JPS6363006B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As seen in diesel fuel, the present invention provides
The present invention relates to a filter assembly particularly useful in removing contaminants such as water and particulate matter from fuel.

Many types, sizes, and shapes of fuel filters have been provided, and each filter has one or more drawbacks.

One serious disadvantage of using fuel filters in diesel operation is that in cold conditions, the low temperature of the fuel can cause various problems such as difficulty in starting, freezing of the contaminant collection container, etc. seen in the facts.

Accordingly, there was a need for an improved fuel filter assembly.

Generally provided are filter assemblies of the type that separate water and other contaminants from liquid fuel.
A support device having a flow path for allowing liquid fuel to enter and exit the assembly supports a container having a filter device therein. A device for forming first and second collection zones for collecting contaminants is in fluid communication with the filter device for positioning the first and second collection zones respectively upstream and downstream of at least a portion of the filter device. are combined. Furthermore, a device common to both said collection zones serves to drain contaminants from each collection zone simultaneously.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved filter assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a filter assembly arranged in such a manner as to extend the life of the filter unit.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a filter assembly arranged in such a way as to improve the efficiency of water aggregation and/or separation media.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved filter assembly of the type that utilizes a series of functional units connected in tandem to define a flow path.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved multi-media filter unit for use in filter assemblies of the type that utilize a series of functional units connected in tandem as described above.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved fuel heating unit adapted to be sandwiched or coupled between adjacent functional units.

Another object of the invention is characterized by first and second collection zones arranged respectively upstream and downstream of the fuel treatment unit and defining a flow path radially outwardly of a portion of the treatment unit. An object of the present invention is to provide a filter assembly.

The above and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Filter assembly 10 includes a generally elongated hollow outer body 11, a pair of contaminant collection zones or chambers 16,
17, the filter cartridge 13
and a device such as a funnel-shaped separation unit 12 located below the Furthermore, primer pump assembly 1
4 initially serves to supply fuel into the device and through the filter cartridge 13. Drainage assembly 18 simultaneously drains both contaminant collection chambers 16, 17, which are isolated from each other, while cap assembly 19 supports the entire structure and provides fuel flow into and out of filter assembly 10. Provide equipment.

The device for axially supporting the separation unit 12 within the outer body 11 has a plurality of elongated braces or stringers 21 distributed around the interior of the outer body 11. Each stringer 21 has a notched shoulder 21a for receiving the underside of the top rim 22 of the separation unit 12. The longitudinal members 21 extend further upwardly in a slightly spaced guiding relationship to the side walls of the filter cartridge 13.

The filter cartridge 13 is held firmly in place by the action of the fixing ring 23. The ring 23 thus has a radially inwardly directed lower lip 23a which is connected to the outer body 1.
1 is arranged to engage the underside of a shoulder 24 extending radially outwardly from the upper end of the shoulder 24 . The upper inner edge of the ring 23 is threaded and the cap assembly 19
the corresponding outer threads 26 of.

Thus, by rotating the ring 23, the cap assembly 19 is pulled downwardly toward the cartridge 13, thereby causing the cap assembly 19 to
An inner depending annular rib 27 of triangular cross section is pressed against an upper annular elastic seal 28 supported on the cartridge 13. Compression of the rib 29 forces the cartridge 13 down toward an annular sealing rib 29 of triangular cross section that projects upwardly from the rim 22. Thus, the annular elastic gasket 31 supported on the bottom surface of the cartridge 13 engages the rib 29 to form a seal between the cartridge 13 and the rib 29 around the bottom circumference of the cartridge 13. For purposes further described below, the separation unit 12
has a first cylindrical contaminant collection chamber 16 and a rib 2
9 and gasket 31, the second collection chamber 17 is isolated from the first collection chamber.

The device for simultaneously draining both collection chambers 16, 17 has an assembly 18 best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The bottom of the collection chamber 16 thus has a plurality of drains 32 for draining contaminants from the chamber 16. A drain valve assembly 18, characterized by a valve element 33 of a resilient material such as rubber, is disposed on the surface of the bottom 12a of the chamber 16 and
a retaining cap 34 adapted to pass through a;
has. As shown in FIG. 2, the lateral extent of the cap 34 is not sufficient to completely cover all of the drain 32 so as not to block the flow of contaminants exiting the chamber 16.

As described further below, the valve element 33 is movable relative to the bottom surface 12a of the chamber 16 between raised and lowered positions to move the closure member 36 into a closed relationship with the drain 32 or into a closed position. to withdraw from the relationship.

The lower outer edge 37 of the unit 12 is connected to the floor 3 of the chamber 17.
edge 37 and floor 38 by retraction of valve actuating element 39.
A flow path is formed between the two. Valve actuation element 39
has threads that engage internal threads in the downwardly directed sleeve 41 to move it forward and backward relative to the valve element.

Regarding the drainage of liquid from chamber 17, the device for forming a seal consists of an annular gasket 42 fitted around the underside of bottom 12a. Furthermore, actuating element 3
The upper end of element 39 is formed with an annular peripheral rib 43 which engages gasket 42 when element 39 is moved into the extended or raised position.

At the same time, the annular rib 44 formed around the inlet to the drain 46 cooperates with the underside of the closing part 36 to push the valve element 33 into the closed position with respect to the drain 32 .

The cap assembly 19 includes means for forming an inlet port 47 and an outlet port 48 and an inlet port extension 49 that is connected to a fuel delivery tube 51 mounted axially within the cartridge 13.
It terminates in a cylindrical sleeve portion 49a which enters into sealing relationship with the upper end. Cartridge 13 has fixed dual media as follows. That is, the lower medium 52 is comprised of a suitable material, such as fiberglass or foam, for condensing and releasing water droplets at the outer periphery of the medium 52 for drainage downward into the chamber 17.

The upper part of the cartridge 13 has a filter medium 5
4, whereby the fuel discharged from the outside of the medium 52 passes longitudinally upwardly along the interior of the outer body 11 into the medium 54 and is finally passed through. It is discharged through outlet port 48.

In operation, the primer pump assembly 14 is first activated to initially supply fuel to the engine. Knob 56 is pushed down against the force of spring 57 to move flexible diaphragm 58 into and out of load chamber 59 . When diaphragm 58 is released and moved upwardly, fuel is drawn into chamber 59 through inlet port 47 . Subsequently, when the diaphragm 58 moves downwards, fuel is fed downwards through the delivery tube 51 and is discharged into the area of the first collection chamber 16 .
The fuel flow reverses its direction within chamber 16, thereby substantially slowing it down. As the fuel is decelerated, particulate debris, water, or other materials contained in the fuel fall and are accepted into the contaminant collection chamber 16.

The flow of fuel then continues from a location radially inward of media 52 and passes radially outwardly through media 52. Thus, when the fuel reaches the surface of release layer 52a, agglomerated droplets 53 collect and drain downwardly along the sidewalls of release layer 52a as described above.

The fuel then flows upwardly through filter media 54 and out through outlet port 48 .

Finally, with respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the magnetic floating switch assembly 61 (see FIG. 7) has a suitable known annular float 62 which floats on water and is submerged in diesel fuel. Float 62 moves between forward and retracted positions along a switch housing 63 containing a switch 64 actuated by an annular magnet 66 secured therein.

When the water in chamber 17 reaches a predetermined height, magnet 66 in float 62 acts to activate switch 64 in housing 63 to alert the operator that chamber 17 needs to be drained. . To drain both chambers 16, 17 at the same time, the valve actuating element 39 is unscrewed to form a flow path between the gasket 42 and the rib 43, while the force behind the valve element 33 is released. The valve element 33 is lowered, thereby opening the drain 32.

By lowering the actuating element 39 sufficiently from below the valve element 33, the element 33 is removed from the retaining cap 34.
It becomes suspended by. The closing part 36 thus no longer blocks the drain 46, so that waste water now flows into the drain 46 from both chambers 16,17.

As the fuel flows downwardly through the cartridge 13, the chamber 16 collects not only solids but also sufficient free water contained in the fuel that does not need to be agglomerated to be separated from the fuel. By first removing this free water as well as the particulate matter that collects in chamber 16 as described above, filter media 5
4 and the life of the filter medium 52 can be significantly extended. Additionally, the flow system as constructed herein directs fuel through both media 52, 54 in the direction deemed most effective for each.

From the above description, the general structure of the present invention will be easily understood. Additional preferred embodiments, such as those shown in FIGS. 4-10, provide several improvements, as will now be described.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 provides a basic structure that allows modular stacking of functional units to be selectively associated. Thus, generally the filter assembly 67 is connected to the primer pump 69 and the fuel assembly 6.
The cap assembly 68 is characterized by a flow path defining an inlet port 71 and an outlet port 72 for inflow and outflow from the cap 7 . An elongated rigid tube 73 suitably secured within the cap assembly 68 forms a continuation of the fuel inlet port 71. A flexible plunger element 74 at the distal end of plunger rod 76 easily moves upwardly into tube 73. A knob 77 threadedly retained on the top of the cap assembly 68 is used to move the plunger element 74 between the raised and lowered positions. In operation, fuel easily passes through the flexible edges of element 74 as element 74 moves upwardly. A single check valve 78 connects the fuel inlet 71
Prevent backflow to. However, during the downward stroke of element 74, the fuel immediately above element 74 in tube 73 is released and additional fuel is drawn in through valve 78 by suction. In this way the initial charge of fuel is injected into the fuel-operated engine. Devices such as threads 79 formed around the upper end of tube 73 serve to mount a series of functional units, such as a multi-media filter cartridge 81, in tandem. Filter cartridge 81 has a container 82 for holding a plurality of filter media, such as an elongated annular coalescent filter media 83 disposed concentrically within an elongated annular filter 84 . The ends of the container 82 each have a threaded opening 86 defining a fuel inlet and a threaded opening 87 defining a first contaminant outlet;
It also has a fuel outlet 86' at the upper end and supports the filter assembly 81 and other functional units in tandem with respect to the cap assembly 68.

With this configuration, the threaded opening 86
engages the threads 79 of the tube 73, thereby locking the filter cartridge 81 essentially until a reliable seal is formed by the gasket 88 provided at the top of the container 82. It can be screwed upwardly toward the underside of the cap assembly 68. The opposite end of container 82 has a similar annular gasket 89, which allows a contaminant collection container 91 to be mounted below filter cartridge 81, as will now be described.

Vessel 91 has a central hollow contaminant collection chamber, or prefilter 92, located upstream of filter media 83,84. A second collection chamber 93 surrounds chamber 92 so as to form a collection zone at least downstream of media 83 . Threads 94 formed around the upper end of the elongated cylindrical wall forming chamber 92
serves to engage the thread 87 and support the container 91. The device for forming a seal with respect to the filter cartridge 81 includes a gasket 89 cooperating with an upper edge 96 of the outer periphery of the container 91. Furthermore,
A floating switch device 97 corresponding to floating switch assembly 61 is mounted in outer collection chamber 93.

A device for simultaneously draining both collection chambers 92, 93 includes a first drain port 99 and a second drain port 101.
(corresponding to the inner and outer contaminant collection chambers 92, 93, respectively) and a drain valve assembly 98 for simultaneously controlling drainage through the contaminant collection chambers 92, 93, respectively. Assembly 98 includes an axial drainage channel 103 and a downwardly depending sleeve 1
The valve actuating element 102 is formed with external threads 104 that engage the threads of the valve 06. The device holding the flexible sealing element 107 has a flanged button 108 formed around the drainage channel 103 at the upper end of the element 102.

Sealing element 107 has a downwardly and radially inwardly extending lip 107a adapted to wrap around button 108.

With this configuration, valve actuation element 102
When the sleeve 106 is loosened downwardly along the sleeve 106, both drain ports 99, 101 open to drain water through the drain channel 103. Similarly, moving the element 102 upwardly towards the drains 99, 101 closes the drains. Although the drain ports 99 and 101 are shown as a single drain port, the number of drain ports may be added or the size of these drain ports may be changed to ensure proper drainage under certain circumstances. It is easy to see that it can be expanded.

As shown in FIG. 8, fuel filter assembly 10
9 has a series of functional units connected in tandem with each other to treat fuel passing through the functional units and collect contaminants from the functional units in a contaminant collection vessel 91.

One of the functional units of filter assembly 109 is a fuel preheater 111, which includes a layer 112 of electrically insulating material. An electrical heating coil 113 of conductive material supported by layer 112 is applied using, for example, printed circuit board technology. The member that electrically insulates the coil 113 is a coating layer 1 of an electrically insulating material applied on the layer 112.
14, the coil 113 is layered with layer 112 and coating layer 1.
14. A lead wire 116 extends from and is connected to the coil 113 and is adapted to be connected to a power source for heating the coil. The outer periphery of the units 111 extends sufficiently beyond the opposing edges of the pair of units 111 in the assembly 109 to allow the units 111 to engage and seal between the functional units.

Preheater 111 has a plurality of passages 117 formed through it. Thus, when using a unit of the type described above, when the operator turns the ignition key, power is connected to the preheater and the fuel injected into the engine is heated to a certain temperature by the preheater 111. .

However, during normal operation, the fuel system encounters cold temperatures, and in order to prevent freezing of the various units and to substantially heat the fuel, the heating unit 119 is frozen in the bottom of the filter cartridge 81. This allows hot water from the engine cooling system to be applied to the coil 121 via the inlet 121a and to flow out via the outlet 121b. The inside of unit 119 is generally open,
The fuel is freely circulated and passes upwardly through kidney-shaped channels 122 formed in both the top and bottom of the unit 119. The unit 119 is assembled into the assembly 10.
9 includes an upwardly projecting threaded sleeve 123 on the top of the unit 119 and a threaded opening 124 formed on the bottom of the unit 119.

A device for changing the flow path of fuel through assembly 109 is, for example, a buffling unit 126. Buffle unit 126 is best shown in FIG.
The device has a device for fixing between the pair of units 9, which device consists of a male thread 127 extending upwardly on the top cover and a female thread 128 on the bottom cover.
The top and bottom of the baffle unit 126 both have kidney-shaped openings as shown in FIG. 10 that provide a flow path for fuel to flow upwardly through the assembly 109.

Surfaces within the buffling unit 126 serve to collect water droplets 129 contained in the fuel passing through the device. The water droplets 129, which have a density higher than that of the diesel fuel, therefore serve to drain into the container 91.

From the above description, it will be seen that a series of functional units are provided for the filter assembly, whereby the various units are placed between other units in adjacent pairs.

Furthermore, it is apparent that the water condensation separation filter 83 and the filter media, such as the pleated filter unit 84, are arranged in a more effective orientation, so that the flow path of the fuel passes radially outwardly through the filter media. Will. In this manner, the flow of fuel is slowed down when it reaches the radially outer release layer of the outer periphery of the medium 83, causing the aggregated water to collect and the holes 202, formed at the bottom of the vessel 82. It is made to fall downward through the hole 200.

Therefore, the fuel that subsequently passes into the filter 84 has had particulate matter removed by the pre-filtering action in the chamber 92 and also has the particulate matter contained therein by passing through the medium 83. A significant portion of the water is removed and a significant portion of the water exits through the holes 202,200. Therefore,
Filter 84 is required to act essentially only as a water and particulate barrier to the fuel as it passes toward outlet 72 . Each hole 200 can be considered a second contaminant outlet, with the first contaminant outlet being threaded 94.
It is a hole inside. Each of the second contaminant outlets is external to the threads 94 so that the first contaminant outlet and the second contaminant outlet
is radially spaced from the contaminant outlet.

It will be appreciated that in this manner the life of the filter media can be substantially extended.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a filter assembly and pollutant evacuation device according to the present invention. Figure 2 shows the first
A plan view taken along line 2-2 in the figure is shown. Figure 3 shows
2 shows an enlarged detail of the area enclosed by line 3-3 in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3A shows an enlarged front view of valve element 33. FIG. FIG. 4 shows a front view according to another embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 shows 5- in Figure 4.
A plan view on line 5 is shown. FIG. 6 shows an enlarged detail of the portion of the structure enclosed by line 6--6 in FIG. FIG. 7 shows an enlarged detailed cross-sectional view of the magnetic floating switch. FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a fuel filter assembly according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, but with additional functional elements included within the filter assembly. FIG. 9 shows a front cross-sectional view of the fuel conditioning assembly as shown in FIG. FIG. 10 shows a plan view of FIG. 9. 10...Filter assembly, 11...Outer body, 1
3... Filter cartridge, 12... Separation unit, 16, 17... Collection chamber, 14... Primer pump, 19... Cap assembly, 21... Vertical member, 22... Top rim, 23... Fixing ring, 2
4... Shoulder, 26... External thread, 27, 29... Annular rib, 28... Elastic sealing body, 31... Gasket, 32... Drain port, 33... Valve element, 34
... Cap, 36 ... Closing member, 39 ... Valve actuation element, 41 ... Sleeve, 42 ... Annular gasket, 43, 44 ... Rib, 46 ... Drain channel, 49 ... Inlet port extension, 51 ... Fuel delivery pipe, 52 ... Lower medium, 54 ... Filter medium, 48 ... Outlet port, 58 ... Diaphragm, 59 ... Load chamber, 47 ... Inlet port, 52
a... release layer, 61... magnetic floating switch assembly, 62... annular float, 66... annular magnet,
64...Switch, 63...Switch housing, 67...Filter assembly, 69...Primer pump, 71...Fuel inlet port, 72...Fuel outlet port, 68...Cap assembly, 73...
Pipe, 76...Plunger rod, 74...Plunger element, 77...Knob, 78...Check valve,
79... Thread, 81... Filter cartridge, 83, 84... Filter medium, 82... Container, 86, 87... Threaded opening, 88, 89
... Gasket, 91 ... Contaminant collection container, 9
2,93...Collection room, 99,101...Drain port,
98... Drain valve assembly, 103... Drain channel,
102...Valve operating element, 106...Sleeve, 108...Flanged button, 107...Sealing element, 107a...Rip, 109...Fuel filter assembly, 111...Fuel preheater, 112...
...Insulating material layer, 111...Heating coil, 116...
... Lead wire, 117 ... Channel, 121 ... Coil, 121a ... Inlet, 121b ... Outlet, 11
9... Heating unit, 122... Channel, 123...
... sleeve, 124 ... opening, 126 ... bubble unit, 129 ... water droplet.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A filter assembly 67 adapted to remove contaminants from liquid fuel, comprising: (a) a filter cartridge 81 having a container 82 and filter media 83, 84 disposed within the container 82; , the container 82 has a fuel inlet 86 and a fuel outlet 86' and a first contaminant outlet 87 disposed at the bottom of the container 82; (b) releasably engaged to the bottom of the filter cartridge 81; Contaminant collection container 91 includes a first collection chamber 92 and a second collection chamber separated from each other.
It has a collection chamber 93, the first collection chamber 92 is arranged to collect liquid contaminants from the first contaminant outlet prior to the fuel passing through the filter cartridge 81, and the second collection chamber 93 is arranged to collect liquid contaminants from the first contaminant outlet before the fuel passes through the filter cartridge 81. When passing through the filter cartridge 81 , the contaminant collection container 91 is arranged to collect liquid contaminants from the second contaminant outlet 202 , and the contaminant collection container 91 is located in the first collection chamber 92 .
and the second collection chamber 93, respectively.
(c) during operation, the first collection chamber 92 and the second collection chamber 9;
3 are partitioned from each other, and the communication between the first collection chamber 92 and the second collection chamber 93 is through the first contaminant outlet 87 and the second contaminant outlet 87 of the filter cartridge 81.
The first contaminant outlet is filter media 83, 84.
A filter assembly characterized in that the second contaminant outlet 202 is upstream of at least some of the filter media 83, 84. 2. The filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the collection container has threads that engage mating threads on the bottom of the container. 3. The filter assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet are provided at the upper part of the container. 4 The upper part of the container has a fuel inlet port 71 and a fuel outlet port 72 arranged in communication with the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet of the container, respectively.
3. A cap assembly having threads engaged with threads on a cap assembly having: said collection container being substantially supported by said filter cartridge. Filter assembly as described in . 5. the container and the collection container are both cylindrical, the first collection chamber is centrally positioned within the collection container, and the threads of the collection container and the mating threads of the container are centrally located. and wherein the first contaminant outlet is on the inside of the mating thread of the container and the second contaminant outlet is on the outside of the mating thread of the container. The filter assembly according to clause 2. 6 a contaminant collection container 91 adapted to be removably mounted below a filter cartridge using radially outward flow through an annular filter medium to separate contaminants from fuel; (a) The first filter provided in the filter cartridge 81
(b) a first centrally located contaminant collection chamber 92 for receiving contaminants from a contaminant outlet; (c) in use, the collection container 91 collects said first contaminants only through the first contaminant outlet and the second contaminant outlet; a wall separating the first contaminant collection chamber 92 and the second contaminant collection chamber 93 to provide communication between the contaminant collection chamber and the second contaminant collection chamber; (d) provided in the collection container 91; a screw thread 94 capable of connecting said collection container to a mating screw thread 87 provided on the filter cartridge;
(e) for simultaneously discharging contaminants from the first contaminant collection chamber 92 and the second contaminant collection chamber 93;
a device common to the first contaminant collection chamber 92 and the second contaminant collection chamber 93. 7. Claim 6, characterized in that the thread of the collection container is arranged in the wall.
The filter assembly described in Section. 8. The filter assembly of claim 7, wherein the second contaminant collection chamber is annular. 9. The filter assembly of claim 8, wherein the collection container is cylindrical and the wall is cylindrical. 10. The filter of claim 6, wherein the collection container is threadedly connected to a filter cartridge having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet and a first contaminant outlet and a second contaminant outlet. assembly.