Abstract:
An air cleaner apparatus for a vehicle may include a filter assembly a case that accommodates the filter assembly therein, a door rotatably installed on the case to open/close the case, and a link unit having both end portions rotatably installed on the inside of the case and the door respectively, for making the filter assembly adhere closely to or release from the case while interlocking with the rotating door.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0128323, filed on Dec. 2, 2011 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the invention 
     The present invention relates to an air cleaner for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an air cleaner for a vehicle, which makes it possible to easily replace a filter of the air cleaner and secures strong airtightness of the filter. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In general, an air cleaner provided in an engine room of a vehicle purifies intake air that is necessary in a combustion process of an engine to obtain high output of the engine. 
     An air cleaner in the related art, as disclosed in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2005-0104070 entitled “Gasket Assembly Structure of Air Cleaner Filter”, published on Dec. 2, 2005, 2-3 p,  FIG. 4 , includes a case and a cover, and a filter is installed in an inner space that is formed through engagement of the case with the cover. On the case of the air cleaner, an air inlet for making air flow into the case and an outlet for exhausting the inflow air from the case are formed. 
     Accordingly, outer air flows into the inside of the air cleaner  1  through an intake duct that is connected to the air inlet of the air cleaner, and the inflow air passes through the filter of the air cleaner, which filters foreign substances such as dust, to be supplied to the engine. 
     However, according to the above-described air cleaner in the related art, due to the design-related cause of the currently developed vehicles, a front pillar (A-Pillar) is formed long (deep) to the inside of the engine room in the front portion of the vehicle, and thus a cowl is also installed in the deep interior of the engine room. Further, a brake reserve tank is arranged on the front side of the engine room to keep away from the cowl and is positioned at an upper end portion of the air cleaner. 
     Accordingly, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , due to a narrow gap between the air cleaner  1  and peripheral components, it is not easy to rotate (open) the cover  3  from the case  2  that forms the air cleaner  1 , and this causes inconvenience and trouble in replacing the filter of the air cleaner  1 . 
     That is, in order to replace the filter of the air cleaner  1  in the related art as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a clamp  3   a  is removed, the cover  3  is opened from the case  2  through the rotation thereof, and then a filter assembly  4  is extracted from the case  2 . However, as described above, due to the narrow layout of the engine room, the opening and closing structure of the air cleaner  1 , and the characteristic of the intake duct that is connected to the air cleaner  1  (in the case of the duct having a short length or the hose having no flexibility), the filter replacement is hampered by a lot of obstacles. 
     In particular, if a sufficient space between the open cover  3  and the case  2  is not secured, a rubber gasket  5  that is installed on the filter assembly  4  may be pressed (chewed) between the cover  3  and the case  2  during the replacement of the filter, and this may cause the airtightness of the filter to deteriorate. 
     The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing an air cleaner for a vehicle, which makes it possible to easily replace a filter assembly of the air cleaner without being interfered by peripheral components provided in an engine room and secures strong airtightness of the filter assembly. 
     In one aspect of the present invention, the air cleaner apparatus for a vehicle, may include a filter assembly, a case that accommodates the filter assembly therein, a door rotatably installed on the case to open/close the case, and a link unit having both end portions rotatably installed on the inside of the case and the door respectively, for making the filter assembly adhere closely to or release from the case while interlocking with the rotating door. 
     The link unit may include a vertical link having one end portion that is rotatably coupled to the inside of the case, and a horizontal link having both end portions that are rotatably coupled on the other end portion of the vertical link and the door to make the filter assembly adhere closely to an inner surface of the case when the door is closed. 
     The horizontal link pushes the filter assembly upwards in the case when the door is closed while the vertical link rotates in the same direction as the door. 
     The filter assembly may include a filter frame accommodating a filter therein, a coupling projection formed to project from an outer surface of the filter frame, and a gasket installed to surround the coupling projection to be selectively in contact with the inner surface of the case and the horizontal link. 
     The horizontal and vertical links are installed on one side of the case, and an extension portion to which the gasket of the filter assembly adheres closely is provided on the inner surface of the case. 
     there is provided an air cleaner for a vehicle having a case that accommodates a filter assembly therein, which includes a door rotatably installed on the case to open/close the case; and a link means, having both end portions rotatably installed on the inside of the case and the door, for making the filter assembly adhere closely to or release from the case while interlocking with the rotating door. 
     The link means may include a vertical link having one end portion that is rotatably installed in the inside of the case; and a horizontal link having both end portions that are rotatably installed on the vertical link and the door to make the filter assembly adhere closely to an inner surface of the case when the door is closed. 
     Further, the filter assembly may include a filter frame accommodating the filter; a coupling projection formed to project from an outer surface of the filter frame; and a gasket installed to surround the coupling projection to be in contact with the inner surface of the case and the horizontal link. The horizontal and vertical links may be installed on one side of the case, and an extension portion to which the gasket of the filter assembly adheres closely may be provided on the inner surface of the case. 
     The air cleaner for a vehicle according to the present invention has the following effects. 
     First, since the filter replacement work of the air cleaner can be easily done, the repair performance and workability are improved. 
     In comparison to the air cleaner in the related art, in which the intake duct is connected to the air cleaner and it is not easy to open the cover due to the interference with the peripheral components in the engine room, the air cleaner according to the present invention facilitates the replacement work since the filter is replaced after the filter assembly is extracted in a sliding manner in a state where the door of the air cleaner is opened regardless of the peripheral components. 
     Second, the space around the air cleaner and the engine room layout setting can be efficiently used. 
     According to the present invention, since the filter is replaced through opening of the compact door rotatably installed on the case and extraction of the filter assembly in a sliding manner from the case through the open door, it is not required to fully open the case as in the related art, and thus the space around the air cleaner and the engine room layout setting can be efficiently used. 
     Third, the merchantability and customer satisfaction can be improved according to the improvement of the repair performance. 
     As described above, since the replacement work of the air cleaner is conveniently done, a driver can directly repair the filter without the necessity of visiting a repair shop, and thus the repair cost can be saved with the improvement of the customer satisfaction and merchantability. 
     The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view illustrating an installation state of a general air cleaner. 
         FIG. 2  is a view illustrating a filter replacement process in an air cleaner in the related art. 
         FIG. 3  is a view illustrating an air cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4A to 4C  are views sequentially illustrating a filter replacement process in an air cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. 
     In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4A  to  4 C are views illustrating an air cleaner and a filter replacement process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , an air cleaner  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a case  110  accommodating a filter assembly  130 , and a door  120  rotatably installed on one side of the case  110  to open and close an accommodation portion  111  of the case  110  in which the filter assembly  130  is inserted. 
     In the case  110 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 4A to 4C , the accommodation portion  111  for accommodating the filter assembly  130 , that is, a filter frame  131  having a filter therein, in a sliding manner is formed, and on both sides of the accommodation portion  111 , an outwardly projecting extension portion  112  is formed so that a link means to be described later and a gasket  133  of the filter frame  131  can be arranged thereon. 
     The door  120  is installed on the front surface of the accommodation portion  111  of the case  110  to open/close the accommodation portion  111 . That is, a lower end portion of the door  120  is rotatably coupled to an outer surface of the case  110 , and a hook-shaped clamp  121  that is hooked on and fixed to the case is formed on an upper end portion of the door  120 . 
     A link means that interlocks when the door  120  is rotated is provided between the inner surface of the door  120  and the accommodation portion  111 . The link means includes a plurality of vertical links  123  having lower end portions that are rotatably installed on the accommodation portion  111  of the case  110 , and a horizontal link  122  having both end portions that are rotatably installed on the upper end portions of the vertical links  123  and the inner surface of the door  120 , respectively. Accordingly, when the door  120  is rotated, the horizontal link  122  and the vertical links  123  simultaneously interlock with each other. In particular, when the door  120  is closed, the horizontal link  122  pushes up the filter frame  131 , and the filter frame  131  adheres closely to the inner upper surface of the extension portion  112  of the case  110  to secure the airtightness of the filter assembly  130 . 
     On the other hand, the filter assembly  130  includes the filter frame that accommodates the filter therein, and the filter frame  131  is inserted and accommodated in the accommodation portion  111  of the case  110  in a sliding manner. A coupling projection  132  that projects outwardly is formed along an outer periphery of the filter frame  131 , and a rubber gasket  133  is installed to surround the coupling projection  132 . In particular, the front end portion of the coupling projection  132  has an extended diameter to be hooked on an open end portion of the gasket  133 , and thus the secession of the gasket  133  can be prevented. The coupling projection of the filter frame  131  and the gasket  133  are positioned in the extension portion  112  of the case  110 , and the horizontal link  122  that interlocks when the door  120  is opened/closed becomes in contact with the lower surface of the gasket  133  to make the filter frame  131  ascend or descend. 
     A filter replacement process of the air cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention as described above will be described. 
     First, as shown in  FIG. 4C , the clamp  121  of the door  120  that closes the accommodation portion  111  of the case  110  is pressed to release the lock on the case  110 , and then the door  120  is rotated to open the accommodation portion  111  of the case  110 . 
     When the door  120  is rotated, the horizontal link  122  and the vertical links  123 , which are provided in the accommodation portion  111  of the case  110 , are rotated and moved to the inner lower portion of the accommodation portion  111  as shown in  FIG. 4B . 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the vertical link  123  rotates in the same direction as the door  120 . 
     Due to the descending movement of the horizontal link  122 , the filter frame  131  that is pressed and supported upwardly by the horizontal link  122  becomes free in the accommodation unit  111  of the case, and then the filter can be replaced through extraction of the filter frame  131  from the accommodation portion  111  in a sliding manner. 
     After the filter is replaced, the filter frame  131  is again inserted into the accommodation portion  111  of the case  110  that is empty as shown in  FIG. 4A  in a sliding manner, and then the accommodation portion  111  is closed through reverse rotation of the door  120  to be locked in the case through the clamp  121 . 
     Then, by the rotation of the door  120 , the horizontal link  122  and the vertical links  123 , which are provided in the accommodation portion  111  of the case  110 , are rotated reversely and are moved again to the inner upper portion of the accommodation portion  111 . At the same time, the horizontal link  122  pushes up and supports the gasket  133  that surrounds the coupling projection  132  of the filter frame  131  onto the inner upper surface of the extension portion  112  of the case  110 , as shown in the enlarged view of  FIG. 4C , to secure the strong airtightness of the filter. 
     As described above, since the filter replacement from the case  110  is performed in a sliding manner, the repair performance and workability are improved. 
     For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “inner” and “outer” are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.