Cyclonic air cleaner

• US 8,808,432 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Discovery Energy LLC
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Rotter, Terrence M., Sayler, Jeffrey S., Hensel, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US12/476,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20090308250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 952/68, 952/73, 963/80, 553/37, 553/853, 554/28, 554/32, 554/591, 555/03, 555/05
• US Class Current: 95/268
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0046 provoking a tangential stream B01D46/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/2411 Filter cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 50/00 Combinations of methods or devices for separating particles from gases or vapours
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 50/20 Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D46/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/033 in combination with other devices with adsorbents or absorbents F01N3/0821
• 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

Abstract

An air cleaner device for filtering intake air including a housing defining a chamber, a filter element disposed within the chamber, and a duct element having a passageway in fluid communication with the chamber. Further, the duct element extends along and downwardly from about a portion of the housing and further includes an inlet for drawing intake air into the chamber. The air cleaner having a base member in fluid communication with the chamber and an outlet, where the air drawn into the chamber is filtered by first and second filtering operations to obtain filtered air, with the first and the second filtering operations accomplished at least in part due to a cyclonic motion of the air and passage of the air through the filter element, respectively; and where the filtered air from the chamber of the housing is released through the outlet in the base member.

Claims

1. An air cleaner for removing particulate matter from intake air of an engine, the air cleaner comprising:

a housing having a top portion, a bottom portion and defining a chamber therewithin;

a filter element disposed within the chamber of the housing;

a duct element having a passageway in fluid communication with the chamber of the housing, the duct element extending along and downwardly from about the top portion of the housing, the duct element further comprising an inlet for drawing intake air into the chamber;

a base member for releasably securing the bottom portion of the housing thereto, the base member comprising a first portion in fluid communication with the chamber of the housing, and a second portion having an outlet and in fluid communication with the first portion;

wherein the intake air is drawn into the chamber of the housing through the inlet of the duct element and the duct element passageway and a cyclonic motion is imparted to the intake air;

wherein a first filtering operation is facilitated at least in part due to the cyclonic motion of the intake air and a second filtering operation is facilitated by flowing at least a second portion of the intake air through the filter element, the first and the second filtering operations for separating particulate matter from the intake air to obtain filtered air; and

wherein the filtered air from the chamber of the housing is conveyed via the first and the second portions of the base member to be released via the outlet.

2. The air cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a cover member that is one of releasably attached and integrally formed with the top portion of the housing.

3. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing has a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical profile.

4. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the filter element is a dry paper filter element.

5. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the duct element further comprises a protective screen releasably secured to the inlet.

6. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the first filtering operation results in removal of heavier particulate matter from the intake air.

7. The air cleaner of claim 6, wherein due to the cyclonic motion of the intake air, at least some of the heavier particulate matter moves outwardly and downwardly within the chamber towards the base for collection, the downward motion of the particulate matter aided at least in part by gravity.

8. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the second filtering operation causes removal of finer particulate matter from the intake air.

9. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the base further comprises a collection portion for collecting the separated particulate matter from the intake air and having an opening for removal of the collected particulate matter.

10. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the inlet duct is positioned towards a cool air engine location for operating environments having a moderate to high ambient temperature.

11. The air cleaner of claim 10, wherein the cool air location is at least substantially away from an engine muffler.

12. The air cleaner of claim 1, wherein the inlet duct is positioned towards a warm air engine location for operating environments having a low ambient temperature.

13. The air cleaner of claim 12, wherein the warm air location is at least substantially towards an engine muffler.

14. A method of filtering particulate matter from intake air of an engine, the method comprising:

providing an air cleaner, the air cleaner comprising;

(i) a housing having a top portion, a bottom portion and defining a chamber therewithin;

(ii) a filter element disposed within the chamber of the housing;

(iii) a duct element having a passageway in fluid communication with the chamber of the housing, the duct element extending along and downwardly from about the top portion of the housing, the duct element further comprising an inlet for drawing intake air into the chamber; and

(iv) a base member for releasably securing the bottom portion of the housing thereto, the base member comprising a first portion in fluid communication with the chamber of the housing, and a second portion having an outlet and in fluid communication with the first portion;

drawing the intake air into the chamber of the housing through the inlet of the duct element and the duct element passageway;

imparting a cyclonic motion to the intake air within the chamber of the housing;

performing first and second filtering operations facilitated at least in part due to the cyclonic motion of the intake air and flowing the intake air through the filter element, respectively, the first and the second filtering operations for obtaining filtered air; and

conveying the filtered air from the chamber of the housing via the first and the second portions of the base member to be released through the outlet.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a cover member that is one of releasably attached and integrally formed with the top portion of the housing.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a protective screen releasably secured to the inlet of the duct element.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first filtering operation results in removal of heavier particulate matter from the intake air such that at least some of the heavier particulate matter moves outwardly and downwardly within the chamber towards the base for collection, the downward motion of the particulate matter aided at least in part by gravity.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising positioning the inlet of the duct element to correspond to at least one of a first position and a second position.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first position involves positioning the inlet towards a cool air engine location for room temperature to high temperature operating environments, the cool air location pointing at least substantially away from the engine muffler.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the second position involves positioning the inlet towards a warm air engine location for low temperature operating environments, the warm air location pointing at least substantially towards the engine muffler.

21. An internal combustion engine comprising:

a muffler; and

an air cleaner, the air cleaner comprising;

a housing having a top portion, a bottom portion and defining a chamber therewithin;

a filter element disposed within the chamber of the housing;

a duct element having a passageway in fluid communication with the chamber of the housing, the duct element extending along and downwardly from about the top portion of the housing, the duct element further comprising an inlet for drawing intake air into the chamber;

a base member for releasably securing the bottom portion of the housing thereto, the base member comprising a first portion in fluid communication with the chamber of the housing, and a second portion having an outlet and in fluid communication with the first portion;

wherein the air cleaner is capable of being positioned in at least one of cool air location in which the inlet is oriented at least substantially away from the muffler and a warm air location in which the inlet is oriented at least substantially towards the muffler.