementary thereto upon installation in a filter housing 110 of the filter system 100 as intended. In this context, the two grooves 22, 24 at the element are connected in fluid communication through connection openings 128 arranged in the resonator structure 20, 120 at the element and/or at the housing.

[0050] The two grooves 22, 24 at the element are embodied as concentrically arranged curved segments, for example, circular ring segments. In particular, one of the two grooves 22, 24 surrounds the other one of the two grooves 22, 24 in radial direction at least partially in this manner.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of a filter system 100 according to an embodiment with an installed filter element 10 with resonator structure 20 at the element of FIG. 1 with removed housing bottom part 114 while in FIG. 3 an isometric view of the filter system 100 is illustrated with a view of an inner side 116 of the housing bottom part 114 with a resonator structure 120 at the housing which is complementary thereto.

[0052] The filter system 100 with the exchangeable filter element 10 comprises a filter housing 110 which comprises a housing top part 112, in which the filter element 10 is arranged, and a housing bottom part 114.

[0053] At the inner side 116 of the housing bottom part 114, the resonator structure 120 at the housing, which is mirror-symmetrically complementary embodied to the resonator structure 20 at the element, is embodied which comprises two grooves 122, 124 separated from each other by a partition 126. Upon assembly of the filter system 100 as intended, the resonator structure 20 at the element seals tightly relative to the resonator structure 120 at the housing in this way. Upon assembly as intended, the two resonator structures 20, 120 are sealed in relation to the interior 30 of the filter system 100 by the seal structure 34 arranged at the resonator structure 20 at the element and by the surface of the resonator structure 120 at the housing embodied as the counter seal structure 134.

[0054] Since the two resonator structures 20, 120 are mirror-symmetrically complementary embodied, the two grooves 122, 124 of the resonator structure 120 at the housing are embodied as concentrically arranged curved segments, for example, circular ring segments. One of the two grooves 124 of the resonator structure 120 at the housing surrounds the other groove 122 in radial direction at least partially.

[0055] The grooves 122, 124 of the resonator structure 120 at the housing comprise in this embodiment connection openings 128 in the form of axially extending slots of the partition 126 through which the joined grooves 22, 24, 122, 124 are connected in fluid communication. In this way, the two volumes which are formed from the grooves 22, 122 and the grooves 24, 124 are acoustically coupled and can thus contribute to noise attenuation of the flowing fluid.

[0056] Alternatively or additionally, connection openings 128, also in slots, for example, but also formed differently, can also be arranged in the partition 26 of the resonator structure 20 at the element.

[0057] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the housing bottom part 114 comprises an outlet 130 of the resonator structure 120 at the housing for purified air which in this example is connected in fluid communication to the radially inwardly positioned one of the two grooves 122, 124 of the resonator structure 120 at the housing. For example, coupling to an air connector of a compressor can be realized through the outlet 130 for the noise attenuation.

[0058] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the filter system 100 of the FIGS. 2 and 3. Housing top part 112 and housing bottom part 114 are joined and secured by means of the connection elements 118 arranged about the circumference. For an exchange of the filter element 10, the connection elements 118 can be released and the filter element 10 removed.

[0059] The fluid inlet 102 is arranged laterally at the housing top part 112. The fluid to be filtered flows through the filter bellows from an exterior side into the interior 30 and exits, filtered, from the filter housing 110 through the centrally arranged fluid outlet 104.

[0060] In FIG. 5, a section illustration of the filter system 100 in the region of the end disk 32 of the filter element 10 can be seen while in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 an enlarged section illustration of the filter system 100 in the region of the resonator structures 20, 120 are illustrated.

[0061] The filter element 10 is arranged in the longitudinal axis L in the filter housing 110 and is seated with the support elements 36 arranged at the end disk 32 on the inner side 116 of the housing bottom part 114 for upright installation.

[0062] The fluid to be filtered, for example, air, passes through the fluid inlet 102 into the filter housing 110 and flows from the raw fluid region 50 from the exterior to the interior through the filter bellows 12 of the filter element 10 into the interior 30 which represents thus the clean fluid region 52. From this clean fluid region 52, the filtered fluid flows through the fluid outlet 104 out of the filter housing 110 again. The filter element 10 separates fluid-tightly the raw fluid region 50 from the clean fluid region 52 due to the sealed installation. The filter bellows 12 is supported by the central tube 14 against the pressure of the flowing fluid.

[0063] The two resonator structures 20, 120 are positioned opposite each other when the filter element 10 is installed so that the two grooves 22, 24 of the resonator 20 at the element forms a volume with the respective corresponding groove 122, 124 of the resonator structure 120 at the housing. The two volumes are separated by the partitions 26, 126 but are acoustically coupled through the connection openings 128 arranged in the partition 126.

[0064] The resonator structures 20, 120 are sealed relative to each other by the seal structure 34, which is formed in the end disk 32 and which interacts with the corresponding seal structure 134 of the housing bottom part 124 formed as a seal surface, and against the interior of the filter housing 110 and can thus advantageously fulfill their noise attenuation function. The seal structure 34 which is formed from the PUR foam of the end disk 32 can be seen in particular in the detail enlargements in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0065] 10 filter element [0066] 12 filter bellows [0067] 14 central tube [0068] 16 end face [0069] 18 bottom [0070] 20 resonator structure at the element [0071] 22 groove [0072] 24 groove [0073] 26 partition [0074] 28 opening [0075] 30 interior [0076] 32 end disk [0077] 34 seal structure [0078] 36 support element [0079] 50 raw fluid region [0080] 52 clean fluid region [0081] 100 filter system [0082] 102 inlet [0083] 104 outlet [0084] 110 filter housing [0085] 112 housing top part [0086] 114 housing bottom part [0087] 116 inner side [0088] 118 connection element [0089] 120 resonator structure at the housing [0090] 122 groove [0091] 124 groove [0092] 126 partition [0093] 128 connection openings [0094] 130 outlet [0095] 134 seal structure [0096] 136 annular groove [0097] L longitudinal axis