Air filter for the interior air of cabins of vehicles, agricultural, construction, and work machines

Abstract

The invention relates to an interior air filter element (10) for a driver's cabin (302) of agricultural and work machines, particularly having sprinkling or spraying devices for pesticides or fertilizers including a filter body (12) having an adsorption filter region (50) and a fine filter region (80) particularly for separating aerosols, wherein the filter body 12 is designed as a winding body having at least one winding layer.

Claims

1. An interior air filter element of a driver's cabin of agricultural and working machines adapted to filter air having dust, and/or harmful gases and/or aerosols from spraying or sprinkling devices for pest control media or fertilizers, comprising: a wound filter body wound about an axis and having a hollow interior forming an axial flow channel, the wound filter body having: a plurality of adsorption filter layers wound about the axis forming the hollow interior, the plurality of adsorption filter layers including: at least one winding layer of an immobilized adsorber agent having activated carbon medium; at least one additional winding layer having at least one additional adsorber agent selected from the group consisting of: aluminum oxide, copper oxide, manganese oxide, and molecular sieves from the group consisting of MOFs, organo-clays, nanoclay(s), silica gel, silicon oxide, zeolites, and mixtures of these additional adsorber agents; wherein the winding layers of the plurality of adsorption filter layers include a carrier layer on which the adsorber agents are arranged; a HEPA fine filter layer for removal of aerosols, the HEPA fine filter layer arranged on and surrounding a radially outer side of the plurality of adsorption filter layers; a particle filter layer as a pre-filter, arranged on and surrounding a radially outer side of the HEPA fine filter layer for removal of particles before they reach the HEPA fine filter layer; wherein the particle filter layer is arranged upstream of the HEPA fine filter layer which is upstream of the plurality of adsorption filter layers; wherein the filter body is a wound body having at least one wound layer and surrounds a central flow area.

2. The interior air filter element according to claim 1, wherein a filter medium is provided as the fine filter region that is unfolded or folded in the shape of a zigzag and made of a glass fiber medium or a synthetic HEPA filter medium; wherein the filter medium is a glass fiber medium having one or two cover layers made of a spunbonded fabric.

3. The interior air filter element according to claim 2, wherein the filter medium is used as the prefilter in the particle filter is unfolded or folded in a zigzag pattern and made of cellulose, plastic foam, or a nonwoven.

4. The interior air filter element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of adsorption filter layers is a partially finished product including at least one carrier layer and at least one fixed adsorber layer having at least one adsorbent.

5. The interior air filter element according to claim 1, wherein the wound body is wound about and on a tube element that remains in the wound body as a support body.

6. The interior air filter element according to claim 3, wherein the filter medium of the plurality of adsorption filter layers and/or the HEPA fine filter layer is/are integrated into the wound body as a carrier layer or an additional layer arranged on carrier layer.

7. The interior air filter element according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of adsorption filter layers and/or the HEPA fine filter layer and/or the particle filter layer each forms a separate partial filter element.

8. The interior air filter element according to claim 1, further including seal ring for separating an unfiltered side from a filtered side of the filter element when installed in a filter housing.

9. The interior air filter element according to claim 8, wherein the seal ring is formed by a sealing profile made of any of: a polymer, a closed-pore foam applied by foaming, or a polyurethane foam.

10. The interior air filter element according to claim 1, wherein a hydrophobic activated carbon is used as the adsorbent.

11. The interior air filter element according to claim 1, wherein the filter body is configured and adapted to be flowed through exclusively in a radial direction.

12. The interior air filter element according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of adsorption filter layers, the HEPA fine filter layer and the particle filter layer are disposed resting directly one a top the other within the interior air filter element.

13. An interior air filter system for a driver's cabin of agricultural and working machines, including an interior air filter element according to claim 3; a housing into which the filter element is received; wherein the housing includes an air inlet and an air outlet in which the interior air filter element separates the inlet side from the outlet side in a sealing fashion.

14. A method for cleaning air contaminated with harmful gases and/or aerosols and/or solid particle dust in the supply air of agricultural or working machines, including: providing a filter element according to claim 1; supplying unfiltered air to an interior air filter element; removing of dusts made of solid particles from the unfiltered air by means of a prefilter region; removing toxic gases by means of an adsorption filter region; and removing aerosols by means of the fine filter region; wherein the fine filter region is a HEPA fine filter region.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The following are shown by way of example:

(2) FIG. 1 a longitudinal section of an interior air filter elements having a wound filter body according to a first embodiment with an additional, particularly pleated, filter layer placed around the wind;

(3) FIG. 2 a partial section of a top view of the interior air filter element according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 a longitudinal section of an interior air filter element having a wound filter body according to an additional embodiment with a wind disposed around a filter bellows;

(5) FIG. 4 a partial section of a top view of the interior air filter system according to FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 a longitudinal section of an interior air filter element having a wound filter body according to an additional embodiment with a fine filter layer integrated into the wind;

(7) FIG. 6 a partial section of a top view of the interior air filter system according to FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 the structure of a partially finished product with a carrier layer and fixed adsorber layer;

(9) FIG. 7a a layer of a fixed activated carbon pour on a carrier layer;

(10) FIG. 7b a first embodiment of a partially finished product of an adsorption filter layer formed of two layers according to FIG. 7a;

(11) FIG. 7c a second embodiment of a partially finished product formed of two layers according to FIG. 7a;

(12) FIG. 7d a partially finished product of an adsorption filter layer made of one layer according to FIG. 7a and a cover layer;

(13) FIG. 7e an adsorption filter layer made of two layers of a partially finished product according to FIG. 7d;

(14) FIG. 8 a longitudinal section of an interior air filter system having a wound filter body according to an additional embodiment;

(15) FIGS. 9-15 various sealing variants for a filter element;

(16) FIG. 16 a driver's cabin having an interior air filter system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(17) In the figures, identical or similar components are assigned the same reference characters. The figures show only examples and are not to be understood as limiting.

(18) In the following exemplary embodiments, activated carbon is used as an adsorbent by way of example. However, the use of other adsorbents is conceivable as well such as seal light, silica gels, metal oxides such as aluminum oxide, copper oxide, or manganese oxide, molecular sieves such as, for example, MOFs, organo-clays, nanoclay(s), or mixtures of adsorbents.

(19) FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the filter elements 10 in order to explain the invention. FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of the filter element 10 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention in the manner of a filter cartridge having an adsorption filter region 50. A wound partially finished product forms a wound body 20 as the adsorption filter region 50 around an axial channel 18, with the partially finished product including an immobilized absorber layer 104 with activated carbon as the filter medium 16. FIG. 2 shows a frontal view of a partially sectioned face side 24 of the filter element 10.

(20) The wound body is surrounded by an additional filter element that preferably comprises a fine filter element 70 and/or a particle filter element 80. An endplate 32, 34 is provided on each of the face ends 22, 24 that seal the wound body 20 and the fine filter element 70 and/or the particle filter element 80 on the face sides such that a medium 60 to be filtered is able to flow only through the wound layers of the wound body 20 and the surrounding additional filter element 70, 80. Here, the one, for example lower face end 32 is completely closed off and thus seals the channel 18 in the downward direction, while the axially opposite, for example, upper face end 34 has an opening 28 in its center through which the medium 60 can flow.

(21) The additional filter element is embodied, for example, with a pleated filter medium, with only a narrow region or section of the pleated filter medium being shown in FIG. 2 surrounding the wound body 20 of the adsorption filter region 50.

(22) A medium 60 to be filtered, for example, untreated air 62, arrives at the prefiltration side of the filter element 10 through the fine filter element 70 and/or particle filter element 80 into the wound body 20 of the filter body 12 and leaves the filter body 12 on its filtered side and exits as a filtered medium 60, for example, filtered air 64.

(23) FIGS. 3 and 4 show an inverse embodiment of a filter elements 10 as a sectional view and top view in which the wound body 20 with the adsorption filter region 50 surrounds the further filter element with the fine filter element 70 and/or the particle filter element 80.

(24) FIGS. 5 and 6 show a sectional view and top view of another embodiment of the filter element 10 in which the wound body 20 assumes the functions of the adsorption filter region 50 as well as those of a fine filter element 70 and a particle filter element 80. Here, the particle filter element 80 is preferably disposed on the inside. This is particularly advantageous for filter elements through which media flow from the inside outward. Thus, in the case of this flow direction, the particle filter element 80 is upstream of the fine filter element 70 and the adsorption filter region 80. In the case of a flow from the outside inward, it is correspondingly advantageous for the particle filter element 80 to be disposed on the outside.

(25) In order to produce a filter element, a partially finished product may be used in which, in addition to the immobilized absorber layer 104, a fine filter layer and a particle filter layer combined and wound to form a wound body 20. Here, the fine filter layer and/or the particle filter layer may be integrated into a carrier layer of the absorber layer 104 and/or into the covering layer covering said adsorber layer.

(26) This structure allows for a flexible flow direction of the medium 60 to be filtered, i.e., in a first operating mode of the filter element 10, the medium to be filtered is able to enter via the channel 18 into the filter body 12, i.e., the wound body 20, and exit through the outer jacket of the wound body 20 and, in another operating mode, in the opposite flow direction.

(27) FIG. 7 illustrates a principal structure of a partially finished product with a layer 100 having a fixed pour of adsorbent particles, including a carrier layer 102, a cover layer 103, and an adsorber layer 104, for example, in the form of a poured layer, with immobilized adsorbent particles. Such a partially finished product may be used for the production of a wound body of the filter element.

(28) FIGS. 7a-7e show additional possible structures of an adsorption filter layer for a filter element according to the invention. FIG. 7a shows a layer 100 of a fixed pour of activated carbon particles, including a carrier layer 101 and a pour layer 102 with activated carbon particles.

(29) Two of these layers may be combined in various ways to form partially finished products, which may constitute an adsorption filter layer as a single layer or as multiple layers. In the embodiment according to FIG. 7b, two such layers 100 are disposed one a top the other in such a way that the respective pour layers 102 rest one atop the other, forming a partially finished product limited on both sides by the carrier layers 101. A plurality of these partially finished products may be stacked one atop the other in order to form a full adsorption filter layer.

(30) In the embodiment according to FIG. 7c, two such layers 100 are disposed one atop the other in the same orientation; however, a greater number of such layers 100 may also be disposed one atop the other in this manner. In order to form a closed adsorption filter layer, a cover layer 103 may be applied to the pour layer 102.

(31) FIG. 7d shows an embodiment of a partially finished product 110 with a layer 102 of a fixed pour of activated carbon particles that are applied to a carrier layer 101 and covered by a cover layer 103. The partially finished product 110 may form a full adsorption filter in a single layer or, as shown in FIG. 7e, in a two-layer or multilayer arrangement of partially finished products 110 resting one atop the other.

(32) The pour layers 102 are connected in the embodiments by means of fine nets of adhesive thread to the respective carrier and cover layers; however, other connection methods may also be selected.

(33) The carrier layer 102 may at least partially provide the function of a particle filter element and, optionally, also that of the fine filter element.

(34) The respective partially finished product is wound on an inner core with a suitable diameter, for example, 30 mm to 60 mm in diameter, to form a wound body (round element). During the winding process, sealing occurs on both lateral ends of the carrier layers 101 and additional layers. This may occur, for example, via an adhesive, foam, Thermoplast, or clamp or in a welding or dosing process or a combination thereof. The sealing of the axial cut edges of the last layer also occurs using the options listed above. The end region is fixed (a few millimeters, preferably approximately 5 mm up to several centimeters) by adhesion to the layer located therebelow by means of the seal and/or by means of additional fixing elements such as adhesive, adhesive nets, adhesive lattices, rubbers, cylindrical air-permeable element(s) (lattice, filter material, or porous full material), clamps, or fibers, wires, etc. placed in the layer which are then wound completely around the entire wind in their extension at least once and fixed to the layer located therebelow (filter layer or fiber/wire layer), for example, by welding, adhesion, sewing.

(35) In order to prevent medium from flowing around the adsorber layer 104 and thus to prevent leakage, the wound layers should be additionally sealed in the edge region of the wound body. This sealing may occur by means of a subsequent thermoplastic deformation (for example, melting by means of ultrasound, the reflectors, infrared radiation, heated air with subsequent deformation via pressing) of the sealing element and/or with the use, for example, of hot melt adhesives directly during the winding process if the subsequent layer is wound on to the previous layer and the adhesive is still sufficiently fluid in the edge region of the layers that it can bond in a sealing fashion with the adhesive of the previous layer.

(36) The structure of the activated carbon layers may comprise the following variants: (a) carrier layer 102 (for example, simple spunbond fabric)-adsorber layer 104-carrier layer 102 (b) carrier layer 102-adsorber layer 104-particle nonwoven (for example, nonwoven provided with meltblown) (c) particle nonwoven-adsorber layer 104-particle nonwoven (d) carrier layer 102-adsorber layer 104-particle nonwoven-adsorber layer 104-carrier layer 102 (e) carrier layer 102-adsorber layer 104-particle nonwoven

(37) The particle nonwoven may be made of cellulose or synthetic material.

(38) An additional option lies in at least two adsorbents being applied one behind the other in the wound layer and thus a different adsorbent being located in the internal region of the wind (for example, over three layers) than in the outer region. Here, it is not necessary for the adsorbents to be applied to the same and/or on a single piece of carrier layer and/or cover layer.

(39) For the removal of particles, a particle removal media may optionally be applied to the jacket surface of the wound body in the form of a flat layer and/or in a folded embodiment, that optionally is provided with the same or one of the above described options for face-side sealing or may be disposed as a separate insertable or slidable element.

(40) In the folded embodiment, the face side may also be sealed via a sideband, a film, or a curing adhesive layer.

(41) In the core of the wound body, a particle/aerosol removal element may be integrated that either is attached directly before the exit of the material to be filtered or represents the innermost layer of the wound body. Here, the particle/aerosol remover may be attached as a separate element or as an integrated variant, with the integrated variant being a special material or optionally the carrier layer 102 being used as a particle layer. In the variant directly before the exit of the medium to be filtered, the particle filter may be connected to the connector element as one piece (welding) or in multiple pieces (adhesive/clamping/pressing [for example, open-pored foam]).

(42) The realization of the connection geometry on the wound body occurs, for example, via a support element that extends from a face side into the wound body and is connected to the face-side seal of the wound body in an airtight fashion. Depending upon the protrusion depth of the support into the wound body, it is logical with regards to stability for a contact surface to be formed on the support on which is the face side of the wound body rests. Depending on the design of the support, a protrusion by the support into the wound body can be completely omitted if a sufficiently firm connection of the face side seal to the support can be achieved by means of, for example, adhesion connection/adhesive force (adhesion/cohesion). Optionally, a corresponding support element may also be applied on both faces, in which case the second support element need not necessarily have the same dimensions as the first support element. The support element may have a pine tree profile or a comparable insertion geometry for additional contact as well as a bayonet seal or a screw thread with an axial or radial seal. The use of a quick coupling is possible here as well, in which case the supports either represent the quick coupling or contain or even represent the tube piece/pipe piece that is inserted into such a coupling.

(43) However, the support element may also comprise additional exit supports. Moreover, the exit supports may be provided with a geometry (for example, an exterior hexagon) that allows a conventional tool to print deuce a secure connection/screw connection to the air supply to the cabin. Here, the exit supports may be made of plastic or metal.

(44) As an additional option, the exit supports may also be attached to the wound body in such a form that the supports are directly cast on the wound body with a casting compound. Here, the sealing and attachment of the face side occurs by means of the casting compound which, after hardening, may be comparably as solid as a conventional Thermoplast such as polypropylene or polyamide.

(45) Moreover, a course dust matte may be provided for particle filtration instead of a folded particle filter or slid on in addition over the particle filter. The course dust matte may be embodied as a foam or nonwoven mat. The particle filter element can thus be changed independently of the wound body.

(46) For the structure of adsorber layers and filter arrangements, adsorber layers may be optimized with regard to material selection (activated carbon varieties, zeolites, silica gels, metal oxides such as aluminum, copper or manganese oxide, molecular sieves such as, for example, MOFs) and surface weight in order to realize a targeted adaptation to the adsorption task.

(47) The filter element 10 described above in various embodiments may be used as a housing-free filter system, with a connection means being connectable to the open end face for the medium to pass through to which the filter system may be connected via a media line or the like. It is also conceivable for two or more filter elements 10 or filter systems to be disposed geometrically in a series, which would correspond to a parallel connection with regard to flow.

(48) FIG. 8 shows a structure of the filter system 200 having a filter housing 202 in which a filter element 10 with an adsorption filter region 50 in the form of a wound body 20 is disposed. The medium 60 to be filtered, for example, untreated air 62, travels inside through an intake support 206 in the jacket surface of the housing 202.

(49) The filter element 10 is embedded with its lower face side 22 in a closed end plate 32 and with its upper face side 24 in an end plate 34 having a central opening 28 into which a connector support 212 protrudes with a collar 214. The end plate 34 surrounds the caller 214 at its opening 28 in a sealing fashion such that the filtered side of the filter element 10 is separated from the unfiltered side in a sealed fashion.

(50) The filter elements 10 may be removed from the housing 202 in that its cover is opened on the housing base 204. By closing the cover, the filter element 10 axially spans between the housing base 204 and the upper housing region 206.

(51) On the housing side opposite the housing base 204, fastening means 208, for example screws, are disposed in the upper housing region 206 by means of which the filter housing 202 may be securely attached to an installation location.

(52) Between the filter housing 202 in the filter body 12 is an open space 210 through which a medium 60 to be filtered, for example unfiltered air 62, flows to the filter element 10. After flowing through the filter element 10, the filtered medium 60, for example, filtered air 64, flows into the channel 18 closed on one side and subsequently via a housing support 212 out of the filter system 200.

(53) FIGS. 9 to 16 show variants of sealing options between the unfiltered side and the filtered side of the filter element.

(54) FIG. 9 shows a sealing profile of an end plate 34 with a projection 220 director outward, with its sealing surface being disposed radially inward. This allows a radial seal on the inner diameter of the projection 220 and a sealed region outside of the filter element 10.

(55) Alternately were additionally, the projection 220 may also comprise a collar 222 projecting into the channel 18 of the filter element 10 that allows a radial seal on the inner diameter of the filter element 10 and thus allows a sealed region inside the filter element 10.

(56) FIG. 10 shows two alternatives of sealing surfaces that allow for a radial seal. Here, via a sealing surface 230 directed radially inward or a sealing surface 231 directed radially outward on the end plate 34, a seal against a corresponding surface of a housing or connector means (not shown) is allowed. The sealing surfaces 230, 231 may be formed on a circulating edge on the end plate 34 that extends away from the filter element 10 in an axial direction.

(57) Alternatively or additionally, a collar 231 may be placed on the end plate 34 as a sealing profile that extends in the direction of the filter element 10 and covers its upper edge, which allows a radial seal on the outer diameter of the filter element 10.

(58) FIG. 11 shows a variant of a sealing profile 240 with a key-and-lock profile in which two sealing lips running around the end plate 34 are provided that extend axially away from the filter element 10. A counter element (not shown) with a complementary omega profile may engage in a sealing fashion between the two sealing lips such that the filter element 10 is radially sealed.

(59) FIG. 12 shows a radially acting seal. The end plate 34 is preferably made of a castable material such as polyurethane, for example, polyurethane foam, and connected in a fixed fashion to a face of the wound filter element 10. The endplate comprises a sealing profile 250 on its outer circumference that comprises a groove running parallel to the middle axis of the filter element having one or preferably two annular, radially acting sealing surfaces in which a housing-side bar or a housing-side edge is able to engage that may be brought into contact with the sealing surfaces in a sealing fashion. The sealing profile 250 may preferably surround the edge of the filter element 10 in a sealing fashion. A corresponding filter housing may engage with a collar in a sealing fashion between the sealing lips and be fixed in a sealing fashion with a cover or the like. Here, it is preferable for the sealing profile 250 to be radially supported by another housing part, for example, by a housing cover, preferably in such a way that the sealing effect on the sealing surfaces is guaranteed.

(60) FIG. 13 shows a filter element 10 having a support 256 with a thread or a bayonet closure that extends axially away from the filter element 10. The support 256 may be placed on a central tube that is disposed in the channel 18 (not shown) or on the endplate 34.

(61) In a first variant, an axial seal may be achieved by a sealing ring 252 running around the support 256 (shown in the upper half of the image). In another variant, which is shown in the lower half of the image, a circulating sealing ring 254 may be disposed in a groove on the outside of the support 256, thus achieving a radial seal. The seal 252, 254 may, for example, be an O-ring, a flat seal, or a 2K seal.

(62) FIG. 14 shows a variant in which the filter element 10 is wound on a winding core 260. The winding core 260 comprises a recess for a separate or injected seal (not shown). This seal may be embodied as a radial and/or axial seal. The filter element 10 remains on the winding core 260, which forms a central tube in the filter element 10 and may be embodied with an open or closed base.

(63) FIG. 15 shows a variant in which a radial seal occurs via the endplate 34 that extends on its inner diameter with a lip 36 into the opening 28. The seal, for example, a nonwoven ring, is a component of the endplate 34.

(64) FIG. 16 shows a driver's cabin 300 of an agricultural vehicle having an interior air filter system 200. Fresh air 62 is suctioned into the interior air filter system 200 by means of a ventilator 316 through an inlet 312 and arrives in a climate controlled device 314 via the interior air filter system. The climate control and filtered air arrives into the interior via outlets 318 in 320 and is partially circulated by means of a circulation unit 322.

(65) In addition to a flow from outside to the inside, as shown in the exemplary embodiments above, an interior air filter element according to the invention may naturally also be flowed through in a reverse direction, i.e., from inside to outside.