Filter assembly with water evacuation and methods
First Claim
1. A filter cartridge for use in a reusable filter housing and for filtering dirty fluid supplied by a dirty fluid port of a filter base to which the filter cartridge and filter housing are releasably attachable, the filter base including a clean fluid port through which cleaned fluid exits and a return port through which separated water separated from the dirty fluid exits, the filter cartridge comprising:
- a tube of filter media extending between first and second ends along a longitudinal axis and defining a central cavity;
a first end cap portion sealingly attached to the first end of the tube of filter media, the first end cap portion carrying;
a dirty fluid inlet defined by a dirty fluid inlet seal arrangement that fluidly seals with and fluidly communicates with the dirty fluid port of the filter base on an upstream side of the tube of filter media;
a clean fluid outlet defined by a clean fluid outlet seal arrangement that fluidly seals with and fluid communicates with the clean fluid port of the filter base on a downstream side of the tube of filter media, the tube of filter media being fluidly interposed between the dirty fluid inlet and the clean fluid outlet such that fluid flow through the clean fluid outlet must pass through the tube of filter media;
a return outlet define a return outlet seal arrangement that fluidly seals with and fluidly communicates with the return port, flow of separated water through the return outlet bypassing the tube of filter media and flowing operably through the central cavity of the tube of filter media separated from both clean fluid and dirty fluid flowswherein the dirty fluid inlet seal arrangement includes a first radially inward directed seal and a first radially outward directed seal, the first radially outward directed seal having a smaller diameter than the first radially inward directed seal, the dirty fluid inlet being the annular gap formed between the first radially inward directed seal and the first radially outward directed seal of the dirty fluid inlet seal arrangement;
the clean fluid outlet seal arrangement includes a second radially inward directed seal and the first radially outward directed seal, the second radially inward directed seal being positioned radially inward relative to the first radially outward directed seal, the clean fluid outlet being the gap formed between the first radially outward directed seal and the second radially inward directed seal; and
the return outlet seal arrangement provided by the second radially inward directed seal.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A filter assembly, a filter cartridge and method of filter fluid are provided. The filter assembly includes a filter base, a filter housing and a filter cartridge within the housing. The filter cartridge strips water from the dirty fluid flowing through the assembly. The filter cartridge defines a pair of fluid flow paths extending through a central cavity thereof. The fluid flow paths carry and keep separated a flow of cleaned fluid after it passes through filter media of the cartridge as well as the water that has been stripped from the dirty fluid flow.
125 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A filter cartridge for use in a reusable filter housing and for filtering dirty fluid supplied by a dirty fluid port of a filter base to which the filter cartridge and filter housing are releasably attachable, the filter base including a clean fluid port through which cleaned fluid exits and a return port through which separated water separated from the dirty fluid exits, the filter cartridge comprising:
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a tube of filter media extending between first and second ends along a longitudinal axis and defining a central cavity; a first end cap portion sealingly attached to the first end of the tube of filter media, the first end cap portion carrying; a dirty fluid inlet defined by a dirty fluid inlet seal arrangement that fluidly seals with and fluidly communicates with the dirty fluid port of the filter base on an upstream side of the tube of filter media; a clean fluid outlet defined by a clean fluid outlet seal arrangement that fluidly seals with and fluid communicates with the clean fluid port of the filter base on a downstream side of the tube of filter media, the tube of filter media being fluidly interposed between the dirty fluid inlet and the clean fluid outlet such that fluid flow through the clean fluid outlet must pass through the tube of filter media; a return outlet define a return outlet seal arrangement that fluidly seals with and fluidly communicates with the return port, flow of separated water through the return outlet bypassing the tube of filter media and flowing operably through the central cavity of the tube of filter media separated from both clean fluid and dirty fluid flows wherein the dirty fluid inlet seal arrangement includes a first radially inward directed seal and a first radially outward directed seal, the first radially outward directed seal having a smaller diameter than the first radially inward directed seal, the dirty fluid inlet being the annular gap formed between the first radially inward directed seal and the first radially outward directed seal of the dirty fluid inlet seal arrangement; the clean fluid outlet seal arrangement includes a second radially inward directed seal and the first radially outward directed seal, the second radially inward directed seal being positioned radially inward relative to the first radially outward directed seal, the clean fluid outlet being the gap formed between the first radially outward directed seal and the second radially inward directed seal; and the return outlet seal arrangement provided by the second radially inward directed seal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A filter assembly comprising:
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a filter base including a dirty fluid port, a clean fluid port and a return port; a first generally tubular portion extending axially along a longitudinal axis defining a first radially outward directed sealing surface and a first radially inward directed sealing surface having a smaller diameter than the first radially outward directed sealing surface, the first generally tubular portion defining the dirty fluid port positioned radially between the first radially outward directed sealing surface and the first radially inward directed sealing surface; and a second generally tubular portion extending axially along the longitudinal axis defining a second radially outward directed sealing surface having an outer diameter that is less than the diameter of the first radially inward directed sealing surface and a central channel, the central channel forming the return port, the clean fluid port being formed between the first radially inward directed sealing surface and the second radially outward directed sealing surface; a filter housing removable attached to the filter base defining an internal cavity; and a filter cartridge removably positioned within the internal cavity of the filter housing, the filter cartridge including; a tube of filter media extending between first and second ends along the longitudinal axis and defining a central cavity; a first end cap portion sealingly attached to the first end of the tube of filter media, the first end cap portion carrying; a dirty fluid inlet defined by a dirty fluid inlet seal arrangement that fluidly seals with the first radially outward directed sealing surface and the first radially inward directed sealing surface, the dirty fluid inlet fluidly communicates with the dirty fluid port of the filter base on an upstream side of the tube of filter media; a clean fluid outlet defined by a clean fluid outlet seal arrangement that fluidly seals with first radially inward directed sealing surface and the second radially outward directed sealing surface, the clean fluid outlet fluidly communicates with the clean fluid port of the filter base on a downstream side of the tube of filter media, the tube of filter media being fluidly interposed between the dirty fluid inlet and the clean fluid outlet such that fluid flow through the clean fluid outlet must pass through the tube of filter media; and a return outlet defined by a return outlet seal arrangement that fluidly seals with the second radially outward directed sealing surface, the return outlet fluidly communicates with the return port; the filter cartridge and filter housing defining a sump region therebetween that is upstream of the return outlet, the sump region collecting water separated from dirty fluid external of the tube of filter media, the return outlet in fluid communication with the sump region through the central cavity of the tube of filter media. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A filter assembly comprising:
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a filter base including; a first generally tubular portion extending axially along a longitudinal axis defining a first radially outward directed sealing surface and a first radially inward directed sealing surface having a smaller diameter than the first radially outward directed sealing surface, the first generally tubular portion defining a dirty fluid port positioned radially between the first radially outward directed sealing surface and the first radially inward directed sealing surface; and a second generally tubular portion extending axially along the longitudinal axis defining a second radially outward directed sealing surface having an outer diameter that is less than the diameter of the first radially inward directed sealing surface and a central channel, the central channel forming a return port, a clean fluid port being formed between the first radially inward directed sealing surface and the second radially outward directed sealing surface; a filter housing removably attached to the filter base defining an internal cavity; and a filter cartridge removably positioned within the internal cavity of the filter housing, the filter cartridge including; a tube of filter media extending between first and second ends along the longitudinal axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis and defining a central cavity; a dirty fluid inlet that seals with and fluidly communicates with the dirty fluid port of the filter base on an upstream side of the tube of filter media; a clean fluid outlet that seals with and fluidly communicates with the clean fluid port on a downstream side of the tube of filter media; a return outlet that seals with and fluidly communicates with the return port; the filter cartridge and filter housing defining a sump region therebetween that is upstream of the return outlet, the sump region collecting water separated from dirty fluid external of the tube of filter media, the return outlet in fluid communication with the sump region through the central cavity of the tube of filter media.
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Specification