JP2001003725A - Oil filter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve environmental performance of an oil filter by easily disposing used elements while stably securing the form and performance of the filter paper of the filter element in use in a filter whose housing containing an cylindrical element is divided into two parts in the vertical direction for replacing only the element. SOLUTION: This oil filter oil-tightly holds the upper and lower end sections of an element 2 by externally fitting the upper end section of the element 2 to the boss section 11 of a housing body 3, jointing a seal member 31 to a protector plate 13, fittingly holding the lower end to a collar 30 through a seal member 32 and pressingly energizing the lower end upward by a coil spring 29. The flow of engine oil is prevented from directly abutting on the end of the element 2 by enlarging the diameter of the protector plate 13 more than that of the element 2. The protector plate 13 is arranged in the housing body 3, and the seal members 31 and 32 are made of felt that is safely incineratable soft material.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an oil filter used for keeping engine oil and other oils clean, and more particularly to an eco-type technology in which only elements can be replaced from the viewpoint of environmental protection. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, oil filters used for gasoline engines and small diesel engines have been known.
The mainstream is a disposable type in which the element and the housing are formed as an integral cartridge, and when the element is clogged, the entire cartridge is replaced. Although such a disposable type has an advantage that the attachment and detachment of the cartridge is extremely simple, the entire oil filter is discarded together with the clogged element, so that the resources are effectively used and the amount of waste is reduced. There is a problem in recent social demands.

Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-169427
As shown in the publication, the housing of the oil filter has a divided structure, and when an element is clogged, only the element is replaced with a new one, so that not only the housing but also other usable components can be continued. There has been proposed an eco-type oil filter that can be used.

In general, as the element of such an oil filter, a filter paper obtained by folding a filter paper into a tube or winding it into a roll is used. That is, the cylindrical element as described above is housed in a housing, and the interior space of the housing is divided into an oil inflow chamber outside the element and an oil inflow chamber inside the element, and one end of the element in the axial center direction. The engine oil is supplied from the side and once distributed throughout the oil inflow chamber outside the element, and when this engine oil passes through the filter paper of the element from outside to inside, the entire surface of the filter paper is effectively used I try to remove impurities.

However, for example, as shown in FIG.
In the element a in which the filter paper is folded, the folds b, b,... Of the filter paper may greatly expand under the influence of oil pulsation. In this case, the folds b, b,. The flow of the oil (indicated by the arrow in the figure) is concentrated, and a problem occurs that the intended filtration performance is not exhibited. Similarly, if the filter paper is wound into a roll, cracks occur between the filter papers due to the effect of oil pulsation,
Filtration performance may decrease.

In order to prevent such a problem, in the conventional oil filter, a disk-shaped end plate (protector plate) is provided at both ends of the element.
And the end plates are supported by a perforated tubular member arranged on the inner peripheral side of the filter paper, so that the shape of the filter paper and the performance thereof are maintained.

[0007]

However, in the above-described oil filter, since the element itself is provided with a reinforcing member such as an end plate, even if only the element can be replaced, the disposal thereof is not necessarily performed. There is a problem that it is not easy. That is, when, for example, a steel plate or the like is used as the reinforcing member, since the element cannot be incinerated as it is, the reinforcing member and the filter paper must be disassembled and disposed separately, Disposal becomes extremely complicated. As a result, there is a concern that a used element may be discarded as it is, so that there is room for improvement in terms of waste reduction.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to devise a configuration in which an element is accommodated in a housing of an oil filter.
It is an object of the present invention to further enhance the environmental performance of an eco-type oil filter by ensuring that the shape and performance of the filter paper are maintained and the used element can be easily disposed of during use of the element.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, according to a solution of the present invention, a protector plate for protecting an element from the influence of oil pulsation is provided not on the element itself but on a housing. The sealing member for sealing the end of the element was made of a soft material, and the element was brought into contact with the protector plate via the sealing member.

More specifically, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a housing which accommodates a cylindrical element and defines an internal space by the element into an oil inflow chamber outside the element and an oil outflow chamber inside the element. It is assumed that an oil filter is provided, in which the housing is divided into a base end portion and a tip end portion along the axial direction of the element so that only the element can be replaced. An oil inflow passage communicating with the oil inflow chamber and an oil outflow passage communicating with the oil outflow chamber are provided at a base end side of the housing, respectively, and a base of an element facing an inner surface of the base end side of the housing is provided. An annular seal member made of a soft material that seals the oil inflow chamber and the oil outflow chamber in an oil-tight manner is provided at the end side, and between the inner surface of the base end side of the housing and the seal member. An annular protector plate which is in contact with the seal member over the entire circumference and at least a portion facing the opening of the oil inflow passage extends to near the outer peripheral edge of the element, and the protector plate is attached to the housing. It is configured to be fixed.

With the above arrangement, during use of the element,
The engine oil flows into the housing from the oil inflow passage on one side in the axial direction of the element, flows once in the circumferential direction along the protector plate, and then spreads from the oil inflow chamber outside the element to the oil outflow chamber inside. To pass through. Thereby, the influence of oil pulsation on the element can be reduced by the protector plate, so that the shape of the filter paper of the element is prevented from being collapsed, and the filtering performance of the element can be stably maintained. In addition, since the seal member of the element that comes into contact with the protector plate is made of a soft material, vibration of the protector plate caused by oil pulsation is attenuated, and generation of abnormal noise is suppressed.

Further, when the used element is discarded, there is no need to remove a reinforcing member such as a protector plate from the element, and the sealing member can be incinerated integrally, so that disposal is extremely easy. Can be done. Therefore, the environmental performance of the oil filter is further improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a pressing portion for pressing the protector plate is provided on the inner surface of the base end side portion of the housing so that the contact state with the seal member is maintained. By doing so, the protector plate is reliably brought into contact with the seal member of the element by the pressing portion, so that the vibration of the protector plate can be sufficiently attenuated. Further, leakage of engine oil between the protector plate and the seal member can be prevented.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the outer peripheral edge of the seal member according to the second aspect of the present invention is positioned closer to the inner peripheral side than the outer peripheral edge of the element, and the pressing portion is disposed concentrically with the seal member. In addition, the outer peripheral edge of the pressing portion is located at substantially the same position as the outer peripheral edge of the seal member. Accordingly, the protector plate is elastically held in the axial direction of the element by the seal member and the pressing portion, and is substantially stably held around the axial center.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an oil outflow passage protrudes into the oil outflow chamber in the element along the axis of the element on the inner surface of the base end side of the housing in the third aspect of the invention. A boss portion is provided, and the pressing portion is formed in an annular shape around the boss portion. Thus, the protector plate can be substantially uniformly pressed over the entire circumference by the annular pressing portion, and thereby,
The operation and effect of the invention of claim 3 are sufficiently obtained.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a plate fixing portion for externally fitting to the boss portion is provided on the inner peripheral edge of the protector plate according to the fourth aspect of the present invention. With this,
The protector plate is not only sandwiched by the seal member and the pressing portion, but is also fitted and fixed to the boss portion at the inner peripheral edge.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the protector plate according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is provided with a stepped portion which is bent so that a portion radially outward from a contact position with the pressing portion is separated from the pressing portion. Shall be formed. In this way, the rigidity of the protector plate is increased overall by the steps. Further, since the space between the protector plate and the housing is wider on the outer peripheral side than the contact position with the pressing portion, the engine oil flowing from the oil inflow passage is easily distributed in the circumferential direction along the protector plate.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, an annular member made of a soft material for sealing the oil inflow chamber and the oil outflow chamber in the housing in an oil-tight manner is provided at the front end of the element facing the inner surface of the front end of the housing. A sealing member that holds the sealing member and closes the distal end of the element between the inner surface of the distal end side portion of the housing and the sealing member; and the shaft center of the element via the closing member. Biasing means for pressing in the direction.

In this configuration, since the element housed in the housing is pressed and urged toward the housing base end as a whole by the urging means, the contact between the seal member and the protector plate at the base end is made. The state is reliably maintained. Also, the sealing member and the closing member are in close contact with each other at the distal end of the element, and leakage of engine oil therebetween is prevented.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of an oil filter F according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing whose main body is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom. In the housing 1, an element 2 (see FIG. 4) obtained by folding a filter paper 2a into a cylindrical shape is disposed so that its axis X substantially coincides with the axis of the housing 1. Numeral 2 is attached to the side of the cylinder block of the engine (not shown) so that the axis X is oriented in the vertical direction. More specifically, the housing 1 is made of, for example, an aluminum die-cast, and has a housing body 3 (base end side) of approximately half the upper side (base end side in the axis X direction) and a lower side (tip end side in the axis X direction). ) Half of housing case 4 (tip side)
Is divided into two, and the element 2
Can be replaced when it is clogged.

The housing main body 3 comprises a substantially disk-shaped upper wall 3a and a peripheral wall 3b extending downward from the outer peripheral edge of the upper wall 3a, and the entire periphery of the lower edge of the peripheral wall 3b. , An annular flange joined to the housing case portion 4 is formed. Also, a central columnar portion 6 extending upward from the upper surface of the upper wall portion 3a along the axis X, an outer peripheral side columnar portion 7 extending upward on the outer peripheral side, and a cross-shaped intermediate portion 8 connecting them. And a thick bracket portion 9 (shown only in FIG. 2) extending in the lateral direction from the middle of the central columnar portion 6 and the outer peripheral columnar portion 7. Is provided with a substantially rectangular mounting flange portion 10 mounted on the engine side.

Further, on the lower surface of the upper wall 3a of the housing main body 3, that is, on the inside of the housing, there is provided a columnar boss 11 projecting downward along the axis X. The upper end (the proximal end) of the element 2 is externally fitted. Around this boss 11, an annular projection (pressing portion) 12 projecting downward from the upper wall 3a.
The annular projection 12 is formed as described in detail later.
Presses the upper surface of the disk-shaped protector plate 13, and stably holds the upper end of the element 2 via the protector plate 13 and a seal member 31 described later.

A hole 14 having a circular cross section is formed in the lower end surface (projection end) of the boss 11, and the hole 14 extends along the axis X to the vicinity of the tip of the central column 6. Perforated. An oil passage 15 communicating with the hole 14 is provided in the bracket portion 9, and the oil passage 15 opens on the flange surface of the mounting flange portion 10,
It communicates with the engine oil gallery (not shown). That is, the hole 14 and the oil passage 15 are
Communicating with the inner peripheral side (oil outflow chamber) of the element 2 inside the
It constitutes an oil outflow passage for sending clean engine oil after filtration to the engine side. Similarly, a hole 17 is drilled inside the outer peripheral columnar portion 7 so as to communicate with the outer periphery (oil inflow chamber) of the element 2 in the housing 1, and the hole 17 is formed in the bracket 9. An oil passage 18 communicating with the oil passage 17 is provided, and the hole 17 and the oil passage 18 constitute an oil inflow passage through which engine oil pumped from an oil pump (not shown) flows into the housing 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, holes 21 and 22 formed in the intermediate portion 8 are individually connected to the two holes 14 and 17, respectively. These two holes 2
Numerals 1 and 22 are orthogonal to each other and communicate with each other, and the outer opening ends thereof are closed by plugs 20 and 20, respectively. Of the two holes 21 and 22, a hole 22 communicating with the hole 17 on the oil inflow side is provided with a relief valve 23.
Are arranged. The relief valve 23 includes a ball-shaped valve body 23a that receives the oil pressure on the oil inflow side and the valve body 2a.
Coil spring 23b for urging 3a toward the valve closing side
When the element 2 is clogged or the like and the oil pressure on the oil inflow side becomes higher than a predetermined value, the engine oil in the hole 17 on the oil inflow side is caused to flow through the holes 21 and 22. It is designed to bypass the oil outflow side.

On the other hand, the housing case 4 comprises a substantially disk-shaped lower wall 4a and a peripheral wall 4b extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the lower wall 4a. An annular flange joined to the annular flange at the lower end of the housing body 3 is formed over the entire circumference, and O
A ring 25 is provided. A through hole 4c is provided at the center of the lower wall portion 4a, and the housing case portion 4 is connected to the housing body 3 by a connecting bolt 26 inserted through the through hole 4c. That is,
The distal end of the connection bolt 26 is inserted into the hole 14 of the boss 11 of the housing body 4, and a male screw threaded at the distal end is screwed into a female screw threaded at the deepest portion of the hole 14. Has been concluded.

Further, on the upper surface of the lower wall 4a of the housing case 4, that is, inside the housing, there is provided an annular wall 28 projecting upward at a position concentric with the axis X. Coil spring 29 (biasing means) on circumferential side
Are arranged. And this coil spring 29
A substantially cylindrical collar 30 (closing member) is fitted and fixed to the upper part of the element 2, and the lower end of the element 2 is closed and supported by the collar 30.

Specifically, at both upper and lower ends of the element 2, annular seal members 31 and 32 made of felt for sealing the outer peripheral side and the inner peripheral side of each end in an oil-tight manner are provided. At the lower end, a boss 30a of the collar 30 is fitted inside the inner periphery of the seal member 32, and a flange 30b that extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis X is formed on the entire periphery of the seal member 32. It is joined oil-tight across. The center hole 30c of the collar 30 has a connecting bolt 26
Are inserted, and the outer peripheral surface of the connection bolt 26 and the inner peripheral surface of the center hole 30c are oil-tightly sealed by an O-ring 33. The collar 30 is pressed and urged toward the element 2 by the coil spring 29, and the space between the collar 30 and the seal member 32 is kept oil-tight. Between the seal member 31 and the protector plate 13 is kept oil-tight.

The main feature of the present invention lies in the arrangement structure of the protector plate 13. That is, the protector plate 13 is formed in a disk shape having a through-hole at the center thereof, and an annular bent portion 13 extending upward at a peripheral edge of the through-hole (an inner peripheral edge of the protector plate 13).
a (plate fixing portion), and the bent portion 13
a is externally fitted to the boss 11 of the housing main body 3, and is fixed to the housing main body 3 in a state where the upper surface of the plate is in contact with the lower end of the annular projection 12 of the housing main body 3.

The outer peripheral edge of the protector plate 13 extends slightly to the outer peripheral side from the outer peripheral edge of the element 2, and the engine oil flowing from the hole 17 of the upper wall 3 a of the housing body 3 receives the engine oil. The engine oil is protected so as not to directly hit the upper end of the element 2, and the engine oil is spread in the circumferential direction so as to be substantially uniformly circulated on the outer peripheral side of the element 2. Further, as described above, when the entire element 2 is pressed and urged upward, the seal member 31 is pressed against the lower surface of the protector plate 13, while the protector plate 13 is pressed by the annular projection 12. , Protector plate 13
The seal member 31 is held in oil-tight contact over the entire circumference. That is, the protector plate 13 is fitted and fixed to the boss portion 11 by the bent portion 13a of the inner peripheral edge portion, and is also sandwiched by the annular projection portion 12 and the seal member 31 from both upper and lower sides. It is stably held almost evenly around.

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer peripheral edge of the sealing member 31 is located on the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral edge of the element 2, and the outer peripheral edge of the annular projection 12 is also sealed with the sealing member. Since it is located at substantially the same position as the outer peripheral edge of the member 31, the force acting on the protector plate 13 from the lower seal member 31 can be stably received by the annular projection 12. Moreover, the protector plate 13 is formed with a stepped portion 13b which is bent downward at a position on the outer peripheral side slightly from the contact position with the outer peripheral edge of the annular projection 12 or the seal member 31, and as a whole, Rigidity is increased. With such an arrangement, even if the pulsation of the engine oil flowing into the housing 1 is large, the vibration of the protector plate 13 due to the pulsation is sufficiently attenuated.

Further, the protector plate 13 on the outer peripheral side with respect to the step portion 13b is bent downward by the step portion 13b so that the upper wall portion 3 of the housing main body 3 is bent.
a, protector plate 1
The space above 3 is widened, so that the engine oil flowing into the housing 1 is easily distributed in the circumferential direction along the protector plate 13.

Therefore, according to the oil filter F according to this embodiment, the protector plate 13 prevents the flow of the engine oil from the hole 17 on the oil inflow side from directly hitting the end of the element 2. Since the filter 2 is protected, it is possible to prevent the shape of the filter paper 2a of the element 2 from being distorted due to the pulsation of the engine oil, and to stably maintain the filtering performance.

The element 2 is pressed and urged against the protector plate 13 by a coil spring 29 at the lower end, so that the gap between the seal member 31 at the upper end of the element 2 and the protector plate 13 can be reliably ensured. The contact member can be held tightly, and the sealing member 3
Since 1 is made of felt, that is, made of a soft material, the vibration of the protector plate 13 due to the pulsation of the engine oil can be sufficiently attenuated, and the generation of abnormal noise due to the vibration can also be prevented.

Further, when the element 2 is clogged due to use, it is replaced with a new one, and when the used element 2 is discarded, the element 2 is made of a filter paper 2a and a felt which can be safely incinerated. Since it is constituted by the seal member made of, the trouble of removing the reinforcing member such as the protector plate 13 as in the related art is not required, and the disposal of the element 2 can be performed extremely easily. This makes the oil filter F more excellent from the viewpoint of environmental protection, and can enhance so-called environmental performance.

(Other Embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes various other embodiments. That is, in the embodiment,
Seal members 31 and 32 for sealing both ends of the element 2
Is made of felt, but the material is not limited to this, and any soft material that can be incinerated without any problem from the viewpoint of environmental protection and has a certain degree of elasticity can be used.

In the above-described embodiment, the housing 1 and the element 2 are arranged so that their axes X are oriented in the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the housing 1 may not have a substantially cylindrical shape. And also element 2
May be arranged such that the axis X thereof is oriented in the left-right direction.

Further, in the above embodiment, an element obtained by winding a filter paper in a roll may be used instead of the element 2 obtained by folding the filter paper.

[0039]

As described above, according to the oil filter of the first aspect of the present invention, the flow of engine oil flowing into the housing is blocked by the protector plate, thereby reducing the influence of oil pulsation on the element. In addition, the shape of the filter paper can be prevented from being collapsed, and the filter performance of the element can be stably maintained. In addition, the vibration of the protector plate is attenuated by the seal member made of a soft material, so that generation of abnormal noise can be suppressed. Furthermore, when the used element is discarded, there is no need to remove a reinforcing member such as a protector plate, so that the disposal can be performed extremely easily, and thus the environmental performance of the oil filter is further enhanced. be able to.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the protector plate is reliably brought into contact with the seal member by the pressing portion, so that the vibration damping effect and the oil seal effect can be enhanced.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the outer peripheral edges of the sealing member and the pressing portion are located at substantially the same position in the radial direction inside the outer peripheral edge of the element, so that the protector plate is substantially in the circumferential direction. It can be held uniformly and stably.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the protector plate can be substantially uniformly pressed over the entire circumference by the annular pressing portion, so that the effect of the third aspect of the invention can be sufficiently obtained. .

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the protector plate is provided with a plate fixing portion which is fitted to the boss portion at the inner peripheral edge of the protector plate, so that the protector plate is more stably held and the vibration damping effect is enhanced. be able to.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, by forming the step portion on the protector plate, the rigidity can be improved as a whole, and the vibration damping effect can be enhanced. Also,
The circumferential flow of the engine oil flowing into the housing can be promoted.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to enhance the sealing at both ends of the element and to stably hold the element.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of an oil filter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 when a housing case portion is removed and viewed from below along an axis X;

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1 showing an arrangement configuration of a protector plate.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the folds of the filter paper are opened due to the influence of oil pulsation on the folds of the filter paper.

[Explanation of symbols]

 F Oil filter 1 Housing 2 Element 2a Filter paper 3 Housing body (base end) 4 Housing case (tip end) 11 Boss 12 Annular protrusion (pressing part) 13 Protector plate 13a Bend (plate) 13b Step portion 14 Hole (oil outflow passage) 15 Oil passage (oil outflow passage) 17 Hole (oil inflow passage) 18 Oil passage (oil inflow passage) 29 Coil spring (biasing means) 30 Collar (closed) Means) 31, 32 Seal member X axis

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A housing for accommodating a cylindrical element and having an inner space defined by the element as an oil inflow chamber outside the element and an oil outflow chamber inside the element. An oil filter that is divided into a base end portion and a tip end portion along the axis so that only the element can be replaced. The base end portion of the housing includes an oil inflow passage communicating with the oil inflow chamber and an oil. An oil outflow passage communicating with the outflow chamber is provided, and the oil inflow chamber and the oil outflow chamber are sealed in an oil-tight manner at a proximal end of the element facing the inner surface of the proximal end of the housing. An annular seal member made of a soft material is provided. Between the inner surface of the base end portion of the housing and the seal member, the seal member is applied to the entire periphery of the seal member. An oil filter, wherein an annular protector plate is provided, the annular protector plate being in contact with and extending at least a portion facing the opening of the oil inflow passage up to near the outer peripheral edge of the element, and the protector plate is fixed to the housing. . 2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein a pressing portion for pressing the protector plate is provided on an inner surface of a base end side portion of the housing so as to maintain a contact state with the seal member. And an oil filter. 3. The pressing member according to claim 2, wherein an outer peripheral edge of the sealing member is located on an inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral edge of the element, and a pressing portion is disposed concentrically with the sealing member. An oil filter, wherein an outer peripheral edge is located at substantially the same position as an outer peripheral edge of the seal member. 4. The boss portion according to claim 3, wherein an inner surface of the housing protrudes along an axis of the element into an oil outflow chamber in the element and an oil outflow passage opens at the protruding end. An oil filter, wherein the pressing portion is formed in an annular shape around the boss portion. 5. The oil filter according to claim 4, wherein a plate fixing portion externally fitted to the boss is provided on an inner peripheral edge of the protector plate. 6. The protector plate according to claim 4, wherein the protector plate is formed with a stepped portion that is bent so that a portion radially outward from a contact position with the pressing portion is separated from the pressing portion. An oil filter characterized by the following. 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein a distal end of the element facing the inner surface of the distal end of the housing is made of a soft material that seals an oil inflow chamber and an oil outflow chamber in the housing in an oil-tight manner. An annular seal member is provided, between the inner surface of the distal end side portion of the housing and the seal member, a closing member for holding the seal member and closing the distal end of the element, and an element via the closing member; And an urging means for pressing the oil filter in the axial direction.