GB2055719A

GB2055719A - Air intake for vehicle engine

Info

Publication number: GB2055719A
Application number: GB8025417A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Leyland Vehicles Ltd
Current assignee: Leyland Vehicles Ltd
Priority date: 1979-08-07
Filing date: 1980-08-05
Publication date: 1981-03-11

Abstract

The air intake for the vehicle engine (not shown) is by way of a stack 1 extending downwardly and located behind the cab of the vehicle. In contrast to previous proposals, where the air cleaner elements are located in a housing joined to the bottom of the stack, long and narrow conical air cleaner elements are located in the air intake stack itself. A bellows 3 connects the air intake stack to an inlet manifold 4 and a safety cleaning element 9 is located beneath the bellows to permit disconnection of the intake stack 1 and the inlet manifold 4 without entry of dust to allow the cab to be tilted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Air intake for vehicle engine This invention relates to air intakes for vehicle engines.

The invention provides air intake ducting for a vehicle engine, which comprises one or more air cleaner elements located in an upwardly-extending air intake stack adapted to be located behind a cab of the vehicle.

Hitherto, the air cleaner elements have been housed in a separate housing.

Advantageously, the or each element is of tapered form, and is arranged longitudinally with the narrower end arranged above the wider end. The air flow capacity may be within the range 200 to 1 500 ft3/min.

Advantageously, an arrangement of vanes may be provided above the or each element to induce a swirling motion in the air intake.

This will tend to throw the larger dust particles to the outside. An outlet for these dust particles may be provided.

The element is preferably of paper, and may be of the same material as the kind produced by Coopers Engineering Development under the trade name Maxicone or produced by Donaldson Europe under the trade name Konepac, or by Locker Airmaze.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of the air intake ducting of the invention arranged behind a cab of a truck, the cab being viewed from the rear; Figure 2 is an enlarged schematic view of the intake ducting of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a section taken through the lines 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, the general shape of the air intake stack 1 is conventional. It is arranged immediately behind the cab 2 of the vehicle. The stack 1 is joined by a flexible rubber bellows 3 to an inlet manifold 4. The bellows 3 enables the can to be tilted forwards for access.

In conventional arrangements, an air cleaner generally housed in a cylindrical housing has an inlet connected to the bellows 3 and an outlet connected to the inlet manifold 4. The cleaner generally has a cylindrical element of pleated paper, usually with a mesh lining. The cylindrical housing is generally mounted on or below the chassis side member of the vehicle, some distance below the bellows 3, to which it is joined by suitable ducting.

It has recently been proposed to replace this cylindrical element by a tapered element, also of pleated paper and lined by mesh but this time chemically treated to increase its efficiency. Such an element is of smaller diameter than a conventional cylindrical element. Such elements are sold by Donaldson Europe under the tradename Konepac and by Coopers Engineering Development under the trade name Maxicone or by Locker Airmaze.

According to the present invention, a tapered element 5 of the same material as the kind referred to is located in the air intake stack 1, rather than in a separate housing. In size, the element of the invention is longer and narrower than those referred to above.

Referring to the drawings, the stack is divided into two channels by a divider 6. At the mouth of each passage, a vane 7 (only one of which is shown) is located, which serves to set up a swirling motion in the air intake.

Coarse dust particles in the air are flung outwards and can be removed by rubber ejector flaps 8. Air will tend to execute a helical motion over the filter element 5.

A safety cleaning element 9 is located beneath the bellows 3 since if the cab is tilted and the bellows connection is broken, dust could otherwise pass directly into the vehicle engine.

If desired, the air intake stack could be made in one piece with the divider 6. Also, although a tapered element is shown which is closed at the narrower end, a tapered element open at both ends could be employed, and a separate closure could be employed for the narrower end. Further, two or more element modules could be provided in line along the stack, or further elements could be provided side by side if desired. Also, the inlet to each element could be through an annulus to provide radiai inflow. Typical dimensions for each element are 5 inch diameter at the wide end, 2 ft to 3 ft long, and having an air flow capacite of from 200 to 1 300 ft3/min.

If desired, an air cleaner element of the form illustrated in the drawing and of the dimensions referred to in the preceding paragraph could be fabricated from the material hitherto conventionally used for air cleaner elements.

1. Air intake ducting for a vehicle engine, which comprises one or more air cleaner elements located in an upwardly-extending air intake stack adapted to be located behind a cab of the vehicle.

2. Air intake ducting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each element is of tapered form and is arranged longitudinally with the narrower end arranged above the wider end.

3. Air intake ducting as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the air flow capacity is within the range 200 to 1 500 ft3/min.

4. Air intake ducting as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an arrangement of vanes is provided above the or each element to induce a swirling motion in the air intake.

5. Air intake ducting as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the length of

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Air intake for vehicle engine This invention relates to air intakes for vehicle engines. The invention provides air intake ducting for a vehicle engine, which comprises one or more air cleaner elements located in an upwardly-extending air intake stack adapted to be located behind a cab of the vehicle. Hitherto, the air cleaner elements have been housed in a separate housing. Advantageously, the or each element is of tapered form, and is arranged longitudinally with the narrower end arranged above the wider end. The air flow capacity may be within the range 200 to 1 500 ft3/min. Advantageously, an arrangement of vanes may be provided above the or each element to induce a swirling motion in the air intake. This will tend to throw the larger dust particles to the outside. An outlet for these dust particles may be provided. The element is preferably of paper, and may be of the same material as the kind produced by Coopers Engineering Development under the trade name Maxicone or produced by Donaldson Europe under the trade name Konepac, or by Locker Airmaze. The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of the air intake ducting of the invention arranged behind a cab of a truck, the cab being viewed from the rear; Figure 2 is an enlarged schematic view of the intake ducting of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a section taken through the lines 3-3 in Fig. 2. Referring to Fig. 1, the general shape of the air intake stack 1 is conventional. It is arranged immediately behind the cab 2 of the vehicle. The stack 1 is joined by a flexible rubber bellows 3 to an inlet manifold 4. The bellows 3 enables the can to be tilted forwards for access. In conventional arrangements, an air cleaner generally housed in a cylindrical housing has an inlet connected to the bellows 3 and an outlet connected to the inlet manifold 4. The cleaner generally has a cylindrical element of pleated paper, usually with a mesh lining. The cylindrical housing is generally mounted on or below the chassis side member of the vehicle, some distance below the bellows 3, to which it is joined by suitable ducting. It has recently been proposed to replace this cylindrical element by a tapered element, also of pleated paper and lined by mesh but this time chemically treated to increase its efficiency. Such an element is of smaller diameter than a conventional cylindrical element. Such elements are sold by Donaldson Europe under the tradename Konepac and by Coopers Engineering Development under the trade name Maxicone or by Locker Airmaze. According to the present invention, a tapered element 5 of the same material as the kind referred to is located in the air intake stack 1, rather than in a separate housing. In size, the element of the invention is longer and narrower than those referred to above. Referring to the drawings, the stack is divided into two channels by a divider 6. At the mouth of each passage, a vane 7 (only one of which is shown) is located, which serves to set up a swirling motion in the air intake. Coarse dust particles in the air are flung outwards and can be removed by rubber ejector flaps 8. Air will tend to execute a helical motion over the filter element 5. A safety cleaning element 9 is located beneath the bellows 3 since if the cab is tilted and the bellows connection is broken, dust could otherwise pass directly into the vehicle engine. If desired, the air intake stack could be made in one piece with the divider 6. Also, although a tapered element is shown which is closed at the narrower end, a tapered element open at both ends could be employed, and a separate closure could be employed for the narrower end. Further, two or more element modules could be provided in line along the stack, or further elements could be provided side by side if desired. Also, the inlet to each element could be through an annulus to provide radiai inflow. Typical dimensions for each element are 5 inch diameter at the wide end, 2 ft to 3 ft long, and having an air flow capacite of from 200 to 1 300 ft3/min. If desired, an air cleaner element of the form illustrated in the drawing and of the dimensions referred to in the preceding paragraph could be fabricated from the material hitherto conventionally used for air cleaner elements. CLAIMS

5. Air intake ducting as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the length of each element lies within the range of from 2 feet to 3 feet.

6. Air intake ducting as claimed in claim 5, wherein the diameter of each element is less than 6 inches.

7. Air intake ducting substantially as here it before described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

8. A vehicle having a cab and air intake ducting as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.