Nelson Industries, Inc.

Fleetguard, Inc.

Ford Motor Company Limited

Cummins Filtration Ip, Inc.

Microspun Products Ltd.

Tadeusz Jaroszczyk

Jeffrey S Morgan

Stephen L Fallon

Kent Jeffrey Kallsen

Jerald J Moy

Scott P Heckel

Barry Mark Verdegan

Z Gerald Liu

Michael J Connor

Eric A Janikowski

Jon S Wake

Jason E Dorgan

Scott W Schwartz

Larry T Gunderson

Murray R Schukar

Mark A Terres

James Alan Debilzen

Jacek Bodasiński

Witalis Rumiński

Brad Henke

Leon Gradoń

Christopher E Holm

Brian W Schwandt

William C Haberkamp

Roger L Zoch

Kelly R Schmitz

Byron Andrew Pardue

Kwok-Lam Ng

Kenneth M Tofsland

Zhili Gerald Liu

Daniel R Cady

Melvin Rice

Robert E Muse

Douglas K Benham

David A Olson

Eric G Gryttenholm

Caryn J Christianson

Thomas P Sonsalla

Method and apparatus are provided for making a filter element by spinning fibers from one or more dies onto a collector, including designated combinations providing designated filter characteristics.

Method and apparatus for making filter element, including multi-characteristic filter element

A coalescer has variable characteristics including variable diameter of individual fibers along their length such that an individual fiber has differing diameters at different points along its length, and including variable porosity.

Variable coalescer

A filter has multiple pleated filter elements having axially extending channels having a transverse pleat channel height and a lateral channel width. The pleated filter elements have different channel heights.

Multi-element filter with multiple pleat channel height

A pleated panel fluid filter filters fluid flowing along an axial flow direction and includes angled panels and/or progressively increasing flow channel width and/or skewed panel projections and/or flattened pleat tip bend lines.

Pleated panel fluid filter

A high performance, high efficiency filter is provided by a multi-stage filter having combinations of tribologically different fibers, nanofibers, and layering.

High performance, high efficiency filter

An open flow fluid filter has a pleated main filter element having a plurality of pleats in a closed loop having an outer perimeter defined by a plurality of outer pleat tips, and an inner perimeter defined by a plurality of inner pleat tips. The loop has a hollow interior extending along an axis. Fluid to be filtered flows through the main filter element from an upstream dirty side to a downstream clean side, and flows axially in the hollow interior. The main filter element has an axial flow passage extending along the axis and circumscribing the hollow interior and has a flow perimeter greater than the inner perimeter. A safety filter element downstream of the main filter element filters both the axial flow in the hollow interior and additional flow between the flow perimeter and the inner perimeter. A filter with additional flow is also provided.

Additional flow filter

A filter filters fluid flowing along an axial flow direction and includes a plurality of concentric cylindrical pleated filter elements having a common axis. A plurality of annular radial gaps between filter elements provide additional flow axially through the filter, providing equalized flow and reducing restriction. In further embodiments, a central filter element is concentrically surrounded by a cylindrical pleated outer filter element and provides additional flow axially therethrough.

Multi-element cylindrical filter with equalized flow

A filter ( ) filters fluid flowing along an axial flow direction ( ) and includes a plurality of panels ( ) of pleated filter elements ( ), each filter element having a plurality of pleats defined by wall segments ( ) extending along a transverse direction ( ) between first and second sets of pleat tips at first and second sets of axially extending bend lines ( ), the transverse direction ( ) being perpendicular to the axial direction ( ). Each of the panels ( ) extends along a lateral direction ( ) perpendicular to the axial direction ( ) and perpendicular to the transverse direction ( ). The wall segments ( ) extend axially between upstream and downstream ends ( ), and define axial flow channels ( ) therebetween which are alternately sealed at the upstream and downstream ends. Transverse gaps ( ) are provided between panels and the housing at upstream and downstream ends ( ), providing additional fluid flow axially therethrough and equalized contaminant passages.

Multi-panel fluid filter with equalized contaminant passages

Open flow filter with safety element

A full flow fluid filter ( FIG. ) has a housing ( ) extending axially along an axis ( ), and a pleated filter element ( ) having a plurality of pleats in a closed loop annulus having an outer perimeter ( ) defined by a plurality of outer pleat tips, an inner perimeter ( ) defined by a plurality of inner pleat tips, and a hollow interior ( ) extending along the axis. Fluid flows substantially directly axially through the filter element, with minimal bending and change of direction, minimizing flow restriction.

Full flow filter

Enhanced performance fibrous media ( ) is provided by orienting filter media fibers ( ) dominantly parallel to the fluid flow direction ( ). Filter media construction is provided by a sheet ( ) having an internal pleated subsheet ( ) with pleats ( ) engaging and packed against each other sufficiently tightly and bonded ( ) such that fluid flows along the flow direction through the pleats in parallel therewith, rather than between the pleats and then transversely therethrough. An extended life two-stage fluid filter assembly includes first and second filter elements ( and ), wherein the pleats ( ) of a main downstream filter element ( ) are spaced from each other along a spacing direction ( ) transverse to the flow direction ( ) and defining a transverse gap ( ) therebetween through which fluid flows, and wherein the pleats ( ) of an upstream prefilter element ( ) are packed against each other without such transverse gap and blocking fluid flow therebetween.

Enhanced performance fibrous filter media and extended life fluid filter assembly

A filter ( ) includes a housing ( ) extending along an axis ( ). and having an inlet ( ) at one axial end ( ) of the housing and having an outlet ( ) at a distally opposite axial end ( ) of the housing. One or more pleated filter elements ( ) in the housing are pleated along a plurality of bend lines ( ) extending axially. The filter element has a plurality of wall segments ( ) extending in serpentine manner between the bend lines. The wall segments extend axially between upstream ends ( ) and downstream ends ( ) and define axial flow channels ( ) therebetween. The upstream ends of the wall segments are alternately sealed ( ) to each other to defme a first set of flow channels ( ) having open upstream ends ( ), and a second set of flow channels ( ) interdigitated with the first set of flow channels and having closed upstream ends ( ). The downstream ends of the wall segments are alternately sealed to each other ( ) such that the first set of flow channels have closed downstream ends ( ), and the second set of flow channels have open downstream ends ( ). Fluid to be filtered flows substantially directly axially through the filter element ( ) or elements ( ), through the open upstream ends of the first set of flow channels then through the wall segments then through the open downstream ends of the second set of flow channels. A gasket ( ) seals the filter element to the housing.

Direct flow filter

A corrugated axial filter (,) has a plurality of flow channels (,) extending axially from the upstream dirty frontside (,) of the filter to the downstream clean backside (,) of the filter. Each channel has an upstream opening (,) at the upstream dirty frontside and has top and bottom walls (,and,) and right and left sidewalls (,and,) extending from the opening rearwardly toward the downstream clean backside. The right and left sidewalls taper towards each other as they extend rearwardly to define a triangular shaped flow channel. Right and left sidewalls of adjacent flow channels are a single continuous sheet of filter material (,) in a zig-zag pattern (,) with a plurality of fold lines including a first set of fold lines (,) at the upstream dirty frontside and a second set of fold lines (,) at the downstream clean backside.

Corrugated axial filter with simple fold pattern and method of making it

Air filter element

The invention relates to an air cleaner comprising a generally bell-shaped air cleaner housing and a generally frustoconical filter positioned concentrically within the housing. The housing has an air inlet at its small end and an air outlet at its large end for the flow of air generally axially into and out of the housing. The filter has a filter element coaxially juxtaposed the interior surface of the housing. The filter element is generally annular and has an upstream portion and a downstream portion. The downstream portion of a member supportably engages the upstream portion of the filter element. The upstream portion of the filter element has a diameter larger than the diameter of the member downstream portion. The member blocks the flow of air into the interior of the filter element and directs air axially along the exterior of the filter element. A downstream annular support piece engages the downstream end of the filter element. The support piece has an aperture communicating with the outlet and with the interior of the filter element. The support piece sealably engages the interior surface of the housing. Air flowing in an axial direction through the inlet passes over the member, axially along the filter element a distance before passing through into the interior of the element and axially out the outlet.

Air cleaner/noise silencer assembly

Growing community of inventors

Stoughton, WI, United States of America

Tadeusz Jaroszczyk