Hydraulic filter assembly with priority valve

1. A filter module assembly for removing particles from a fluid, the filter module assembly comprising:

a manifold housing having an inlet for receiving the fluid to be filtered, an outlet for expelling the fluid, and fluid flow paths therebetween, said manifold housing being attached atop a filter bowl;

a parallel combination of a first filtering element contained within said filter bowl and a second filtering element completely contained within said manifold housing, each having a porous filter medium; and

a fluid flow rate responsive valve arranged in communication with the inlet, the first filtering element, and the second filtering element, said valve being activated when a fluid flow rate through the inlet increases above a predetermined threshold value, the amount of fluid above said threshold value being diverted away from said first filtering element and through said second filtering element while the amount of fluid at and below said threshold value continues to pass through said valve to said first filtering element, said valve being contained completely within the manifold housing and not in direct communication with the outlet or a downstream side of the first filtering element, wherein fluid filtered in said first filtering element and fluid filtered in said second filtering element is expelled through said outlet.

2. The filter module assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter medium of at least one of the filtering elements is pleated.

3. The filter module assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter medium of at least one of the filtering elements has a hollow, generally cylindrical configuration.

4. The filter module assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter module assembly includes a high pressure relief valve.

5. The filter module assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter module assembly includes a bypass valve.

6. The filter module assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter module assembly includes a device to measure pressure, temperature, and flow.

7. A filter module assembly comprising:

a manifold housing having an inlet for receiving a fluid to be filtered, an outlet for expelling the fluid, and fluid flow paths therebetween, said manifold housing being attached atop a filter bowl;

a primary filtering element and a secondary filtering element positioned in parallel to define a primary circuit fluid flow path and a secondary circuit fluid flow path respectively, the primary filtering element being contained within the filter bowl, the secondary filtering element being contained completely within the manifold housing, each filtering element including a porous filter medium, a mean pore diameter of the porous filter medium of the primary filtering element being smaller than a mean pore diameter of the porous filter medium of the secondary filtering element; and

a fluid flow rate responsive valve for selectively directing at least a portion of the fluid away from the primary filtering element and through the parallel secondary filtering element, said valve including:

a piston including a metering orifice,

a spring, and

a valve body, said valve being activated when a fluid flow rate through the inlet increases above a predetermined fluid flow rate, said piston moving relative to said valve body to allow the amount of fluid above the predetermined fluid flow rate to be directed away from said primary filtering element and through said secondary filtering element while the amount of fluid at and below the predetermined fluid flow rate continues to pass through said metering orifice to said primary filtering element, said valve being contained completely within the manifold housing and not in direct communication with the outlet or a downstream side of the primary filtering element, wherein fluid filtered in said primary filtering element and fluid filtered in said secondary filtering element is expelled through said outlet.

8. The filter module assembly of claim 7 wherein the primary filtering element has a hollow, generally cylindrical configuration, and the secondary filtering element is a metal screen filter element, wherein the fluid flow rate responsive valve communicates between the inlet, the primary filtering element, and the secondary filtering element.

9. The filter module assembly of claim 7 wherein the primary filtering element includes a perforated core and the porous filter medium is pleated, the pleated porous filter medium being disposed about the perforated core.

10. A filter module assembly comprising:

a manifold housing having an inlet for receiving a fluid to be filtered, an outlet for expelling the fluid, and fluid flow paths therebetween, said manifold housing being attached atop a filter bowl;

a primary filtering element and a secondary filtering element positioned in parallel to define a primary circuit fluid flow path and a secondary circuit fluid flow path respectively, the primary filtering element being contained within said filter bowl, and the secondary filtering element being contained completely within the manifold housing; and

a fluid flow rate responsive valve for selectively directing at least a portion of the fluid away from the primary filtering element and through the parallel secondary filtering element, said valve being activated when a fluid flow rate through the inlet increases above a predetermined fluid flow rate, the amount of fluid at and below the predetermined fluid flow rate continues to pass through said valve to said primary filtering element and the amount of fluid above the predetermined fluid flow rate being directed away from said primary filtering element and through said secondary filtering element, said valve being contained completely within the manifold housing and further including:

a piston including a metering orifice,

a spring, and

a valve body of larger diameter than, and coaxial with, the piston, the valve body including a plurality of first circular apertures, wherein the piston is slidably mounted within the valve body, the spring being biased in a first shape urging the piston into a first position within the valve body to close the piston over the plurality of first circular apertures when the flow rate of the fluid is below the predetermined fluid flow rate, and the spring being biased to allow the piston to move away from the first position to allow the piston to expose the plurality of first circular apertures when the flow rate of the fluid is above the predetermined fluid flow rate, the plurality of first circular apertures then being in communication with the secondary circuit fluid flow path, the amount of exposure of the plurality of first circular apertures being proportional to the flow rate of the fluid, wherein fluid filtered in said primary filtering element and fluid filtered in said secondary filtering element is expelled through said outlet.

11. The filter module assembly of claim 10 wherein the primary filtering element has a hollow, generally cylindrical configuration, and the secondary filtering element is a metal screen filter element, wherein the fluid flow rate responsive valve communicates between the inlet, the primary filtering element, and the secondary filtering element.

12. The filter module assembly of claim 10 wherein the primary filtering element includes a perforated core and the porous filter medium is pleated, the pleated porous filter medium being disposed about the perforated core.

13. The filter module assembly of claim 10 wherein the filter medium of at least one of the filtering elements is pleated.

14. The filter module assembly of claim 10 wherein the filter medium of at least one of the filtering elements has a hollow, generally cylindrical configuration.

15. The filter module assembly of claim 10 wherein the filter module assembly includes a high pressure relief valve.

16. The filter module assembly of claim 10 wherein the filter module assembly includes a bypass valve.

17. The filter module assembly of claim 10 wherein the filter module assembly includes a device to measure pressure, temperature, and flow.

18. A filter module assembly comprising:

a manifold housing having an inlet for receiving a fluid to be filtered, an outlet for expelling the fluid, and fluid flow paths therebetween, said manifold housing being attached atop a filter bowl;

a primary filtering element and a secondary filtering element positioned in parallel to define a primary circuit fluid flow path and a secondary circuit fluid flow path respectively, the primary filtering element being contained within said filter bowl, the secondary filtering element being contained completely within the manifold housing; and

a fluid flow rate responsive valve for selectively directing at least a portion of the fluid away from the primary filtering element and through the parallel secondary filtering element, said valve being activated when a fluid flow rate through the inlet increases above a predetermined fluid flow rate, an amount of fluid at and below the predetermined fluid flow rate continuing to pass through said primary filtering element and an amount of fluid above the predetermined fluid flow rate being directed away from said primary filtering element through said secondary filtering element, and said valve being contained completely within the manifold housing and further including:

a piston including a metering orifice and a plurality of circular apertures,

a spring, and

a valve body of larger diameter than, and coaxial with, the piston, the valve body including a plurality of first circular apertures and a plurality of second circular apertures, the plurality of circular apertures of the piston being in constant communication with the plurality of second circular apertures to further communicate with the primary circuit fluid flow path to allow a continuous flow of fluid below the predetermined fluid flow rate, wherein the piston is slidably mounted within the valve body, the spring being biased in a first shape urging the piston into a first position within the valve body to close the piston over the plurality of first circular apertures when the flow rate of the fluid is below the predetermined fluid flow rate, and the spring being biased to allow the piston to move away from the first position to allow the piston to expose the plurality of first circular apertures when the flow rate of the fluid is above the predetermined fluid flow rate, the plurality of first circular apertures then being in communication with the secondary circuit fluid flow path, the amount of exposure of the plurality of the first circular apertures being proportional to the flow rate of the fluid, wherein fluid filtered in said primary filtering element and fluid filtered in said secondary filtering element is expelled through said outlet.

19. The filter module assembly of claim 18 wherein the primary filtering element has a hollow, generally cylindrical configuration, and the secondary filtering element is a metal screen filter element, wherein the fluid flow rate responsive valve communicates between the inlet, the primary filtering element, and the secondary filtering element.

20. The filter module assembly of claim 18 wherein the primary filtering element includes a perforated core and the porous filter medium is pleated, the pleated porous filter medium being disposed about the perforated core.

21. The filter module assembly of claim 18 wherein the filter medium of at least one of the filtering elements is pleated.

22. The filter module assembly of claim 18 wherein the filter medium of at least one of the filtering elements has a hollow, generally cylindrical configuration.

23. The filter module assembly of claim 18 wherein the filter module assembly includes a high pressure relief valve.

24. The filter module assembly of claim 18 wherein the filter module assembly includes a bypass valve.

25. The filter module assembly of claim 18 wherein the filter module assembly includes a device to measure pressure, temperature, and flow.