PLEATED FILTER WITH PLEATPACK TAPERED AT BOTTOM TO MINIMIZE DUST BUILDUP
A filter includes a pleated filter material with a plurality of pleats arranged circumferentially. The pleated filter material includes a top half and a bottom half. An end cap is coupled with an axial end of the pleated filter material bottom half, and at least a portion of the pleated filter material is tapered. With a smaller end cap, the filter has less area on which dust can accumulate.
1 . A filter comprising:
a pleated filter material including a plurality of pleats arranged circumferentially and having a nominal external diameter; and
an end cap coupled with an axial end of the pleated filter material, the end cap having a diameter that is smaller than the nominal external diameter of the plurality of pleats, wherein the pleated filter material is tapered from the nominal external diameter at a top portion of the pleated filter material to a tapered diameter sized to fit within the end cap diameter.
2 . A filter according to claim 1 , wherein the pleated filter material comprises a top half and a bottom half, and wherein an external diameter of the top half corresponds to the nominal external diameter, and the external diameter of at least a portion of the bottom half is tapered from the nominal external diameter to the tapered diameter.
3 . A filter according to claim 2 , wherein the tapered diameter is about one-half of the nominal external diameter.
4 . A filter according to claim 1 , wherein the tapered diameter is about one-half of the nominal external diameter.
5 . A filter according to claim 1 , wherein a pleat spacing is more concentrated at the tapered axial end of the pleated filter material.
6 . A filter according to claim 1 , wherein the taper in the pleated filter material extends across 5-100% of the pleated filter material.
7 . A filter according to claim 6 , wherein the taper in the pleated filter material extends across 5-50% of the pleated filter material.
8 . A filter according to claim 7 , wherein the taper in the pleated filter material extends across 10-15% of the pleated filter material.
9 . A filter comprising:
a pleated filter material including a plurality of pleats arranged circumferentially, the pleated filter material having a top half and a bottom half;
an end cap coupled with an axial end of the pleated filter material bottom half,
wherein at least a portion of the bottom half of the pleated filter material is tapered.
10 . A filter according to claim 9 , wherein the portion of the bottom half tapers from a nominal diameter to a smaller diameter at the end cap, and wherein the smaller diameter is about one-half of the nominal diameter.
11 . A filter according to claim 10 , wherein a pleat spacing is more concentrated at the smaller diameter.
12 . A method of making a filter comprising:
arranging a pleated filter material circumferentially, the arranged pleated filter material having a nominal external diameter;
tapering at least a bottom portion of the arranged pleated filter material such that an external diameter of an axial end of the arranged pleated filter material is smaller than the nominal external diameter; and
securing the tapered bottom portion to an end cap at the axial end of the pleated filter material, the end cap having a diameter substantially corresponding to the bottom portion external diameter.
13 . A method according to claim 12 , wherein the arranged pleated filter material comprises a top half and a bottom half, and wherein the tapering step is practiced by tapering at least a portion of the bottom half of the arranged pleated filter material.
14 . A method according claim 13 , wherein the tapering step is practiced such that the external diameter of the axial end of the arranged pleated filter material is about one-half of the nominal diameter.
15 . A method according to claim 12 , wherein the tapering step is practiced such that the external diameter of the axial end of the arranged pleated filter material is about one-half of the nominal diameter.
16 . A method according to claim 12 , wherein the securing step is practiced by molding the end cap with the axial end of the arranged pleated filter material.
17 . A method according to claim 12 , wherein the arranged pleated filter material includes a plurality of pleats, and wherein the tapering step is practiced such that a pleat spacing of the plurality of pleats is more concentrated at the tapered axial end of the arranged pleated filter material.