Abstract:
A filter element for a motor vehicle for filtering a fluid has engaging and/or receiving elements that are designed to be connected to an adapter ring. The engaging and/or receiving elements have several hooks for engaging recesses of the adapter ring. and are arranged uniformly spaced in a circumferential direction about an central axis of the filter element. A filter set includes the filter element and the adapter ring, wherein the adapter ring deactivates a locking device of a first housing part that receives the filter element.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from German patent application no. DE 10 2012 006 417.9, filed with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) on Mar. 30, 2012, the entire disclosure of which in incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns a filter element, a filter set, and a filter device, in particular for combustion air or compressed air, fuel, in particular diesel fuel or gasoline, motor oil or hydraulic oil. 
     Filter elements for filtering a fluid as well as filter devices with such filter elements are used, for example, in motor vehicles or industrial motors for filtration of combustion air or compressed air, fuel, in particular diesel fuel or gasoline, motor oil or hydraulic oil. Depending on the filter element, it may be necessary to exchange them after a certain amount of time, for example, because the filter elements have reached the limit of their filtering capacity. 
     For example, DE 10 2009 048 412 B3 discloses a securing device which prevents closure of a housing for receiving a filter element in case of a missing, non-fitting or wrongly installed filter element. In this way, it is ensured that the filter device cannot be operated with a wrong filter element, i.e., with a filter element of a different type. This prevents malfunctions and damages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved filter element, an improved filter set, and an improved filter device. In particular, simple manufacture should be ensured. 
     Accordingly, a filter element for filtering a fluid, in particular for a motor vehicle, is provided comprising engaging and/or receiving elements for connecting the filter element to an adapter ring. 
     Since the filter element and the adapter ring are separate parts, in particular the filter element can be produced more easily in comparison to a one-part filter element with adapter ring. The filter element can comprise engaging elements; receiving elements; or engaging elements and receiving elements. The filter element can thus be connected form-fittingly with the adapter ring. The connection between the filter element and the adapter ring can be designed to be detachable (releasable) or non-detachable (non-releasable). An example of a non-releasable form-fitting connection can be clips which interact with appropriate holes. 
     The filter element can be embodied for filtration of gases or liquids. In particular, the filter element is embodied for filtering combustion air or compressed air, fuel, in particular diesel fuel or gasoline, motor oil or hydraulic oil. 
     In the mounted position, the engaging and/or receiving elements are preferably arranged, relative to the direction of action of the force of gravity, at the top of the filter element. The connection between the filter element and the adapter ring can then be designed such that it is enhanced by the force of gravity. For example, the force of gravity can secure the hooks, described in the following, in the recesses. 
     According to one embodiment, the engaging and/or receiving elements comprise several hooks which are designed such that they engage recesses in the adapter ring. The hooks can be extending, for example, radially in outward direction relative to a center axis of the filter element. The recesses can be formed integrally at an end face of the adapter ring. 
     According to a further embodiment, the engaging and/or receiving elements are arranged in the circumferential direction about a center axis of the filter element at a uniform spacing to each other. In this way, a simpler manufacture of the filter element is provided, in particular distortion of the filter element is at least reduced. Preferably, the engaging elements are arranged on the circumference of the end disk, in particular a top end disk of the filter element. 
     Moreover, a filter set, in particular for a motor vehicle, is proposed comprising a filter element for filtering a fluid, in particular the filter element according to the invention, and an adapter ring. The adapter ring is designed such that it deactivates a locking device that is arranged on a first housing part for receiving the filter element. 
     By means of the locking device, it is ensured that the first housing part cannot be closed by means of a second housing part when the filter element is missing, non-fitting, e.g. because it is of a different type, or because the filter element is installed in the wrong way. This can prevent, as already disclosed above, malfunctions and damages. The “deactivation” can be realized, for example, in that the adapter ring is designed such that it supplements and completes a surface, for example a surface that is provided on a second housing part for receiving the filter element, so that an engagement of the locking device in otherwise accessible recesses is prevented. 
     According to one embodiment, the filter element is connectable to the adapter ring. This can be achieved, for example, by means of the afore described engaging and/or receiving elements on the filter element. 
     However, it is also conceivable that the filter element is fastened in the first housing part and/or the second housing part while the adapter ring, separate from (not connected to) the filter element, is arranged at a different location in order to deactivate the locking device. 
     The filter element can be centered by means of the adapter ring or the first and/or second housing part relative to a connector for integrating the filter element into a fluid circuit or a fluid stream. 
     According to a further embodiment, the adapter ring, for deactivation of the locking device, is provided with at least one engaging element for closing a corresponding receiving element of a second housing part for receiving the filter element and/or is provided with at least one receiving element for receiving a corresponding engaging element of the second housing part for receiving the filter element. In this way, a supplemented and completed surface is provided in a simple way in which the locking device therefore cannot engage when the adapter ring and the second housing part are engaging each other. 
     Alternatively, an adapter ring is also conceivable which covers receiving elements in the second housing part completely and therefore forms a continuous surface. Completing (supplementing) the corresponding surface of the second housing part is then not required. 
     According to a further embodiment, the adapter ring comprises an annular element on which outwardly in radial direction several engaging elements in the form of tabs are provided that are designed to engage each a corresponding receiving element in the form of a recess in a circumferential rim of the second housing part. This provides a simple configuration. 
     Moreover, a filter device, in particular for a motor vehicle, is proposed. The filter device comprises the filter set according to the invention, a first housing part and a locking device. The first housing part receives the filter element. The locking device is arranged on the first housing part and is deactivated by means of the adapter ring. 
     The wording “the first housing part receives the filter element” is to be understood such that the first housing part together with the second housing part forms a hollow space or cavity in which the filter element is received and/or the first housing part itself has a cavity in which the filter element is at least partially received. The same holds true for the wording that the second housing part receives the filter element. 
     According to one embodiment, the locking device has a radial spring-pretensioned plunger that is designed to glide along a surface that is supplemented and completed by the adapter ring. When the adapter ring is not present, for example, because a filter element of another, incompatible, type is used, the plunger engages the corresponding recess, for example, in the second housing part so that screwing in, or continuing to screw in, the second housing part into the first housing part is prevented. 
     According to a further embodiment, the filter device has a second housing part which receives the filter element and is screw-connected to the first housing part, wherein the second housing part has a rim that is pointing or facing in the direction of the first housing part and that is supplemented by the adapter ring for forming the supplemented and thus completed (continuous) surface. In this way, a simple configuration is provided. 
     According to a further embodiment, the first housing part is designed as a filter head wherein the filter head has a fastening flange for mounting the filter device. Moreover, in the filter head has a hand pump for conveying the fluid to be filtered may be integrated. 
     Further possible implementations of the invention comprise also combinations, not explicitly mentioned, of features or embodiment variants of the filter element, the filter set, or the filter device that have been disclosed above or will be discussed in the following with regard to the embodiments. In this connection, a person of skill in the art will add or modify individual aspects as improvements or supplements of the respective basic form of the invention. 
     Further configurations of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims as well as of the embodiments of the invention disclosed in the following. In the following, the invention will be disclosed in more detail with the aid of illustrated embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  shows an exploded perspective illustration of a filter set including a housing part. 
         FIG. 2  shows in a perspective view the components of  FIG. 1  in the assembled state. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a complementary housing part. 
         FIG. 4  shows a detail view of a filter device which comprises the components illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 3 . 
     
    
    
     In the Figures, same reference characters identify the same or functionally the same elements, inasmuch as nothing to the contrary is mentioned. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows an exploded view a filter set  1  as well as a housing in the form of a cup  2 . 
     The filter set  1  comprises a filter element  3  as well as an adapter ring  4 . The filter element  3  is comprised, for example, of two end disks  5 ,  6  and a filter medium in the form of a bellows  7  arranged between the end disks  5 ,  6 . The bellows  7  has, for example, a circular cross-section (not illustrated) and extends along a center axis  11  which is at the same time also a center axis of the filter element  3 . In this context, the terms radial, axial, and circumferential direction relate to the center axis  11  of the filter element  3 . The bellows  7  is, for example, configured as a zigzag folded flat filter medium. For reinforcing the filter element  3  and for absorption of pressure differences, a support member in the form of a central tube  12  is provided within the bellows  7 . Also, the filter element  3  has at one end a connecting socket  13  by means of which the filter element is integrated into a fluid stream or fluid socket. Typically, fluid to be filtered flows in operation of the filter device through the bellows  7  from the exterior to the interior and the filtered fluid is discharged through the connecting socket  13 . The filtered fluid can be a liquid, for example, fuel, or a gas, for example, air. 
     On the end disk  6  correlated with the connecting socket  13  there are several, for example, three, engaging elements in the form of hooks  14 . Because of the viewing angle of  FIG. 1 , the third hook is not visible in  FIG. 1 . The end disk  6  forms in the mounted position of the filter element  3 , as will be apparent also in connection with  FIG. 4  later on, a top end disk relative to the direction of the force of gravity. The hooks  14  can be, for example, embodied in an L shape as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Preferably, the hooks  14  are formed on the outer rim  15  of the end disk  6 . 
     The hooks  14  are designed to engage appropriate recesses  16  in the adapter ring  4 . The hooks  14  are arranged in the circumferential direction at a uniform spacing relative to each other. The recesses  16  are arranged likewise. The recesses  16  are formed at an end face  17  (hidden in the illustration of  FIG. 1 ) of an annular element  21  of the adapter ring  4 . 
     The filter element  3  can be connected with the adapter ring  4  in a simple way in that the filter element  3  is suspended from the adapter ring  4 . The force of gravity secures than the hooks  14  in the recesses  16 . 
     The adapter ring  4  has, for example, five tabs  22  which are formed in radial direction outwardly on the annular element  21 . The tabs  22  are designed such that they each engage the corresponding receiving element in the form of a recess  23  of the cup  2 . The tabs  22  are distributed in circumferential direction at a non-uniform spacing. In this way, a pre-defined coding with respect to a cup  2  or a certain arrangement of the recesses  23  is provided. This means that only a certain adapter ring  4  matches the configuration of the cup  2 . The implications will be explained in more detail in connection with  FIG. 4 . 
     The cup  2  is designed such that in its interior the filter element  3  can be received largely. The cup  2  has a rim  24  at its open end. The recesses  23  are integrally formed in an end face  25  (indicated in dashed lines because hidden in  FIG. 1 ) of the rim  24 . 
       FIG. 2  shows in a perspective view the filter set  1  and the cup  2  of  FIG. 1  in the assembled state. It can be seen that the tabs  22  of the adapter ring  4  engage the corresponding recesses  23 . In the installed position, the force of gravity secures engagement of the tabs  22  in the recesses  23 . 
     The open end of the cup  2  has an outer thread  26  and a sealing section  27 . Relative to the end face  25  of the rim  24  the outer thread  26  can be arranged behind the recesses  23  and the sealing section  27  can be arranged behind the outer thread  26 . 
       FIG. 3  shows in a perspective view a housing part in the form of a filter head  31 . The filter head  31  has an inner thread  32  into which the outer thread  26  of the cup  2  can be screwed. When screwing in the cup  2 , sealing section  27  contacts a corresponding sealing section  33 . This makes it possible to connect the cup  2  with the filter head  31  in a fluid-tight manner. Moreover, the filter head  31  can have connectors  34 ,  35  for supplying fluid to be filtered or discharging filtered fluid. Moreover, the filter head  31  can be provided with a hand pump  36  for draining excess fluid pressure. 
     In the assembled state, the components described in connection with  FIGS. 1 to 3  form the filter device  37  illustrated in section in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 4  shows that the filter head  31  also has a locking device  41  including a plunger  42  that projects in radial direction outwardly and is spring-pretensioned. The spring plunger  42  acts radially in outward direction against a supplemented and completed inner surface  43 . The completed inner surface  43  is formed in that, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the tabs  22  are aligned with the rim  24  of the cup  2 , i.e., the recesses  23  are closed by means of the tabs  22 . In this way, it is possible to prevent the spring plunger  42  in  FIG. 4  from engaging any of the recesses  23  as would be the case if the adapter ring  4  were not provided. The locking device  41  in the state illustrated in  FIG. 4  is thus deactivated as a result of the presence of the adapter ring  4 . The activated state of the locking device  41  (i.e., when no adapter ring  4  or an adapter ring  4  of the wrong type is present) corresponds to the state in which the plunger  42  engages one of the recesses  23  and therefore prevents a further screwing in of the cup  2  into the filter head  31 . 
     In the deactivated state of the locking device  41  as shown in  FIG. 4 , the cup  2  is completely threaded into the filter head  31  wherein the connecting socket  13  engages on the exterior side in a seal-tight fashion a corresponding receptacle  44  of the filter head  31  so that by means of the connecting socket  13  and the receptacle  44  filtered fluid can be discharged safely. 
     According to another embodiment, the adapter ring  4  can be formed without tabs  22 . In this embodiment, the adapter ring  4  covers in a different way the recesses  23 . For example, the adapter ring  4  for this purpose could be provided with a circumferentially closed (continuous) annular inner surface which, in the assembled state illustrated in  FIG. 4 , is positioned in radial direction on the inner side in front of the recesses  23  and therefore covers them. In this way, the plunger  42  is also prevented from engaging the recesses  23 . 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.