FILTER MATERIAL FOR A FILTER INSERT OF A FUEL FILTER, FILTER INSERT, AND FUEL FILTER

Abstract

A filter material for a filter insert of a fuel filter for separating solid particles and water droplets from fuel. The filter material comprises a particle filter medium layer through which the fuel flows first during use and at least one coalescer medium layer which lies on the particle filter medium layer on the outflow side. At least one coalescer medium layer is gradient-free in the flow direction with respect to the geometrical structure and/or physical properties and/or chemical properties of the layers. The at least one coalescer medium layer has a thickness measured in the flow direction which is maximally as large as the thickness of the particle filter medium layer measured in the flow direction.

Claims

1-19. (canceled)

20. A filter insert of a fuel filter for separating solid particles and water droplets from fuel, the filter insert having at least one filter material body made of a filter material, the filter material being made up of a particle filter medium layer, through which the fuel first flows during use, and at least one coalescing medium layer situated on the particle filter medium layer at the downstream side, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer, has a specifiable minimum hydrophilicity, the degree of hydrophilicity corresponding, according to the water repellency test, to an isopropanol volume portion of no more than 25%, the at least one coalescing medium layer is made without a gradient in the direction of flow with regard to at least one of its geometrical structure, its physical properties or its chemical properties, at least one coalescing medium layer has a thickness, measured in the direction of flow, that is smaller than the thickness, measured in the direction of flow, of the particle filter medium layer, the filter material is folded in a zigzag shape to form a hollow cylindrical or cuboidal body, at least one coalescing medium layer has a thickness between 0.1 and 1.5 mm, and at a side, situated downstream, of the folded filter material, at least one coalescing medium layer acts as a spacer between the folds of the particle filter medium layer.

21. The filter insert as recited in claim 20, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer is made of at least one of a fiber material, a foam material or a sintered material.

22. The filter insert as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer is made of at least one of a meltblown nonwoven, a wet-laid nonwoven, a woven fabric or a felt.

23. The filter insert as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer is made of synthetic fibers.

24. The filter insert as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer is made of hydrophilic fibers.

25. The filter insert as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer is made without a gradient with regard to at least one of its fiber thickness, its fiber density, its porosity, its pore diameter, its air permeability, its permeability, a treatment, its surface energy, or its hydrophilicity.

26. The filter insert as recited in claim 21, wherein the fibers of the at least one coalescing medium layer have a fiber diameter between 0.3 and 50 m, and have an average fiber diameter of greater than 2 m.

27. The filter insert as recited in claim 20, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer has a pore size range between 0.5 to 150 m and has an average pore size of greater than 4 m.

28. The filter insert as recited in claim 20, the at least one coalescing medium layer has a Mean Flow Pore Size value of greater than 8 m.

29. The filter insert as recited in claim 20, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer has a porosity that is defined by an air permeability of less than 3000 l/m.sup.2s, measured at a difference pressure of 200 Pa.

30. The filter insert as recited in claim 20, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer has two or three layers.

31. The filter insert as recited in claim 20, wherein the particle filter medium layer is formed from at least one of a filter paper, filter fleece, filter felt, filter nonwoven fabric, filter woven fabric, a sintered shaped element, or a filter element shaped element.

32. The filter insert as recited in claim 20, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer is placed loosely onto the particle filter medium layer.

33. The filter insert as recited in claim 20, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer is bonded to the particle filter medium layer.

34. The filter insert as recited in claim 33, wherein the at least one coalescing medium layer is at least one of glued, thermofixed, or thermocalendered to the particle filter medium layer.

35. The filter insert as recited in claim 20, wherein, seen in the direction of flow, a sieve is situated downstream from the filter material body, at a distance from it.

36. The filter insert as recited in claim 35, wherein the sieve has a through-opening size between 5 and 200 m.

37. A fuel filter for separating solid particles and water droplets from fuel, wherein the fuel filter has at least one filter insert as recited in claim 20.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In the following, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is explained on the basis of a drawing.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a filter material body, folded in a star shape, forming part of a filter insert, made of a two-layer filter material together with a central sieve, in cross-section, and

[0036] FIG. 2 shows the filter material body and the sieve of FIG. 1 in longitudinal section.

[0037] In the following description of the Figures, identical parts in the various Figures of the drawing are always provided with the same reference characters, so that all reference characters do not have to be explained again for each Figure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] FIG. 1 of the drawing shows a hollow cylindrical filter material body 4, folded in the shape of a star symmetrically to a longitudinal mid-axis 40, made of a two-layer filter material 1, together with a central hollow cylindrical sieve 5, in cross-section. Filter material body 4 is a part of a filter insert, otherwise not shown here, for a fuel filter, and is used to separate solid dirt particles and water droplets from fuel, in particular diesel fuel, e.g., for supplying an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle.

[0039] In the example shown in the drawing, during operational use of filter material body 4 the fuel flows from the outside to the inside through filter material 1.

[0040] A first, outer layer of filter material 1 is formed by a particle filter medium layer 2, e.g., made of a filter paper or filter fleece or filter felt or filter nonwoven or filter woven fabric. A first, standard function of particle filter medium layer 2 is to retain solid dirt particles carried along with the fuel to be filtered that have a size above a specifiable boundary size. A second function of this particle filter medium layer 2 is here to reduce the speed of movement of the water droplets carried along with the fuel to be filtered, and to already bring about a certain degree of coalescing of the water droplets, which, as has been surprisingly determined, also works with materials that are standard for particle filter medium layer 2. Through the particular selection of the material for particle filter medium layer 2, the coalescing effect of particle filter medium layer 2 can be further increased as needed without impairing the filtering function for solid particles that are to be separated.

[0041] A second, inner layer of filter material 1 is formed by a coalescing medium layer 3 that lies immediately on particle filter medium layer 2. Depending on the mechanical properties, here coalescing medium layer 3 can be placed loosely onto particle filter medium layer 2, or alternatively can be bonded to it, e.g., by gluing or thermofixing.

[0042] The function of coalescing medium layer 3 is to coalesce the water droplets carried along with the stream of fuel and that, in particle filter medium layer 2, are already larger than their original size, to form still larger drops of water that can be separated from the fuel, and then to drain these using the force of gravity, or to provide them with the stream of fuel for a subsequent separation at sieve 5, which is situated at a distance downstream from filter material body 4. For this purpose, coalescing medium layer 3 is usefully made of a material having adequate hydrophilicity, such as a meltblown nonwoven made of polyamide or polyester fibers, or alternatively of natural fibers.

[0043] For the functions named above, coalescing medium layer 3 need have only a relatively small thickness, which is smaller than the thickness of particle filter medium layer 2, or, as shown in the example, may even be significantly smaller than the thickness of particle filter medium layer 2, because particle filter medium layer 2 already performs part of the coalescing function for the water droplets. In the cooperation of particle filter medium layer 2 and coalescing medium layer 3 situated thereon, with regard to the effectiveness of the water separation a synergy effect occurs that goes significantly beyond the effectiveness that would be achieved given a configuration of an identical particle filter medium layer 2 and an identical thin coalescing medium layer 3 at a distance from one another.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows filter material body 4 of FIG. 1, situated symmetrically to longitudinal mid-axis 40, made of filter material 1, in longitudinal section. Radially inwardly, hollow cylindrical sieve 5, also situated symmetrical to longitudinal mid-axis 40, is visible in longitudinal section.

[0045] During operational use, fuel that is to be filtered flows through filter material body 4 in the radial direction from the outside to the inside. Here, solid dirt particles carried along in the fuel to be filtered are retained in the particle filter medium layer 2 that is external in FIG. 1. The water droplets also carried along in the fuel to be filtered are decelerated in their speed of movement inside particle filter medium layer 2, and are coalesced to form already larger water droplets, and are then transferred to coalescing medium layer 3, situated internally on particle filter medium layer 2. In coalescing medium layer 3, which has a matching hydrophilicity, the water droplets are coalesced to form drops of water that are large enough that their separation from the fuel through gravity and/or at sieve 5 becomes possible.

[0046] While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms comprise or comprising do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms a or one do not exclude a plural number, and the term or means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.