Non-planar media transmission filter apparatus and method
View Patent ↗A filter for use in engines or transmissions is provided comprising an inlet-side cover having a wave-like region along the periphery of the inlet-side cover, an outlet-side cover having a wave-like region along the periphery of the outlet-side cover where the outlet-side cover wave-like region is in a complementary alignment with the inlet-side cover wave-like region and filter media fixed in a non-planar configuration between the wave-like regions of the inlet-side and outlet-side covers.
1. A filter for use in engines or transmissions, comprising:
an inlet-side cover having a wave-like region along the periphery of said inlet-side cover, wherein said inlet-side cover further comprises at least one wave-like shaped inlet-side filter media support, separate from said wave-like region along the periphery, disposed within the periphery of said inlet-side cover;
an outlet-side cover having a wave-like region along the periphery of said outlet-side cover, wherein said outlet-side cover wave-like region is in a generally complementary alignment with said inlet-side cover wave-like region along the periphery, wherein said outlet-side cover further comprises at least one wave-like shaped outlet-side filter media support, separate from said wave-like region along the periphery, of the outlet-side cover disposed within the periphery of said outlet-side cover, wherein the inlet-side filter media support aliens with the outlet-side filter media support; and
a filter media fixed in a non-planar configuration between said wave-like regions of said inlet-side and outlet-side covers.
2. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said inlet-side cover further comprises media retention means disposed along the periphery of said inlet-side cover.
3. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said outlet-side cover further comprises media retention means disposed along the periphery of said outlet-side cover.
4. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said inlet-side cover further comprises media retention means disposed along the periphery of said inlet-side cover and said outlet-side cover further comprises media retention means disposed along the periphery of said outlet-side cover.
5. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said inlet-side cover further comprises a crimp rib disposed along said wave-like region of said inlet-side cover and said outlet-side cover further comprises a crimp recess disposed along said wave-like region of said outlet-side cover.
6. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said inlet-side cover further comprises a crimp rib disposed along the periphery of said inlet-side cover and said outlet-side cover further comprises a crimp recess disposed along the periphery of said outlet-side cover.
7. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said inlet-side and outlet-side covers are joined by a single joining operation.
8. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said inlet-side cover is thermoplastic.
9. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said outlet-side cover is thermoplastic.
10. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said inlet-side cover and said outlet-side covers are thermoplastic.
11. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said inlet-side cover and said outlet-side covers are thermoplastic and joined by a single plastic-to-plastic bonding operation.
12. The filter of claim 1 , wherein the inlet-side filter media support comprises one or more media support fingers and media support recesses.
13. The filter of claim 1 , wherein the outlet-side filter media support comprises one or more media support fingers and media support recesses.
14. The filter of claim 1 , wherein the inlet-side filter media support comprises one or more media support fingers and media support recesses, wherein the outlet-side filter media support comprises one or more media support fingers and media support recesses, wherein the inlet-filter media support and the outlet-side filter support are complementary with each other such that the filter media is secured between the inlet-side filter media support and the outlet-side filter media support.
15. A filter for use in engines or transmissions, comprising:
an inlet-side cover having alternating convex and concave regions along the periphery of said inlet-side cover, wherein said inlet-side cover further comprises at least one alternating convex and concave inlet-side filter media support, separate from said alternating convex and concave regions along the periphery, disposed within the periphery of said inlet-side cover;
an outlet-side cover having alternating convex and concave regions along the periphery of said outlet-side cover which are in complementary alignment with said convex and concave regions along the periphery of said inlet-side cover, wherein said outlet-side cover further comprises at least one alternating convex and concave outlet-side filter media support, separate from said alternating convex and concave regions along the periphery, disposed within the periphery of said outlet-side cover, wherein the inlet-side filter media support aligns with the outlet-side filter media support; and
a filter media fixed in a wave-like configuration between said alternating convex and concave regions of said inlet-side cover and said outlet-side cover.
16. The filter of claim 15 , wherein said at least one outlet-side filter media support includes an alternating convex and concave region in alignment with said alternating convex and concave region along the periphery of said outlet-side cover.
17. The filter of claim 15 , wherein the filter media is secured between the inlet-side filter media support and the outlet-side filter media support.
18. A filter for use in engines or transmissions, comprising:
an inlet-side cover having a wave-like region along the periphery of said inlet-side cover and one or more wave-like shaped inlet-side media supports, separate from said wave-like region along the periphery, disposed within the periphery of said inlet-side cover;
an outlet-side cover having a wave-like region along the periphery of said outlet-side cover and outlet-side wave-like shaped media supports, separate from said wave-like region along the periphery, disposed within said outlet-side cover, wherein said outlet-side cover wave-like region along the periphery is complementary in shape and alignment with the periphery of said inlet-side cover wave-like region, wherein the inlet-side filter media support aligns with the outlet-side filter media support; and
a filter media fixed in a wave-like configuration between said wave-like regions of said inlet-side cover and said outlet-side cover.
19. The filter of claim 18 , wherein said inlet-side media supports and said outlet-side media supports are sized so that a gap is created between said inlet-side and said outlet-side media supports when the filter is assembled.
20. The filter of claim 18 , wherein the filter media is secured between the inlet-side filter media support and the outlet-side filter media support.
21. A filter for use in engines or transmissions, comprising:
an inlet-side cover means having a wave-like region along the periphery of said inlet-side cover means, wherein said inlet-side cover means further comprises at least one wave-like shaped inlet-side filter media support means, separate from said inlet-side cover wave-like region along the periphery, disposed within the periphery of said inlet-side cover means;
an outlet-side cover means having a wave-like region along the periphery of said outlet-side cover means, wherein said outlet-side cover means further comprises at least one wave-like shaped outlet-side filter media support means, separate from said outlet-side cover wave-like region along the periphery, disposed within the periphery of said outlet-side cover means, wherein the inlet-side filter media support means aligns with the outlet side filter media support means; and
a filter media means sealingly fixed in a non-planar configuration between said wave-like regions of said inlet-side cover means and said outlet-side cover means.