Abstract:
A replaceable oil filter sub-assembly for use with an oil filter housing having an oil drain passageway extending outwardly from an interior volume of the oil filter housing, the oil filter sub-assembly including a filter element having a filter medium defining an upstream side and a downstream side of the filter element and an oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly having a first end configured for oil sealing engagement with the oil drain passageway of the oil filter housing, the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly being separate from the filter element and extending through the interior volume of the filter housing at the upstream side of the filter element.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/195,356, filed Mar. 3, 2014, entitled REPLACEABLE OIL FILTER SUB-ASSEMBLY, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to oil filters for motor vehicles. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Various types of oil filters are known. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention seeks to provide an improved oil filter for motor vehicles. 
         [0005]    There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a replaceable oil filter sub-assembly for use with an oil filter housing having an oil drain passageway extending outwardly from an interior volume of the oil filter housing, the oil filter sub-assembly including a filter element having a filter medium defining an upstream side and a downstream side of the filter element and an oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly having a first end configured for oil sealing engagement with the oil drain passageway of the oil filter housing, the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly being separate from the filter element and extending through the interior volume of the filter housing at the upstream side of the filter element. 
         [0006]    Preferably, the filter element includes top and bottom end portions and the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly extends through at least one of an aperture and a recess formed in at least the bottom end portion. Additionally, the filter medium defines an elongate recess between the top end portion and the bottom end portion. 
         [0007]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the replaceable oil filter sub-assembly also includes a top element which is threadably and sealingly engageable with the filter housing and wherein engagement of the top element and the filter housing retains the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly in sealing engagement with the oil drain passageway of the oil filter housing. 
         [0008]    Preferably, the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly includes an elongate, generally cylindrical portion and a generally tapered second end portion. 
         [0009]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the first end includes a sealing ring retaining portion, defining a circumferential recess and a sealing ring seated in the circumferential recess. 
         [0010]    There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention an oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly, for use with a replaceable oil filter sub-assembly and an oil filter housing having an oil drain passageway extending outwardly from an interior volume of the oil filter housing, the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly including a first end configured for oil sealing engagement with the oil drain passageway of the oil filter housing, the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly extending through the interior volume of the filter housing at the upstream side of the filter element. 
         [0011]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the sealing rod assembly includes an elongate, generally cylindrical portion and a generally tapered second end portion. 
         [0012]    Preferably, the first end includes a sealing ring retaining portion, defining a circumferential recess and a sealing ring seated in the circumferential recess. 
         [0013]    There is further provided in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for assembling an oil filter assembly, the oil filter assembly including a top element, an oil filter housing, having an oil drain passageway extending outwardly from an interior volume of the oil filter housing, and a replaceable oil filter sub-assembly, the replaceable oil filter sub-assembly including an oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly and a filter element, the method including inserting the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly into sealing engagement with the oil drain passageway, operatively engaging the top element with the filter element, thereby forming a joined top element and filter element and thereafter, inserting the joined top element and filter element into threadable, sealing engagement with the filter housing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a simplified, partially cut-away illustration of a oil filter assembly constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a fully assembled state; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a simplified, sectional illustration of the oil filter assembly of  FIG. 1 , taken along lines II-II in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a simplified exploded view illustration of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2 ; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C  are simplified illustrations of a housing portion of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 5A &amp; 5B  are simplified illustrations of an oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly forming part of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 6A, 6B &amp; 6C  are simplified illustrations of a filter element forming part of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
           [0021]      FIGS. 7A &amp; 7B  are simplified illustrations of a top element forming part of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a simplified illustration of a first step in the assembly of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a simplified illustration of a second step in the assembly of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3  and 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a simplified illustration of a third step in the assembly of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 1 , which is a simplified, partially cut-away illustration of a oil filter assembly  100 , constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a fully assembled state,  FIG. 2 , which is a simplified, sectional illustration of the oil filter assembly of  FIG. 1 , taken along lines II-II in  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 3 , which is a simplified exploded view illustration of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2 . 
         [0026]    As seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , the oil filter assembly  100  comprises a filter housing  102 , defining a generally cylindrical inner volume  104  and an internally threaded lip portion  106 . Filter housing  102  defines an oil inlet opening  107  at a bottom surface thereof, which communicates between the cylindrical inner volume  104  and the outside of the filter housing  102 . Filter housing  102  also defines an oil drain passageway  108  at a bottom surface thereof, which communicates between the cylindrical inner volume  104  and the outside of the filter housing  102 . 
         [0027]    Oil filter assembly  100  also comprises an oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110  for selectably removable sealing engagement with the oil drain passageway  108 . 
         [0028]    A filter element  120  is arranged for removable placement within the generally cylindrical inner volume  104  and is formed with top and bottom end portions  122  and  124 , having mutually aligned apertures  126  and  128  for accommodating oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110 . End portions  122  and  124  preferably support a generally circumferential pleated filtration medium  130 . It is appreciated that the generally circumferential pleated filtration medium  130  is configured to define an elongate recess  132  extending between respective top and bottom end portions  122  and  124 , for accommodating oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110 . 
         [0029]    It is appreciated that pleated filtration medium  130  defines an upstream side of filter element  120  external thereto and a downstream side of filter element  120  internal thereto. 
         [0030]    A top element  140  is formed with an externally directed threaded lip portion  144  for threaded sealing engagement with internally directed threaded lip portion  106  of filter housing  102 , thereby, inter alia, retaining oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110  in sealing engagement with oil drain passageway  108 . 
         [0031]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C , which are simplified illustrations of housing portion  102  of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 . It is noted that  FIG. 4B  is a sectional illustration taken along lines B-B in  FIG. 4A , which is a pictorial illustration of the housing portion, and  FIG. 4C  is an interior view of the bottom of generally cylindrical inner volume  104 , taken along a direction C indicated in  FIG. 4A . 
         [0032]    As seen in  FIGS. 4B and 4C , there is provided an upwardly-directed tapered channel protrusion  150 , which extends from the base of housing portion  102  into the generally cylindrical inner volume  104 . Oil drain passageway  108  lies outside of and adjacent channel  150 . 
         [0033]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 5A &amp; 5B , which are simplified illustrations of drain aperture sealing rod assembly  110 , forming part of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 . As seen in  FIGS. 5A &amp; 5B , drain aperture sealing rod assembly  110  includes an elongate, generally cylindrical portion  160  having a top generally tapered end portion  162  and a bottom sealing ring retaining portion  164 , defining a circumferential recess  166  in which is seated a sealing ring  168 . 
         [0034]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 6A, 6B &amp; 6C , which are simplified illustrations of a filter element forming part of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 . As noted above, filter element  120  is formed with top and bottom end portions  122  and  124 , having mutually aligned apertures  126  and  128  for accommodating oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110 . End portions  122  and  124  preferably support generally circumferential pleated filtration medium  130 . As noted above, generally circumferential pleated filtration medium  130  is configured to define elongate recess  132  extending between respective top and bottom end portions  122  and  124 , for accommodating oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110 . 
         [0035]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 7A &amp; 7B , which are simplified illustrations of top element  140  forming part of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 . As noted above, top element  140  is formed with externally directed threaded lip portion  144  for threaded sealing engagement with internally directed threaded lip portion  106  of filter housing  102 , thereby, inter alia, retaining oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110  in sealing engagement with oil drain passageway  108 . 
         [0036]    More specifically, it is seen that top element  140  is formed with a downwardly extending protrusion  170  arranged to extend into generally cylindrical inner volume  104 . Protrusion  170  is formed with a downwardly-facing surface  172  which engages tapered top end portion  162  of drain aperture sealing rod assembly  110  when the top element  140  is fully threadably and sealingly engaged with the filter housing  102 , thereby retaining oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110  in sealing engagement with oil drain passageway  108 , via sealing ring  168 . A central, downwardly extending hollow protrusion  180  is preferably arranged to extend downwardly into generally cylindrical inner volume  104  from downwardly-facing surface  172 . 
         [0037]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 8 , which is a simplified illustration of a first step in the assembly of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-7B . As seen in  FIG. 8 , the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110  is inserted into sealing engagement with oil drain passageway  108 , such that sealing ring  168  provides a seal between an internal surface of oil drain passageway  108  and recess  166 , thereby preventing oil from draining from generally cylindrical inner volume  104  to the outside of the filter housing  102  via oil drain passageway  108 . 
         [0038]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 9 , which is a simplified illustration of a second step in the assembly of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 , wherein top element  140  is operatively engaged with filter element  120  such that central, downwardly extending hollow protrusion  180  extends through top end portion  122  and central, downwardly extending hollow protrusion  180  sealingly engages top end portion  122 . 
         [0039]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 10 , which is a simplified illustration of a third and final step in the assembly of the oil filter assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 . As seen in  FIG. 10 , the joined top element  140  and filter element  120  are inserted and threadably and sealingly engaged with the filter housing  102 . It is seen that the azimuthal arrangement of the filter element  120  is such that the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110  extends initially through aperture  128  of bottom end portion  124  of filter element  120  and thereafter tapered end portion  162  extends through aperture  126  of top end portion  122  of filter element  120  and engages downwardly facing surface  172 . In this way, the oil drain passageway sealing rod assembly  110  is securely retained in sealing engagement with the oil drain passageway  108 . The thus-assembled filter is sealed, inter alia, by the sealing engagement of sealing ring  168  with the internal surface of oil drain passageway  108  and recess  166 , thereby preventing oil from draining from generally cylindrical inner volume  104  to the outside of the filter housing  102  via oil drain passageway  108 . 
         [0040]    It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of various elements described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which are not in the prior art.