Abstract:
An air induction system comprises a flow body and a filter housing. A pleated filter support ( 10 ) is connected to the housing (FIG.  1 ). A filter ( 14 ) is supported by the pleated filter support ( 10 ), thereby supporting pleats on the filter (FIG.  1 ). The pleated filter support may comprise support members ( 22 ) that define a pleated shape (FIG.  1 ).

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/269,085 filed on Feb. 15, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to an air intake system comprising an air filter with structural pleats.  
           [0003]    An air intake system typically comprises a flow body, filter housing, and filter. Such systems are used to provide clean air to a vehicle engine. Of course, any element in the air flow creates some restriction of air through the air intake system, limiting available engine power. Accordingly, any air intake system somewhat prevents the engine from operating at optimal levels.  
           [0004]    Generally, air filters have an inner and outer screen with a filter captured between the two screens. The filter is typically pleated so as to increase the surface area of the filter. The screens provide structure for the air filter, allowing the filter to be slightly compressed within the filter housing. However, this design of an air filter requires the filter media to have sufficient thickness to be pleated. Low restriction media, which would permit greater air flow, is too thin to support itself into pleats. Additionally, the current design employs two screens for filter retention. Both filter media and the screens may thereby limit airflow to the engine.  
           [0005]    A need therefore exists for an air induction system that offers the benefits of low air restriction while still providing sufficient surface area for the filter to clean the air entering the vehicle engine.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    One embodiment of this invention comprises an air induction system having a flow body and a filter housing. Rather than employ a pleated filter, the invention uses a filter with a pleated filter support, which supports the filter within the filter housing.  
           [0007]    The pleated filter support includes generally rigid support members arranged into pleats. In this way, a low restriction filter may be employed that relies on the pleated filter support for its pleated structure rather than its own thickness and firmness. The filter media is of course less rigid than the support.  
           [0008]    The support members are provided by a plurality of posts formed into a pleated form similar to a standard filter. The pleated filter may also comprise a plurality of spaced ridges. A wire mesh may be used to provide the support member of the pleated filter support. To accommodate a standard filter housing, the pleated filter support may be circular.  
           [0009]    The filter may comprise a low restriction filter paper. This paper may be adhered to the pleated filter support by an adhesive or by vibration welding. Further, a filter seal may serve to direct air flowing through the air induction system through the filter.  
           [0010]    Accordingly, a plurality of posts are formed into pleats. The pleats are connected to a support, and a filter is adhered to the pleats. The system results in less air restriction than existing air intake designs.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention including pleaded filter support and filter.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 illustrates another view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 illustrates an above view of the filter and pleated filter support, highlighting the filter seal.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 illustrates another view of the invention including filter and filter support.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 illustrates another view of the embodiment of FIG. 4, illustrating the thickness of the filter and the pleated filter support.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6A illustrates a wire mesh.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6B shows the mesh arranged into an embodiment of this invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 illustrates the invention including low body, filter housing, pleated filter support, and filter within its environment. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention including pleated filter support  10  and filter  14 . As shown by dashed lines, a plurality of posts  22  are formed into pleats  18 , which are illustrated by dashed lines. Because posts  22  form pleats  18 , filter  14  may comprise a low restriction filter media, which may otherwise fail to have sufficient thickness to support pleats within an air intake system. Moreover, the invention does not require an additional screen. The posts  22  extend from one filter seal  26  to another spaced seal  26  (see FIG. 5).  
         [0021]    As shown in FIG. 2, filter  14  rests on plurality of posts  22 . Posts  22 , such as steel posts, are formed into pleats  18  to thereby support filter  14  in pleat form. As shown in both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, filter  14  rests on posts  22  and lies between the direction of air flow along arrow A and plurality of posts  22 . Filter  14  is thus on the dirty air side of posts  22 . This position helps ensure that filter  14  will not come loose from plurality of posts  22  as a consequence of airflow. Additionally, it is preferable to use low restriction media amenable to adhering to plurality of posts  22 . The filter media  14  may be thus adhered by glue, vibration welding, or other means commonly available to posts  22 . In the event vibration welding is employed, a polyester low restriction paper composed of polyester fibers, such as Reemay®, may be employed.  
         [0022]    Reemay® is a commercially available product that is composed of spun bound polyester that has continuous filament fibers that are randomly arranged, highly dispersed, and bonded at filament junctions.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 illustrates an above view of pleated filter support  10 . Shown also is filter seal  26 , which may be on top as shown and on bottom as shown in FIG. 4. As can be seen, the invention may embody an annular or circular form. Filter  14  may have its ends taped, glued, welded or otherwise connected to form annular form. Pleats  18  may be equally spaced around the annular form.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 illustrates the side view of the invention showing filter  14  in relation to seal  26 . Elastomeric material may be used as seal  26  and encapsulate the ends of the annular form as shown. Sealing beads  28  may be formed as known to assist sealing. The material for seal  26  should withstand under hood temperatures, exposure to engine oil and gasoline.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 illustrates pleated filter support  10  and plurality of posts  22 . This picture illustrates the distance between posts and consequently of width of pleat. It is desirable to make pleats of the same width as shown in FIG. 2. There, X 1  and X 2  are about the same distance. The posts are preferably quite thin, as shown in FIG. 2, however, they are shown thicker in FIG. 5 to provide a better understanding of the structure.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6A illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention. Rather than employ a plurality of posts  22  as shown in FIG. 1, one may employ wire mesh  30  to support filter  14 . The mesh has wires  100  extending in one direction and other wires  102  extending perpendicular to the wires  100 . Wire mesh  30  is simply formed into pleats as shown in FIG. 6B. Wire mesh  30  may comprise ½ inch by ½ inch squares constructed of 0.020 inch wire. No wire mesh need be on the dirty air side of pleated filter support. This design offers more structure, but also more restriction to air flow than the design of FIG. 1.  
         [0027]    As seen in FIG. 7, pleated filter support is located within the path of air flow, along arrow A. Air enters into air intake  34 , travels through flow body  38  into filter housing  42 , and ultimately to engine  42 . Such air passes through pleated filter support  10 , which has filter  14  providing clean air to engine  42 . Accordingly, the invention offers low restriction and sufficient filtration at minimal expense. This invention is particularly useful in the racing industry which requires optimal engine performance.  
         [0028]    The aforementioned description is exemplary rather than limiting. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. Hence, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. For this reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.