FILTER SYSTEM FOR A FLUID, IN PARTICULAR OIL OR FUEL

Abstract

A filter system for a fluid has a cup-shaped filter housing provided with a support pipe which is aligned along a longitudinal axis of the filter housing and fixedly joined to the filter housing. A filter element is arranged around the support pipe. The support pipe is a fluid passage. The filter housing has a fluid passage at an open end thereof and is provided with a circumferentially extending seal element that seals relative to a connection flange when the filter housing is mounted as intended at the connection flange. The support pipe has a screw thread at an end facing away from the filter housing. The screw thread provides a screw connection to the connection flange. The support pipe has, arranged along a length extension of the support pipe, at least one outlet for fluid. The support pipe and the filter housing are formed together as one piece.

Claims

1. A filter system for a fluid, the filter system comprising: a filter housing having a cup shape and comprising a support pipe, wherein the support pipe is aligned along a longitudinal axis of the filter housing and fixedly joined to the filter housing; a filter element arranged around the support pipe; wherein the support pipe is configured as a fluid passage; wherein the filter housing comprises a fluid passage at an open end of the filter housing and further comprises a circumferentially extending seal element configured to seal in relation to a connection flange when the filter housing is mounted as intended at the connection flange; wherein the support pipe comprises a screw thread at an end of the support pipe facing away from the filter housing, wherein the screw thread is configured to provide a screw connection to the connection flange; wherein the support pipe comprises, arranged along a length extension of the support pipe, at least one outlet for a fluid: wherein the support pipe and the filter housing are formed together as one piece.

2. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the filter element comprises a filter medium body, a first end disk arranged at a first end face of the filter medium body, and a second end disk arranged at a second end face of the filter medium body, wherein at least one of the first and second end disks is configured to radially seal in relation to the support pipe.

3. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet of the support pipe extends at a slant in relation to the longitudinal axis in a direction toward the open end of the filter housing.

4. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the circumferentially extending seal element is configured to axially seal against the connection flange.

5. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the circumferentially extending seal element is a shaped seal arranged in a circumferentially extending groove of the filter housing.

6. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the filter housing comprises a tool receptacle at a closed end of the filter housing, wherein the tool receptacle is open outwardly in an axial direction along the longitudinal axis.

7. The filter system according to claim 6, wherein the tool receptacle is configured to receive a screwing tool.

8. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the filter housing comprises a tool receptacle at a closed end of the filter housing, wherein the tool receptacle is open outwardly in a radial direction in relation to the longitudinal axis.

9. The filter system according to claim 8, wherein the tool receptacle is configured to receive a spin-on filter release tool.

10. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the filter element is arranged exchangeably around the support pipe.

11. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the filter housing is comprised of plastic material.

12. The filter system according to claim 11, wherein the filter housing is an injection molded plastic part.

13. The filter system according to claim 11, wherein the filter housing is cone-shaped with a larger inner diameter facing toward the open end of the filter housing.

14. The filter system according to claim 11, wherein the filter housing comprises radial reinforcement ribs at a closed end of the filter housing.

15. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the filter housing is comprised of metal.

16. The filter system according to claim 15, wherein the filter housing is a die-cast metal part.

17. The filter system according to claim 15, wherein the filter housing is a die-cast aluminum part.

18. The filter system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid passage of the support pipe is a fluid outlet and wherein the fluid passage of the filter housing is a fluid inlet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] Further advantages result from the following drawing description. In the drawings, some non-limiting 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 consider the features expediently also individually and combine them to meaningful further combinations.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a filter system for a fluid, for example, oil or fuel, mounted at a connection flange, according to an embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an isometric section view of the filter system according to FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows an exploded illustration of the filter system with the connection flange according to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] 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.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a filter system 100 for a fluid, for example, oil or fuel, mounted at a connection flange 60 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 shows an isometric section view of the filter system 100 while in FIG. 3 an exploded illustration of the filter system 100 is illustrated.

[0031] The filter system 100 can be used, for example, as an oil or fuel filter in a combustion engine vehicle or an electrically operated vehicle.

[0032] The filter system 100 comprises a cup-shaped filter housing 10 with a support pipe 20, which is aligned along a longitudinal axis 80 and fixedly joined to the filter housing, and a filter element 40 arranged around the support pipe 20. The filter element 40 can be pushed onto the support pipe 20 and is exchangeable in this manner.

[0033] The support pipe 20 is configured as a fluid passage, for example, as a fluid outlet 14. An open end 18 of the filter housing 10 comprises also a fluid passage, for example, a fluid inlet 12, and a circumferentially extending seal element 30 arranged in a circumferentially extending groove 32.

[0034] The support pipe 20 comprises at its free end 38 facing away from the filter housing 10 a screw thread 22 for a screw connection to the connection flange 60. Furthermore, along a length extension of the support pipe 20, the support pipe 20 comprises a plurality of outlets 24 for fluid, for example, a filtered fluid. The support pipe 20 and the filter housing 10 may be formed together as one piece. The screw thread 22 must not be mandatorily configured as one piece together with the support pipe 20. For example, in case that the support pipe 20 is manufactured of plastic material, the screw thread 22 is carried by a separate component which is fixedly joined, for example, non-detachably, to the support pipe 20.

[0035] The filter element 40 comprises a filter medium body 42 which is closed at its end faces 44, 46 by end disks 48, 50. The end disks 48, 50 are configured to radially seal in relation to the support pipe 20 in this context. When the filter element 40 is mounted as intended on the support pipe 20, the end disks 48, 50 contact corresponding seal surfaces 34, 36 of the support pipe 20 and seal in this manner the filter element 40 in relation to the support pipe 20.

[0036] The filter system 100 may be screwed with the thread 22 of the support pipe 20 into a counter thread 66 of an opening 64 of the connection flange 60 which is configured as a fluid drain, for example. The circumferentially extending seal element 30 is pressed onto the connection surface of the connection flange 60 and seals in this way the filter housing 10 outwardly. In this context, the end face 39 of the filter housing 10 rests on the connection surface of the connection flange 60.

[0037] The seal element 30 is thus configured to axially seal in relation to the connection flange 60 and, for example, can be a shaped seal which is arranged in the circumferentially extending groove 32 of the filter housing 10.

[0038] The connection flange 60 comprises furthermore an opening 62 configured as a fluid inlet which, when the filter system 100 is screwed on, is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet 12 of the filter system 100. The fluid to be filtered flows through the fluid inlet 62 into the raw fluid region 52 and passes through the filter medium body 42 of the filter element 40. The filtered fluid flows through the outlets 24 of the support pipe 20 into the clean fluid region 54 in the interior of the support pipe 20 and exits then through the fluid outlet 14 into the fluid drain 64 of the connection flange 60.

[0039] The outlets 24 may extend at a slant in relation to the longitudinal axis 80 in the direction toward the open end 18 of the filter housing 10 so that the plastic housing 10, configured as one piece together with the support pipe 20, can be easily removed in an injection molding process. For this purpose, the filter housing 10 can also be configured beneficially in a cone shape with a larger inner diameter facing toward the open end 18, which represents an advantage for removal from the plastics injection molding process.

[0040] As an alternative, it is however also possible that the filter housing 10 may be embodied as metal, for example, as a die-cast part, for example, as a die-cast aluminum part.

[0041] In the isometric section view of the filter system 100 in FIG. 2, it can be seen that the filter housing 10 at its closed end 16 comprises radial reinforcement ribs 28. In this manner, the filter housing 10, which may be primarily a filter housing manufactured of plastic material, can be reinforced against a higher fluid pressure in order to keep its shape, for example, also at higher temperatures.

[0042] Also, it can be seen that the filter housing 10 at its closed end 16 comprises a tool receptacle 26, which is outwardly open in axial direction 80, for example, for a screwing tool. In this way, a reliable sealing action when screwing the filter housing 10 to the connection flange 60 can be achieved. Also, a seized filter housing 10 can be detached by means of the tool from the connection flange 60.

[0043] In the exploded illustration in FIG. 3, the sequence of assembly of the few components of the filter system 100 can be seen.

[0044] The filter housing 10 comprises the support pipe 20 which is configured as one piece together with the filter housing 10. The filter element 40 can be pushed onto the support pipe 20 in a simple manner and seals then with its end disks 48, 50 at the seal surfaces 34, 36 in relation to the support pipe 20. The shaped seal 30 is inserted into the circumferentially extending groove 32 at the open end 18 of the filter housing 10 and seals in this way in relation to the connection flange 60 when the filter system 100 is screwed to the connection flange 60 at the counter thread 66 of the opening 64.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0045] 10 filter housing [0046] 12 fluid inlet [0047] 14 fluid outlet [0048] 16 closed end [0049] 18 open end [0050] 20 support pipe [0051] 22 screw thread [0052] 24 outlet [0053] 26 tool receptacle (screwing contour) [0054] 28 reinforcement rib [0055] 30 seal element [0056] 32 groove [0057] 34 seal surface [0058] 36 seal surface [0059] 38 end [0060] 39 end face [0061] 40 filter element [0062] 42 filter medium body [0063] 44 end face [0064] 46 end face [0065] 48 end disk [0066] 50 end disk [0067] 52 raw fluid region [0068] 54 clean fluid region [0069] 60 connection flange [0070] 62 fluid inlet [0071] 64 fluid drain [0072] 66 counter thread [0073] 80 longitudinal axis [0074] 100 filter system