FR2490735A1 - FLUID FILTRATION DEVICE, FLUID FILTER, AND FILTER CARTRIDGE - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A FLUID FILTRATION DEVICE. THIS DEVICE INCLUDES A BOX 12 WHICH INCLUDES A TANK 14 CLOSED BY A LID 16 AND INSIDE WHICH A FLUID TO BE FILTERED CAN ENTER THROUGH AN INPUT 18. THE FLUID CAN FLOW FROM THE TANK 14 THROUGH AN OUTLET 20, AFTER SEE CROSSES A PLISSE 26 FILTERING MEDIUM FORMING PART OF A FILTERING CARTRIDGE 24 LODGED IN A WATERTIGHT FORM IN A CAVITY 22 HOUSED INSIDE THE TANK 14. FIELD OF APPLICATION: FUEL FILTERS, ETC., FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Description

The invention relates generally to

  fluid filtration devices, and more particularly

  Advanced fluid filtration devices

  having a pleated filter medium which has a

  important filter face and which is of a long life. Filtration devices with pleated filter media have been used for a long time

  and are therefore well known to those skilled in the art. Provisions

  filtration systems of this type have the advantage

  to provide a large filtration area in a relatively small housing or housing. Therefore, such filters have a long life and do not require

  therefore no frequent replacements.

  The automobile is an application to which

  pleated filters are particularly suitable. Because of

  of their long service life, the use of folded filters in automobiles corresponds to the objective of

  car manufacturers which is to lengthen the inter-

Valves of revision.

  Unfortunately, the pleated filters of the prior art are not suitable for all filtration operations performed in an automobile. For example, it has been found that the pleated filters of the prior art do not make it possible to filter out large quantities of water of a fuel of the type to which alcohol has been added for energy saving purposes. . The pleated filter media of the prior art consist of paper which deteriorates rapidly in the presence of alcohol and water. Therefore, one has tried to use media

  filters made of materials other than paper. How-

  However, these tests were quickly abandoned as it became apparent that it was not possible to apply them on an industrial scale, either because of the high cost of

  filter medium, either because of the high cost of

  requested for such materials.

  The subject of the invention is therefore a device

  fluid filtration system comprising a pleated filter media which does not deteriorate in the presence of alcohol and water. The filtration device according to the invention

is inexpensive to manufacture.

  The invention also relates to a filter cartridge for such a device and comprising a structure in one piece.

  The invention therefore relates to a filter device

  fluid treatment which comprises a housing having a

  fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a cavity

  designed to receive a filter cartridge between the inlet and the outlet. The filter cartridge is designed to be housed

  inside the cavity and it comprises a filamentary medium

  pleated trant and a support structure of this medium. The pleated filter medium has molded marginal edges embedded in the support structure to support the filter media. The device

  Filtration further comprises means directing the total

  fluid to be filtered through the pleated filter media.

  The invention also relates to a cartridge

  filter comprising a pleated filter medium and a

  support of this environment. The support element is

  molded around the filter medium along the perimeter edges

  of the latter, said peripheral edges being embedded in the support element to form a set

from one block.

  The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of non-limiting examples and in which: FIG. 1 is an elevation of a first embodiment of the fluid filtration device according to the invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the filter device shown in Figure 1;

  FIG. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale

  line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1; FIG. 5 is a perspective view, with

  partial tearing of a filter cartridge according to the

  tion, which can be used in the filter device

  fluid flow shown in Figure 1; Figure 6 is an elevation of a second embodiment of the fluid filtering device according to the invention;

  Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the

  positive filtration shown in Figure 6; Figure 8 is a section along the line 8-8 of Figure 6; Figure 9 is a perspective view, partially broken away and on an enlarged scale, of a filter cartridge according to the invention can be used in the filter device shown in Figure 6; Figure 10 is a longitudinal section of a third embodiment of the fluid filtering device according to the invention; and Fig. 11 is a section along line 11-11

of Figure 10.

  Referring first to Figures 1 and 2,

  a first embodiment of the filter device 10

  Fluid transmission according to the invention, shown in Figures 1 to 5, comprises a housing 12 consisting of a tank 14 and a cover 16. The tank 14 of the housing 12 has a fluid inlet 18 through which a fluid to filtering arrives, and a fluid outlet 20 through which the fluid

filtered flows.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be noted that the tank 14 of the housing 12 has a cavity 22 intended to receive a filter cartridge 24 which is disposed inside this cavity 22, between the inlet 18 and the

exit 20.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the filter cartridge 24 comprises a pleated filter medium 26 and a support structure 28 which has two side walls 30 and 32, a peripheral flange 34 which is attached to the side walls 30 and 32, and several ribs 36 support. The pleated filter media 26 is preferably made of plastic and is in the form of a plastic web or fabric. In addition, for reasons indicated below, the support structure 28 of the filtering medium 26 is also made of moldable plastics material so that the production of the filter cartridge 24 results in a set

from one block.

  As best shown in Figure 5, the filter medium 26 comprises a plurality of plies formed along lines 40 which extend between the side walls 30 and 32 of the support structure 28. The support ribs 36 also extend between the side walls 30 and 32

  to which they are nearly perpendicular.

  During the manufacture of the filter cartridge 24, the corrugated filter medium can be placed in a mold

  suitable o the finished filter cartridge 24 is formed.

  During the molding operation, the support structure 28 is molded around the pleated filter medium 26 so that the marginal or peripheral edges 38 of this medium 26 are molded and embedded in the side walls 30 and 30.

  32 of the support structure 28. In addition, during the

  In a molding configuration, the support ribs 36 are formed in such a way that the fold lines 40 of the pleated filter media 26 are also molded and embedded in the

  ribs 36 support. It is obvious that the perimeter edge

  34 of the support structure is also performed during the molding operation so that the support structure 28 and the pleated filter medium 26 form a whole.

  in a single block with filter cartridge.

  It can be seen in Figures 3 and 4 that the car-

  filter key 24 is housed in the cavity 22 of the casing

  12. The tank 14 of the latter has a peripheral recess

  In this embodiment, the rim 34 may be secured in the recess 42 by any means well known to those skilled in the art, for example by ultrasonic welding. The lid 16 is designed to be placed on the tank 14 with which it makes a tight contact over a large area and with a large portion of the rim 34 of the cartridge 24. As before, the lid 16 can be attached to the tank 14 by any means

  known, for example by ultrasonic welding.

  The filter cartridge 24 is housed in the cavity 22 so that the side wall 30 is spaced from the inlet 18 to form a first channel 44. Since the side wall 30 is made in one piece with the rim 34, the totality of the fluid arriving through the inlet 18

  goes down through this first channel 44.

  The bottom of the filter cartridge 24 is also spaced from the bottom 15 of the tank 14 so as to arrange with it a space 46 in which the fluid flows inwardly of the filter cartridge 24.

  device 34 of the cartridge protrudes

  30 and 32 and the pleated filter medium 26, and that this

  flange 34 is in sealing and continuous contact with the recess

  42, all the fluid flowing in the inlet 18,

  through channel 44 and in space 46 passes through the middle

filtering place 26.

  The cover 16 of the casing is located at a certain

  A second channel 48, through which the filtered fluid exits the filter cartridge 24, forms a second channel 48. The vertical channel 50, which is substantially vertical, then directs the filtered fluid from the channel 48 to

the exit 20.

  The tank 14 and the cover 16 of the box 12 are

  preferably made of plastic in order to facilitate

  Binding the bond, performed by ultrasonic welding as previously stated, for the final assembly of the fluid filtration device. Since the filter cartridge 44 is molded in one piece and the housing 12 can be made of plastic, the device 10

  Fluid filtration can be manufactured cheaply.

  In addition, since the filter medium 26 is not made of paper, it does not deteriorate in the presence of alcohol and water, as is the case of paper pleated filters

of the prior art.

  Figures 6 to 9 show a second embodiment of the invention, namely a fluid filtering device 60 which, as shown, comprises a substantially cylindrical housing 62 having two parts 64 and 66 which have an inlet 68 of fluid and a fluid outlet 70, respectively, and a joint plane 72 oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of the housing 62. Each of the parts 64 and 66 of the housing has a circumferential or annular outer edge 74 or 76, these flanges being related to each other to maintain the

device 60 in the assembled state.

  FIG. 9 represents a filter cartridge that can be used in the device 60 shown in FIG. 6. The filter cartridge 78 represented on this FIG.

  figure comprises a pleated filter medium 80 and a structure

  82 to support it.This support structure 82

  comprises two side walls 84 and 86, a peripheral flange

  88 and several ribs 90 support.

  The filter cartridge 78 shown in the figure

  9 is preferably made in the same way as the car-

  filter button of Figure 5, previously described.

  However, it should be noted that the pleated filter medium 80 shown in Fig. 8 includes a first group of fold lines 92 and a second group of fold lines 94 which extend between side walls 84 and 86, approximately perpendicular to these. The folding lines 92 of the first group are situated substantially in the same plane, as are the folding lines 94 of the second group. However, only the 92 lines of folding

  of the first group are embedded in a correspon-

  In contrast to the structure of the cartridge 24 shown in FIG. 5, there are support ribs for the two groups of fold lines. As described in more detail below, the support ribs and the fold lines 92 are located upstream of the second group of folding lines 94 with respect to the flow direction of the fluid through the filtration device.

  It can be seen in Figure 9 that the marginal edges

  nails or peripheral edges 95 of the pleated filter media 80

Z4907.

  are embedded in the side walls 84 and 86 of the support structure 82 of the cartridge.Furthermore, the lines 92 of folding are molded and embedded in the ribs

  of support. Therefore, since the cartridge

  78 is carried out during a molding operation during which the filter medium 80 is placed in a suitable mold and during which also the support structure 82 is molded around and on this filter medium

  a unitary cartridge assembly is obtained.

  Figures 7 and 8 show the cartridge 78 housed in a cavity 96 of the housing 62. Each of the parts

  64 and 66 of the housing has a circumferential inner groove

  98 sized to receive the periphery rim

  88 of the cartridge 78. Therefore, when

  Apparatus 60 fluid filtration device, the cartridge 78 is first slid into one of the parts

  64 and 66 of the housing, the rim 88 being housed in the rim.

  interior 98 of this part. Then the other part can be slid over the visible half of the filter cartridge 78 so that its groove 98 also receives

  the flange 88. The parts 64 and 66 of the housing can

  The outer flanges 74 and 76 are applied against each other to be ultrasonically welded together. The groove 98 may have a slightly smaller dimension than the rim 88

  so that it can be housed tightly.

  Therefore, the rim 88 and the housing 62 provide a peripheral seal around the pleated filter medium 80. As best shown in FIG. 7, the filter cartridge 78 is suspended within the housing 62 so that its sidewalls 84 and 86 are spaced from the housing and the bottom 67 of the latter is spaced from the bottom of the cartridge 78. All the fluid to be filtered flowing in the inlet 68 is thus directed through the pleated filter medium 80. In addition, all of the filtered fluid then flows through the outlet 70. The flow of fluid through the filter is indicated by appropriate arrows. Figures 10 and 11 show another embodiment of a fluid filter enclosing a pleated filter medium and made according to the invention. The fluid filtration device 100 shown in these figures comprises a housing 102 which has a portion

  main 104 and an end portion 106. This last

  has a fluid inlet 108 and the main part

  Cipal 104 has a fluid outlet 110.

  A filter cartridge 112, disposed within the

  the housing 102 comprises a peripheral rim 114 and two side walls 116. The rim 114 is designed to be housed in peripheral recesses 116 and 118 of the housing.

  main part 104 of the casing and part 106 of ex-

  tremity, respectively. The flange 114 may be sealed inside the recess formed by the junction of

  parts 104 and 106 of the housing to define an opening

  in the pleated filter medium 120. This medium 120 does not

  comprises a fold, as shown, and its margins

  Nails 122 are embedded in the side wall 116.

  Open mating of the pleated filter medium 120 is also embedded in the flange 114. As before, the filter cartridge 112 is preferably made by a molding operation during which the filter medium is placed in a suitable mold so that the flange 114 and the sidewalls 116 are molded around the filter media 120 to form a self-contained structure. Since the flange 114 is in contact

  sealed with the housing 102, the entire fluid with

  trer arriving through the entrance 108 must flow through the opening

  130 formed by the rim 114 and through the pleated filter medium 120. The filtered fluid then flows to

  outside via exit 110.

  As before, the parts 104 and 106 of the housing can be made of plastic so that

  to facilitate the ultrasonic welding of peripheral flanges

external issues 132 and 134.

  It follows from the preceding description that the

  The invention relates to an improved device for filtering fluids, of the type with pleated filter medium. Since the filter cartridge comprising the pleated filter medium can be made in a single molding operation,

  we obtain a set made of a single block and the car-

  Keys can be mass produced, cheaply.

  In addition, since the filter media need not be paper, the pleated filter medium provided in the filtration device according to the invention does not deteriorate in the presence of alcohol and water. In addition, since the housings in which the filter cartridges are housed are also made of plastic, they can be easily welded to ultrasound

  or in any other way so that we obtain a

  Filtration system of low weight and low manufacturing cost. It goes without saying that many modifications can be made to the device described and shown

  without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (19)

  1. Device for filtering fluids,   characterized in that it comprises a housing (12, 62, 102) having a fluid inlet (18, 68, 108), a fluid outlet (20, 70, 110) and a cavity (22, 96) of receiving a filter cartridge, located between the inlet and the outlet, a filter cartridge (24, 78, 112) adapted to be housed in this cavity and comprising a pleated filter media (26, 80, 120) and a support structure (28, 82) which supports said filter medium, the latter having molded marginal edges (39, 95, 122) and   recessed into the support structure to be   held by the latter, and means for directing all the fluid to be filtered through said medium pleated filter.   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized   characterized in that the casing and the support structure are designed to direct the totality of the fluid to be filtered   through the pleated filter media.   3. Device according to claim 2, characterized   characterized in that the casing and the support structure are in fluid-tight contact around the filter media to direct all the fluid to be filtered.   through said pleated filter medium.   4. Device according to claim 3, characterized   characterized in that the support structure comprises two side walls (30, 32; 84, 86) and in that the marginal edges of the filter medium adjacent to said walls   side are molded and embedded in the latter.   5. Device according to claim 4, characterized   characterized in that the support structure has a plurality of support ribs (36, 90) extending between said   lateral walls, approximately perpendicular to these   the pleated filter media with many   pleating lines (40; 92, 94) extending between   said sidewalls, roughly perpendicular to   and these are molded and embedded in the- said support ribs.   6. Device according to claim 5, characterized   characterized in that the fold lines form first and second groups (92, 94), only the fold lines   (92) of the first group being molded into a corresponding number   laying ribs (90) of support.   7. Device according to claim 6, characterized   characterized in that the folding lines (92) of the first group are arranged upstream of the folding lines (94) of the second group with respect to the flow direction of the fluid from the entrance to the exit.   8. Device according to claim 4, characterized   characterized in that the support structure further comprises   a peripheral flange (34, 88) attached to said side walls   in that the box comprises means intended to   to receive the rim in sealed contact.   9. Device according to claim 8, characterized   characterized in that the casing (62) comprises two parts   (64, 66) each having an inner groove (98) for receiving in sealing contact   flange (88) of the support structure.   10. Device according to claim 9, characterized   characterized in that the housing (62) is substantially cylindrical   when the portions (64, 66) of this housing are assembled, said portions being connectable along a joint plane (72) transversely oriented to   the longitudinal axis of the housing, the said parts being   designed to slide on the filter cartridge (78) while said flange is housed in said inner groove, and to be assembled in contact with each other following said joint plane.   11. Device according to claim 10, characterized   characterized in that each of the parts of the casing has an annular outer flange (74, 76) which defines said joint plane, said flanges being bondable to each other   in order to keep the device in the assembled state.   12. Device according to claim 4, characterized   characterized in that the support structure (28) has a peripheral flange (34) attached to said side walls (30, 32) and projecting outwardly from said side walls and the filter media (26), the housing (12) ) having a peripheral recess (42) which surrounds the filter cartridge receiving cavity (22) and which is arranged to sealingly receive said rim of the filter cartridge support structure.   13. Device according to claim 12, characterized   characterized in that the housing (12) comprises a vessel (14) having said inlet (18), said outlet (20), said filter cartridge receiving cavity (22) and said peripheral recess (42), and a cover (16) designed for   be placed on the tank and to close the peripheral recess   and make surface contact with the perimeter edge   (34) of the support structure for securing   the filter cartridge (24) inside the cavity.   Fluid filter, characterized in that it comprises a housing (12) which has an inlet (18), an outlet (20) and a cavity (22) for receiving a filter cartridge, extending between this entrance and this exit,   a filter cartridge (24) adapted to be housed in the   interior of said cavity and comprising a filter medium   wrinkle (26) and means (28) for supporting said filament medium   trant, these support means being molded on the filter medium to form a unitary assembly in which   the peripheral edges (38) of the filter media are   in the support means, the latter and the housing being sealed at their periphery, around the filter medium, in order to direct the entire fluid   filtering through said filter medium.   15. Filter cartridge, characterized in that it comprises a pleated filter medium (26) and means (28) for supporting this filter medium, the support means being   molded around the filter media along the perimeter edges   (38) of the latter, said peripheral edges being embedded in the support means to form a together in one block.   16. Filter cartridge according to the claim   , characterized in that the support means comprise   two opposite sidewalls (30, 32) and that the peripheral edges of the filter media, adjacent to the   side walls, are molded and recessed into these   Nières. 17. Filter cartridge according to the claim   16, characterized in that the support means comprise   several supporting ribs (36) extending   between said side walls, approximately perpendicular   the latter, the pleated filter media   two plurality of fold lines (40) extending between said side walls, approximately perpendicular to the latter, these fold lines being molded and   embedded in said support ribs.   Filter cartridge according to Claim 17, characterized in that the fold lines form   first and second groups (92, 94) in each of the   which said fold lines are coplanar, the fold lines (92) of only one of said groups being molded into a corresponding number of said ribs (90) of support.   19. Filter cartridge according to claim   16, characterized in that the support means comprise   a peripheral flange (34) attached to the side walls (30, 32) to form with them a channel (44) through which   the fluid to be filtered is directed through the filter medium.