JP2003138994A - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the inside of a filter element from being fouled by dirt or dust, when the filter element is removed from a cleaner case. SOLUTION: In a condition in which a filter element 60 is mounted on a cleaner case 10, a communicating tube 22 is fitted at and inserted into an opening portion 65a of a seal member 65. The communicating tube 22 is connected to an outlet 32 and extends inwardly of the cleaner case 10. The seal member 65 is attached to an air outlet 61a of the filter element 60. A conical lip portion 65b that extends from the opening portion 65a of the seal member 65 to outside of the filter element 60 is pressed to a bottom surface of an upper wall 21 of the cleaner case 10 and the lip portion 65b extends outwardly. A ring-like lip protection portion 29 is placed in a manner that is protrudes from the bottom surface of the upper wall 21 of the cleaner case 10 toward the seal member 65 side. The lip protection portion 29 is positioned so that it surrounds the outer circumference of the lip portion 65b that extends outwardly.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air cleaner for purifying air taken in from an air inlet and supplying the air to an engine or the like. 2. Description of the Related Art An air cleaner is provided, for example, in an intake system of a vehicle engine. The air cleaner takes in air from an air inlet, removes fine dust and dirt therein, cleans the engine, and then cleans the engine. To be supplied. As described above, since the air cleaner performs the filtering operation of the air, large dust does not enter the cylinder, the progress of the wear of the cylinder is suppressed, and the life of the engine is prevented from being shortened. [0003] Such an air cleaner usually has a pipe member connected to an air outlet and extending inside the cleaner case, and a pipe member attached to an air outlet of the filter element and the filter element attached to the cleaner case. A seal member (packing) having an opening into which the tube member fits. The sealing member is provided with a conical lip extending from the opening through which the pipe member is inserted to the outside of the filter element, the filter element is mounted in the cleaner case, and the pipe member is formed of the sealing member. When positioned in the opening, the lip of the seal member is pressed against the inner surface of the cleaner case and spreads outward to seal between the pipe member and the filter element. [0004] However, in such a conventional air cleaner, when the filter element is removed from the cleaner case at the time of cleaning the filter element or the like, the filter element is shaken. Occasionally, dust or dirt adhering to the filter paper of the filter element or the inner surface of the cleaner case is scattered, and the dirt or dust gets into the filter element from the air exhaust port and contaminates the inside of the filter element. was there. The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air cleaner having a structure in which the inside of a filter element is not easily polluted by dust or the like when the filter element is removed from a cleaner case. It is an object. [0006] An air cleaner according to the present invention comprises a cleaner case having an air inlet (for example, the inlet 24 in the embodiment) and an air outlet (for example, the outlet 32 in the embodiment). An air cleaner having a filter element for air filtration provided inside the cleaner case, wherein air taken in from the air inlet passes through the filter element and is discharged from the air outlet. A tubular portion (for example, the communication tube 22 in the embodiment) connected to the inside of the cleaner case, an opening attached to an air outlet of the filter element and surrounding the inner periphery of the air outlet, and a filter from the opening. A sealing member having a conical lip extending to the outside of the element; A ring-shaped lip protecting portion that protrudes from the inner surface of the cleaner case toward the seal member and surrounds the tubular portion, and in a state where the filter element is mounted in the cleaner case, the tubular portion serves as a seal member. While being inserted into the opening, the lip of the seal member is pressed against the inner surface of the cleaner case and spreads outward,
The lip protection part is located so as to surround the outer periphery of the lip part spreading outward. In this air cleaner, the lip portion of the sheave member, which is pressed against the inner surface of the cleaner case with the filter element mounted in the cleaner case and spreads outward, is closer to the seal member than the inner surface of the cleaner case. The protection is provided by being located inside a ring-shaped lip protection portion provided to protrude from the lip portion. For this reason, even if the filter element is removed from the cleaner case and dust and dirt attached to the filter element's filter paper and the inner surface of the cleaner case are scattered inside the cleaner case, the dirt and dust are still discharged from the filter element's air outlet. It is difficult to get inside the filter element, and it is possible to prevent the inside of the filter element from being polluted by dirt, dust and the like. Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a partial sectional front view showing an embodiment of an air cleaner according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial sectional right side view, FIG. 3 is a partial sectional left side view, and FIG. 4 is a partial sectional plan view. . FIG. 5 shows FIG.
6 is a cross-sectional view as viewed from the line V-V, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view as viewed from the line VI-VI in FIG. 2, and FIG.
It is the bottom view seen from I. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the present air cleaner. As shown in FIG. 8, the air cleaner 1 includes a cleaner case 10, a cylindrical filter element 60 housed and held in the cleaner case 10,
An inlet pipe 70 detachably mounted in the cleaner case 10 and serving as a water separating member. The cleaner case 10 includes a case body 20, an upper cover 30 detachably attached to an upper portion of the case body 20, a lower cover 40 detachably attached to a lower portion of the case body 20, and a side portion of the case body 20. And a side cover 50 that is detachably attached to the main body. The center of the case body 20 of the cleaner case 10 is formed in a vertically long cylindrical shape, and a cylindrical element accommodation space ES for accommodating the filter element 60 is formed therein (see FIG. 1). 5 and 6). A circular upper opening 21 is formed at the center of the upper wall 21 of the case main body 20 constituting the element accommodation space ES.
a (see FIG. 8), and the upper opening 21a is formed.
A cylindrical communication tube 22 is provided extending from the bottom (see FIG. 5). A hollow water storage tank half 23 is formed on the front side of the element housing space ES, and an inlet 24 serving as an air inlet is provided to extend rightward and horizontally from the right wall 23a. I have. In the upper part of the inner wall 23b of the water storage tank half 23, an element accommodation space ES is provided.
The air inflow window 25 that is connected to the
The air that has flowed in from 4 enters the element housing space ES from the air inflow window 25. The side cover 50 constituting the element case 10 is detachably attached to the front of the above-mentioned water reservoir half 23 formed on the case body 20, and the side cover 50 is attached to the case body 20. In the retracted state, a water reservoir is formed by the water reservoir half 23 and the side cover 50, and a water reservoir space WS is formed therein (see FIGS. 4, 5, and 6). A drain hole is provided in the lower part of the water tank half 23, and an unloader valve 91 for draining is attached to the drain hole (FIGS. 2, 7, and 8).
reference). FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the inlet pipe 70. A base 71 of the inlet pipe 70 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and extends in the horizontal direction. Ear portions 72, 72 for attaching the main inlet pipe 70 to the case main body 20 are provided at upper and lower portions thereof so as to project vertically. Have been. The inner surface of the base 71 located on the case body 20 side is formed into a cylindrical curved surface on the air inlet side (inlet 24 side), but is formed substantially flat on the air outlet side (air inlet window 25 side). In addition, an air guide portion 73 extending to the air outlet side is provided. Also,
Below the air guide portion 73, a moisture guide portion 74 is provided which protrudes and extends substantially horizontally from the air outlet side, and has a sharp tip at the tip. Further, the water guide 74 has a side opposite to the air guide 73 (the side cover 50).
Side), that is, a notch 75 extending toward the inlet 24 between the air guide 73 and the moisture guide 74.
(See also FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 8, upper and lower protrusions 26 for mounting an inlet pipe 70 are provided at upper and lower positions of the air inlet window 25 formed on the case body 20. 26, holes 72a formed in upper and lower ear portions 72, 72 of the inlet pipe 70,
The inlet pipe 70 can be attached to the case body 20 by attaching push nuts N, N to the ends of both projections 26, 26 after penetrating the 72a. As described above, the inlet pipe 70 of the air cleaner 1 is detachable from the case body 20. FIG. 10 is a partial sectional front view of the filter element 10. FIG. As shown in this figure, a filter element 60 used in the present air cleaner 1 is attached so that a filter paper 62 made of a nonwoven fabric folded in a bellows shape is wound around an outer periphery of a base 61 made of a cylindrical shell having a large number of holes, The upper and lower ends are disk-shaped fixing caps 6
3, 64. At the center of the upper fixed cap 63, an air outlet 61a (FIG. 1) formed of a circular hole having an inner periphery slightly larger than the outer periphery of the base 61.
1) is provided, and a cylindrical sealing member 65 having a conical lip portion 65a that is open outward and upward is attached to the air discharge port 61a.
In addition, a dust cover installation member 66 having a trapezoidal ring cross section is provided on the lower surface side of the fixed cap 64 located below the filter element 60. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the filter element 60 has a cylindrical dish-shaped dust cover 80 opened upward.
The lower part of the case body 20 is inserted and attached from the lower part of the case body 20 while the lower part is held, and a cylindrical dish-shaped lower cover 40 opened upward to hold the dust cover 80 from below is attached to the lower part of the case body 20. You. A ring-shaped groove 81 having a trapezoidal cross section is formed on the bottom surface of the dust cover 80.
When attached to the lower part of the filter element 60, the dust cover installation member 66 below the filter element 60 is fitted from above. Also, the dust cover 80
Is provided with a ring-shaped gasket holding portion 82 which is provided to protrude outward, and a ring-shaped gasket 83 is attached to the gasket holding portion 82 (see FIGS. 5 and 8). ). This gasket, when attached to the inside of the case main body 20, comes into close contact with the inner wall of the case main body 20 and functions to maintain the airtightness between the dust cover 80 and the inner surface of the case main body 20. Three clamps 43, 43, 43 are attached to the outer periphery of the lower cover 40 so as to be swingable, and these clamps 43, 43, 43 are attached to a clamp member provided at a lower portion of the case body 20. The lower cover 40 can be fixed to the case main body 20 by being locked to the stopper 27. Also, a hole penetrating vertically is provided in the center of the lower cover 40,
An unloader valve 92 is attached to this hole (see FIGS. 5, 7, and 8). When the filter element 60 is mounted in the element receiving space ES, the case body 20
The above-described communication pipe 2 formed to extend below the upper wall 21
2 fits through the opening 65a of the seal member 65 attached to the upper part of the filter element 60. When the filter element 60 is completely installed in the case body 20, the lip portion 65b of the sealing member 65
The lip portion 65b is pressed against the upper wall 21 from below and opens outward, and the air in the conical portion becomes negative pressure, so that the lip portion 65b comes into close contact with the upper wall 21 of the case body 20. Thereby, the space between the base 61 of the filter element 60 and the communication pipe 22 is sealed, and the air in the base 61 of the filter element 60 flows to the outlet 32 efficiently. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state of the lip portion 65b of the seal member 65 before and after the mounting of the filter element 60,
(A) shows the middle of the mounting of the filter element 60 on the case body 20, and (B) shows the filter element 60.
Are shown after being mounted in the case main body 20, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 11, a ring-shaped lip protecting portion 29 protruding downward is provided on the lower surface of the upper wall 21 of the case body 20, and the filter element 60 is provided as described above. When mounted in the element accommodation space ES, the lip portion 65b of the seal member 65 that is opened outward is located inside the lip portion protection portion 29. That is, when the filter element 60 is mounted in the cleaner case 10, the lip portion protection portion 29 is provided with the sealing member 6 that has spread outward.
5 is located so as to surround the outer periphery of the lip portion 65b. The upper cover 30 is mounted on the upper part of the case body 20. The upper cover 30 has a box-shaped box portion 31 and a tubular outlet (air outlet) 32 formed to bend and extend horizontally from the center of the box portion 31. When the cover 30 is mounted on the upper cover mounting frame 28 formed on the upper wall 21 of the case body 20, a resonator space RS is formed between the box portion 31 and the upper wall 21 of the case body 20. (See FIG. 5). Inlet 2
The air that has flowed in from 4 enters the element housing space ES through the air inflow window 25 and flows around the outer periphery of the filter element 60. Then, the paper passes through the filter paper 62 of the filter element 60 in a direction from the outer peripheral portion to the inner peripheral portion, reaches the inside space of the base 61, and is connected to the inside of the resonator space RS by the communication pipe 22 communicating with the inside space of the base 61. Through the outlet 32 to the outside of the air cleaner 1. The outlet 32 is connected to an intake system of an engine (not shown).
The air in the air vibrates due to the opening and closing of the intake valve of the engine, but as described above, the resonator space R
S, that is, since the resonance space is located, the intake noise is attenuated, and the intake operation is performed smoothly. Further, as described above, the air that has entered the element housing space ES through the air inflow window 25 flows around the outer periphery of the filter element 60, so that large centrifugal force causes large dust and small stones to be contained in the air. Are separated. In the present air cleaner 1, as shown in FIG. 6, the center axis AX1 of the cylindrical element housing space ES and the center axis AX2 of the filter element 60 held in the element housing space ES are slightly shifted from each other. The central axis AX2 of 60 is located to the rear right of the central axis AX1 of the element accommodating space ES (in FIG. 6, lower right of the paper surface). Since the width of the air passage formed by the outer surface of the element 60 smoothly changes from a wide portion to a narrow portion, the speed of the air flowing from the inlet 24 is gradually increased, and the pebbles and the like can be more effectively removed. It can be separated. The pebbles and the like separated by the centrifugal force fall downward along the inner wall of the case body 20,
In order to guide these pebbles and the like into the lower cover 40, a notch 84 (a hatched portion in FIG. 6) penetrating vertically is provided in a part of the ring-shaped gasket holding portion. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, three dust cover support ribs 42, 42, 42 for supporting the bottom surface of the dust cover 80 are provided on the upper surface side of the bottom wall 41 of the lower cover 40. Support ribs 42, 42,
Reference numeral 42 denotes the case body 2
Since it has a blade shape that is bent in the same direction as the direction in which the gasket rotates around the inside of the gasket holding portion 82, the blade 8 is separated from the air by rotating in the case body 20.
The large dust and pebbles that have descended to the lower cover 40 through 4 are collected in the center of the lower cover 40. The large dust and pebbles collected in the center of the lower cover 40 in this manner are released from the engagement by the clamps 43, 43, and 43, and the lower cover 40 is removed from the case body 20, whereby the air cleaner 1 is removed. Can be discharged outside. FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the air inlet window 25 of the case body 20 in FIG. As shown in this figure, when the inlet pipe 70 is attached to the case main body 20, the air guide portion 7 of the inlet pipe 70
3 is the above-described air inflow window 25 formed in the case main body 20.
From inside the element housing space ES. As a result, a part of the air flowing from the inlet 24 is guided by the air guide portion 73, and the element housing space E
However, the air guide 73 of the inlet pipe 70 exits the inlet pipe 70 because the extended surface H of the inner wall surface 73a thereof is located at a position in contact with the outer peripheral edge of the filter paper 62 of the filter element 60. The air smoothly flows into the element housing space ES. Then, the air that has flowed into the element housing space ES flows downward so as to go around the outer periphery of the filter element 60. In addition, when the inlet pipe 70 is mounted in the case main body 20, the moisture guide 74 of the inlet pipe 70 is also located in the element accommodation space ES, but the distal end of the moisture guide 74 and the air guide 73.
Notch 75 provided between the water guide 74
Is outside the element storage space ES, that is, the water storage space W
It is located within S. The moisture in the air that has flowed into the case body 20 from the inlet 24 condenses on the inner wall of the base of the inlet pipe 70 (the inner wall of the base 71) to form water droplets. It moves to the bottom of the inner wall, and is pushed and moved toward the air outlet side (air inflow window 25 side) by the air flowing into the element housing space ES. Fall into WS. Further, since the distal end of the water guide 74 of the inlet pipe 70 is located in the water storage space WS, the water that has not fallen from the notch 75 also travels along the water guide 74 and is collected from the distal end thereof. Fall into the space WS. here,
A grid-like member (for example, a cylindrical member having a honeycomb structure) may be inserted and attached into the inlet 24 so that moisture in the air flowing from the inlet 24 easily condenses. Air that did not become water droplets on the inner wall of the base of the inlet pipe 70 (air containing water)
Has a greater inertia than air that does not contain moisture, and therefore goes straight without flowing into the element housing space ES from the air inflow window 25 and most of the water enters the water storage space WS. The water accumulated in the water storage space WS is discharged to the outside of the air cleaner 1 by pushing up the unloader valve 91 to open a water drain hole provided in the water storage tank half 23. Can be. As described above, the moisture in the air flowing from the inlet 24 is separated at the inlet pipe 70 and accumulated in the water storage space WS, but not all the moisture is separated at the inlet pipe 70. .
Moisture that is not separated from the inflow air in the inlet pipe 70 enters the element housing space ES through the air inflow window 25 of the case main body 20, but the water condenses on the inner wall of the case main body 20 while rotating in the element housing space ES And run down. As can be seen from FIG. 5, such moisture flows down to the gasket holding portion 82 of the dust cover 80, and the water that has flowed down to the gasket holding portion 82 flows into the lower cover 40 from the notch 84. The water that has flowed into the lower cover 40 in this manner can be discharged to the outside of the air cleaner 1 by pushing up the above-described unloader valve 92 to open a hole in the center of the lower cover 40. When the filter element 60 is to be removed from the case body 20, such as when the filter element 60 is cleaned, first, the clamps 43, 43, 43 hooked on the clamp locking portions 27 at the lower part of the case body 20 are locked. Is released, and the lower cover 40 is removed from the case body 20, and then the dust cover 80 is attached to the filter element 60.
Remove from the bottom of. Then, the lower portion of the filter element 60 is grasped by hand and inclined obliquely so that the lip portion 65b of the sealing member 65 adsorbed on the upper wall 21 of the case body 20 can be peeled off from the upper wall 21. Thereafter, the filter element 60 can be separated from the case body 20 by pulling the filter element 60 downward and taking it out of the case body 20. When the filter element 60 is tilted obliquely to remove the suction of the lip portion 65b, the entire filter element 60 is shaken and adheres to the filter paper 62 and the lower surface of the upper wall 21 of the case body 20. The dust and the like that are scattered in the case body 20 are scattered in the case body 20, but in the present air cleaner 1, as described above, the filter element 60 is attached to the inside of the cleaner case 10 (the upper wall 21). The lower lip portion 65b is pressed against the lip portion 65b and spreads outwardly. The lip portion 65b is located inside the ring-shaped lip portion protection portion 29 protruding from the inner surface of the cleaner case 10 toward the seal member 65 and protected. The filter element 60 is removed from the cleaner case 10 and the filter element 60 is filtered. Even when dust and the like adhered to the inner surface of the cleaner case 20 and the dust and the like are scattered in the cleaner case 10, the dust and the like are passed through the air discharge port 61 a of the filter element 60 into the filter element 60 (ie, in the base 61). This makes it difficult for the filter element 60 to enter the filter element 60, thereby preventing a situation in which the inside of the filter element 60 is contaminated by dirt or dust. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above. For example, the shape of the air filter to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the shape shown in the above embodiment,
A cleaner case having an air inlet (corresponding to the inlet 24 in the above embodiment) and an air outlet (corresponding to the outlet 32 in the above embodiment) and a filter element for air filtration provided inside the cleaner case are provided. The present invention can be applied to any air cleaner having a configuration in which the air taken in from the air inlet passes through the filter element and is discharged from the air outlet. As described above, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the filter element is attached to the inside of the cleaner case and is pressed against the inner surface of the cleaner case to spread the lip of the sheave member outward. The portion is located inside a ring-shaped lip portion protection portion provided to protrude from the inner surface of the cleaner case toward the seal member so as to be protected. For this reason, even if the filter element is removed from the cleaner case and dust and dirt attached to the filter element's filter paper and the inner surface of the cleaner case are scattered inside the cleaner case, the dirt and dust are still discharged from the filter element's air outlet. It is difficult to get inside the filter element, and it is possible to prevent the inside of the filter element from being polluted by dirt, dust and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing an embodiment of an air cleaner according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side view, partially in section, of the present air cleaner shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially sectional left side view of the air cleaner shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a partial sectional plan view of the air cleaner shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 7 is a bottom view as viewed from arrow VII in FIG. 3; FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the air cleaner. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an inlet pipe. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional front view of a filter element. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating states of a lip portion of a seal member before and after mounting of a filter element, and FIG. 11A illustrates a state where the filter element is being mounted on a case body.
(B) shows the state after the filter element is mounted in the case body. FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of an air inlet window of the case main body in FIG. 6; DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air cleaner 10 Cleaner case 20 Case main body 24 Inlet 25 Air inflow window 29 Lip protection part 30 Upper cover 32 Outlet 40 Lower cover 50 Side cover 60 Filter element 65 Seal member 65a Opening 65b Lip 70 Inlet pipe 80 Dust cover ES Element storage space WS Water storage space RW Resonator space

Continuation of front page    F term (reference) 4D058 JA02 JA10 JB25 KA15 KA16                       KA27 KC19 KC63 SA07 SA15                       TA01

Claims (1)

Claims 1. A cleaner case having an air inlet and an air outlet formed therein, and an air filtration filter element provided inside the cleaner case, the air being taken in from the air inlet. An air cleaner having a configuration in which air passes through the filter element and is discharged from the air outlet, wherein a tubular portion connected to the air outlet and extending inside the cleaner case, and an air outlet of the filter element are provided. Attached,
A sealing member having an opening surrounding the inner periphery of the air outlet and a conical lip extending from the opening to the outside of the filter element; and a projection protruding from the inner surface of the cleaner case toward the sealing member. And a ring-shaped lip protecting portion surrounding the tubular portion.When the filter element is mounted in the cleaner case, the tubular portion fits in the opening of the sealing member. While being inserted, the lip portion of the seal member is pressed against the inner surface of the cleaner case and spreads outward, and the lip portion protection portion is positioned so as to surround the outer periphery of the lip portion spreading outward. Characterized air cleaner.