AU8829482A - Disposable air cleaner - Google Patents

Description

DISPOSABLE AIR CLEANER

• - Cross Reference

5 This application is a Continuation-in-Part application to U. S. patent application Serial No. 286,475, filed 24 July 1981, of the same title.

Technical Field of the Invention The invention is directed generally to the 10 field of air cleaners, and specifically cleaners having integral* filter elements which .are disposable.

Background of the Invention Engine air cleaners, and particularly those intended for small engines, must be manufactured in a 15 multitude of sizes and shapes in order to accommodate the specifications of different engine manufacturers. Many such air cleaners are designed with removable and replaceable filter elements which must also be stocked in a large variety of sizes. In addition, removable 20 element filters may be subject to leakage as they con¬ tain seals which are subject to misalignment and wear.

To eliminate air leakage and provide a single, inexpensive disposable air cleaner for use on a wide variety of machines, the air cleaner must be made of ^•25 inexpensive disposable materials and be adaptable for attachment to machines having a wide variety of mounting arrangements. Typically, however, cleaners made of lightweight, inexpensive material such as simple plastics and paper are not strong enough to sustain high 30 internal pressures encountered in use. It is necessary to provide a filter means of high strength to maintain .._. the cleaner integrity, however, the materials appropriate for this function do not generally conform to the requirements for cost, weight and disposability.

OMPI - In the present invention, we have solved the above problems by creating a disposable air cleaner, preferably made up of lightweight_r inexpensive, dispo¬ sable materials while creating a reusable adapter means 5 which is permanently mounted on the machine, or attachable to a permanent mount, with the adapter means supplying the structural support necessary for the lighter weight disposable air cleaner. _β Simultaneously, we have reduced the likelihood 0 of leakage in the air cleaner by eliminating all seals except a single seal required to attach the filter to the adapter_^assembly.

Summary of the Invention The present invention is directed_^ to an air cleaner. 5 produced with a tubular fluid permeable intake tube comprising, a tubular filter element having first and second ends and an inner aperture sized to receive the intake tube, a first end cap affixed to and forming a fluid-tight junction at the first end, a second end cap 0 affixed to and forming a fluid-tight junction at the second end, the second cap having an aperture aligned with the inner aperture and sized to receive the intake tube, a tubular flange extending from the second cap at the periphery of the inner aperture and means for 5 compressing the flange around the intake tubes so that a fluid-tight seal is created therebetween.

Thus, there have been outlined rather broadly the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof as follows may be 0 better ^"understood and in order that the present contri¬ bution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be detailed hereinafter and will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which the disclosure is based may readily be utilized as the basis for the designing of other structures. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent structures as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings The specific embodiments of the invention have been chosen for the purposes of illustration and description, and are shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the present invention affixed to a small engine;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation with portions bro¬ ken away of the air cleaner in FIGURE 1 and different orientation;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an alternate preferred embodiment of the present invention shown on an engine;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of the air cleaner shown in FIGURE 4 with portions broken away; FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the third embodiment of- the present invention; and FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 but showing an alternate form of the third embodiment.

Description of one Preferred Embodiment FIGURE 1 discloses generally a preferred embo- diment of the air cleaner 10 of the present invention affixed to a small engine 12 by means of a tubular air permeable intake tube and mounting means 14.

This embodiment is shown in greater detail on FIGURE 2 of the drawings. In FIGURE 2 there can be seen tube 14 having a solid portion 14a and an air permeable portion 14b extending into the air cleaner 10. Portion 14b in the preferred embodiment is made fluid permeable by a plurality of holes 16. In the preferred embodi- ment, although optional, surrounding portion 14b is a fluid permeable sheath or sock-like element 18 which acts as a safety element.^~~ The -element made of filter material is held in place by a band 15 preferably of _ elastic material. As an alternative, a screen or mesh material 19, shown in FIGURE 5, made of plastic, may be -employed. It is possible to affix this mesh 19 to the intake tube or to the inner periphery of the filter ele¬ ment. In the later case, the mesh would be disposed of with the filter element. Coaxially aligned with portion 14b and sheath

18 is a filter element 20 shown more clearly in FIGURE 3 as a pleated element preferably made of a flexible, non-woven material which typically is of insufficient strength to be self supporting under the pressures encountered during filtration. A cylindrical shell 22 is similarly coaxially aligned with tubular portion 14b and filter 20.

Acting as an air seal and a structural end member, is end member 24 which forms an airtight junc tion with cylindrical shell 22, filter 20, sheath 18 and intake tube 14 at one end. Although the end members may be formed of any suitable lightweight material, a molded urethane material of 90 shore A durometer, which is fairly rigid but flexible enough to maintain adequate seals is preferred.

Outer cylindrical wall 22 may be paper impregnated with phenolic resin, or alternatively, plastic or steel, if desired. The remaining end member 26 is formed in similar fashion to that of member 24 and creates an airtight seal between the cylindrical wall 22, and filter element -20. To permit intake 14 to be inserted within the air cleaner, member 26 includes an aperture 28. Extending outwardly from member 26 generally at aperture 28, is flange member 30 which is preferably molded in a single piece with member 26. To maintain an airtight seal between the air..cleaner and intake 14, compression or securing means are employed against the flexible material used in flange 30. In the preferred embodiment, a worm drive band clamp 32 is- employed. -To provide a source of intake air for the air cleaner 10, at least one aperture is formed in one of the end members. Preferably, four curved slots 36 are formed in member 26 shown in FIGURE 3 where slots 36 are located so as to allow air to enter within the space 23 defined between cylindrical wall 22, filter 20 and end member 24. Slot 36 may alternatively be located in member 24 so long as the filter is not oriented such that dirt will have a tendency to fall into the filter by gravita¬ tional force.

Operation In use, intake tube 14 having a flange 15 may be affixed to a machine 12, the flange being designed according to the specific requirments of the machine. Once the proper intake tube has been installed, and it is expected that a number of different sizes will be available, a single size air cleaner 10 may be used for many applications. Because air cleaner 10 is intended to be fully disposable, it is preferably made of inexpensive, lightweight materials. To prevent interior collapse of the filter, the air permeable portion 14b of intake tube 14, which is received within aperture 28, is intended to provide the interior mechanical support. The intake tube is, of course, reusable so that the heavier, more expensive parts of the system are retained. *

Second Preferred Embodiment FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 show an alternative pre¬ ferred embodiment of the present invention.

To the extent the air cleaner 110 in FIGURE 4 includes the same elements as air cleaner 10 in FIGURE 1, such like elements will be designated with the same numeral increased by the number 100 and will only differ from their counterpart to the extent mention is made thereof. In FIGURE 4, there can be seen that intake tube

114, which corresponds to tube 14, is straight rather than having a right angle.

Turning to FIGURE 5, a screen 19 is used in place of sheath 18, although the alternative is acceptable. End member 124 differs from end member 24 in that a passage 150 is formed to allow a passageway between space 123 and space 152, which is defined bet- ^""ween end member 124 and a removable end cap dust collec¬ tor 154. Filter 110 is intended to be oriented so that passageway 150 tends to be toward the top side of the filter for purposes as will be explained hereinafter.

Cap 154 is preferably made of a relatively hard plastic material having a snap fit by means of a hook member 156 which engages a lip 158 formed in end member 124 at that end. The hook and lip means are formed around the circumference of both the end member 124 and cap 154. The slight flexibility in cap 154 permits the user to disengage the hook and lip at some point around the circumference and remove the cap entirely from the air cleaner.

Interposed within space 123 preferably toward end 126 are a series of radially outwardly air deflect¬ ing projecting blades contacting cylindrical wall 122 and affixed to cylindrical support member 162. Blades 160 are of the type described in U. S. Patent No. 3,078,650, issued to Anderson et al, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Operation Except for the following, this embodiment operates in a manner similar to that of the first pre- ferred embodiment explained above. The addition of bla¬ des 16O permit centrifugal separation of heavier particulate matter from the intake air so as to prevent their entrain ent on the filter medium. The air entering intake passage 136 as shown by arrow 170 enters space 123. The air will pass through blades 160 causing the heavier particles to be centrifugally separated and carried in the direction of arrow 172 into dust collec¬ tor cap 154, where they are deposited. Passage 150 must be oriented toward the top side of the filter so that particulate matter will be trapped within dust collector cap 154.

Third Preferred Embodiment FIGURES 7 and 8 show a third preferred embodi-

OMP ment of the present invention in two forms.

To the extent air cleaner 210 in FIGURE 7 includes the same elements as air cleaner 10 in FIGURE 1, such elements will be designated with the same numeral increased by the number 200 and will only differ from their counterpart -to the extent mention is made thereof.^"

Most significantly, FIGURE 7 differs from FIGURE 2 in that the outer element 22 is preferably nonemployed leaving filter element 20 directly exposed to uncleaned air. Preferably, an outer screen 221 will be located around the outer peripheral edge of element 220 so as to increase the rigiciity thereof and protect it from flying objects. This additional screen, however, is not essential.

Additionally, tube 214 can be as shown, as_. a ^"straight pipe, itself attachable to another intake pipe which is affixed to the machine or, alternatively, of the type 14 as shown in FIGURE 2. The device shown in FIGURE 7 has no separate housing and the filter element 220 is affixed to tube 214 through the use of worm clamp 232 on flexible neck 230.

As an alternative in- all embodiments, it is possible to truncate tube 14 such that it extends only a short distance into the filters 10, 110, or 210. Such an arrangement is shown in FIGURE 8 where, as in FIGURE 7, like parts are shown with numbers in the 300 series. This distance may be up to the end of end member 226. Such a structure would be useful in filters which are short in length and do not require the structural strength added by member 214 (314 in FIGURE 8) . With this truncated tube, apertures 16, 216 are not required as the filter would be completely open on its inside surfaces. A safety screen 319 may be provided as shown and should preferably be rigid enough to support itself so that it will not collapse into the intake tube 314.

While we have shown certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims (10)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An air cleaner for use with a tubular, fluid permeable, rigid intake tube having an air permeable portion, said air cleaner comprising: (a) a tubular filter element having first and second ends, and a central opening therein adapted to receive said air permeable portion of said intake tube;

(b) a first end cap affixed orthogonally to and forming a fluid tight junction across the first end of said element;

(c) a second end cap affixed to and forming a fluid tight junction with said second end, said second cap having an aperture aligned with said central opening and adapted to receive said intake tube;

(d) a tubular flange extending from said second end cap at the periphery of said second end cap aperture; and - (e) compression means for compressing said flange to reduce the diameter of said flange.

2. An air cleaner according to claim 1 wherein said air permeable portion of said intake tube includes a plurality of perforations.

3. An air cleaner for use with a rigid, tubular intake tube, said air cleaner comprising:

(a) a tubular filter element having first and second ends, and a central opening; (b) an outer cylindrical shell having first and second ends, said shell being located concentrically around said filter element and defining a space between said shell and

5 said element;

(c) a first end cap .affixed to and forming a fluid tight junction with each of said first ends of said filter element and said shell;

10 (d) a second end cap affixed to and forming a fluid tight junction with each of said second ends, said secnd cap having an aperture aligned with said inner opening and adapted to receive said intake tube;

15 (e) at least one intake aperture^in at least one of said end caps located to place said defined space in fluid communication with air outside the air cleaner;

(f) a tubular flange extending from said 20 second end cap at the periphery of said second end cap aperture; and

(g) compression means for compressing said flange to reduce the diameter of said flange.

4. An air cleaner according to claim 3, wherein Ϊ25 said at least one intake aperture is located in said second end cap.

5. An air cleaner according to claims 3 or 4 where¬ in said at least one intake aperture includes a plurality of apertures equally spaced around the center of said end

30 cap.

6. An air cleaner assembly according to claim 3 wherein said intake tube includes a right angle bend so that said filter element may be positioned vertically and wherein said mounting flange is affixed to said tube at its end distant from said element.

7. An air cleaner according to claims 3, 4, or 5 including a plurality of radially outwardly projecting air deflecting blades located within said defined space gen¬ erally toward said second end cap, said second end cap having said intake aperture, said blades being oriented to deflect the air flow of unfiltered intake air causing centrifugal particle separation by preventing heavier particular matter from reaching said filter element; a dust collector cap removably affixed to said air cleaner on said first end of shell; and said first end cap including a passage between said defined space and said dust cap so that centrifugally - separated particles may be collected in said dust cap.

8. An air cleaner assembly comprising: (a) a rigid air intake tube having a first open end, a second open end adapted to be at¬ tachable to an air intake on a machine requiring filtered air; said tube having a first air permeable portion adjacent said first end, and a second nonpermeable portion adjacent said second end; (b) an air cleaner, comprising;

(i) a pleated cylindrical filter element constructed of flexible, nonwoven material _. having first and second ends and an axial

. _ OMPi cylindrical opening therethrough sized to removably receive said first portion of said intake tube;

(ii) first means for creating an air impervious barrier orthogonal to said filter element at said first end thereof, so that the air cleaner is sealed at one end;

(iii) second means for creating an air impervious barrier orthogonal to said filter element at said second end thereof, sa-id second barrier including an aperture aligned with said opening in said filter element to allow for passage of said air intake tube therethrough; _

(iv) a perforated cylindrical rigid support material extending around said filter element between said first .and second means; (v) a cylindrical flange constructed of a compressible material extending from said second barrier at said aperture for providing a surface to seal said second barrier with respect to said intake tube; and

(c) means located on said flange for releasably compressing said flange against said intake tube.

9. An air cleaner assembly according to claims 3 or 8 wherein a socklike safety element is mounted over said first end of said tube between said tube and said filter element.

10. . An air cleaner assembly according to claims 8 or 9 wherein said intake .tube is bent at substantially 90° so that said air cleaner may be oriented vertically while said intake tube may be attached to the side of a machine.