Abstract:
An attaching system for a filter cartridge may include: a top cap configured to attach to a filter cartridge; a mating projection located on the top cap; at least one locking projection projecting radially away from the mating projection; and a base portion defining an annularly shaped flat surface surrounding the mating projection on a first side and configured to attach to the filter cartridge on a second side. A method of attaching a filter cartridge to a filter assembly may include: providing locking projections on a top cap of a filter cartridge; locating a spring around a mating projection of the top cap; forming annular groove between the spring and the locking projections; and configuring the top cap to a portion of the filter cartridge.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to gas or liquid filter assemblies. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for attaching new or replacement filter cartridges in a gas filter assembly. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Gas or liquid filter assemblies often use filter media for filtering a gas or liquid. During the filtering operations, the filter media may become saturated with particulates or other impurities that block the media and result in an increase in pressure loss across the media. Once the filter media reaches a certain pressure drop, it is necessary to replace the filter cartridge with a new one to keep the pressure loss to a minimum. Current methods use a threaded rod commonly known as a tie rod to attach the filter cartridge to the attaching plate (vessel seal plate) along with a gasket or O-ring for sealing the cartridge to the attaching plate or use a spider on the bottom end cap to secure the filter cartridges in place. 
         [0003]    Changing the filter media in a gas or liquid filtration system contains drawbacks. For example, the time it takes to change the filter media results in the filtering system being unavailable for gas filtering. Further, the filter media must be changed with care to ensure that filtered and unfiltered gas or liquid do not mix during and/or after the change. 
         [0004]    In order to provide a fast, efficient, and secure way of changing the filter media, filter cartridges may be used. In using filter cartridges, care should be taken in order to ensure that the filter cartridge is properly installed and sealed so that unfiltered gas or liquid does not mix with the filtered gas in the filter assembly. In some instances, large amounts of gas or liquid may be desired to be filtered. In such instances the filter assembly may use multiple filter cartridges in parallel for filtering a gas or liquid. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a filter cartridge attaching system that is an improvement over the prior art. Improved systems may be fast, easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and can be installed in a sealed manner to avoid mixture of filtered and unfiltered gas or liquid. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect a filtering system and method is provided that in some embodiments may be fast and easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and can be installed in a sealed manner to avoid mixture of filtered and unfiltered gas or liquid. 
         [0007]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an attaching system for a filter cartridge may include: a top cap configured to attach to a filter cartridge; a mating projection located on the top cap; at least one locking projection projecting radially away from the mating projection; and a base portion defining an annularly shaped flat surface surrounding the mating projection on a first side and configured to attach to the filter cartridge on a second side. 
         [0008]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of attaching a filter cartridge to a filter assembly may include: providing locking projections on a top cap of a filter cartridge; locating a spring around a mating projection of the top cap; forming annular groove between the spring and the locking projections; and configuring the top cap to a portion of the filter cartridge. 
         [0009]    In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, an attaching system for a filter cartridge may include: a top cap configured to attach to a filter cartridge; a mating projection located on the top cap; means for locking the top cap to a locking plate projecting radially away from the mating projection; and means for attaching the top cap to a filter cartridge having base portion defining an annularly shaped flat surface surrounding the mating projection on a first side and configured to attach to the filter cartridge on a second side. 
         [0010]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0011]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0012]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a gas or liquid treatment assembly showing a gas treatment assembly including a housing containing several filter cartridges in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are isometric views of a filter cartridge in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are isometric views of a filter cartridge in accordance with another embodiment. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a top cap in accordance with one embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view of a top cap in accordance with another embodiment. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is an isometric view of a bottom cap of a filter cartridge assembly in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is an isometric view of a bottom cap of a filter cartridge assembly in accordance with another embodiment. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 10 and 11  are isometric views of an adapter in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 12 and 13  are isometric views of an adapter in accordance with another embodiment. 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is a partial close-up view of an attaching plate in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  is isometric view of an attaching plate in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0024]      FIG. 16  is isometric view of an attaching plate in accordance with another embodiment. 
           [0025]      FIG. 17  is a partial isometric cutaway view of a filter cartridge attached to an adapter installed to an attaching plate in accordance with an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]    The various embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a filtering system and method that may be fast and easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and can be installed in a sealed manner to avoid mixture of filtered and unfiltered gas. 
         [0027]    An embodiment of the present inventive apparatus is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . A gas or liquid treatment assembly  10  is shown in cross-section so the internal components and gas or liquid flow directions may be seen. The gas or liquid treatment assembly  10  includes a housing  12  having an inlet  14  to receive unfiltered gas or liquid such as, for example, air and an outlet  16  for outletting the filtered gas or liquid. The arrows illustrated in  FIG. 1  illustrate the general direction of travel according to an embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         [0028]    Multiple filter cartridges  18  are contained within the housing  12 . The multiple filter cartridges  18  are attached to a sealing and/or attaching plate  20  located within the housing  12 . The cartridge attaching plate  20  not only secures the filter cartridges  18  but also provides a barrier separating filtered and unfiltered gas or liquid. Various embodiments can be sized to contain different numbers of filter cartridges  18  in order to achieve a desired filter capacity. In the example shown in  FIG. 1 , unfiltered air enters the inlet  14  and flows into the filter cartridges  18  through a top opening in the top cap  26  shown, for example, in  FIGS. 6 and 7  of the filter cartridges  18 . The gas or liquid flows through the permeable sides  24  of the filter cartridges  18 . The permeable sides  24  may include filter media so that when the gas flows through the permeable sides  24 , the gas becomes filtered. After flowing through the permeable sides  24 , the gas flows out of the housing  12  through an outlet  16 . After reviewing this disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that in other embodiments the airflow may be reversed. In other words, a gas may come through the filter media or permeable sides  24  from the outside and then purified gas would flow through the center of the filter cartridge  18  through the hole in the top cap  26 . 
         [0029]    The filter cartridges  18  include a top cap  26  which attaches to the cartridge attaching plate  20  in a manner illustrated and described in more detail further below. The filter cartridge  18  also contains a bottom cap  28 . The filter media (permeable sides  24 ) is located between the top cap  26  and the bottom cap  28 . 
         [0030]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are perspective views from different angles of a filter cartridge  18  in accordance with an embodiment. Filter cartridge  18  includes a top cap  26  located at a top  30  of the filter cartridge  18 . A bottom cap  28  is located at the bottom and  32  of the filter cartridge  18 . Both the top cap  26  and the bottom cap  28  are attached to the permeable sides  24  which, as explained above, may include filter media. The top  26  and bottom caps  28  may be made of plastic, metal, such as aluminum, or any other suitable material. 
         [0031]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate perspective views taken from different angles of a second embodiment in accordance of the present disclosure. The filter cartridge  18  includes a top cap  34  and a bottom cap  36  located at a top and  30  and a bottom and  32  of the filter cartridge  18 . The top  34  and bottom caps  36  may be made of aluminum. While the caps  26 ,  28 ,  34 , and  36  are described herein as either plastic or aluminum, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that these are meant to be examples not limitations of what materials the caps  26 ,  28 ,  34 , and  36  can be made of. Any suitable material may be used in accordance with the present disclosure. As the permeable sides  24  in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  may include the added feature of netting  38  which can help contain the permeable sides  24 . 
         [0032]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are perspective views of top caps  26  and  34  according to various embodiments. The main difference between the top cap  26  of  FIG. 6  and the top cap  34  of  FIG. 7  is that the top cap  26  of  FIG. 6  is made of plastic and the top cap  34  of  FIG. 7  is made of aluminum. As the two embodiments are very similar they will be described together. Any other minor differences will be pointed out below. The top caps  26  and  34  are located at the top and  30  of the filter cartridge  18 . The top caps  26  and  34  include an attaching projection  40  which enables the top caps  26  and  34  (and thus the filter cartridge  18 ) to attach to the cartridge attaching plate  20  (as seen in  FIG. 1 ). The attaching projection  40  helps provide fluid access to the interior  43  of the filter cartridge  18 . The attaching projection  40  may include a chamfered edge  42 . The attaching projection  40  may also have locking projections  44  located annularly about the attaching projection  40 . The locking projections  44  may vary in number in accordance with various installations or embodiments. For example, the amount of locking projections  44  shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  are different. The locking projections  44  may be in a castellated arrangement about the attaching projection  40 . 
         [0033]    The top caps  26  and  34  also include a top cap face  46  which may include a generally flat portion surrounding the attaching projection  40  as shown. In some embodiments, a wave spring  48  may be located on the top cap face  46  surrounding the attaching projection  40 . The attaching projection  40  may include one or more grooves  50 . The grooves  50  may contain a resilient material such as, for example, an O-ring  52 . 
         [0034]      FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate bottom caps  28  and  36  in accordance with various embodiments. The bottom caps  28  and  36  may be made of plastic or aluminum respectively. In other embodiments other suitable materials may also be used. Bottom caps  28 ,  36  may have a raised perimeter  54  which is dimensioned to fit to the permeable sides  24  of a filter cartridge  18 . Some embodiments may include a raised center projection  56  as shown. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 10 and 11  are perspective views taken from different angles of an adapter  58  which is used as an intermediate part between the top cap  26  and the cartridge attaching plate  20  used in accordance with the first embodiment.  FIGS. 12 and 13  are perspective views taken from different angles of an adapter  58  which is used as an intermediate part between the top cap  34  and the cartridge attaching plate  20  as used in accordance with the second embodiment shown. The primary difference between the adapter  58  shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11  versus the adapter  58  shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13  is the number of locking projections  44  the adapter  58  is configured to receive and mate with. As this difference is minor, the adapters  58  shown in  FIGS. 10 through 13  will be described together. 
         [0036]    The adapter  58  is equipped with multiple seats  60 . The seats  60  are located annularly about an interior hole  61  located in the adapter  58 . Each seat  60  is configured to be a seat for one of the locking projections  44  shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The seats  60  include radial projections  62 . The radial projections  62  are in a castellated shape so each radial projection  62  alternates with a radial void  63 . The radial projections  62  and the radial voids  63  are dimensioned so that when the attaching projection  40  moves up through the center hole  61  the locking projections  44  can move through the voids  63 . Once the locking projections  44  clear the adapter  58 , the filter cartridge  18  can be rotated and then lowered causing the locking projections  44  to sit upon the seats  60 . If the locking projections  44  are attempted to be over rotated, they will be stopped by the first locking ridge  64 . A second locking ridge  66  helps keep the locking projections  44  in the seat  60 . 
         [0037]    The adapter  58  may also include a adapter locking structure  68  which may be, in some embodiments, in the form of locking projections  68 . While the adapter locking structure  68  is shown and described herein as a projection, any other suitable locking structure to rotationally lock the adapter  58  to the plate  20  may be used. In the embodiment shown, the locking projection  68  is located on an outer perimeter of the adapter  58 . The adapter  58  may also include a sealing groove  69  running annularly around the adapter  58  and an annular retaining groove  70  also running annularly around the adapter  58 . In some embodiments and as shown in  FIGS. 10 through 13 , the adapter  58  may include an annular lip  72  which may, in some embodiments also help define the adapter locking projections  68 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 14  is a partial close-up perspective view of a cartridge attaching plate  20 . The partial close-up perspective view of the cartridge attaching plate  20  of  FIG. 14  is consistent with either attaching plate  20  shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 15  or the embodiment of  FIG. 16 . 
         [0039]    The attaching plate  20  shown in  FIG. 15  is generally a circular plate having one flat side  84 . The plate  20  includes plate holes  74 . As will be described further below respect to  FIG. 17 , the filter cartridges  18  are attached to the plate  20  via the plate holes  74 . The attaching plate  20  shown in  FIG. 16  is similar to the attaching plate  20  of  FIG. 15  except for the attaching plate  20  in  FIG. 16  is circular and does not have a flat side  84 . One of ordinary skill in the art will understand after reviewing this disclosure that various shapes for the attaching plate  20  may be used in accordance with this disclosure. The attaching plate  20  as shown in  FIG. 16  also has a plurality of plate holes  74 . As shown in  FIG. 14  the plate holes  74  include a first diameter hole  76  which forms a ledge  78 . The second diameter hole  80  is a through hole. The attaching plate  20  may also include a corresponding locking structure  82  that corresponds with the adapter locking structure  68  as shown in  FIGS. 10-13 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 17  illustrates how the filter cartridge  18  attaches to the cartridge attaching plate  20 . The adapter  58  attaches to the seal plate  20  and the top cap  26 ,  34  of the filter cartridge  18  attaches to the adapter  58 . The permeable sides and filter media  24  are not illustrated in  FIG. 17  to avoid overcrowding of the figure. 
         [0041]    The adapter  58  is placed in the plate holes  74  of the seal plate  20  so that the annular lip  72  of the adapter  58  rests on the ledge  78  defined by a termination of the first diameter hole  76 . The adapter locking projection  68  is fit into the plate adapter locking structure  82 . The fitting of the adapter locking structure  68  into the plate locking structure  82  prevents the adapter  58  from spinning within the plate hole  74 . A resilient material  88  such as an O-ring or other resilient material may be placed between the annular lip  72  and the ledge  78 . In some embodiments, this resilient material  88  may urge the adapter  58  up and away from the seal plate  20  in the direction illustrated by arrow A. The adapter  58  is held in place and is prevented from moving up out of the seal plate  20  as urged by the resilient material  88  by a retaining ring  90 . The retaining ring  90  may simply be a snap ring or any other suitable type retainer may be fitted into the retaining groove  70  of the adapter  58 . 
         [0042]    Additional resilient material which, in some embodiments, may be an O-ring  86  may be fit to between the sealing plate  20  and the adapter  58  in a annular groove  69  fitted with in the adapter  58 . This resilient material  86  may be used to provide a sealing function between the adapter  58  and the seal plate  20 . This seal will help prevent unfiltered gas from mixing with the filtered gas. 
         [0043]    The top cap  26 ,  34  is fitted to the adapter  58  by aligning the locking projections  44  with the radial void  63 . The top cap  26 ,  34  of the filter cartridge  18  may then be moved upwards as shown by arrow A so that the attaching projection  40  extends through the center hole  61  in the adapter  58 . The attaching projection  40  may extend through the center hole  61  to cause the wave spring  48  to be compressed between the adapter  58  and the top face  46 . Then the top cap  26 ,  34  and filter cartridge  18  may be rotated in the direction illustrated by arrow B so that the locking projections  44  are aligned with the seat  60 . The first lock ridge  64  will prevent the locking projections  44  from over rotating. The second lock ridge  66  will assist in maintaining the locking projections  44  located in the seat  60 . The top cap  26 ,  34  may then be moved slightly in the direction opposite arrow A in order for the locking projections  44  to be seated into the seat  60 . In some embodiments, the wave spring  48  will still be slightly compressed when the locking projections  44  are seated into the seat  60 . 
         [0044]    A resilient material which, in some embodiments, may be an O-ring  52  may be placed within the groove  50  in the attaching projection  40  as illustrated in  FIG. 17 . This resilient material  52  may be used to help create a seal between the top cap  26 ,  34  and the adapter  58  thereby sealing filtered gas from unfiltered gas. 
         [0045]    While the present description and accompanying figures described specific geometric shapes and locations of grooves, resilient materials, projections, and the like, one of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing this disclosure will understand that these specific locations and geometries, are meant to be exemplary and may be modified and still be within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, greater or fewer locking projections  44  and corresponding seats  60  may be used. Resilient materials may reside in grooves as shown or in grooves located on reverse parts. For example, the groove  50  is illustrated to reside on the attaching projection  40  but that groove  50  may just as easily reside on the adapter  58 . Other grooves and projections may also be reversed in some embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         [0046]    The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.