IP Library Granted Patent US 11,724,226
Granted Patent B2
US 11,724,226 · App. 17/183,207 · Granted Aug 15, 2023

Air filter precleaner

Inventors: Gilbert Heck (Nuevo, CA); Steve Williams (Cherry Valley, CA)
Assignee: K&N Engineering, Inc.
B01D46/0005B01D39/1676B01D46/0001B01D46/0012B01D46/10B01D2279/60
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,724,226
App. No.
17/183,207
Granted
Aug 15, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus and methods are provided for an air filter precleaner for an open air filter box. The air filter precleaner includes a filter medium between a base and a grating that are fastened over an opening into an interior of the air filter box. The filter medium comprises a sheet of filter material having a shape and a size suitable for being supported between the base and the grating. The base is a rigid member that supports the filter medium in a sheet configuration, such that the airstream passes through the filter medium before entering the air filter box. The grating is a rigid member comprising a screen portion surrounded by a frame that is configured to be fastened onto the air filter box. The screen portion comprises a shaped lattice that allows the airstream to pass through the filter medium before entering the air filter box.

Claims (28)

1. An air filter precleaner for an air filter box, the precleaner comprising:

a filter medium for removing particulate matter from an airstream entering the air filter box;

a base for supporting the filter medium over an opening into an interior of the air filter box;

a grating for coupling the filter medium and the base to the air filter box;

wherein the filter medium comprises a sheet of filter material having thickness suitable for being disposed within a space disposed between the grating and the base; and

wherein the sheet of filter material includes corner cutouts configured to allow one or more corner portions of the grating to contact a border portion of the base.

2. The precleaner of claim 1 , wherein the base is a rigid member comprising a grate surrounded by a border portion configured to be coupled with the air filter box, the base being configured to support the filter medium in a sheet configuration such that the airstream passes through the filter medium before entering the air filter box.

3. The precleaner of claim 2 , wherein the border portion is configured to be disposed between the grating and a mating surface surrounding the opening of the air filter box.

4. The precleaner of claim 3 , wherein the border portion includes a through-hole disposed in one or more corner portions, each of the through-holes being configured to allow passage of a hardware fastener into a hole disposed in the mating surface of the air filter box.

5. The precleaner of claim 1 , wherein the grating is a rigid member comprising a screen portion surrounded by a frame that is configured to be fastened onto the air filter box, the screen portion comprising a shaped lattice configured to allow the airstream to pass through the filter medium before entering the air filter box.

6. The precleaner of claim 5 , wherein the frame includes a peripheral lip that is configured to extend over the filter medium and the base so as to contact a mating surface surrounding the opening of the air filter box.

7. The precleaner of claim 5 , wherein the frame includes a through-hole disposed in one or more corner portions, each of the through-holes being configured to allow passage of a hardware fastener into a hole disposed in a mating surface surrounding the opening of the air filter box.

8. The precleaner of claim 7 , wherein the one or more corner portions include an interior surface configured to contact the base such that a space suitable for the filter medium is disposed between the base and the screen portion, the peripheral lip extending around the base.

9. A method for an air filter pre-cleaner for an air filter box, the method comprising:

configuring a base to support a filter medium over an opening into an interior of the air filter box;

arranging the filter medium to remove particulate matter from an airstream entering the air filter box;

forming a grating to couple the filter medium and the base to the air filter box; and

wherein arranging the filter medium includes configuring corner cutouts to allow one or more corner portions of the grating to contact a border portion of the base.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein configuring the base includes forming a grate surrounded by a border portion to be coupled with the air filter box.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein forming the grate includes configuring the base to support the filter medium in a sheet configuration such that the airstream passes through the filter medium before entering the air filter box.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein forming the grating includes configuring a screen portion surrounded by a frame that is configured to be fastened onto the air filter box.

13. A method for an air filter precleaner for an air filter box, the method comprising:

disposing a base over an opening into an interior of the air filter box wherein disposing includes placing a border portion of the base in contact with a mating surface surrounding the opening of the air filter box, such that a through-hole disposed in each of one or more corner portions of the base is aligned with a corresponding hole disposed in the mating surface;

extending a filter medium onto the base so as to cover the opening; and

fastening the base and the filter medium to the air filter box by way of a grating.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein fastening the base includes placing a frame of the grating onto the base, such that the filter medium is disposed in a sheet configuration between the base and a screen portion comprising the grating.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein placing the frame includes aligning one or more corner portions of the grating with one or more corner portions of the base, such that through-holes in the grating are aligned with through-holes in the base and holes in a mating surface surrounding the opening of the air filter box.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein fastening the base and the filter medium to the air filter box by way of the grating includes extending a hardware fastener into each of the through-holes and fixedly engaging the hardware fastener with the holes in the mating surface.

Assignments (5)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT – SUPPLEMENT NO. 1 Recorded Oct 25, 2024
From: K & N ENGINEERING, INC.
To: ANKURA TRUST COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 069268/0013 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 24, 2024
From: K & N ENGINEERING, INC.
To: FIFTH THIRD BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 071008/0165 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2023
From: ANKURA TRUST COMPANY, LLC
To: K & N ENGINEERING, INC.
Reel/Frame 062760/0937 →
SUPERPRIORITY PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 17, 2022
From: K & N ENGINEERING, INC.
To: ANKURA TRUST COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 061689/0682 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2021
From: HECK, GILBERT; WILLIAMS, STEVE
To: K&N ENGINEERING, INC.
Reel/Frame 056086/0696 →