A refillable filter-drier assembly for use in a refrigerant line. The assembly includes a shell or casing which houses a replaceable core having a central bore and which may be a filter, drier or strainer element or any combination thereof. Refrigerant enters the shell adjacent one end and occupies the space surrounding the core. The liquid passes inwardly through the core into the central bore and exits the casing from the end opposite from which it enters. The core is supported in spaced relationship with respect to the casing interior by an annular cage on the outlet end of the core and by an end closure cage on its opposite end. Both the annular cage and the end closure cage have resilient fingers which grip the core adjacent its opposite ends. Both the annular cage and the end closure cage also have pluralities of laterally extending lugs which support the core in its spaced relationship within the casing.

This invention relates to innovations and improvements in refillable 
filter-drier assemblies for use in refrigerant lines. The assemblies 
include an outer casing or shell which houses a replaceable core element 
having a central bore and comprised of one or more sections. More 
particularly, the invention relates to innovations and improvements in 
refillable filter-drier assemblies of the type shown and disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,286,838 dated Nov. 22, 1966. 
The refillable filter-drier assemblies shown and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,286,838 have been commercially available from the Henry Valve Company, 
Melrose Park, Ill. and designated as its DRI-COR FILTER DRIER. In such 
commercially available assemblies, tension springs have been relied upon 
to hold cap plates that engage the opposite ends of the inner core in 
proper engagement and alignment. An important object of the present 
invention is to replace such tension springs and the cap plates associated 
therewith, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,838, with 
improved fitments which are more easily installed and offer improved 
security as well as certain other advantages such as being economically 
formed of plastics. 
The object of the invention, generally stated, is the provision of improved 
refillable filter-drier assemblies of the type shown and disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,286,838 and which are refillable with cores that may be filter, 
drier or strainer elements, or any desired combination thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a refillable filter-drier 
assembly suitable for use in a refrigerant line is indicated generally at 
5 which includes an outer cylindrical casing or shell 6 and a cylindrical 
replaceable core 7 which is in two sections, 7a and 7b. As well known in 
the art, the core 7 may be a filter, a drier or strainer or any 
combination thereof and such cores are readily available commercially. 
While the assembly 5 is shown vertically oriented in FIGS. 1 and 2 it will 
be understood that it is capable of being oriented in any desired 
direction depending upon the particular location in a system the assembly 
is located. 
The casing or shell 6 is formed of a cylindrical sleeve with its lower end, 
as shown in FIG. 1, being provided with a cap 8 having welded thereto an 
outlet in the form of a nipple 10. The cap 8 may be removably screwed onto 
the casing sleeve 6 or permanently secured thereon by welding. Adjacent 
its opposite (i.e. upper) end, the shell or casing 6 has a flange ring 11 
welded or otherwise secured thereto. A cover plate 12 is secured onto the 
upper end of the casing by means of a plurality of bolts 13--13 which pass 
through holes 14--14 therein and are screwed into tapped holes 19--19 in 
the flange ring 11. A circular gasket 15 is seated in an annular recess in 
the underside of the cover plate 12 so as to engage and seal against the 
exposed upper end 16 of the sleeve of casing 6. 
The cover plate 12 is provided with a threaded center hole which is 
normally closed with a pipe plug 17. 
The shell or casing 6 has an opening 22 in the sidewall adjacent the end 
opposite the outlet nipple 10 and to which is secured by welding or 
otherwise an inlet nipple 23. 
The core 7 may be of known type having the ability to filter, dry and/or 
strain refrigerant or other fluid passing therethrough. The outer diameter 
of the core 7 is appreciably smaller than the interior diameter of the 
casing 6 so as to provide an annular space 24 therebetween which will be 
filled with the incoming refrigerant or other liquid. The core 7 and its 
component sections 7a and 7b has a central bore 25 which will in use be 
filled with the refrigerant or other liquid. 
The present invention is particularly concerned with the means by which the 
core 7 and its component sections 7a and 7b are coaxially secured together 
end-to-end and supported within the shell or casing 6 so as to maintain 
the surrounding open annular space 24. For this purpose there is provided 
at the lower or outlet end of the core 7 an annular cage in the form of a 
combination annular end cap and screen indicated generally at 26 in FIG. 
2. At the upper or opposite end of the core 7 there is provided an end 
closure cage or fitment indicated generally at 27 in FIG. 2. When the core 
7 is comprised of two or more sections in end to end relationship, as 
represented by sections 7a and 7b, an intermediate annular cage or fitment 
is provided as indicated at 28 in FIG. 2. 
The combination annular end cage and screen 26 may be integrally molded in 
one piece from a suitable plastic material or it may be in the form of a 
separate screen 30 which is joined at its base to the annular end cap 31. 
It will be seen from FIG. 1 that the diameter of the screen 30 at its base 
allows it to interfit in the lower end of the bore 25 while the screen 
itself projects upwardly a substantial distance therein. The bottom 
surface of the annular ring 31 is beveled so as to matingly engage the 
inclined inner surface of the cap 8 and provided with an annular recess in 
which is captured a ring gasket 32. 
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 as well as FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that 
the annular ring or cap section 31 is provided with three laterally 
projecting spacer lugs or ear 33--33 which are equally spaced 120.degree. 
apart around the periphery. In addition, the cap section 31 is provided 
with three integral core gripping fingers 34--34 the distal ends of which 
terminate in laterally projecting or extending spacer lugs or ears 35--35. 
The fingers 34 are spaced 120.degree. apart with each finger 34 being 
oriented mid-way between a pair of the lugs or ears 33. It will be noted 
from FIG. 8 that the core gripping fingers 34 are somewhat convergent or 
inclined inwardly toward the screen 30. Being somewhat resilient, the 
fingers 34 have gripping engagement with the exterior of the core section 
7b adjacent its bottom end. From FIG. 1, it will be seen that the sets of 
laterally projecting lugs or ears 33--33 and 35--35 are engageable with 
the interior sidewall of the shell or casing 6 and thereby serve to 
support and space the lower end of the core 7 in proper coaxial 
relationship within the casing 6. 
The end closure cage 27 includes a circular disc 36 (FIGS. 5 and 6) which 
fits over and closes off the upper end of the bore 25 of core 7 as shown 
in FIG. 1. The disc 36 has three equally spaced laterally projecting 
spacer lugs or ears 37--37 and three equally spaced axially extending core 
gripping fingers 38--38 which are oriented mid-way between the lugs 37. 
The distal ends of the core gripping fingers 38 are provided with 
laterally extending spacer lugs 40--40 which in conjunction with the 
laterally extending lugs 37 engage the interior sidewall of the shell or 
casing 6 and serve to coaxially support the upper end of the core 7 in 
proper relationship within the casing 6. The disc 36 is also provided with 
a plurality of upstanding spring-positioning lugs 41--41 arranged in 
circumferential relationship and over which the bottom end of a 
compression spring 42 (FIG. 1) fits. The upper end of the spring 42 is 
seated in a recess 43 in the cover plate 12. 
The intermediate end cage 28 is formed of an annular or ring end section 44 
(FIGS. 3 and 4) having equally spaced lugs or ears 45--45 projecting 
therefrom. Equally spaced intermediate the lugs or ears 45 the cage 28 has 
three axially extending core gripping fingers 46--46 which terminate at 
their distal ends in laterally extending spacer lugs or ears 47--47. It 
will be apparent that the lugs 45--45 and 47--47 cooperate to support and 
space the central portion of the core 7 in coaxial relationship within the 
outer shell or casing 6. 
The refillable filter-drier assembly 5 will usually be pre-loaded with a 
new core 7 when first put into use and thereafter it will be refilled or 
reloaded from time to time after it has been in operation With the flow of 
refrigerant or other liquid to and from the assembly 5 cut-off, reloading 
is readily accomplished by first removing the cover plate 12 and then the 
fouled or depleted core 7. Starting with an empty casing 6, a fresh core 
section 7b with an annular end cage and screen 26 in place on one end 
thereof and an intermediate end cage 28 in place on the other end, is 
inserted into the shell or casing 6. Then a fresh core section 7b with an 
end closure cage 27 in place on the upper end is inserted and the 
compression spring 42 positioned over the upstanding locating lugs 41. 
Thereafter, the cover plate 12 is replaced and the screws 13--13 tightened 
so as to secure the cover plate in place with a liquid-tight seal at the 
gasket 15. The compression spring 42 will have sufficient force to provide 
a liquid-tight seal between the gasket 32 and the adjacent wall of the 
bottom cap 8 and will force the top end closure cage 27 into bore-closing 
engagement against the upper end of the section 7a. The unit is now ready 
for placement in service with the nipple 23 being connected to the line 
from which liquid refrigerant to be filtered, dried or strained is to be 
delivered while the nipple 10 is connected to the line into which the 
filtered, dried or strained refrigerant is to be discharged. 
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a number of changes 
and modifications may be made in the particular structure of the 
refillable filter-drier assembly 5 shown and described in connection with 
FIGS. 1-8 without departing from the spirit and scope of the following 
claims. For example, the core 7 could be a single element or section 
instead of two core sections 7a and 7b. On the other hand, the core 7 can 
consist of three or more sections. The fitments or cages 26, 27 and 28 may 
be formed of metal instead of plastic. The casing 6 and core 7 may be 
multi-sided (e.g. octagonal) instead of being cylindrical and the cages 
26, 27 and 28 correspondingly shaped. In addition to the intermediate cage 
27, another intermediate cage can be applied onto the lower end of filter 
element 7a.