Extended gasket profile

Abstract

The invention relates to a filter element unit for an air filter of a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, including: a filter element, a filter medium; and a one-piece gasket. The gasket includes: a first part circumferentially surrounding the filter element and adapted to seal the filter element against a first channel of a filter housing of the air filter and a second part formed unitary with the first part and spaced away from the first part and spaced away from the filter medium, the second part is adapted to seal a second channel of the filter housing; wherein the first part and the second part are connected with each other via at least two bridges.

Claims

1. A filter element unit for an air filter of a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, comprising: a filter element, including a filter medium; and a one-piece gasket, including: a first circumferentially closed gasket part of the one-piece gasket, the first circumferentially closed gasket part circumferentially surrounding the filter element and adapted to seal the filter element against a first channel of a filter housing of the air filter; a second circumferentially closed gasket part of the one-piece gasket formed unitary with the first circumferentially closed gasket part and spaced apart from the first circumferentially closed gasket part and spaced apart from the filter medium, the second circumferentially closed gasket part adapted to seal a second channel of the filter housing; at least two bridges arranged between and spacing apart the first circumferentially closed gasket part and the second circumferentially closed gasket part, the at least two bridges connected at a first end to the first circumferentially closed gasket part, the at least two bridges connected at an opposite end to the second circumferentially closed gasket part; wherein the at least two bridges are spaced apart from each other.

2. The filter element unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least two bridges is three bridges.

3. The filter element unit according to claim 1, wherein the first circumferentially closed gasket part of the one-piece gasket has a substantially rectangular form.

4. The filter element unit according to claim 1, wherein the second circumferentially closed gasket part of the one-piece gasket has a substantially rectangular form.

5. The filter element unit according to claim 1, wherein the first circumferentially closed gasket part has a cavity formed therein; wherein a protrusion of the filter element is at least partially received into the cavity.

6. The filter element unit according to claim 1, wherein the first circumferentially closed gasket part and the second circumferentially closed gasket part of the one-piece gasket have different cross sections.

7. The filter element unit according to claim 1, wherein at least two bridges have a substantially rectangular cross section.

8. The filter element unit according to claim 1, wherein the first circumferentially closed gasket part and/or the second circumferentially closed gasket part of the one-piece gasket have a least one rib adapted for assembly of the one-piece gasket into the filter housing.

9. The filter element unit according to claim 1, wherein the first circumferentially closed gasket part and/or the second circumferentially closed gasket part of the one-piece gasket have at least two sealing protrusions adapted to seal with a channel of the filter housing in an axial direction.

10. The filter element unit according to claim 9, wherein the at least two sealing protrusions are spaced apart and project outwardly from a first side of the first circumferentially closed gasket part and/or the second circumferentially closed gasket part; wherein the first circumferentially closed gasket part and/or the second circumferentially closed gasket part further comprises a second set of at least two sealing protrusions, the second set of at least two sealing protrusions are spaced apart and project outwardly from a opposite side of the first circumferentially closed gasket part and/or the second circumferentially closed gasket part.

11. An air filter, comprising: a filter housing; a filter element received into an interior chamber of the filter housing, the filter element including: a filter medium; and a one-piece gasket, including: a first circumferentially closed gasket part of the one-piece gasket, the first circumferentially closed gasket part circumferentially surrounding the filter element and adapted to seal the filter element against a first channel of a filter housing of the air filter; a second circumferentially closed gasket part of the one-piece gasket formed unitary with the first circumferentially closed gasket part and spaced apart from the first circumferentially closed gasket part and spaced apart from the filter medium, the second circumferentially closed gasket part adapted to seal a second channel of the filter housing; at least two bridges arranged between and spacing apart the first circumferentially closed gasket part and the second circumferentially closed gasket part, the at least two bridges connected at a first end to the first circumferentially closed gasket part, the at least two bridges connected at an opposite end to the second circumferentially closed gasket part; wherein the at least two bridges are spaced apart from each other; wherein the filter element separates a dirty air side from a clean air side of the filter housing chamber in the first channel of the filter housing; wherein the second circumferentially closed gasket part of the one-piece gasket seals a second channel in the filter housing; wherein the second channel is in flow communication with an inlet or an outlet of the air filter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other advantages and features of the invention will be appreciated from the following description of embodiments with reference to the figures of the drawings, which show significant details and from the claims. The individual features may each be carried out individually or carried out together in any combination in variants of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first air filter in an exploded view.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a filter element unit of the first air filter according to FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a second air filter in an exploded view.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a gasket of the filter element unit according to FIG. 2.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a first cross section of the gasket according to FIG. 4 at the position A-A.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a second cross section of the gasket according to FIG. 4 at the position B-B.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a third cross section of the gasket according to FIG. 4 at the position C-C.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a fourth cross section of the gasket according to FIG. 4 at the position D-D.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) FIG. 1 shows a first air filter 10 with a filter housing 12. The filter housing 12 comprises an upper part 14 and a lower part 16. The expressions upper and lower thereby correspond to the direction of installation of the first air filter 10 in a vehicle (not shown). The upper part 14 can be connected to the lower part 16 via snap-fit connectors 18, 20. The first air filter 10 is usually installable on top of an internal combustion engine (not shown) of the vehicle. Hence, the first air filter 10 has a substantially flat, rectangular shape.

(11) The filter housing 12 has an inlet 22 and an outlet 24. The inlet 22 leads the air in a dirty air side 26. Afterwards the air passes through a filter element 28, enters a clean air side 30 and leaves the first air filter 10 via the outlet 24. Hence, the filter element 28, comprising a filter medium 32, is hit by the air in an upstream flow. In other words, the air flow is directed against the filter medium 32 from below. The upstream flow has the advantage that condensed water does not pollute the air in the clean air side 30.

(12) The filter element 28 is installed in a first channel 34 of the filter housing 12. The dirty air side 26 is part of a second channel 36 of the filter housing. First channel 34 and second channel 36 are both sealed by a gasket 38. In other words, the gasket 38 seals the first channel 34 and the second channel 36 between the lower part 16 and the upper part 14 of the filter housing 12.

(13) FIG. 2 shows a filter element unit 40, consisting of the filter element 28 and the gasket 38. The gasket 38 is made out of one piece. It has a first part 42, which is circumferentially closed and surrounding the filter element 28 and a second part 44 which is also circumferentially closed. First part 42 and second part 44 have a substantially rectangular form and are spaced apart from each other. They are connected with each other via three bridges 46, 48, 50 of the gasket 38. As shown, the three bridges 46, 48, 50 are also spaced apart from each other. Thus, the first part 42 can be designed individually of the second part 44 of the gasket 38.

(14) FIG. 3 shows a second air filter 52. It has a filter housing 54 with an upper part 56 and a lower part 58. The lower part 58 provides an inlet 60 and an outlet 62. In the filter housing 54, the filter element unit 40 (see also FIG. 2) is installed. The filter housing 54 has a first channel 64 and a second channel 66. In contrast to the first air filter 10 (see FIG. 1), in the second air filter 52 the second channel 66 leads to the outlet 62 instead of the first channel 34 (see FIG. 1). The second channel 66 can thus be used as a room to homogenize the air flow at the outlet 62. Velocity and other properties of such a homogenized air flow can be measured more precisely.

(15) FIG. 4 shows the gasket 38 (see also FIG. 2). The gasket 38 is preferably made of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber to achieve high elasticity as well as good chemical resistance. The gasket 38 can also be made out of polyurethane (PU) to achieve reproducible elasticity for a long time.

(16) FIG. 5 shows a first cross section of the gasket 38 at the position A-A (see FIG. 4). FIG. 5 hence shows a cross section of the first part 42 (see FIG. 2) of the gasket 38. In this first part 42, the gasket 38 has a cavity 68 to receive a surrounding protrusion (not shown) of the filter element 28 (see FIG. 2). In the first part 42, the gasket 38 furthermore has a first sealing protrusion 70 and a second sealing protrusion 72 for sealing the first channel 64 (see FIG. 3) in its axial direction, i.e. in the direction of the air flow through the first channel 64.

(17) FIG. 6 shows a second cross section of the gasket 38 at the position B-B (see FIG. 4). FIG. 6 hence shows a cross section of the second part 44 (see FIG. 2) of the gasket 38. In this second part 44, the gasket 38 has a first sealing protrusion 74, a second sealing protrusion 76, a third sealing protrusion 78 and a fourth sealing protrusion 80 for sealing the second channel 66 (see FIG. 3) in its axial direction, i.e. in the direction of the air flow through the second channel 66. As can be seen from FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the first part 42 (see FIG. 2) and the second part 44 (see FIG. 2) of the gasket 38 have different cross sections. The cross sections are optimized for the individual sealing requirements of both the first channel 34, 64 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 3) and the second channel 36, 66 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 3).

(18) FIG. 7 shows a third cross section of the gasket 38 at the position C-C (see FIG. 4). In contrast to the cross section at the position B-B (see FIG. 6), the gasket 38 has at the position C-C has two ribs 82, 84 for the smooth assembly of the gasket 38 into the filter housing 12, 54 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 3). The second part 44 (see FIG. 2) could as well completely have the cross section according to FIG. 6 or completely have the cross section according to FIG. 7.

(19) FIG. 8 shows a fourth cross section of the gasket 38 at the position D-D (see FIG. 4), i.e. FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the bridge 48 (see FIG. 2). The bridge 48as well as the other bridges 46 and 50 (see FIG. 2)has a substantially rectangular cross section. The bridges 46, 48 and 50 are thus easily removable from the mold.

(20) In conclusion, the invention relates to a filter element unit. The filter element unit can be used in an air filter of a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. The air filter has a filter housing with a lower part and an upper part. The filter element unit can be inserted between the lower part and the upper part. The filter element unit separates a dirty air side from a clean air side of the air filter. The filter element unit has a filter element and a gasket. A first part of the gasket surrounds the filter element. The first part has preferably a substantially rectangular shape. A second part of the gasket is connected with the first part via at least two, preferably three, bridges. First part and second part can thus be formed completely different from each other to satisfy different sealing requirements. However, even though the first part and the second part can be designed independently from each other, the gasket can still be installed at once into the filter housing, since the gasket consists of a single piece only.