Hybrid filter element apparatus
Vehicles or machinery equipped with full flow spin-on, canister or reusable filters can benefit by including advanced or bypass grade parallel filtration. Incorporating advanced filtration is generally difficult due to impractical lubrication system access, cramped engine bays, and some installation solutions require engine modifications and hardware. An apparatus of the present invention provides advanced filtration when used inside well-known manufactured forms of spin-on, cartridge, or reusable filters. The unit installs as a complete unit, without modifications, or external hardware to any engine at the spin-on filter point of attachment, inside the canister housing, or inside a reusable filter form. The apparatus uses the structures of the normally provided filter to enable a bolt-on installation. The apparatus increases filtration efficiency, capacity, easier maintenance, while providing environmental benefits.
1 . A hybrid filter element apparatus for providing full flow and advanced fine filtration, said apparatus comprising:
an upper filter section, a lower filter section, said upper filter section and said lower filter section substantially shaped as a thick wall cylinder,
said upper filter section having a closed top surface, an annular lower sealing surface, a cylindrical upstream full flow reusable cleanable metal mesh media surface, and a cylindrical downstream full flow reusable cleanable metal mesh media surface substantially defining an upper downstream tube,
said lower filter section having an annular top sealing surface, an annular bottom sealing surface, a cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface, and a cylindrical downstream advanced filter media surface substantially defining a lower downstream tube,
said upper filter section annular lower sealing surface sealingly biased against said lower filter section annular top sealing surface,
said lower downstream tube having a smaller diameter than said upper downstream tube,
said lower filter section having said annular top sealing surface with a restriction orifice, said restriction orifice establishing a hydraulic connection between said upper downstream tube and said lower downstream tube,
said restriction orifice defining a sealing area,
a valve ball,
said valve ball biased against said sealing area by a calibrated spring pushing said valve ball against said sealing area closing said hydraulic connection,
said calibrated spring biased by an adjusting screw,
said restriction orifice having said sealing area closed by said valve ball biased by said calibrated spring, adjusted by said adjusting screw enabling a variable differential pressure valve,
said variable differential pressure valve enabled to increase or decrease by said adjusting screw generating a first differential pressure across said lower filter section,
a cylindrical reusable filter envelope having a restriction lip located on an internal wall of said reusable filter envelope substantially at the same level of said upper filter section annular lower sealing surface and projecting radially inward from said internal wall creating an annular restriction by reducing an annular flow area between said restriction lip and said upper filter section annular lower sealing surface, generating a second differential pressure across said lower filter section,
wherein prior to operation said cylindrical reusable filter envelope hydraulically connecting said cylindrical upstream full flow reusable cleanable metal mesh media surface and said cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface to a normally provided oil flow into said filter envelope, said filter envelope having an outlet on a sealing plate hydraulically connecting an engine or a hydraulic system, said filter envelope outlet sealingly connected to said annular bottom sealing surface, and wherein operation a portion of said normally provided oil flow is made to flow first across said annular restriction, then flow across the upper filter section and through said upper downstream tube, through said valve ball and through said lower downstream tube where a differential pressure is generated between said cylindrical upstream advanced filter media surface and said internal cylindrical downstream advanced filter media surface, said differential pressure biasing a second portion of said normally provided oil flow to be channeled by said lower downstream tube and into said envelope outlet, whereby full flow and advanced filtration are simultaneously achieved.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a bypass valve is provided between said upper filter section closed top surface and said upper downstream tube.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a necked section is created inside said lower downstream tube to create a Venturi effect area thereby creating a third differential pressure across said lower filter section.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said filter envelope is equipped with a set of adapter rings, said adapter rings having a set of internal threads and a set of external threads, said internal threads designed to match a normally provided oil filter stud threads, said set of external threads matching threads on said sealing plate, thereby making said apparatus a universal fit filter form.