Air cleaner

Abstract

A plate-like air cleaner element housed in an air cleaner case divides the interior of the air cleaner case into an uncleaned-air chamber and a cleaned-air chamber. The air cleaner element can filter uncleaned air introduced in the uncleaned-air chamber to deliver cleaned air into the cleaner-air chamber. A plurality of partitions are disposed in the uncleaned-air chamber and jointly define an undulating air path in the uncleaned-air chamber for guiding the introduced uncleaned air therealong substantially over the entire flat surface of the air cleaner element, so that the uncleaned air can pass through the air cleaner element over a relatively large effective filtering area thereof. The air cleaner also includes an air guide plate disposed in the uncleaned-air chamber for guiding and straightening the incoming flow of uncleaned air deeply into the uncleaned-air chamber before the air is guided to flow toward the air outlet. The air cleaner case is comprised of a casing and a cover releasably clamped together and a flange on the air cleaner element is clamped therebetween in a gap of a predetermined size established by engagement of juxtaposed metal collars mounted in the casing and cover.