Abstract:
A fluid filtering system includes a housing portion and a lid portion, with a safety pin mechanism extending through the lid portion which prevents the fluid filtering system from operating correctly through visual indicators. A vent bore is included in the housing which includes a vent gasket therein for proper seating of the lid portion against the housing portion to prevent leakage of fluid being filtered. An inner circumferential gasket is also included to secure the lid portion to the housing portion and to prevent fluid leakage. A camming interface between the lid portion and the housing portion assures a secure fit of both the lid portion and the housing portion; the safety pin mechanism disallows the lid portion from being removed from the housing portion, thereby preventing accidental, and unsafe, release of the lid portion from the housing portion.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/972,976, filed Oct. 25, 2004 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/972,978, filed Oct. 25, 2004, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to fluid filtering systems and, more specifically, to fluid filtering systems having an interior filter element and which may include modular housing. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Background of the Invention 
         [0005]    Fluid filtering systems have many manufacturing and processing applications. Conventional fluid filters typically utilize a filter element that takes the form of a filter cartridge or a filter bag. Although known filtering systems are effective, it would be useful to provide a cost-effective approach to prevent accidental rupture of a fluid filtering system, and to provide indicators that a fluid filtering system is in a proper state to allow it to filter fluids. 
         [0006]    It is therefore becoming increasingly necessary to provide fluid filter systems which include multiple safety features for detecting an improperly seated lid portion in connecting to a housing portion of a fluid filtering system. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is directed to an improved fluid filtering system useful in filtering fluids of various types. 
         [0008]    According to one aspect of the present invention, a fluid filter assembly is provided with a housing portion and a lid portion to filter fluid. The housing portion includes an access opening through which a filter element is inserted. The lid portion is utilized to cover the access opening secure itself to the housing portion. The housing portion also includes an inlet opening and an outlet opening through which fluid is allowed to pass when the fluid filtering system is operational. 
         [0009]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the housing portion further includes a plurality of vent bores and vent gaskets which are covered by cam locking portions of the lid portion when the lid portion and the housing portion are secured together. The vent bores and vent gaskets serve to indicate a fluid-tight seal between the housing portion and the lid portion. 
         [0010]    In another aspect of the present invention, the lid portion includes a circumferential gasket which seats against an inner radial surface of an upper lip of the housing portion when the lid portion and the housing portion are secured together. The circumferential gasket serves to indicate a fluid-tight seal between the inside of the housing portion and an inner cylindrical lip of the lid portion 
         [0011]    In a further aspect, the present invention provides a safety pin included in the lid portion designed to give a visual indication of an unseated lid portion and to physically secure the lid portion from being removed accidentally from the housing portion. The safety pin includes an internal spring and a plunger which is seated against a cam locking portion of the housing portion when the lid portion is correctly seated thereon; the plunger must be suitably raised from its contact with the cam locking portion for the lid portion to be unseated from the housing portion successfully. 
         [0012]    The various features of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the following description of the illustrative embodiments thereof, to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent same or similar items. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout, and in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary plan view of a fluid filtering system in accordance with the present invention, shown in a closed position; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of the spring locking mechanism of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view shown in cut-away of the fluid filtering system taken from a view along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 , shown in a closed position; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a side elevational view shown in cut-away of the fluid filtering system of  FIG. 4 , shown in an intermediate position; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view shown in cut-away of the fluid filtering system of  FIG. 4 , shown in an open position; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a fragmentary plan view of the fluid filtering system, shown in an open position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
       [0021]    The present invention generally discloses an improved fluid filtering system in the form of a filter assembly  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The filter assembly  10  includes a housing portion  12  and a lid portion  14  having handles  16 . The housing portion  12  includes an inlet opening  42  and an outlet port (not shown) by which fluid may be introduced into and flows out through the fluid filter assembly. Such a housing portion  12  may be of the modular type as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/972,978 or a non-modular type as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/972,976. In addition, such a housing portion  12  may be adapted to retain a filter element (not shown) within the filter housing portion  12 , which may be of a filter basket/filter bag combination, a filter cartridge, or any suitable type of filter element which may be placed within the filter housing portion  12  through an access opening  22  to accept fluid passage therethrough. 
         [0022]    The housing portion  12  may be manufactured from any suitable material, including 316 stainless steel, 304 stainless steel, carbon steel, or polypropylene. In the illustrated embodiment, polypropylene with a 20% glass fill is used. As is known in the art, various internal coatings may be employed for use with the housing portion  12  depending upon the material used to form the housing portions  12 , the filter assembly  10 , and the application for which the fluid filtering system is to be used. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a cut-away of the lid portion  14  is shown interfacing with the housing portion  12  through a camming interface, which will be described in further detail below. Also shown are vent bores  20  in the housing portion  12  with vent gaskets  18  fitted therein. Turning to  FIG. 2 , two vent bores  18  can be seen opposite each other on an upper rim of the housing portion  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, two vent bores  20  are shown, but a plurality of vent bores  20  may be included, limited only by the number of camming members located on the housing portion  12 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , vent bores  20  are fashioned to accept vent gaskets  18  therethrough, leaving a circumferential portion of the vent gaskets  18  extending outward of the housing portion  12 . A lid portion cam locking member  28  is removably positioned over the extending circumferential portion of each vent gasket  18 , when the housing portion  12  and the lid portion  14  are interfaced, so that the extending circumferential portion of each vent gasket  18  engages each lid portion cam locking member  28  to provide a seal between the lid portion  14  and the housing portion  12 . When the lid portion  14  is removed from the housing portion  12 , or not properly seated, fluid is designed to pass through vent bores  20  to indicate to the operator of the fluid filtering system that the lid portion  14  and the housing portion  12  are not correctly aligned and to cease operation of the system. 
         [0024]    A vertically extending cylindrical lip  30  can also be seen in  FIG. 2 , which has attached to it a cylindrically extending gasket  32 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , the gasket  32  has an open end  33  so as to be able to be compressed into engagement with an inner radial surface  34  of the housing portion  12  when the lid portion  14  is seated on the housing portion  12 . The gasket  32  provides a seating mechanism for the lid portion  14  to be in proper engagement with the housing portion  12  and to disallow fluid from exiting the housing portion  12  during operation of the fluid filtering system. 
         [0025]    The fluid filter assembly  10  also includes a safety pin  36  fitted to the lid portion  14 . The safety pin  36  includes a portion extending vertically up through a hole in the lid portion  14  and a plunger  40  extending vertically down through a hole in the lid portion  14  to contact the housing portion  12  at the camming interface. A spring  38  is included internally to the safety pin  36  to provide a mechanism by which the plunger  40  may secure the lid portion  14  to the housing portion  12 . Preferably, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the safety pin  36  is threaded into the hole through the lid portion  14 , so as to secure the safety pin to the lid portion  14 . 
         [0026]    As seen in  FIG. 4 , a camming interface is included in the present invention to connect the lid portion  14  to the housing portion  12  and provide a more secure connection than in known fluid filtering systems. On the housing portion  12 , cam members with a circumferentially extending locking portion  24  and longitudinally extending stops  26  are included. On the lid portion  14 , locking members  28  are located so as to engage the cam locking portions  24  and stops  26  on the housing portion  12 , fitting under locking portions  24  and completing their transit when the lid portion  14  is engaged with the housing portion  12 , with the locking members  28  seated against the stops  26 . As is seen in cut-away in  FIG. 4 , the vent bores  20  and vent gaskets  18  are located on the housing portion  12  below the portions  24  and adjacent the stops  26 . As such, when the cam locking members  28  of the lid portion  14  are engaged with the portions  24  and the stops  26 , the vent bores  20  are covered by the locking members  28 . 
         [0027]    Prior to use of the fluid filter assembly  10 , a filter element must be installed in the housing portion  12  through the access opening  22 . Initially, the lid portion  14  is removed, if not already. A filter element is then longitudinally inserted in the access opening  22 , as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/972,976 and 10/972,978. 
         [0028]    The lid portion  14  is then positioned over the housing portion  12 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . As can be seen in  FIG. 7 , lid portion  14  cam locking members  28  are initially spaced between the cam member locking portions  24  and stops  26  of the housing portion  12 . The lid portion  14  is fitted downward over the upper lip of the housing portion  12 , causing the gasket  32  to interface and come into contact with the inner radial surface  34  of the housing portion  12 . The safety pin  36 , meanwhile, is pushed upward, and its spring  38  depressed, as the plunger  40  contacts the circumferentially extending locking portion  24  of one of the cam members of the housing portion  12 . With the safety pin  36  in this upward extending position, a visual indication is given to an operator of the fluid filtering system of the present invention that the lid portion  14  and the housing portion  12  are not yet properly seated. 
         [0029]    To secure the lid portion  14  to the housing portion  12 , the lid handles  16  are used to twist the lid portion  14  in a clockwise direction, as shown in the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 5 . As can be seen, the cam locking members  28  of the lid portion  14  travel under the cam locking portions  24  and come into engagement therewith. Preferably, the cam locking portions  24  of the housing portion  12  are tapered so that the portion engaged by the cam locking members  28  of the lid portion  14  is angled upward from right to left a few degrees from the horizontal, as seen in  FIG. 5 . This upward angling further secures the lid portion  14  to the housing portion  12 , so as to require extra force in a downward direction be exerted when the lid portion  14  is removed from the housing portion  12 . 
         [0030]    When the cam locking members  28  of the lid portion  14  have completed their transit under the cam locking portions  24  of the housing portion  12 , and are seated against the stops  26 , the plunger  40  of the safety pin  36  snaps down, as the spring  38  is allowed to extend once again, the plunger  40  having traversed the circumferentially extending locking portion  24 , as is seen in  FIG. 4 . The plunger  40  is now seated against an outer edge of the locking portion  24 , preventing the lid portion  14  from being able to be twisted off in a counter-clockwise direction accidentally. This engagement of the lid portion  14  and the housing portion  12  can also be seen in a closed position in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0031]    With the lid portion  14  secured to the housing portion  12 , and the access opening  22  closed, fluid is introduced into the housing portion  12  through the inlet opening  42 , allowed to pass through the filter element (not shown) and out through the outlet opening (not shown). The fluid filtering system is also preferably pressurized at this time. Should the lid portion  14  be incorrectly seated on the housing portion  12  at the gaskets  32 , fluid would be allowed to pass through an opening between the lid portion  14  and the housing portion  12  that is sealed by the gasket  32 . Visual indication of fluid on the outside of the filter housing  12  would indicate to the operator of the fluid filtering system that the system is operating incorrectly and would prompt the operator to cease fluid filtering operations. Alternately, if the lid portion  14  is incorrectly seated on the housing portion  12  at the vent bores  20  and vent gaskets  18 , fluid would be allowed to pass through the vent bores  20  and fluid would appear on the outside of the filter housing  12  to indicate to the operator of the fluid filtering system that fluid is leaking and to prompt the operator to shut the system down. 
         [0032]    When removing the lid portion  14  from the housing portion  12 , the sequence of events described above is carried out. First, the safety pin  36  must be lifted so as to release the plunger  40  from its position seated against an outer edge of the locking portion  24 , depressing the spring  38 . Simultaneously, the lid handles  16  are used to unseat the locking members  28  of the lid portion  14  from their positions under the locking portions  24  of the housing portion  12 , turning the lid portion  14  in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in  FIG. 5 . By inclusion of both the safety pin  36  and the camming interface with locking members  28  on the lid portion  14  and locking portions  24  on the housing portion  12 , an operator must use two hands and downward pressure on the lid portion  14  to successfully release the lid portion  14  from the housing portion  12 . These safety features provide improved assurance of a successful interface of the housing portion  12  and the lid portion  14 . 
         [0033]    From the above description, it will be apparent that the invention disclosed herein provides a novel and advantageous system for support and stabilization of a recreational vehicle. The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary methods and embodiments of the present invention. As will be understood by those familiar with the art, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms and utilize other materials without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.