Patent ID: 6051042
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: B01D,F02M

Abstract:
An air cleaner assembly comprising:(a) a body member including a sidewall and an end wall;(i) said body member defining an open air cleaner interior and an air flow inlet;(ii) said sidewall defining an open end for selected insertion and removal of an air filter element;(iii) said body member including a generally cylindrical, cover engagement, surface;(iv) said body member being a molded plastic construction;(b) an air flow outlet secured to said body member;(c) a removable cover sized for selective positioning in covering relation to said sidewall open end;(i) said cover including a generally cylindrical, body member-engagement surface, said body member engagement surface being dimensioned to circumscribe said cover engagement surface;(ii) said cover comprising a plastic molded member;(iii) said body member and said cover defining an interior of a size sufficient to operably receive a cylindrical filter element having a diameter of at least 6 inches;(iv) said cover including a ring-shaped wall projection oriented substantially orthogonal to said cylindrical body member engagement surface;(A) said cover including a plurality of radially spaced beads positioned on said ring-shaped wall projection;(d) a rotation activated lock assembly having a first unlocked orientation and a second locked orientation;(i) said cover being separable from said body member when said lock assembly is in said first, unlocked, orientation;(ii) said cover being secured to said body member when said lock assembly is in said locked orientation;(iii) said rotation activated lock assembly being constructed and arranged to selectively move between said unlocked orientation and said locked orientation by rotational movement of said cover relative to said body member;(iv) said cover being selectively rotatably slideable relative to said body member, with said cylindrical cover member engagement surface opposed to said cylindrical body member engagement surface, during selected movement of said lock assembly between said locked and unlocked orientations;(v) said rotation activated lock assembly including a foot-and-holder lock arrangement including a foot arrangement and a holder arrangement;(A) said holder arrangement comprising at least 10 radially spaced holders positioned on said cylindrical cover member engagement surface of said body member;(B) each of said at least 10 radially spaced holders including first and second, spaced, projections with a slot defined therebetween;(C) said plurality of radially spaced beads on said ring-shaped wall projection being positioned such that a selected one of said beads is positioned in a selected one of said slots, for frictional engagement, whenever said lock assembly is in said locked orientation;(D) said foot arrangement comprising at least 10 radially spaced L-shaped feet positioned to project outwardly from said ring-shaped wall projection and said cylindrical body member engagement surface;(1) each one of said L-shaped feet having a second section circumferentially projecting from a first section;(2) selected individual ones each of said plurality of holders being positioned for locking engagement by selected individual ones of said second sections of said plurality of L-shaped feet, when said lock assembly is in said locked orientation;(E) each holder including a first, elongate, cammed surface on a portion thereof oriented in direction away from a majority of said cover, during locking engagement of said cover on said body member;(1) each first elongate cammed surface being engaged by said second section of a selected L-shaped foot member, when said lock assembly is rotated into said second, locked, orientation from said first, unlocked, orientation; and,(2) said first cammed surface being positioned to facilitate movement of said lock assembly to said locked orientation; and(e) a moveable engagement finger selectively positionable between engaged and release positions;(i) said engagement finger, when in said engaged position, being positioned to secure a selected holder between a portion of the engagement finger and a selected L-shaped foot to prevent rotational movement of the holder relative to the L-shaped foot; and,(ii) said engagement finger, when in said release position, releasing a selected rotational movement of the holder relative to an L-shaped foot.