Air cleaner assembly

• US 8,801,819 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Rotter, Terrence M., Koenigs, William D., Wang, Shaoping, Bonde, Kevin G
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, MINH CHAU THI
• Application Number:
  US13/768,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20140053520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 553/853, 553/37, 554/10, 554/14, 555/03, 55D/IG.28, 554/84, 555/02, 555/10, 554/97, 555/08, 555/14, 210/342, 210/487, 210/338, 210/497.01, 952/73, 123/198.E
• US Class Current: 55/337
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0002 Casings; Housings; Frame constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0004 Details of removable closures, lids, caps or filter heads
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/2411 Filter cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/521 using folded, pleated material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 50/20 Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D46/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/0203 by using clamps, catches, locks or the like, e.g. for disposable plug-in filter cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/022 acting by gravity, by centrifugal, or by other inertial forces, e.g. with moistened walls
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/024 using filters, e.g. moistened F02M35/026 takes precedence; cleaning of the filtering material F02M35/08
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/04 specially arranged with respect to engine , to intake system or specially adapted to vehicle; Mounting thereon ; Combinations with other devices combined with silencers F02M35/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10019 Means upstream of the fuel injection system, carburettor or plenum chamber F02M35/10013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10032 specially shaped or arranged connecting duct between carburettor or air inlet duct and the plenum chamber; specially positioned carburettors or throttle bodies with respect to the plenum chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/28 Carburetor attached

Abstract

In at least some embodiments, the present invention relates to an air cleaner having a housing portion, and a low profile rain cover having an opening on an underside of the cover to allow unfiltered air to enter into the air cleaner. Also, in at least some embodiments, the present invention relates to an air cleaner including a housing and an additional component by which the air cleaner is capable of being directly coupled to a carburetor inlet. In some such embodiments, one or more protrusions can be provided within a channel formed by the housing/additional component to influence air flow. Further, in at least some embodiments, the present invention relates to an air cleaner having a shaped wall formed on a housing portion, where the shaped wall includes both an interior surface and an exterior surface by which air flowing within the air cleaner is imparted with helical motion.

Claims

1. An air cleaner comprising:

a filter element;

a housing enclosing at least part of the filter element, the housing including an inlet and a shaped wall;

where the shaped wall extends in a ramped, helical, or screw-type manner around a portion of a circumference of the housing;

where the shaped wall includes an exterior surface and an interior surface; and

where the shaped wall produces a helical movement of air both as the air passes alongside the exterior surface and as the air passes alongside the interior surface.

2. The air cleaner of claim 1, where the air passing alongside the interior surface of the shaped wall is filtered by the filter element.

3. The air cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a cover that surrounds at least a portion of the housing, the surrounded portion of the housing including the shaped wall.

4. The air cleaner of claim 3, further comprising a filter grid extending at least between an outer side of the housing and an interior surface of the cover.

5. The air cleaner of claim 4, where the air passing alongside the exterior surface of the shaped wall is filtered by the filter grid before entering the inlet of the housing.

6. The air cleaner of claim 4, where the filter grid is flat and is parallel to a center of the housing.

7. The air cleaner of claim 6, where the cover includes a slot that receives the filter grid.

8. The air cleaner of claim 3, where the housing and the cover both have a generally cylindrical shape.

9. The air cleaner of claim 1, where the shaped wall extends for about 90 degrees around a center axis of the housing.

10. The air cleaner of claim 1, where the shaped wall causes a helical flow of the air over about 180 degrees around a center axis of the housing.

17. The air cleaner of claim 10, where the primary housing portion and the secondary housing portion are bound together through a welding process or by using one or more of a glue, an adhesive, a bolt, a screw, and a fastener.

18. The air cleaner of claim 10, where the orifice is configured to be connected with a carburetor assembly.

11. An air cleaner comprising:

a housing including;

a primary housing portion having a housing inlet configured to receive air into the primary housing portion, and an outlet channel configured to expel the air from the primary housing portion; and

a secondary housing portion including a secondary channel and an orifice;

a filter element positioned within the housing and configured to filter the air received through the housing inlet;

where the primary housing portion and the secondary housing portion are bound together such that the secondary channel and the outlet channel combine to form a combination passage for expelling the air from the housing through the orifice after it has been filtered by the filter element.

12. The air cleaner of claim 11, where the primary housing portion has a generally cylindrical surface, and where the housing inlet is positioned at a first radial position along the generally cylindrical surface.

13. The air cleaner of claim 12, where the outlet channel is positioned at a second radial position along the generally cylindrical surface, the second radial position opposite the first radial position.

14. The air cleaner of claim 12, where the secondary housing position is bound to the primary housing portion at a second radial position opposite the first radial position.

15. The air cleaner of claim 12, further comprising a cover that surrounds at least a portion of the housing, the surrounded portion of the housing including the housing inlet.

16. The air cleaner of claim 15, where the cover includes a cover inlet that receives the air into the air cleaner before the air is received into the primary housing portion through the housing inlet;

and

where the cover inlet is adjacent to a second radial position along the generally cylindrical surface, the second radial position opposite the first radial position.

19. An air cleaner comprising:

a filter element; and

a housing within which is positioned the filter element, the housing including an inlet, and outlet, a primary housing portion, and an additional housing component;

where the additional housing component includes a first half-duct channel and an elbow;

where the primary housing portion includes an outlet channel and a complementary half-duct channel; and

where the additional housing component is coupled to the primary housing portion, the coupling forming a combination passage that includes the first half-duct channel and the complementary half-duct channel, the coupling connecting the outlet channel and the elbow through the combination passage.

20. The air cleaner of claim 19, where the outlet is formed by way of an integrated extension, where the integrated extension is configured to allow the housing to be directly coupled to at least one of a carburetor and an intake manifold.