Abstract:
An air cleaner includes a housing and an air filter element. An endcap of the air filter element provides a removable cover for the housing. The endcap includes removal, insertion, orientation, and retention structure and methods for same. A clamping arrangement is provided with minimal space requirements.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the benefit of and priority from provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 61/381,640, filed Sep. 10, 2010, incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     The invention relates to air cleaners including air filter elements. 
     Air cleaners are known, including a housing extending axially along an axis and having an annular sidewall extending axially between first and second axial ends, the sidewall having an inlet receiving dirty incoming air, the first axial end having an outlet discharging clean filtered air, the second axial end being closable by a removable cover, the second axial end having a closed state when closed by the cover, the second axial end having an open state upon removal of the cover. An annular air filter element is axially insertable into the housing through the second axial end in the open state. The air filter element has an outer peripheral surface spaced inwardly of an interior surface of the sidewall of the housing and defining an annular dirty air inlet plenum therebetween receiving dirty air from the inlet. The air filter element has an inner peripheral surface defining a hollow interior providing a clean air outlet plenum supplying clean filtered air to the outlet. The air filter element includes annular filter media extending axially between the first and second endcaps. For further background, reference is made to the following U.S. patents, all incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,402,798; 6,958,083; 7,740,678. 
     The present disclosure arose during continuing development efforts in the above technology. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an air cleaner in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is like  FIG. 1  and shows a partially assembled view. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a component of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the component of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of another portion of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a view of the components of  FIG. 6  from a different angle. 
         FIG. 8  is like  FIG. 3  and shows another embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is like  FIG. 2  and further shows the embodiment of  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1-7  show an air cleaner  20  including a housing  22  extending axially along an axis  24  and having an annular sidewall  26  extending axially between first and second axial ends  28  and  30 . Sidewall  26  has an inlet  32  receiving dirty incoming air as shown at arrow  34 . First axial end  28  has an outlet  36  discharging clean filtered air as shown at arrow  38 . Second axial end  30  is closable by a removable cover  40 . Second axial end  30  has a closed state,  FIG. 1 , when closed by cover  40 , and has an open state,  FIG. 2 , upon removal of cover  40 . An annular air filter element  42 ,  FIGS. 2-4 , is axially insertable into the housing through second axial end  30  in the noted open state,  FIG. 2 . Air filter element  42  has an outer peripheral surface  44 ,  FIG. 4 , spaced inwardly of an interior surface  46 ,  FIGS. 6 ,  7 , of housing sidewall  26  and defining an annular dirty air inlet plenum  48  therebetween receiving dirty air from inlet  32 . Air filter element  42  has an inner peripheral surface  50 ,  FIG. 4 , defining a hollow interior  52  providing a clean air outlet plenum supplying clean filtered air to outlet  36 . Air filter element  52  includes annular filter media  54  extending axially between first and second axial endcaps  56  and  40 . First endcap  56  faces outlet  36 . Second endcap  40  is the noted cover. 
     Housing sidewall  26  has a dust ejection opening  58 ,  FIGS. 2 ,  5 - 7 , therethrough. A dust ejection valve  60  extends outwardly from exterior surface  62  of sidewall  26  and receives dust through opening  58  from inlet plenum  48 . Dust ejection valve  60  may be a duckbill valve, as known in the art, or other dust ejection valves known in the art. Second endcap  40  includes a dust collection tab  64 ,  FIGS. 2-5 , extending along interior surface  46  of housing sidewall  26  to dust ejection opening  58 . Dust collection tab  64  defines a dust ejection outlet port  66  from inlet plenum  48  through dust ejection opening  58  to dust ejection valve  60 . Dust collection tab  64  has chamfered edges  68 ,  FIG. 5 , providing dust ejection outlet port  66 . Dust collection tab  64  has an opening  66  therethrough aligned with dust ejection opening  58  through housing sidewall  26 . Opening  66  through dust collection tab  64  provides the noted dust ejection outlet port from inlet plenum  48 . In one embodiment, opening  66  through dust collection tab  64  is formed by an aperture through the dust collection tab, and dust ejection opening  58  is formed by an aperture through housing sidewall  26 . 
     Air filter element  42  is inserted into housing  22  in a first axial direction  70 ,  FIG. 2 , toward first axial end  28 , and is removed from housing  22  in a second axial direction  72  opposite to first axial direction  70 . Housing sidewall  26  has at least one retention-stop surface  74 ,  FIGS. 2 ,  6 ,  7 , facing axially in first axial direction  70 . Second endcap  40  includes at least one clamp tab  76  having a retention-engagement surface  78  facing axially in second axial direction  72 . Retention-engagement surface  78  engages retention-stop surface  74  in latching relation upon insertion of air filter element  42  into housing  22  and clamps second endcap  40  to sidewall  26  and maintains second axial end  30  in the noted closed state,  FIG. 1 . 
     Clamp tab  76 ,  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  6 ,  7 , extends along interior surface  46  of housing sidewall  26  to retention-stop surface  74 . Retention-engagement surface  78  of clamp tab  76  is released from latching engagement with retention-stop surface  74  of sidewall  26  by pushing retention-engagement surface  78  of clamp tab  76  radially inwardly as shown at arrow  80 ,  FIGS. 6 ,  7 , into inlet plenum  48 . Retention-engagement surface  78  of clamp tab  76  engages retention-stop surface  74  of housing sidewall  26  in snap-fit relation. During axial insertion of air filter element  42  into housing  22  along the noted first axial direction  70 ,  FIG. 2 , clamp tab  76  slides axially along interior surface  46  of housing sidewall  26 , and retention-engagement surface  78  snaps radially outwardly as shown at arrow  82 ,  FIGS. 6 ,  7 , into interference fit engagement with retention-stop surface  74  of sidewall  26 . Retention-stop surface  74  is formed by a retention aperture  84  through housing sidewall  26 . In one embodiment, second endcap  40  includes two identical clamp tabs  76 ,  86 , the latter being shown in dashed line in  FIG. 3  and being diametrically opposite clamp tab  76 , each having a respective retention-engagement surface such as  78 . 
       FIGS. 8 ,  9  illustrate another embodiment and use like reference numerals from above where appropriate to facilitate understanding. The air filter element may include an optional outer support grid or lattice-work  43  in addition to an optional inner support grid or lattice-work such as  41 ,  FIG. 4 . The air filter element is inserted into housing  22  in first axial direction  70  toward first axial end  28 . Second endcap  40  extends axially along the filter media along the outer peripheral surface of the air filter element and has at least one cam surface  88  facing axially in the noted first axial direction  70 . The interior surface of housing sidewall  26  has at least one alignment guide surface, as shown in dashed line at  90 , facing in the noted second axial direction  72  and engageable by cam surface  88  of second endcap  40  during insertion of air filter element  42  into housing  22  in first axial direction  70  to cammingly rotate air filter element  42  about axis  44  during insertion, to a designated rotational orientation of air filter element  42  in housing  22  about axis  44 . In one embodiment, endcap  40  has a scalloped terminating end  92  facing axially in the noted first axial direction  70  and having peaks  94  and valleys  96  with ramped surfaces  88  therebetween. The ramped surfaces provides a plurality of cam surfaces  88 . 
     The present system provides an air filter element  42  for a housing  22 , as described. The disclosure further provides a method for cleaning air including providing a housing  22  and an air filter element  42 , as described. The method includes inserting the air filter element into the housing and clamping the air filter element to the housing with minimal space requirements around the exterior of the housing. 
     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. The different configurations, systems, and method steps described herein may be used alone or in combination with other configurations, systems and method steps. It is to be expected that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Each limitation in the appended claims is intended to invoke interpretation under 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, only if the terms “means for” or “step for” are explicitly recited in the respective limitation. The noted annular shape includes circular, oval, elliptical, racetrack, oblong, and other closed-loop shapes.