AN AIR FILTER FRONT END PLATE, AN AIR FILTER CARTRIDGE AND AN AIR FILTER ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

An air filter front end plate (1) configured to close off a front end (102) of a hollow air filter media pack (101), the front end plate comprises a bowl part (2) and a flange part (3) located along a periphery (4) of the bowl part (2), said bowl part including a connection point (5) located at the centre of the bowl part and being configured to be connected to a front end (132) of a mounting stand (131) in an air filter arrangement, the bowl part (2) extending from a forward end (21) toward a rearward end (22) of the air filter front end plate and is configured to be at least partially inserted into a front end opening (102) of the hollow air filter media pack (101), and wherein the bowl part (2) has a recurved shape with a first curved portion (7) located closer to said forward end (21) and a second curved portion (8) located closer to said rearward end (22), wherein said first curved portion (7) has a convex shape in relation to a centre line through the air filter front end plate and said second curved portion (8) has a concave shape in relation to said centre line, whereby the connection point (5) is located in a position forward of the second curved portion (8). The disclosure further relates to a pressure indicator washer, a pressure indicator assembly, a front end plate, an air filter cartridge (110) and an air filter arrangement (200).

Claims

1. An air filter front end plate configured to close off a front end of a hollow air filter media pack, the front end plate comprises a bowl part and a flange part located along a periphery of the bowl part, said bowl part including a connection point located at the center of the bowl part and being configured to be connected to a front end of a mounting stand in an air filter arrangement, wherein the bowl part extends from a forward end toward a rearward end of the air filter front end plate and is configured to be at least partially inserted into a front end opening of the hollow air filter media pack, and wherein the bowl part has a recurved shape with a first curved portion located closer to said forward end and a second curved portion located closer to said rearward end, wherein said first curved portion has a convex shape in relation to a center line through the air filter front end plate and said second curved portion has a concave shape in relation to said center line, whereby the connection point is located in a position forward of the second curved portion.

2. The air filter front end plate of claim 1, wherein the second curved portion of the bowl part is configured to form a recess on a rearward side of the air filter front end plate, said recess being adapted to receive a connecting member attached to the mounting stand.

3. The air filter front end plate of claim 1, wherein the connection point comprises an aperture and a connection arrangement is located on a forward side of the bowl part, said connection arrangement comprising a resilient compression element and a pressure cap, the resilient compression element being arranged between the bowl part and the pressure cap.

4. The air filter front end plate of claim 3, wherein the resilient compression element includes two or more protruding portions extending in a forward direction from a base portion.

5. The air filter front end plate of claim 3, wherein the resilient compression element has a central opening configured to receive a connection member to be inserted through the aperture in the bowl part.

6. The air filter front end plate of claim 3, wherein the resilient compression element is an integral one piece element, made of resilient polymeric material.

7. The air filter front end plate of claim 3, wherein the resilient compression element configured to interlock with an edge of the aperture to be attached to the bowl part, and is obtained by co-injection molding.

8. The air filter front end plate of claim 3, wherein the pressure cap has a central opening configured to receive a connection member.

9. The air filter front end plate of claim 3, wherein the pressure cap comprises one or more indicator tabs configured to be pushed in a forward direction by the compression element when a pressure applied on the pressure cap and the compression element has reached a predetermined pressure limit.

10. The air filter front end plate of claim 1, wherein the bowl part includes a ramp portion adjacent to the flange part, said ramp portion being configured to be inserted into the front end opening and to fit into a front end opening of an air filter media supporting cage arranged on an interior side of the hollow air filter media pack.

11. The air filter front end plate of claim 1, wherein the flange part includes an air filter media retaining recess configured to receive the front end of the hollow air filter media pack.

12. An air filter cartridge comprising the air filter front end plate of claim 1, an air filter media supporting cage, a hollow air filter media pack, and a rear end plate, wherein the air filter media supporting cage is arranged on an interior side of the hollow air filter media pack and the air filter front end plate is inserted into a front end opening of the air filter media supporting cage and into the front end opening of the air filter media pack.

13. An air filter arrangement comprising the air filter cartridge of claim 12, a mounting stand, and an air filter base plate comprising an air flow opening, wherein the filter cartridge is fastened to the mounting stand and the rear end plate is directed toward the base plate, and wherein a front end of the mounting stand is connected to the air filter front end plate of the filter cartridge at the connection point.

14. The air filter arrangement of claim 13, wherein a second filter cartridge with an open front end plate is arranged between the air filter cartridge and the base plate.

15. The air filter arrangement of claim 13, wherein the mounting stand is a tripod.

16. A pressure indicator washer comprising a main portion having a central opening configured to receive a connection rod of a mounting stand, said main portion having a front side and a rear side, said indicator washer further comprising at least one indicator tab provided in said main portion, said indicator tab including a contact portion protruding from the rear side of said main portion.

17. The pressure indicator washer of claim 16, wherein said indicator tab is configured to be pushed out from the front side of the main portion when a pressure applied on a rear side of the contact portion has reached a predetermined pressure limit.

18. The pressure indicator washer of claim 16, wherein the indicator tab comprises a weakened outline part, said weakened outline part being a perforation line with intermediate bridges or a weakening line.

19. The pressure indicator washer of claim 18, wherein the tab is connected to the pressure washer by a hinge portion.

20. The pressure indicator washer of claim 16, wherein protruding contact portion and a weakened outline part of the indicator tab are made of different materials.

21. The pressure indicator washer of claim 16, further comprising a contact area located on the front side of the main portion, said contact area surrounding the central opening and being configured to receive a force applied by a fastening element being attached to a connection rod when mounted, said fastening element preferably being a nut threaded onto the connection rod when mounted.

22. The pressure indicator washer of claim 16, comprising a plurality of pressure indicator tabs.

23. A pressure indicator assembly comprising the pressure indicator washer of claim 16 and a compression element having a central opening and at least one protruding element, said central opening of the compression element and said central opening of the pressure indicator washer being configured to receive a connection rod, wherein the pressure indicator washer is configured to be positioned onto the compression element such that the central opening of the pressure indicator washer coincides with the a central opening of the compression element when assembled, and the at least one protruding element is directed toward the rear side of the pressure indicator washer, and wherein the indicator tab of the pressure indicator washer has a position which is aligned with the position of the at least one protruding element of the compression element.

24. The pressure indicator assembly of claim 23, wherein the compression element is a resilient compression element.

25. The pressure indicator assembly of claim 23, further comprising a base plate adapted to be positioned on a rear side of the compression element opposite to the pressure indicator washer, said base plate having a central opening and having a circumferential flange adapted to engage with the compression element when assembled.

26. The pressure indicator assembly of claim 23, wherein the pressure indicator washer comprises a circumferential flange adapted to engage with the compression element when assembled.

27. An air filter front end plate configured to close off a front end of a hollow air filter media pack, the front end plate comprises a center part and a flange part located along a periphery of the center part, said center part including a connection point located at the center thereof and being configured to be connected to a front end of a mounting stand in an air filter arrangement, wherein a pressure indicator washer of claim 16 is arranged at the a connection point.

28. The air filter front end plate of claim 27, wherein the pressure indicator washer is comprised in a pressure indicator assembly according to claim 23.

29. An air filter cartridge comprising an air filter front end plate according to claim 27, and a hollow air filter media pack, and a rear end plate.

30. An air filter arrangement comprising an air filter cartridge according to claim 29, a mounting stand, and an air filter base plate comprising an air flow opening, wherein the filter cartridge is fastened to the mounting stand and the rear end plate is directed toward the base plate, and wherein a front end of the mounting stand is connected to the air filter front end plate of the filter cartridge at a connection point, such that the connection rod is inserted through the central opening of the pressure indicator washer and a fastening element is tightened with respect to the connection rod, wherein the indicator tab is adapted to be pushed out from the front side of the main portion of the pressure indicator washer when a pressure applied on a rear side of the contact portion of the washer has reached a predetermined pressure limit.

31. The air filter arrangement of claim 30, wherein a second air filter cartridge is arranged between the air filter cartridge and the air filter base plate.

32. The air filter arrangement of claim 30, wherein the connection rod is a part of a mounting stand, said mounting stand preferably being a tripod.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] The above objects, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of example embodiments of the present disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a front end plate according to the present disclosure and also shows the connection member 135 and nut 19 belonging to the mounting stand;

[0059] FIGS. 2a and 2b shows cross-sectional views of the front end plate and connection member in FIG. 1, with enlargement view of the indicator tab in the initial first position (FIG. 2a) and the popped second position (FIG. 2b);

[0060] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of an air filter arrangement including two filter cartridges on top of each other, where the top cartridge includes a front end plate according to the present disclosure.

[0061] FIG. 4 shows a top view of a pressure indicator washer according to the present disclosure;

[0062] FIG. 5 shows a detail of FIG. 4;

[0063] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of the pressure indicator washer of FIG. 4;

[0064] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of the pressure indicator washer where the indicator tab has popped;

[0065] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of a pressure indicator assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0066] FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of a front end plate according to the present disclosure;

[0067] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a compression element seen from the rear side;

[0068] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a compression element seen from the front side.

Example Embodiments

[0069] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred example embodiments of the disclosure are shown. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in other forms and should not be construed as limited to the herein disclosed embodiments. The disclosed embodiments are provided to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to the skilled person.

[0070] FIG. 1 shows a front end plate according to an example embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 illustrates how the front end plate can be attached to a mounting stand in an air filter arrangement. The air filter front end plate 1 is configured to close off a front end 102 of a hollow air filter media pack 101 (FIG. 3). The front end plate comprises a bowl part 2 and a flange part 3 located along a periphery 4 of the bowl part 2. The bowl part includes a connection point 5 located at the centre of the bowl part, and is configured to be connected to a front end 132 of the mounting stand 131 in an air filter arrangement 200. The bowl part 2 extends from a forward end 21 toward a rearward end 22 of the air filter front end plate and is configured to be at least partially inserted into a front end opening 102 of the hollow air filter media pack 101, and wherein the bowl part 2 has a recurved shape with a first curved portion 7 located closer to the forward end 21 and a second curved portion 8 located closer to the rearward end 22, wherein the first curved portion 7 has a convex shape in relation to a centre line through the air filter front end plate and the second curved portion 8 has a concave shape in relation to the centre line, whereby the connection point 5 is located in a position forward of the second curved portion 8. The second curved portion 8 of the bowl part 2 forms a recess 9 on the rearward side 23 of the air filter front end plate, which is adapted to receive the connecting member 135 that is attached to the mounting stand 131 (FIG. 3).

[0071] The connection point 5 comprises an aperture 11 and a connection arrangement located on the forward side 24 of the bowl part 2. The connection arrangement comprises a pressure cap 13 and a resilient compression element 12 arranged between the bowl part 2 and the pressure cap 13. The resilient compression element 12 is an integral one piece element, preferably made of resilient polymeric material, and interlocks with the edge 14 of the aperture 11 to be attached to the bowl part. The bowl part and the resilient compression element are preferably co-injection molded.

[0072] Two or more protruding portions 17 extend in a forward direction from the base portion 18 of the resilient compression element 12, which also has a central opening 15 for receiving a connection member in the form of a connection rod 135. The pressure cap 13 also has a central opening 16 for receiving the connection rod 135. The pressure cap 13 is provided with one or more indicator tabs 26, which are configured to be pushed in a forward direction by the compression element 12 when a pressure applied on the pressure cap 13 and the compression element 12 has reached a predetermined pressure limit. FIG. 2a the indicator tab in the initial position and FIG. 2b shows it the subsequent popped position;

[0073] The bowl part 2 includes a ramp portion 10 adjacent to the flange part 3, which is configured to be inserted into the front end opening 102 of the of the filter media pack and to fit into the front end opening 104 of the air filter media supporting cage 103, which is arranged inside the filter media pack 101. The flange part 3 includes an air filter media retaining recess 25 configured to receive the front end of the hollow air filter media pack 101.

[0074] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of an air filter arrangement including two filter cartridges 110 and 111 on top of each other, and illustrates an example of how the filter cartridge 110 can be mounted in an air filter arrangement. The air filter arrangement is preferably a pulse filter arrangement. The supporting cage is arranged inside the hollow filter media pack 101, and a front end panel 23 closes the hollow air filter media at the front end 104 thereof. A mounting stand 131 in the form of a tripod is attached over an air passage opening 133 in a base plate 134. The two cartridges 110,111 are placed over the tripod with the rear cartridge 111 closest to the opening 133, and its rear end plate 113 in abutment with the surface of the base plate 134. The front cartridge 110 is positioned so that its rear end plate 105 is in contact with the front end plate 112 of the rear cartridge 111. A connection member in the form of a connection rod 135 at the front end 132 of the tripod is inserted through the front end plate of the front cartridge and fastened by mean of for example a nut 19 (shown in FIG. 1). Other ways of mounting the air filter cartridges can be contemplated. In FIG. 3, the illustrated front end plate has the configuration of the front end plate illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2a and 2b. However, an air filter arrangement including a substantially flat front end plate would include the same components, apart from the bowl shape of the front end plate.

[0075] FIGS. 4-7 illustrate a pressure indicator washer according to the present disclosure. The pressure indicator washer 13 comprises a main portion 33 having a front side 31 and a rear side 32, and a central opening 45 configured to receive a connection rod 135 of a mounting stand (as illustrated in FIG. 3). An indicator tab 26 is provided in the washer including a contact portion 41 protruding from the rear side of the main portion. The indicator tab 26 is configured to be pushed out from the front side of the main portion as illustrated in FIG. 7, when a pressure applied on a rear side 34 of the contact portion 41 has reached a predetermined pressure limit.

[0076] FIGS. 4 and 5 show how the indicator tab 26 comprises a weakened outline part 35, in the form of a perforation line with intermediate bridges 39. The indicator tab 26 is connected to the pressure washer by a hinge portion 40. A contact area 38 is located on the front side 31 of the main portion 33, and surrounds the central opening 45 as shown in FIG. 6. The contact area is configured to receive a force applied by a fastening element 19 being attached to a connection rod 135 when mounted. FIG. 3 shows fastening of the washer by means of a nut 19 threaded onto the connection rod 135. In FIG. 6 the indicator tab is in its initial state, i.e. not yet popped, and in FIG. 7 the indicator tab has popped;

[0077] FIG. 8 shows a pressure indicator assembly according to the present disclosure, and FIG. 9 shows a front end plate including a pressure indicator assembly. The pressure indicator assembly comprises the pressure indicator washer shown in FIGS. 4-7 and a compression element 12 having a central opening 46 and at least one protruding element 17. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the pressure indicator washer 13 is positioned onto the compression element 12 such that the central opening 45 of the pressure indicator washer 13 coincides with the a central opening 46 of the compression element in the assembly. The central opening 46 of the compression element 12 and the central opening 45 of the pressure indicator washer 13 are configured to receive a connection rod 135 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The protruding element 17 is directed toward the rear side 32 of the pressure indicator washer 13, and the indicator tab 26 has a position which is aligned with the position of the protruding element 17 of the compression element 12.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 10, the pressure indicator assembly can comprise a base plate 42 adapted to be positioned on a rear side of the compression element 12 opposite to the pressure indicator washer. The base plate 42 has a central opening 47 and may also include an engagement portion 48 adapted to engage with an opening in a front end plate 50 of a hollow air filter (FIGS. 8 and 9) to securely hold the pressure indicator assembly in position during installation. The base plate may further include a circumferential flange 43 adapted to engage with the compression element 32 when assembled, as shown in FIG. 8. FIGS. 8 and 9 also show how the pressure indicator washer 13 comprises a circumferential flange 44 adapted to engage with the compression element 12 when assembled. As shown in FIG. 11, the compression element 12 includes a plurality of protruding elements 17 distributed around the central opening 46. The protruding elements can comprise a recess 49 configured to receive a portion of the contact portion of the indicator tab.

[0079] The person skilled in the art realizes that the present disclosure is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. The person skilled in the art further realizes that modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Additionally, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled person in practicing the claimed disclosure, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.