FILTER ELEMENT AND FILTER SYSTEM

Abstract

A filter element for filtering a fluid is provided with at least one filter bellows with a first areal inflow surface for a first fluid flow of the fluid and at least one second inflow surface for a second fluid flow of the fluid separate from the first fluid flow of the fluid. The at least one second inflow surface is separate from the first areal inflow surface. A flow channel section for the second fluid flow of the fluid is provided. At least one compensation element is arranged in the flow channel section for the second fluid flow of the fluid at a raw side of the filter element. A filter system with a filter housing is provided with such a filter element arranged exchangeably in the filter housing.

Claims

1. A filter element for filtering a fluid, the filter element comprising: at least one filter bellows comprising a first areal inflow surface for a first fluid flow of the fluid and at least one second inflow surface for a second fluid flow of the fluid separate from the first fluid flow of the fluid, wherein the at least one second inflow surface is separate from the first areal inflow surface; a flow channel section for the second fluid flow of the fluid; at least one compensation element arranged in the flow channel section for the second fluid flow of the fluid at a raw side of the filter element.

2. The filter element according to claim 1, further comprising at least one separation element arranged between the first areal inflow surface and the at least one second inflow surface.

3. The filter element according to claim 2, further comprising a cover element for an areal coverage of the at least one second inflow surface, wherein the at least one separation element is connected sufficiently fluid-tightly in relation to the first fluid flow of the fluid, at least under normal operating conditions, to the cover element for areal coverage of the at least one second inflow surface.

4. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compensation element is arranged in or at a rim segment of the filter element.

5. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compensation element is arranged in or at an end face of the filter element.

6. The filter element according to claim 1, further comprising a continuous frame molded circumferentially around the at least one filter bellows, wherein the at least one filter bellows is folded in a zigzag shape to folds, wherein the folds comprise parallel fold edges arranged sequentially following each other in a longitudinal extension of the at least one filter bellows between oppositely positioned end face edges of the at least one filter bellows.

7. The filter element according to claim 6, wherein the at least one compensation element is connected to the continuous frame.

8. The filter element according to claim 6, wherein the at least one compensation element is connected to the continuous frame and to the at least one filter bellows.

9. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compensation element is connected to the at least one filter bellows.

10. A filter system for filtering a fluid, the filter system comprising: a filter housing; a filter element for filtering the fluid arranged exchangeably in the filter housing between a raw side of the filter system and a clean side of the filter system; the filter element comprising at least one filter bellows comprising a first areal inflow surface for a first fluid flow of the fluid and at least one second inflow surface for a second fluid flow of the fluid separate from the first fluid flow of the fluid, wherein the at least one second inflow surface is separate from the first areal inflow surface; the filter housing comprising a first inlet for inflow of the first fluid flow of the fluid to the first inflow surface and at least one second inlet for inflow of the second fluid flow of the fluid to the at least one second inflow surface; at least one compensation element arranged at the raw side of the filter system upstream of the at least one second inflow surface; a flow channel for the second fluid flow of the fluid extending through the at least one compensation element from the at least one second inlet for inflow of the second fluid flow of the fluid to the at least one second inflow surface.

11. The filter system according to claim 10, wherein the flow channel extends from the at least one second inlet for inflow of the second fluid flow of the fluid to the at least one second inflow surface across at least a part of an end face of the filter element and at least a part of a rim segment of the filter element.

12. The filter system according to claim 10, wherein the flow channel extends from the at least one second inlet for inflow of the second fluid flow of the fluid to the at least one second inflow surface via at least a part of a rim segment of the filter element.

13. The filter system according to claim 10, wherein the flow channel extends from the at least one second inlet for inflow of the second fluid flow of the fluid to the at least one second inflow surface across at least a part of an end face of the filter element.

14. The filter system according to claim 10, wherein the filter housing comprises a housing bottom part, wherein the housing bottom part comprises a flow chamber with a valve for the second fluid flow of the fluid.

15. The filter system according to claim 10, further comprising a valve arranged at the at least one second inlet.

16. The filter system according to claim 10, wherein the filter housing comprises an insertion compartment with a frame guide and further comprises an insertion opening, wherein the frame guide is configured to guide the filter element when inserted through the insertion opening into the insertion compartment so that a seal of the filter element rests circumferentially against a housing seal surface of the filter housing and seal-tightly in an axial direction relative to a main flow axis of the fluid through the filter element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Further advantages result from the following drawing description. In the drawings, 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 expedient further combinations.

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a sectioned isometric illustration of a filter system with mounted drawer filter element according to an embodiment of the invention with an inflow via of a rim segment of the filter element.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a detail view of the filter system according to FIG. 1 in the region of the second inflow surface.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows an isometric illustration of the housing bottom part of the filter system according to FIG. 1.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows an isometric illustration of the filter element of the filter system according to FIG. 1.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows a sectioned isometric illustration of the filter element of the filter system according to FIG. 1.

[0055] FIG. 6 shows a sectioned isometric illustration of a filter system with mounted drawer filter element according to an embodiment of the invention with an inflow via an end face of the filter element.

[0056] FIG. 7 shows a detail view of the filter system according to FIG. 6 in the region of the second inflow surface.

[0057] FIG. 8 shows an isometric illustration of the housing bottom part of the filter system according to FIG. 6.

[0058] FIG. 9 shows an isometric illustration of the filter element of the filter system according to FIG. 6.

[0059] FIG. 10 shows a sectioned isometric illustration of the filter element of the filter system according to FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0060] In the Figures, same or same-type components are identified with the same reference characters. The Figures show only examples and are not to be understood as limiting.

[0061] FIG. 1 shows a sectioned isometric illustration of a filter system 100 with mounted drawer filter element 10 according to an embodiment of the invention with an inflow via a rim segment 30 of the filter element 10, while in FIG. 2 a detail view of the filter system 100 according to FIG. 1 in the region of the second inflow surface 56 is illustrated. The rim segment 30 can be flowed through along a flow direction 58 as well as at a slant thereto.

[0062] The filter system 100 comprises a filter housing 110 with a housing bottom part 114 and a housing cover 112 as well as a filter element 10 for filtering a fluid arranged exchangeably in the filter housing 110 between a raw side 50 and a clean side 52. The filter element 10 comprises in this context a filter bellows 12, for example, one-piece filter bellows, with a first areal inflow surface 54 for a first fluid flow 60 as well as a second inflow surface 56 for a second fluid flow 62 separate from the first fluid flow 60. The fluid flows 60, 62 are indicated by arrows. The first fluid flow 60 flows through the inlet 100 of the housing bottom part 114 into the filter housing 110 at the raw side 50 and flows then via the first inflow surface 54 through the filter bellows 12 to the clean side 52. Through the valve 116, the second fluid flow 62 flows into the flow chamber 132 (see FIG. 3) in the housing bottom part 114 and, along the flow channel 130 and a flow channel section 64, through the compensation element 48, which preferably can be flowed through, via the second inflow surface 56 through the filter bellows 12. Both fluid flows 60, 62 exit again through the outlet 104 from the filter housing 110. The second inflow surface 56 is sufficiently fluid-tightly separated from the first inflow surface 54 by the separation element 44. At the raw side upstream of the second inflow surface 56, a compensation element 48 is arranged herein through which a flow channel 130 of the second fluid flow 62 extends from a raw-side inlet 106 to the second inflow surface 56. In this context, the compensation element 48 is arranged in the flow channel section 64 of the second fluid flow 62 upstream of the second inflow surface 56 at a rim segment 30 of the filter element 10. The flow channel 130 thus extends from the raw-side inlet 106 to the second inflow surface 56 via at least a part of the rim segment 30.

[0063] The filter housing 110 comprises a first inlet 102 for inflow of the first fluid flow 60 to the first inflow surface 54 and a second inlet 106 for inflow of the second fluid flow 62 to the second inflow surface 56.

[0064] The separation element 44 is arranged parallel to folds 34 of the filter bellows 12 so that a flow resistance as minimal as possible results by the separation element 44 itself. The separation element 44 is connected fluid-tightly in relation to the first fluid flow 60 to a cover element 46 for areal coverage of the second inflow surface 56. In this way, the separation element 44, the cover element 46, the compensation element 48, and the frame 28 are embodied as a chamber. With the filter element 10 mounted, the compensation element 48 adjoins directly the end face of the opening 118.

[0065] The compensation element 48 which can be embodied as a nonwoven is connected to the filter bellows 12 and the frame 28. Due to its elasticity, the compensation element 48 serves in this context as tolerance compensation when mounting the filter element 10 in the filter housing 110. At the same time, the compensation element 48 takes on a sealing function in relation to the flow channel 130.

[0066] The filter bellows 12 comprises an inflow side 66 and an outflow side 68 positioned opposite thereto which comprise a reduced spacing relative to each other in the region of the second inflow surface 56 in relation to the first inflow surface 54, which means that the filter bellows in the region of the second inflow surface 56 is embodied thinner.

[0067] In this example, the filter element 10 with the filter bellows 12 is embodied as a flat filter in the form of a drawer filter element. For this purpose, the filter housing 110 comprises an insertion compartment 146 with a frame guide 158 for the filter element 10 by means of which the filter element 10 can be inserted through an insertion opening 144 of the filter housing 110 transversely to the flow direction 58 into the insertion compartment 146 so that a seal 40 of the filter element 10 rests circumferentially against a housing seal surface 160 and seal-tightly in an axial direction relative to the main flow axis 128 of the fluid. The flow direction 58 is parallel to the main flow axis 128. The flow direction 58, for example, is oriented here perpendicularly to the inflow surfaces 54, 56 and outflow side 68 or outflow surface. Preferably, outflow surface and inflow surface in a filter bellows 12 with erected folds 34 form the surfaces in which respectively the inflow-side and outflow-side fold edges 26 (FIG. 2) are positioned.

[0068] Optionally, other geometries of the filter element 10 instead of a flat filter can be provided also, for example, a stepped filter element.

[0069] In a housing bottom part 114 of the filter housing 110, a flow chamber 132 with a valve 116 for the second fluid flow 62 is provided. The valve 116 is arranged at the second inlet 106 and can be designed, for example, as a check valve. An inflow of the fluid through the valve 116 can be realized in this context by pressure control or controlled by a flow resistance. The valve 116 is however not mandatorily required for the function of the second inflow surface 56 as separate filtration region for an emergency operation when the first inflow surface 54 is clogged.

[0070] FIG. 3 shows an isometric illustration of the housing bottom part 114 of the filter system 100 according to FIG. 1. The housing bottom part 114 comprises the inlet 102 of the fluid into the filter housing and comprises a flow chamber 132 which represents the flow channel section 64 through which a second fluid flow 62 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) via the inflow opening 118 can reach the flow channel 130 and thus the second inflow surface 56 of the filter element 10 through the compensation element 48.

[0071] In FIG. 4, an isometric illustration of the filter element 10 of the filter system 100 according to FIG. 1 is shown while FIG. 5 shows a sectioned isometric illustration of the filter element 10. The filter element 10 is embodied as a flat filter in the form of a drawer filter element and, in addition to the molded-on plastic frame filter bellows 12, comprises at one end a closure element 42 with which an insertion opening 144 in the filter housing 110 is closed. The sealing action between raw side 50 and clean side 52 of the filter system is realized by the seal 40 which is arranged on the frame 28 and which seal-tightly contacts the housing seal surface 160 (FIG. 2) in the mounted state.

[0072] The filter bellows 12 of the filter element 10 is folded in a zigzag shape to folds 34 with parallel fold edges 26 embodied at the inflow side and outflow side, respectively, which sequentially follow each other in a longitudinal extension 14 between oppositely positioned end face edges 22, 23 of the filter bellows 12. The filter bellows 12 is circumferentially molded around by a continuous frame 28 of plastic material.

[0073] FIG. 6 shows a sectioned isometric illustration of a filter system 100 with mounted drawer filter element 10 according to an embodiment of the invention with an inflow via an end face 24 of the filter element 10 while in FIG. 7 a detail view of the filter system 100 in the region of the second inflow surface 56 is illustrated. In this context, the compensation element 48 is arranged at the end face 24 of the filter element 10 with a minimal slant relative to the inflow side 66. The flow channel 130 extends thus from the raw-side inlet 106 to the second inflow surface 56 across at least a part of the filter element end face 24. The fluid flows 60, 62 are indicated again by arrows. The first fluid flow 60 passes through the inlet 102 of the housing bottom part 114 into the filter housing 110 at the raw side 50 and flows then through via the first inflow surface 54 through the filter bellows 12 to the clean side 52. The second fluid flow 62 passes via the valve 116 into the flow chamber 132 (see FIG. 8) in the housing bottom part 114 and along the flow channel 130 and the flow channel section 64 through the compensation element 48 via the second inflow surface 56 through the filter bellows 12. Both fluid flows 60, 62 exit again through the outlet 104 from the filter housing 110.

[0074] The embodiment of the filter element 10 is embodied similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5 with a separation element 44 parallel to the folds 34 of the filter bellows 12 which separates the first inflow region 54 from the second inflow region 56. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 10, the inflow of the second inflow surface 56 is however realized directly from the bottom side of the filter bellows 12. The filter element 10 comprises therefore no cover element in this embodiment. The compensation element 48 is arranged between an opening 118 in the housing bottom part 114 on one side and the separation element 44 and the frame 28 on the opposite side. When the filter element 10 is mounted, the compensation element 48 adjoins directly the opening 118 of the filter housing bottom part 114 (FIG. 8). The valve 116 serves for inflow into the second flow channel 130.

[0075] FIG. 8 shows an isometric illustration of the housing bottom part 114 of the filter system 100 according to FIG. 6. The housing bottom part 114 differs in this embodiment from the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 5 in that the inflow opening 118 of the flow chamber 132 faces upwardly and the flow channel section 64 is embodied directly in the flow chamber 132 because the filter element 10 is provided with direct inflow from below via its second inflow surface 56, as can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0076] FIG. 9 shows an isometric illustration of the filter element 10 of the filter system 100 according to FIG. 6 while in FIG. 10 a sectioned isometric illustration of the filter element 10 is illustrated. One can see clearly the slanted arrangement of the compensation element 48 between separation element 44 and frame, which is connected to the separation element 44 and the frame 28 and, for example, can be glued on.