Fleetguard, Inc.

Alan S Bounnakhom

Paul D Miller

A Caner Demirdogen

Mike B Lanius

Dwight S Suiter

Donald W Beach

Peter K Herman

J Eric Parlow

David M Ruch

Claude L Berman

John M Partridge

A fluid filter assembly which is constructed and arranged to threadedly mount onto an engine block mounting base includes an enclosing outer shell, a filtering element positioned within the outer shell so as to define an annular clearance space between the outer shell and the filtering element. A nutplate is assembled to the outer shell so as to close the outer shell and provide an internally-threaded mounting portion for attachment to the engine block mounting base. The sidewall which defines the threaded mounting portion is free of any flow openings therethrough. A seal arrangement including an inner seal positioned between the nutplate and the filter element and an outer seal positioned between the engine block mounting base and the nutplate is provided as part of the fluid filter assembly. The nutplate and inner seal are designed to cooperate with each other so as to define a plurality of flow passageways extending between the nutplate and inner seal and providing a flow path from the engine block mounting base to the annular clearance space.

Fluid filter assembly

A unitary nutplate for a fluid filter assembly provides a threaded mounting interface between an engine block mounting base and the remainder of the fluid filter assembly. The unitary nutplate is designed with an enlarged inside diameter in order to reduce the moment arm between the outer shell of the fluid filter assembly and the filtering element. With the enlarged inside diameter, the annular sidewall of the unitary nutplate does not include any flow passageways for the entering fluid and accordingly other flow passageways are created. In one arrangement, the nutplate has a generally cylindrical lower wall which cooperates with an inner seal which is designed with fluid flow passageways. In an alternate nutplate design, depending projections from the lower edge of the nutplate provide a series of flow passageways therebetween and the cooperating inner seal does not include flow passageways.

Nutplate for fluid filter

A seal arrangement for a fluid filter assembly which is constructed and arranged to threadedly mount onto an engine block mounting base includes an inner seal and an outer seal. The fluid filter assembly includes an outer shell, a filtering element located within the outer shell and defining therewith an annular clearance space. The fluid filter assembly further includes a nutplate which is anchored to the outer shell and which includes an internally-threaded center aperture for threaded engagement onto the engine block mounting base. The inner seal is positioned between the nutplate and the filtering element and cooperates with the nutplate in order to provide a plurality of flow paths between the inner seal and the nutplate from the engine mounting base to the annular clearance space. The outer seal is positioned between the engine block mounting base and the nutplate and includes a pair of spaced-apart ribs which provide a sealing interface against the engine block mounting base.

Fluid filter seal arrangement

A closed crankcase ventilation system which relies on a vacuum assist from the turbocharger inlet to suction blow-by gases from the crankcase. The system includes a coalescer/filter which is operative to filter any oil particles which may be entrained in the blow-by gases before they are released into the turbocharger inlet. A pop off valve is also included in order to prevent the engine crankcase from becoming over pressurized as a result of back pressure caused by either a plugged coalescer/filter or some catastrophic engine malfunction. Further included is a vacuum limiting valve which prohibits the vacuum assist produced by the air inlet to the turbocharger from producing too low of an absolute pressure, thereby preventing an imbalance in pressure across the seals of the turbocharger. The system further includes a bypass valve which also prevents the crankcase from becoming over pressurized by routing the flow of blow-by gases around the coalescer/filter if the pressure in the crankcase becomes too great. Finally, the present invention incorporates a single mounting head which allows the various valves and filters of the present invention to be mounted thereon. The mounting head may then be conveniently attached to the engine at a single location.

Closed crankcase ventilation system

An all-plastic filter assembly for filtering fluids includes a generally cylindrical injection molded plastic outer shell which has a closed base and an open opposite end and which defines a hollow interior which receives a modular filler cartridge. The outer shell is injection molded with a generally cylindrical mounting stem which is integral with the closed base and extends part way toward the open end of the outer shell. The filter cartridge includes a generally cylindrical filter element and a molded endplate and centertube member bonded to the filter element. The centertube portion of the molded member is received by the mounting stem as part of the positioning and mounting of the filter cartridge into the outer shell.

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Cookeville, TN, United States of America

Alan S Bounnakhom