JP4079689B2 - Air cleaner and its filter element - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air cleaner for removing dust contained in air supplied to an engine or the like and a filter element thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The air cleaner is used, for example, in an automobile, a two-wheeled vehicle, or the like to clean engine intake air, and is configured by disposing a filter element in an air passage extending from an outside air intake port to an engine intake port. The filter element is made of a filter medium (for example, filter paper). When the air flowing through the air passage passes through the filter medium, dust or the like contained in the air is captured by the filter medium to clean the air. For this reason, a seal member is provided around the filter element so that all air flowing through the air passage passes through the filter medium, and the filter element is placed in the air passage so that the seal member is in close contact with the outer periphery of the air passage. It is comprised so that it may be arrange | positioned.
[0003]
In order to arrange the seal member in close contact with the air passage in this manner, conventionally, as described in, for example, Utility Model Registration No. 3068739, a case constituting an air cleaner is provided, for example, a main body. It was divided into a case and a cover. In this case, an air cleaner is configured by receiving a filter element so that the seal member is fitted onto the main body case, and attaching a cover having a flange portion in close contact with the seal member. The space inside the cover communicates with the outside air intake port, the space inside the main body communicates with the engine intake port, and the air taken in from the outside air intake port passes through the filter paper of the filter element and is filtered and cleaned. It flows into the body space and is further supplied into the engine cylinder from the engine intake port.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In general, the filter element of the air cleaner needs to be replaced periodically, but in the conventional air cleaner having the above configuration, the element cannot be replaced unless the cover is removed from the main body case in order to replace the filter element. There was a problem that this replacement work was troublesome. Furthermore, there are many restrictions on the air cleaner installation space in automobiles, motorcycles, etc., and it may be difficult to secure a space for removing the cover. There is also a possibility that the element cannot be exchanged unless the surrounding parts of the cover are removed.
[0005]
In order to solve such a problem, the present applicant has considered a configuration in which a mounting opening is provided on a side surface of the air cleaner case, and a filter element can be easily inserted into and removed from the mounting opening to replace the element. However, in this case, when the filter element is inserted into the case, the surrounding sealing member is brought into close contact with the case to securely seal the air passage, or the contact portion between the mounting opening and the sealing member is There was a problem that it was difficult to seal reliably.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the filter element can be easily exchanged by inserting and removing the filter element from the mounting opening on the side of the case without dividing the air cleaner case. It is an object of the present invention to provide an air cleaner having a configuration that can be performed in the same manner.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve such an object, in the present invention, a case having an inlet side opening and an outlet side opening and having a filter space formed therein, and an inlet side space and an outlet side opening communicating the filter space with the inlet side opening are provided. A filter element that is partitioned into an outlet side space that communicates with the filter and is mounted in the case, and after the air introduced into the inlet side space from the inlet side opening is filtered through the filter element In the air cleaner configured to flow out from the outlet side space through the outlet side opening, an opening is formed in the side surface of the case that partitions the inlet side space and the outlet side space, and the mounting opening is formed. A filter member that has a cover member that is detachably attached to the cover and is inserted into the partitioning portion on the inner surface of the case from the attachment opening. Guide grooves for receiving the outer periphery of the instrument is formed. The filter element includes a filter medium, a holding frame that surrounds and holds the periphery of the filter medium, and a rubber protrusion formed so as to protrude over the entire outer periphery of the holding frame (for example, the seal holding rib in the embodiment) 43) , and a seal member made of a rubber material attached so as to cover at least the tip of the projecting body , and when the filter element is inserted into the partitioning portion from the attachment opening, the seal member becomes a guide groove. It is received in the guide groove and is provided on the inner surface of the guide groove and extends along the guide groove direction (for example, the rib-like protrusion 15b in the embodiment ) to seal this portion. Further, the inner surface of the lid member attached so as to cover the attachment opening in this state is in contact with a portion exposed to the attachment opening in the seal member, and this portion is sealed.
Furthermore, in the air cleaner of the present invention, the tip of the protrusion is configured to have a T-shaped protrusion that protrudes to the left and right in a T-shape, and the seal member covers the T-shaped protrusion and is a T-shaped protrusion of the protrusion. The seal member is attached with a space on the tip surface side, and the side where the seal member abuts on the protrusion provided on the inner surface of the guide groove has a groove, and the protrusion is pushed into the groove of the seal member to seal It is preferable to be configured as described above.
In the above case, it is further preferable that the seal member is configured to have a protruding portion at a position in contact with or close to the groove side surface of the guide groove.
[0008]
In the air cleaner of the present invention, a seal rib projecting to the outer surface is formed around the mounting opening, and the seal disposed on the inner surface of the lid member when the lid member covers the mounting opening and is attached to the case. It is preferable that the gasket is configured to be in contact with the seal rib and seal the entire mounting opening.
Further, it is preferable that the filter paper held in the filter element is configured to be bent in a bellows shape.
[0009]
If the air cleaner having such a configuration is used, the element can be replaced very simply by inserting and removing the filter element from the mounting opening formed in the side surface of the case. In addition, elements can be replaced without disassembling the case simply by providing a mounting opening in the case. As a space for element replacement, it is sufficient if there is a space for element insertion / extraction outside the mounting opening, such as automobiles, motorcycles, etc. There is a high degree of freedom in the air cleaner installation design.
[0010]
Furthermore, after inserting the filter element into the case from the mounting opening, if the cover member is attached to cover the mounting opening, the filter seal member is received in the guide groove and abuts against the groove inner surface to seal this part, The inner surface of the lid member comes into contact with the portion exposed to the mounting opening in the filter seal member, and this portion is sealed, so that the entire circumference of the element is securely sealed in the case by the seal member and introduced into the inlet side space of the case It is possible to perform highly efficient filtration by passing the entire air thus passed through the filter paper portion of the filter element.
[0011]
In addition, the filter element which concerns on this invention is a filter element which comprises the air cleaner mentioned above. That is, the filter element is configured to be exchangeable by being inserted into and removed from the mounting opening formed on the side surface of the case , and further opened to a portion that partitions the inlet side space and the outlet side space on the side surface of the case. And a cover member that covers the mounting opening and is detachably attached, and a guide groove that receives the outer periphery of the filter element inserted from the mounting opening is formed in a partitioning portion on the inner surface of the case. Filter element constituting the air cleaner, and the filter element includes a filter medium, a holding frame that surrounds and holds the periphery of the filter medium, and a rubber protrusion that protrudes over the entire circumference of the holding frame And a seal member made of a rubber material attached so as to cover at least the tip of the protrusion. When the filter element is inserted into the partitioning portion from the mounting opening, the seal member is received in the guide groove and is in contact with a protrusion that is provided on the inner surface of the guide groove and extends in the guide groove direction. A filter element configured to be sealed at a portion.
Preferably, the tip of the rubber protrusion is configured to have a T-shaped protrusion that protrudes left and right in a T-shape, covers the T-shaped protrusion, and on the tip surface side of the T-shaped protrusion of the protrusion. It is attached with a space, and the side where the seal member abuts on the protrusion provided on the inner surface of the guide groove has a concave groove.
In the above case, it is further preferable that the seal member is configured to have a protruding portion at a position in contact with or close to the groove side surface of the guide groove.
Moreover, it is preferable that the filter paper held in the filter element has a shape bent in a bellows shape.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 5 show the overall appearance of an air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. This air cleaner has a case C formed of a first case housing 10 and a second case housing 20 made of resin. Composed. A case C having an internal space is assembled by joining the flange portion 10a formed in the first case housing 10 and the flange portion 20a formed in the second case housing 20, and the filter element 40 is disposed therein. The At this time, the filter element 40 is disposed so as to partition the internal space of the case C into the inlet side space 2 and the outlet side space 3, as shown in FIGS.
[0013]
A suction cylinder 21 having an inlet opening 21a that opens to the outside is attached to the second case housing 20, and its inner end opening 21b opens to the inlet side space 2 in the case inner space as can be seen from FIGS. is doing. Thus, external air is introduced into the inlet side space 2 through the suction cylinder 21. A flange member 22 is attached to the outer surface of the second case housing 20 as shown in the drawing so as to surround the inlet opening 21a. On the other hand, a discharge cylinder 23 communicating with the outlet side space 3 is attached to the second case housing 20, and air in the outlet side space 3 is discharged to the outside via the discharge cylinder 23.
[0014]
A connecting tube 52 of a connecting member 51 is connected to the discharge cylinder 23, and the connecting member 51 is provided with a pair of connecting ports 53, 53 connected to an intake manifold (not shown) of the engine. For this reason, the air discharged from the discharge cylinder 23 is introduced into the connecting member 51 from the connecting tube 52 and supplied to the engine from the connecting ports 53 and 53 through the intake manifold.
[0015]
As shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, the filter element 40 is arranged so as to partition the internal space of the case C into an inlet side space 2 and an outlet side space 3, but the filter element 40 is regularly disposed. It is necessary to replace the case C so as to be detachable. For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 4, 8, 12, 13, etc., an element mounting opening 5 is formed on the side surface of the case C. The element mounting opening 5 includes a first recess 10b provided in the first case housing 10 connected to the flange portion 10a, and a second recess 20b provided in the second case housing 20 connected to the flange portion 20a. In the case C in which the first and second case housings 10 and 20 are joined and assembled at the flange portions 10a and 20a, a rectangular element mounting opening 5 is formed. In addition, seal ribs 10c and 20c protruding outward are formed around the first and second recesses 10a and 20a.
[0016]
A first side end guide rib 15 extending inwardly along the inner surface of the first case housing 10 is formed from the first recess 10 b that forms the element mounting opening 5, and a straight line is formed at the inner end of the first side end guide rib 15. A first side end guide groove 15a extending in a shape is formed. A second side end guide rib 25 extending inward along the inner surface of the second case housing 20 is formed from the second recess 20 b that forms the element mounting opening 5, and is formed at the inner end of the second side end guide rib 25. A second side end guide groove 25a extending linearly is formed. Further, a first rear end guide rib 16 that is connected to the rear portion of the first side end guide portion rib 15 and extends at a substantially right angle is formed, and a first side end guide groove is formed at the inner end of the first rear end guide rib 16. A first rear end guide groove 16a is formed so as to be connected to. Similarly, a second rear end guide rib 26 that is connected to the rear portion of the second side end guide rib 25 and extends at a substantially right angle is formed, and a second side end guide groove 25a is formed at the inner end of the second rear end guide rib 26. A second rear end guide groove 26a is formed so as to be connected to.
[0017]
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the filter element 40 is configured by holding a filter paper 41 bent in a bellows shape in a resin frame 42 having a rectangular frame shape. A rubber seal holding rib 43 is formed on the entire outer periphery of the resin frame 42, and a seal member 45 is attached so as to cover the seal holding rib 43. FIG. 11 shows an enlarged cross-sectional shape of a portion where the seal member 45 is attached to the seal holding rib 43. The front end of the seal holding rib 43 protrudes left and right and has a T shape. On the other hand, the seal member 45 is formed with a + -shaped concave portion 46 that receives the front end of the seal holding rib 43. The seal holding rib 43 is received in the recess 46 and a seal member 45 is attached as shown in the figure. In this state, a space 46a is formed on the tip surface side of the seal holding rib 43. The seal member 45 has left and right lip portions 47 and 47 and a central groove 48 formed on the left and right ends of the tip, and auxiliary lip protrusions 49a and 49b on the left and right side surfaces, respectively.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 8, the filter element 40 is mounted in the case C through the element mounting opening 5 so that the width B of the front end face 45b in the mounting direction is smaller than the width A of the rear end face 45a (see FIG. That is, the left and right side surfaces 45c and 45d of the element 40 are tapered so as to become thinner toward the front in the insertion direction. As this taper angle, an angle of about 0.5 to 5 degrees is set. The first side end guide groove 15a and the second side end guide groove 25a are provided with a taper having an angle corresponding to the taper on the left and right side surfaces of the filter element 40. In FIG. 8, in order to show this taper, the taper angle is exaggerated larger than the actual angle.
[0019]
When the filter element 40 is mounted in the case C from the element mounting opening 5 as indicated by an arrow D in FIG. 8, the filter element 40 is initially mounted around the periphery of the filter element 40 due to the above taper. The seal member 45 can be smoothly inserted without the left and right end faces thereof coming into contact with the first and second side end guide grooves 15a, 25a, and the seal member 45 is inserted into the first and second side end guide grooves 15a at the final insertion stage. , 25a is set so as to be press-fitted in between. Thereby, the operation | work which attaches / detaches the filter element 40 from the element attachment opening 5 can be performed easily.
[0020]
The contact position relationship between the left and right end surfaces of the seal member 45 and the first and second side end guide grooves 15a and 25a when the filter element 40 is inserted in this manner is shown by way of example of the first side end guide groove 15a. This will be described with reference to FIG. In the first side end guide groove 15a, rib-like protrusions 15b extending along the groove direction in the groove center and left and right guide ribs 15c and 15c extending along both sides thereof are formed. In the insertion start stage of the filter element 40, because of the taper, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 11, the seal member 45 and the rib-shaped protrusion 15b are separated from each other, and the filter element 40 can be smoothly received without receiving insertion resistance. It can be inserted. As shown in the figure, the seal member 45 is positioned between the left and right guide ribs 15c and 15c forming the first side end guide groove 15a, and the filter element 40 is positioned and guided between the left and right guide ribs 15c and 15c. Since it is inserted, the filter element 40 can be inserted in the desired direction without positional deviation.
[0021]
Here, as described above, since the left and right side surfaces 45c and 45d of the filter element 40 and the first and second side end guide grooves 15a and 25a are tapered, the seal member 45 as the insertion of the filter element 40 proceeds. Approaches the rib-shaped protrusion 15b, and finally, the rib-shaped protrusion 15b is pushed into the central concave groove 48 of the seal member 45 as shown by a two-dot chain line in the drawing. The seal member 45 is made of a soft rubber material. When the rib-like protrusion 15b is pushed into the central groove 48 in this way, the seal member 45 is elastically deformed as indicated by a two-dot chain line, and the left and right lip portions 47 , 47 are pushed outward and pressed against the inner side surfaces of the left and right guide ribs 15c, 15c, respectively. In addition, the auxiliary lip protrusions 49a and 49a are also spread outward and come into contact with or close to the inner side surfaces of the left and right guide ribs 15c and 15c.
[0022]
As a result, close sealing is performed at the portion where the rib-like protrusion 15b is pushed into the central concave groove 48, and close sealing is also performed at the portion where the left and right lip portions 47, 47 are in contact with the left and right guide ribs 15c, 15c. Is called. The auxiliary lip protrusions 49a and 49a are in contact with the left and right guide ribs 15c and 15c, and sealing is also performed in this portion. Even if the auxiliary lip protrusions 49a and 49a do not come into contact with the left and right guide ribs 15c and 15c, a labyrinth effect can be obtained by approaching the auxiliary lip protrusions 49a and 49a. Enhances the sealing effect. Similarly, the auxiliary lip protrusion 49b also exhibits a labyrinth effect.
[0023]
When the filter element 40 is completely inserted into the case C from the element mounting opening 5 as described above, the seal member 45 positioned at the front end of the filter element 40 is connected to the first and second rear end guide grooves 25b and 26b. Abut. The first and second rear end guide grooves 25b and 26b also have the same groove configuration as the first side end guide groove 15a shown in FIG. 11, and the seal member 45 at the front end of the filter element 40 is the first and second end guide grooves 15b. 2 The rear end guide grooves 25b and 26b are pressed against each other, and a close seal is made in this portion in the same manner as described above.
[0024]
As described above, when the filter element 40 is completely inserted into the case C from the element mounting opening 5, the space between the front end and the left and right side ends of the element 40 and the case inner surface is completely sealed. However, in this state, the element mounting opening 5 is open to the outside, so that the cover 30 shown in FIG.
[0025]
The cover 30 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that covers the element mounting opening 5, a mounting screw insertion hole 36 is formed therethrough, and a pair of handles 37 and 37 are provided on the surface. A pressing protrusion 35 extending in the width direction is formed at the center of the back surface of the cover 30, and center holding ribs 33 and 33 are formed so as to sandwich the pressing protrusion 35 from the left and right sides with a predetermined interval. A pair of peripheral holding ribs 31, 31 extending at a predetermined interval so as to surround the central holding ribs 33, 33 are formed. A sponge rubber seal gasket 38 formed in the shape shown in FIG. 15 is attached to the back surface of the cover 30. At this time, the central portion 39b is fitted in the central groove 34 located between the central holding ribs 33, 33, and the pressing protrusion 35 enters the slit 39c formed in the central portion 39b and protrudes to the back surface. Further, a peripheral portion 39a is fitted in the peripheral groove 32 located between the peripheral holding ribs 31 and 31.
[0026]
Such cover 30 sealing the gasket 38 is attached to the rear surface in the can by a mounting screw 30a inserted through the mounting screw insertion holes 36, it is mounted over the element attaching opening 5 as shown in FIG. 12. At this time, the pressing protrusion 35 of the cover 30 is pressed by the seal member 45 at the rear end of the filter element 40 mounted from the element mounting opening 5, and the left and right lip portions 47 are expanded and come into contact with the central holding rib 33. At the same time, the lip portion 47 of the seal member 45 located at the rear end of the filter element 40 is pressed against the central portion 39b of the seal gasket 38 located in the central groove 34, and this portion is completely sealed. Further, as described above, the seal ribs 10c and 20c formed so as to protrude to the outer surface around the first and second recesses 10a and 20a that form the element attachment opening 5 are formed in the seal gasket 38 positioned in the peripheral groove 32. This part is also completely sealed by being pressed against the peripheral part 39a.
[0027]
According to the air cleaner configured as described above, external air is introduced into the inlet side space 2 of the case C from the inlet opening 21a of the suction cylinder 21, passes through the filter paper 41 of the filter element 40, and enters the air here. The contained dust is captured and the air is cleaned. The cleaned air flows into the outlet side space 3 in the case C. At this time, the filter element 40 is provided on the first and second sides of the case inner surface by the sealing member 40 provided over the entire circumference. The end guide grooves 15a and 15b, the first and second rear end guide grooves 16a and 26a, and the inner surface of the cover 30 are contacted and sealed, and all the air in the inlet side space 2 passes through the filter paper 41. Completely filtered and cleaned. The air purified in this way is supplied from the hold between the intake air of the engine through the discharge cylinder 23, the connecting tube 52, the connecting member 51, and the connecting ports 53, 53 from the outlet side space 3.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when the filter element is inserted into the partitioning portion from the mounting opening, the filter seal member is received in the guide groove and abuts against the groove inner surface to seal this portion. In this state, the inner surface of the lid member that covers the mounting opening is in contact with the portion exposed to the mounting opening of the filter seal member so that this portion is sealed. After inserting the filter element into the case, it is possible to securely seal the entire circumference of the element with the seal member within the case by covering the mounting opening and attaching the lid member. Highly efficient filtration can be performed by passing air through the filter paper portion of the filter element.
[0029]
Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the element can be replaced very simply by inserting and removing the filter element from the mounting opening formed in the side surface of the case. In addition, elements can be replaced without disassembling the case simply by providing a mounting opening in the case. As a space for element replacement, it is sufficient if there is a space for element insertion / extraction outside the mounting opening, such as automobiles, motorcycles, etc. There is a high degree of freedom in the air cleaner installation design.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of an air cleaner according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the air cleaner.
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the air cleaner.
FIG. 4 is a partial sectional plan view of the air cleaner.
FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the air cleaner.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a second case housing, a filter element, and a cover constituting the air cleaner in an assembled state.
7 is a cross-sectional view of the air cleaner taken along arrows VII-VII in FIG.
8 is a cross-sectional view showing the air cleaner taken along arrows VIII-VIII in FIG.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of the filter element.
10 is a cross-sectional view showing the filter element along the arrow XX in FIG. 9. FIG.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a contact state between the seal member of the filter element and the first side end seal groove.
12 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged partial cross-section of the air cleaner shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an element mounting opening in the air cleaner with a cover and a filter element removed.
FIG. 14 is a plan view, a front view, and a bottom view showing a cover.
FIGS. 15A and 15B are a plan view and a front view of a seal gasket attached to the cover. FIGS.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Inlet side space 3 Outlet side space 5 Element mounting opening 10 First case housing 15 First side end guide rib 15a First side end guide groove 16 First rear end guide rib 16a First rear end guide groove 20 Second case housing 21 Suction Tube 23 Discharge tube 25 Second side end guide rib 25a Second side end guide groove 26 Second rear end guide rib 26a Second rear end guide groove 30 Cover 38 Seal gasket 40 Filter element 41 Filter paper 42 Resin frame 43 Seal holding rib 45 Seal member 47 Lip part 48 Central recessed part 49a, 49b Auxiliary lip protrusion

Claims (6)

A case having an inlet side opening and an outlet side opening and having a filter space formed therein; and partitioning the filter space into an inlet side space communicating with the inlet side opening and an outlet side space communicating with the outlet side opening. A filter element mounted in the case, and the air introduced into the inlet side space from the inlet side opening is filtered through the filter element, and then from the outlet side space. In an air cleaner configured to flow out through the outlet side opening,
An opening is formed in a part of the side surface of the case that divides the inlet side space and the outlet side space, a mounting opening is formed, and a lid member that covers the mounting opening and is detachably attached is provided, and the inner surface of the case A guide groove for receiving the outer periphery of the filter element inserted from the mounting opening is formed in the partitioning part in
The filter element includes a filter medium, a holding frame that surrounds and holds the periphery of the filter medium, a rubber protruding body formed to protrude over the entire outer periphery of the holding frame, and at least a tip portion of the protruding body. It has a sealing member made of a rubber material attached and covered ,
When the filter element is inserted into the partitioning portion from the mounting opening, the seal member is received in the guide groove and is provided on the inner surface of the guide groove and contacts a protrusion extending along the guide groove direction. This portion is sealed by contact, and in this state, the inner surface of the lid member attached so as to cover the attachment opening is in contact with the portion exposed to the attachment opening in the seal member, and this portion is sealed. An air cleaner characterized by being made. A tip end portion of the projecting body is configured to have a T-shaped projecting portion projecting left and right in a T shape, and the seal member covers the T-shaped projecting portion and the front end surface side of the T-shaped projecting portion of the projecting body Is attached with space,
  Further, the side where the seal member abuts on the protrusion provided on the inner surface of the groove has a groove, and the protrusion is pushed into the groove of the seal member to be sealed. The air cleaner according to claim 1. 3. The air cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the seal member is further configured to have a protrusion at a position in contact with or close to a groove side surface of the guide groove. The air cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the filter paper held in the filter element is bent in a bellows shape. A seal rib protruding outward is formed around the mounting opening, and a seal gasket disposed on the inner surface of the lid member when the lid member covers the mounting opening and is attached to the case is the seal rib. The air cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the air cleaner is configured so as to abut against the entire surface of the mounting opening. The said filter element which comprises the air cleaner in any one of Claims 1-4 .

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