Abstract
Vehicles or machinery equipped with full flow spin-on, canister or reusable filters can benefit by including advanced or bypass grade parallel filtration. Incorporating advanced filtration is generally difficult due to impractical lubrication system access, cramped engine bays, and some installation solutions require engine modifications and hardware. An apparatus of the present invention provides advanced filtration when used inside well-known manufactured forms of spin-on, cartridge, or reusable filters. The unit installs as a complete unit, without modifications, or external hardware to any engine at the spin-on filter point of attachment, inside the canister housing, or inside a reusable filter form. The apparatus uses the structures of the normally provided filter to enable a bolt-on installation. The apparatus increases filtration efficiency, capacity, easier maintenance, while providing environmental benefits.
Claims
1) A hybrid filter element apparatus for providing full flow and advanced fine filtration, said apparatus comprising: an upper filter section, a lower filter section, said upper filter section and said lower filter section substantially shaped as a thick wall cylinder, said upper filter section having a closed top surface, an annular lower sealing surface, a cylindrical upstream full flow filter media surface, and a cylindrical downstream full flow media surface substantially defining an upper downstream tube, said lower filter section having an annular top sealing surface, an annular bottom sealing surface, a cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface, and a cylindrical downstream advanced filter media surface substantially defining a lower downstream tube, a restrictor plate with an orifice, said restrictor plate sealingly sandwiched between said upper filter section annular lower sealing surface and said lower filter section annular top sealing surface, said restrictor plate orifice hydraulically connecting said upper downstream tube with said lower downstream tube, wherein prior to operation a filter enclosure substantially shaped as a cylindrical cup fully sealingly enclosing said hybrid filter element apparatus and hydraulically connecting said cylindrical upstream full flow filter media surface and said cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface to a normally provided oil flow into said filter enclosure, said filter enclosure having an outlet, said filter enclosure outlet sealingly connected to said annular bottom sealing surface, and wherein operation a portion of said normally provided oil flow is made to flow across the upper filter section and through said upper downstream tube and through said restrictor plate orifice where a first differential pressure is generated between said cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface and said cylindrical downstream advanced filter media surface, said differential pressure biasing a second portion of said normally provided oil flow to be channeled by said lower downstream tube into said enclosure outlet, whereby full flow and advanced filtration are simultaneously achieved.
2) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said restrictor plate has a peripheral surface approaching said cylindrical cup internal wall thereby reducing an annular flow area to the normally provided oil flow thereby generating a second differential pressure.
3) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a third differential pressure is generated by increasing a diameter of said cylindrical upstream full flow filter media surface to diametrically approach said cylindrical cup internal wall thereby reducing a second annular flow area thereby generating a third differential pressure.
4) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a reduced diameter of said lower downstream tube offers increased opposition to oil flow thereby increasing differential pressure upstream of said lower filter section thereby generating a fourth differential pressure.
5) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a bypass valve is provided between said upper filter section closed top surface and said upper downstream tube.
6) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said filter enclosure is of a spin on filter form.
7) A hybrid filter element apparatus for providing full flow and advanced fine filtration, said apparatus comprising: an upper filter section, a lower filter section, said upper filter section and said lower filter section substantially shaped as a thick wall cylinder, said upper filter section having a closed top surface, an annular lower sealing surface, a cylindrical upstream full flow filter media surface, and a cylindrical downstream full flow media surface substantially defining an upper downstream tube, said lower filter section having an annular top sealing surface, an annular bottom sealing surface, a cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface, and a cylindrical downstream advanced filter media surface substantially defining a lower downstream tube, said lower filter section having an annular top sealing surface with an orifice restriction, said orifice restriction blocked by a flow restriction ball biased against a sealing area by a biasing spring, said orifice restriction hydraulically connecting said upper downstream tube with said lower downstream tube, wherein prior to operation a filter enclosure substantially shaped as a cylindrical cup fully sealingly enclosing said hybrid filter element apparatus and hydraulically connecting said cylindrical upstream full flow filter media surface and said cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface to a normally provided oil flow into said filter enclosure, said filter enclosure having an outlet, said filter enclosure outlet sealingly connected to said annular bottom sealing surface, and wherein operation a portion of said normally provided oil flow is made to flow across the upper filter section and through said upper downstream tube and through said orifice restriction, said differential pressure biasing a second portion of said normally provided oil flow to be channeled by said lower downstream tube and into said enclosure outlet, whereby full flow and advanced filtration are simultaneously achieved.
8) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a fifth differential pressure is generated by increasing a diameter of said cylindrical upstream full flow filter media surface with respect to a lower filter section diameter thereby creating a damn effect to said normally provided oil flow.
9) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said sixth differential pressure is variable and generated by increasing or decreasing said biasing force by said biasing spring against said flow restriction biasing ball.
10) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a bypass valve is provided between said upper filter section closed top surface and said upper downstream tube.
11) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said filter enclosure is of a reservoir cartridge form.
12) A hybrid filter element apparatus for providing full flow and advanced fine filtration, said apparatus comprising: an upper filter section, a lower filter section, said upper filter section and said lower filter section substantially shaped as a thick wall cylinder, said upper filter section having a closed top surface, an annular lower sealing surface, a cylindrical upstream full flow reusable cleanable metal mesh media surface, and a cylindrical downstream full flow reusable cleanable metal mesh media surface substantially defining an upper downstream tube, said lower filter section having an annular top sealing surface, an annular bottom sealing surface, a cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface, and a cylindrical downstream advanced filter media surface substantially defining a lower downstream tube, said lower downstream tube having a smaller diameter than said upper downstream tube, said lower filter section having said annular top sealing surface with an orifice, said annular top sealing surface sealingly disposed against said upper filter section annular lower sealing surface, said orifice closed by a variable differential pressure valve, said orifice hydraulically connecting said upper downstream tube with said lower downstream tube, wherein prior to operation a filter enclosure substantially shaped as a cylindrical cup fully sealingly encloses said hybrid filter element apparatus and hydraulically connecting said cylindrical upstream full flow reusable cleanable metal mesh filter media surface and said cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface to a portion of a normally provided oil flow into said filter enclosure, said filter enclosure having an outlet hydraulically connected to an engine or a hydraulic system, said filter enclosure outlet sealingly connected to said annular bottom sealing surface, and wherein operation a portion of said normally provided oil flow is made to flow first across said annular restriction, then flow across the upper filter section and through said upper downstream tube, through said biased adjustable valve ball and through said lower downstream tube where a differential pressure is generated between said cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface and said internal cylindrical downstream advanced filter media surface, said differential pressure biasing a second portion of said normally provided oil flow to be channeled by said lower downstream tube and into said enclosure outlet, whereby full flow and advanced filtration are simultaneously achieved.
13) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a bypass valve is provided between said upper filter section closed top surface and said upper downstream tube.
14) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein an adjusting screw is able to set a calibrated spring thereby generating a seventh differential pressure which is variable.
15) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said cylindrical cup internal wall is provided with a restriction lip closely surrounding said cylindrical upstream full flow reusable cleanable metal mesh filter media surface creating an annular restriction to said portion of a normally provided oil flow thereby generating an eighth differential pressure.
16) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a necked section is created inside said lower downstream tube to create a Venturi effect area thereby creating a ninth differential pressure.
17) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said filter enclosure is a typical cylindrical reusable filter envelope form.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] FIG. 1 Is a cross section showing the main components, structures, and hydraulic flows of the hybrid filter element apparatus inside a typical cylindrical filter envelope showing design features to achieve differential pressures.
[0035] FIG. 2 Is a cross section view A-A of FIG. 1 of the hybrid filter element showing key structures and relationships with the enclosure internal wall and design features needed to generate pressure differentials.
[0036] FIG. 3 Is a cross section showing the main components, structures, and hydraulic flows of the hybrid filter element inside a typical cylindrical filter envelope having the upper and lower filter as flow restrictions.
[0037] FIG. 4 Is a cross section view B-B of FIG. 3 of the hybrid filter element showing key structures and relationships with the enclosure internal wall and design features needed to generate pressure differentials.
[0038] FIG. 5 Is a cross section showing the main components, structures, and hydraulic flows of the hybrid filter element inside a typical cylindrical filter envelope having the upper filter as a flow restrictor, having a spring biased differential pressure generator.
[0039] FIG. 6 Is a cross section view C-C of FIG. 5 of the filter element application showing key structures and relationships with the enclosure internal wall and design features needed to generate pressure differentials.
[0040] FIG. 7 Is a cross section showing the main components, structures, and hydraulic flows of a reusable hybrid filter element inside a typical cylindrical reusable filter envelope having the upper filter as a reusable filter element and having a variable differential pressure feature.
[0041] FIG. 8 Is a bottom view of the filter of FIG. 7 showing key structures and relationships with the enclosure internal wall and having a variable differential feature.
[0042] FIG. 9 Is a cross section showing the main components, structures, and hydraulic flows of a typical spin on filter having the hybrid filter element inside a typical cylindrical structure filter envelope and having a Venturi effect zone.
[0043] FIG. 10 Is a cross section view E-E of FIG. 9 of the spin on style filter showing key structures and relationships with the enclosure internal wall and design features needed to generate the Venturi effect pressure differential.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0044] Referring to FIG. 1, it shows a hybrid filter element 1 nested inside a typical well-known structure a cylindrical filter form 2, the filter form defines a cylindrical wall 40 that together with a bottom plate 4 defines a sealed enclosure nesting the hybrid filter element 1. During use of the filter form 2, a normally provided oil flow 8 is introduced though a plurality of intake orifices 6, where the multiple oil flow 8 constitutes a total flow TF and it is represented by a hydraulic path (abchi), a secondary flow 10, and by a hydraulic path (abcd ghi), a full flow 14.
[0045] Still referring to FIG. 1, the hybrid filter element 1 is comprised by a lower filter section 22 made using a high efficiency advanced filtration media 30, an upper filter section 24 made using a regular full flow media 32, and a restrictor plate 16 having an orifice constriction 18. Placing the upper filter section 24 together with the lower filter section 22 produces a useless negligible flow across the advanced filtration media 30 because the full flow media 32 will offer the oil a path of least resistance essentially short circuiting the secondary flow 10 across the lower filter section 22 because of the relative high resistance to flow when compared to the upper filter section 24 having a low resistance to flow media.
[0046] Still referring to FIG. 1, flow across the lower filter section 22 is achieved by introducing differential pressure generators, such pressure differentials produced across a hydraulic point (c), and a hydraulic point (h). A first differential pressure DP1 is generated by introducing the restrictor plate 16 having the orifice constriction 18 between the upper filter section 24 and the lower filter section 22. A second differential pressure DP2 is generated by having a restrictor plate periphery 21 to increase in diametrical direction as to approach the cylindrical wall 40 thereby reducing an annular flow area 23. In a similar fashion, a third differential pressure DP3 is generated by increasing the diameter to a new increased diameter 24 of the upper filter section 24 to approach the cylindrical wall 40 thereby reducing an upper filter annular flow area 27 that alone or in combination with the second differential pressure DP2 would help promote oil flow across the lower filter section 22. Still referring to FIG. 1, a fourth differential pressure DP4 is generated by decreasing an inside diameter ID of the lower filter section 22 to a new internal diameter ID thereby decreasing the effective flow area through the lower filter section 22 and introducing additional viscous losses that jointly effect the fourth differential pressure DP4.
[0047] During use the total flow TF is split into two representative flows, the secondary flow 10, now enabled by said differential pressures alone or in combination, and the full flow 14 whereby the total flow TF is equal to a downstream total flow TF, which in turn is equal to the sum of the secondary flow 10 and the full flow 14 where the oil is purified by a ratio of (secondary flow 10)/(TF).
[0048] Still referring to FIG. 1, during certain operating conditions such as extremely low lubricant temperature, or clogging of the filter elements, a bypass valve 26 is provided to allow the total flow TF, or a portion of it, to flow through, for example, the bypass valve 26 well known architecture consisting of a biasing spring 25, pushing on a sealing ball 23 against a sealing surface SS, wherein during operation the valve opens at a predetermined differential pressure to avoid starving the engine of oil, a bypass oil flow 28 follows a bypass hydraulic path (abcdefg).
[0049] Now referring to FIG. 2, a cross section view A-A of FIG. 1 of the hybrid filter element showing key structures and relationships with the enclosure internal wall and design features needed to generate pressure differentials such as the increased radial positioning of the restrictor plate periphery 21, increasing from an original radius 16 to a new radius 16, that generates the reduced upper filter annular flow area 23, a new increased diameter 24 from an original diameter 24, the reduction of the inside diameter ID of the lower filter section 22 to the new internal diameter ID. It should be noted that by increasing the outside diameter of the upper filter section 24 and decreasing the internal diameter of the lower filter section 22 a collateral benefit is achieved while promoting the creation of differential pressures, that is the increase in the media available to promote a longer service interval for the filtering unit.
[0050] Now referring to FIG. 1, a flow limiting orifice 19 plurality, drilled around the periphery of a flow control tube FC, is provided to limit the amount of oil flowing through the lower filter section 22 as it is not designed to flow large oil volumes as the upper filter section 24, but a slow and reduced volume filtered according to the advanced filtration media 30 filtering efficiencies and specifications. The high efficiency advanced filtration media 30 requires a low pressure drop across it, less than 10 PSI, due to its construction and it is therefore more energy efficient than the traditional counterpart of traditional system requiring a high-pressure gradient to effect flow across it. In either case, the rating of said lower filter section 22 is desired to be within a range down to below one micron to 50 microns in cross-sectional area. It is also desirable to have said filter section 22 endowed with chemicals or/and additives that can be time released to lengthen the oil or hydraulic fluid service interval.
[0051] Now referring to FIG. 3, a cross section showing the main components, structures, and hydraulic flows of the hybrid filter element 1 inside a typical cylindrical filter envelope 2 having the upper filter section 24 and the lower filter section 22 as flow restrictors. The total flow TF is made to flow into the filter unit 2 though the plurality of intake orifices 6 and follows a hydraulic path (a b c h i), the secondary flow 10, and a hydraulic path (a b c d g h i), the full flow 14, combining at a hydraulic point h to form a hydraulic flow (h i), reconstituting the total flow TF into the downstream total flow TF. In this application the differential pressure DP3, due to the reduced upper filter annular flow area 27 and an annular dam effect area 48, generating a differential pressure DP5, plus the differential pressure DP4 due to a reduced diameter D of the lower filter section 22, a small diameter constriction 46 of an internal channel IC, promote the secondary flow 10 across the lower filter section 22 and the full flow 14 across the upper filter section 24. This application is also shown with the bypass valve 26, whose function has been well described previously, where upon bypass valve 26 activation a bypass flow (d e f g) is generated.
[0052] Referring now to FIG. 4, a partial cross section view B-B of FIG. 3 of the hybrid filter element showing key structures and relationships with the enclosure 2 and the wall 40 plus the design features needed to generate pressure differentials DP3 and DP4. The reduced upper filter annular flow area 27 is shown generated between the filter upper section 24 diameter and the wall 40, the annular dam effect area 48 is also shown, as well as the small diameter constriction 46 and an internal diameter 44 of the upper filter element 24.
[0053] It is clear to those skilled in the art that filter enclosure 2, wall 40, plate 4, are presented here as an architecture that surrounds the hybrid filter apparatus 1 and design features that promote the differential pressures essential for the apparatus 1 to be functional and useful, the enclosures are meant to be examples of applications of apparatus 1 in manufactured spin on oil filters, replacement cartridges for canister applications, and reusable filters where the filter elements can be replaced inside a reusable envelope.
[0054] Now referring to FIG. 5, a cross section showing the main components, structures, and hydraulic flows of the hybrid filter element inside the typical cylindrical filter envelope 40, represented by two lines for simplicity, having the upper filter section 24 as a flow restrictor, the differential pressure DP3, having a spring biased differential pressure generator 60, a differential pressure DP6, the annular dam effect area 48, the differential pressure DP5.
[0055] Still referring to FIG. 5, The total flow TF is made to flow into the filter unit 2 and follow a hydraulic path (j k 1), the secondary flow 10, and a hydraulic path (j km n), the full flow 14, combining at a hydraulic point (1) to reconstitute the total flow TF into the downstream total flow TF. In this application the differential pressure DP6, due to a sealing area SA acting as an orifice restriction SA is shown in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 5, the spring biased differential pressure generator 60 has a biasing spring 64, a flow outlet orifice 58, a flow restriction ball 62, continuously biased to seal against sealing area SA which contributes a part of the differential pressure DP6. The reduced upper filter annular flow area 27 and the annular dam effect area 48, generating the differential pressures DP3 and DP5 respectively. Depending on operating conditions during use it shows a ball position k, and a ball position j, the displacement distance is equated to a biasing force dictated by the well-known equation for a spring where the delta increase in force is given by K?(spring displacement) where position k is at a lower pressure than position j, the linear increase of differential pressure DP6 is dictated by that behavior. The differential pressures DP3, DP5, and DP6, and the sealing area SA acting as the orifice restriction 18, promote the secondary flow 10 across the lower filter section 22 and the full flow 14 across the upper filter section 24. This application is also shown with the bypass valve 26, whose function has been well described previously. The flow limiting orifice 19 plurality, drilled around the periphery of the flow control tube FC, is provided to limit the amount of oil flowing through the lower filter section 22 as it is not designed to flow large oil volumes as the upper filter section 24.
[0056] Now referring to FIG. 6, a cross section view C-C of FIG. 5 of the filter element application showing key structures and relationships with the enclosure wall 40 and design features needed to generate the pressure differentials DP3, DP5, DP6. It shows the enclosure wall 40, an upper filter section outside diameter 29, together defining the reduced upper filter annular flow area 27 and the annular dam effect area 48. Shown also is the orifice restriction SA, defined by the sealing area SA, the flow outlet orifice 58, yet another minor differential pressure contributor of DP6, and the spring biased differential pressure generator 60. The flow control tube FC and associated flow control orifices 19 are also shown.
[0057] Now referring to FIG. 7, a cross section showing the main components, structures, and hydraulic flows of a reusable hybrid filter element 24 inside a typical cylindrical reusable filter envelope 70 application having the upper filter section 24 as a reusable filter element and having a variable differential pressure valve 61, the valve 61 has an adjusting screw 63 which can bias a calibrated spring 5 pushing a valve ball 65 to increase or decrease a pressure differential DP7 in addition to an orifice restriction SA defined by the valve ball 65 sealing area. The filter envelope 70 is equipped with a restriction lip 90 that effectively reduces an annular flow area 91, a differential pressure DP8. Still referring to FIG. 7, the total flow TF is pressurized into the filter envelope 70, through the intake orifices 6, and follows a hydraulic flow (opqr), the secondary flow 10, and a hydraulic flow (opstqr), the full flow 14, secondary flow 10 and full flow 14 reconstitute the total flow TF at a hydraulic point (q) and exits envelope 70 as the downstream total flow TF at a hydraulic point (r). The flow limiting orifices 19, drilled around the periphery of the flow control tube FC, plurality is provided to limit the amount of oil flowing through the lower filter section 22 as it is not designed to flow large oil volumes as the upper filter section 24.
[0058] Still referring to FIG. 7, this reusable application shows the application versatility of the hybrid filter element 1 where during rebuilding the element, the upper filter section 24 is made with a reusable cleanable metal mesh media 92, and the lower filter element 22 is removed and replaced with a clean filter section for another service interval of use. Still referring to FIG. 7, it shows an adapter ring 82 having a set of adapter ring internal threads 88 and a set of adapter ring external threads 86. The set of internal threads are designed and changed to match a normally provided set of external threads 87 of a normally provided oil filter stud 89, the set of external threads match a set of sealing plate threads 84 in such a way that the envelope 70 is a universal fit to all applications requiring the adapter ring 82 to change according to the required set of threads 87.
[0059] Still referring to FIG. 7, it shows a sealing plate 76 having a seal pocket 78 and a bottom seal 80 whose function is to seal against the well-known normally provided sealing surface of a typical engine or hydraulic system. The sealing plate 76 is equipped with a set of external threads 77 that fully engage a set of internal threads 79 and in so doing the plate 76 seals against a sealing surface 22 of the lower filter section 22 while simultaneously sealing the filter envelope 70 by compressing a plate seal 72 against an envelope sealing protrusion 74 and simultaneously biasing a positioning spring 94 against the upper filter element 24. This application is also shown with the bypass valve 26, whose function has been well described previously, where upon bypass valve 26 activation a bypass flow (suvt) is generated.
[0060] Now referring to FIG. 8, a partial bottom view of the filter of FIG. 7 showing key structures and relationships with the filter enclosure 70, showing the plurality of intake orifices 6, the seal pocket 78, the sealing plate 76, the set of sealing plate threads 84 that match the set of adapter ring external threads 86, the adapter ring 82 showing the set of adapter ring internal threads 88, the variable differential pressure valve 61, and the flow limiting orifices 19 drilled around the periphery of flow control tube FC.
[0061] Now referring to FIG. 9, it shows a cross section showing the main components, structures, and hydraulic flows of a typical manufactured spin on oil filter having the hybrid filter element 1 enclosed by a typical cylindrical structure filter envelope 81 and having a Venturi effect zone V that promotes a differential pressure DP9 at hydraulic point (w), said Venturi effect zone V placed contiguous or adjacent or in close proximity to the flow limiting orifice 19 plurality. The Venturi effect zone V is created by providing a necked section 85 to the flow control tube FC. The total flow TF is pressurized during operation through the plurality of intake orifices 6 and establishes a hydraulic flow (o p q w x), the secondary flow 10, and a full flow path (o p qr's w x), a full flow 14, both reconstitute the total flow TF at a hydraulic point (w) and exits the filter envelope 81 as the downstream total flow TF. This application is also shown with the bypass valve 26, whose function has been well described previously, where upon bypass valve 26 activation a bypass flow (r t u's) is generated. This application uses the restrictor plate 16 having the orifice constriction 18 between the upper filter section 24 and the lower filter section 22, generating the differential pressure DP1. In addition, the upper filter element 24 provides, as the full flow media 32 loads with contaminant, yet another differential pressure contributor, a differential pressure DP10 that increases as the upper filter element loads and plugs up upon continued use by trapped contaminants. Still referring to FIG. 9, applicable to all the discussed applications, the overall length of the hybrid element is defined by an upper filter section length UFL plus a lower filter section length LFL, the proportions are a matter of design, but consideration must be given to the typical dirt distribution in engine oils. Research shows that more than 99% of contaminant particles are less than 20 microns in size, and most damaging particles are in the region of 2 to 10 microns. Therefore, the size of the upper element 24 can be reduced and the lower element 22 can trap most of the offending and damaging particles. As we reduce the size of the upper filter section 24 yet another differential pressure contributor emerges as the flow area is reduced.
[0062] Now referring to FIG. 10, it shows a cross section view E-E of FIG. 9 of the spin on style filter showing key structures and relationships with an enclosure wall 40 and design features needed to generate the Venturi effect zone V, the pressure differential DP9. In the same application of the adapter ring 82 of FIG. 7 having the set of external threads 87, the adapter ring 82 is applicable so that the spin on filter is manufactured using only one set of threads. This strategy allows for the filter to be a universal fit. It is also shown the flow control tube FC having the flow limiting orifice 19 plurality provided to limit the amount of oil flowing through the lower filter section 22.
[0063] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.
[0064] While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and will be pointed out in future claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated, and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
