Fleetguard, Inc.

Gene Mullins

Zemin Jiang

Lee Currier

Karen Ramsey-Idem

David Dickerson

Art P Piccirilli

A process for enhancing the pleatability of a meltblown web uses ultrasonic bonding wheels to create bond lines in the machine direction as the web is being produced. In addition to, or in place of, the bond lines, ribbons made of the web material, a thermoplastic polymer, string saturated with a phenolic or ultraviolet curing resin, or beads of an ultraviolet curing resin may be ultrasonically bonded to the web to enhance its stiffness. A heated scoring bar or ultrasonic horn forms pleats in the web by heating the web above its glass transition temperature and deforming the web into the pleated configuration. Cooling of the web locks the pleats into position.

Enhanced pleatability of meltblown media by ultrasonic processing

A filter seal for a substantially cylindrical air filter includes an integrally molded, polyurethane member which is configured with two primary portions. One portion is an annular body which is formed with an annular receiving channel, like a potting shell, which in turn is sized so as to receive one end of a corresponding filter element. The other portion is an annular sealing lip which is disposed in spaced relation to the receiving channel. This sealing lip includes a specific geometry providing both a ribbed, radial-sealing surface and a convex, axial-sealing surface. The radial-sealing surface provides sealing contact with a generally cylindrical outlet portion of the housing in which the filter element is placed in tension while axial sealing is achieved by compression of the axial-sealing surface against a generally planar surface of the housing. In addition to these two modes of sealing engagement, when the unit is in operation as part of a vehicle, differential pressure forces cause the sealing lip to press more tightly against the housing so as to enhance the sealing. The molding process which completes the fabrication of the filter seal concurrently bonds the filter seal to the filter element.

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Cookeville, TN, United States of America

Gene Mullins